Day: July 17, 2021

Leading media outlets in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan published an article on Friday by Turkey’s foreign minister that described Ankara’s fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Mevlut Cavusoglu penned the article on Thursday, “Why Should We Fight Against FETO Resolutely?,” for the fifth anniversary of the defeated coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

The Turkistan newspaper, one of the media organizations broadcasting throughout Kazakhistan, along with the Elorda news site, printed the article with the headline: “Mevlut Cavusoglu: Terrorism, a great threat to all humanity.”

The Vechernyi Bishkek newspaper, one of the leading media organs in Kyrgyzstan, also gave place to the article.

“Terrorism remains a major threat to the common security, well-being, values and prospects for a brighter future of all humanity,” Cavusoglu wrote. “Some of the terrorist groups are not clearly visible and are hidden behind a slyly designed propaganda tool.”

Cavusoglu said on July 15, Turkey faced a brutal coup attempt by FETO, which is a new type of terror grup that infiltrated state institutions.

“On that black night, state institutions, especially our Parliament and the Presidency, where the free will of the nation is embodied, were assaulted by heavy weaponry including attacks by tanks, military aircraft and helicopters,” he said.

“It would be a grave misconception to think that FETO is only a threat to Turkey. There is no doubt that the legal investigations to be launched in the countries where FETO has placed itself will expose many illegal activities ranging from financial corruption to fraud in visa and asylum applications. It’s high time that these countries take this step,” said Cavusoglu.

He urged the international community to act with the same determination against all terror organizations, regardless of their forms, including FETO.

“No compromise can be made to those who commit acts of terrorism,” he said.

Turkey marked July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day with nationwide events to commemorate those who were killed beating back the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.

FETO and its US-based leader, Fetullah Gulen, orchestrated the defeated coup in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 wounded.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The delegation of the foreign affairs and inter-parliamentary relations committee of Azerbaijan’s parliament visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the first time Friday.

The delegation headed by Samad Seyidov was received by TRNC President Ersin Tatar, Speaker Onder Sennaroglu and Prime Minister Ersan Saner, respectively.

In a written statement by the Presidency, Tatar said history is being made with the arrival of Azerbaijani deputies to the TRNC as a delegation, adding they will act together for the gradual development of political ties and the feelings of brotherhood will increase.

Expressing his pleasure at receiving the Azerbaijan deputies, Tatar also said: “We also have always missed these days. We have been in a great struggle in this country since our childhood.”

Many successful Azerbaijanis live in the TRNC, he said, conveying his gratitude and love to the people of Azerbaijan, the president and deputies.

As one nation, three states, we are all of Turkish descent, Tatar added.

As head of the Azerbaijani parliament foreign affairs committee, Seyidov said: “Turkey’s power is the power of Azerbaijan. It is the power of the TRNC,” as he wished the TRNC gains strength and unite with the Turkish world.

– Presence of Azerbaijani delegation strong message to international community

Later, receiving the delegation as part of the anniversary of TRNC’s July 20 Peace and Freedom Day, Sennaroglu said: “The presence of the Azerbaijani delegation among us on the 47th anniversary of the freedom and well-being of the Turkish Cypriot people is a strong message to the international community.

“Our presence here shows everyone that the Turkish Cypriot people are not alone and that the double standards we have been subjected to for decades cannot continue,” he said.

Official and institutional relations will be established between the parliaments of the two countries, he said, adding that the visit will lead to steps in that direction.

Touching on a meeting in Ankara on Thursday, Seyidov stressed Azerbaijan shares the joy and sorrow of Turkey and the Turkic world, as he expressed satisfaction with the expansion of the Turkic world.

“We are one nation, two states, and the third is here now,” he said, adding that they are now strengthened by the power of Turkey and Azerbaijan and that the whole Turkic world will become stronger with the strengthening of the TRNC.

Meanwhile, Saner said: “I sincerely thank you for being with us and supporting us in our national cause.”

Seyidov, for his part, said Azerbaijan will defend the rights and justice of the TRNC at the European Council.

The ruling, opposition and independent members of the Azerbaijani parliament were present in the delegation that went to the TRNC, Seyidov said, emphasizing that when it comes to the Cyprus issue, there is no distinction between the government and opposition in Azerbaijan.

He went on to say that Azerbaijan as a delegation came to Northern Cyprus after Turkey.

“This is our land. The Turkic world has Turkey, the Turkic world has Azerbaijan, the Turkic world has Northern Cyprus.

“We want Northern Cyprus to be strong. The Turkish world will rise. For this, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Northern Cyprus must be together,” he said.

Among delegation deputies were Asim Mollazado, Erkin Gadirli, Nigar Arpadarai and Nasib Mahamaliyev.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Djibouti received more coronavirus vaccines on Saturday as the small nation of Horn of Africa continues its vaccination campaign.

Health minister Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh received the first batch of 151,200 doses of Johnson&Johnson vaccines at Djibouti International Airport.

US Ambassador to Djibouti Jonathan Pratt and several international partners attended the handover ceremony.

“Very quickly, we are going to put these vaccines at the disposal of the Djiboutian population to strengthen and intensify the COVID-19 vaccination campaign which is underway,” Abdilleh said.

He thanked the US government for the acquisition of vaccines through COVAX, a global vaccine sharing facility.

In March, Djibouti received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines made by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac.

Bordering Somalia in the south and the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in the east, Djibouti has so far recorded 11,622 coronavirus cases, 155 deaths while 11,457 people recovered from the disease.

Nearly 26,800 doses have been given in the country and 8,810 people, or 0.9% of the population, have been fully vaccinated.

Djibouti launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign on March 15 and President Ismail Omar Guelleh late June issued a decree announcing that it is a must to vaccinate the country’s adult population and its foreign residents against the coronavirus.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Last month, Israeli soldiers arrested Taqi Sapateen when he was drawing graffiti on the wall that separates the Palestinian area of West Bank from Israeli territories.

A contentious element of conflict, Israel describes it necessary security barrier, Palestinians call it a racial segregation or apartheid wall.

Dedicating his latest graffiti to newsmen, he painted the vest jacket on the wall, where journalists stand to cover the protests. But instead of writing press, he wrote stress.

“I drew the sniper’s lens against the journalists’ camera lens to tell the story without using words,” Sapateen told Anadolu Agency.

Soldiers grabbed the artist and took him to another side of the wall, that separates the main street connecting the city of Hebron to Jerusalem.

Sapateen recalled that he used to pass this street without any hassle before the separation wall came up with his father during his childhood to proceed to Jerusalem in a taxi, paying less than a dollar.

“Today, most Palestinian workers must pay hundreds of dollars to get an entry permit to pass this street to work in Jerusalem,” he said.

The Israeli intelligence officer accused him of damaging army property with his graffiti.

After several hours of interrogation, he was released, but not before warning him to stop painting the wall, as his brush is more dangerous than bullets.

“Our bullets stop on the body, but the effect of your brush travels all over the world, so it is a dangerous tool,” said Sapateen, while quoting the Israeli officer.

Raised in the Palestinian village of Husan, nine kilometers west of Bethlehem, the artist said during his childhood teachers spotted him mimicking drawings.

“Being with my father most of the time, on the fields, cafes, and the other social meetings, gave me a social knowledge that generated awareness about my land, and so to using art for messaging,” he said.

After he graduated from secondary school Sapateen worked as a construction worker to earn living. But he soon left the job and began studying contemporaneous visual arts in Ramallah, and started his own journey of reflecting imagination of his motherland in his creations.

Unleashing imagination

After drawing hundreds of paintings, he decided to paint without a frame and talk to the world.

“I felt I need to be outside the frames, telling the story by a language that anyone from anywhere understands. At that point I decided to draw on the most egregious landmark, the apartheid wall,” said Sapateen.

He unleashed his imaginations to tell the story of the wall to the world. He first just put a mirror on the wall to enable tourists to see their images. He drew a painting of Alice in Wonderland, a fiction by English author Lewis Carroll authored in 1865 woven around a little girl Alice, telling the story of a magical wonderland from her dreams where she is reunited with her friends who make her realize her true destiny.

“Alice needed a chocolate to became smaller and pass from the hole, but here in Palestine the occupation has imposed an entry permit, military check posts to reduce our dignity,” he said while explaining the life of an ordinary Palestinian and Alice.

The Palestinian artist emphasized that he does not want to live as a victim, despite all the suffering.

“We are not a sad people, and we do not ask pity. We are a strong nation to live the life and keep our continuous struggle, despite attempts to obliterate our identity,” he said.

In another sketch using the famous game, Mario Bros as theme, where plumber Mario and his brother Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the sewers by knocking them upside-down and kicking them away, Sapateen used it to highlight the tale of the Palestinian struggle, which does not have an endgame.

“As Palestinians, we do not have an endgame, all the time we have a tool to resist, our limit is just the sky,” he added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Scandinavian heatwaves, lethal Western European rainfall, Siberian smoke and record North American heat causing devastating wildfires are among the catastrophes that include “human-made climate change,” the global weather office said Friday.

At a bi-weekly UN news conference in Geneva, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokeswoman Clare Nullis noted the European tragedy is due to heavy rainfall that triggered devastating flooding in Western Europe, leaving at least 81 dead this week.

“Germany and Belgium have been the worst-affected in terms of loss of life, but it’s not just the flooding,” said Nullis. “At the same time, parts of Scandinavia are enduring a lasting heatwave. Smoke plumes from Siberia have affected air quality across the international dateline in Alaska. That’s how far the smoke has traveled.”

She said unprecedented heat in western North America has triggered devastating wildfires and the smoke is traveling huge distances.

“Yet again, we’ve seen a summer of unprecedented heat, droughts, cold and wet places,” said Nullis.

Two months rainfall in two days

Some parts of Western Europe, notably Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, received up to two months of rainfall in two days on July 14 and 15, worsening soil saturated by previous rain.

“And these are, in highly developed countries with very good early warning systems and disaster management. This indicates the scale of this disaster as we’ve seen images of houses being swept away. It’s really devastating,” she said.

The devastation is not just Germany, where the country’s weather service described it as a “catastrophe,” and Belgium, but Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and northeastern France have also been hit.

While central Europe suffered deadly floods, northern Europe has been gripped by an extended heatwave.

According to its weather body, Finland had its warmest June on record and the heat extended into July.

Kouvola Anjala, in southern Finland, has seen 27 consecutive days with temperatures above 25°C (77 F), the country’s most prolonged heatwave.

“This is Finland; it’s not Spain; it’s not North Africa,” said Nullis.

According to the Finnish meteorological service, the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea is in record-warmth, up to 26.6°C on 14 July, the warmest since records began 20 years ago.

The western US and Canada have also been gripped by heat, with records broken in the most recent heatwave last weekend in the southwestern US.

Las Vegas, Nevada tied its record of 117°F (47.2°C), as did the state of Utah.

According to the US National Weather Service in Las Vegas, Death Valley, California, reported a temperature of 130°F (54.4°C) on July 9.

The WMO said it is ready to verify new extreme temperatures.

“We are currently evaluating the 130°F reading in August 2020 at Death Valley, which holds the world’s highest temperature record,” said Nullis.

She said everybody asks: ”What about climate change?”

Nullis said what was seen in parts of the US and Canada at the end of June has led to rapid attribution surveys conducted by a prominent group of climate researchers and results were published last week.

“They said this heatwave would have been virtually impossible without the influence of human-caused climate change,” said the WMO spokeswoman.

“Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions made the heatwave at least 150 times more likely,” she said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi on Saturday broke a historical record on Instagram with his Copa America victory photo.

The superstar’s post of himself with the Copa America trophy became the platform’s most-liked sports photo ever, topping 19.9 million likes.

Following the victory, Messi shared a photo of himself with the Copa America trophy with the caption: “What a beautiful madness! This is unbelievable! Thank you, God! We are the champions.”

Argentina last week defeated Brazil 1-0 in Brazil to win the trophy, and Messi last week was selected among the top players of the tournament.

Source: Anadolu Agency

While the repercussions of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7 prevail in Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America, information on the identities of the murderers and their instigators are emerging gradually.

While official statements point to a large group of foreign mercenaries, some claim that Moise may have been killed by those closest to him.

It was announced that his wife, Martine Moise, who survived the assassination at the official residence of the late president in the morning, was being treated at the Baptist Hospital of Miami and her health was improving for now.

Martine Moise’s detailed statement may contribute to the unraveling of the plot, but there are instances in history where the truth has never been fully revealed.

With this, the number of politicians who have come to power in Haiti after President Moise’s death has increased to three.

This shows that the island state might witness more turbulence in the coming period.

There is no question that the assassination was a planned and secret operation.

The legitimate and elected president of Haiti was murdered at his official residence and removed from power.

Former Prime Minister Claude Joseph took over duties, although for three days, as the seats of officials who were expected to take over in case of such an event (according to the Constitution) were empty.

For now, Prime Minister Joseph, who was temporarily appointed prime minister by the late president on April 13, 2021 and dismissed two days before the his death, has yet to step down.

Ariel Henry, who was appointed to replace Joseph, who was dismissed on July 5, seems to be effectively out of the equation, at least for now, with this fait accompli, as he was not sworn in and did not take office.

The Senate, which had 10 members left since 20 senators’ term had expired and new elections could not be held, made a different move and announced that it had temporarily nominated Joseph Lambert, the leader of the Senate for the last three terms, to be the president with the vote of eight of the remaining members.

With this, the number of politicians who have come to power in Haiti after President Moise’s death has increased to three. This shows that the island state might witness more turbulence in the coming period.

Sovereignty violated

The statements made so far indicate that the perpetrators of this heinous assassination were a large group with military training equipped with advanced weapons.

The current government also announced that some members of the putschist group were captured alive.

It is unknown whether the statements of the captured executioners will be enough to reveal the mystery behind the incident.

There are many negative aspects of the incident and we must consider these elements in order to produce any analysis on this issue.

Why these commandos came to the scene, on the other hand, is a mystery.

Another mystery is that no information was given on the death or injury of any of the presidency’s guards.

First of all, Haiti’s sovereignty has been severely violated by trained and heavily armed terrorists who seem to have infiltrated the country and the dark forces behind these killers.

Beyond the infiltration, this violation was brought to the highest level with the president’s official residence penetrated and the country’s leader murdered.

On the other hand, there are circles who argue that 28 mercenaries in question were brought from abroad by the oligarchs of the country to ensure their personal safety and that these mercenaries had nothing to do with the murder.

They argue that the mercenaries arrived at the scene an hour after the president’s death.

Why these commandos came to the scene, on the other hand, is a mystery.

Another mystery is that no information was given on the death or injury of any of the presidency’s guards.

It does not seem possible that the assassination, which took place at the official residence of the president, was carried out without the cooperation of the late leader’s close circle.

In addition, as noted above, questions on how many guards were in the residence at the time of the attack and what happened to them have not been answered yet.

Although it has been announced that several guards have been called to the prosecutor’s office for their statements, it is not clear whether these statements will be given as suspects or as witnesses.

It is highly likely that the coup, which was carried out through an assassination, has to do with the long-standing political crisis in the country, and the domestic and foreign forces that have benefited and will benefit in the future from this murder may shed light on the real killers behind those who pulled the trigger.

Haiti’s chaotic period

Haiti was the first country in Latin America to gain independence from imperialist European countries (1804).

It is also known that this fire of independence burning in western Hispaniola (La Espanola) inspired many Latin American revolutionaries.

It is a fact that Simon Bolivar, who liberated a vast geography on which six countries are located today, was also inspired and supported by Haiti.

Bolivar, who visited the island state in 1816 and asked for support during the most difficult and critical period of the Americas’ struggle for independence, was favorably received by Haiti’s then President Alexandre Petion, and given 4,000 rifles, 7,500 kilograms (16,500 pounds) of gunpowder, a printing press, three ships, and plenty of supplies and soldiers.

President Petion put forward only one condition in return for his aid and asked Bolivar to end slavery in the lands he was going to liberate.

The vital importance of this support was immortalized with the expression “Should I not let it be known to later generations that Alexandre Petion is the true liberator of my country?”

Nearly all of Haiti’s infrastructure was destroyed in a 2020 earthquake and the economy came to a standstill as a result.

The earthquake, which destroyed the Port-Au Prince Cathedral, the parliament building, the National Palace and important hospitals in the capital, left more than a million Haitian citizens homeless.

Although in a difficult situation today, this beautiful country with noble historical roots shares La Espanola, the second largest island in the Caribbean, with the Dominican Republic.

However, the country, which has remarkably fertile lands in the Caribbean, has had a string of bad luck (especially) recently.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, whose area and population is roughly the same as Belgium, is around $14 billion.

Considering that this number is around $500 billion in Belgium, the most important problem in Haiti unfolds: As the poorest country in Latin America, the per capita income in Haiti is only $800 per year.

Recent problems in Haiti, ranking 179th among 189 countries in the Human Development Index prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), are not limited to the economy either.

The country was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale in 2010 and more than 300,000 Haitians lost their lives as a result of this natural disaster.

Nearly all of Haiti’s infrastructure was destroyed in the earthquake and the economy came to a standstill as a result.

The earthquake, which destroyed the Port-Au Prince Cathedral, the parliament building, the National Palace and important hospitals in the capital, left more than a million Haitian citizens homeless.

In conclusion, it would not be wrong to say that the earthquake that lasted for 41 seconds in 2010 not only left Haiti in ruins but also destroyed the fragile economic and social order of the country.

The recent political instability in the country as a result of all these factors can be summarized as follows: The country, which went through a very difficult period in terms of public order and stability from 2010 to 2016, held the 2015 presidential elections with a delay.

The elections were first postponed and then canceled due to allegations of fraud.

Businessman Jovenel Moise took office, temporarily, as the president after the elections in February 2016.

Moise also won the elections held in November of the same year.

However, since the announcement of the election’s final results was delayed, Moise was only able to take office as the president officially in February 2017.

For this reason, President Moise argued that his five-year term would expire in February 2022, while the opposition took to the streets claiming that Moise’s term would be over in February 2021, adding to his term his interim presidency.

Moise’s efforts to prepare a new constitution and the five-person commission he established for this purpose also heightened the tensions.

Another of the most striking events of Moise’s presidential term was that the end of the terms of all parliament members and two-thirds of the Senate had come at the beginning of 2020 but the elections to replace these members could not be held.

The election calendar repeatedly being postponed on the grounds of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s security weaknesses fueled the unrest.

During this period, the strikes and street demonstrations organized by the opposition increased the tensions in the country.

It was announced on Feb. 7 that an assassination plot against President Moise was revealed and a group of 20 people, including senior executives, were detained in connection with the plan.

The tense atmosphere that expanded with constant demonstrations, marches and protests continued with the arrest of many important state officials and new appointments by President Moise.

As a result, it was announced that the first round of the presidential and parliamentary elections would be held on Sept. 26 this year, and this announcement was expected to reduce the tensions in the country.

Moise’s last foreign visit was to Turkey

In these circumstances, Jovenel Moise made his last foreign visit to Turkey to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

As a result of the technical talks and contacts made at the highest level during the visit, it was envisioned that the relations between the two countries would be improved in many areas such as trade, defense, education and energy.

And, the late president announced the decisions taken in this direction at a news conference.

Some 40% of Haitians are not literate.

As of July 2021, no coronavirus vaccine has been administered in the country where average life expectancy is at 63 years yet.

These data alone largely show why, in Latin America, Haiti should be one of the primary targets of Turkey’s “humanitarian and entrepreneurial foreign policy”.

The assassination process, on the other hand, has turned everything upside down in the country.

From now on, it does not seem plausible for the country to stabilize and public order, security and welfare to be established in the short term.

And, the best possible response to the circles that try to condemn Haiti to a struggle of instability would be to conclude the cooperation processes, the seeds of which have been planted.

While 80% of the population in Haiti lives below the poverty threshold, 1% of the population holds 50% of the wealth in the country.

Some 40% of Haitians are not literate.

As of July 2021, no coronavirus vaccine has been administered in the country, where average life expectancy is at 63 years yet.

These data alone largely show why, in Latin America, Haiti should be one of the primary targets of Turkey’s “humanitarian and entrepreneurial foreign policy”.

*Translated by Can Atalay

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Saudi Arabia has officially allowed shops to remain open during the five daily Muslim prayers, revoking a 40-year ban in the kingdom.

The permit came “in accordance with the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, to preserve the health and safety of shoppers and customers, and to prevent the buildup of large crowds and gatherings and waiting for a long time during the closing times of prayers,” the Federation of Saudi Chambers said in a statement cited by the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel.

The move will allow shops to remain open and to “engage in commercial and economic activities throughout working hours”, in a way that will “enable workers, shoppers, and customers to perform prayers.”

The decision annuls a 40-year ban that was adopted based on the executive regulations of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in 1980.

Among several other articles, the committee enforced daily prayer attendance and ordered the closing of shops during prayer times.

The move is the latest in a series of extensive economic, political, cultural, and social reforms launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at modernizing the kingdom. His ambitious Vision 2030 agenda seeks to diversify the economy away from its dependence on oil as well as attract foreign talent and investment.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency

Next Monday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to start a two-day official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

During his visit, Erdogan will address a special session of the Turkish Cypriot parliament and attend celebrations of July 20 Peace and Freedom Day, marking the 47th anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 Peace Operation, which protected the island’s Turkish Cypriot community from Greek Cypriot violence.

He also will meet with Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar to exchange views on the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and bilateral relations.

Erdogan will also attend a mass inauguration ceremony of some completed projects.

Every year the TRNC celebrates July 20 as its Peace and Freedom Day to mark the operation – a large-scale military intervention to protect Turkish Cypriots from violence that struck the island in 1974.

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

In the early 1960s, ethnic attacks forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aiming at Greece’s annexation led to Turkey’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was founded in 1983.

The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots thwarted the UN’s Annan plan to end the decades-long dispute.

Source: Anadolu Agency