Day: November 12, 2022

They recognized food security as a fundamental human right in a joint statement issued on Saturday from Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, following the 25th ASEAN-China Summit.

The leaders also warned that climate change, COVID-19, geopolitical conflicts, and supply chain disruptions have posed severe challenges to global food security governance and that the food crisis is expected to prolong and spread.

“ASEAN countries and China are active participants and important contributors to regional and global food security and are willing to further strengthen their policy communication, exchanges and cooperation,” according to a statement posted on the ASEAN official website.

The leaders also agreed to ensure food security for the region’s two billion-plus population, stabilize regional food markets and set an example for global food security governance.

In order to increase food productivity, the countries agreed to strengthen cooperation and increase the productivity of rice, corn, soybean, and other major crops to ensure food availability by expanding the effective supply of diverse foods such as meats, aquatic products, fruits, and vegetables.

ASEAN – a regional bloc comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – was founded on Aug. 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand.

ASEAN Plus Three summit kicks off

Meanwhile, the 25th ASEAN Plus Three – China, Japan, South Korea – summit kicked off on Saturday in Cambodia’s capital, attended by ASEAN countries’ leaders as well as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expected to arrive later in the day.

According to Kung Phoak, Secretary of State at Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the 25th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit, 19th ASEAN-India Summit, 2nd ASEAN-Australia Summit, 25th ASEAN-Japan Summit, 10th ASEAN-US Summit, and ASEAN-Canada Commemorative Summit will all take place on Saturday.

“South Korea will play an active role as this year’s chair of the South Korea-China-Japan summit and coordinator representing South Korea, China, and Japan for the ASEAN Plus Three,” President Yoon said during the summit’s opening session, according to Yonhap News Agency.

“I hope trilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the South Korea-China-Japan summit, will be swiftly reactivated,” he added.

South Korea, Japan, and China have not held a trilateral summit since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The full recognition of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) cannot be prevented, the Turkish Cypriot president said on Saturday, a day after its admission into the Organization of Turkic States as an observer state.

Responding to Greek and Greek Cypriot officials’ statements regarding the observer status, Ersin Tatar said they are “opposed to our sovereign equality and equal international status.”

He said the Turkish Cypriots would not step back from a two-state solution for the Cyprus dispute.

Earlier, Tatar welcomed the Turkic bloc’s decision, saying he has been “putting forward a vision to put an end to the persecution of my people, who have been subject to inhuman isolation for more than half a century, deprived of their inherent rights … their sovereignty and international status.”

He also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu for continuing support to Turkish Cypriots and the TRNC.

Cyprus issue

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

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. The TRNC was founded in 1983.

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

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year when Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

Source: Anadolu Agency

It would be the right decision for parties to extend the Black Sea grain export deal which is due to expire on Nov. 19, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

“I think it would be wrong to put a time limit there. We told them (Russia and Ukraine) that the longer they keep this deal, the more accurate it will be,” Erdogan on Friday told reporters after his visit to Uzbekistan, where he attended the 9th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which paused after the start of the Moscow-Kyiv war in February.

The parties are currently negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond its Nov. 19 deadline, with Erdogan saying Ankara is determined to transfer Russian grain and fertilizers to less-developed countries.

Erdogan said the “most important” thing for Türkiye is to operate the grain corridor deal and to mediate between Russia and Ukraine toward peace.

“Of course, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s goal is to highlight the poor African countries, particularly Mali, Somalia, and Sudan. He made me the offer that we could send them the grain for free. As soon as such a step is taken, we can show the same sensitivity,” he noted.

It would not be fair to put Africa aside and send grain to Europe, Erdogan stressed, adding: “If we provide an intensive flow of grain, fertilizer, and ammonia to poor countries through the grain corridor, we will relieve the peoples there.”

Regarding Putin’s absence from the upcoming G-20 summit in Indonesia, Erdogan said: “Making an assessment on this matter would be both disrespectful to himself and disrespectful to his team.”

Greece ‘seriously disturbed’

Asked about Greece’s situation after the recent defense talks between Türkiye and the US, Erdogan said: “Of course, at the moment, Greece is seriously disturbed by these latest steps.”

Earlier this week, the Türkiye-US High-Level Defense Group meeting was held in the Turkish capital Ankara, where regional and global defense and security issues were discussed.

“Of course, we are disturbed by the attitudes of the West, and especially the US, in Greece. Dedeagac (Alexandroupolis) is one of them. Apart from this, there are some disturbances that Greece inflicts on us in the fight against terrorism. Especially, this Lavrion Camp issue is not something that we can stomach,” Erdogan said.

The Lavrion Camp near Athens, a one-time refugee camp, has long been controlled by the terrorist PKK and has become in effect a terrorist training ground.

The president has repeatedly warned Greece also about the militarization of the islands, in violation of longstanding international treaties, saying: “We may come suddenly one night,” without giving a timeframe.

About the ongoing negotiations with Washington for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, Erdogan said talks continue as planned.

“My hope is that the next month will be full of good news and we will develop the F-16 issue in a much more positive direction,” he added.

Two amendments putting conditions on potential F-16 sales to Türkiye were reportedly removed from the Senate version of the relevant bill.

The conditions included requiring the US president to take steps to ensure that the warplanes “are not used by Turkey for repeated unauthorized territorial overflights of Greece.”

About the fight against terrorism, Erdogan reiterated that Greece and the US protect the terrorists, including the FETO members.

“Who protects them now? Mainly Greece. They run away to Greece, they run away to Europe. They always fled there. They live in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, England, and America.

“And America is hiding this man (FETO leader). Who is hiding? (US President Joe) Biden is hiding. They gave them a huge mansion in Pennsylvania, where this man lives. If you ask me where is the center of terror, that’s what I’m telling you right now,” he said.

Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup in Türkiye on July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 were 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.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Efforts to introduce Northern Cyprus to world

About the admission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to the Organization of Turkic States as an observer member, Erdogan said: “We showed that the Turkish Cypriots, who are an integral part of the Turkic world, are not alone.”

Erdogan added that it would be wrong to consider this as a “recognition.”

“It means that the speech we made at the UN General Assembly gave a voice. … We need to create a spiral about introducing Northern Cyprus to the world as a state,” he added.

Erdogan said the TRNC case is not as easy as the recognition of Kosovo, adding: “But we will do our best. We’re going to get to work. I believe that we will have the opportunity to introduce Northern Cyprus to the world.”

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

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

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

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Majestic Princess, with approximately 4,600 passengers and crew, returned from New Zealand after a 12-day cruise, with about 20% of them suffering from COVID-19 infections, according to Sky News.

“800 people are confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the majority of them are passengers, the broadcaster reported, citing Marguerite Fitzgerald, president of the leisure company Carnival Australia.

She added that the majority of them have mild symptoms and have been isolated in their cabins.

The authorities allowed coronavirus-positive passengers to disembark the ship following their arrival and advised them not to take public transportation home, according to the broadcaster.

“We are working with all guests who have tested positive for COVID-19 to assist them with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period,” Fitzgerald said.

New South Wales state is already facing a new wave of COVID-19, with 974 patients in hospitals and over 7,000 cases reported this week.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid

Source: Anadolu Agency

Slovenians will go to polls on Sunday for the second round of the presidential election in the country.

The first round of the presidential elections was held on Oct. 23, and the Slovenians will go to polls again as none of the candidates has won over 50% of the votes at the first elections.

Center-right former Foreign Minister Anze Logar and independent female candidate Natasa Pirc Musar, supported by the European Green Party, will face each other at the runoff.

The two candidates won the most votes among the seven contenders and advanced to the second round to be held on Nov. 13, said the Slovenian State Election Commission in a statement following the first round of the elections.

In the first round, Logar won 33% of the votes, while Pirc Musar received 26%.

Another favorite candidate, Social Democrat Milan Brglez, backed by Freedom Movement leader and Prime Minister Robert Golob, received 15% of the votes and signaled for supporting Pirc Musar in the second round.

Around 50% of over 1.6 million registered voters cast their votes at the election.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Speaking to reporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, after attending the ASEAN-UN Summit, the UN chief reiterated his calls for the release of prisoners, the cessation of violence, and the restoration of democracy in Myanmar, asserting that this is the only way out of the current crisis, a local daily reported.

“The situation in Myanmar is an unending nightmare for the people of the country and a threat to peace and security across the region. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians are horrendous and heartbreaking,” Guterres said, according to the Phnom Penh Post daily.

He urged Myanmar authorities to listen to their people and release political prisoners immediately.

Myanmar is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was founded on Aug. 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand.

The UN chief also called upon ASEAN member states to find a joint strategy toward Myanmar.

“At ASEAN, I condemned appalling human rights situation in Myanmar & repeated call on country’s authorities to release all political prisoners & launch inclusive process to return to democratic transition. I also urged countries to develop regional framework to protect refugees,” he tweeted about it.

According to the UN, at least 70,000 people have fled Myanmar since the start of the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021, and more than one million are still internally displaced from their homes. While several top political leaders are imprisoned, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Over a million more Muslim Rohingya have found refuge in Bangladesh.

Source: Anadolu Agency

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday said his country supports the Iranian people in their fight for freedom and justice, while holding the Iranian government responsible for the brutal security crackdown.

“My message to the demonstrators and to citizens with Iranian roots here in Germany is this: we stand for everything that you are calling for – for human rights and women’s rights. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian people,” Scholz said in a video message broadcast on the chancellor’s website.

“Pupils, students, mothers and fathers – grandparents – all of them are fighting on the streets for more freedom and justice … in their country Iran. Here in our country, we can barely begin to imagine how much courage this takes,” he added.

Scholz was referring to ongoing mass protests in Iran since mid-September following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

The German leader stressed it was “clear that the Iranian government is solely responsible for this spate of violence.”

“And I call to mind the fact that Iran is a member of the United Nations. Iran has committed to uphold – and to protect – human rights. This is the yardstick against which we measure the Iranian leadership’s actions.

“We are calling for an immediate end to the violence! We are calling for the release of political detainees and imprisoned journalists,” the chancellor said.

Pointing to EU plans for new sanctions against Iran in response to the brutal suppression of the protests in the Middle Eastern country, Scholz vowed “to continue to step up the pressure on the (Islamic) Revolutionary Guard Corps and the political leadership.”

“We are supporting efforts to gather evidence so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice. We want a special session of the UN Human Rights Council to be convened. The focus here is always on investigating the Iranian regime’s crimes,” he added.

Scholz also rejected threats by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian who warned of consequences over Berlin’s position on Iran.

“I can only say this to the leadership in Tehran: what kind of government does it make you if you shoot at your own citizens? Those who act in such a way must expect us to push back,” he said.

Scholz had faced public criticism in recent weeks for not speaking up against the deadly security repression of protests in Iran.

Source: Anadolu Agency