Day: February 17, 2023

The Belgian government adopted a set of new measures Thursday to fight drug-related crimes after the rise of gang-related violence in the port city of Antwerp.

The federal government approved a strategy and a package of seven measures to fight drug trafficking and organized crime, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced at a news conference after a meeting of the National Security Council.

He called the fight against drug crime “an absolute priority” for his government after drug-related violence has dramatically increased over the past years.

According to Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, it has now reached “the phase of narco-terrorism, where the underworld is now increasingly turning to the upper world, threatening people and infiltrating.”

The government will appoint a national drug commissioner who will coordinate the work of different institutions with a deputy and 10 officers.

It will also boost security at the port of Antwerp by increasing the number of law enforcement agents and screening personnel.

They are already hiring 108 customs officers, and the number of maritime police agents will also be raised from 116 to 312.

The port of Antwerp will also employ 86 new security guards.

During the recruitment process, the army will immediately deploy 50 troops to reinforce safety.

In addition, the 16,000 port workers across the country will be screened, checking their criminal status and financial situation as well.

The government also decided to triple the fine for cocaine users to up to €1,000 ($1,066) or offer them rehab.

Under the new measures, the Belgian police will strengthen their cooperation with international partners.

In January, an 11-year-old girl died accidentally in a shooting between mafia members in Antwerp.

Some 218 drug-related incidents, including shootings and car burnings, have taken place in the city over the past five years.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Azerbaijan established a tent city in Kahramanmaras province, the epicenter of the last week’s twin earthquakes, with volunteers offering hot meals to victims.

The tent city manager, Colonel Halig Huseynov, told Anadolu that right after the earthquake they moved to the region with a 720-person search and rescue team upon the instruction of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Stating that they are in the region to reduce the effects of earthquakes, Huseynov said that they will continue to stay in Türkiye until everything returns to normal.

“We have established 760 tents so far and are continuing to do so. Tents are for six people and there is a wood stove and electricity connection. Beds and all necessary equipment will be given by our team. We’ll do whatever it takes to be there for our brothers and sisters,” said Huseyinov.

“When we came to the earthquake region, we were devasted by the things we heard from the victims. This is not only Türkiye’s problem, it’s also Azerbaijan’s,” he added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Pakistan's prime minister plans to meet with tent manufacturers in his country in order to provide more shelter to people in southern Türkiye, where millions have been displaced by last week's massive twin earthquakes.

Shehbaz Sharif, who was in Türkiye after the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that struck the country on Feb. 6 and affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, told Anadolu in an exclusive interview that when he returns to Pakistan on Friday, he will meet with manufacturers and task them to produce winterized tents "as quickly as possible with the highest quality."

“And they will have to honor their commitments because our brothers and sisters in Türkiye are in dire need of tents,” Sharif pledged.

“We hope that by the end of this month, we will be able to send something like 1,300 tons of relief goods,” he said, adding that “in March, another 1700 tons and in April, about 600 tons of relief goods to be sent, with the bulk of this being winterized tents.”

Sharif said Pakistan and Türkiye “are like two souls and one heart,” adding that he immediately called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he heard about the earthquakes to offer condolences and whatever help his country needs during this difficult time.

“But this devastation is beyond imagination. It's a colossal loss. So, no amount of aid would be enough,” said Sharif.

“So, ever since, we have been able to transport more than 500 tons of relief goods for our Turkish brothers, particularly those affected by these shocks in the south of Türkiye, in the form of winterized tents, blankets, and other relief items, as well as rescue and medical teams,” he said.

“And I'm glad to share with you that our team was able to rescue at least 14 people from the rubble… Alhamdulillah, they're alive,” he added.

Sharif said Pakistan and Türkiye are like a family and “we will live and die together. That is a spirit. That is the motivation. That is the relationship, and it goes back to centuries.”

Türkiye aided Pakistan in the past

He said whenever Pakistan needed assistance, the Turkish government, people, and President Erdogan "went the extra mile to help their brothers and sisters, whether it was an earthquake in 2005, floods in 2010, or floods last year in Pakistan."

When floods hit Pakistan in 2010, Erdogan personally visited affected areas and Turkish organizations helped with rebuilding efforts, he added.

“And my sister, Madam Emine Erdogan, contributed her bracelet for the flood victims. What else can be the best example of generosity, and the highest level of empathy? It can only be done by brothers and sisters. That is spirit,” the prime minister said.

In this spirit of solidarity, Sharif called on Pakistanis to stand in complete solidarity with Türkiye.

Members of the Pakistani cabinet and parliament also donated a month's salary to earthquake victims, he added.

Urgent OIC meeting stressed

The Pakistan prime minister also suggested that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convene an emergency meeting to discuss and decide on an “immediate relief package for the people of Türkiye.”

"The international community must play a role. Because today is Türkiye, but God forbid, tomorrow could be another country. Today, Türkiye requires international support. Tomorrow, someone else may be in desperate need, and we will all pitch in to help," he said.

“We must do everything we can for the well-being of the people of Türkiye,” he stressed.

Sharif also said Turkish people raised nearly $6 billion through an aid campaign that was broadcasted on Turkish TV channels, calling it a “remarkable example of generosity, philanthropy, kind-heartedness, and consideration.”

“I think the people of Türkiye have earned the highest respect, not only from the people of Pakistan but globally. So, I think it's high time that the international community should come forward.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Kyiv has not yet signed any agreements on the supply of fighter jets, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Friday.

"So far, no country has committed itself to the supply of fighter jets," Kuleba said in an interview with German media group Funke.

He said Kyiv is most interested in aircraft from the US, UK, France, and Germany since these states have the largest production capacity and fleet.

The European parliament adopted on Thursday a resolution calling on the EU states to provide Ukraine with all necessary weapons.

After securing US-built Abrams and German-made Leopard tanks, Ukraine has turned its attention to shipments of modern fighter jets.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Germany's annual producer inflation eased for the fourth consecutive month in January thanks to a slowdown in rising energy prices, according to data from the federal statistical bureau Destatis on Friday.

Producer prices rose 17.8% year-on-year in January, the slowest growth since September 2021.

In December 2022, the increase had been 21.6%, and in November 28.2%.

Energy prices as a whole surged 32.9% compared to January 2022, as the cost of natural gas (distribution) and of electricity soared by 50.7% and 27.3%, respectively.

The overall index excluding energy climbed 10.7% from a year ago.

Moreover, prices also rose significantly for non-durable consumer goods (up 17.9%), intermediate goods (10%), durable consumer goods (10.8%), and capital goods (7.6%).

On a monthly basis, producer prices dropped 1% in January, following a 0.4% decline in December 2022, also stemming from the development of energy prices.

Compared to the previous month, energy prices fell 5%, mainly caused by a decrease in electricity prices.

Source: Anadolu Agency

In the wake of last week's massive earthquakes that left much of southern Türkiye in need of humanitarian aid and shelter, a group of London children has sold their toys and written letters to show their solidarity with their peers in the disaster-hit areas.

The Turkish community in London held a fundraising campaign and awareness session on last week's deadly earthquakes in Türkiye.

During the "Toy Fundraiser" event, held by the Children's Club of the Islamic Community Milli Gorus (ICMG) in north London, a group of Turkish children sold their toys to help the quake victims.

Later, they watched video clips on the earthquake as part of the group's awareness program and then they wrote letters to their peers in Türkiye, expressing their thoughts and sorrow due to the disaster.

Speaking to Anadolu at the event, Murat Kucuk, working as Türkiye's Diyanet staff at the group, said that they held this campaign to encourage children to participate in charity, cooperate, and be kind.

"Our children brought their toys. First, they made a donation, and then they will make a second donation by buying the toys they like here," he said.

Another important goal of the organization is that they would like children to learn that Türkiye is their motherland, underlined Kucuk, who has been in London for seven years.

"Allah forbid, when our country faces another problem such as this [earthquake], we want them to rush to help, saying 'it's my homeland,' to get used to doing it so that they will do [what is necessary] when Türkiye needs them in the future."

Letters filled with emotion

Speaking to Anadolu, Sibel Sicimogullari, head of the group's Children's Club, said that today's organization was an idea of children.

She said that after the earthquake, some of them started to ask what they could do for victims as everyone was making something and offering to send their toys to quake-hit children.

She said they first wanted to send their toys, adding that sending toys from the UK to Türkiye could be difficult. Then, Sicimogullari said they had talked with children about what they could do for quake-hit children in Türkiye.

"When they told about these thoughts and feelings, I told them, 'Let's take action then, let's sell these toys, if we can't send the toys, then let's send the money,'" Sicimogullari noted.

She went on to say that as Children's Club, they also decided to tell their feelings and send them to children in Türkiye to show solidarity with their "brothers and sisters."

"... All of them wrote very nice letters to their friends. I want to share one. 'I was very upset because my cousin Reyhan's home was destroyed. She was left in it. They couldn't take it out. I wanted to send my toys and clothes to them. I pray a lot."

Children were also responsible for the organization as they are always asked to take responsibility, she added.

In other words, underlined Sicimogullari, this shows children have powerful feelings and feel stronger emotions than us.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces.

So far, over 38,000 people have died and tens of thousands have been injured.

Source: Anadolu Agency