Day: March 18, 2024

ISTANBUL: Georgia on Monday condemned the holding last weekend of Russian presidential elections within regions of Georgia that Moscow has occupied. 'Georgia condemns holding of Russian Presidential elections and illegal opening of the polling stations in Georgia's occupied regions, aimed at mass engagement of the local population in the Russian electoral process,' Georgia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In the statement, Georgia characterized the act as a step by Moscow against its own 'sovereignty and territorial integrity.' 'The holding of any elections in the occupied territories is considered illegal under the occupation, as attested by the international courts' decisions and under the circumstances, when the forcibly displaced population from the occupied territories continue to be deprived the right to return to their homes.' Tbilisi also called on Russia to halt actions that undermine Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging it to fulfill its international obligations. "Geo rgia appeals to the international community to give a due assessment and reaction to yet another illegal action of the Russian Federation directed towards infringement of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Incumbent Vladimir Putin got 87.28% of the vote in Russia's three-day presidential election, with 100% of ballots counted, the country's election authority said Monday. In addition to within Russia, polling stations were also opened in four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by the country in September 2022 as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014. Voting also took place in the two breakaway regions of Georgia. In 2008, a five-day conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions. Tbilisi ultimately lost control of both regions, which Russia later recognized as independent states. In response, Georgia cut off diplomatic relations with Russia. Both regions are still internationally recognized as Georgian t erritories. Source: Anadolu Agency

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne discussed issues related to bilateral relations and enhancing strategic partnerships, in a meeting on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU. 'Positive exchange with my French colleague @steph_sejourne on the sidelines of the #FAC meeting in Brussels today', Kombos said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). 'We reaffirmed Cypriot - French excellent bilateral relations and discussed steps ahead in enhancing our strategic partnership in several fields. Discussion also focused on Cyprus Question and developments in the #MiddleEast' he added. Kombos also said that he is looking forward for a visit by Sejourne to Cyprus soon. Source: Cyprus News Agency ANKARA: Trkiye's foreign minister reiterated the country's commitment to fighting terrorism in Iraq and addressing the national security threat posed by a political party's ties to the PKK terror group. "Trkiye is determined to use all its diplomatic tools in a coordinated manner to establish stability in the region" with the fight against terrorism in Iraq, Hakan Fidan told a news channel Monday. Highlighting the enduring friendship between Trkiye and the people of the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, Fidan said the leadership of northern Iraq's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party in Sulaymaniyah "poses a national security threat to Trkiye due to its cooperation with the terror group PKK." "Our desire is for our friends in Sulaymaniyah to correct their mistakes, cement their friendship with Trkiye as they have done throughout history, and move forward together towards a shared future," he added. Stressing collaborative efforts to shape the future in the Iraqi cities of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Kirku k and Mosul, he said there is no place for terrorist groups in these areas. "We must now remove them from our system. These are organizations whose lifespan has expired. The cities and cultures I mentioned are ancient, and they have overcome such threats before, and hopefully, they will continue to do so in the future," he added. Stressing Iraq's tumultuous history, including occupation and civil war, Fidan noted a significant shift in the last four to five years, indicating that the country is now on a path towards normalization and capable of fulfilling the requirements of politics Stating that Trkiye has been striving to work in harmony with all governments in Baghdad, Fidan said 'we are making efforts to work in harmony with the government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as much as possible. We support especially his development initiatives and service efforts towards Iraq." Fidan said that due to internal turmoil and conflicts, Iraq failed to provide basic services to its people, enabling the PKK to solid ify its presence in Iraq amid the chaotic environment and enhance its position. He also mentioned the intelligence cooperation between the two countries, highlighting cooperation areas involving security and counterterrorism efforts with both regional administrations and the central government. Fidan, recalling that cooperation with the central government was undertaken in the past to prevent terrorist transit between Syria and Iraq, noted "we had extensive discussions, particularly regarding what could be done about Sinjar, with leaders of Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces). We worked on closing some open areas along the border with the central government.' Pointing out numerous weak and uncontrolled points that allow the PKK to cross the Syria-Iraq border, he said "there are steps that need to be taken from the north to the Turkish border. Our goal is to ensure the security of the border between Iraq and Syria completely and prevent the organization from using the gap." He also pointed to the terror group's efforts to consolidate its presence both in Iraq and Syria, expressing Trkiye's goal to completely eliminate the permeability between Syria and Iraq. Fidan last week along with Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Deputy Interior Minister Munir Karaloglu visited Iraq as news came that Iraq's National Security Council had officially designated the PKK as an outlawed group. In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Trkiye, the PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Trkiye, the US and the European Union - has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. -Other global, regional issues, including Gaza Touching on relations with the US, Fidan said that Washington's support for the YPG is one of Trkiye's primary security concerns, noting 'this is a national security threat for us.' Regarding the Syria issue, he said that for Trkiye, the top priority regarding Syria is the continuation of the Astana agreement and the avoidan ce of a conflict between the Syrian opposition and the regime at the moment, as 'this would be a trigger point for instability." Fidan also commented on Ankara's role in mediating peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting the significant impact of Trkiye's calls for peace in the region. He expressed his country's discomfort with the tragedy and the risk of the war spreading to the region. *"The Black Sea has become an increasingly militarized area. There is a risk of spillover into the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Europe. This is dangerous. It is a matter that more Europeans should be concerned about than us." On Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, Fidan said there is a certain deadlock in the negotiations conducted through intermediaries between Hamas and Israel for a cease-fire. Noting that Qatar and Egypt have done what is necessary to address the pause in negotiations, Fidan said Trkiye is trying to play a positive and constructive role. "While these efforts continue, it is unaccepta ble for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to turn this into a show to save his own future. Even more serious is the silence of the West on this matter," he added. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 which killed nearly 1,200 people. More than 31,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in the enclave and nearly 73,800 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency