Day: March 21, 2024

ISTANBUL: Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday that it will donate $40 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which has been under pressure following funding cuts due to Israeli allegations, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) signed a $40 million financial support memorandum with UNRWA to support its emergency appeal in Gaza, said the report. The memorandum was signed by KSrelief Supervisor General Abdullah Al Rabeeah and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. 'The financial support covers the food security sector for Palestinians in Gaza, benefiting 250,638 individuals and providing shelter aid and other non-food items to 20,019 families, representing 200,190 individuals,' it added. The report noted that this is part of the Kingdom's persistent efforts through KSrelief to provide relief to Palestinians in Gaza and to alleviate their suffering amid the current humanitarian crisis. UNRWA has been hindered from doing its jo b since January, when Israel accused a handful of its thousands of employees of being involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion into Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas. Amid a probe of the claims, several countries have cut off funding to the agency, and its aid work for Gaza's famine-stricken population has suffered. At least 18 countries initially suspended funding to the agency amid the allegations. UNRWA was created by the UN General Assembly more than 70 years ago to assist Palestinians who were forcibly displaced from their land. The agency provides crucial support to millions of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and other areas where large numbers of registered Palestinians live. Source: Anadolu Agency

Protecting civilian lives is a key element of international humanitarian law that must be respected, reaffirmed the participants at the senior officials' meeting that took place on Thursday according to a statement by Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, who chaired the meeting on the Cyprus Maritime Corridor in Larnaca. He said that, further to the Joint Statements of March 8 and March 14 2024, a senior officials' meeting for technical discussions was convened earlier today in Cyprus, aiming to accelerate the 'Amalthea Plan' to deliver much-needed additional amounts of humanitarian assistance by sea to Gaza. 'This is to complement and is no substitute to all existing routes, in particular through Rafah, Egypt, and Jordan, and entry points from Israel into Gaza for aid delivery at scale', he notes. The opening of Ashdod port to humanitarian assistance 'would be welcomed and a significant complement to the corridor', he adds. During the technical meeting, the statement said, the United Nations (UN) Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, who is in charge of facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the flow of aid into Gaza, under UN Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023), also presented the way in which the maritime route can be one of the many entry points needed to scale up assistance into Gaza, including the UN mechanism and the prospect of setting up a Secretariat. According to the statement, over 35 countries and several international agencies deliberated at the meeting, on technical aspects with the aim of scaling up capacity as well as flexible funding modalities. Towards this end, it said, the 'Amalthea Fund', to which parties can contribute, was announced, and the possibility of a UN-managed multi-donor fund was discussed. Further deliberations with core partners will follow in the coming days. The participants also reaffirmed that protecting civilian lives is a key element of international humanitarian law that must be respected and that together we m ust all do more to ensure aid gets to people who desperately need it, the statement concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: A suicide explosion in Afghanistan killed three people and injured 12 others on Thursday, according to police. Police official Asadullah Jamshid told Kabul-based Tolo News that the bomber exploded near a branch of Kabul Bank in the southern Kandahar city. Many people had gathered outside the bank building when the incident happened. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Source: Anadolu Agency

A Memorandum of Cooperation with the aim of developing actions and strengthening cooperation on issues concerning young enclaved Cypriots, people who resettled in Turkish-occupied villages, children of missing persons in the areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus who wish to expand their educational horizons and knowledge, was agreed between the Head of Humanitarian Affairs for Missing and Enclaved Persons Anna Aristotelous and Rector of the University of Cyprus Professor Tassos Christofides. The Memorandum also aims to develop programs and actions to record historical data, a press release circulated by PIO says. Aristotelous and Christofides met on Thursday at the University of Cyprus. As stated, the Memorandum of Cooperation aims at developing educational, social and research activities, beyond the learning framework offered by the University. The aim is also to diversify the approach of the interested parties in a more familiar environment for them, with topics beyond their everyday life and without restrictions. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: A renowned Israeli filmmaker, photographer, and scholar criticized the UN Security Council's failure to act on the Israel-Palestine conflict due to the veto power held by its five permanent members. Expressing concern over the Security Council's failure to act decisively in the face of ongoing violence in Gaza, Haim Bresheeth highlighted the detrimental impact of the council's structure on international efforts to address the Israel-Palestine conflict. "The UN should not have a Security Council with five members that can veto. I think that's obviously not only non-democratic, but it's not logical that the whole world votes to do something, and one state vetoes it. This is totally mad," Bresheeth told Anadolu. Bresheeth, formerly at the University of East London and now at the UK's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), underscored the impunity enjoyed by Israel despite its ongoing military actions in Gaza, citing a disregard for international law. "They have no respect for international law whatsoever. They know that they are defended by the whole West, and the whole West is supporting the genocide and the war crimes that Israel is carrying out," he said. He expressed disappointment at the lack of meaningful action from the international community, noting the absence of significant repercussions for Israel's violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. "So it seems that this genocide doesn't actually move the international community to do anything. And this is a breakdown of international law that we all are going to pay for in decades to come," he added. "But what worries me the most is the fact that Israel is moving to a total conflict in the Middle East with Iran, with Yemen, with Syria, with Lebanon, and maybe with other countries as well, the way that it is acting at the moment, and nobody does anything." 'Reforming Security Council' Bresheeth highlighted the pleasure of three permanent members of the Security Council in vetoing anything against Israel, citing a d ecline in international norms imposed by the West. He advocated for reforming the Security Council, criticizing its undemocratic structure and emphasizing the need to overcome Western dominance, questioning the legitimacy of its actions. Bresheeth revealed he has completed a film on Gaza's situation, expressing doubts about its screening in the UK due to its anti-Zionist stance. "I have finished a film with the filmmaker, a friend of mine, about the situation in Gaza. Because it's anti-Zionist, and no one in Britain is going to show it on television, no one will show it in a cinema. It's just a waste of time," he said. Role of Western media He criticized Western media for neglecting Palestinian suffering and highlighted Western support for Israel despite its alleged genocide in Gaza, stressing the urgent need for intervention. Bresheeth highlighted the dismissal of academics in Israel who spoke out against Israel's genocide in Gaza, noting a similar trend in the UK where universities expelled professors and took action against students. "I have a number of professors who were fired in Israel from their jobs because they said that what is happening in Gaza is not human and should not be supported in any way. "In the United Kingdom, universities have fired quite a few professors and actually acted against students, many of them Palestinian and Jewish students, who demonstrated against the war, demanding a cease-fire," he said. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed. Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 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 g enocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Trkiye's role in Middle East The professor expressed hope about Trkiye's role in the Middle East, describing it as a very important country in the region. "I hope that there will be a role for Trkiye in the near future, I hope in the very near future, for negotiating in a way that the Americans will never do, the British will never do, the French will never do," he said. "So, I think there is a duty for Trkiye to act and to save the people of Gaza. And we know of course, that they were the Turkish group of boats that went there in 2010. And people were killed by the Israelis. Trkiye has proven many times that it is a valuable member of the international community. Not like the UK or US or the rest of the West," he added. Source: Anadolu Agency

The possibility of adding a paragraph on EU-Turkey relations to the conclusions of the European Council Summit that is taking place in Brussels remains open after the meeting between President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President of the European Council Charles Michel. According to CNA sources, at this stage the position of the member states is being explored as to whether a paragraph or paragraphs can be added for the EU - Turkey relations, while there is no specific text submitted for discussion. Since the Summit's agenda is full of many difficult topics, the possibility of discussing the issue is becoming difficult. Nicosia's position, as it was outlined during the meeting with Scholz and Michel is that the discussion on the future of EU-Turkey relations should take place in connection with any progress in the Cyprus issue. The same sources said that Cyprus agrees on the need to send a positive signal to Turkey, but that this should be done in connection with t he progress of the Cyprus issue and the discussion of some relevant aspects. However, diplomatic sources from other countries were extremely cautious when invited to say whether they consider it possible to have a discussion or inclusion in the conclusions of EU - Turkey references. The meeting of President Christodoulides with the German leader and the President of the European Council took place immediately after the arrival of the President at the European Council and before the start of the Summit. Previously, Germany had requested that there be a reference in the conclusions about the EU - Turkey relations on the basis of High Representative Josep Borrell's November report and for the next steps under the guidance of the Commission. The position of Cyprus and Greece was that there should first be a serious discussion as well as an interconnection with the progress of the Cyprus issue, including a reference to the need that any positive step towards Turkey to be taken only with the consent of the Coun cil. It is noted that Italy had also supported a EU-Turkey discussion at the Summit. Meeting with UNSG ---------------- Later on, the President of the Republic held a tete a tete meeting with the UNSG right after the lunch that was attended by Antonio Guterres and the EU 27 leaders. CNA has learned that during the meeting the UN Secretary General said that he remains committed to the efforts to resume the negotiations for the Cyprus issue and that he is in constant contact with his personal envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar. President Christodoulides thanked the UN Secretary-General for the appointment of his personal envoy which shows the Secretary General's commitment to the Cyprus issue. He also conveyed him the commitment of the Cypriot side to the Guterres framework and the readiness of the Greek Cypriot side to return to the negotiation process. According to the same sources, in this context, the President reminded the UN Secretary General of the announcement of the unilateral measures to improve the daily life of the Turkish Cypriots alongside the announcement of the appointment of Holguin. The UNSG, the sources said, acknowledged that these were steps in the right direction. Regarding the discussion about an EU envoy for the Cyprus issue, the same sources referred to a positive approach, recalling that in previous conclusions there was reference to the need to first appoint an envoy of the UN Secretary General. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: Turkish foreign minister on Thursday urged nuclear safety measures and regional denuclearization at the first Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, expressing concerns over the situation at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Addressing the summit hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Belgium in Brussels, Hakan Fidan underscored the critical need for enhanced nuclear safety measures and reiterated Trkiye's commitment to regional denuclearization efforts. "The summit constitutes a turning point concerning the future of civil nuclear energy," he said. Highlighting Trkiye's ambitious energy strategy, Fidan outlined the nation's transition towards clean energy and its significant contribution to energy security and climate change mitigation. "Trkiye has already been implementing a solid energy route and source diversification strategy with an ambitious clean energy transition agenda," he said. Emphasizing Trkiye's effort in the civil nuclear arena, Fidan said: "The Akkuyu Nuclear Pow er Plant is our flagship project. Once fully operational, it will meet 10% of our electricity demand." Addressing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant situation, Fidan expressed serious concern, citing Trkiye's experience with the Chornobyl disaster. Referring to the Chornobyl disaster, he said: "We simply cannot afford another one. Trkiye has undertaken several initiatives to avert a dreadful episode in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia city." Fidan pledged Ankara's support for initiatives aimed at averting a potential catastrophe at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and endorsed the IAEA director general's efforts in addressing the issue. Condemning "the use or threat of using nuclear weapons," he said that rhetoric surrounding "nuclear weapons casts a shadow on our common pursuit for a secure and energy-wise clean future.' He identified the Middle East as "the most stressful region" in this context, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israeli officials' comments on nuclear weapons. "While the ca rnage in Gaza goes on, Israeli officials' narrative on nuclear weapons cannot be simply shrugged off as reckless," he said. "Trkiye, therefore, reiterates its call for denuclearizing the region to avoid a possible nuclear arms race," he added. Fidan expressed gratitude to Belgium and the IAEA for organizing the summit, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the future of civil nuclear energy. Source: Anadolu Agency

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides for its key role in facilitating the establishment of a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza during their meeting, on the sidelines of the European Council in Brussels. According to a UN readout, the Secretary-General met with Christodoulides, on the margin of his participation to the European Council in Brussels, Belgium. 'They exchanged views related to the Cyprus issue as well as other regional developments. The Secretary-General thanked Cyprus for its key role in facilitating the establishment of a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza', a Spokesperson of the Secretary-General said. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: Australia has entered its largest single defense export deal to date of over 1 billion Australian dollars ($664.5 million) with Germany to supply armored vehicles, said the country's prime minister on Thursday. In a joint statement with Defense Richard Marles, Anthony Albanese said that under the deal, Australia will supply 100 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles 'built by Rheinmetall at its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland … for use by the German Army.' Last year, the two countries signed the agreement during Albanese's visit to Berlin, and now the German parliament has approved it. Last month, Australia also announced it was building the biggest navy since World War II while spending over $7 billion to double the size of its fleets of major warships and modernize its navy. In 2021, Australia, the US, and UK announced the formation of AUKUS, a trilateral security treaty for the Indo-Pacific region. It is primarily intended for China, which has been more assertive in th e region. Last March, former Prime Minister Paul Keating slammed Albanese's government over the AUKUS deal, claiming it was meant to have the US supply nuclear submarines for joint operations against China. Source: Anadolu Agency