Day: April 19, 2024

ISTANBUL: Palestine strongly condemned a decision by the US to veto a UN Security Council draft resolution Thursday demanding Palestine's full membership in the United Nations. In a statement, the Palestinian Presidency called the move ''unfair, unethical and unjustifiable, challenging the will of the international community.'' It emphasized that this aggressive American policy towards Palestine, its people and their legitimate rights constitutes a blatant violation of international law. It also noted that the US veto encourages the continuation of Israel's genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem. The Presidency underscored that the veto exposes the contradictions in US policy, which claims to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while preventing the international community from implementing this solution through its repeated use of the veto. The 15-member UN Security Council gathered in New York to vote on a draft r esolution authored by Algeria recommending the admission of the State of Palestine for UN membership. The membership was blocked with a vote of 12 in favor and two abstentions, including the UK and Switzerland. Before the voting, Algeria's envoy to the UN Amar Bendjama said it is time for Palestine to take its rightful place among the community of nations, and seeking UN membership is a fundamental expression of Palestinian self-determination. Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the UN General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in debates and UN organizations but without a vote. States are admitted to membership in the UN by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council, according to the UN Charter. A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members -- US, Britain, France, Russia or China -- to pass. Palestine's application for full UN membership comes amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which has killed nearly 34,000 Palestinians. Source: Anadolu Agency

BAGHDAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Iraq next week will be "out of the ordinary," the country's prime minister said on Friday. Saying that "there is, for the first time, a will' between the two countries 'to resolve issues rather than postponing their solution," Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also underlined that they will not allow Iraqi territory to be used as a springboard for any attacks on Trkiye. The terrorist group PKK is known to have a long-standing presence in Iraqi territory, but Baghdad recently took a harder stance against the group. The premier added that during Erdogan's visit on Monday, they will look to solve the country's water issues. In 2019, Trkiye established a group of 51 experts to deal with the topic of water management. Erdogan previously also underlined that the two countries should work together on water management to prevent a water crisis in the region. Sudani has been on an official visit in US, where he went last week to hold talks. Source: Anadolu Agenc y

ARISH: The ninth Goodness Ship, which left Trkiye with 3,774 tons of humanitarian aid supplies for the millions of needy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, has arrived at Egypt's al-Arish Port. After leaving from the southern Turkish port of Mersin on Tuesday, the ship, loaded with food, baby supplies, sleeping bags, and flour provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, reached al-Arish after a 55-hour sea voyage. After spending the night offshore, the ship entered the port in the morning accompanied by a pilot captain. The aid materials will be unloaded at the port and transported to the Rafah border crossing into Gaza by truck. After customs procedures, the materials will be handed over to the Palestinian Red Crescent, which will then distribute the aid to those in need in Gaza. Nearly 40,000 tons of various humanitarian aid supplies have been so far delivered to Gaza in 13 planes and eight ships in cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, or AFAD. Turkish ambassador to Cairo welcomes ship Welcoming the ship, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Sen told reporters that cargo can be loaded and unloaded from the vessel rapidly. Emphasizing the mass of aid carried, Sen said: "Our ninth ship that arrived here broke a record, carrying 3,774 tons of aid material. This is such a big number that when I was talking to my US, British, and German ambassador colleagues in Cairo, they did a double-take when I said 'a ship of 3,000 tons is coming here and I'll go to welcome it.' They weren't sure because what they're used to is usually 30-50 tons, which is how much an airplane can carry. "So Trkiye is really leading the world league in terms of humanitarian aid. This stems from the generosity, charity, and benevolence of the Turkish nation, our people, and the effective and sincere mobilization of organizations such as the Turkish Red Crescent, Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and our non-governmental organizations for the people of Gaza." St ating that they are coordinating with the Turkish Red Crescent and AFAD, he underlined that Trkiye aims to send at least one humanitarian aid ship to Gaza every two weeks in light of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry's announcement on the number of trucks entering Gaza and the depletion of their stocks. Egyptian authorities and the global community appreciate Trkiye's contributions, he said. 'Our hope is our aid will continue to enter in most effective, fastest way' Since al-Arish is just 25-30 kilometers (12-18 miles) from the Rafah gate, the aid is delivered quickly, Sen said. Stressing the importance of coordination in aid, he explained: "We're doing this in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent, the Foreign Ministry, security officials, all of them. It's no easy task, but our authorities have established such a good working system with their counterparts that it works very well when the purpose is pure. "Our hope is that our aid will continue to enter in the most effective and fastest way because a t the moment, the number of trucks at the Rafah gate has reached 500, which is pretty good. We hope that the number of trucks will increase a little more and that we will send aid through, that the whole world will, that they will take Trkiye as an example, that they will compete in charity." Thanking the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, security officials, and the Egyptian Red Crescent for their cooperation, Sen underscored: "In the final analysis, the munificence, charity and generosity of the Turkish people and their commitment to Gaza, to the victimized and innocent Palestinian people and their sensitivity towards them are above all kinds of appreciation. "At the service of our people, we are in al-Arish as a team with the Red Crescent, the Health Ministry, AFAD and the Red Crescent to fulfill their requests," he said. 'Aid delivered to those in need one by one' Stating that the humanitarian aid and war are separate issues, Sen said Israel is, under international law, obliged to open a way for humanitarian aid materials and deliver them. Indicating that they are following the process of delivering the aid to those in need, he said: "Here, our Red Crescent and AFAD entrust these goods to the custody of the Egyptian Red Crescent and transports them by trucks to the Rafah Border Gate. "Security checks are carried out here by the Israeli officials. As a result of coordination, the trucks are delivered to the UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees), the Palestinian Red Crescent and the authorities on the Palestinian side. Since this place is very close and we always bring them to al-Arish, they are transferred to Gaza within one to three days, as soon as possible. There should be no doubt about this." Stressing that Israel also stepped up security checks for the passage of aid, Sen said: "It is out of the question that incoming goods and aid will never enter Gaza. They can rest assured. Absolutely all goods and aids are entering Gaza one by one with our team and in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent a nd are being delivered to those in need. They should not worry at all." 'We can now safely say that 500 trucks are on their way to Gaza. The first batch of goods from our aid will enter Gaza within 24 hours and will be received by UNRWA, the UN, and the Palestinian Red Crescent," he added. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Iraq on Friday warned of the dangers of military escalation in the region amid the ongoing tension between Israel and Iran. In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry expressed 'deep concern about the attack that targeted the city of Isfahan (in Iran)," according to the official Iraqi News Agency. "The escalation must not distract attention from the destruction and loss of innocent lives taking place in Gaza Strip," the ministry added. US media reported that Israel carried out a "limited strike" inside Iran early Friday morning. There have been no official comments from Israel yet. Tension escalated between Iran and Israel on Saturday after Tehran launched a drone and missile attack in response to the April 1 attack on its consulate in Syria, which killed seven Iranian military officers, including two top-ranking commanders. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis spoke over phoneto discuss bilateral relations as well as global and regional issues, Trkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement on Friday. Erdogan said it is necessary to enhance high-level dialogue between the two countries, suggesting that the establishment of a bilateral High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council mechanism would be beneficial for this purpose. The candidacy of Iohannis for the NATO secretary general's position was also discussed during the meeting. "A secretary general, who will serve the security and interests of NATO countries in the face of global and regional challenges, especially terrorism, strengthen the unity of the alliance, preserve and enrich the spirit of solidarity, and prioritize NATO's primary role in defense and security-related consultations, should be elected," Erdogan stressed. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Volcanic eruptions in Indonesia's North Sulawesi left dozens of flights canceled, affecting thousands of passengers, the state-run media reported on Friday. Located on Ruang Island about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the provincial capital of Manado, the volcano erupted several times since Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents, which make up most of the entire population on the island. 'There are 47 flight routes impacted until the second day,' Antara News Agency quoted Maya Damayanti, general manager of Sam Ratulangi Airport, as saying. Damayanti added that around 6,165 passengers were affected as flights to Jakarta, Surabaya, Sorong, Balikpapan, and several international flights had to be postponed until Saturday. The airport was closed and flights were suspended on Thursday for the safety of passengers. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) said that five eruptions rising from 1,800 to 3,000 meters occurred from the peak of Mt. Ruang. A ccording to the agency, the explosive eruption caused rumbling sounds, earthquakes, and flashes of volcanic lightning. PVMBG recorded around 1,439 deep and 569 shallow volcanic, six local tectonic and 167 distant tectonic earthquakes on Mt. Ruang since April 1. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: The Gaza government media office on Friday called for immediate intervention to address the critical water scarcity crisis gripping the city amid mounting health and environmental challenges exacerbated by soaring temperatures. In a statement, the office explained that "Gaza City is grappling with an acute shortage of water resources, confronting a fresh environmental disaster that poses a dire threat to its populace". "The complete cessation of all water wells over the past fortnight, attributed to the depletion of meager fuel reserves allocated to the Gaza municipality in previous periods, has exacerbated the situation," the statement added. Highlighting the severity of the crisis, particularly in light of escalating temperatures and surging demand for water, the statement underscored the imperative for swift action by relevant parties. The statement urged prompt measures to secure fuel and restore water supply to citizens, thereby mitigating the escalating health and environmental perils stem ming from the water scarcity. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed. More than 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 76,800 others have been injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of 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

ISTANBUL: Trkiye's first lady on Friday stressed the significance of using plants for medicinal purposes, underlining that plant-based treatments are gaining ground worldwide. Emine Erdogan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: "One of the most ancient sources where healing is sought is undoubtedly the plant kingdom, which contains countless species that are still undiscovered. Today, treatment with plants, known as phytotherapy, has become a scientifically valid, evidence-based treatment method." Speaking in Istanbul at the 15th Annual Meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO)-International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines and a Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices Guide and Strategy Development Workshop co-hosted by the Turkish Health Ministry, she said that she was very pleased to meet with scientists from Trkiye and around the world. Telling how maintaining health and stemming the spread of disease have long been concerns of humanity, Erdogan said that people ha ve used plants to treat illnesses for thousands of years. Pointing out that they know plant-derived medication is still used to treat many diseases today, she said, "Anatolian lands have an exceptional place in the field of treatment with plants," adding that Anatolia is home to a total of 12,000 plant species, including at least 3,000 native varieties. "The discoveries and works written by countless scholars, from Razi to Ibn Sina, from Hippocrates to Galen, are still waiting to be discovered by our scientists," she said. Erdogan also said the fight against disease has long been one of the main issues of humanity, even as its form has change. "We cannot deny the importance of the progress made in diagnosis with the development of technology,' she said. 'But on the other hand, increasing chronic diseases and excessive drug use have strengthened the opinion that it is necessary to reconsider health policies all over the world. At this point, WHO encourages the inclusion of traditional and complementary med icine methods in the health systems of countries." In addition to the first lady, attendees at the meeting included Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, Deputy Health Minister Huzeyfe Yilmaz, Health Services General Director Ihsan Ates, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO's Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Unit head Dr. Kim Sungchol and Dr. Charles Wu, vice chair of WHO's International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicine. Source: Anadolu Agency