Category: Politics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday pledged to rebuild the country's southern region that was struck by powerful earthquakes on Feb. 6, claiming the lives of more than 50,000 people. "Our aim is to restore our cities in the earthquake zone by handing over 319,000 residences and village houses to owners within a year," Erdogan said at a ground-breaking ceremony in quake-hit Elazig province. Erdogan said Trkiye will erase the traces of the destruction caused by the disaster, and prepare "more strongly" for possible disasters in the future. Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 Turkish provinces - Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. More than 13.5 million people in Trkiye have been affected by the quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has strongly condemned the repeat of a “disgusting attack” on the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and a Turkish flag in Denmark.

"Danish authorities cannot treat these Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist actions within the purview of freedom of expression. This is utterly unacceptable and dangerous," Altun wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

"We have unfortunately become accustomed to these kinds of incidents throughout Europe. These are clearly provocations to spark backlash from Muslims and Turkish people to be able to depict us in negative light. We will not play this game, but we will also not ignore it," Altun added.

His remarks came after members of a Danish far-right group, Patrioterne Gar Live, gathered outside Türkiye’s embassy in Copenhagen and burned a copy of the Quran along with the Turkish national flag.

Altun said targeting sacred values and symbols with the clear intent of stirring violent reactions cannot be considered freedom of speech, adding that Türkiye, which respects the religious beliefs of other communities around the world, expects the same thing from Europeans.

"European governments and civil society organisations must act now, not later, to confront these acts of terrorism forcefully if they are interested in a peaceful dialogue between different religions and cultures. They cannot allow these provocateurs to spread their hate," Altun added.

Calling on European authorities to address the attack in a serious way, he said: "I also call on Danish authorities to hold these despicable provocateurs accountable. They must also take every precaution to prevent potential future incidents before it is too late."

Earlier, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Ankara will never accept such "vile actions being allowed under the guise of freedom of expression."

The Ministry summoned Danish Ambassador in Ankara Danny Annan to call on Danish authorities to take necessary actions against the perpetrators and to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such provocations.

Denmark's 'irresponsible attitude'

Earlier, Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar also strongly condemned the recurrence of the “despicable attack”.

"We strongly condemn the creatures who carried out this arrogant and despicable attack, dehumanised and enraged with hatred," Akar said on Friday in Türkiye's quake-hit southern Hatay province.

"We declare and condemn as accomplices those who turn a blind eye to these charlatans by remaining insensitive and silent, and almost incite them to crime by leaving them unpunished," he added.

Akar stressed that these "hostile, barbaric mentality and actions," which recently increased in Europe, destroy democratic values and the culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Meanwhile, the Turkish National Defense Ministry on Saturday said "despite all warnings and initiatives, this hate crime committed against all humanity in Denmark has once again remained to be irresponsibly spectated in the name of so-called democracy and freedom of expression."

It also invited all democracy and human rights defenders, especially those in Denmark, to duty in the name of universal humanitarian values.

Recent months have seen several acts of Quran burning, or attempts to do so, by anti-Muslim figures or groups in northern Europe and Nordic countries.

Source: TRTworld.com

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili criticized the ruling 'Georgian Dream' party Friday for failing to break the long-lasting 'vicious circle' serving to consolidate power. Zurabishvili told lawmakers that people with different opinions and political tastes were beginning to leave the Georgian Dream (GD). 'Among you, even a slightly different opinion is no longer heard, because it automatically means leaving the mandate,' she told members of the Georgian Dream in her annual report to parliament. Highlighting signs of the growing ruling party's influence on the government and parliament, she said: 'The party has turned into a decision-making space.' 'Instead of strengthening state institutions as the cornerstone of the country's democracy, the one-party system and its influence are becoming stronger,' she said. The laws being passed at an accelerated pace do not serve to strengthen the country's democracy or the well-being of its citizens but to strengthen and prolong power, she said. 'The leader of the party announces in advance his position on all political issues, and most importantly, the decision-making process has become opaque, let alone open discussion,' she said. Regarding the GD government's policy toward the Ukrainian war, the president accused the government of 'failing to demonstrate either good diplomacy, wisdom or historical solidarity.' She emphasized that despite joining various resolutions in support of Ukraine, 'we have failed to extend any other moral and political solidarity.'

Source: Anadolu Agency

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday congratulated the newly appointed leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On Wednesday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointed his son Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. Bin Zayed also appointed his brother Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan as vice president of the UAE alongside Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the UAE's national security adviser, was named as deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi along with Hazza bin Zayed, another brother of the president. Bin Salman offered his congratulations during phone calls with the newly appointed UAE leaders, the state news agency SPA reported. 'The Crown Prince voiced hope these [appointments] will [further] strengthen the UAE's prosperity and contribute to achieving the Emirati people's aspirations,' SPA said. The leaders stressed the depth of relations between the two countries during their phone calls, the agency said. Emirati news agency WAM said the Saudi crown prince wished the four UAE leaders success in their leadership roles and in their efforts to help guide the future progress of the Gulf country.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said on Saturday that the deadly avalanches in Troms are a tragic start to Easter, urging people to follow the authorities' advice. "This is a tragic entrance to Easter. My thoughts go primarily to the relatives and survivors of those who died after several serious avalanches in several municipalities in Troms county. The avalanches have also swept animals and buildings into the sea. The situation is serious and still unclear," Store said in a statement to the Norwegian News Agency. He also thanked the local authorities, aid crews, and volunteers for what he describes as "an invaluable effort in the rescue work." At least four people were killed Friday in avalanches in northern Norway, according to authorities. After the deaths were reported in Troms, the police, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), and the chief medical officer have warned people against staying in the mountains as two more avalanches occurred in the region on Saturday morning. National Rescue Center spokesman Frode Iversen earlier said: "There is a great danger of avalanches in the whole of northern Norway." "These are severe, deadly avalanches. Avalanches in places where there have not been avalanches for perhaps a hundred years. This tells us that the avalanche situation is life-threatening," the head physician at the University Hospital of Northern Norway, Mads Gilbert, told NRK broadcasting, warning against going to summits in steep terrain. Gilbert described the avalanche situation in Troms county as "extremely dangerous." An avalanche can travel over a hundred kilometers per hour and weigh several thousand tons. Andreas Tanem from the Norwegian People's Aid in Nordreisa was among those who responded to the avalanche in Nordreisa, where a foreign citizen died. Tanem said: "I think it is unbelievably tragic, both for the tour group that has lost a friend, for the rest of the family, and for the local community. Emma Julseth Barfod, the group leader for the avalanche warnings in NVE, said there are very unstable conditions throughout northern Norway. The danger level is now 4, on a scale of 5. The situation is so serious that we considered going up to 5, but then we are talking about abnormally many and extremely large avalanches, said Barfod.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey's parliament has approved Finland's bid to join Nato, meaning the way is now clear to join the bloc.

Nato is a the defensive alliance of North American and European countries whose members are currently helping Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Finland applied to join the bloc last year, along with its neighbour Sweden, because it was concerned about Russian aggression. Turkey was the last country to approve its entry.

What is Nato?

Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - was formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and France.

It currently has 30 members, who agree to help one another if they come under attack.

The organisation's original goal was to challenge Russian expansion in Europe after World War Two.

After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, many of the Eastern European countries which used to be its allies in the Warsaw Pact were granted Nato membership.

Russia has long argued that Nato's acceptance of Eastern European countries threatens its security. It has vehemently opposed Ukraine's request to join the alliance, fearing this would encroach too closely on its territory.

Why do Finland and Sweden want to join Nato?

Finland has a 1,340km (832 mile) land border with Russia, while Sweden faces it across the Baltic Sea.

For seven decades, both thought it safer to remain non-aligned rather than to join Nato in opposition to Russia.

But after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they both asked to be given entry to the alliance as soon as possible.

The two countries would add 280,000 troops (including reservists) to Nato's combined forces, and more than 200 combat aircraft.

All current Nato members have to approve new countries joining through votes in their parliaments. Hungary and Turkey were the last countries to vote for Finland's entry.

Hungary did so on 27 March and Turkey on 30 March.

Why was Turkey's vote so important to Finland and Sweden joining?

When Finland and Sweden applied to join Nato, Turkey's government complained that they had been harbouring Turkish citizens who it calls "terrorists". It demanded their extradition.

Since Sweden was the main focus of Turkey's complaints, Finland negotiated a settlement with Turkey on its own.

It now hopes it will be able to join Nato in time for the bloc's July summit in Lithuania.

However, Turkey is still criticising Sweden for harbouring "Kurdish militants" and neither Turkey's nor Hungary's governments have yet asked their parliaments to approve its entry.

Turkey's Erdogan seals deal on Finland joining Nato

How are Nato countries supporting Ukraine?

Many of the alliance's member states have provided Ukraine with weapons and ammunition to help it defend itself against Russia..

The US is sending 31 Abrams tanks, the UK 14 Challenger 2 tanks, Germany 14 Leopard 2 tanks and Norway eight Leopard 2 tanks.

The US has also sent armoured fighting vehicles such as the Stryker and the Bradley.

In addition, the US and UK have sent Ukraine long-range missile systems such as Himars, which have been striking targets behind Russia's front lines.

Several Nato countries have provided howitzers and self-propelled guns, while Turkey has sold Ukraine several Bayraktar TB2 armed drones.

The US and others have supplied air defence systems to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones over Ukraine.

The anti-tank weapons that the US and UK have supplied, such as Javelin and Nlaw, were crucial in turning back Russia's advance on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in spring 2022.

Nato countries are also aiming to ramp up their supplies of artillery shells and ammunition to Ukraine.

What weapons are being supplied to Ukraine?

Why won't Nato countries give more help to Ukraine?

Poland and Slovakia are sending Ukraine Soviet-era Mig fighter jets, but Nato countries are not sending the US-made F-16s it has been asking for.

Nato countries also fear that if Ukraine were to use these jets to strike targets inside Russia, it could draw them deeper into the war.

Nato countries are not sending their troops to Ukraine, or imposing a no-fly zone over the country, again for fear of provoking a direct conflict with Russia.

However, Nato countries have now stationed 40,000 troops in eastern Europe - on the territory of alliance members such as Lithuania and Poland.

They also have another 300,000 troops on high alert in Europe.

Five ways Ukraine war could go in 2023

Why isn't Ukraine in Nato?

Nato told Ukraine in 2008 that it could join the bloc at some point in the future, but declined its recent request for "fast-track" membership.

This is because Article 5 of the Nato charter says that if one member is attacked, all members should come to its defence.

If Ukraine was made a member, Nato countries would technically have to go to war with Russia.

Ukraine defence minister: We are in effect part of Nato

Source: BBC

Bulgarian voters will go to the polls on Sunday for the country's fifth election since April 2022 in the hope of overcoming political crisis in the country increasing in need of a stable government as it faces major issues that will determine its future in the EU. The results of last year's Oct. 2 elections gave no party a governing majority. When three attempts by different political parties, out of the seven that entered parliament, failed to form a coalition government, President Rumen Radev had no option but to schedule another snap election to be held on April 2, 2023. Voter turnout, long on a downward trend in many Western countries, is particularly low in Bulgaria, reflecting growing public disillusionment with the Balkan nation's notoriously unstable politics. Bulgaria's current political crisis can be traced back to the elections of April 4, 2021, which led to the decline of traditional parties and blocs, including Boyko Borisov's conservative GERB and the Socialist Party (BSP). This also triggered the rise of new groups, such as There Is Such a People (ITN), Democratic Bulgaria (DB) and Stand up Bulgaria (IBG-NI), which promised to fight widespread corruption, among other things. However, the parliament produced by that election, in which turnout was 49.1%, also did not yield a government. Radev, appointed former army Gen. Stefan Yanev as caretaker prime minister, called new early elections on July 11, 2021. In the July ballot, which saw a further drop in turnout to just over 40%, the new self-proclaimed "parties of change," continued their rise but could not secure the seats needed to form a government. This led to another election on Nov. 14 that year. Even less voters cast their ballots in those elections as turnover fell below 40%. However this time, a coalition emerged from cross-party deliberations between the DB, ITN, BSP, and the newly founded centrist We Continue the Change (PP). Yet, these parties had little in common and suffered serious disagreements in the government, particularly over foreign policy, and lost a vote of confidence for the first time in the country's history. Their short-lived administration eventually came to an end in June 2022, followed by more unsuccessful attempts to form a new coalition, precipitating in the fourth snap elections on Oct. 2, 2022 that also gave no bloc a clear majority Radev has now once again called for early elections set to be held this Sunday. Meanwhile, he appointed senior politician Galab Doven as caretaker prime minister. The most recent polls suggest that the electoral blocs GERB-SBS, led by Borisov, and PP-DB, led by Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev, will compete to win the most seats in the parliament. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (HOH), a centrist party that has the profound support of the Bulgaria's Turkish minority, as well as its Pomak and Roma communities, is projected to be the third-biggest party and play the role of kingmaker. Newly founded, the far-right Revival Party, the BSP, and The Left electoral coalition are also expected to pass the 4% threshold and to be represented in the country's 240-seat parliament.

Source: Anadulo Agency

A woman on Friday morning fell from the 7th floor of the Serbian Defense Ministry building in the capital Belgrade. A 59-year-old woman, a member of the maintenance unit, fell through the window. Identified as S.S., the woman was transported to the hospital immediately by the emergency services, according to the ministry. Local media reported that S.S.'s condition is life-threatening with polytrauma as several organs are at risk. She is expected to undergo a series of operations during the day. Authorities have arrived to the scene for investigation.

Source: Anadulo Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday relieved Russian ambassadors to Estonia, Latvia of duties. Russian envoy Vladimir Lipayev left Estonia in early February after Russia lowered the level of diplomatic relations in response to the expulsion of its diplomats. Meanwhile, Latvia, in solidarity with Estonia, decided to lower the level of diplomatic relations with Russia, and as a result Russian ambassador Mikhail Vanin also returned to Moscow. In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it declared persona non grata one Estonian diplomat in response to the recent expulsion of an employee of the Russian embassy in Tallin. The ministry summoned Estonian charge d'affaires Jana Vanamolder and told her that based on the principle of reciprocity, an Estonian diplomat of the same rank has to leave. The ministry said it will "be forced to take other retaliatory measures against the persistent provocative activities of the Estonian authorities against Russia," adding that "responsibility for the collapse of bilateral relations is on those who make decisions in Tallinn."

Source: Anadulo Agency