Category Archives: Middle East

Middle East

Turkey seeks mobster Peker’s arrest in UAE as Interpol issues red notice.

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Turkey’s Ministry of Justice requested Wednesday the temporary arrest of Sedat Peker from authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where fugitive Turkish mobster is located, after the global police cooperation body Interpol has issued a red notice for his arrest.

The Istanbul Anatolian Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Bursa Public Prosecutor’s Office, pursuing investigations against Peker, were notified of Interpol’s decision to issue a red notice starting Feb. 1, 2022, according to the report of Turkish newspaper Sabah’s Seda Nur Günaydın.

The statement from Interpol to the prosecutors’ offices said that there was a strong criminal suspicion on “establishing organizations for the purpose of committing crimes” and “the crime of looting by taking advantage of the frightening powers created by the presumed criminal organization.”

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The investigation is related to the complaint of Yusuf Aktaş, the founder and owner of popular roadside meatball restaurant chain Köfteci Yusuf. Aktaş has pressed charges against people that were claimed to have relations with Peker and his criminal network for trying to forcefully sell a slaughterhouse in the Afyonkarahisar province far above its market price and take over his 227-branch chain by force.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu had also touched upon the allegations in a televised interview, whereas Peker had rejected that he had anything to do with the chain.

With alleged links to Turkey’s long-rumored “deep state” and open pan-Turkic and nationalist views, Peker’s name has often made it to the headlines since the early 1990s for establishing a criminal network and various related crimes. Often regarded He was incarcerated for brief periods before getting arrested on various charges and serving a 9-year prison term between 2005 and 2014.

Peker was also implicated and sentenced in the Ergenekon sham trials launched by the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ). After his release, he engaged in active political discourse for nearly five years.

Initially departing Turkey for Montenegro over a series of investigations in early 2020, Peker is now believed to be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Beginning in May 2021, he started releasing videos over YouTube in which he posed as a whistleblower accusing various politicians, businesspeople and journalists of having links to criminal activities.

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Peker previously stated that he was not being sought through a red notice and thus was safe in the country where he is located.

Evidence links Peker to Falyalı murder
Separately, an investigation into the recent murder of Turkish Cypriot tycoon Halil Falyalı proceeds with new evidence showing the leading suspect in the case had met with one of Peker’s relatives a day after the assassination.

Accordingly, gang leader Mustafa Söylemez, who was detained on Feb. 10 and arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation into the murder, met with Metin S. at a breakfast place in Istanbul right after his return from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Feb. 9. The meeting between the two were captured on CCTV cameras.

Söylemez then used the phone of Metin S. to speak with his brother Mehmet Faysal Söylemez, and then Metin S. spoke with Sedat Peker on the phone.

Metin S., who was detained as part of the investigation on Falyalı murder but was released under judicial control, told in his statement that he spoke with Peker since he was a relative.

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Middle East

‘Israeli-Turkey ties may lead to progress on Palestine’ – İbrahim Kalın

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With Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s upcoming visit to Turkey and improvements in bilateral relations, further steps to solve the Palestine issue can be discussed, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday.

Addressing reporters during his Africa diplomacy tour, Erdoğan said that Turkey attaches great importance to Herzog’s visit that will take place in early March.

He underlined that the progress made in Turkey-Israel relations with the upcoming visit will be reflected in other areas going forward, drawing special attention to the Palestinian issue. “In the Palestinian issue, especially in the steps taken regarding these constructions, solution points may come to the fore,” he said.

“It is our hope that with this visit, we will take steps to strengthen this business. Another important issue here is that steps are taken in Turkey-Israel relations, from natural gas to many other issues. At one time, we came to the point of taking these steps, but with the negative view of the Israeli Prime Minister at that time, we could not continue that process. But at the moment, there may be many different developments.”

Erdoğan also expressed his hope that cooperation between Turkey and Israel will pave the way for strengthened bilateral ties and turn the region into a geography of peace.

Most recently, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu discussed the upcoming visit of Herzog to Turkey in a phone call with Yair Lapid on Sunday. The phone call between the two top diplomats came after a high-level Turkish delegation led by Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın visited Israel on Thursday and met with Israeli officials ahead of Herzog’s visit. During the meeting, both parties have agreed that “the rehabilitation of relations can contribute to regional stability.”

“The parties discussed preparations for the visit of Herzog to Turkey, bilateral ties between the two countries, as well as various regional issues,” Herzog’s office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement.

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“Turkey and Israel have broad influence in the region, and both have agreed that the rehabilitation of relations can contribute to regional stability,” the statement added.

Turkey is on a path toward normalizing ties with Israel and Ankara had stated it may mediate between Israel and Palestine. In steps toward a thaw in relations with Israel, Turkish officials have stressed that Turkey’s support for the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution remains as strong as ever. Turkey has frequently underlined that normalization with Israel will not be at the cost of Palestine.

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Herzog’s trip is said to take place on March 9 and 10. Erdoğan has hailed the visit as an opportunity to “open a new chapter in relations between Turkey and Israel.”

Erdoğan earlier this month expressed Turkey’s interest in resuming talks with Israel on using its natural gas and transporting it to Europe. Turkey and Israel had previously attempted to cooperate on energy resources, but those talks had never moved very far.

Relations between Turkey and Israel hit a low in 2010 following an Israeli naval raid on a Turkish aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, en route to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. The raid killed 10 activists. The event caused an unprecedented crisis in Turkish-Israeli relations that had been peaceful for decades. Both countries even recalled their diplomatic envoys following the incident.

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In 2013, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Turkey and the payment of $20 million (TL 272 million) in compensation to the Mavi Marmara victims, Turkish-Israeli relations entered a period of normalization. In December 2016, both countries reappointed ambassadors as part of the reconciliation deal and reiterated several times the necessity to further improve bilateral relations. The two countries once again expelled each other’s ambassadors in 2018 after another bitter falling out, and relations have since remained tense.

In recent months, however, the two countries have been working on a rapprochement with Erdoğan, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, holding telephone talks with his Israeli counterpart and other Israeli leaders. In November, Erdoğan also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a rare exchange between the two countries, the first such contact between an Israeli prime minister and Erdoğan since 2013.

Despite the recent rapprochement, Turkish officials continue to criticize Israel’s policies targeting Palestinians, including the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Known for its unbreakable solidarity with the Palestinians, Turkey has been voicing support for the Palestinian cause in the international realm for decades. Turkish authorities emphasize that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is through a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue within the framework of international law and United Nations resolutions.

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Ties with Saudi Arabia
Erdoğan also touched upon the normalization steps taken with Saudi Arabia and said that Ankara aims to improve bilateral relations with Riyadh.

Highlighting the recent diplomatic contacts between the two countries’ senior officials, he said: “We wish to continue our positive dialogue and to advance our relations with concrete steps in the coming period.”

Turkey is engaged in an effort to mend its frayed ties through intensified diplomacy with regional powers, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, after years of tensions. Erdoğan had reiterated that Turkey hopes to maximize cooperation with Egypt and Gulf nations “on a win-win basis.”

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Do this at least once a day for a brighter vision even at 80.

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Middle East

Erdoğan: Russia’s recognition violates Ukraine’s sovereignty.

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Turkey has sent clear messages regarding the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, urging common sense and for both sides to adhere to international law, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday, as he called President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of Ukraine’s separatist regions “unacceptable.”

Speaking to reporters on the presidential plane who attended his tour of African countries, Erdoğan said Ankara has made it clear that Turkey is against Russia’s recognition of separatist regions.

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“We have been sincerely striving to de-escalate tensions in this crisis and sent our messages regarding the solution of the issue,” he said, adding that Russia’s recognition is a clear violation of Ukraine’s political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On Monday, Putin ordered a “peacekeeping operation” in Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions after recognizing the separatist regions’ independence, paving the way to provide them more military support – a direct challenge to the West that will fuel fears that Russia could imminently invade Ukraine.

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Erdoğan also criticized the Munich summit for being ineffective.

“In my opinion, the Munich Conference was nothing but a NATO summit,” Erdoğan said, as he also criticized statements by the United States.

Western countries, including the U.S. have claimed that Russia has been attempting to create a pretext to invade Ukraine and amassed about 150,000 troops near the border.

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In response to a question about how Turkey would react to a war in the Black Sea region, Erdoğan said the country has been taking precautions and will continue work in this regard and that Ankara will not avoid its responsibilities.

The president also said Turkey would participate at a joint summit with United Nations Security Council member-states, Germany and Ukraine, upon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invitation.

“I had previously voiced such an initiative and I think this is the right thing to do. Mr. Zelenskyy’s proposal is a positive approach and we will join if this positive approach resonates with UNSC members and other countries,” Erdoğan added.

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Business Today, Middle East

Lebanon’s central bank obscured recipients of commissions, contracts show.

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For more than a decade, Lebanon’s central bank charged commercial banks in the country commissions when they bought government securities without making clear that the bulk of those commissions went to a company controlled by the brother of the central bank’s governor, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Four contracts between Banque du Liban (BDL) and a Lebanese commercial bank seen by Reuters, dated from 2004 to 2014, state that the bank entering into the contract agreed to pay 3/8 of 1% commission on purchases of government certificates of deposit worth millions of dollars. Such contracts were standard for commercial banks making such purchases at the time, two senior executives in the finance industry told Reuters.

The contracts seen by Reuters make no reference to Forry Associates, a company controlled by Raja Salameh, brother of central bank governor Riad Salameh. That company ultimately received such commissions, Riad Salameh told Reuters in an interview in November. His brother, Raja Salameh, could not be reached for comment.

Forry’s “only job was to gather all these commissions and fees and redistribute according to the instructions,” Riad Salameh told Reuters, without specifying what these instructions were. Salameh said the commissions were transparent and approved by the board of the central bank, and that no one raised any complaints at the time.

Halim Berti, a spokesperson for BDL, told Reuters the central bank’s board could not respond to questions about its decisions, as only the governor was authorized to speak on behalf of the bank.

The commissions, and where they went, are the subject of investigations in Europe and Lebanon.

Swiss authorities suspect the Salameh brothers may have illegally taken more than $300 million in this way from BDL between 2002 and 2015, laundering some of the money in Switzerland, according to a letter the Swiss attorney general sent to Lebanese officials last year, which was seen by Reuters.

The Swiss attorney general’s office told Reuters it is conducting a criminal investigation into suspicions of “aggravated money laundering related to alleged embezzlement offenses to the detriment of BDL,” but declined to comment further for this story.

Salameh said such commissions as those in the contracts seen by Reuters were paid to Forry. He denies embezzlement, saying none of the commission money belonged to the central bank, a publicly owned institution.

He told Reuters that the commissions were paid into what he called a “clearing account” at the central bank, and then subsequently paid to Forry. He said he hired the audit firm BDO Semaan, Gholam & Co to look into the matter. The auditor’s report found that “no funds belonging to BDL went into this account,” Salameh told Reuters in November. He declined to show the report to Reuters. BDO Semaan declined to comment.

However, details of the contracts seen by Reuters, which have not previously been reported, show that the commissions were to be paid to BDL. Three contracts, written in Arabic and printed on paper bearing the central bank’s letterhead, state: “We authorize you to deduct a commission of 3/8 of 1%,” where “you” refers to the central bank. In none of the contracts is Forry mentioned.

Five people who hold, or recently held, senior positions in the Lebanese financial system and had direct knowledge of such contracts told Reuters they had never heard of Forry until the Swiss investigation was reported last year.

Salameh said BDL’s relationship with Forry, which started in 2002, was not exclusive. Six other firms performed similar services for the central bank, he said. Asked by Reuters, he declined to name those firms.

Investigation hits resistance
Experts say it is not unusual for central banks to charge commissions on some transactions. But the fee money usually goes directly to the central banks to help them fund operations and reduce their reliance on public funding. Sending commissions to third parties would be unusual and defeat the purpose of imposing such fees, they say.

“These are clearly public funds, because if the commission wasn’t paid” to Forry, “the central bank would’ve gotten a better deal” by receiving the fee itself, said Mike Azar, an expert on Lebanon’s financial system and former economics professor at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

Salameh, 71, has been governor of Lebanon’s central bank for 29 years. Public scrutiny of him has increased since the country’s financial collapse in 2019. Once highly regarded for his stewardship of the banking system, he is now blamed by many for the collapse and the subsequent plunge in the value of the Lebanese pound, which has effectively impoverished most Lebanese people. Salameh has denied responsibility, blaming politicians who he says oversaw decades of profligate spending.

Salameh still has the support of some of Lebanon’s most powerful politicians, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Lebanese prosecutor Jean Tannous told Reuters in November he was investigating Salameh on suspicion of embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment and money laundering. But his investigation has run into resistance.

Commercial banks have refused to give Tannous access to account information he has been seeking to use as evidence, citing the country’s 1950s banking secrecy laws, according to four people familiar with the investigation. The people said the banks told Tannous to ask for such information from the central bank’s Special Investigation Commission (SIC), which is headed by Salameh himself.

Tannous declined to comment for this story. The SIC did not respond to a request for comment.

Lebanon’s top prosecutor, Ghassan Oueidat, stopped Tannous from attending a Paris meeting of European prosecutors in January designed to coordinate and share information on Salameh, according to correspondence seen by Reuters between Oueidat and a member of Eurojust, the European Union criminal justice agency organizing the meeting. Oueidat and Eurojust declined to comment.

Middle East

‘Weak’ Iran nuclear deal coming ‘shortly’: Israel PM Bennett.

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday Iran may “shortly” agree to a new nuclear deal with major powers but warned it will be weaker than the original 2015 agreement.

He addressed Iran’s nuclear program in two speeches on Sunday – at his Cabinet meeting and at a conference of Jewish American organizations – following signs that a deal was taking shape during negotiations in Vienna.

“We are looking to Vienna, and we are deeply troubled by what we see,” Bennett told the conference, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Earlier addressing his Cabinet he had said: “we may see an agreement shortly,” and that the deal in the making “is shorter and weaker than the previous one.”

The 2015 Iran agreement offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump and reimposed heavy economic sanctions.

Talks on reviving the pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), restarted after a gap of several months in the Austrian capital in late November, involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.

Israel has been a staunch opponent of the JCPOA and repeatedly warned any revenue Tehran earns as a result of new sanctions relief will be used to purchase weapons that could harm Israelis.

The Israeli premier, in his speech to the Jewish conference, highlighted what he described as multiple concerns in the proposed deal, without detailing his sources on the content of the talks. He said a new Iran deal could expire in 2025, when the original JCPOA negotiated under former U.S. President Barack Obama is due to lapse.

“The single biggest problem with this deal is that in two and a half years, which is right around the corner – Iran will be able to develop, install and operate advanced centrifuges,” he told the conference.

He claimed that Iran was trying to shut down International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) probes into the possible military use of its nuclear program, claiming Tehran “is demanding that the inspectors that caught them will pretend to forget what they saw.” He also alleged that Iran is trying to reverse a Trump administration move to list Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

Bennett has said Israel will not be bound by a restored agreement and will retain the freedom to act against Iran. He said Israel has invested “billions of shekels” in new cyber and missile defenses.

“Israel will always maintain its freedom of action to defend itself,” he said.

Signs of a deal coming together emerged at the weekend, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying there “was the chance to reach an agreement that will allow sanctions to be lifted,” while warning that talks could still collapse during what he called “the moment of truth.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, speaking at the same Munich gathering, said his country was “ready” for a deal “if the other side makes the needed political decision.”

Since the Vienna talks resumed, senior Israeli officials have said the Jewish state could support negotiations on a more robust pact with Iran, one that effectively makes it impossible for the Islamic republic to develop a nuclear weapon.

There is broad opposition across the Israeli political establishment against the terms of the JCPOA.

Addressing the Munich conference on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that an agreement with Iran would “not mark the end of the road,” insisting that inspections of its nuclear infrastructure must continue in the event of a deal.

“All steps must be taken to ensure that Iran never becomes a nuclear threshold state,” Gantz said. “The world must never come to terms with it and Israel will never come to terms with it.”

Meanwhile, an Israeli official said on Monday Tel Aviv will address its misgivings about an emerging new Iran nuclear deal in future bilateral arrangements with the United States.

Israel, which is not a party to nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers in Vienna, has voiced concern that they could produce a revived deal that creates “a more violent, more volatile Middle East.”

Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli, a member of Israel’s decision-making security body, said that as a center-left opposition lawmaker in 2015 she had supported the then-nuclear deal with Iran – which the Trump administration later withdrew from.

But, she said, “this (emerging) deal is much shorter, with many more sunsets, with many, many more – I would say – bad opportunities, cracks. And yes, it’s very, very problematic,” as Reuters reported.

“So we are doing whatever we can to make it as best as possible,” Michaeli, speaking in English, told the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem. “We will have to work on a complementary agreement between Israel and the U.S.”

She did not elaborate.

Middle East

Iran: ‘Essential progress’ made in Vienna nuclear deal talks.

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Talks in Vienna on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers have made “significant progress,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday.

Separately, Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhani said talks with European negotiators were ongoing and would continue while negotiations with the United States were not on the agenda because they would not be the source of “any breakthroughs.”

Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington have been held in Vienna since April amid fears about Tehran’s nuclear advances, seen by Western powers as irreversible unless an agreement is struck soon.

While Khatibzadeh said significant progress was made, he also noted that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” in the Vienna talks. “The remaining issues are the hardest,” he told a weekly press briefing.

Khatibzadeh said that Iran’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council, handles the Vienna talks. It reports directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s top authority.

Reuters reported last week that a U.S.-Iranian deal is taking shape in Vienna after months of indirect talks to revive the nuclear pact, which Washington abandoned in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump.

The draft text of the agreement also alluded to other issues, including unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian funds in South Korean banks and the release of Western prisoners held in Iran.

Iran is ready to swap prisoners with the United States, Iran’s foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that talks to revive the nuclear deal could succeed “at the earliest possible time” if the United States made the necessary political decisions.

The 2015 deal between Iran and major powers limited Iran’s enrichment of uranium to make it harder for Tehran to develop material for nuclear weapons, in return for a lifting of international sanctions against Tehran.

Speaking from Doha on the sidelines of a gas conference, Iranian oil minister Javad Owji called the sanctions a violation of international law and a threat to global energy security, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Iran has violated some of the deal’s nuclear limits since the United States withdrew from it and reimposed sanctions under Trump.

Middle East

President Erdoğan thanks DR Congo for supporting FETÖ fight.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thanked the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for supporting Turkey’s fight against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).

Erdoğan was welcomed in an official ceremony in the capital Kinshasa, on the first leg of his four-day Africa tour on Sunday. He was speaking at a joint news conference with his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi.

Erdoğan noted the sides’ solidarity on security and fight against terrorism, saying: “I thank President Tshisekedi and the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for their support in our fight against the FETÖ terrorist organization.”

“We will continue to stand with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its fight against terrorism. I also would like to offer my condolences for your citizens who lost their lives in the terrorist attack that took place in Ituri on Feb. 1,” he added.

For his part, Tshisekedi said Erdoğan’s visit to his country had tremendous meaning for the future of the Central African country.

Noting that Turkey would help train Congolese forces and share its experience in the fight against terror, he said cooperation in health, infrastructure, transportation, and other promising sectors, would also be pursued.

“The priority area is security, increasing the capacity in the fight against terrorist groups as well as armed groups,” he said.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the failed coup attempt in Turkey which left 251 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

FETÖ was also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Members of the terrorist group disguise themselves as businesspeople running schools, media outlets or charity groups across the world.

FETÖ also has a presence in Afrıca, where it runs schools, which serve as cash cows for the terror group. Turkey has replaced the administration of such schools.

The Maarif Foundation is tasked with boosting Turkey’s presence in the education sector abroad as well as taking over schools linked to the terrorist group. The foundation was established after the July 2016 coup attempt to take over the administration of overseas schools linked to FETÖ. It also establishes schools and education centers abroad.

Still, despite the efforts of Turkey and the Maarif Foundation, while steps have been taken, the FETÖ threat is far from disappearing in some African countries.

The DRC faces insecurity in its eastern region due to the presence of dozens of armed groups that regularly threaten civilians.

Military operations are underway against these groups, which include the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Daesh’s branch in Central Africa blamed for thousands of killings in the eastern DRC.

“Win-win” cooperation
“Win-win” security and economic deals were reached during Erdoğan’s “historic” official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the African country’s leader also said on Sunday.

Tshisekedi said the DRC and Turkey reached “win-win” cooperation agreements on security, infrastructure, health and transport, hailing a “historic day” for relations between the nations after speaking with Erdoğan.

The two leaders signed seven agreements on security, the economy, and industry.

Erdoğan underlined that with the communique, action plan, and joint implementation report adopted during the third Turkey-Africa Summit in December provided a “roadmap in our relations with Africa for 2022-2026.”

“We will continue to enhance our relations with African countries on the basis of sincerity, brotherhood and solidarity within this framework,” he added. “During our talks today, we have reviewed in detail our bilateral relations and cooperation opportunities. We have mutually reaffirmed our will to improve our bilateral cooperation.”

Pointing out the strengthening economic and trade relations between Turkey and the DRC, Erdoğan said: “We have nearly doubled our bilateral trade volume, which was $36.5 million in 2018 before the pandemic. We are advancing towards our trade goal of $250 million.”

Erdoğan also underlined Turkey encourages “Turkish businesspeople to boost their investments,” in the DRC.

Erdoğan also delivered 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines during the visit, pledging to donate 1.1 million more jabs.

“I brought along 100,000 doses of vaccines with me (to the DRC),” Erdoğan said.

“Our Health Ministry will send 1 million doses of Sinovac and 100,000 doses of the Turkovac vaccine,” Turkey’s locally manufactured COVID-19 jab, Erdoğan added.

Sinovac vaccines are produced by the Chines biopharmaceutical firm of the same name.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) continues its support for the development efforts of the DRC, Erdoğan said.

“The TİKA is conducting various projects, including vocational training, healthcare, support for administrative and social infrastructure and school renewal,” he said, vowing that Ankara would continue to stand with the DRC in its development efforts.

In September, Tshisekedi paid an official visit to Ankara on the theme of economic cooperation and traveled to Istanbul in December where he took part in a Turkey-Africa summit.

Relations between Ankara and Kinshasa have been good for several years and the volume of Turkish investments in the DRC continues to grow.

Bilateral trade between the two amounts to about $40 million, but Turkey is seeking to strengthen its presence in Africa.

Since 2003, the volume of its trade with the continent has increased from $2 billion to at least $25 billion.

Erdoğan has visited Africa nearly 40 times since 2005, as prime minister and president, since when Turkey has opened some 40 embassies on the continent.

Turkey’s influence covers the realm of defense with Ankara inaugurating its first African military base in 2017 in Somalia.

Erdoğan was initially welcomed in the Kinshasa International Airport in the capital by senior Congolese officials, including Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala and Turkey’s Ambassador in Kinshasa Murat Ülkü.

After departing from the airport, Erdoğan was welcomed with an official ceremony by his Congolese counterpart Tshisekedi at the presidential palace.

Erdoğan is accompanied by senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın and head of Defense Industries Presidency Ismail Demir.

After the DRC, Erdoğan is scheduled to visit the West African countries of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.

The four-day Africa tour is expected to focus on all aspects of bilateral relations and opportunities for improving cooperation between Turkey and these countries in all fields.

During his visit to the Senegalese capital Dakar, Erdoğan will attend the opening ceremony of the Dakar Olympic Stadium built by a Turkish company. He will also inaugurate Turkey’s new embassy building.

Erdoğan’s visit to Guinea-Bissau will mark the first presidential visit from Turkey to the West African country.

Middle East

Foreign visitors to Turkey jump 151% as tourism roars back.

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The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey roared back in January, data showed on Monday, as the sector continued to recover from the impact of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 since 2020.

The arrivals jumped 151% from a year earlier last month to around 1.28 million foreign visitors, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said. The arrivals were still down from the 1.79 million foreign visitors recorded in January 2020.

Turkey began closing borders and restricting activity in March of that year, when its first COVID-19 cases were recorded.

The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey soared 94.1% to 24.71 million last year, when COVID-19 measures were eased compared to 2020.

Industry officials say this year’s season is set to take the industry back to pre-pandemic levels, with high hopes that come amid risks such as an escalation in tensions between Ukraine and Russia, which are among its most important tourist markets.

Hotel and tourism officials also warned of soaring costs and sharp increases in utilities, food and wage costs, which could limit profits and broader benefits for an economy that is facing inflation that soared to a 20-year high in January.

The rebound after long setbacks caused by the pandemic that halted travel is seen as boosting the economy, along with the help of a recent decline in the Turkish lira that has made the country a more attractive destination than ever.

The high season starts in May for Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean beaches and historic treasures.

Europeans especially are already booking trips, good news for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government, which has adopted a new economic policy relying heavily on foreign income to curb the current account deficit.

Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city by population, was the primary point of border entry for foreigners in January with 791,578 visitors using it.

It was followed by the northwestern city of Edirne with 148,016 foreigners and the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya with 117,801 visitors.

Russians made up almost 10.5% of all visitors with 134,215. They were followed by visitors from Bulgaria and Iran, with 109,971 and 106,957, respectively.

But sector officials have warned that a further escalation of the Russia-Ukraine crisis may pose some risk for the season.

Turkey’s tourism revenues doubled to almost $25 billion last year. They were $34.5 billion in 2019, prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. The government forecast income this year to match that of 2019.

Explainer, Middle East

Climate Council to determine Turkey’s zero-emission, green goals.

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The Climate Council, which started on Monday and will continue until Friday in the central Konya province, will provide a basis for Turkey’s 2053 zero-emission and green development strategic goals.

“As humanity, we are at the last juncture. These are the last 10 years we have to change the state of affairs and we are the last generation to take advantage of this. Our cities are fighting rising sea levels, fires, droughts, water stress and other negative events that grow by the day,” Environment, Urbanism and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said during his speech at the council.

He pointed out that people have started migrating due to the impacts of climate change in the form of rising sea levels, fires and drought. It is estimated that around 216 million people will have relocated by 2050 to escape disasters. He added that climate migration of this magnitude will change the demographic structure of many countries, bringing with it many problems that will prove hard to solve.

“No state has the power to stop these social explosions, these huge disasters on its own. The world faces a critical threshold – this is to hold global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit),” he said. He added that to reach this target, carbon emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and must reach net-zero by 2050. All countries need to reduced their emissions by 7.6% per year to reach the goal by 2030.

‘Turkey faces high risk from climate change’
Speaking on Turkey’s situation, Kurum said that due to the country’s location in the Mediterranean basin, it is among the countries with the highest risk in terms of the effects of global climate change. He reminded that Turkey last year faced extraordinary fires, floods and landslides at unprecedented levels.

“Climate change, in terms of its results, is no longer an issue of solely the environment, geophysics and ecology. It has become an issue of economy, finance and social policies and has turned into a question of development,” the minister emphasized.

Kurum stated that Turkey is not responsible for the state of climate change today but that the country has a sense of responsibility about what needs to be done in the future.

“As a necessity of this consciousness, we ratified the Paris Climate Agreement at the parliament’s general assembly on Oct. 6, 2021.”

The council is taking place in Konya, which is one of the provinces most affected by the negative consequences of climate change. It will bring together more than 1,000 participants, including climate ambassadors of 209 universities, celebrities and mayors as well as experts.

Konya has faced drought, aridity, huge sinkholes and the risk of losing its lakes, the minister elaborated.

This council will also contribute to the climate legislation that will be developed as well as the basic policies for a road map on the decreasing of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change.

The Climate Law, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the Long-term Climate Change and Action Plan will be completed based on the results of the council.

Meetings will be held on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the fields of energy, industry and transportation; the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, waste, buildings and AKAKDO (land use, the change of land use and forestry); green financing and carbon pricing; adaptation to climate change; local administration; migration, fair transition and social policies and science and technology.

The minister also headed a session for youth and the climate ambassadors of several universities. The ambassadors then created a climate memorandum in which they voiced the demands and requests of the youth. The ambassadors asked for a transparent and participative process regarding their demands, which included raising awareness about the climate and environment through education, social and cultural projects, supporting research and development efforts in this regard, understanding the role of fragile groups and the effects climate change could have on them, not allowing investments that could negatively affect people’s health, planning for the treatment and adaptation of illnesses brought on by climate change and focusing on efforts to renew areas affected by natural disasters through ecological restoration.

Environment, Urbanism and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum speaks at the Youth Session of the Climate Council in the central Konya province, Turkey, Feb.21, 2022. (AA Photo)

Environment, Urbanism and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum speaks at the Youth Session of the Climate Council in the central Konya province, Turkey, Feb.21, 2022. (AA Photo)

“Turkey’s National Energy Policy, while decreasing importation dependency through ameliorating the security of supply, is giving priority to make use of renewable energy resources at the maximum. In this regard, we are one of the most successful countries in the world,” the minister said.

‘Industry, transport should lead green drive’

Kurum said that in the upcoming period, Turkey has to further increase the installation of storage, battery and intelligent networks as well as carry production facilities based on renewable energy resources to the highest point. “We have to accelerate efforts on rendering our cities’ energy infrastructures more fruitful and durable.”

The minister highlighted that the industrial sector should prioritize the extension of transition toward green production and the use of renewable energy as well as the use of alternative raw materials and fuel. “The use of green hydrogen should become more widespread in industry fields like iron and steel, cement, petrochemistry. We have to support products produced with alternative raw materials through public procurement,” Kurum said.

For the field of transportation, he said, the use of railways and hybrid vehicles must be increased while implementation of measures such as hydrogen transformation in fuel must become more widespread. He said steps should be taken to increase the popularity of sustainable means of transport such as bicycles, mass transport and other logistical means with zero emissions.

He also touched on the need to decrease the rate of waste, increase the use of renewable energy resources in new buildings and formation of infrastructure to enhance zero energy buildings with green building certificates.

Kurum elaborated that the efforts of the center must be reflected in the municipalities on the local level.

“Turkey has a total of 1,390 municipalities. Some of our metropolitan municipalities have been carrying out significant works in terms of reduction and adaptation efforts. We have to strengthen our provincial and district municipalities,” he said.

Indicating that complete mobilization is needed to fight climate change, Kurum said: “Therefore, units planning and administering the fight against climate change must be established in the subunits of local administrations. As of this year, the establishing of climate departments and zero waste directorates has become obligatory. At this point the duty of the council is to put forth ideas to solve the financial problems and legal regulations necessary to render our municipalities more influential.”

Turkey in October became the last country in the G-20 group of major economies to ratify the Paris climate agreement, after demanding for years that it must first be reclassified as a developing country, which would entitle it to funds and technological help.

The goal under the 2015 Paris Agreement is to limit the rise in global temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit the rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Ankara signed the Paris accord in April 2016 but did not initiate the ratification process, arguing that it should not be deemed a developed country for the purposes of the accord and that it was responsible for a very small share of the historic carbon emissions.

The agreement came into force in Turkey on Nov. 10. Within this framework, Turkey will update its NDC, a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts that is updated every five years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ankara-based senior diplomatic correspondent at Daily Sabah

Middle East

Palestine accepts South Africa court verdict on anti-Semitism.

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The Palestinian National Council (PNC) welcomed a verdict by South Africa’s Constitutional Court distinguishing between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

“The ruling represents a victory to the values of freedom, democracy and justice,” PNC chairperson Rawhi Fattouh said in a statement.

He said the verdict affirms “South Africa’s support to…the struggle of our people against the [Israeli] apartheid.”

The PNC is the legislative body of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court of South Africa issued a ruling stating that criticism of Zionism was not considered criticism of the Jews.

Palestinian resistance group Hamas hailed the court verdict, saying it will encourage judicial authorities around the world to “take similar judicial steps.”

South Africa backs the Palestinian cause with formal diplomatic relations established in 1995, a year after the end of apartheid.

It downgraded its embassy in Tel Aviv in 2019 and pulled out its ambassador.

In November, the South African government withdrew its support for the Miss Universe candidate in Israel over the country’s atrocities against Palestine.

Middle East

FM Çavuşoğlu discusses Herzog’s visit to Turkey with Lapid.

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Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu discussed the upcoming visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey in a phone call with Yair Lapid on Sunday.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Çavuşoğlu thanked Lapid for extending his get well soon wishes to him over COVID-19.

The foreign minister had tested positive for COVID-19 and said he would continue to work from home.

The phone call between the two top diplomats came after a high-level Turkish delegation led by Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın visited Israel on Thursday and met with Israeli officials ahead of Herzog’s visit.

In steps toward a thaw in relations with Israel, Turkish officials have stressed that Turkey’s support for the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution remains as strong as ever.

Relations between Turkey and Israel hit a low in 2010 following an Israeli naval raid on a Turkish aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, en route to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. The raid killed 10 activists. The event caused an unprecedented crisis in Turkish-Israeli relations that had been peaceful for decades. Both countries even recalled their diplomatic envoys following the incident.

In 2013, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Turkey and the payment of $20 million (TL 272 million) in compensation to the Mavi Marmara victims, Turkish-Israeli relations entered a period of normalization.

In December 2016, both countries reappointed ambassadors as part of the reconciliation deal and reiterated several times the necessity to further improve bilateral relations. The two countries once again expelled each other’s ambassadors in 2018 after another bitter falling out, and relations have since remained tense.

In recent months, however, the two countries have been working on a rapprochement with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, holding telephone talks with his Israeli counterpart and other Israeli leaders.

Middle East

President Erdoğan thanks DR Congo for supporting FETÖ fight.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thanked the Democratic Republic of Congo for supporting Turkey’s fight against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).

Erdoğan was welcomed in an official ceremony in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kinshasa, on the first leg of his four-day Africa tour on Sunday.

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He was speaking at a joint news conference with his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi.

“I would like to thank Congolese authorities for supporting Turkey’s fight against FETÖ, the president said.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the failed coup attempt in Turkey which left 251 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

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FETÖ was also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Members of the terrorist group disguise themselves as businesspeople running schools, media outlets or charity groups across the world.

FETÖ also has a presence in Afrıca, where it runs schools, which serve as cash cows for the terror group. Turkey has replaced the administration of such schools.

The Maarif Foundation is tasked with boosting Turkey’s presence in the education sector abroad as well as taking over schools linked to the terrorist group. The foundation was established after the July 2016 coup attempt to take over the administration of overseas schools linked to FETÖ. It also establishes schools and education centers abroad.

Erdoğan was initially welcomed in the Kinshasa International Airport in the capital by senior Congolese officials, including Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala and Turkey’s Ambassador in Kinshasa Murat Ülkü.

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After departing from the airport, Erdoğan was welcomed with an official ceremony by his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi at the presidential palace.

Erdoğan is accompanied by senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın and head of Defense Industries Presidency Ismail Demir.

After the DRC, Erdoğan is scheduled to visit the West African countries of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.

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The four-day Africa tour is expected to focus on all aspects of bilateral relations and opportunities for improving cooperation between Turkey and these countries in all fields.

During his visit to the Senegalese capital Dakar, Erdoğan will attend the opening ceremony of the Dakar Olympic Stadium built by a Turkish company. He will also inaugurate Turkey’s new embassy building.

Erdoğan’s visit to Guinea-Bissau will mark the first presidential visit from Turkey to the West African country.

Turkey hosted the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in 2021. The summit aimed to take relations between Ankara and the continent to a new level as new projects and areas of cooperation are within sight.

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Middle East

Germany sees ‘moment of truth’ for Iran nuclear talks.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday “now is the moment of truth” to determine whether Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers can be salvaged, and the Iranian leadership needs to make a choice.

Iran’s foreign minister, however, said it is up to Western countries to show flexibility and “the ball is now in their court”. He added Iran is ready to swap prisoners with the United States.

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Negotiators from Iran and the remaining parties to the agreement – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China – are working in Vienna to restore life to the accord, which granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Scholz told participants at the annual Munich Security Conference that Iran nuclear talks have come a long way during the past 10 months and “all elements for a conclusion of the negotiations are on the table.”

But he also criticised Iran for stepping up its enrichment and restricting inspections by monitors from the UN nuclear agency.

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“We now have the opportunity to reach an agreement that makes it possible for sanctions to be lifted,” Scholz said. “At the same time, it’s the case that if we don’t succeed very quickly in this, the negotiations threaten to fail.”

“The Iranian leadership now has a choice,” the chancellor added. “Now is the moment of truth.”

The US has participated indirectly in the talks because it withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden has signalled he wants to rejoin the deal.

Under Trump, the US reimposed heavy sanctions on Iran. Tehran has responded by increasing the purity and amounts of uranium it enriches and stockpiles, in breach of the accord – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

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Speaking a few hours later at the same Munich conference, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said, “We are ready to achieve a good deal at the earliest possible time – if the other side makes the needed political decision”.

Amirabdollahian insisted “we are in a hurry” to reach a deal. But he made clear the issue of guarantees from the US about a restored deal’s future remains a sticking point.

“We have never been this close to a deal,” he said. “It is the Western side that has to present its initiatives and show flexibility … They have not shown any flexibility so far.”

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Amirabdollahian added: “We believe prisoner swaps is a humanitarian issue … unrelated to the nuclear accord. We can do it immediately.”

‘Within days’
A US Department of State spokesperson said on Thursday that “substantial progress has been made in the last week”.

“If Iran shows seriousness, we can and should reach an understanding on mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA within days,” the spokesperson said.

But “anything much beyond that would put the possibility of return to the deal at grave risk.”

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Iran so far has declined to talk directly to the US. The foreign minister suggested direct negotiations would only make sense if the US lifts some sanctions or releases some Iranian assets frozen in foreign banks.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful. But the country’s steps away from its obligations under the 2015 accord have alarmed its regional rival Israel and world powers.

Tehran has since started enriching uranium up to 60 percent purity – a short technical step from the 90 percent needed to make an atomic bomb, and spinning far more advanced centrifuges than those permitted under the deal.

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Middle East

Nuclear talks with Iran at the moment of truth: Scholz

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Iran should not squander the negotiations to salvage the 2015 nuclear agreement, warned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday, calling on Tehran to make concessions.

“The Iranian leadership now has a choice: Now is the moment of truth,” Scholz said at the Munich Security Conference.

“We have come a long way in the negotiations in Vienna in the last 10 months. All the elements for a conclusion of the negotiations are on the table,” Scholz said.

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However, he said, if Iran continues to enrich fuel and at the same time suspends monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), then that is unacceptable.

“An Iranian nuclear weaponization is unacceptable for us. Also because Israel’s security is not negotiable.”

Therefore, he said, it had been repeatedly pointed out that it would now soon have to be decided whether a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement was still appropriate.

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“We now have the chance to reach an agreement that will lift the sanctions,” Scholz said, but also warned: “If we don’t manage to do this very quickly, the negotiations risk failing.”

Germany, France and Britain, together with Russia and China, have been mediating between Iran and the United States for months. The aim is to lift U.S. economic sanctions and, in return, to restrict Iran’s nuclear program again. The next few weeks are considered crucial for whether the 2015 agreement can be revived.

During former U.S. President Donald Trump’s reign, the U.S. had unilaterally withdrawn from the agreement. As a result, Tehran violated the conditions of the agreement. Among other things, the Islamic Republic enriched uranium to a level that is no longer far from a weapons capability.

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Middle East

Israeli warplanes fly over Beirut, violate Lebanese airspace.

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Two warplanes belonging to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were seen flying over the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, according to anonymous security sources.

Neither Lebanese authorities nor Hezbollah have yet released an official statement regarding the incident.

Earlier, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television reported a statement by the group, saying it sent a drone inside Israel, touring an area of 70 kilometers (43.4 miles) for 40 minutes.

Previously, the Israeli army said it had failed to intercept a drone that was fired from Lebanon and breached the country’s airspace.

“It is clear from the preliminary investigation that earlier today, a small wireless drone was spotted inside Lebanon, flying towards Israeli territory,” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee tweeted.

“After violating Israeli sovereignty and following it up through monitoring systems, helicopters and warplanes were summoned, in addition to launching an interceptor missile from the Iron Dome without being able to intercept it,” he said.

Lebanon is locked in a dispute with Israel over an area in the Mediterranean Sea spanning about 860 square kilometers (some 332 square miles), known as Zone No. 9, which is rich in oil and gas.

Lebanon and Israel have recently accused each other of land, air and maritime space violations.