UN Security Council Fails to Agree on Israel-Hamas War

FILED - 21 September 2023, US, New York: A general view of the UN Security Council session dealing with the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The UN Security Council is due on Monday to take up the war in Gaza once again. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
FILED - 21 September 2023, US, New York: A general view of the UN Security Council session dealing with the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The UN Security Council is due on Monday to take up the war in Gaza once again. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
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UN Security Council Fails to Agree on Israel-Hamas War

FILED - 21 September 2023, US, New York: A general view of the UN Security Council session dealing with the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The UN Security Council is due on Monday to take up the war in Gaza once again. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
FILED - 21 September 2023, US, New York: A general view of the UN Security Council session dealing with the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The UN Security Council is due on Monday to take up the war in Gaza once again. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

The UN Security Council on Monday failed again to agree on a resolution on the monthlong Israel-Hamas war.
Despite more than two hours of closed-door discussions Monday, differences remained. The US is calling for “humanitarian pauses” while many other council members are demanding a “humanitarian cease-fire” to deliver desperately needed aid and prevent more civilian deaths in Gaza.
“We talked about humanitarian pauses and we’re interested in pursuing language on that score,” US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters after the meeting. “But there are disagreements within the council about whether that’s acceptable.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier Monday told reporters he wanted an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza and a halt to the “spiral of escalation” already taking place from the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Yemen.
Guterres said international humanitarian law, which demands protection of civilians and infrastructure essential for their lives, is clearly being violated and stressed that “no party to an armed conflict is above” these laws. He called for the immediate unconditional release of the hostages Hamas took from Israel to Gaza in its Oct. 7 attack.
China, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, and the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the council, called Monday’s meeting because of the “crisis of humanity” in Gaza, where more than 10,000 people have been killed in less than a month.
UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said all 15 council members “are fully engaged” and efforts will continue to try to narrow the gaps and reach agreement on a resolution.



Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on an official visit to Baghdad on Sunday to hold discussions with senior Iraqi officials on bilateral ties and regional and international developments.

During this visit, his fourth to Iraq since assuming office in June 2023, Fidan will meet with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, as well as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and President Abdul Latif Rashid.

According to sources within the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agenda will cover key issues related to the growing relationship between the neighboring countries, which has seen significant progress over the past three years, alongside current regional developments.

Sources indicated that Fidan will emphasize his country’s commitment to further strengthening its ties with Iraq based on a positive agenda and an institutional framework. He will stress the activation of various cooperation mechanisms established during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq on April 22, 2024.

Fidan will also underscore Türkiye’s recognition of the importance of maintaining Iraq’s stability and security for the broader region, and its support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to counter the adverse effects of Israeli aggression and developments in Syria on Iraq’s stability.

Fidan is expected to advocate for constructive dialogue and neighborly relations between Baghdad and Syria’s new administration, emphasizing that such an approach would benefit both countries and the wider region.

The minister is also set to convey Türkiye’s expectations that Iraq officially designate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “terrorist organization” and take necessary steps to fully eliminate its presence within Iraqi territory.

On security and counterterrorism cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad, sources stated that Fidan will express satisfaction with the growing understanding between the two countries in these areas. He will highlight Ankara’s approval of Iraq’s official stance on the PKK and its anticipation that Baghdad will declare the party a terrorist organization and eradicate its presence entirely.

Türkiye continues its military operations against PKK militants in northern Iraq. Ankara and Baghdad have agreed to coordinate their efforts against the group through a memorandum of understanding on military and security cooperation and counterterrorism. This agreement was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler and his Iraqi counterpart Thabit Al-Abbasi during the fourth meeting of the High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara last August.

Fidan’s discussions will also address ways to enhance trade relations with Iraq, one of Türkiye’s most important economic partners, with a trade volume of $20 billion. He will call for the removal of artificial barriers to bilateral trade and reaffirm his country’s support for the strategic “Development Road” project, while emphasizing efforts to expedite its implementation.