Erdogan Says Kurdish Independence Referendum Shows ‘Perfect Ingratitude’

Iraqi soldiers leave Turkish army armored vehicle as they take part in military exercises in Silopi, near the Habur border gate with Iraq, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (Pool photo via AP)
Iraqi soldiers leave Turkish army armored vehicle as they take part in military exercises in Silopi, near the Habur border gate with Iraq, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (Pool photo via AP)
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Erdogan Says Kurdish Independence Referendum Shows ‘Perfect Ingratitude’

Iraqi soldiers leave Turkish army armored vehicle as they take part in military exercises in Silopi, near the Habur border gate with Iraq, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (Pool photo via AP)
Iraqi soldiers leave Turkish army armored vehicle as they take part in military exercises in Silopi, near the Habur border gate with Iraq, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (Pool photo via AP)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that his country would soon close its border with northern Iraq and shut its air space in response to last week's Kurdish independence referendum.

According to Reuters, Erdogan said the decision to hold the referendum showed the "perfect ingratitude" of the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq, which had developed close commercial and political ties with Turkey.

"Flights to northern Iraq have already been suspended, the air space and borders will also close soon," Erdogan said in a speech in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

"We demand the KRG take the necessary lesson from their mistakes and take steps to compensate for them as soon as possible," Erdogan said.

On the other hand, Iraq’s central bank on Wednesday eased financial restrictions imposed on the Kurdistan region over its independence vote after receiving a pledge of cooperation from Kurdish banks, an Iraqi banking source said.

All but four Kurdish-owned banks were allowed to send and receive dollar and foreign currency transfers on Wednesday, the source told Reuters.

It is the first de-escalation measure in the crisis, which erupted after voters in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq overwhelmingly backed independence in a Sept. 25 referendum.

The Iraqi government has also imposed a ban on direct international flights to and from the Kurdish region.

The central bank had informed the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Tuesday it would stop selling dollars to the four Kurdish banks, and would halt all foreign currency transfers to the autonomous region, banking and government sources told Reuters.

The measures are aimed at tightening the central bank’s control over the Kurdish banking industry.

The central bank will maintain its dollar sale ban for four of the Kurdish banks pending a review of their cooperation, the banking source said.



UAE FM Meets Russian, Iranian Counterparts on Sidelines of BRICS Meeting

The UAE and Russian FMs meet in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)
The UAE and Russian FMs meet in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)
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UAE FM Meets Russian, Iranian Counterparts on Sidelines of BRICS Meeting

The UAE and Russian FMs meet in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)
The UAE and Russian FMs meet in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)

United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Friends of BRICS meeting in South Africa's city of Cape Town.

The top diplomats discussed ways of strengthening relations of friendship and strategic partnership between the UAE and Russia. They also reviewed an array of latest regional and international developments and exchanged views on them, reported the UAE’s state news agency (WAM).

Agenda items of the Friends of BRICS meeting were also covered during the meeting.

Sheikh Abdullah stressed that Emirati-Russian relations were based on solid foundations of mutual understanding and respect as well as on constructive cooperation.

The bilateral relations have been witnessing rapid growth, particularly following the signing of the strategic partnership agreement in 2018, he added.

The two countries were determined to take bilateral relations and cooperation to new heights in various fields to serve the mutual interests of their people, he stressed.

The UAE was looking forward to boosting cooperation with the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and support multilateral action to achieve development in communities and preserve international peace and security and build a promising future for next generations, he stated.

Sheikh Abdullah also met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Cape Town.

The discussed ways of driving UAE-Iran relations forward and boosting their cooperation to serve their common interests and support security, stability and prosperity in the region.

They exchanged views on a number of regional and global developments and issues of common concern, as well as the situation in the region.

Sheikh Abdullah stressed that the UAE's is a firm believer in the importance of establishing constructive dialogue and cooperation with other countries in the region and promoting good neighborliness with the aim of achieving peace, maintaining stability and realizing further development and prosperity for the peoples of the region.


Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed: UAE Committed to Deepening Cooperation with BRICS Group

Officials at the BRICS meeting in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)
Officials at the BRICS meeting in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)
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Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed: UAE Committed to Deepening Cooperation with BRICS Group

Officials at the BRICS meeting in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)
Officials at the BRICS meeting in Cape Town on Friday. (WAM)

United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended a “Friends of BRICS” meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday.

Sheikh Abdullah expressed his happiness at attending the meeting, which underscored the partnership and strong friendship within the BRICS group, reported the UAE’s state news agency (WAM).

He stressed that the UAE values and backs the BRICS group, especially given its world-scale significance in supporting peace, security and prosperity globally.

“The UAE is pleased to be a friend to the BRICS group and is committed to expanding and deepening its cooperation with the group, its member states and its partners in driving development and prosperity,” Sheikh Abdullah said.

He highlighted the rising influence of the BRICS group in recent years, noting that it accounts for 30 percent of the world’s overall economic growth since 2001, and the group’s economies currently account for 25 percent of the global GDP.

The BRICS group’s inclusive approach is among its distinguishing characteristics, as enables it to widen its cooperation with international economic institutions and create a broader platform for representing developing and emerging economies at a global level, he added.

The BRICS group, as part of the changing world that seeks multilateral action, should continue advancing its institutional system and broaden its international presence by supporting emerging economies, Sheikh Abdullah stressed, underlining the UAE’s support for the group and its keenness to become an active and contributing BRICS member.

He also explained the UAE’s contributions and role as a partner of the BRICS group and its member countries, as well as a reliable source of energy and a strong advocate for issues facing developing countries. He pointed out the UAE’s active participation in multipartite initiatives, such as joining the New Development Bank and investing heavily in infrastructure, food security, clean energy, transportation and industry.

“The UAE will continue to work with you to address global challenges and foster a balanced and sustainable approach to driving climate action and achieving the energy transition,” Sheikh Abdullah said.

He underscored the UAE’s vision of a future based on constructive cooperation and common goals. He also stressed the country’s backing of BRICS and highlighted its focus on three key pillars, which are promoting financial and economic development through cooperation and openness, respecting the sovereignty of other countries and pursuing peaceful resolutions to conflicts; and working to ensure justice and representation in the global governance system.


Sudan FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: New US Sanctions Won’t Affect Warring Parties

Smoke billows behind buildings in Khartoum on June 2, 2023, as fighting between Sudan's warring generals intensified. (AFP)
Smoke billows behind buildings in Khartoum on June 2, 2023, as fighting between Sudan's warring generals intensified. (AFP)
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Sudan FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: New US Sanctions Won’t Affect Warring Parties

Smoke billows behind buildings in Khartoum on June 2, 2023, as fighting between Sudan's warring generals intensified. (AFP)
Smoke billows behind buildings in Khartoum on June 2, 2023, as fighting between Sudan's warring generals intensified. (AFP)

The Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were not surprised with Washington’s announcement on Thursday that it was imposing new sanctions on them due to their role in the ongoing conflict in the country.

Sudanese political parties dismissed the impact the sanctions will have on the army and RSF, but acting Foreign Minister Ali Sadiq told Asharq Al-Awsat that the people will bear the brunt of them.

Sudan’s Ambassador to the US Mohamed Abdalla Idris announced that his government rejects the sanctions, saying such an approach had been used before and it had led to the destruction of peoples in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

Moreover, he noted that the US was a mediator in attempting to resolve the conflict, so how could it possibly impose sanctions on the parties it is talking to.

He added that the sanctions have been imposed on companies owned by the people, meaning Washington was collectively punishing them.

Furthermore, he revealed that the army will resume its participation in the ceasefire negotiations once the other party commits to its pledges.

Half-step

US Senator Jim Risch was scathing of the Biden administration for imposing the new sanctions.

“Thursday’s actions do not even represent a half-step in what needs to happen. The sanctions designations, while positive in their own right, do not openly hold accountable the top Sudanese individuals responsible for the catastrophic situation in Sudan,” he said in a statement.

“The people most responsible for destabilizing the region and ongoing brutality against the Sudanese people remain untouched by US sanctions.”

“Not unlike its policy response to the civil war in northern Ethiopia, the administration once again has avoided holding accountable top-level officials of the warring parties in Sudan,” he stressed.

“We can't let another African conflict of this magnitude persist without taking more transparent and direct action against those responsible for the fighting, which has killed hundreds, injured thousands, and displaced millions. These actions once again come short of real accountability,” he stressed.

Limited impact

Development and rights expert in Geneva Abdulbaqi Jibril told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US sanctions will not have a major impact on the current situation in Sudan.

He cited Sudan’s past experience in dealing with sanctions. Washington had imposed unilateral economic sanctions for two decades on the former regime. They were introduced during the term of former President Bill Clinton in 1997 and lifted in 2017 under then President Donald Trump.

The impact of sanctions is “limited at best” and very few vital sectors are affected by them, remarked Jibril.

The previous sanctions played a major role in impoverishing the people, he noted. They played a direct role in deepening unprecedented economic corruption.

He explained that the American measures at the time forced Sudan out of the world’s banking and financial system, compelling the former regime to use complicated means to meet basic needs.

The former government managed to mitigate the impact of the sanctions and trade embargo by resorting to financing outside the global banking system. This in turn limited the state institutions’ ability to control the movement of funds in the country.

International relations professor in Sudan Salaheddine al-Doma told Asharq Al-Awsat that the sanctions are “very effective.”

The warring parties are well aware that the US is serious about achieving the people’s aspirations in civilian rule because it accomplishes its interests.

If developments go against US wishes, then Russia and China will be able to impose their influence in Sudan, he noted.

Moreover, Washington’s failure to achieve civilian rule in Sudan will have an impact on President Joe Biden’s reelection bid next year, he added.


Israel Complains to UN about Hezbollah Maneuvers

Israeli soldiers leave after an operation near the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah October 22, 2013. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers leave after an operation near the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah October 22, 2013. (Reuters)
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Israel Complains to UN about Hezbollah Maneuvers

Israeli soldiers leave after an operation near the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah October 22, 2013. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers leave after an operation near the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah October 22, 2013. (Reuters)

Israel submitted an official complaint against Hezbollah to the UN Security Council regarding the recent military maneuvers conducted by the party .

Meanwhile, the Israeli Army launched an exceptionally large multifront military drill across the country to face any threat by Iran or its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

In the complaint also addressed to Secretary General Antonio Gueterres, the Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said on Thursday that 700 Hezbollah fighters participated in the Lebanese party’s maneuvers that used live ammunition and were openly held in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel.

“The maneuvers dealt with anti-Israel scenarios, including infiltration into Israeli territory and the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers or citizens,” the Israeli diplomat said.

In the complaint, Erdan considered these maneuvers a flagrant violation of Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1559.

Israel demands the Lebanese government to impose state sovereignty over its territory, and prevent Hezbollah from turning Lebanon into a terrorist base, he said.

The Israeli diplomat then called on the Security Council to strongly condemn Iran and Hezbollah for their role in destabilizing the region, and said that “Israel will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and its sovereignty.”

On Monday, Israel began a multifront air, sea, land and cyber drill that includes simulated Israeli strikes inside Iran as well as a surprise Israeli attack on Hezbollah and its power centers.

CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, along with the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, attended the first three days of the two-week long Israeli drill.

Israeli troops from the standing and reserve army, from nearly all units, would participate in the exercise — dubbed Firm Hand.

The forces will practice handling challenges and sudden events, simultaneously on multiple fronts including in Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

An Israeli Army spokesperson said the forces involve the Israel Air Force, Navy, ground force, and units active on the electromagnetic spectrum and in the cyber arena.

But he said the exercise will focus on the northern borders, led by Northern Command’s 91st “Galilee” Division, responsible for defending against Hezbollah from Lebanon, and the 36th Ga’ash (Golan) Armored Division, which is responsible for the Syrian border.

The first week of the drill tests these divisions’ ability to deal with attacks from the northern front, he said.

 


Lebanon's Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Paris Still Supports Franjieh’s Presidential Bid

Speaker Nabih Berri during the tallying of votes during a past presidential elections session. (AFP)
Speaker Nabih Berri during the tallying of votes during a past presidential elections session. (AFP)
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Lebanon's Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Paris Still Supports Franjieh’s Presidential Bid

Speaker Nabih Berri during the tallying of votes during a past presidential elections session. (AFP)
Speaker Nabih Berri during the tallying of votes during a past presidential elections session. (AFP)

Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he has not yet “seen encouraging signs” that would prompt him to call for a presidential election session, given that as of yet, there are no two serious candidates for the post.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he again stressed that he will not call for elections before his condition for having serious candidates be met.

He noted that the nomination of former minister Jihad Azour has not been formalized and continues to be discussed between the opposition and Free Patriotic Movement.

Lebanon has been without a president since late October. Eleven elections sessions have been held, but no candidate garnered enough votes to be named winner given the disagreements between the political parties.

Berri said months ago that he would only call for an elections session if political parties are in consensus over the names of candidates.

Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that “if we wanted a repeat of previous elections sessions, I would have called for elections every week.”

But given a lack of serious candidates “and out of respect for the legislature, which has become a laughingstock by many, I won’t,” he stressed.

Moreover, the speaker said he was satisfied with France’s stance on the elections, revealing that it still supports the nomination of Marada Movement leader former minister Suleiman Franjieh.

Paris is working on securing a regional and international understanding on his candidacy, he revealed.

Saudi Arabia, he continued, is not opposed to Franjieh. It is not vetoing anyone’s nomination.

The Kingdom has called for the election of a president and demanded that he present a reform program. Only then will it judge and so will other countries, added Berri.

The speaker often ignores the criticism of some politicians, but recent US remarks that it may impose sanctions on figures – believed to be the speaker - whom it believes are impeding the elections, prompted him to issue a statement to clarify some points.

Berri believes that failure to call parliament to elect a president is not a form of obstruction. Rather, the lack of seriousness in tackling the elections is the greatest hurdle, he said.

“I will call parliament to a session as soon as serious candidates are available,” he stated. This includes the speaker’s preferred candidate, Franjieh, whom he believes is the “best choice to end the crisis”. He added that he is not opposed to any other candidate, “even if they were a rival”, saying he doesn’t view any of the potential nominees as his opponents.

On Azour, Berri said he will call for an election session as soon as his candidacy is formalized. Moreover, he dismissed speculation that the former minister could garner 68 votes in the elections, noting that the FPM has yet to officially back his nomination.


India Train Crash Kills over 280, Injures 900 in Country's Deadliest Rail Accident in Decades

Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a three-train collision near Balasore, India, on June 3, 2023. Dibyangshu Sarkar, AFP
Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a three-train collision near Balasore, India, on June 3, 2023. Dibyangshu Sarkar, AFP
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India Train Crash Kills over 280, Injures 900 in Country's Deadliest Rail Accident in Decades

Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a three-train collision near Balasore, India, on June 3, 2023. Dibyangshu Sarkar, AFP
Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of a three-train collision near Balasore, India, on June 3, 2023. Dibyangshu Sarkar, AFP

Rescuers waded through piles of debris and wreckage to pull out bodies and free people on Saturday after two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 280 people. Hundreds of others were trapped inside more than a dozen mangled rail cars overnight in one of the country's deadliest train crashes in decades.

The accident, which happened about 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Kolkata on Friday night, led to a chaotic scene as rescuers climbed atop the wrecked trains to break open doors and windows using cutting torches to free survivors, The Associated Press said.

About 900 people were injured in the accident in Balasore district in the eastern state of Odisha, said P.K. Jena, the state's top administrative official. The cause was under investigation.

At least 280 bodies were recovered overnight and into Saturday morning, Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of Odisha's fire department, told The Associated Press. He said more than 800 injured passengers were taken to various hospitals with many in critical condition.

Rescuers were cutting through the destroyed rail cars to find people who may still be trapped. Sarangi said it was possible that people were stuck underneath but that it was unlikely they would still be alive.

“By 10 p.m. (on Friday) we were able to rescue the survivors. After that it was about picking up dead bodies,” he said. “This is very, very tragic. I have never seen anything like this in my career."

Ten to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fell onto a nearby track, said Amitabh Sharma, a railroad ministry spokesperson. The debris was hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction, causing up to three coaches of the second train to also derail, he added.

A third train carrying freight was also involved, the Press Trust of India reported, but there was no immediate confirmation of that from railroad authorities. PTI said some of the derailed passenger coaches hit cars from the freight train.

The death toll rose steadily throughout the night as footage showed shattered carriages that had overturned completely. Scores of dead bodies, covered by white sheets, lay on the ground near the train tracks as locals and rescuers raced to help survivors.

Teams of rescuers and police continued sifting through the ruins on Saturday morning as the search operation carried on, amid fears that the death toll is likely to rise further. Scores of people also showed up at a local hospital to donate blood.

Officials said 1,200 rescuers worked with 115 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units through the night at the accident site. Saturday was declared as a day of mourning in Odisha as the state's chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, reached the district to meet injured passengers.

Villagers said they rushed to the site to evacuate people after hearing a loud sound created by the train coaches going off the tracks.

“The local people really went out on a limb to help us. They not only helped in pulling out people, but retrieved our luggage and got us water,” PTI cited Rupam Banerjee, a survivor, as saying.

Passenger Vandana Kaleda said that inside the train during the derailment people were “falling on each other” as her coach shook violently and veered off the tracks.

“As I stepped out of the washroom, suddenly the train tilted. I lost my balance. ... Everything went topsy turvy. People started falling on each other and I was shocked and could not understand what happened. My mind stopped working," she said, adding she felt lucky to survive.

Another survivor who did not give his name said he was sleeping when the impact woke him up. He said he saw other passengers with broken limbs and disfigured faces.

The derailed Coromandel Express was traveling from Howrah in West Bengal state to Chennai, the capital of southern Tamil Nadu state, PTI said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his thoughts were with the bereaved families.

"May the injured recover soon,” tweeted Modi, who said he had spoken to the railway minister and that “all possible assistance” was being offered.

Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents occur every year on India’s railways, the largest train network under one management in the world.

In August 1995, two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people in one of the worst train accidents in India.

In 2016, a passenger train slid off the tracks between the cities of Indore and Patna, killing 146 people.

Most train accidents are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment.

More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India every day, traveling on 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of track.


Erdogan to Be Sworn in for Third Term as Turkish President

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the annual general meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges after winning Sunday's presidential election runoff in Ankara, Türkiye, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the annual general meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges after winning Sunday's presidential election runoff in Ankara, Türkiye, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
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Erdogan to Be Sworn in for Third Term as Turkish President

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the annual general meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges after winning Sunday's presidential election runoff in Ankara, Türkiye, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the annual general meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges after winning Sunday's presidential election runoff in Ankara, Türkiye, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to be sworn in on Saturday as head of state after winning a historic runoff election to extend his two-decade rule for another five years as Türkiye’s economic woes worsen.

The inauguration in parliament will be followed by a lavish ceremony at his palace in the capital Ankara attended by dozens of world leaders, said AFP.

Türkiye’s transformative but divisive leader won the May 28 runoff against a powerful opposition coalition, and despite an economic crisis and severe criticism following a devastating February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan won 52.18 percent of the vote while his secular rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu 47.82 percent, official results show.

Türkiye’s longest-serving leader faces immediate and major challenges in his third term driven by a decelerating economy and foreign policy tensions with the West.

"From a geopolitical point of view, the election will reinforce Türkiye’s recent pursuit of an independent foreign policy," said Matt Gertken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research.

"This policy aims to extract maximum economic and strategic benefits from eastern and autocratic states while still preventing a permanent rupture in relations with western democracies," he said.

"Tensions with the West will likely increase again, within that framework, now that Erdogan has a new mandate."

Biting economy

Addressing the country's economic troubles will be Erdogan's first priority with inflation running at 43.70 percent, partly due to his unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to stimulate growth.

Late on Saturday the president is due to unveil his new cabinet with media speculating that former finance minister Mehmet Simsek, a reassuring figure with international stature, could play a part.

A former Merrill Lynch economist, Simsek is known to oppose Erdogan's unconventional policies.

He served as finance minister between 2009 and 2015 and deputy prime minister in charge of the economy until 2018, before stepping down ahead of a series of lira crashes that year.

"Erdogan's government looks like it will pursue an orthodox stabilization program," said Alp Erinc Yeldan, professor of economics at Istanbul's Kadir Has University.

"What we see now is that the news about Mehmet Simsek and his team is greeted with enthusiasm by the markets," he told AFP.

Türkiye’s new members of parliament started being sworn in on Friday in a first session after the May 14 election, also attended by Erdogan.

His alliance holds a majority in the 600-seat parliament.

Erdogan's victory came against a unified opposition coalition led by Kilicdaroglu, whose future as leader of the CHP party remains in doubt following the defeat.

NATO chief visits

NATO allies are anxiously waiting for Ankara to green-light Sweden's drive to join the US-led defense alliance, before a summit in July.

Erdogan has been dragging his feet in approving the application, accusing Stockholm of sheltering "terrorists" of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which is listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will attend Erdogan's inauguration at the weekend and hold talks with him, the alliance said Friday.

Sweden's foreign minister Tobias Billstrom said on Twitter that "a clear message" emerged at a NATO meeting in Oslo for Türkiye’s and Hungary to start the ratification process.

His Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu responded: "A crystal clear message to our Swedish Friends! Fulfill your commitments arising from Trilateral Memorandum & take concrete steps in the fight against terrorism.

"The rest will follow."


Blinken to Visit Saudi Arabia from June 6 –8

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers his speech at the Helsinki City Hall, Finland Friday, June 2, 2023. (AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers his speech at the Helsinki City Hall, Finland Friday, June 2, 2023. (AP)
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Blinken to Visit Saudi Arabia from June 6 –8

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers his speech at the Helsinki City Hall, Finland Friday, June 2, 2023. (AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers his speech at the Helsinki City Hall, Finland Friday, June 2, 2023. (AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia from June 6 to 8.

He is scheduled to co-host a June 8 meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah on combating the ISIS militant group, said a US State Department Statement.

The trip will also include a June 7 US-Gulf Cooperation Council ministerial meeting on Middle East security and integration, it added.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs Daniel Benaim told a press briefing that the US cooperates with the GCC on a range of issues to promote regional security, stability, de-escalation, and integration in the Gulf, Middle East, and beyond.

Blinken will also consult with Saudi leaders on a range of bilateral, regional, and global priorities.

“Blinken and others in our government have been engaged intensively of late with Saudi counterparts on Sudan, among other issues, because of Saudi Arabia’s important role in the diplomacy there and in humanitarian and evacuation efforts,” added Benaim.

“More broadly, Saudi Arabia has been our strategic partner for eight decades across US administrations. We continue to consult and collaborate on a wide range of issues. We have a great deal of work to do together. That includes ending the war in Yemen, where US and Saudi support for UN-led peace efforts have helped facilitate now 14 months of dramatically reduced violence, increased humanitarian access, and the quietest period since the conflict began more than eight years ago,” he remarked.

“That includes Saudi Arabia’s support for Ukraine, which has included $410 million in critical assistance and high-profile bilateral visits from leaders of both countries. We also have newer areas of cooperation like tech and telecom, including Open RAN, our cutting-edge collaboration on 5G/6G technologies, green energy cooperation, and space,” he went on to say.

“The presence of a female Saudi astronaut – the first Muslim woman to visit space – launched in partnership with the United States, speaks to our shared ambition to broaden our work together into new areas, all of which, if successful, can deliver benefits that extend beyond our two countries,” stressed Benaim.

“We’re redoubling our emphasis on regional integration and structure, as National Security Advisor Sullivan recently explained, and whether through the Negev process or the GCC Interconnector linking Iraq with the Gulf and the rest of the region, or otherwise. We’re looking for ways to capitalize on the current moment, which is full of dialogue, newfound ties, mended ties, to encourage our neighbors’ efforts to connect to each other and the region’s efforts to connect to the wider world in important new ways,” he continued.

“We’re working to deepen business partnerships that benefit hundreds of thousands of American workers. The Boeing deal with Saudi Arabia announced in March, valued at nearly $37 billion, will support over 140,000 jobs across the United States,” he said.

“Our defense cooperation remains strong; our security relationship with Saudi Arabia remains a bedrock of our approach to regional defense and security and protecting the more than 80,000 US citizens living and working in the Kingdom.”

“I would also note that hundreds of thousands of Saudis have studied in – at US universities over the past few decades. These educational and people-to-people ties are among the most important investments that we can make together in the future, and we will look to build on them.”


UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees Raises Just $107 Million of $300 Million Needed to Help Millions

FILE - A bag of foodstuffs provided by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) lies in a cart as Palestinians collect food aid following a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel, in Gaza City, May 22, 2021.  (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
FILE - A bag of foodstuffs provided by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) lies in a cart as Palestinians collect food aid following a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel, in Gaza City, May 22, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
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UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees Raises Just $107 Million of $300 Million Needed to Help Millions

FILE - A bag of foodstuffs provided by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) lies in a cart as Palestinians collect food aid following a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel, in Gaza City, May 22, 2021.  (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
FILE - A bag of foodstuffs provided by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) lies in a cart as Palestinians collect food aid following a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel, in Gaza City, May 22, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Despite a dire warning from the UN chief that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees “is on the verge of financial collapse,” donors at a pledging conference on Friday provided just $107 million in new funds — significantly less than the $300 million it needs to keep helping millions of people.

Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the agency known as UNRWA, said he was grateful for the new pledges but they are below the funds needed to keep over 700 schools and 140 clinics open from September through December, The Associated Press said.

“We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners, including host countries — the refugees’ top supporters — to raise the funds needed,” he said in a statement.

At the beginning of the year, UNRWA appealed for $1.6 billion for its programs, operations and emergency response across Syria, Lebanon, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and Jordan. That includes nearly $850 million for its core budget, which includes running schools and health clinics.

According to UNRWA, donors on Friday announced $812.3 million in pledges, but just $107.2 million were new contributions. The countries pledging new funds were not announced.

Lazzarini told a press conference Thursday that UNRWA needs $150 million to keep all services running until the end of the year, and an additional $50 million to start 2024 without liabilities. In addition, he said, the agency needs $75 million to keep the food pipeline in Gaza operating and about $30 million for its cash distribution program in Syria and Lebanon.

UNRWA was founded in the wake of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to provide hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes with education, health care, social services and in some cases jobs. Today, their numbers — with descendants — have grown to some 5.9 million people, most in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, as well as neighboring countries in the Middle East.

UNRWA has faced a financial crisis for 10 years, but Lazzarini said the current crisis is “massive,” calling it “our main existential threat.”

“It is deepening, and our ability to muddle through is slowly but surely coming to an end,” he said. “The situation is even more critical now that some of our committed donors have indicated that the will substantially decrease their contribution to the agency.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech read by his chief of staff at the start of the pledging conference that “when UNRWA’s future hangs in the balance so do the lives of millions of Palestine refugees relying on essential services.”

Those services include education for over half a million girls and boys, health care for around 2 million people, job opportunities for young people in Gaza and elsewhere, psycho-social support for hundreds of thousands of children, and a social safety net for nearly half a million of the poorest Palestinians, he said. More than 1.2 million Palestinians also receive humanitarian assistance.


US, Allies Clash with Russia, China over North Korea's Failed Military Spy Satellite Launch

FILE - In this undated photo provided by the North Korean government on March 11, 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
FILE - In this undated photo provided by the North Korean government on March 11, 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
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US, Allies Clash with Russia, China over North Korea's Failed Military Spy Satellite Launch

FILE - In this undated photo provided by the North Korean government on March 11, 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
FILE - In this undated photo provided by the North Korean government on March 11, 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

The United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China on Friday over North Korea’s failed launch of a military spy satellite this week in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, which Moscow and Beijing refused to condemn.

The confrontation was the latest over the North’s escalating nuclear, ballistic missile and military programs, which US deputy ambassador Robert Wood warned are threatening international peace and security. The failed launch “not only disrupted maritime and air traffic in the region, but it also caused alarm for its neighbors in Japan and the Republic of Korea,” he said.

Pyongyang is threatening another launch soon, The Associated Press said.

The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea’s first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking — so far unsuccessfully — to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and cut off funding. In the last sanctions resolution adopted by the council in December 2017, members committed to further restricting petroleum exports to North Korea if it conducted a ballistic missile launch capable of reaching intercontinental ranges.

China and Russia vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in May 2022 that would have imposed new sanctions, including on petroleum exports, over a spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches. Since then, they have blocked any council action including press statements.

UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the council the last time North Korea conducted a similar satellite launch to Wednesday’s failed attempt was on Feb. 7, 2016 and it was condemned by the Security Council.

“The lack of unity and action in the Security Council does little to slow the negative trajectory on the Korean Peninsula,” she said, and North Korea “is unconstrained, and other parties are compelled to focus on military deterrence.”

But North Korea’s neighbor and ally China and Russia, which has drawn closer to Pyongyang since the war in Ukraine, blamed the West and especially the United States for the current tensions.

China’s deputy UN ambassador Geng Shuang said the situation on the Korean Peninsula is a remnant of the Cold War. He accused the United States of failing to respond to North Korea’s attempts at dialogue over the years and instead resorting to sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang, missing an opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue.

“By incorporating the (Korean) Peninsula into its Indo-Pacific strategy, the US has continued its military activities and significantly increased its military presence both on the peninsula and in its surrounding areas, seriously undermining the strategic security interests of the peninsula and its neighboring countries,” Geng said

He also pointed to the recent US-South Korea Washington Declaration, including plans to send strategic nuclear submarines to the peninsula.

Geng claimed US policies are “driven by geopolitical self-interest” and told the council that blaming one party “will only exacerbate conflicts, provocations and inject new uncertainties into the already tense situation on the peninsula.”

He urged the council to adopt a resolution circulated by China and Russia in November 2021 that would end a host of sanctions on the North, saying this would be a starting point “to promote de-escalation, mutual trust and unity” among the 15 members.

Russia’s deputy ambassador Anna Evstigneeva blamed increased pressure on North Korea by the US and its allies for “the spiral of tension we’re witnessing now.” And she criticized growing military activity by the US, Japan and South Korea, especially recent large-scale US-South Korean military exercises, saying they are destabilizing not only for northeast Asia but for the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.

Russia is against “the dead end and inhumane policy of increasing sanctions pressure,” Evstigneeva said, stressing that UN resolutions that imposed sanctions also back efforts to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula by political and diplomatic means.

Russia calls on the United States to take steps to lower tensions and resume dialogue, instead of trying to shift responsibility “to other countries,” she said, also backing council action on the China-Russia resolution.

Wood, the US envoy, countered that the Washington Declaration was a response to North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear and ballistic missile activities.

“It’s hard to imagine we would ease sanctions” as called for in the China-Russia draft resolution and reward Pyongyang while it continues to violate Security Council resolutions, he said.

As for diplomacy, Wood said the United States on many occasions has stated it is prepared to have an unconditional dialogue, but North Korea “has rejected our interventions on many occasions.”

He stressed that US-South Korean military exercises are lawful efforts to defend against Pyongyang’s escalating activities that are allowing the country to advance its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs – and to “continue to choose ammunition over nutrition” for its people.