Tunisian Govt Defies Saied, to Go ahead with Election of Constitutional Court Members

President Kais Saied. (AP file photo)
President Kais Saied. (AP file photo)
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Tunisian Govt Defies Saied, to Go ahead with Election of Constitutional Court Members

President Kais Saied. (AP file photo)
President Kais Saied. (AP file photo)

Statements by members of the Ennahda movement and Heart of Tunisia Party have confirmed that the ruling coalition was in agreement over the parliament’s election of members of the Constitutional Court on Thursday.

The statements demonstrate their dismissal of President Kais Saied’s rejection of the amendments that have been introduced to the election of the members. He has returned the draft amendments to parliament for revision and it should be up to a new vote.

Observers believe that the position will only heighten tensions between the president and government.

Some members of the ruling coalition have already accused him of obstructing political work in the country.

The Ennahda’s parliamentary bloc had met last week and stressed the need to complete the election of the 12 members of the Court.

One member has already been elected. A parliament session will be held on Thursday to appoint three members. The remaining members will be elected by the president and higher judicial council, who each name four.

Ennahda has urged greater agreement among the various blocs over the candidates, while also renewing its support to the government, led by Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.

Ennahda MP Emad al-Khamiri said the movement was determined to elect the three members of the Court.

He criticized Saied’s rejection of the amendments, saying it is as if he is claiming that the Constitutional Court was no longer necessary, while it is in fact key to building democracy.

Separately, former President Moncef Marzouki proposed holding early parliamentary and presidential elections, saying it could help end the political impasse in the country.

“This step may be risky, but it could give way to some hope,” he remarked.

Moreover, he said the stalemate will only lead to the further fragmentation of the state, especially amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and growing poverty.



Türkiye Backing Syria’s Military and Has No Immediate Withdrawal Plans, Defense Minister Says 

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler attends a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a mine countermeasures naval group in the Black Sea, aimed at clearing mines floating there as a result of the war in Ukraine, in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 11, 2024. (Reuters)
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler attends a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a mine countermeasures naval group in the Black Sea, aimed at clearing mines floating there as a result of the war in Ukraine, in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 11, 2024. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Backing Syria’s Military and Has No Immediate Withdrawal Plans, Defense Minister Says 

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler attends a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a mine countermeasures naval group in the Black Sea, aimed at clearing mines floating there as a result of the war in Ukraine, in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 11, 2024. (Reuters)
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler attends a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a mine countermeasures naval group in the Black Sea, aimed at clearing mines floating there as a result of the war in Ukraine, in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 11, 2024. (Reuters)

Türkiye is training and advising Syria's armed forces and helping improve its defenses, and has no immediate plans for the withdrawal or relocation of its troops stationed there, Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters.

Türkiye has emerged as a key foreign ally of Syria's new government since opposition groups - some of them backed for years by Ankara - ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December to end his family's five-decade rule.

It has promised to help rebuild neighboring Syria and facilitate the return of millions of Syrian civil war refugees, and played a key role last month getting US and European sanctions on Syria lifted.

The newfound Turkish influence in Damascus has raised Israeli concerns and risked a standoff or worse in Syria between the regional powers.

In written answers to questions from Reuters, Guler said Türkiye and Israel, which carried out its latest airstrikes on southern Syria late on Tuesday, are continuing de-confliction talks to avoid military accidents in the country.

Türkiye’s overall priority in Syria is preserving its territorial integrity and unity, and ridding it of terrorism, he said, adding Ankara was supporting Damascus in these efforts.

"We have started providing military training and consultancy services, while taking steps to increase Syria's defense capacity," Guler said, without elaborating on those steps.

Named to the post by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan two years ago, Guler said it was too early to discuss possible withdrawal or relocation of the more than 20,000 Turkish troops in Syria.

Ankara controlled swathes of northern Syria and established dozens of bases there after several cross-border operations in recent years against Kurdish militants it deems terrorists.

This can "only be re-evaluated when Syria achieves peace and stability, when the threat of terrorism in the region is fully removed, when our border security is fully ensured, and when the honorable return of people who had to flee is done," he said.

NATO member Türkiye has accused Israel of undermining Syrian peace and rebuilding with its military operations there in recent months and, since late 2023, has also fiercely criticized Israel's assault on Gaza.

But the two regional powers have been quietly working to establish a de-confliction mechanism in Syria.

Guler described the talks as "technical level meetings to establish a de-confliction mechanism to prevent unwanted events" or direct conflict, as well as "a communication and coordination structure".

"Our efforts to form this line and make it fully operational continue. Yet it should not be forgotten that the de-confliction mechanism is not a normalization," he told Reuters.