Zelenskiy Says Hopes 'Jeddah Talks' to be Stepping Stone to Peace

Ukrainian and Western officials have said the summit would not involve Russia - AP
Ukrainian and Western officials have said the summit would not involve Russia - AP
TT

Zelenskiy Says Hopes 'Jeddah Talks' to be Stepping Stone to Peace

Ukrainian and Western officials have said the summit would not involve Russia - AP
Ukrainian and Western officials have said the summit would not involve Russia - AP

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he hoped a Ukraine "peace summit" could be held this autumn, and that this week's talks in Saudi Arabia were a stepping stone towards that goal.

Zelenskiy told Ukrainian diplomats in a speech published on the president's website that almost 40 countries would be represented at the meeting in Jeddah on Aug 5 and 6.

"We are working on making it (the summit) happen this fall," he said.

"Autumn is very soon, but there is still time to prepare for the summit and involve most of the world's countries."

Also, Andriy Yermak,Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, affirmed in a tweet that there are preparations for the next meeting of national security advisers regarding the implementation of the Peace Formula, "which will soon take place in Saudi Arabia".

"It was one of my speech points at the Congress of local and regional authorities under the Ukrainian President," he added.

Zelenskiy and his team are working with allies to build broad support for a "peace summit" that would endorse principles to underpin a settlement to end the war started by Russia's full-scale invasion almost 18 months ago.

The summit would build on a 10-point plan outlined by Kyiv last autumn that has been actively promoted by Zelenskiy.

His vision for peace calls for the full restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity and a full withdrawal of Russian troops, the protection of food and energy security, nuclear safety, the release of all prisoners, and other points.

No venue has been agreed for the summit yet.

 

 



Türkiye's Opposition to Name Presidential Candidate in Coming Months

A Turkish flag with the Bosphorus Bridge in the background, flies on a passenger ferry in Istanbul, Türkiye September 30, 2020. (Reuters)
A Turkish flag with the Bosphorus Bridge in the background, flies on a passenger ferry in Istanbul, Türkiye September 30, 2020. (Reuters)
TT

Türkiye's Opposition to Name Presidential Candidate in Coming Months

A Turkish flag with the Bosphorus Bridge in the background, flies on a passenger ferry in Istanbul, Türkiye September 30, 2020. (Reuters)
A Turkish flag with the Bosphorus Bridge in the background, flies on a passenger ferry in Istanbul, Türkiye September 30, 2020. (Reuters)

Türkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will name its presidential candidate for the next election in coming months, its leader said on Tuesday in what he called a move to counter a judicial crackdown on his party.

The next presidential and parliamentary elections are not scheduled until 2028, but the opposition has repeatedly called for an early vote after recent detentions and investigations into CHP-run municipalities.

"Today, ... by completing all the preparations ... in February, March and April, we are starting today to say that we are ready to (counter) this evil," Ozgur Ozel said in an address to CHP parliamentarians, alluding to the investigations.

Some 1.6 million CHP members will choose the party's presidential candidate in an internal vote, he added, Reuters reported.

On Monday, an Istanbul prosecutor launched another judicial investigation into the city's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a CHP member, for allegedly trying to influence the judiciary after he criticised legal inquiries into opposition-run municipalities.

Imamoglu, seen as a likely future presidential challenger to Tayyip Erdogan, accused Erdogan's government of using the judiciary as a political tool to pressure the opposition.

Ozel said the investigations into Imamoglu showed how Erdogan's AK Party was afraid of him.

The government denies accusations of political interference in the cases and says the judiciary is independent.

Erdogan, re-elected last year, is serving his last term as president permitted by the constitution, unless parliament calls an early election. He has ruled Türkiye for more than 21 years, first as prime minister and then as president.

An early election needs the support of 360 MPs in the 600-seat parliament. AKP and its allies command 321 seats.

The AKP spokesperson recently said that a formula for a new term for Erdogan was "on the party's agenda," hinting at a move to enact a constitutional amendment to make that possible.

A constitutional amendment could also be put to a referendum if 360 lawmakers endorsed it.