The Turkish military has given the jihadist rebels inside the Idlib buffer zone one last warning to leave the designated demilitarized area, Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper reported this morning.
Citing a source from the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front, Al-Watan reported that Ankara has repeatedly sent warnings to the jihadist groups about remaining inside the demilitarized zone that is located inside the Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama provinces.
The Al-Watan report said that if the jihadist rebels refuse to leave the buffer zone, Turkey will allow the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Russian Air Force to resume their operations against them in northwestern Syria.
Saudi Arabia said in a Friday announcement that the preliminary results of its investigation indicate Khashoggi had been killed in a "fight with people who met him in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul”.
Saudi Attorney-General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb stated that Khashoggi died after "discussions" at the consulate devolved into an altercation.
It looks like President Bashar al-Assad has won the war in Syria. But who will win the peace?
In the debut episode of The Take, a new podcast by Al Jazeera's Jetty Studios, we explore the final play in Syria: The country's die-hard rebels are locked in a corner, the Syrian government is opening borders, and the outside powers that supported opposing sides are now striking deals.
Whatever happened to Khashoggi in the consulate happened in a place under his authority. Therefore, he has a responsibility. At least his testimony as a witness is of crucial importance for the prosecutors who are leading the investigation to shed light on what exactly happened.
According to the Vienna Convention, there is no obstacle in asking for his testimony or even detaining him.
With his departure from Turkey, Al-Otaibi has left behind an inexplicable contradiction.
A leading Arab newspaper said events in the past few days indicate that a deal is in the offing among the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to whitewash accusations against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after his order to murder prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"Some signs of a political deal among Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the US in Khassogi's assassination case have appeared in the past three days," the Arabic-language al-Ahd wrote on Wednesday.
It questioned the reason for a delay in declaring the results of investigations into Khashoggi's case, and added, "Possibly they want to implement a plot like Lockerby case and say that three people abducted Khashoggi and then put them on trial to exonerate bin Salman."
It took seven minutes for Jamal Khashoggi to die, a Turkish source who has listened in full to an audio recording of the Saudi journalist's last moments told Middle East Eye (MEE).
Turkish authorities have an audio recording which indicates that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a Turkish official has told Al Jazeera.
Could it have happened as reported in the press so far, as improbable as it may appear? Yes, of course. Does it appear highly unlikely? Yes to that, also.
A Turkish official told AP that police have found evidence inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul which confirms that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed there.
The "high level official" spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity, but said that police had found "certain evidence"that Khashoggi had died in the building. The official did not provide any more details about the evidence uncovered by police.
Reports in US media on Monday evening suggested that Riyadh might be preparing to admit that Saudi-born Khashoggi was killed as part of an unauthorized interrogation gone wrong.
Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate on October 2. Turkey has accused Saudi Arabia of murdering the journalist, but Riyadh has denied involvement.
After a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Monday, US President Donald Trump suggested perhaps “rogue killers” had been responsible for the journalist’s disappearance.
President Trump, a word here, please.
IF the overwhelming evidence indicates that Khashoggi was, in fact, assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Turkey, I would politely suggest that no element of criticism of the Saudi regime, is not countered, nor responded to, except by Prince Bin Salman's orders.
OK, so he ordered a hit on a guy he didn't like that he didn't know would go public, and caused the the global consternation it has caused.
But President Trump, you have to know what you are dealing with here, sir, just as you have had to realize about your other BFF in the Middle East: these are diabolically ruthless men, who control with an iron hand, and who see the elimination of "the enemy" as their only goal, by any brutal means necessary, with utter impunity, and zero consequences.
So, you've dispatched your "Bag Man", Mike Pompeo, to Saudi Arabia, to clean up the stench your Buddy, Prince Bin Salman, made, and "sanitize it" with a cover story, which no one will believe, about this torturous assassination.
Mr. President, We the People realize that this pitiful attempt by this administration to put lipstick on this pig of an act, is only about making sure the weapons companies can continue enjoying their fat bottom lines, by insuring that the weapons flow, unrestricted, to Saudi Arabia, with which they are using to murder Yemeni children, women, and the medically fragile elderly.
Congratulations, Mr. President, on your administration's being "all in" with Bin Salman's torturing critics to death, and killing, starving, and sickening the Yemeni people.
I am very concerned, Mr. President, that what you see Bin Salman and Netanyahu doing in their countries, and beyond, is something you might love to have the power to do here, with complete impunity, and absolutely zero consequences.
THAT, Sir, does worry me... and greatly.
It is obvious that Pompeo got his marching orders as to how to spin this, and was thrown out of the royal palaces, like some flunky with whom the Saudi king did not want to spend time, other than for the photoshoot, showing them smiling together.
Trump on the other hand has been more circumspect, even suggesting that perhaps “rogue killers” were responsible for the suspected murder — a theory he proffered to journalists at the White House shortly after a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
But the mostly low-key reaction from the Washington to the disappearance provides a stark contrast to how both Trump and his predecessors have dealt with unproven accusations made against other countries — most notably Russia.
When ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in Salisbury in March, it took nothing more than a swift declaration (sans evidence) from British intelligence agencies before sanctions had been slapped on Moscow.
Turkish police are conducting a search operation in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul amid the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Jamal Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi Arabia's policies, has been missing since October 2 after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain a marriage document, as reported by Turkish media. The Saudi authorities said that the journalist left the consulate on the same day that he arrived.
Following the incident, Riyadh let the Turkish authorities conduct a search operation in the consulate, while also sending a security delegation to assist in the investigation.
President Trump said Monday that he has spoken to Saudi's King Salman about the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi and he 'firmly denied' any involvement in the journalist's disappearance.
Trump said that he would send a top U.S. official, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to Middle East to confront Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in person - but wouldn't say whether he believed the Saudi leader's 'flat' denial of wrongdoing in a 20-minute phone conversation.
The president had a theory of his own as to what may have happened to the Saudi-born writer who Turkey says was lured to his death earlier this month in Istanbul.
He suggested without evidence that 'rogue killers' could have been responsible for the disappearance that Trump also framed as a murder.
A team of Turkish and Saudi officials tonight entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for a joint inspection two weeks after a Washington Post journalist apparently vanished inside.
They entered the building at 6pm local time, hours after a cleaning team swept the premises amid claims the walls have been repainted since Jamal Khashoggi was allegedly assassinated and dismembered for criticising the Saudi crown prince.
Tonight's inspection was agreed after Saudi King Salman and Turkish President Erdogan spoke yesterday - but the Turks don't trust the Saudis not to obfuscate the investigation, a senior Turkish source today told the Middle Eastern Eye.
Officials have not revealed what the inspection will involve or how long it will last.
The Washington Post has provided further details on its prior reporting that US intelligence knew full well that Saudi Arabia was seeking to lure the now disappeared and allegedly murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi to its embassy in Istanbul in order detain or kill him.
In an interesting new revelation the Post speculates based on intel sources that the whole October 2nd incident may have been an attempted "rendition" gone wrong. As more damning evidence emerges showing a Saudi "hit team" of 15 military and intelligence individuals murdered Khashoggi and chopped up his body to carry out of the country, there now appears a strong consensus that the order may have come straight from the top, most likely from crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) himself.
A Turkish court will release imprisoned US pastor Andrew Brunson, who was jailed for alleged terror links following 2016’s failed coup attempt. Brunson’s arrest has soured US-Turkish relations, with Trump pushing for his release.
This is good news; but how it will play out, regarding Turkey's relationship with the US, is still up in the air.
Turkey has accused Saudi Arabia of detaining and murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Riyadh has denied the accusations and claimed he left it safe and sound. Saudi Arabia has even provided access to the country’s consulate for investigators to prove its innocence.
Following the news about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the accusations against Riyadh of murdering him in its consulate in Istanbul, several media outlets and companies have announced their withdrawal from a major event to be held by the Saudis on October 23-25 — the Future Investment Initiative (FII).
President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, will not be attending the conference, according to anonymous sources within organization, cited by Reuters. The change of plans was reportedly made due to a scheduling conflict with the event's timing. The sources didn't mention if it was connected to the missing journalist.
Middle East Eye, for example, concludes based on WaPo's prior report, "Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler, ordered an operation targeting journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi... citing US intelligence intercepts."
The government in Turkey claims to have evidence that US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi Arabia embassy after the critic of the country went to get a visa for his upcoming wedding.
He was captured on CCTV footage entering the building in Istanbul October 2 and a source has told The Washington Post he was killed and then dismembered by members of security.
'The voice recording from inside the embassy lays out what happened to Jamal after he entered,' the insider told the newspaper that Khashoggi, 59, worked for.
President Donald Trump on Friday said he hoped U.S. Christian pastor Andrew Brunson would be home safe soon, shortly after a Turkish court ruled to release him after a two-year detention.
A Turkish court passed a 3-year and 1-1/2 month sentence on Brunson, who had been charged with terrorism offenses, but said he would not serve any further time because he had already been detained since October 2016.
Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance has prompted US senators to launch a probe into Saudi officials. Turkish authorities have accused the Saudis of killing the Washington Post writer at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.
Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera has distanced itself from a news item speculating that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered while visiting the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
A Washington Post columnist who went missing after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was spirited out of Turkey in a private jet and held captive in the kingdom where he may still be alive, a source close to its royal family has claimed to DailyMail.com.
Jamal Khashoggi, a long-standing critic of Saudi Arabia and for the last year a columnist for the Post, has been at the center of international concern that he has been murdered after walking into the consulate in Turkey’s largest city and vanishing.
Turkish police were allowed into the building on Tuesday, a week after Khashoggi vanished, and said that CCTV footage from inside has gone missing and Turkish staff were abruptly told to take a holiday on the day in question, The Guardian reports.
Did the Saudis Kidnap and Murder Journalist Jamal Khashoggi?
He opposed Saudi aggression in Yemen, its unacceptable policies toward Qatar, and harshness against critics.
Earlier this year, he said Saudi intellectuals and journalists risk imprisonment for criticizing ruling family policies.
The State Department was largely silent on Khashoggi’s disappearance, a statement saying it’s aware of reports and seeks more information.
Now you understand why I am worried, that one of President Trump's BFFs in the Middle East is Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salam, and the other is Israel's Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu.
They are, at the end of the day, birds of a feather.
It has been nearly a week since renowned Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and never walked back out. In the ensuing days, the Western media has become incensed by reports that the Saudis sent a 15-man "hit squad" to the consulate to carry out the "preplanned" torture and murder of Khashoggi. Afterwards, they reportedly dismembered his body and smuggled his remains out of the building, all while Khashoggi's Turkish fiance waited outside in her car. After sending a "security team" to the consulate to look for the missing dissident, Turkish investigators launched an investigation into Khashoogi's disappearance on Friday - an investigation for which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged his "personal involvement".
Turkey said Tuesday it will search the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul as part of an investigation into the disappearance a week ago of a Saudi contributor to the Washington Post.
The announcement came as a surveillance image surfaced of Jamal Khashoggi walking into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul just before he disappeared.
Khashoggi, 59, went missing while on a visit to the consulate for paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancée. He had been living since last year in the United States, in a self-imposed exile, in part due to the rise of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman.
Turkish officials have said they fear the columnist was killed on the premises of the consulate.
IF Turkey attacks PKK members inside Iraq, he is going to do it when the country, still reeling from the aftermaths of the US invasion and occupation, massive corruption in the Iraqi government, and a weakened Coalition which has thrust the Iranian cleric, Muktada Al Sad,r into the ascent in Iraqi politics.
He will also have to pick a time when American politicians are too occupied with their political campaigns for high office to really take note of what is happening internationally.
It is for these reasons I have shared above, that I think that such an attack might well happen some time before the mid-term election cycle here in the US (November 6th, 2018), as politicians will be too focused about what is going on with their respective campaigns to give a damn about the slaughter happening soon in Iraq.
As we suggested on Saturday, the suspected extrajudicial torture, murder and dismemberment of a Washington Post columnist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is already straining tensions between Riyadh and Ankara. To wit, on Saturday, Turkish prosecutors officially launched an investigation into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, according to Turkey's official Anadolou news agency, after a "Turkish security team" was allowed inside the consulate by Saudis (presumably under the assumption that they would produce a clean bill of health). Meanwhile, a handful of anonymous Turkish officials reportedly tipped off the Washington Post and Reuters about the murder.
Turkish government sources have said that a former trusted aide of the Saudi royal family, who was shunned by Riyadh after criticizing Saudi policies, was murdered inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. Jamal Khashoggi, 59, is an American-educated former adviser to Saudi royals. He worked for years as an advisor to Prince Turki al-Faisal, one of Saudi Arabia’s most recognizable public figures who represented the Kingdom as ambassador to the United States and the United Kingdom. But in 2015, when Mohammad bin Salman, favorite son of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, began to rise through the ranks of the royal family, Khashoggi became sharply critical of changes in the Kingdom’s style of governance. He moved to the United States, from where he began to criticize Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the civil war in Yemen, its support for the repression of political freedoms in Egypt, and other issues.
Note that none of this comes from identifiable resources which wanted to state anything for the record, and there is utterly no evidence to support the possibility that the story is either true, nor untrue.
But looking at Bin Salman's butchery in Yemen, it is entirely possible this assassination happened, unless and until Khashoggi either presents himself, or the body parts are found, and a decent forensic examination can be done.
There is enough Turkish/Saudi animosity on a number of levels, and has been for many years; but to spin up a story like this with which to tar the Saudi monarchy?!? One has to wonder.
The Spokesperson for the Turkish President, Ibrahim Kalin, said on Wednesday that the U.S. was purposely delaying the implementation of the Manbij roadmap.
“The delaying tactic started becoming a growing problem. Manbij roadmap should be implemented as soon as possible,” Kalin said.
Kalin continued that Turkey “can take steps at any time to ensure its national security against terror groups in Syria”.
Kalin’s comments come just a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted the U.S. over their failure to remove all the YPG elements from Manbij.
The US has started training Turkish troops ahead of joint patrols the countries will conduct around the Syrian city of Manbij, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Monday as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan railed against US support for groups he called Kurdish terrorists ? and who are America’s main anti-Daesh partners.
The city was liberated from Daesh militants in the summer of 2016 by the Kurdish-dominated and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Turkey considers inextricably linked to militant groups it has designated as terrorists, including the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey.
The US and Turkey have been independently patrolling the Turkey-Syria border by Manbij. Closing ranks in the effort is intended to prevent the outbreak of any violence between the various factions in the area.
A large number of civilians started leaving Afrin in Northwestern Aleppo for safer regions after the Turkish army and its allied militants intensified looting people's assets, local sources reported on Wednesday.
The sources said that local residents of Afrin have started leaving their regions towards Aleppo city and the regions that are under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as measures done by the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militants have deteriorated security in the region.
The Ankara forces have continued abduction of people, blackmail, plundering people's assets and damaging civilians' businesses.
Also in the past 24 hours, more Ankara-backed militants were killed in 3 separate attacks launched by the Kurdish militias in Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo on Wednesday.
The Kurds ambushed a group of Ankara-backed forces along a road to the village of Deir Sawan n Sheran in Afrin, killing 3 militants and seizing their arms and ammunition.
The Turkish Air Force launched a powerful assault across the northern region of Iraq on Wednesday, the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces reported this morning.
Ankara plans to stay committed to its long-term energy-supply deal with Tehran despite Washington’s threats to punish countries that do business with Iran, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“We need to be realistic... Am I supposed to let people freeze in winter?... Nobody should be offended. How can I heat my people’s homes if we stop purchasing Iran’s natural gas?” Erdogan said in an exclusive interview with Reuters.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he was hopeful Turkey would release this month an American pastor whose detention has rocked relations between the NATO partners.
"Yes, he could be released this month. He should have been released last month -- and he should be released today, in fact," the top US diplomat told reporters in New York where he is taking part in the UN General Assembly.
Pompeo reiterated that the United States considers Andrew Brunson, who has been detained for nearly two years on terror charges, to be "wrongfully" held.
"Pastor Brunson and the other US persons that are being held by Turkey all need to be released by Turkey and that needs to be done immediately," Pompeo said.
A spokesman for Turkish President Erdogan said during a Friday press conference that "operations" have been ordered against Turkey's political enemies, including those on US soil.
"Our relevant units and institutions will continue their operations in the countries the FETO operates in whether it be the U.S. or some other country," said spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, describing how Turkey's National Intelligence Organization, MIT, would target followers of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen worldwide.
"Rest assured that they will feel Turkey breathing down their neck," added Kalin.
Erdogan has been cracking down on Gulen's network, which is said to be in the millions, while Gulen himself lives in exile in Pennsylvania following the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt that resulted in over 250 deaths and the imprisonment of thousands of suspected dissidents.
Translation; it appears that Edrogan has given his marching orders to his intelligence people to carry out some "wet work" here in the US, meaning assassinations.
Turkish-backed militants have rejected laying down their arms or surrendering the territory under their control in Syria’s Idlib Province after Russia and Turkey said they had agreed to set up a buffer zone in the region.
In a statement released late Saturday, the so-called National Liberation Front (NLF), an alliance of militant factions supported by Ankara, said it would cooperate with Turkey in Idlib, but ruled out disarming.
"We will not abandon our weapons, our land or our revolution" against Syrian government forces, the group said.
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and announced an agreement on Idlib which is the last major terrorist-held bastion in Syria.
Thousands of people gathered in Kobani in northern Syria on Wednesday to demonstrate against the Turkish military operation in Kurdish-dominated Afrin.
Protesters marched through the streets carrying the flag of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.
An implementation of the demilitarized zone agreement in Idlib reached during face-to-face talks between Russian and Turkish presidents on September 17 has appeared to be not a simple task as it has been pointed out by many experts.
On September 18, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Islamic Turkistan Party, Jaish al-Izza and Hourras Addin refused to respect the agreement and to withdraw its forces and military equipment from the contact line.
On the same day, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated that work to establish a new security system in the Idlib de-escalation zone had started. He recalled that all heavy weapons have to be withdrawn from the demilitarized zone by October 10 and radical groups have to withdraw their forces by October 15.
After months of heightened tensions in the Syrian province of Idlib, the last stronghold of the Syrian opposition, Russia and Turkey seem to have reached a temporary solution.
Following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on September 17 in Sochi, the two countries agreed to create a demilitarised zone 15-20km into opposition-control territories along the de-facto front line by October 15.
All "radical fighters" are to withdraw from the area and all "heavy weapons, tanks, rocket launchers, guns and mortars" are to be removed. Russian military police and Turkish troops will be patrolling the zone to ensure that all armed groups abide by the agreement. Erdogan and Putin also agreed to open the M4 and M5 highways linking respectively Latakia and Damascus to Aleppo to traffic from regime-held areas by the end of the year.
Of course, this temporary truce is far from ideal and does not include a roadmap for normalisation of the situation in the province, but it is still better than all the other, more violent, options.
The breakthrough and landmark agreements between Russia and Turkey on Syria’s Idlib, announced by the Kremlin, can be hardly called final, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) to remain in northern Syria. Experts are convinced that after a demilitarized zone is created around Idlib, irreconcilable militants will be eliminated by the Turkish and Syrian forces with Russia’s support, the paper says. So, the Russian-Turkish agreements on Syria, which were reached in Sochi on Monday, may be considered as intermediate.
Repeated cross-border incursions by Turkish forces into northern Iraq, generally under the pretext of attacking Kurds, have sparked a reaction from Iraq’s Abadi government, which has issued multiple orders for more troops to be deployed into the border area to stop such incursions.
The goal of these orders appears to be to prevent ground incursions, though most Turkish raids into Iraqi Kurdistan involve warplanes.Prime Minister Abadi has ordered the foreign ministry to document such incidents and forward them to the UN.
This has been a recurring problem since the 2003 US invasion and occupation of Iraq. The Turkish government has felt itself totally justified to cross into northern Iraq to “fight terror,” and willing to label most any Kurdish group as a terrorist organization.
Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on the fight against terrorist groups in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If the situation in Idlib continues as is, the results will be heavy. We have to find a solution with Russia and the coalition forces without letting this happen. As you know, the US has a different position, however, we have previously held meetings with Germany and France. We are already in it together with Russia,” Erdogan said on Sunday, as quoted by Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have met in Sochi, where they discussed the situation in Syria's Idlib province, one of the remaining pockets of insurgency in the Arab republic.
Following the talks between Putin and Erdogan, Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoygu announced that Russia would not conduct a military operation in Idlib.
"In the next few hours we will coordinate with them [Damascus authorities] all the issues set forth in this document," Shoigu told reporters showing the memorandum on Idlib settlement signed by him and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar.
Once again, Putin proves he is a statesman!
Turkey's Latest Power Grab: A Naval Base In Cyprus?
The possibility of a Turkish naval base on Cyprus does not bode well for the chances of a Cyprus reunification deal, particularly after the breakdown of the July 2017 peace talks, which were suspended when "Turkey had refused to relinquish its intervention rights on Cyprus or the presence of troops on the island."
Turkey has 30,000 soldiers stationed on Cyprus, the northern part of which it has illegally occupied since 1974.
"If Greek-Turkish tensions escalate, the possibility of another ill-timed military provocation could escalate with them... Moreover, such a conflict might open up an even greater opportunity for Russian interference." - Lawrence A. Franklin.
Meet Turkey’s New Sovereign Wealth Fund Chairman, Who Has "Now Taken Public Companies Prisoners"
What does a man who already controls pretty much everything in his country — from politics to the judiciary to defense — give to himself? How about direct takeover of his country's sovereign wealth fund?
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed himself chairman of Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund after recent promises to exert greater influence over the economy. He's nixed the old guard management and hand-picked their replacements, in a move his political rival, presidential candidate who lost the June election, Muharrem Ince, has aptly described as taking "public companies prisoners".
And not to be one to break medieval sultanate tradition, he's further named his son-in-law and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak as deputy chairman.
Another large Turkish military convoy has entered the northwestern province of Idlib, today, as the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) offensive approaches.
According to Syrian opposition activists via social media, the Turkish military convoy entered the Idlib Governorate from the Hatay Province in order to reinforce their observation posts near the Syrian Army’s front-lines.
A new military convoy, escorted by terrorists, was dispatched by the Turkish army to Northern Hama as the Syrian army is preparing for massive operations in Idlib province. Media activists reported on Thursday that a military convoy of the Turkish army, escorted by newly-found National Liberation Front terrorist group, has been dispatched to the regions monitored by Turkey in Hama province. They added that the convoy which consisted of tanks, 5 personnel carriers and a vehicle carrying weapons and ammunition was sent to the East of the town of Mourak in Northern Hama along with 5 vehicles carrying the National Liberation Front terrorists. The Turkish army had also on Wednesday forwarded new military equipment, including military vehicles and vehicles consisting of artilleries, ammunition and armored personnel carriers, to Kalis and Hatai regions in Southern Turkey at the borders with Syria.
The Arabic-language website of Sputnik quoted informed Syrian sources as saying on Wednesday that Ankara has asked the Syrian army's command center, with Moscow's mediation, to provide the country with more time to separate those who it calls as "moderate dissidents" from Tahrir al-Sham (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) and the ISIL terrorists. Based on the report, the Turkish side has admitted dispatch of military equipment to several regions of Idlib province in the past few days, saying that if Tahrir al-Sham rejects leaving the regions occupied by the "moderate dissidents", it will use military power against them. Turkey has not mentioned where the terrorists could retreat to after leaving Idlib. The sources said that if Syria and Russia agree with Turkey's demand, it will be the last deadline given to Ankara to act upon its undertakings based on the Astana conference.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed himself chairman of Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund, the Official Gazette said on Wednesday. Erdogan also completely changed the fund’s board, naming Finance Minister Berat Albayrak as his deputy. The revamp was the latest in a series of steps Erdogan has taken to assume new powers since he won a presidential election in June, heralding the move to an executive presidency, Reuters said.
In response to US sanctions, Russia, Turkey and Iran are negotiating the reduction of the US dollar's share in mutual trade, Tehran Times daily quotes the country's central bank governor as saying.
Eliminating the greenback in mutual trade was most recently discussed by the three countries last weekend in Tehran during the trilateral summit of the Syrian ceasefire, said Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati as quoted by the media.
“We have decided to proceed with further work in light of the agreements reached at a meeting with the Russian Central Bank governor in Moscow,” Hemmati was quoted as saying. According to Hemmati, the topics discussed also included oil and gas prices, expansion of banking ties and strengthening of economic relations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and their delegations visited Tehran last week for a trilateral summit on Syria and also to discuss expansion of ties.
A militant from an unspecified group stationed in Idlib has issued a threat to Turkish President Recep Tayyip, warning that militants in northwestern Syria have dug a tunnel stretching into Turkey’s Hatay province.
He went on to explain that in the event of Erdogan “selling Idlib”, militants will use the tunnel to cross into Turkey, to potentially carry out attacks against civilians and security forces.
The trilateral summit in Tehran between the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia was one of the most unusual parades of international diplomacy yet. It was televised live. Let’s remember the scenes: All who watched it saw how Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blundered and how Russian President Vladimir Putin ridiculed him. Then it was a rare — if not unique — case of international diplomacy where a trilateral partnership considered detrimental to the interests of the West displayed signs of failure on a burning international issue.
Turkey is beefing up its positions in the Idlib Governorate while Damascus hopes to bring it back under its control, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. Al-Jazeera TV reports of a growing Turkish contingent in the enclave, where the moderate opposition’s forces loyal to Ankara are working hand in glove with radical groups. This gesture is likely to draw a "red line" for the Syrian regime and its allies. Experts warn that a new confrontation between Russia and Turkey may flare up to levels seen back in 2015. Last week’s summit in Tehran between Russia, Turkey and Iran failed to iron out all the differences within the Syrian troika, the paper writes. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists that Idlib hosts moderate opposition members and any operations there under the pretext of fighting Al-Nusra (terror group outlawed in Russia) are unacceptable. Meanwhile, Moscow is calling for separating militants from radicals.
A massive Turkish military convoy entered the Idlib Governorate from the Hatay Province, tonight, opposition activists reported.
The Turkish military convoy reportedly entered Syria through the Kafr Losen Crossing; it was heading towards the rebel front-lines in the Idlib and Hama governorates.
Damascus’ plan to launch a military operation in Idlib province, the last major terrorist bastion in Syria, pose great risks, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
“The regime has decided to attack Idlib… We agree with the exit of the terrorists, but the operation would aim to occupy Idlib province and this entails great risks,” Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas.
Turkey’s foreign minister said he hopes to examine the situation at the tripartite summit of Russia, Turkey and Iran scheduled for September 7 in Tehran.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony of non-commissioned officers in northwestern Balikesir province, Erdogan said Turkey needed to acquire the Russian S-400 anti-missile system and “will get them soon”.
Erdogan said Turkey is pursuing its own interests and struggling to reach its own goals “in the face of the efforts of those who try to shape both our country and our region according to their own agenda”.
“We do not regret our decisions,” he added.
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