ANKARA: Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was attacked by an angry mob at a military funeral on Sunday.
Kilicdaroglu was reportedly kicked and punched by a number of assailants at the ceremony for one of four soldiers killed in clashes with the Kurdish separatist terror group Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) along the Turkey-Iraq border on Friday.
Turkish nationalists and pro-government supporters have accused the CHP of working with the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) during Turkey’s local elections on March 31, when Kurdish votes for opposition candidates were instrumental in the government losing major cities including Ankara and Istanbul — although it is contesting the latter result.
Even after Kilicdaroglu was taken to a safe house, the attack continued as the mob gathered outside, throwing stones and chanting, “Burn down the house.”
The opposition leader was taken away in an armored vehicle just one hour after arriving. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar traveled to the area to try and calm the crowd.
The Ankara governor’s office announced that legal action is being taken against the perpetrators of the attack and that additional security forces have been provided to protect Kilicdaroglu. But the governor’s definition of the attack as “a protest,” rather than an attempted lynching, drew criticism.
Burhanettin Bulut, a lawmaker and member of the CHP, said the attack was the result of long-running provocation from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its nationalistic ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), as well as media outlets close to them.
“Unfortunately, the danger of further escalation of such hate speech and violence still prevails in the country, especially in rural areas,” he told Arab News.
Kilicdaroglu escaped an assassination attempt by PKK militants three years ago in northwestern Anatolia. In 2014, he was punched by a member of the public
in Parliament.
Several commentators have suggested that the ongoing climate of polarization in Turkey, where demonizing opponents of the government as “terrorists” has become the norm, ranks among the main reasons behind Sunday’s attack, after which the CHP called an extraordinary meeting of its members.
On the same day, the pro-government Turkish daily Gunes blamed Istanbul’s new mayor Ekrem Imamoglu for the deaths of the four soldiers, running the headline, “Are You Happy, Ekrem?”
Sunday’s attack coincided with a rally held by the new mayor of Istanbul, Imamoglu, to thank the city’s inhabitants. Hundreds of thousand of people reportedly attended.
In June last year, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced the imposition of a ban on CHP officials attending soldiers’ funerals, suggesting that they should instead put in an appearance at the funerals of PKK militants killed by Turkish forces.
Turkey’s opposition leader attacked at soldier’s funeral
Turkey’s opposition leader attacked at soldier’s funeral
- Kilicdaroglu escaped an assassination attempt by PKK militants three years ago in northwestern Anatolia
Released Palestinian Zakaria Zubeidi blames West for Israel’s occupation
- Zubeidi given hero’s welcome in Ramallah after being freed as part of Gaza ceasefire
- Former militant commander says US, UK, France have denied Palestinians their freedom
LONDON: One of the most prominent Palestinian figures freed this week by Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire has blamed Western countries for the Israeli occupation.
Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant commander in the West Bank, received a hero’s welcome when he arrived in Ramallah late on Thursday after his release by Israel.
The 49-year-old, who grew up in a refugee camp in Jenin, was jailed in 2019 after an Israeli military court convicted him of involvement in terrorism.
In an interview with Sky News, Zubeidi said he still believed in “a resistance that will lead us to freedom,” but claimed that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank had been allowed to continue by the international community.
He added: “Freedom has no price. But the world that has denied me my freedom — particularly Britain, France, and the United States — must return what they have taken from me and my children.
“They are the ones who need to reconsider their mistakes, not me.
“They are the ones who have wronged us, and they should think about rectifying the harm they have caused to me and my children.”
Such is Zubeidi’s popularity that he was greeted by the former Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.
“Palestinians are desperate for peace,” Shtayyeh said. “We want a genuine peace process that does really bring peace and justice for everybody.”
A long line of people at a school in Ramallah also waited to shake Zubeidi’s hand and hug him.
Zubeidi has been banned from returning to Jenin, where Israeli forces have launched military operations after switching their focus from Gaza to the West Bank.
Zubeidi has admitted a role in a bombing attack in 2002 during the Second Intifada that killed six Israeli civilians.
During that period he was the head of the Jenin Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of the Fatah political party.
Zubeidi’s father was arrested by Israel for being a Fatah member when Zubeidi was a child. Later, as a teenager, he was shot in the leg while throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.
Zubeidi’s mother and brother were killed in 2002 during Israeli military operations in Jenin.
His mother had hosted a theater group in Jenin to promote understanding between Palestinians and Israelis, which Zubeidi attended.
He was among six prisoners who escaped in 2021 by digging a tunnel with dining plates, before being captured five days later.
UNRWA’s work continues despite ban
- Britain, France, Germany on Friday reiterate their concern over Israel implementing the new law
GENEVA: The UN Palestinian relief agency said its humanitarian work across the occupied territories and Gaza was still ongoing on Friday despite an Israeli ban that took effect a day before and what it described as hostility toward its staff.
An Israeli law adopted in October bans operations by UNRWA, or UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, on Israeli land — including annexed East Jerusalem — and contact with Israeli authorities from Jan. 30.
Britain, France, and Germany on Friday reiterated their concern over Israel implementing the new law, which humanitarian agencies say will have a considerable impact on devastated Gaza as staff and supplies transit to the Palestinian enclave via Israel.
“We continue to provide services,” Juliette Touma, director of communications of UNRWA, told a press briefing in Geneva.
“In Gaza, UNRWA continues to be the backbone of the international humanitarian response. We continue to have international personnel in Gaza and bring in trucks of basic supplies.”
She said any disruptions to its work in Gaza would put a ceasefire deal that halted the war between Israel and Hamas at risk.
“If UNRWA is not allowed to continue to bring and distribute supplies, then the fate of this very fragile ceasefire is going to be at risk and is going to be in jeopardy,” she said.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in occupied East Jerusalem — whose annexation by Israel is not recognized internationally — also receive education, healthcare, and other services from UNRWA.
Touma said that its Palestinian staff in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing difficulties, citing examples of stone-throwing and hold-ups at checkpoints without attributing blame.
“They face an exceptionally hostile environment as a fierce disinformation campaign against UNRWA continues,” she said.
“It has been a really rough ride; it has not been easy. Our staff have not been protected.”
International staff have already left after their visas expired, she added.
Israel has long been critical of UNRWA and alleges its staff were involved in the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.
The UN has said nine UNRWA staff may have been involved and were fired.
The ceasefire deal has allowed for a surge in humanitarian aid and enabled the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Before the agreement, experts warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza.
Supplies have since risen and the World Food Programme said that more than 32,000 tonnes of food had entered Gaza since the Jan. 19 deal took effect.
At the same briefing, the World Health Organization’s Dr. Rik Peeperkorn said about 12,000-14,000 patients were waiting to be evacuated from Gaza across the Rafah crossing.
Fifty are set to be moved on Saturday amid warnings that some children could die.
He added that these would be the first medical evacuations via Rafah since it was shut in May last year.
“They (evacuations) must urgently resume, and a medical corridor must open up,” he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was committed to facilitating humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, saying assistance should go through other international agencies and NGOs.
“Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and those who wish to support the humanitarian aid effort in the Gaza Strip should invest their resources in organizations that are alternative to UNRWA,” he said in a statement.
“We will abide by the law, and we will continue to facilitate humanitarian aid.”
Syria writers urge new leaders to respect public freedoms
- Syria’s new rulers have called on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to hand over their weapons, rejecting demands for any self-rule
DAMASCUS: Dozens of Syrian writers, artists, and academics signed a petition posted online on Friday calling for the respect of public freedoms after the overthrow of Bashar Assad in December.
The publication of the petition came two days after the leader of the militant offensive that toppled Assad, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, was named interim president.
“We call for the restoration of fundamental public freedoms, foremost among them the freedoms of assembly, protest, expression and belief,” the petition said.
“The state must neither impose nor interfere in people’s customs regarding food, drink, clothing, or other aspects of daily life,” it added, alluding to fears that the new authorities might impose religious law.
Al-Sharaa promised on Thursday to hold a “national dialogue conference” to help shape a “constitutional declaration” that will serve as a “legal reference” during the country’s transition.
BACKGROUND
Ahmad Al-Sharaa promised on Thursday to hold a ‘ national dialogue conference’ to help shape a ‘constitutional declaration’ that will serve as a ‘legal reference’ during the country’s transition.
The signatories called for “the election of a constituent assembly under a fair electoral law and adopting a new constitution that guarantees freedom and dignity for all citizens, men and women alike.”
Among the signatories were award-winning filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab and Mustafa Khalifa, author of “The Shell,” an autobiographical account of an activist imprisoned for years.
Since Assad’s overthrow, deadly fighting has continued in northern Syria between militants and forces loyal to a Kurdish-led administration in the northeast.
The petition called for a “just resolution to the Kurdish question” that “must uphold the legitimate cultural, linguistic, and political rights of our Kurdish citizens within a mutually agreed framework of administrative decentralization.”
Syria’s new rulers have called on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to hand over their weapons, rejecting demands for any self-rule.
During more than half a century of rule by the Assad family, public displays of dissent were savagely repressed.
After Bashar Assad succeeded his father, Hafez, in June 2000, there was a period of greater openness, but it was short-lived.
Al-Sharaa, in his speech on Thursday, said he would form a small legislative body to fill the parliamentary void until new elections were held after the Syrian parliament was dissolved on Wednesday.
He said he would also, in the coming days, announce the formation of a committee that would prepare to hold a national dialogue conference that would be a platform for Syrians to discuss the future political program of the nation.
That would be followed by a “constitutional declaration,” he said, in an apparent reference to drafting a new Syrian constitution.
Al-Sharaa has previously said that drafting a new constitution and holding elections may take up to four years.
Morocco foils terror plot on security sites
- We seek to take into account the positive indicators observed in the Red Sea region when planning maritime schedules in the coming period
CAIRO: Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie has told shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk there are signs of stability returning to the Red Sea, and urged the company to take that into account when planning sea routes, according to a statement from the SCA.
The statement said Rabie made the comments at a meeting with the CEO of the Danish container shipping group and other senior executives but did not say when the meeting took place.
“We seek to take into account the positive indicators observed in the Red Sea region when planning maritime schedules in the coming period,” Rabie was quoted as saying.
Several major global shipping companies have suspended Red Sea voyages and rerouted vessels around southern Africa to avoid potential attacks from Houthis.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said in December the disruption had cost Egypt around $7 billion in revenues from the Suez Canal in 2024.
Last week, Maersk said it would continue to divert vessels away from the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and toward the southern tip of Africa despite the Houthis announcing they would curb their attacks on ships.
Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023 and sunk two vessels, seized another, and killed at least four seafarers.
Meanwhile, the volume of goods moving through Spanish ports rose by 6 percent in 2024 after they became the first point of call in Europe for many companies sending their goods around southern Africa.
The state port agency said Las Palmas in the Canary Islands and Barcelona saw 13 percent and 9 percent increases in volumes of merchandise, bulk liquids, and dry bulk last year.
“The situation has caused some specific peak moments of extra activity, to which Spanish ports have adapted,” the agency said, adding it expected higher port traffic to continue as instability in the Red Sea persists.
“Carriers will want to be assured there is an outlook for long-term safe passage before returning to the Red Sea to avoid further massive disruption if the situation deteriorates and they are forced to divert around Cape of Good Hope once again,” said Emily Stausboll, a senior shipping analyst at freight platform Xeneta.
The traffic of goods moved in containers through Spain’s ports rose by 11 percent last year, while Spanish ports also recorded an increase in vessels bunkering to prepare for longer routes, the agency said.
In 2023, the ports saw a 4.5 percent decline in container traffic.
According to two executives in the local fashion industry, some Spanish retailers shipped more goods by air to meet demand because of the additional two weeks required to ship goods to Europe via southern Africa.
Stability ‘returning to Red Sea’
- We seek to take into account the positive indicators observed in the Red Sea region when planning maritime schedules in the coming period
CAIRO: Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie has told shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk there are signs of stability returning to the Red Sea, and urged the company to take that into account when planning sea routes, according to a statement from the SCA.
The statement said Rabie made the comments at a meeting with the CEO of the Danish container shipping group and other senior executives but did not say when the meeting took place.
“We seek to take into account the positive indicators observed in the Red Sea region when planning maritime schedules in the coming period,” Rabie was quoted as saying.
Several major global shipping companies have suspended Red Sea voyages and rerouted vessels around southern Africa to avoid potential attacks from Houthis.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said in December the disruption had cost Egypt around $7 billion in revenues from the Suez Canal in 2024.
Last week, Maersk said it would continue to divert vessels away from the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and toward the southern tip of Africa despite the Houthis announcing they would curb their attacks on ships.
Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023 and sunk two vessels, seized another, and killed at least four seafarers.
Meanwhile, the volume of goods moving through Spanish ports rose by 6 percent in 2024 after they became the first point of call in Europe for many companies sending their goods around southern Africa.
The state port agency said Las Palmas in the Canary Islands and Barcelona saw 13 percent and 9 percent increases in volumes of merchandise, bulk liquids, and dry bulk last year.
“The situation has caused some specific peak moments of extra activity, to which Spanish ports have adapted,” the agency said, adding it expected higher port traffic to continue as instability in the Red Sea persists.
“Carriers will want to be assured there is an outlook for long-term safe passage before returning to the Red Sea to avoid further massive disruption if the situation deteriorates and they are forced to divert around Cape of Good Hope once again,” said Emily Stausboll, a senior shipping analyst at freight platform Xeneta.
The traffic of goods moved in containers through Spain’s ports rose by 11 percent last year, while Spanish ports also recorded an increase in vessels bunkering to prepare for longer routes, the agency said.
In 2023, the ports saw a 4.5 percent decline in container traffic.
According to two executives in the local fashion industry, some Spanish retailers shipped more goods by air to meet demand because of the additional two weeks required to ship goods to Europe via southern Africa.
