Middle East coronavirus cases continue to rise

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A Baghdad resident stands inside a coffee shop with a sign in Arabic which reads ‘Coffee shop is closed, due to corona following a decision by the health ministry’ on March 16, 2020. (AFP)
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Updated 19 March 2020
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Middle East coronavirus cases continue to rise

  • Rest of the world also reporting bleak scenarios
  • The death toll in Iran has reached 1,135 on Wednesday

DUBAI: Middle East countries are reporting a higher number of coronavirus cases, with Iran recording its single biggest jump in deaths during the past 24 hours, as the rest world experiencing similar bleak scenarios. Countries are implementing tighter rules on international and domestic travel to strengthen efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Jordan has limited movement even between governorates in order to contain the disease, as UN reported that some refugees have been infected with coronavirus.

Wednesday, March 18 (All times in GMT)

21:15 - Applause rang out from windows across France Wednesday night as housebound residents cheered in solidarity with healthcare workers on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak gripping the country.

France has imposed sweeping lockdown measures, confining millions to their homes for much of the day. Residents are only permitted to leave with good reason -- and that includes legions of nurses, doctors and other medical professionals caring for the thousands of people infected with coronavirus across the country.

20:59 - The United Arab Emirates suspended issuing all types of work permits starting Thursday until further notice as a precautionary measure against coronavirus spread, state news agency (WAM) reported late on Wednesday.
The decision excludes internal transportation permits and employment permits for Expo 2020, WAM added.

20:55 - The Saudi Center of Disease Prevention and Control shared on Wednesday the tools they use to pinpoint the origin of coronavirus cases and the epidemiological link between the cases. Read more here.

20:25 - Death toll in Turkey from coronavirus rises to two, number of confirmed cases rises to 191 from 98 a day earlier, the country's health minister said.

"The test results today show that measures are very necessary. There are 93 new diagnosed case for which treatment has begun," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter. The number of cases had similarly doubled the previous day.

20:05 - Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan said that his government is taking precautionary financial measures to address the effects of the global coronavirus epidemic on Wednesday. 

19:35 - The United States is suspending all routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services as of Wednesday in most countries worldwide due to coronavirus outbreak, a spokeswoman for the State Department said.

The spokeswoman did not mention which or how many countries are halting services. She said US missions abroad will continue to provide emergency visa services "as resources allow," and that the services to US citizens will remain available.

Missions will resume routine visa services as soon as possible, the spokeswoman said, without giving a date.

19:30 - Egypt’s health ministry says 14 new cases of coronavirus have been reported, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 210.

19:25 - Sudan's government said it will open airports in the country for two days so that its citizens who are stranded abroad can return.

19:15 - Oman reported six new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. 

19:00 - Pakistan on Wednesday confirmed its first two deaths from coronavirus as the total number of infected patients in the country climbed to 260, the health minister said on Twitter.

Both deaths were reported from northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where so far 19 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.

"Sadly, a second patient in Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar, a 36 year old from Hangu district has also passed away from coronavirus," Taimur Khan Jhangra, provincial minister for health of north west province said in a tweet.




A health worker sprays disinfectant to a bus following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Islamabad, Pakistan March 18, 2020. (Reuters)

18:55 - The coronavirus epidemic has caused 89 new deaths across France over the last 24 hours bringing the total death toll in the country to 264, the top French health official said on Wednesday.
"We have an epidemic that is rapidly becoming more serious," Jerome Salomon told reporters, adding that France now had 9,134 confirmed cases, 3,626 of whom were in hospital.




A man wearing a facemask for protective measures does his grocery shopping at the Barbes Market, on March 18, 2020, in Paris, as a strict lockdown came into in effect in France to stop the spread of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus. (AFP)

18:45 - The city of Venice is enjoying crystal clear waters in its world-famous canals due to a lack of debris from tourists and near-zero boat traffic under Italy's ongoing coronavirus lockdown.

The clear waters are a tiny bright spot in the beleaguered but beautiful city, whose economy has been virtually wiped out since tourists fled the area beginning last month, spooked by the spread of coronavirus in the country's north.

Since March 9, the city like the rest of Italy has been a so-called "red zone," with hotels, restaurants, cafés and most businesses shuttered, and residents ordered to stay inside and avoid travel.

18:10 - Pakistan on Wednesday confirmed its first death from coronavirus as the total number of infected patients in the country climbed to 260, the health minister said on Twitter.
The death was reported in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where so far 19 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.




A worker cleans benches in front of closed food street stalls after a ban for public imposed by the national authorities amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, in Karachi on March 18, 2020. (AFP)

17:55 - Israel barred entry to all foreign nationals unless they have residency in the Jewish state, in the latest measure to contain coronavirus.
“It has been decided that from today, foreign nationals who are not citizens of Israel and who do not hold Israeli citizenship or residency will not be allowed entry into Israel,” a foreign ministry statement said.

17:40 - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that school closures across the country were necessary from Friday for most pupils, to slow the spread of coronavirus.

"We must apply downward pressure, further downward pressure on the upward curve by closing the schools," Johnson said at a news conference on Wednesday.

"After schools shut their gates from Friday afternoon, they will remain closed for most pupils, for the vast majority of pupils, until further notice.

17:30 - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health announced 67 new cases of the virus in the Kingdom on Wednesday.

17:10 Italy death toll from coronavirus outbreak surges by 475 to 2,978.

17:00 - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said the new coronavirus was an "enemy against humanity", as the number of people infected in the pandemic soared past 200,000.
"This coronavirus is presenting us with an unprecedented threat," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in a virtual news conference, stressing that it was "an unprecedented opportunity to come together as one against a common enemy: an enemy against humanity."

16:20 - UK says 32 more people have died after testing positive for coronavirus - taking the total number of UK deaths to 104

16:20 - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is invoking the Defense Production Act for use against the coronavirus pandemic, putting in place a law that will allow the US government to accelerate production of needed equipment.
Trump also said a hospital ship will be sent to hard-hit New York to help people affected by the contagion, and that a second hospital ship will be deployed to the West Coast.

15:45 - The UAE said on Wednesday that all people entering the country will have to remain at home in self-isolation for 14 days and that legal action would be taken against people who do not comply with the order, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).

15:40 - A city in Germany's Bavaria region has become the first city in the country to impose a curfew due to the virus, according to German media reports on Wednesday said.

15:20 - Turkey will close its rail and land border with Greece and Bulgaria from midnight over the new coronavirus fear, after Ankara opened the gates for refugees heading to Europe.

"The land and rail border gates will be closed to exits and entries from 2100 GMT today (Wednesday)" as ordered by a circular issued by the interior ministry, the private Dogan news agency reported

15:00 - A British professor who was in Downing Street this week after convincing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to stiffen his response to the coronavirus outbreak has self-isolated after developing a persistent dry cough and a fever.

Neil Ferguson, a professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London, produced a projection of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak for the British government and was in Downing Street on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether Ferguson had met Johnson face to face although the professor attended Johnson’s news conference.

14:55 - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday said his government would provide C$27 billion ($18.6 billion) in stimulus directly to Canadian families and businesses struggling because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Trudeau also told reporters the government would provide C$55 billion in additional aid to businesses and households through tax deferrals. 

14:45 - Israel closed off Palestinian-administered areas of the occupied West Bank on Wednesday to limit the spread of the coronavirus, officials from both sides said.

"From today, a closure has taken place in the West Bank," said Yotam Shefer, who heads the international department of COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories.

He told journalists the decision had been taken in conjunction with the Palestinian government, based in Ramallah.




Palestinian police stand guard outside the Church of the Nativitiy in Bethlehem, in Israeli-occupied West Bank, amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Reuters)

14:09 The UN’s International Labor Organization estimates that fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak could cause nearly 25 million job losses and drain up to $3.4 trillion worth of income by the end of this year.
ILO laid out a number of scenarios on the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, estimating an increase in worldwide unemployment of between 5.3 million and 24.7 million people. That’s on top of the estimated 188 million that the agency had predicted late last year in its annual forecast.
The agency noted the global financial crisis boosted global unemployment by 22 million people.

13:55 - President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the closure of the US-Canada border, though underlining that trade will not be impacted.

The shutdown builds on Trump's barring of visitors from most of Europe, China and other parts of the world hit by coronavirus.

"We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!" Trump tweeted.

13:50 - Germany has suspended its refugee intake programmes including a deal with Turkey, an interior ministry spokesman said Wednesday, as the European Union shut its borders to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The interior ministry has halted the programmes on refugee resettlement "due to the restrictions on travel", said the spokesman, adding that they will resume "when possible".

13:45 - AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimović has set up a fundraiser to help Italian hospitals in the center of the coronavirus outbreak. According to the website accepting donations, Ibrahimović has donated 100,000 euros ($109,000) to the fund. It quickly raised a further 10,300 euros ($11,300).

The site states that all the money raised will be “directly donated to Humanitas to help strengthen the intensive care and emergency units of Milano, Bergamo, Castellanza and Torino's hospitals.” Italy has been the second hardest hit country with more than 31,000 cases of the virus.

The 38-year-old Ibrahimović rejoined Milan in January from the Los Anegles Galaxy. He has also played for Italian clubs Inter Milan and Juventus.

13:15 - The UAE banned its citizens from traveling abroad over coronavirus fears on Wednesday, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.  

13:05 – The parallel administration controlling eastern Libya will impose a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., excluding security and emergency personnel, to stop any spread of the coronavirus, its interior ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Libya has not yet confirmed any cases of the virus, but both its internationally recognized government in Tripoli and the rival parallel administration in Benghazi have imposed tight restrictions on travel over the crisis.

11:50 – The European Union has accused the Russian media of spreading misinformation about coronavirus.

10:30 – The coronavirus death toll in Iran has reached 1,135, with 147 fatalities in the past 24 hours. Iran’s number of infected people from coronavirus also climbed to 17,361, state TV reported.

09:50 – Oman’s central bank is preparing to provide some 8 billion Omani rials ($20.8 billion) in extra liquidity to banks as one of several measures aimed at supporting the economy, state TV reported, as coronavirus fears escalate in the Gulf region.

09:30 – A total of 276 Indians have tested positive for coronavirus overseas to date, an Indian government minister said. The vast majority, 255, tested positive in Iran, with others in the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Rwanda and Hong Kong, V. Muraleedharan, minister of state for external affairs, said in a written reply to a question in India’s parliament.

09:20 – Indonesia announced on Wednesday 55 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 227 in the Southeast Asian nation and marking the biggest daily rise in positive cases. Achmad Yurianto, a health ministry official, also told a news conference that the number of deaths from the disease rose to 19, with deaths recorded in seven different provinces, while 11 patients had recovered.




A worker wearing protective suit sprays disinfectant on some restaurant tables in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 14, 2020. (Reuters)

09:00 – Malta will stop all incoming passenger flights on Saturday and only allow cargo, humanitarian and repatriation flights to land to stop the spread of coronavirus, officials said. The Mediterranean island, which depends heavily on tourism, has reported 38 cases so far, of which 32 were people who had caught the disease abroad.

08:45 – The Philippines has reported 15 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the country’s total number to 202.

08:15 – Panic buying by British shoppers escalated on Wednesday with shelves stripped bare by alarmed customers hoarding for the coronavirus isolation, prompting Tesco and Sainsbury’s to restrict purchases.

07:45 – The Philippines lifted a deadline for thousands of foreign travelers to leave the northern third of the country, including the capital, after quarantining the region due to an increase in coronavirus infections

07:20 – Taiwanese authorities say all foreigners will be barred from entering Taiwan from Thursday to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Diplomats, alien resident card holders and those with special entry permits will be allowed in, but must undergo 14 days of quarantine.

06:35 – Oman College of Health Sciences will cancel online studies during the suspension period, a senior administrator said. “Based on the directives of the higher management at the Oman College of Health Sciences, it is decided to cancel remote study through electronic teaching aids during the suspension period, as the school year will be rescheduled and the remainder of the second semester will be moved beyond the study suspension period,” the college administration said in a statement.

06:00 – Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED) has suspended the issuance of all permits for business events, covering conferences, exhibitions and meetings, across the emirate until March 31 as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus.

05:40 – The UAE and Bahrain have topped the number of people tested for the coronavirus with a combined total of 19,165 per one million individuals, UAE state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.

03:35 – Vietnam reported new case of coronavirus, which is linked to Malaysia’s mosque event, taking country’s tally to 67.

03:30 – Kyrgyzstan has confirmed its first three coronavirus cases, healthcare minister Kosmosbek Cholponbayev said on Wednesday. Three Kyrgyz nationals tested positive after arriving from Saudi Arabia, he told a briefing.

Tuesday, March 17 (All times in GMT)

22:15 – France could stop British travelers from entering the country if Britain fails to lockdown to battle the coronavirus, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said.

22:00The UAE’s two major bourses are implementing a tighter limit down cap of listed securities starting Wednesday as a precaution against market volatility because of the coronavirus outbreak.

21:30 – Morocco’s Ministry of Health said there are 6 new infections with COVID-19, bringing the total number to 44.

19:35 – UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention recorded 15 new cases, bringing the total to 113.

17:30 – Egypt’s Ministry of Health recorded 30 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths, which brings tolls to 196 patients and 6 deaths. So far, 26 people have recovered.


Jordan treats dozens of injured Palestinians from Gaza, sends more aid to territory

Updated 8 sec ago
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Jordan treats dozens of injured Palestinians from Gaza, sends more aid to territory

  • Jordanian Medical Corridor initiative aims to assist Palestinians in Gaza and is carried out in cooperation with the Jordanian armed forces, Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization
  • Since the initiative began in March, 112 injured and sick children, accompanied by 241 carers, have entered Jordan to receive treatment in private hospitals

LONDON: Jordanian associations dispatched 50 aid trucks to the Gaza Strip on Thursday and transferred dozens of Palestinian children to receive medical treatment in Jordan this week.

Dr. Fawzi Al-Hammouri, chairman of the Private Hospitals Association, confirmed that 35 sick and injured children from Gaza, accompanied by 72 carers, were admitted to several private hospitals in Jordan.

The initiative, part of the Jordanian Medical Corridor, aims to assist Palestinians in Gaza and is carried out in cooperation with the Jordanian armed forces, the Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization.

Since the initiative began in March, 112 injured and sick children, accompanied by 241 guardians, have entered Jordan to receive treatment in private hospitals, according to Dr. Al-Hammouri.

On Thursday, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization sent another humanitarian convoy of 50 trucks loaded with essential food supplies to the northern part of the Gaza coastal enclave. Northern Gaza is experiencing severe shortages of food and essential supplies due to disruptions in aid delivery and Israeli attacks.

Since late 2023, Jordan has delivered more than 7,815 aid trucks and 53 cargo planes through the Egyptian port of Arish, along with 102 helicopter sorties to deliver aid, to support Palestinians in Gaza.

Jordan was among the first countries to conduct airlift missions in the early days of the war, delivering relief to Gaza. More than 58,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, which have been described as genocide by human rights groups and several heads of state.


Qatar to strengthen tourism partnership with Jordan, delegation visits Amman Citadel

Updated 11 min 18 sec ago
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Qatar to strengthen tourism partnership with Jordan, delegation visits Amman Citadel

  • Talks underway for launch of joint promotional campaigns and sharing of expertise in sustainable tourism marketing
  • Central Bank of Jordan reports 11.9% increase in tourism revenues during first half of 2025 to $3.67bn, despite drop in visitors to Petra in June due to regional conflicts

LONDON: Saad Al-Kharji, the chairperson of Qatar Tourism, visited the historical site of Amman Citadel, accompanied by the Jordanian minister of tourism and antiquities, Lina Annab, as officials from the two countries met to discuss enhanced cooperation in the tourism sector.

The Qatari delegation toured several key landmarks on Wednesday and learned about Jordan’s rich cultural history as part of a visit described as an essential step as officials work to develop joint promotional campaigns and share expertise in the marketing of sustainable tourism, the Jordan News Agency reported.

The Jordanian ministry said the diverse tourism options in Jordan and Qatar provide the foundations for fostering a partnership that can enrich visitor experiences and attract foreign travelers.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Jordan reported an 11.9 percent increase in tourism revenues to $3.67 billion during the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year.

This was despite a previously reported decline of more than 75 percent in the number of foreign visitors to Petra, the country’s main tourist attraction, in June compared with the same month in recent years due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the conflict between Iran and Israel.


British surgeon in Gaza describes wounded Palestinians dying due to malnutrition 

Updated 12 min 28 sec ago
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British surgeon in Gaza describes wounded Palestinians dying due to malnutrition 

  • Professor Nick Maynard moved to tears by malnourished state of Palestinian babies at Nasser Hospital
  • Even Palestinian hospital colleagues look shadow of former selves due to Israel’s aid blockade

LONDON: Palestinians being treated in one of Gaza’s few remaining hospitals are dying from their wounds because they are so malnourished, a British doctor working in the territory said.

Professor Nick Maynard, a consultant gastrointestinal surgeon, who is on his third stint volunteering in the territory since the war started, said he is seeing unprecedented levels of severe malnutrition.

“The malnutrition I’m seeing here is indescribably bad. It’s much, much worse now than a year ago,” Maynard, who is based at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, said.

UNICEF chief Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that acute malnutrition among children in Gaza had almost tripled after Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on food aid to the territory in March.

 

 

Maynard said malnutrition levels were directly contributing to preventable deaths among patients receiving surgery. He said those injured in Israel’s military attacks were dying because being malnourished prevents proper healing.

“The repairs that we carry out fall to pieces; patients get terrible infections and they die,” Maynard, who is volunteering with Medical Aid for Palestinians, said. “I have had so many patients die because they can’t get enough food to recover, it’s distressing to see that and know that it is preventable and treatable.”

Maynard said babies in Nasser’s neonatal unit have been particularly affected, with four recent infant deaths blamed on malnutrition.

The surgeon said he had been reduced to tears by the state of the children he has seen. 

“I saw a seven-month-old who looked like a newborn,” Maynard said. “The expression ‘skin and bones’ doesn’t do it justice. We have almost no liquid or intravenous feeds — children are being given essentially 10 percent sugar water, which is not proper nutritional support.”

Maynard said he had even seen the effects of malnutrition in his Palestinian colleagues, who were barely recognizable from when he had worked with them a year ago. He said many had lost 20-30kg due to the food shortages.

Israel’s blockade of Gaza lead to widespread warnings that the territory could descend into a state of famine.

Surgeon Nick Maynard is on his third visit to Gaza since the war started. He said the levels of severe malnutrition are unprecedented. (MAP)

In her briefing to the security council, UNICEF’s Russell said that of the more than 113,000 children screened for malnutrition in June, almost 6,000 were found to be acutely malnourished — an 180 percent increase in acute malnutrition cases compared to February.

“Children in Gaza are enduring catastrophic living conditions, including severe food insecurity and malnutrition,” she said. 

Maynard, who is usually based at Oxford University Hospital, has been traveling to volunteer in Gaza with MAP for more than 10 years.

While on his current posting, he has witnessed the daily arrival of Palestinians who have been shot while trying to access food aid through distribution hubs set up by the new Israeli- and US-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

“We have hundreds of trauma casualties coming in every day, it’s relentless,” he said. “This is not only from Israeli military airstrikes and attacks, but we are also treating multiple gunshot wounds every day.

“These are mainly from the militarized distribution points, where starving civilians are going to try and get food but then report getting targeted by Israeli soldiers or quadcopters.”

The surgeon said he had mostly been operating on boys aged 12 or 13 who had been sent to the aid hubs to get food for their families.

“A 12-year-old boy I was operating on died from his injuries on the operating table — he had been shot through the chest.”

Maynard called on the international community to force Israel to allow the full flow of food and aid into Gaza, and to end the “collective punishment” of the territory’s population.

“The enforced malnutrition and attacks on civilians we are witnessing will kill many more thousands of people if not stopped,” he said.


Palestinian man dies in Israeli jail a week after his arrest

Updated 17 July 2025
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Palestinian man dies in Israeli jail a week after his arrest

  • Samir Mohammad Yousef Al-Rifai, 53, is the 74th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israeli custody since October 2023
  • Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy groups say his death constitutes a new crime of Israeli brutality against prisoners and ongoing genocide

LONDON: A 53-year-old Palestinian prisoner died in an Israeli jail after nearly a week following his arrest in Rummana, near Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Detainees’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society announced on Thursday the death of Samir Mohammad Yousef Al-Rifai. He is the 74th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israeli custody since October 2023 and the 311th since Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories began in 1967.

Al-Rifai, a father of five, was arrested by Israeli occupation forces at his home in Rummana on July 10. According to the Wafa news agency, he had pre-existing heart problems and required intensive medical follow-up. He was scheduled to have his first hearing in the Salem Military Court on Thursday.

The commission and the PPS reported that Palestinian prisoners face systematic crimes, including torture, starvation, medical abuses, sexual assaults, and harsh conditions in Israeli prisons, which lead to the outbreak of diseases like scabies.

The death of Al-Rifai “constitutes a new crime added to the record of Israeli brutality, which commits all forms of crimes aimed at killing prisoners. This is another aspect of the ongoing genocide, and an extension of it,” they added.

More than 10,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, the highest prisoner count since the Second Intifada in 2000, Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy groups reported last week.

As of early July, some 10,800 prisoners are said to be held in Israeli detention centers and prisons, including 50 women — two of whom are from the Gaza Strip — and over 450 children.

Since the 1967 occupation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, over 800,000 Palestinians have spent time in Israeli jails, according to a UN report in 2023.


Turkiye’s Erdogan risks alienating voters as PKK peace advances

Updated 17 July 2025
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Turkiye’s Erdogan risks alienating voters as PKK peace advances

  • Erdogan’s own future is also at stake: his term runs out in 2028 unless parliament backs the idea of early elections
  • Erdogan’s comments about “walking together” with DEM drew a cool response from the pro-Kurdish party itself

ANKARA: President Tayyip Erdogan risks losing support among nationalist Turkish voters in making peace with Kurdistan Workers Party militants, whose burning of weapons last week was dismissed by some as a stunt.

A backlash to Erdogan’s call on Saturday for wide parliamentary support for the process underlines the challenge he faces in balancing nationalist and Kurdish demands, with a failure to do so potentially jeopardizing the plan’s success.

Erdogan’s own future is also at stake: his term runs out in 2028 unless parliament backs the idea of early elections or a change in the constitution to extend a 22-year rule in which he has raised NATO member Turkiye’s profile on the world stage. He insists that personal political considerations play no role.

“The doors of a new powerful Turkiye have been flung wide open,” he said on Saturday of the symbolic initial handover of arms.

While his AKP party’s far-right nationalist coalition partner MHP drove the peace process, smaller nationalist parties have condemned it. They recalled his years condemning the pro-Kurdish DEM party as being tied to the 40-year PKK insurgency that the PKK now says is over.

Erdogan’s comments about “walking together” with DEM drew a cool response from the pro-Kurdish party itself, with DEM lawmaker Pervin Buldan saying there was no broad political alliance between it and the AKP.

AKP spokesperson Omer Celik reaffirmed the president’s nationalist credentials in response to a request for comment on his statement, saying the process “is not give-and-take, negotiation, or bargaining.”

Parliament is convening a commission tasked with deciding how to address Kurdish demands for more autonomy and the reintegration of fighters complying with the February disarmament call of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The nationalist opposition IYI Party is refusing to take part, with its leader Musavat Dervisoglu describing the peace process at the weekend as a betrayal after a conflict which has killed more than 40,000 people.

“We will not allow the Republic to be destroyed, we will not allow the Turkish homeland to be divided, we will not surrender to betrayal,” he said.

Umit Ozdag, head of the opposition Victory Party, also sought to stir nationalist passions, slamming the commission as a bid to legitimize the PKK and dismissing the event where 30 PKK members burned their guns as a “barbecue party.”

“You don’t just burn 30 rifles and call it a day. Weapons are surrendered, and PKK members interrogated one-by-one.”

A senior Turkish official said the gun burning was an “irreversible turning point.” It is part of a five-stage process culminating in legal reforms and social reconciliation by early 2026, according to another Turkish source.

NUMBER CRUNCHING
While those parties could not derail the peace process alone, Erdogan, a shrewed political operator, is likely to closely monitor public reaction as the commission starts its work.

A private June survey by the Konda pollster seen by Reuters showed that only 12 percent of respondents believe the PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkiye and its Western allies, has abandoned the insurgency that it launched in 1984.

It also showed potential candidates for the opposition CHP, now subject to a wide-ranging legal crackdown, beating Erdogan in head-to-head votes in an election.

Erdogan critics say the peace process is aimed at drawing Kurdish support for a new constitution that would both boost their rights and allow him to be a candidate in 2028. He says reform is needed because the constitution is outdated rather than for any personal reasons and he has not committed to running again.

It is unclear whether the commission will propose constitutional change, but such changes require the support of 400 MPs in the 600-seat assembly with the potential for a referendum if more than 360 MPs vote in favor. The AKP-MHP alliance has 319 seats, while DEM have 56.

Any move to hold early elections would also require 360 votes, but that — and the peace process itself — would depend on keeping DEM on board.

After meeting the justice minister on Wednesday, DEM’s Buldan said she had insisted that PKK disarmament proceed in lock-step with legal changes.

“The minister expressed commitment to ensuring the process proceeds legally and constitutionally,” she said, adding that there was no specific timeline for disarmament.