Turkish opposition making gains in opinion polls ahead of elections

Six opposition parties (L/R): (DP) Democrat Party Chairman Gultekin Uysal, IYI Party Chairman Meral Awakeners, Future Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoglu, CHP Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan and Saadet Party (SP) Chairman Temel Karamollaoglu posing after meeting to confirm Kemal Kilicdaroglu (CHP) as the Turkish opposition's joint candidate to run against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey's Presidential elections in May, in Ankara, on March 6, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 13 March 2023
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Turkish opposition making gains in opinion polls ahead of elections

  • Dr. Kaya Genc, a historian and author of several books on Turkish affairs, told Arab News: “[Kemal Kilicdaroglu] is no romantic rebel

ANKARA: New opinion polls show the opposition candidate leading the presidential race in Turkiye, with the opposing bloc — Nation Alliance — having a probable majority in the parliament after the elections.

A new survey by Aksoy Research showed that the presidential candidate of the Turkish opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has surpassed rival, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, by more than 10 percentage points ahead of the May 14 elections.

The poll suggests Kilicdaroglu would defeat Erdogan by receiving 55.6 percent of the votes.

The same survey showed the opposition bloc at least six points ahead of the ruling coalition, at 44.1 percent of the votes, while the voting share of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, which remains outside of the two blocs, has stayed above 10 percent, the threshold to enter parliament.

Piar Research shows Kilicdaroglu winning 57.1 percent of the vote as opposed to Erdogan’s 42.9, with the main opposition bloc on 46.4 percent of the votes against the ruling bloc’s 37.8.

Another poll, which was conducted by Alf Research, showed Kilicdaroglu on 55.1 percent and Erdogan at 44.9 percent.

The same survey revealed the main opposition bloc garnering 43.5 percent of votes, and the HDP receiving 11.3 percent. These rates are more or less supported by ORC’s recent research which showed Kilicdaroglu ahead with 56.8 against Erdogan (43.2 percent).

The mismanagement of the earthquakes in February and the rising inflation rates have harmed the chances of the ruling government and Erdogan.

The endorsement of the HDP is seen as crucial in the election with its 10 percent share of the vote, and Kilicdaroglu has announced he will meet with the party soon.

The former co-leader of the party, Selahattin Demirtas, has openly invited the opposition candidate to visit the pro-Kurdish party.

“I will meet the valuable co-chairs of the HDP. My friends are planning the visit,” Kilicdaroglu said during an interview with the T24 website on Monday.

However, there are concerns over the future of the HDP as a recent ruling by the court may result in the party being shut down over its alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Dr. Kaya Genc, a historian and author of several books on Turkish affairs, told Arab News: “[Kemal Kilicdaroglu] is no romantic rebel. He’s a savvy operator, and has convinced the pious that he’s their candidate too, and that he’s the leader of the oppressed in Turkiye.

“His efforts have so far paid off. His partner in the alliance, Meral Aksener, alongside right-wing-leaning mayors, will convince voters who believe in the concept of a powerful state, to support Kilicdaroglu as well.

“The opposition alliance has the momentum now and I expect its lead in the polls to grow exponentially in the next few weeks.”

Meanwhile, Turkish Workers’ Party chair Erkan Bas said on Sunday that if his voters supported Kilicdaroglu in the first round, his chances to win would be vastly increased.

Kilicdaroglu last week paid another visit to the earthquake-hit zone and slept in a tent, in what was construed as a move to show his empathy with victims of the disaster.

 


Israel’s attorney general tells Netanyahu to reexamine extremist security minister’s role

Updated 8 sec ago
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Israel’s attorney general tells Netanyahu to reexamine extremist security minister’s role

  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized for interfering in police matters

JERUSALEM, Nov 14 : Israel’s Attorney General told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reevaluate the tenure of his far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing his apparent interference in police matters, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Thursday.
The news channel published a copy of a letter written by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in which she described instances of “illegitimate interventions” in which Ben-Gvir, who is tasked with setting general policy, gave operational instructions that threaten the police’s apolitical status.
“The concern is that the government’s silence will be interpreted as support for the minister’s behavior,” the letter said.
Officials at the Justice Ministry could not be reached for comment and there was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.
Ben-Gvir, who heads a small ultra-nationalist party in Netanyahu’s coalition, wrote on social media after the letter was published: “The attempted coup by (the Attorney General) has begun. The only dismissal that needs to happen is that of the Attorney General.”


Israeli forces demolish Palestinian Al-Bustan community center in Jerusalem

Updated 56 min 41 sec ago
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Israeli forces demolish Palestinian Al-Bustan community center in Jerusalem

  • Al-Bustan Association functioned as a primary community center in which Silwan’s youth and families ran cultural and social activities

LONDON: Israeli forces demolished the office of the Palestinian Al-Bustan Association in occupied East Jerusalem’s neighborhood of Silwan, whose residents are under threat of Israeli eviction orders. 

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Culture condemned on Thursday the demolition of Al-Bustan by Israeli bulldozers and a military police force. 

The ministry said that “(Israeli) occupation’s arrogant practices against cultural and community institutions in Palestine, and specifically in Jerusalem, are targeting the Palestinian identity, in an attempt to obliterate it.” 

Founded in 2004, the Al-Bustan Association functioned as a primary community center in which Silwan’s youth and families ran cultural and social activities alongside hosting meetings for diplomatic delegations and Western journalists who came to learn about controversial Israeli policies in the area. 

Al-Bustan said in a statement that it served 1,500 people in Silwan, most of them children, who enrolled in educational, cultural and artistic workshops. In addition to the Al-Bustan office, Israeli forces also demolished a home in the neighborhood belonging to the Al-Qadi family. 

Located less than a mile from Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s southern ancient wall, Silwan has a population of 65,000 Palestinians, some of them under threat of Israeli eviction orders.  

In past years, Israeli authorities have been carrying out archaeological digging under Palestinian homes in Silwan, resulting in damage to these buildings, in search of the three-millennial “City of David.” 


Israeli strike kills 12 after hitting civil defense center in Lebanon’s Baalbek, governor tells Reuters

Updated 14 November 2024
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Israeli strike kills 12 after hitting civil defense center in Lebanon’s Baalbek, governor tells Reuters

  • Eight others, including five women, were also killed and 27 wounded in another Israeli attack

CAIRO: An Israeli strike killed 12 people after it hit a civil defense center in Lebanon’s city of Baalbek on Thursday, the regional governor told Reuters adding that rescue operations were ongoing.
Eight others, including five women, were also killed and 27 wounded in another Israeli attack on the Lebanese city, health ministry reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Lebanese civil defense official Samir Chakia said: “The Civil Defense Center in Baalbek has been targeted, five Civil Defense rescuers were killed.”
Bachir Khodr the regional governor said more than 20 rescuers had been at the facility at the time of the strike.


‘A symbol of resilience’ — workers in Iraq complete reconstruction of famous Mosul minaret

Updated 14 November 2024
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‘A symbol of resilience’ — workers in Iraq complete reconstruction of famous Mosul minaret

  • Workers complete reconstruction of 12th-century minaret of Al-Nuri Mosque
  • Tower and mosque were blown by Daesh extremists in 2017

High above the narrow streets and low-rise buildings of Mosul’s old city, beaming workers hoist an Iraqi flag into the sky atop one of the nation’s most famous symbols of resilience.

Perched precariously on scaffolding in high-vis jackets and hard hats, the workers celebrate a milestone in Iraq’s recovery from the traumatic destruction and bloodshed that once engulfed the city.

On Wednesday, the workers placed the last brick that marked the completed reconstruction of the 12th-century minaret of Al-Nuri Mosque. The landmark was destroyed by Daesh in June 2017 shortly before Iraqi forces drove the extremist group from the city.

Known as Al-Hadba, or “the hunchback,” the 45-meter-tall minaret, which famously leant to one side, dominated the Mosul skyline for centuries. The tower has been painstakingly rebuilt as part of a UNESCO project, matching the traditional stone and brick masonry and incorporating the famous lean.

“Today UNESCO celebrates a landmark achievement,” the UN cultural agency’s Iraq office said. “The completion of the shaft of the Al-Hadba Minaret marks a new milestone in the revival of the city, with and for the people of Mosul. 

“UNESCO is grateful for the incredible teamwork that made this vision a reality. Together, we’ve created a powerful symbol of resilience, a true testament to international cooperation. Thank you to everyone involved in this journey.”

The restoration of the mosque is part of UNESCO’s Revive the Spirit of Mosul project, which includes the rebuilding of two churches and other historic sites. The UAE donated $50 million to the project and UNESCO said that the overall Al-Nuri Mosque complex restoration will be finished by the end of the year.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay celebrated the completion of the minaret by posting “We did it!” on social media site X.

She thanked donors, national and local authorities in Iraq and the experts and professionals, “many of whom are Moslawis,” who worked to rebuild the minaret.

“Can’t wait to return to Mosul to celebrate the full completion of our work,” she said.

The Al-Nuri mosque was built in the second half of the 12th century by the Seljuk ruler Nur Al-Din. 

After Daesh seized control of large parts of Iraq in 2014, the group’s leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, declared the establishment of its so-called caliphate from inside the mosque.

Three years later, the extremists detonated explosives to destroy the mosque and minaret as Iraqi forces battled to expel them from the city. Thousands of civilians were killed in the fighting and much of Mosul was left in ruins.


US hands Lebanon draft truce proposal -two political sources

Updated 14 November 2024
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US hands Lebanon draft truce proposal -two political sources

  • The US has sought to broker a ceasefire that would end hostilities between its ally Israel and Hezbollah

BEIRUT: The US ambassador to Lebanon submitted a draft truce proposal to Lebanon’s speaker of parliament Nabih Berri on Thursday to halt fighting between armed group Hezbollah and Israel, two political sources told Reuters, without revealing details.
The US has sought to broker a ceasefire that would end hostilities between its ally Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, but efforts have yet to yield a result. Israel launched a stepped-up air and ground campaign in late September after cross-border clashes in parallel with the Gaza war.