Erdogan battles key rival in Turkiye’s local elections

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP) Murat Kurum greet their supporters during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, March 30, 2024. (REUTERS)
Short Url
Updated 31 March 2024
Follow

Erdogan battles key rival in Turkiye’s local elections

  • Polls suggest a tight race in Istanbul, a city of 16 million people that drives Turkiye’s economy, where Imamoglu faces a challenge from AKP candidate Murat Kurum, a former minister

ISTANBUL: Turks vote on Sunday in nationwide municipal elections focused on President Tayyip Erdogan’s bid to reclaim control of Istanbul from major rival Ekrem Imamoglu, who aims to reassert the opposition as a political force after bitter election defeats last year.
Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu dealt Erdogan and his AK Party the biggest electoral blow of two decades in power with his win in the 2019 vote. The president struck back in 2023 by securing re-election and a parliament majority with his nationalist allies. Sunday’s votes could now reinforce Erdogan’s control of NATO-member Turkiye, or signal change in the major emerging economy’s divided political landscape. An Imamoglu win is seen fueling expectations of him becoming a future national leader.




Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, mayoral candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), takes off his tie during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 30, 2024. (REUTERS)

Polling stations open at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) in eastern Turkiye, with voting elsewhere starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m.. Initial results are expected by 10 p.m. (1900 GMT).
Polls suggest a tight race in Istanbul, a city of 16 million people that drives Turkiye’s economy, where Imamoglu faces a challenge from AKP candidate Murat Kurum, a former minister.
The results are likely to be shaped in part by economic woes driven by rampant inflation near 70 percent, and by Kurdish and Islamist voters weighing up the government’s performance and their hopes for political change.
While the main prize for Erdogan is Istanbul, he also seeks to win back the capital Ankara. Both cities were won by the opposition in 2019 after being under the rule of his AKP and Islamist predecessors for the previous 25 years. Erdogan’s prospects have been helped by the collapse of the opposition alliance that he defeated last year, though Imamoglu still appeals to voters beyond his main opposition Republican People’s Party. Voters of the main pro-Kurdish party were crucial to Imamoglu’s 2019 success. Their DEM party this time is fielding its own candidate in Istanbul, but many Kurds are expected to put aside party loyalty and vote for him again.
In the mainly Kurdish southeast, DEM is looking to reaffirm its strength after the state unseated pro-Kurdish party mayors following previous elections over alleged ties to militants.
One factor working against Erdogan is a rise in support for the Islamist New Welfare Party due to its hard-line stance against Israel over the Gaza conflict and dissatisfaction with the Islamist-rooted AKP’s handling of the economy.
 

 


Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, including several families, health officials say

Updated 2 sec ago
Follow

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, including several families, health officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israeli strikes overnight and into Tuesday killed more than 90 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, including dozens of women and children, health officials said.
One strike in the northern Shati refugee camp killed a 68-year-old Hamas member of the Palestinian legislature, as well as a man and a woman and their six children who were sheltering in the same building, according to officials from Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.
One of the deadliest strikes hit a house in Gaza City’s Tel Al-Hawa district on Monday evening and killed 19 members of the family living inside, according to Shifa Hospital. The dead included eight women and six children. A strike on a tent housing displaced people in the same district killed a man and a woman and their two children.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a daily report Tuesday afternoon that the bodies of 93 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, along with 278 wounded. It did not specify the total number of women and children among the dead.
The Hamas politician killed in a strike early Tuesday, Mohammed Faraj Al-Ghoul, was a member of the bloc of representatives from the group that won seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council in the last election held among Palestinians, in 2006.
Hamas won a majority in the vote, but relations with the main Fatah faction that had long led the Palestinian Authority unraveled and ended with Hamas taking over the Gaza Strip in 2007. The legislative council has not formally convened since.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. But daily, it hits homes and shelters where people are living without warning or explanation of the target.
The latest attacks came after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel has killed more than 58,400 Palestinians and wounded more than 139,000 others in its retaliation campaign since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Just over half the dead are women and children, according to the ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, is led by medical professionals. Its count, based on daily reports from hospitals, is considered by the United Nations and other experts to be the most reliable.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its attack 20 month ago, in which militants stormed into southern Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, and the militants are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive.
Israel’s air and ground campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and driven some 90 percent of the population from their homes. Aid groups say they have struggled to bring in food and other assistance because of Israeli military restrictions and the breakdown of law and order, and experts have warned of famine.

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage

Updated 23 min 4 sec ago
Follow

Syrian Druze say govt mission of peace devolved into rampage

  • Syria’s defense minister had declared a ‘complete ceasefire’ in Sweide late Tuesday morning, but locals said the announcement had little effect on the ground
  • Thousands of the city’s residents fled, seeking safety nearer the Jordanian border

SWEIDA: The mainly Druze residents of the Syrian city of Sweida had hoped the arrival of government forces on Tuesday would spell an end to deadly sectarian clashes with local Bedouin tribes.
Instead they spoke of executions, looting and arson as government troops and their allies rampaged through Druze neighborhoods, prompting thousands from the religious minority to flee.
“Government forces entered the city on the pretext of restoring order... but unfortunately they indulged in savage practices,” said Rayan Maarouf, editor in chief of the Suwayda 24 news website.
“There have been cases of civilians being killed... dozens of them... but we don’t have precise figures,” he added, blaming government fighters and their allies.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces executed 12 civilians in a guesthouse in the city, in just one incident among many said to have taken place in the area.
Syria’s defense minister had declared a “complete ceasefire” in the city late Tuesday morning, but locals said the announcement had little effect on the ground.
An AFP correspondent who entered Sweida shortly after government forces reported dead bodies left lying on deserted streets as sporadic gunfire rang out.
“I’m in the center of Sweida. There are executions, houses and shops that have been torched, and robberies and looting,” one Sweida resident holed up in his home told AFP by phone.
“One of my friends who lives in the west of the city told me that they entered his home, chased out his family after taking their mobile phones and then set fire to it,” added the resident, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.
AFP correspondents saw smoke rising over several areas of the city of some 150,000 people.
Another resident said he had seen armed men in civilian clothes “looting shops and setting fire to them.”
“They’re firing indiscriminately, I am afraid to leave the house,” he said, adding that he regretted “not leaving before they arrived.”
On Tuesday, government forces entered Sweida with the stated aim of ending the sectarian violence that had claimed more than 100 lives earlier this week.
But the Observatory, Druze leaders and witnesses said they entered the city accompanied by Bedouin fighters, and joined with them in attacking the Druze.
One AFP video showed Bedouin fighters riding through the streets on a government tank, brandishing their weapons in celebration.
The fighters toppled several statues in public squares, AFP images showed. Hard-line Islamists believe such representations of the human form to be idolatrous.
Unverified video footage circulating on social media showed armed men forcibly shaving off the moustache of an elderly Druze, a grave insult in the community.
The Israeli military said it had carried out several air strikes on the forces that entered Sweida.
An AFP correspondent saw one Syrian army vehicle in the city center that had taken a direct hit. Several bodies were left dangling over its sides.
The Israeli military said it was acting to protect the Druze, although some analysts have said that was a pretext for pursuing its own military goals.
Thousands of the city’s residents fled, seeking safety nearer the Jordanian border, Maarouf said.
In the nearby village of Walgha, an AFP correspondent found a group of displaced civilians sheltering in a mosque.


UN’s Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes

Updated 20 min 8 sec ago
Follow

UN’s Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes

  • Clashes in southern region between Bedouin tribal forces and Druze-affiliated armed groups have killed dozens, including women and children
  • Ministry of Defense says at least 18 soldiers have been killed; residents describe widespread killings, abductions, arson, looting, and surge in hate speech

NEW YORK CITY: The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic expressed grave concern on Monday about escalating violence in Suwayda Governorate in the south of the country.

Clashes there between Bedouin tribal forces and Druze-affiliated armed groups have left dozens dead, including women and children.

More than 100 people have reportedly been injured in recent days, as fighting intensifies and the Syrian Interim Government deploys security and military forces to the area. The Ministry of Defense said at least 18 soldiers had been killed. Local residents describe widespread killings, abductions, arson, looting, and a surge in hate speech, both online and in public.

The UN commission urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in dialogue to deescalate the situation. It emphasized the obligation of the government to uphold human rights and protect all civilians, without discrimination, and called for the provision of safe passage for those attempting to flee the violence, along with access for humanitarian aid efforts.

The commission also expressed alarm over reports of Israeli airstrikes in the region, warning that any third-party interventions risked expanding the conflict and compounding the suffering of the Syrian population.

It said it was investigating alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws linked to the recent unrest, and its findings would be published in a forthcoming report.


US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank

Updated 33 min 55 sec ago
Follow

US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank

  • “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,” Huckabee said
  • Israel’s military previously said Israel was investigating the incident

WEST BANK: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday he has asked Israel to “aggressively” investigate the death of an American citizen who was beaten to death in the West Bank.

“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,” Huckabee said in a post on X.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment. Israel’s military previously said Israel was investigating the incident.

US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.


His family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital.

“We must honor his memory by speaking out against violence and working toward a future of peace and dignity,” US Representative Kathy Castor, who represents Tampa, said in a post on X. “The Administration must work with our international partners to ensure the protection of Americans abroad.”

Some members of the US House of Representatives have condemned the killing of Musallet, and others have called on the US State Department to investigate the incident.

The department did not immediately respond to those calls.

Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.


UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Updated 45 min 44 sec ago
Follow

UN rapporteur calls for global action to stop ‘genocide’ in Gaza

  • Francesca Albanese says ‘Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal‘

BOGOTA: The United Nations’ special rapporteur for Gaza and the West Bank said Tuesday that it’s time for nations around the world to take concrete actions to stop what she called the “genocide” in Gaza.
Francesca Albanese spoke to delegates from 30 countries meeting in Colombia’s capital to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and ways that nations can try to stop Israel’s military offensive in the territory. Many of the participating nations have described the violence as genocide against the Palestinians.
“Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel ... and ensure its private sector does the same,” Albanese said. “The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.”
The two-day conference organized by the governments of Colombia and South Africa is being attended mostly by developing nations, although the governments of Spain, Ireland and China have also sent delegates.
Israel has adamantly rejected genocide allegations and called them “antisemitic” and “blood libel.”
Analysts say it’s not clear whether the conference’s participating countries have enough leverage over Israel to force it to change its policies in Gaza, where more than 58,000 people have been killed in Israeli military operations following a deadly Hamas attack on Israel in 2023.
“The United States has so far failed to influence Israel’s behavior … so it is naive to think that this group of countries can have any influence over (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s behavior or on the government of Israel,” said Sandra Borda, a professor of international relations at Bogota’s Los Andes University. She said, however, that the conference will enable some nations of the Global South to clarify their position toward the conflict and have their voices heard.
The conference is co-chaired by the governments of South Africa and Colombia, which last year suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants, and includes the participation of members of The Hague Group, a coalition of eight nations that earlier this year pledged to cut military ties with Israel and to comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
For decades, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party has compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank with its own history of oppression under the harsh apartheid regime of white minority rule, which restricted most Blacks to “homelands” before ending in 1994. South Africa’s current argument is rooted in the sentiment that Palestinians have been oppressed in their homeland as Black South Africans were under apartheid.
The gathering comes as the European Union weighs various measures against Israel that include a ban on imports from Israeli settlements, an arms embargo and individual sanctions against Israeli officials, who are found to be blocking a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Colombia’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo said Monday that the nations participating in the Bogota meeting, which also include Qatar and Turkiye, will be discussing diplomatic and judicial measures that can be taken to put more pressure on Israel to cease its attacks.
The Colombian official described Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as an affront to the international order.
“This is not just about Palestine” Jaramillo said in a press conference. “It is about defending international law… and the right to self determination.”