SINGAPORE

Edwin Tong hopes Pope's visit will inspire S'poreans to foster 'trust & harmony' in multi-religious society

"As Pope Francis has emphasized through his work, unity and fraternity can only be achieved through open and honest dialogue across all religions," said Tong.

Amber Tay |  September 10, 2024

MOTHERSHIP

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong shared his hope that Pope Francis's Singapore visit would inspire Singapore's communities to continue fostering "trust and harmony" in its "multi-religious society", writing on Facebook on Sep. 10.

Pope Francis will be visiting Singapore from Sep. 11 to 13, 2024, the second time a pope visits Singapore.

38 years ago, the late Pope John Paul II visited in November 1986.

Eagerly looking forward to Pope Francis' arrival

Tong said Catholics and many non-Catholics alike are eagerly looking forward to Pope Francis’ arrival.

"I think this is down to the fact that His Holiness’ commitment to the promotion of dialogue, unity, fraternity and social friendship is universal," said Tong.

Values like these "go beyond and transcend any one religion alone," said Tong, adding:

"Indeed, Pope Francis’ third Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, resonates with Singapore’s own desire to build a better, more just and peaceful world. This is especially salient as Singapore sees our diverse multi-ethnic and multi-religious population as an enduring strength which we must carefully nurture and preserve."

The Encyclical is a pastoral letter written by the Pope on matters of doctrine, morals, or discipline.

Pope Francis's third Encyclical "Fratelli Tutti" was written amid the Covid-19 pandemic and aimed to promote a universal aspiration toward fraternity and social friendship, according to Vatican News.

Tong described Pope Francis as "incredibly sincere, thoughtful and kindly", recalling his impression from a brief conversation in January 2022 at the Vatican City.

He said he could see that Singapore and the Holy See share a deep common interest in finding different ways to promote inter-religious harmony in today’s increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

As part of his visit to Singapore, Pope Francis will have an inter-religious dialogue with Singapore youths on Sep. 13.

The dialogue, which will be held at Catholic Junior College, is expected to involve over 600 participants from more than 50 schools, as well as interfaith and religious organisations.

The dialogue aims to "promote actions for unity and hope among diverse religious youths of Singapore", as previously stated on the CatholicSG website.

"As Pope Francis has emphasised through his work, unity and fraternity can only be achieved through open and honest dialogue across all religions," said Tong.

He added that such dialogue, in turn, helps promote trust and mutual respect.

Tong said:

"We hope that his visit will further inspire our communities, especially our youths, to continue fostering trust and harmony in our multi-religious society."

Pope Francis to be in Singapore from Sep. 11 to 13

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive at 2:15pm on Sep. 11.

Several official engagements will happen on the morning of Sep. 12 at the Parliament House and at the National University Singapore's University Cultural Centre.

A Papal Mass will be held at the National Stadium later that afternoon on the same day.

 

FBI-most wanted pastor’s arrest puts

Duterte on defensive

Bloomberg

Updated Tue, 10 September 2024


Rodrigo Duterte considers Quiboloy a personal friend, their ties going back decades when he was mayor of Davao City since the late 1980’s. (Photog: Nicolas Datiche/Pool/Bloomberg)

By Andreo Calonzo

(Bloomberg) — Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte has come to his pastor’s defence and filed cases against the government and police officials as a deepening feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. threatens to rattle one of Asia’s growth stars.

Apollo Quiboloy, on the FBI’s most-wanted list since 2022, was arrested Sunday in Duterte’s turf in Davao City. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday said the former leader had filed cases of malicious mischief against him. Vice President Sara Duterte, the ex-leader’s daughter who quit Marcos’ cabinet in July, criticized the government for “grave abuse of police power.”

Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church, is wanted by the FBI for alleged sexual abuse, human trafficking and smuggling. He had denied all charges. Two Philippine courts issued arrest warrants against him earlier this year, prompting him to go on hiding. He was finally arrested on 8 Sept in his 30-hectare enclave in Davao.

The arrest puts the 74-year-old preacher and Duterte’s spiritual adviser at the centre of the squabble between the country’s two most-powerful political families whose fractured ties are expected to further unravel as the 2025 mid-term election nears. The feud threatens stability in the fast-growing Southeast Asian nation whose foreign policy under Marcos had sharply pivoted to the US after six years of aligning with China during Duterte’s era.

Boxing Match

“If this is a boxing match, they are putting the Dutertes in a corner,” said Davao-based political science professor Ramon Beleno, referring to Quiboloy’s arrest and the crack down against the clan. “When a boxer is put in a corner, it will have no choice but be defensive. This is a way of containing the Dutertes.”

On Monday, Marcos hailed the arrest as “police work at its best,” justifying the deployment of about 2,000 personnel to capture the pastor who had endorsed his 2022 presidential run. Before Quiboloy went into hiding earlier this year, he accused Marcos of working with the US to “eliminate” him, according to an ABS-CBN report.

Marcos said there is yet no request from the US for extradition and the pastor will have to first face complaints in the Philippines.

Quiboloy’s arrest comes as lawmakers on Monday restarted investigation into China-centric online casinos that flourished during Duterte’s term. At the hearing, Senator Bong Go – the former leader’s aide – sought to distance Duterte from the issue, rejecting speculation that he tolerated illegal activities. Duterte’s former spokesman Harry Roque has also faced lawmakers, denying ties to online gambling.

In the past weeks, Congress also placed Sara Duterte under the spotlight about her use of public funds, with the vice president maintaining that her budget was used appropriately.

Rodrigo Duterte considers Quiboloy a personal friend, their ties going back decades when he was mayor of Davao City since the late 1980’s. As his Kingdom of Jesus Christ grew – with about seven million followers globally, though the count couldn’t be independently verified – politicians running for national office have sought his support. In 2010, he endorsed the presidential run of Gilberto Teodoro Jr., now Marcos’ defence chief.

No other Philippine leader came close to the friendship that Duterte had with Quiboloy. Shortly before his 2016 presidential victory, Duterte said he received gifts from the pastor, including three properties. At that time, he denied it had anything to do with graft.

Months ago, the former president said he volunteered to manage the properties of Quiboloy’s church, although he clarified that he won’t be involved with the financial side of the operations, according to a Philippine Star report. As the falling out with Marcos played out publicly last year, Duterte would regularly appear in a show in Quiboloy’s Sonshine Media Network International.

Burned Bridges

That broadcasting company which airs the pastor’s sermons was suspended last year.

Bringing Quiboloy to court will “likely result in more disclosures on the details of the charges against him, which would taint the Dutertes by association,” said Bob Herrera-Lim, managing director at global advisory firm Teneo. “For the Dutertes, the bridges have been burned between them and the Marcos family.”

Herrera-Lim said the Dutertes are now positioning the 2025 midterms not only as a referendum on the president’s leadership but as “a validation of their political strength.” If the clan falls short, then Sara’s path to the 2028 presidential elections becomes “more bumpy,” he said.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Kenyan court halts proposed Adani lease of country's main airport


10 September 2024 - 

Adani Group chair and founder Gautam Adani addresses a gathering during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Image: Reuters/ File photo

Kenya's high court has temporarily blocked a proposed deal for India's Adani Group to lease the country's main airport for 30 years in exchange for expanding it, court documents showed.

In a joint application, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the country's main bar association, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) told the court on Monday that the country could independently raise the $1.85 billion required to upgrade the airport in the capital Nairobi.

LSK and KHRC said the alleged 30-year lease of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), East Africa's largest aviation hub, was unaffordable, threatened job losses, was a fiscal risk and did not offer taxpayers value for money, court documents published by the KHRC on their website showed.

The high court granted the request for leave to file a judicial review to challenge the possible lease of JKIA to Adani, LSK's President Faith Odhiambo wrote on the social media platform X late on Monday.

“The court has meanwhile issued a stay prohibiting any person from implementing or acting on the privately initiated Adani proposal over JKIA pending the conclusion of the court case,” Odhiambo said.

The Adani Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Last month, Kenya's main aviation union Kenya Aviation Workers Union called for a strike over the proposed deal, saying that it would lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers.

Kenya's government has said the airport is operating above capacity and needs modernising but that it is not for sale and that no decision has been made on whether to proceed with what it calls a proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the transport hub.

It said in July that Adani's offer was being reviewed. If a deal is agreed, the government said there would be safeguards to ensure Kenya's national interests are protected.

Reuters

KURDISTAN

Kalkan: Destroying nature is the origin of every form of oppression and exploitation

Duran Kalkan called for participation in the 32nd Kurdish Culture Festival to be held in Frankfurt.


ANF
BEHDINAN
Sunday, 8 September 2024

Duran Kalkan, member of the KCK Executive Council, talked about the importance of 1 September, the ecocide carried out by Turkey, and the festival in Frankfurt,

On 1 September, Peace World Day, millions of people around the world took to the streets to demand an end to the war. Most people are talking about the genocidal war in Gaza or the war in Ukraine, but the war here in Kurdistan is also in the spotlight. What would you like to say to the people who are campaigning for peace on the streets?

1 September was actually a day of war. They called it ‘International Day of Peace’, but on 1 September 1939, Hitler’s fascism crossed the border and attacked Poland. That’s how the so-called World War II started. That is to say, the catastrophic war that lasted 6 years and killed more than 50 million people started with Hitler’s attack on 1 September 1939. In order to reverse this, socialist, progressive, democratic circles declared a day of peace.

Again today, there are calls for peace, but as you mentioned, there is a war. And it has been going on for years, decades. There is no end to it in sight. How can we talk about peace in such a war environment? Only if you fight a big war for peace can it have a meaning. Otherwise, no one will give up the war by saying, “I want peace; peace is good; everyone should give up the war.” War will not end like this. However, those who oppose the war, those who want peace, must wage a struggle for freedom and democracy against this war so that there can be peace. Peace can only come with democracy and freedom.

Can there be peace where there is no freedom and democracy? Of course not. So it is necessary to win freedom and democracy and to fight for them. This is the biggest war for peace. In today’s situation, we should not talk about peace but about the war for peace. It is obvious that the greatest pioneer, leader, representative, and solution force of the war for freedom and democracy is Rêber Apo. Those who want to do so must see this leadership. They must unite with his struggle. Especially in Turkey, this should be the case. Turkey is in dire need of peace. The anti-Kurdish mentality and system, most recently the AKP-MHP fascism, has turned Turkey into the most unrestrained, unethical, and unlawful country in the Kurdish war. In order to put a stop to this, it is, of course, necessary to impose peace in Turkey. And how can this be done? We need to impose freedom and democracy. There can be no peace without Kurdish freedom, without the democratization of Turkey. These are intertwined like fingernails and toenails. In order to win peace, we need to mobilize for the war for freedom and democracy, for the antifascist war.

All peace lovers should be involved in such a great antifascist resistance and struggle; they should develop an antifascist resistance front or unity and alliance and develop a great struggle for freedom and democracy that aims to overthrow AKP-MHP fascism. In particular, Turkey needs this more than bread and water. The power to realize this is the Kurds. They struggle with everything they have for freedom and democracy. They do not only want freedom for Kurds; they want democracy for Turkey, the Middle East, and the world. This means the struggle for peace. The pioneer of this is Rêber Apo. Turkey’s freedom and democracy forces, women, and youth movements must unite more strongly in this struggle. Everyone who says they are anti-fascist should recognize this reality, unite with these forces, grow and develop the anti-fascist movement, and try to save Turkey from this AKP-MHP disaster.

It is interesting that some people still keep saying, “There will be war.” For example, Tayyip Erdoğan said, “World War III may happen in the future; we need to prepare for it.” But the Third World War is already a reality. War has been happening for decades. How can people not see this? How did the First World War end? It ended with the October Revolution. The Second World War developed in an environment that was different. But it was the October Revolution and the Soviet Union that brought the capitalist modernity system out of its internal contradictions, conflicts, and wars in order to redivide the world and exploit it more. Then the Soviet Union collapsed, and the war started again. We call it the Third World War. This is how Rêber Apo evaluated it. In 1990, there was the Gulf Crisis and the war, which has been going on ever since.

If people are not involved in war, if they do not experience it, they do not understand it. When there is a different situation sometimes, they fall into the situation of evaluating it according to themselves. We need to get rid of this. Some say “preparations are still being made.” Some say it started with Ukraine. It is not like that. There has been World War III for 35 years, since the beginning of 1990. It has been going on all over the Middle East. Those who are curious should open the books of the history of war; wherever World War I took place, they will see that World War III is now also going on there. From Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, and Syria to all the Ottoman lands, all of them are at war again. What is called World War III is actually a search to bring World War I, which ended differently with the October Revolution, to a new conclusion, taking into account the 100 years of development after the collapse of the system created by the October Revolution.

At that time, the searches of those who started the war did not come to a conclusion because of the October Revolution. Neither the aims of the German-Ottoman front nor those of the Anglo-French front and their alliances came to any conclusion. Because an alternative was born in Russia. They were afraid of it and had to make different compromises among themselves to prevent it. Also, the Turkish Republic was born in this environment, and this is how the Treaty of Lausanne was formed. They think that they fought very well, celebrated, and won victories. There is no such thing. They made good use of the conjunction. They evaluated the politics well. The Kemalist movement also showed some resistance. It achieved this result under those conditions. But the conditions of 1923 will never happen again. Tayyip Erdoğan is focused on this time period. He is reading Abdulhamid and is trying to see if something like that will happen again. He wants to become a second Abdulhamid or a second Mustafa Kemal, but in vain.

The war in other areas, the war in Ukraine, is the spread of war to the Black Sea. World War I had already spread. Pacific tensions and conflicts are linked to these. There are those who analyze this war who say that World War II ended with the use of the atomic bomb. They say that the next World War will only happen if the atomic bomb is used. But nuclear bombs are already being used everywhere at the tactical level. They just need to look at what is going on in Zap.

This is how this war is going. This is what happens in Gaza. They are sacrificing the Palestinian people here. Now they say this war will spread to Lebanon and Syria. Every place that was a center of war in World War I is today again a center of war in the Middle East. And this is gradually moving towards Turkey. It is eventually going to focus on Turkey. Some people in Turkey saw this; they understand it. They are aware of this. To prevent this, they are trying to provoke an Israeli-Iranian war. They already started an Israeli war with Hamas, and now they are trying to provoke a Hezbollah-Israel war. They are trying with all their might to prevent the war from approaching Turkey, but in vain. They will not be able to do so. Let’s make this clear. This war will come; Turkey is going to be a center of war. The only thing that will save Turkey from this situation is democratization on the basis of Kurdish freedom and creating democratic unity with the peoples of the region, organizing a democracy front, a peace front against this war by forming the democratic Middle East confederalism. This is the only way for Turkey to survive. No one can get out of this war in any other way. Like Tayyip Erdoğan, by expanding into Syria and Iraq, one can plunge into war. Those waging this war are actually using Tayyip Erdoğan as an agent. Eventually, it will be Turkey’s turn.

As I mentioned earlier, it was Rêber Apo who foresaw this. He evaluated how much damage this would cause for the peoples. He tried to prevent it, developed alternative ideas, developed political projects, and put forward the will for a solution. But he was prevented and is being prevented. The international conspiracy attack is an attack to prevent exactly this. The fact that no news has been received from Rêber Apo for 42 months is actually to make this politics work. That is why they are preventing even a word of Rêber Apo from coming out in order to prevent the development that will prevent this catastrophe. Everyone should be aware of this. You cannot just say we want peace. This is serious. Everyone should come to their senses. Let’s understand capitalism correctly. Let’s understand the internal relations of the capitalist modernity system correctly. Let’s open, read, and analyze the first World War. 100 years of developments… I mean, what is Turkey’s place to stand up to Israel and launch a new energy route project against Israel? The most extreme point of capital is Israel. The US, the UK, they are all behind it.

In this respect, the current situation requires a more accurate understanding. In the reality of this World War, we should not be confused like this. Everyone should stop saying, “There will be preparations; it will come later, this and that.” The danger is great. We are fighting to prevent the danger from having more serious consequences and, if possible, to achieve peace and democracy. Everyone should understand this. Those who really want this should give strength and support to this. This is our promise, our call, our invitation.

While the genocidal war is being waged by the fascist Turkish state, nature continues to be targeted and exploited. It is something that is often overlooked or perceived as a separate problem, even though there is resistance in some places. What can you tell us about this?

The exploitation of man and the exploitation of nature are forms of oppression that go hand in hand. Fascist terror, the oppression and exploitation of the male-dominated mentality and system on women, means attacks and exploitation against nature. On the other hand, this means that ensuring the free coexistence of society, democratic self-administration, and the freedom of women is the basis for living peacefully in harmony with nature. Destroying nature is the origin of every form of oppression and exploitation: fascist dictatorship, the male-dominated system, and aggression to the maximum. This is how it should be handled. So, just as we want women’s freedom, we want the freedom of society, we want democracy – and this can only be realized through a correct approach to nature. Accordingly, we need to mobilize against the attacks that destroy, plunder, burn, and destroy our atmosphere and nature. They are building hydroelectric power plants; they are mining; they have made the country uninhabitable; society has become unable to produce; it is being poisoned. How can we live without air, without opportunities for economic production, without soil, environment, and greenery? These are being destroyed for the maximum profit of some people. This must not be allowed to happen. Everyone must resist this. We need to become more conscious. Social ecology movements, consciousness, organization, and action must develop more.

We attach great importance to every stance and struggle on this basis. All our people, all the peasants, all the villagers, all the kocers, wherever they are, must protect their own lands, their own assets as they protect their own lands. It is absolutely necessary not to allow this fascist, colonialist, genocidal system to plunder nature.

We salute all the struggles carried out on this basis. Everyone who calls themselves free and democratic should support and participate. This struggle still remains weak. In most places the struggle takes place quite isolated, but particularly the villagers are carrying out a very valuable and meaningful resistance. They need more solidarity and support. Everyone who considers themselves libertarian, democratic socialist, and democratic should protect these places more than anything else. Priority should be here.

Social freedom on the basis of women’s freedom and protecting nature are intertwined. In this respect, it is necessary to overcome the current weak approaches, to make the ecological struggle more organized and effective in every field, and to wage the war against fascism much more effectively from this front.

Our call is directed towards all women, all our people, all the peoples of Turkey. Because AKP-MHP fascism is not only anti-human, anti-people, anti-women, and anti-Kurdish, but it is also an enemy of nature, an enemy of forests, and an enemy of land. This animosity must be stopped.

Finally, I would like to talk about the Kurdish Cultural Festival in Frankfurt, which is also coming up in the near future. What do you have to say about it?

We can define the importance of the 32nd Kurdish Culture Festival in Frankfurt in terms of timing. We are approaching the end of the first year of our global campaign for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. It is an action that takes place at a time when the anniversary is approaching, which gives it more meaning.

The cultural festival has become an important tradition within the last decades. Through the festival, the Kurds always asserted their existence, presented themselves to the peoples of Europe, and spread their culture. They expressed their democratic demands. But this year’s festival is also an action that marks the first anniversary of our global freedom campaign. It is necessary to organize accordingly. We have to work harder; we have to attach more importance to it. Our people and our friends in Europe should definitely define it in this way, and they should embrace and mobilize accordingly.

They must make our global freedom campaign reach a new peak. The biggest duty and responsibility in this falls on the youth. Of course. The youth are already in constant action for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. They are starting a long march before the festival, and they are preparing the festival as well as the environment for it. They are leading the way.

This is important and, of course, meaningful. All young people, Kurdish youth and international youth, all our young friends, and young comrades should see the meaning and importance of this and accordingly make their marches the most spectacular, with the widest participation, with the most concrete demands, and not only that, that is, they should participate most actively in the preparatory work for the festival at the leading level.

I am calling for participation in the festival, and I celebrate it. I especially call on the Kurdish youth and the international youth to mobilize for such a festival to be the most spectacular.

KURDISTAN

Mining activities in Golan threaten the ecosystem and people's lives

The mining projects carried out by Koza Holding in the Golan district of Ardahan pose serious threats to both the ecosystem and the local population.


İSHAK DURSUN
ARDAHAN

AFN
Sunday, 8 September 2024,

The ecocide accelerated by mining activities in Kurdistan poses a serious threat not only economically but also with its socio-cultural consequences. In this scope, the mining projects implemented by Koza Holding in the Golan (Göle) district of Ardahan pose a danger to the ecosystem in the region and the living spaces of the local people.

Koza Gold Enterprises Mining Company wants to plunder the lands of Haraba (Büyük Altunbulak), Gundik (Koyunlu), Sekî (Kuytuca) and Girdamal (Durucasu) villages in Golan as a mining site, using the open pit method for silver and copper extraction. The gold and copper mining licence granted to Koza Gold Enterprises Incorporated Company for this area seriously threatens the ecosystem of the region and the lives of the local people.

The local people point out that the mining activities will lead to environmental disasters and that the use of dynamite will damage groundwater, agriculture, animal husbandry and beekeeping will be hit hard. In addition, the fact that the Şimşimik Stream passes within 146 metres of the mine and the living areas are only 150 metres away poses a danger.

As part of a strategy common in the region, this project is an important example of the depletion of underground resources and the destruction of nature. While such projects cause the migration of the people of the region and the deterioration of economic and ecological balances, the state allows the destruction of nature in violation of international and national legal rules. For this reason, a legal struggle against this plunder has been initiated with a lawsuit filed with the Kars Administrative Court, and the cancellation of the licence and the stay of execution are demanded.

Negativities in the EIA process

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process carried out for the mining activities to be initiated in Golan district harbours significant negativities. Experts emphasise that the licence, which was granted without evaluating the EIA report together with other mining projects in the region, may cause irreversible damage to agriculture, animal husbandry and natural resources. Furthermore, the report reveals once again that mining activities may pollute underground and surface waters and cause serious damage to local ecosystems and therefore the licence should be cancelled.

Earthquake risk and geological threats

Experts state that the area in Golan where the mine site is situated is located on an active fault line. According to the live fault map prepared by Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), this fault line carries a serious earthquake risk. The 5.2 magnitude earthquake centred in Göle in 2022 revealed how geologically sensitive the region is. Experts underline that mining activities could trigger new earthquakes on this fault line, and in the light of these risks, the demand for the cancellation of the licence and the cessation of mining activities will serve the purpose of protecting not only ecological but also human life.

Threats to water resources

The mining projects of Koza Gold Enterprises Incorporated Company also pose serious threats to the water resources in the region. In particular, the risk of pollution of water resources such as the Şimşimik Stream and Kura River stands out as the biggest concern of mining activities. The degradation of local ecosystems may lead to the extinction of endemic plant species and local fish populations. Species unique to Golan, such as the scavenger fish and the whiskered fish, are at risk of being directly affected by these activities. Such environmental destruction could threaten not only the biodiversity of the region, but also human health.

Effects on agriculture and animal husbandry

Golan district is particularly known for cattle breeding and beekeeping. The production of the region's unique kashar cheese and organic honey is possible with the protection of these natural riches. However, mining activity can negatively affect these production processes. The mines may pollute groundwater, reduce the productivity of agricultural lands and force the local people, who rely on animal husbandry, to migrate. The mining activities in İliç, Erzincan are a concrete example of how they destroy local production processes and pose a similar threat to Golan.

Environmental associations, civil society organisations, political parties and the local population are reacting strongly against mining projects in Golan. Legal battles are being waged to highlight the environmental and health hazards of mining activities. Meetings, protests and panel discussions are organised to raise public awareness about the impact of mining on nature and human life, and to build social solidarity against these activities. The civic dynamics of the city see this struggle not only as a struggle for environmental protection, but also as a struggle for survival for the future of the local people.

International conventions and protection commitments

Turkey is committed to protecting biodiversity through international agreements such as the 1979 Bern Convention and the 1992 Rio Convention on Biological Diversity. However, it is a fact that the mining project in the Golan does not comply with the requirements of these conventions. Mining projects carried out in disregard of these commitments required by international law reveal once again that Turkey disregards its environmental responsibilities and legitimises the massacre of nature for the profit motive of companies.

Koza holding and exploitation policies

Mining activities, which are particularly intensified in the region, are considered by experts and environmental organisations as exploitation of underground riches. These projects are carried out at the expense of depleting natural resources and destroying ecosystems. The mining policies implemented by the state in these regions violate international and national laws and put human life on the back burner. Koza Holding is used as a ‘battering ram’ in this process, leading to the plunder of the riches in the region. The use of hazardous chemicals such as cyanide in mineral exploration poses great threats to the environment and human health and is considered an unacceptable violation.

KURDISTAN

DBP workshop in Amed: Organisation is the only solution against oppression

The Democratic Regions Party (DBP), in its workshop focusing on organisation in Amed, emphasised the importance of organised struggle for freedom against oppression.


ANF
AMED
Sunday, 8 September 2024

At the workshop held in Amed with the theme ‘Freedom begins with organisation’, DBP Co-Chairs Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar and Keskin Bayındır stated that organisation is the only solution against oppression in the country.

Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-spokesperson Cengiz Çiçek, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs and many representatives of organisations are also attending the workshop.

Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, who made the opening speech, criticised the state's efforts to reshape Kurdistan and emphasised that organisation is the most effective antidote against these attempts.

Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar said, “We have to establish our organised power wherever the Kurdish people live, wherever the forces of democracy exist. In the 21st century, either what the denialist state says will come to life, or the 3rd way and the democratic republic.”

DBP Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır stated that the lack of a strong organisation lies at the root of today's conflicts and oppression.

Keskin Bayındır pointed out that, “In Kurdistan, the nation-state is growing and hardening step by step under the leadership of the AKP-MHP government. However, there is no major objection against this. The reason is the weaknesses in organisation. We see that organisation against this oppression and enmity is weak in society. As a political party, we see ourselves responsible for organising society together with our institutions and comrades against this oppression and hostility. We will hold a discussion for two days due to that responsibility and need. We will organise ourselves and our mentality against this. We will wage a broad struggle. This struggle will not only be within our institutions. Street by street, village by village, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, young and old alike, we will struggle to create an organised mind, a free mind. First, we will organise ourselves, then we will organise our society.”

Bayındır added, “Our goal is to create a society that fights for its rights and its cause and to live in a free country. All our friends who are involved in these activities fight for the freedom of the Kurdish people. We will hold discussions for two days with the aim and goal of a strong organisation.”

The workshop continued closed to the press after the speeches of the party co-chairs.

Rally demanding freedom for Abdullah Öcalan in Berlin

A demonstration for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan took place in Berlin.


ANF
BERLIN
Sunday, 8 September 2024, 11:13





A demonstration against the solitary confinement of Abdullah Öcalan, who is being held captive in Imrali since 1999, took place in Berlin.

The action, organized by the youth movements TCŞ and TekoJIN, was part of the internationally led campaign "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question". The organizations demanded the physical freedom of the Kurdish people's leader, and criticized the governments of Western countries for their silence about the injustice in Imrali and their ambivalence towards the violations of human rights and international law by the Turkish state in Kurdistan.

TCŞ activists said: "We are on the streets against 25 years of isolation, torture and isolation. Abdullah Öcalan is the living symbol of the Kurdish people's struggle for freedom. He is the path to a solution not only to the Kurdish question, but to all peoples of the Middle East. Yet the world ignores this.

The European Union, the United Nations and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) remain silent about the inhumane conditions of solitary confinement in Imrali. They trample on their own laws and turn a blind eye to Turkey's blatant human rights violations."

The activists continued: "While the legitimate resistance of the Kurdish people is being declared terror, Turkey's imperialist policy is spreading throughout the Middle East. We are not silent now, and we will not remain silent in the future. The freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is the key to justice and peace not only for the Kurdish people, but also for the entire region.

His release is more than a symbolic demand; it is an indispensable prerequisite for establishing genuine peace in the Middle East. This inhumane isolation regime must be ended immediately and Abdullah Öcalan must be released. The Turkish occupation and extermination policy against the Kurdish people must be ended. Because we know that Öcalan's freedom is the freedom of the Kurdish people."

The Berlin police were present in large numbers and repeatedly attracted attention with provocative behavior throughout the march. Nevertheless, the event was able to reach its end without interruption. After the rally, the participants then held a sit-in to protest against the detention of four people, who were subsequently released.

Karker: Turkey tries to spread treason in Kurdish society through groups like Hizbulkontra

Mirkhan Karker spoke in detail about the (historical) attempts of the Turkish state to spread treason in Kurdish society.


ANF
BEHDINAN
Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Mirkhan Karker, member of the KCK Committee for Peoples and Beliefs, spoke in detail about the (historical) attempts of the Turkish state to spread treason in Kurdish society and the democratic society of Turkey through contra organizations, particularly Hizbulkontra and HUDA PAR.

Here is an excerpt of his interview.

"Betrayal is like cancer in a society. Just as cancer envelops the whole body and makes it sick, betrayal, if society does not take precautions, if it does not decipher and recognize those betrayers, spreads to society in a short time and destroys society. The rulers influence society through religion, money, or by giving out high positions in order to drag people into treason. One of the institutions used in this betrayal is Hizbulkontra, which was formed by an agent called Huseyin Velioglu. Officially, it was formed by him, but looking back, one can see from which tradition it comes. Huseyin Velioglu was a member of the so-called National Union of Turkish Students (MTTB) in 1970-80. The MTTB was founded in 1946 by Teshkilat-i Mahsusa, which was the Turkish intelligence service of that period. Its main mission was first aimed at the Armenians, taking away their property, massacring, and raping them. In 1925, when the Sheikh Sait rebellion started, they would put the Eastern Reform Plan into action. At the same time, the MTTB had started to mobilize. They started massacring Kurds by murdering Sheikh Sait. Then they mobilized in the metropolis against the Greek people. Their slogan at that time was ‘Citizen speak Turkish!’.

Between 1950-1980, they used it against democratic and leftist movements. For example, after the leftists protested against the US 6th Fleet coming to Turkey, the MTTB committed massacres that were aimed particularly at the youth. They were organized by the state to suppress society. They were responsible for the Gurgum (tr. Kahramanmarash) Massacre and the Sewas (tr. Sivas) Massacre, to name just two out of a very long list. In 1980, their member Huseyin Velioglu was assigned as responsible for Kurdistan. They first wanted to make him the union president of Petrol-Iş in Batman. There was Temel Cingoz, the martial law commander of Elih (tr. Batman) at the time, who promised to make Velioglu win the election. He used a helicopter to enable Velioglu to travel around all of Eli. But then Veliogu lost in the election, and they realized that their power was weak in society; they were not recognized by society. At that time, radical and political Islamists were not well known and were not accepted by religious circles. When they saw that they were not organized in society, they made a policy shift. For example, they started to open libraries in cities like Amed (tr. Diyarbakir), Elih, Cewlig (tr. Bingol), and Wan (tr. Van) between 1980 and 1990. Following the libraries, they built student houses and mosques and generally started to try to educate society according to their desire.

In the 1990s, our movement was well rooted in society and the serhildans were launched. Already in the 1980s, they had formed the institution of the so-called village guards. In the 1990s, they put Huseyin Velioglu’s Hizbulkontra organization into action. Through them, they massacred civilians, patriotic people, journalists, students and politicians on open streets. But when this was not enough, JITEM came into play. Their agents were both enabled to legally use weapons and ordered to commit massacres in the cities.

When they realized that even this wasn’t sufficient, they wanted to recruit other communities against the freedom movement. And they killed the leaders of the communities and organizations that did not accept this. For example, they burned Fidan Gungor. Mansur Guzelsoy and Ubeydullah Dalar were brutally murdered in their mosque. They kidnapped Kurdish scholar Izzettin Yildirim and murdered him. They murdered feminist writer Konca Kurish. It is such an immoral organization that they buried the people they murdered under the houses they built and lived in. Sometimes they say they fought against the PKK, but they are lying. They did not come and fight in the mountains. Instead, they slaughtered civilians, patriotic people, and journalists in the cities. At that time, Hizbulkontras were receiving training at riot police headquarters in Elih and Amed. The police would take people’s information and give it to the contras, and the contras would kidnap and murder people.

At that time, you either had to do what they said or you would be massacred. JITEM, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other, supported them. The Kurdish people named them Hizbulkontra. Because what they did was not in the morals of the Kurdish people. Arif Dogan’s confessions also included how people were killed through a special method of restraint that led to the suffocation of the victim. From Elih to Cewlig, from Amed to Wan, wherever the village guard system was developed, wherever JITEM was developed, the activity of Hizbulkontra increased. After the international conspiracy, the state hoped that the movement would disappear; accordingly, they set an end to Hizbulkontra. In 1999-2000, they went after the contras. They killed their agent-provocateur leader Huseyin Velioglu in Istanbul. However, the murder of Huseyin Velioglu was most probably staged. His body was found with 50 bullet wounds, while his companion, who was right next to him, was not even wounded. Arif Dogan later said that Valioglu was probably executed in a different place after an interrogation and that the crime scene had been prepared.

The names of the murderers who executed and burned people, some of them with acid, at that time were all in the state archives. When the time came, they arrested them all. They said there were 20 thousand pages on the main Hezbollah trial. But they had to realize that the freedom movement was not smashed and that now their contras were deciphered, so they established Mustazaf-Der. It was the political wing, consistent with those agents that had not been arrested. They started to distribute aid among Kurds and wanted to make society forget about the murderers. But after a while, this was not enough for the state, so in 2011, Edip Gumush and Cemal Tutar, former executioners who had murdered hundreds of people, were pardoned by the Erdoğan government. When the Kurdish political movement gained strength in society, the state gave Hizbulkontra a new mission. Even the name of the party they formed is interesting; HUDA-PAR, as if Allah needs a political party. They are immoral people that have no values; they abuse Allah, the Prophet, anything. They are not ashamed of doing anything.

Society knows who they are, who founded them; they know Cem Ersever; they know Arif Doğan; they know Huseyin Velioglu; they know the community leaders that were murdered by them. There is a social memory. That is why they have not been accepted among the Kurds. In the 2023 elections, these Hizbulkontras took part in the Ergenekon alliance. The state never kept this a secret. Many ministers have spoken about this, using it as propaganda and a threat. But unfortunately, there is a bigoted mass that follows such agents, contras, and provocateurs. They are few, but we need to recognize who these contras are. Even if they are few, they should not be a cancer in society. They need to be exposed, because what they have done in the past, they will do again in the future.

They try to redefine history according to themselves and try to use the significance of historical figures such as Sayit Nursi, Sheikh Sait, or Mevlid for themselves. They do the same with Saladin Eyyubi. In Elih and Diyarbakir, they put a showman in a Saladin Eyyubi costume on a horse and have him dance through the streets in their name. Saladin Eyyubi did not ride on the asphalt of Elih. He fought in Jerusalem. He was not a devious butcher like them. He was a just man. Now they say that they are protecting the Palestinian cause, but not one of them fought and died in Palestine. They only come out of their mosques and chant slogans of down with Israel. They cannot even show Palestine on the map. They have all become property owners, capitalists, owners of associations, and owners of shopping malls. They don’t care about the Palestinian cause.

They just try to deceive the people. Instead, they criticize the freedom movement on their stance on Palestine. But we have martyrs who lost their lives for the Palestinian cause. The movement fought alongside the Palestinian people in Lebanon and gave martyrs. They say they don’t sell Israeli goods and boycott them, but go to their shopping malls. Maybe they don’t sell Coca-Cola symbolically, but they sell all the other goods coming from Israel, Europe, and America. These are hypocrites. Not only do they get rich through powerful states, but they also make propaganda in society as if they are against these states.

On the other hand, the Union of Scholars and Madrasahs, which they established, declare those who are not with them as infidels and hypocrites. They are shameless like this. However, what they say is one thing and what they do is another. They are the biggest hypocrites. They have established something called the Union of Scholars with imams they bought with money, and through this they are enemies of society. They cannot keep themselves alive among the Kurds, so they intend to keep themselves alive through exploiting Kurdish values. In Elih, in Amed, they go and raid cafes, and question why Israeli, American and European goods are sold, but when you look at the images, you can see how unconscious they are. They themselves wear Nike or Adidas shoes on their feet. Their clothes are also Adidas. All these are European, American, and Israeli goods. There is a world of difference between the price of a person going to eat in a café and the price of their shoes. They go with their goods to supposedly protest against American and Israeli goods. What they stand for and how they live are not the same. This is called hypocrisy.

Also, looking at their associations and parties, you won’t find one female executive or a female leader in one of them. To them, a woman in a leading position is immoral. Men are free to do whatever they want, but they have removed women from society. They perceive women’s participation as a deterioration of society. According to them, women should only take care of the house and raise children. They have created such a system that when their parties hold their congresses, you can see who is sitting in front and who is sitting behind. They remove women from society. They bring a few women symbolically, but there are no women in their associations, in their parties, in their trade. They are enemies of women. They are detached from society, from the values and culture of society, they are betrayers, traitors, collaborators, Ergenekonists. Once they were the helpers of JITEM. Once they were the helpers of AKP. Now they are the helpers of AKP-MHP. They need to be exposed more. It is as if they have not done anything in the past, and they have founded a new party called HUDA PAR. No matter where the betrayal comes from, it should not be accepted by society. Society should not accept them among them."

The Universities of the Barzani Dynasty

While the people of South Kurdistan experience economic and social problems and are subject to invasion attacks by the Turkish state, the children of the Barzani family open multi-million dollar universities and govern them as they please.

PIRAN DOZDAR
AFN NEWS DESK
Monday, 9 September 2024

The Barzani family and the KDP are handing over the gains that the people of South Kurdistan have achieved as a result of their decades-long struggle, to the invasion attacks by the Turkish army for their own power and interests, and are ensuring that the Turkish army and its gangs get themselves established in Behdinan.

Barzani and the KDP are usurping the rights of their own people and society in Hewler and are using what belongs to the people for their own family dynasty.

The Kurdistan Federal Government has not yet been able to pay the salaries of July and August. It is still uncertain whether the salaries of this month, September, will be paid or not.

There are serious electricity and water problems in the settlements in the Federal Region. While electricity is provided for 8 to 12 hours a day, water is provided for 8 hours a day in many places where is scarce.

The government headed by Masrour Barzani is accused of corruption by the Baghdad government, and the parties keep blaming each other for the non-payment of salaries.

While the people of South Kurdistan are struggling with major economic and social problems, members of the Barzani family are making headlines with million-dollar investments.

British International University

On Saturday, the President of the Kurdistan Federal Government, Masrour Barzani, opened the British International University in Hewler. The university was built at a cost of approximately 100 million dollars. The university belongs to Masrour Barzani's son, Arin Barzani, who is only in his early twenties. Arin Barzani graduated from the Royal Sandhurst Military Academy in England last month and is receiving a salary as a lieutenant from the Kurdistan Federal Region Government.

University of Kurdistan - Hewler

The University of Kurdistan in Hewler is headed by Mir Idris Nêchirvan Barzani, the son of Kurdistan Regional Government President Nêchirvan Barzani. According to the law, in order to head a university, one must work in academia for at least 10 years, but Mir Idris Barzani has no connection to academia and is only in his early twenties. Mir Idris Barzani runs a well-known university in Iraq, where dozens of academics with hundreds of students work, as he pleases.

He appears to be in charge of the university financed by the Kurdistan Federal Government, and receives a salary from Baghdad as a government employee.

Kalkan: The KDP must be exposed more

Duran Kalkan talked about the need to show the real face of the Barzani family and the KDP to the world.


ANF
BEHDINAN
Saturday, 7 September 2024

In the third part of this in-depth interview, Duran Kalkan, member of the KCK Executive Council, talked about the betrayal of the KDP and the Barzani family.

The first part of this interview can be read here, the second here.

An essential core of the attack on the Kurdish freedom movement is, as you have already mentioned, based on betrayal and collaboration. These seem to have deepened even further over the last few years. What can you tell us about this?

The reality is that the KDP, especially the Barzanis, really needs to be exposed more. It is necessary to show their true face to the world. The deception that is covered up in this regard is most prevalent here. For example, the villages and homes of the people of Bradost, Rekani, Nerwehi, Berwari, Sindi, and dozens of other tribes are being burned by the KDP. The KDP gives the biggest support to the Turkish Republic. Land is being burned, villages are being burned, gardens are being destroyed, and people are being displaced from their homes. It is a complete massacre.

They always show pictures of Gaza, but let the journalists come and have a look at what is going on in Metina, Zap, Heftanin, or Bradost. Despite the ban, Kurdish villagers take to the streets and complain about their situation in the press. “We could hardly save our lives,” they say. They could not save their belongings, nothing. At the same time, the Barzanis are getting bigger and bigger. Their dynasty has grown. They took Hewler and other places. I remember a statistic that was published maybe ten years ago. Already back then, Necirvan Barzani was one of the 100 richest people in the world. Ten years have passed, and now he is probably one of the 50 richest. Masrour Barzani is probably following him. They have stolen so much. For 35 years, they have taken all the riches of southern Kurdistan into their own hands. The press writes about this now. There is no need for us to further elaborate on it here. But what needs to be asked is: How can this be allowed? How come the people remain silent? Those who burn and destroy so much are indeed despicable. They are despicable, but shame on those who watch and remain silent.

The cooperation between the Turkish intelligence service (MIT) and the KDP or Parastin is not new. It has existed since their foundation. This is commonly known. They themselves are not in a position to deny this. They themselves have even openly admitted this on several occasions. Moreover, since 2018, these joint investigation rooms and joint operation rooms mentioned now are already being implemented at the most advanced level. Parastin is to blame for all the attacks that have taken place in the Medya Defense Areas for the last 6 years, since 2018. They gave the information to the Turkish press and made them report it. On the basis of MIT’s cooperation with the armed forces, “we have carried out many attacks, and shot PKK members.” It is not MIT that has caused these Turkish attacks. There is no MIT in Southern Kurdistan. There is Parastin. MIT and Parastin are one, they are intertwined. Parastin does all the informing. It collects all the intelligence. On this basis, they had massacre after massacre. Not only their hands, but their whole bodies disappeared in a pool of blood.

In these last 6 years, they had not tens, or hundreds, but thousands of freedom fighters massacred. All the attacks in which thousands of freedom fighters were martyred and in which the Turkish Republic proudly claimed, “I have killed so many,” all happened with Parastin’s denunciation. Yes, it was given under the name of MIT, but Parastin gave all this information to MIT. We have these documents. This is not a new situation. It has been going on for years and on the basis of the most despicable cooperation.

Now the important thing here is this. The Barzanis are being exposed. It is obvious what kind of collaboration and betrayal they are in. The fascist AKP-MHP saw that the support of the betrayal gave them a little breathing space; the gangs and mercenaries gave them a little more breathing space, as those gangs under the name of village guards did. Now they are trying to deploy similar forces like the Barzanis in the north. Those who held hands with Tayyip Erdoğan and Bahceli in Ahlat, who call themselves a “Kurdish party,” who we call Hizbulkontra, who call themselves Hudapar, who were once known as Hezbollah, and some of the circles around them are trying to be turned into the new political and military gangs of northern Kurdistan, just like the Barzanis and KDP did in southern Kurdistan. This is a clear fact and a serious danger now.

I would like to express a warning to these circles. We have already warned them from time to time. Collaboration and betrayal had already severely harmed the Kurds a hundred years ago. Those who are now repeating that history will be remembered as the worst people in history. They must not fall into that situation. The PKK will not allow this. They should stop imposing this. Otherwise, history and society will curse them.

The circles that are fooled by them should stay away. What does this have to do with Kurdish patriotism? What relation can a Kurd have with the AKP-MHP fascism, which not only massacres in northern Kurdistan but also massacres wherever there are Kurds in southern Kurdistan and Rojava? Can such a person be called a Kurd? He is an obscure fascist like Devlet Bahceli. No one in Turkey would hold his hand. What does it mean to hold his hand? Why does the one who curses every day and has Kurds massacred hold his hand and raise it? Is he not ashamed? Does he not understand this at all? It is a game to make them fight against the Kurds. Just as they did in the past a century ago and succeeded in the Lausanne process, they want to repeat the same thing now. Some people are now trying to play the sinister role of collaborationism and betrayal. They should stay away from this. Otherwise, they will be harmed. The freedom struggle will not allow this. On this basis, I also call on our people. This is the biggest danger.

The worst game. Let us see this reality. There must be a clear attitude against them. There must be a clear attitude. Rêber Apo said, “Let us choke such collaboration and betrayal.” They should not be able to go out on the streets. They should not be allowed in public. They should be spit in their faces. Collaboration and betrayal deserve to be drowned. It is not possible to develop the freedom struggle and bring it to victory without their drowning. It is not possible to defeat the colonialist, genocidal enemy without their suffocation. Because they are the most protective and strengthening of the enemy. In this respect, the struggle against the fascist, colonialist, genocidal mentality and system is absolutely inseparable from the struggle against collaboration and betrayal. They are connected like fingernails and toenails. On this basis, everyone must be sensitive. The emergence of a new Barzani in northern Kurdistan must not be allowed or given the opportunity.

THE RUSSIAN VIEW

Opinion

The Destructive Effects of NATO’s Drive to Be Present in the South Caucasus

10.09.2024

Alibeman Eghbali Zarch
© Sputnik/Denis Aslanov

A new phase of cold and soft war has begun in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia; a shifting of the power puzzle’s role. If some regional powers move to change their borders, it will have dangerous regional implications in the third millennium, Alibeman Eghbali Zarch writes.

The world of politics has entered a new stage, which, like the growth of technology, has accelerated political changes and security developments. The international arena is involved in numerous and diverse crises, including the genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, which is mainly focused on Eurasia. In the Caucasus region, new developments began in 2021 with Azerbaijan’s military operations against Armenia; the ultimate goal in this competition between the Turkish-Azerbaijani axis and Armenia is to have a greater share in dominating the Eurasian region, which has geopolitical and geo-economic importance. Also, in the fall of 2023, the forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan captured the Karabakh region, and tens of thousands of Armenians were forced to migrate to Armenia. Now, the negotiations between the parties to hand over four villages to Azerbaijan are in their final stages.

In the new situation, where we are witnessing the emergence of signs of a new hot and cold war between the West and Russia, Central Asia and the South Caucasus are an important focus for the parties. However, for the US and Israel, along with France and Britain, the 3+3 format Caucasian peace talks were unacceptable because they could have led to the realisation of sustainable peace and, ultimately, blocked their interventionist path in Central Asian equations, preventing NATO from having a presence in the area. Thus, although their official position after the meeting was to support peace and stability in the region, in practice they work to disrupt the agreements reached at the Tehran summit or to pursue paths that can have political-economic and geopolitical consequences for Iran akin to those of the Zangezur Corridor.

The Russians are trying to increase their role and capabilities in the region in competition with the US, Turkey, and even China, and in a full-scale way, monitor the movements of neighbouring countries that are close to NATO. Of course, each of these countries has declared that its goals are to provide security and deal with terrorism, immigration, etc. In fact, it should be said that a new phase of cold and soft war has begun in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia; a shifting of the power puzzle’s role. If some regional powers move to change their borders, it will have dangerous regional implications in the third millennium.

On the one hand, the Russians generally believe that the region should not become the main focus and centre of NATO’s movements. On the other hand, NATO, the US, and other Western countries also believe that if they do not enter the region, Turkey and Russia will use their basic levers, including economic and energy capacities, to put more pressure on these countries and develop local influence. However, the Caucasus and Central Asia region, being at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, wants to become one of the centres of the modern world structure, especially when it comes to the two vital issues of energy transfer and the fight against terrorism.

Of course, this region has many latent crises, such as border disputes between countries, which have lent weight to separatist activity. Dealing with these crises and achieving a long-term solution that provides for the interests of all parties is one of the priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, other regional powers and even the European Union’s foreign policy officials.

Under the new circumstances, the main victims will be the nations and countries of the region, although it must be remembered that if Azerbaijan, Armenia, and other nearby countries have strong governance and their leaders are both tactful and politically sufficient, they can easily prevent huge and devastating disasters.

The developments in the region have attracted the attention of important powers, including the Euro-Atlantic axis, and the European Union knows very well that its interests will depend more and more on Asian and European countries in the coming decades. At the same time, the EU has already attempted to reduce tension in this regard, including hosting several rounds of Azeri-Armenian negotiations in Brussels with the mediation of the EU’s top foreign policy official.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also continued his diplomatic efforts to prevent the escalation of tension between Baku and Yerevan and has spoken with the leaders of both sides. However, France, as a major military and diplomatic power of the European Union, has many motivations to be active in the Central Asia and Caucasus region. Given France’s position as a world power and its role in the discussion of strategic arrangements on the eastern borders of the EU, it cannot remain indifferent to such a crisis, especially since these two countries are located at the gates of Europe and in the vicinity of Russia and Iran. It is no secret that the South Caucasus is one of the priorities of France’s foreign policy and security. It is believed that this region should be linked to the EU through the signing of a stability agreement because it cannot witness an unstable region on its borders for an indefinite period. The South Caucasus is a meeting point of geopolitical and energy interests, as well as a region of conflict between the US, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the Americans have long been trying to suddenly enter like a Hollywood hero after creating crises and wars in different regions of the world and narrowing the field, even at the expense of their friends and partners, and in this way increase their sphere of influence. Amid last year’s conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States visited Yerevan and supported Armenia’s position. In a way, he repeated the artificial scenario of his predecessor’s trip to Taiwan, by announcing the existence for Ankara and Moscow.

In this sensitive situation, it should be acknowledged that the countries of the Caucasus region and Central Asia, willy-nilly or not, are experiencing a sensitive period that has made their interests a scapegoat of foreign powers, especially Turkey, France, the US, Israel, and the West. Certainly, the recent developments will have little results for the people of the region, or at least no country will “win” as a result of the recent events.

At the same time, the leaders of small countries in the region should know that based on the historical experience of the 20th and 21st centuries, the great powers, especially NATO leaders, often find a way to agree in difficult situations and usually sacrifice the interests of small countries for their own goals and interests. Although the conditions for such a scapegoat are now very difficult, historical experience says that the smart leaders of the surrounding countries should act in such a way that they do not become the scapegoat of the great powers.

There is a geopolitical struggle underway for control over Eurasia, which has enormous potential, especially in light of the role played by China and Russia. This approach involved the activation of Ukraine for Russia, Taiwan for China, and sanctions against Iran. Both Iran and Russia oppose NATO expansion to the east, as they believe there isn’t any rational reason for it. Under its 13th government, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made significant political and economic moves in the region. While increasing the number of economic and political exchanges as well as meetings between leaders, Tehran confirms that it will continue to maintain a balanced position of active neutrality, with the aim of actively consulting with the leaders of the countries of the region and strengthening comprehensive cooperation.

In short, solving the problems of the countries of the region necessitates rational and competent governance; in addition to closely monitoring developments and adopting appropriate and timely positions, the important approach of encouraging the parties to resolve their border and territorial disputes, with a focus on negotiation and the observation of conventions and international regulations, should be at the forefront of affairs. If progress and excellence in the region are to be achieved, a stable peace must be established, as well as mutual trust with collective participation. The last words refer to the guidelines of the Supreme Leader regarding the impossibility of accepting any changes in the geostrategic nature of the region or changing borders and communication routes, which have existed for several millennia.