Armenia remembers Russian plane crash victims

November 2, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – A candlelight vigil in memory of the 229 victims of the Russian plane, which crashed en route from Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) to Saint Petersburg (Russia) on October 31, was held Sunday outside the Embassy of Russia in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

For the past three days, people place flowers and light candles outside the embassy, and also bring toys to remember the 25 children who were in this passenger plane.

A participant in the commemoration ceremony told Armenian News-NEWS.am that, thus they are offering their condolences to the Russian people and praying for the souls of the crash victims.

Financing ISIL: ‘Some Turkish Businessmen Involved in Selling Oil’

November 2, 2015 By administrator

Turkish ex-deputy of the opposition of the Republican People’s Party from the province of Hatay, Mehmet Ali Ediboglu, spoke to Sputnik in an interview about ISIL’s abundant sources of finance.
ISIL has a number of sources from where it gets its revenue, but according to Ediboglu, one of the largest items of revenue is the sale of oil.
The Former MP said the Syrian oil fields are located in the Raqqa region. “ISIL holds the key to these deposits and together with a certain group of persons, consisting of those close to Barzani and some Turkish businessmen, they are engaged in selling this oil.
“There is evidence that the oil revenues amounted to $800 million, later this amount increased to 1-2 billion dollars. The investigation into this matter continues today.

There is information that 27 Turkish and Iraqi businessmen are directly involved in this trade. Iraq’s central government has taken a number of measures in this regard.”

He went on to say that the United Nations has likely provided the Iraqi and Turkish leadership with lists of the names of these businessmen. But so far the oil trade continues to bring huge profits to ISIL. From Turkey, the oil goes into the Mediterranean Sea and from there it is transported to various parts of the world.

“Turkey said that it does not help ISIL. However, there are various groups that Turkey considers to be ‘reasonable’ and provides them with considerable support and weapons. These groups are later subjected to pressure from ISIL or al-Nusra Front and are forced to sell weapons to these jihadists.”

Mehmet Ali Ediboglu stressed the ineffectiveness of the actions of the coalition forces in the fight against ISIL. “The jihadists have not suffered any significant losses as a result of the bombings by the coalition forces in Syria. Most likely, this is due to the fact that they had leaked information about the strikes. Meanwhile, the Russian air operation is highly effective. Since the Russian airstrikes ISIL militants have begun to bear heavy losses.”
“I suppose that in the next few months, the Syrian government will be able to establish its influence in the large parts of the country. If Russia continues its active operation and together with these airstrikes and ground attacks, these militants will suffer their final defeat.”

Turkey Complicit in ISIL Funding by Involvement in Stolen Oil Purchase

November 2, 2015 By administrator

Turkey is complicit in funding the Islamic State militant group through purchase on the territory of Turkey of crude oil stolen from fields captured by ISIL.

MADRID (Sputnik) — Ankara is complicit in funding the Islamic State militant group through purchase on the territory of Turkey of crude oil stolen from fields captured by ISIL, a member of Confederal Group of the European United Left — Nordic Green Left told Sputnik.
“[Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] has almost directly backed ways [of funding] the Islamic State and allowed purchasing oil stolen by IS, which is a source of funding for terrorists,” Javier Couso, also the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs vice-chair, said.
According to Couso, Erdogan is fighting Kurds despite their assistance in countering ISIL, and Brussels continues to support Ankara without paying attention to Turkey’s “destabilizing role.”
Couso stated that Turkey had failed to fulfill international resolutions and was seeking the overthrow of the Syrian government.
Islamic State has captured large areas in Syria and Iraq. Its advance is being countered by airstrikes of a US-led coalition, as well as an air campaign by Russia in Syria. Kurdish forces, as well as Syrian and Iraqi troops, are actively fighting extremists on the ground.

German Merkel billion $$ rescue pakage put Erdogan in power guaranty ISIL for another 4 Years

November 2, 2015 By administrator

Erdogan Wins Big – Great News for Merkel

Turkey prepared well for Merkel’s visit. In return of agreeing on a common EU–Turkey Joint Action Plan on migrants, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu requested four points: the opening of negotiation chapters with the EU, visa liberalization for Turks traveling to the EU, 3 billion euro to deal with the refugees, and the invitation of Turkish leaders to EU summits.

These four points are Turkish frustrations dating back to more than 10 years. In April 2004, the United Nations organized a referendum on the Kofi Annan plan to solve the Cyprus dispute, Turkey’s decades-long occupation and partition of the island. Turkey convinced the Turkish Cypriots to vote in favour. The Greek Cypriots, however, voted against the plan. Nevertheless, the Greek part of Cyprus became a member of the EU in May 2004. In the years to come, it would do everything to block the process of Turkish membership.

Turkey AKP party win election by silencing media, arrested 500 KDP members 190 party buildings put on fire or destroyed

November 1, 2015 By administrator

The atmosphere in the predominantly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir is one of anger and disappointment, writes Constanze Letsch.

The leftist, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP) lost points in many provinces in Turkey, including in the metropolis where the party lost one seat to the AKP.

Protesters clashed with the police close to the HDP headquarters while votes were still being counted, with police using water cannon and teargas.

In a small teahouse close to the party headquarters, several men silently watched election result being counted on television.

“I cannot believe this,” said one retired teacher of 59. “I feel heartbroken. [The AKP] steals and kills, they put pressure on everyone, they muzzle the press, but they still win. I have lost faith in this democracy.”

With 95% of votes counted, the AKP won almost 50% of all votes, according to the state news agency Anadolu. The main opposition Republican People’s party (CHP) stood at 25.2 percent, smashing all possibilities of a coalition government. The HDP scraped over the unusually high threshold of 10% with 10.6 percent of all votes, down from 13% in the 7 June election.

Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu lauded the unexpected electoral success as a victory for democracy.

Close to the square of the local court in Diyarbakir, where votes were counted, a group of women, all of whom had stood watch at ballot boxes throughout the day, expressed their anger over incoming results.

“We all knew that [the AKP] would win again,” said Hatice, 50, the head of a small cosmetics company in Diyarbakir. “Why else did [Turkish president Recep Tayyip] Erdogan insist despite everything on snap elections? Now we are afraid that the pressure will increase.”

https://twitter.com/BirGun_Gazetesi/status/660894520926732288

Azerbaijani dictator Aliyev’s party seen easily winning election with (0) opposition party

November 1, 2015 By administrator

BAKU – Reuters

President Ilham Aliyev’s ruling party is poised to sweep the board in a parliamentary election in Azerbaijan on Nov. 1, a vote the mainstream opposition and international monitors are shunning.

Aliyev has consolidated his power since succeeding his father and long-serving leader Heydar in 2003, presiding over a period when officials say revenues from rising oil and gas exports have delivered better living standards.

Rights groups accuse the government of curbing freedoms and of silencing dissent, while the opposition complains of harassment, a lack of access to air time, and draconian restrictions on campaigning.

The government denies wrongdoing, and Western governments, who are courting Azerbaijan as an alternative source of oil and gas to Russia, balance their criticism over human rights with strategic considerations.

Azerbaijan is host to oil majors including BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron.

“We got 71 (out of 125) seats at the previous election and we have every chance to repeat that victory this time,” Ali Akhmedov, the executive secretary of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) Party, said.

The mainstream opposition in Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim country of about 9 million people, sandwiched between Iran, Russia and Turkey, is boycotting the poll.

“The pre-election period was marred by massive violations. That’s why we decided not to participate,” opposition Musavat Party leader, Arif Gajily, told Reuters.

Several rights activists and journalists have been jailed this year. They include Leyla Yunus, the head of the Baku-based Institute for Peace and Democracy, and Khadija Ismayilova, a prominent journalist from the U.S. government-funded radio station Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, known for exposing corruption among top government officials.

Human Rights Watch said this week that Azeri authorities had convicted or imprisoned at least 35 journalists and rights and political activists in 2014 and that “the crackdown continued at a dizzying pace.”

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said it would not monitor the election because restrictions imposed on it by the authorities made credible poll monitoring impossible.

“I urge Azerbaijan’s leaders to engage with their citizens and with the international community in an open and honest dialogue aimed at bringing human rights and rule of law back to the country,” the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s democracy and human rights chairperson, Isabel Santos, said earlier this week.

Some foreign journalists, including reporters from Reuters, were not issued with accreditation to cover the election. The foreign ministry cited technical difficulties.

November/01/2015

HDP says unfair election conditions, deliberate polarization behind poll result

November 1, 2015 By administrator

The leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) have said that unfair election conditions and a deliberate policy of polarization by President Tayyip Erdoğan explain their drop-off in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

The HDP was forced to cancel election rallies following two deadly attacks on pro-Kurdish gatherings since July. Television stations gave party representatives little air-time amid government attacks branding the party as the political wing of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

HDP’s co-chairman Selahattin Demirtaş told reporters that “there wasn’t a fair or equal election… We were not able to lead an election campaign. We tried to protect our people against attacks.”

Co-chair Figen Yuksekdağ said he HDP would analyze in a detail a drop in its support since the last parliamentary election in June, but said the fact the party had crossed the 10 percent threshold needed to enter parliament was nonetheless a success.

She said the HDP has faced the most challenging circumstances during this process and recalled that 258 civilians, including 33 children, lost their lives during the last five months since the June 7 election. “Yet, today’s success was achieved by those who walked against attacks,” she said.

Following the vote Sunday, small clashes broke out in Diyarbakır in the Kurdish southeast between protesters and police.

Pro-Kurdish HDP Party Alleges Fraud Across Eastern Turkey Polling Stations

November 1, 2015 By administrator

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters received complaints of fraud from polling stations across the eastern Turkish province of Agri during snap parliamentary elections, according to correspondent.

AGRI (Turkey) (Sputnik) – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters received complaints of fraud from polling stations across the eastern Turkish province of Agri, a Sputnik correspondent reported Sunday.
With 66.5 percent of the votes counted, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is ahead in the snap elections with 51.8 percent. MHP is just above the 10-percent threshold at 11.4 percent, behind the main opposition CHP party at 22.6 percent.
Intense security presence was observed throughout the polling stations, with entrance bans in place for foreign observers and journalists.
Leyla Zana, one of 80 HDP candidates into Turkey’s 550-seat Grand National Assembly, voted earlier in the northwest Agri city of Eleskirt. Zana also reportedly experienced problems with access to the station.

EU: Game Changing’ Snowden Resolution Protects Rights of All EU Citizens

November 1, 2015 By administrator

Edward Snowden’s legal representative in Hong Kong told Sputnik that last week’s resolution from the European parliament to prevent Snowden’s extradition is a progressive step to protect the rights of citizens in the EU.

The approval by the European Union parliament of a resolution that calls on member states to prevent Edward Snowden’s extradition to the US marks a “natural progression” to ensure greater protection for the rights of EU citizens, lawyer Robert Tibbo told Radio Sputnik on Sunday.

Despite the vote having no legal force, the resolution to offer protection from extradition to Snowden “definitely falls into a game-changing set of resolutions,” said Tibbo, who represented Edward Snowden in Hong Kong.
“The EU has resolved to recognize that from its 2014 EU parliament report, necessary changes need to be made relating to electronic mass surveillance by government.”

The report identified issues such as a lack of transparency and government oversight, and deficiencies in policies and legislation that should ensure the privacy rights and human rights of EU citizens are not violated by surveillance programs, said the lawyer.
“The European Union in 2014 also mentioned the necessity to provide policy legislation and mechanisms to protect whistleblowers,” explained Tibbo.
“That was a year and a half ago, and the resolution last week by the European Parliament was a recognition that European Union members have not done enough so far in terms of bringing about those changes.”
The resolution that was passed on October 29 was a “very significant step,” said Tibbo, which follows a previous resolution in 2013, the 2014 report and a report from the UN rapporteur on human rights as early as 2009, which warned about a lack of protection for civilians’ privacy and human rights.
“With Snowden’s revelations, there was a significant drop in trust between the European Union and the United States, and the European Union is simply moving forward, building up that trust again with the United States government.”
“This is a natural progression, the European Union, based on evidence, based on law and policy, they are making rational decisions on how to move forward to protect European Union citizen’s rights.”

Southeast Turkey Car Bomb Injures 2, Sets Off Fires – Reports

November 1, 2015 By administrator

A car bomb blast injured two residents of the southeast Turkish province of Mardin, local media reported Sunday.
ANKARA (Sputnik) – The blast occurred at approximately 18:30 GMT in the majority Kurdish city of Nusaybin, on the Syrian border to the south, according to CNN Turk.
The explosion of a vehicle parked in a residential neighborhood smashed the windows nearby buildings and reportedly set off a fire at a nearby shopping center.

The injured were taken to hospitals, while fire brigades continue battling the flames. Police are conducting an investigation into the blast.