Category: North Africa

  • Turkey’s IHH to send humanitarian aid ship to Libya

    Turkey’s IHH to send humanitarian aid ship to Libya

    ANKARA, Turkey — The humanitarian organisation Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) said on Friday (April 8th) it plans to send a humanitarian aid ship to Libya next week. The IHH was in the centre of a conflict between Israel and Turkey last year, when its ship, trying to deliver aid to Gaza, was stormed by Israeli security forces in a raid that left nine activists dead. The ship will leave from Istanbul to the Libyan port of Misrata will carry food, powdered milk, infant formula and medicines.

    In other news, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined a roadmap that would help restore peace in Libya. He urged forces aligned with leader Muammar Gaddafi to withdraw from cities they have besieged, and proposed establishing humanitarian aid corridors and comprehensive democratic change. Erdogan plans to discuss it next week in Qatar. (World Bulletin Zaman, Press TV – 08/04/11)

     

  • This Spring won’t breed any more Turkeys

    This Spring won’t breed any more Turkeys

    The Times (UK), 5 April 2011, p. 1-19

    Norman Stone *

    A slow, draconian process of modernisation and a hostile attitude to Islam is no model for the Arab world

    Odd to think, but we are at the 100th anniversary of an event involving Libya that precipitated a world war. In October 1911, the Italians invaded the Turkish possession; the defeat of the weakened Turks encouraged the Balkan nations to attack the last outposts of the Ottoman Empire in Europe, ultimately ending in the outbreak of the First World War.

    Ten years down the line, Kemal Atatürk expelled the last occupying forces that were trying to divide up what was left of defeated Turkey, removed the Sultan and, in 1923, established the Republic of Turkey.

    Atatürk said explicitly that Turkey had to modernise. And, with leaps and lags, Turkey has largely done so.

    Democracy is well established and much of its economy has reached the levels of Mediterranean Europe, though there are large patches of backwardness in the southeast. Such is its success that outsiders now talk of the « Turkish model » as the future for Egypt and the rest of the Arab world.

    This is a far-fetched notion. Turkey has been westernising, autonomously, for nearly two centuries. But it did so, Western advocates should note, in authoritarian fashion.

    Until the 1950s, there was a single-party regime, though there were limits to the repression. (True, they put their leading poet, Nâzim Hikmet, into prison, but he did provoke it, going down to the docks to preach communism to the Navy, even after his cousin, the Interior Minister, told him privately that they would have to arrest him. He then faced an absurdly long spell in prison, where he was subjected to a most cruel punishment: his former wife was allowed to come for the weekend.) Democracy eventually did come about, but has only really worked in tandem with the steady economic progress which has occurred since the last serious military coup, in 1980. Its progress exactly matches Francis Fukuyama’s argument that you can afford democracy when your GDP per head reaches a level of around $7,500.

    Nowadays there are more than 80 million Egyptians, mostly crowded into the Nile Delta and Cairo, and there is a gigantic problem of youth unemployment throughout the Arab world. Even the strongest military regime would struggle to do more than keep order and hope vaguely that economic progress will come about.

    So what else does the Turkish model require? The most important element is state control of religion, to curb the wild men, of whom Islam generally produces a great deal too many. Religion in Turkey is strictly overseen by a central office, which even dictates the shape of mosques. Whether this would go down well in the Arab world is questionable.

    Much from the Atatürk state clashes with Islam as practised elsewhere. His republic’s symbol was the hat, introduced to replace the Ottoman fez and the Islamic turban in 1925. Last month’s cover in my Atatürk calendar has the great man opening a model farm that year with ladies in cloche hats, some maybe on their way to dancing the Charleston.

    That revolutionary step was just one of many. Arabic words were replaced or just dismissed from the dictionary; the script was made Latin, rather than Arabic, almost overnight in 1928 — a move that counted in some eyes as blasphemous, since the language and script of the Koran expressed the word of God. Similar blasphemy occurred when the ezan, the call to prayer, was read out in Turkish. Peasants were turned away if they arrived in Ankara dressed in traditional garb. A Soviet system of « people’s houses » spread in the countryside, especially to show women that they did not have to be domestic servants.

    A new version of Turkish history was taught in schools, putting the country at a distance from its Ottoman identity. Secular Turks looked on its Islamic past and the Caliphate as republican Frenchmen or Italians looked on the Catholic Church: as the enemy. Turkey was created, in other words, more or less as an express rejection of the world to east and south — something that will have been noted by Arab nations.

    The Government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s moderately Islamist Prime Minister, comes from another tradition, one in which the Caliphate counts the most. His appeal to common Islamic brotherhood is not empty, and most recently it has been used on the Palestinians’ behalf.

    But Arab-Turkish relations are never truly warm; many Turks are dismissive of the Arabs, and many Arabs would be dismissive of the so-called Turkish model. And on Israel Turkey is divided, because a great many Turks would associate Hamas with the PKK, the Kurdish separatist fighters. The much-vaunted pan-Islamic co-operation never gets anywhere.

    Necmettin Erbakan, Turkey’s first Islamist Prime Minister, who held office for a year in 1996-97, dreamt up an Islamic foreign policy and lined up with several lovelies from that world — starting with Colonel Gaddafi. But during a trip by Erbakan to Tripoli, Gaddafi spat in the soup and denounced the Turks for not treating the Kurds properly. Erbakan’s second in command then denounced Gaddafi as a « bare-arsed Beduin ». So much for religious solidarity.

    Now, just as the world looks to Turkey as an example for the Arabs to follow, Turkey’s own model is turning rather sour. Recently there was a huge demonstration for journalistic freedom in the centre of Istanbul, following the heavy interrogation and, in some cases, imprisonment of some 4,000 journalists.

    Visitors to the country might not recognise the problem, but secular Turks are worried at « the desecularisation of modern Turkey » because Islam has been spreading: the calls to prayer, which ought to be made by a gentle human voice, now come bullyingly over megaphones in many quarters of Istanbul.

    Understandably, the Turks wonder quite what « the Turkish model » is supposed to be now. For the educated classes it is obvious enough — the Atatürk state. Almost by definition, that state is not Muslim, let alone Arab.

    Should a a tension arise between nationalism and Islam, then in Turkey nationalism would probably win.

    Atatürk, when asked to describe the Turkish identity, just shrugged his shoulders and said, « We are similar to ourselves », and that is good enough to be going on with. The Turkish Model will stay Turkish.

    * Norman Stone’s latest book is Turkey: A Short History (Thames and Hudson)

  • Libyans welcome Turkish government’s peace proposal

    Libyans welcome Turkish government’s peace proposal

    Istanbul – Both sides of the conflict currently raging in Libya have welcomed a peace proposal put forward by Turkey that calls for an immediate ceasefire, the creation of humanitarian zones and a swift transition to a constitutional democracy.

    Outlining the plan late Thursday in Ankara, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the main purpose was ‘to ensure a transition to constitutional democracy in line with the legitimate demands of the people and the preservation of Libya’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.’

    Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire and for Gaddafi’s forces to stop all attacks on civilians and lift the siege they have imposed on certain cities.

    ‘Secure humanitarian zones should be established to provide unimpeded humanitarian aid to all our Libyan brothers,’ he said.

    The aim of the political transformation should be the establishment of a constitutional democracy with free elections, the premier said.

    Erdogan said Turkey’s special envoy to Libya held talks with the head of the rebels’ transitional council, Mustafa Abdul Jalal, and that Turkey would discuss its plan at a contact group meeting on Libya set to take place April 13 in Qatar.

    Abdul Jalal told broadcaster Al Jazeera that the transitional council would be ready to accept Turkey’s proposal if Gaddafi and his family left the country.

    There was also a positive response from Tripoli towards a plan that focused on the humanitarian aspects of the Libyan crisis, a government representative told Al Jazeera.

    The rebels had previously criticized Turkey for warning against delivering weapons to them. On Tuesday, a Turkish ship carrying aid was turned away from the port of rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

    via Libyans welcome Turkish government’s peace proposal – Monsters and Critics.

  • Turkey Nudges Gadhafi Regime

    Turkey Nudges Gadhafi Regime

    By MARC CHAMPION in Istanbul and CHARLES LEVINSON in Benghazi, Libya

    Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday came closer than before to calling for Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s removal from power, amid wide criticism over Ankara’s Libya policy.

    “A comprehensive democratic transformation process that takes into account the legitimate interests of Libyan people should start immediately. The aim of this process should be to settle constitutional order that people freely elect their rulers,” Mr. Erdogan said in televised remarks.

    But the comments weren’t well received in Libya, where Turkey’s strong reputation in the Middle East has been taking a beating.

    “It’s not enough,” said rebel spokeswoman Iman Bugaighis. “We need action, not talk. The street is boiling and no one can understand the Turkish position.”

    Rebel leaders have complained openly in recent days about Turkey’s reticence in directly tackling the Gadhafi regime, regarding Ankara a key obstacle to their efforts to goad the international community to intervene more decisively on their behalf.

    Turkey’s hesitant, and sometimes contradictory, approach to the Libyan uprising has contrasted strongly with its early calls for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign in February and has triggered criticism in some Arab media.

    Rebel leaders Thursday also accused Ankara of providing food aid to loyalist soldiers and obstructing NATO’s air campaign at the risk of Libyan lives.

    At a news conference in Bengahzi on Thursday, a senior rebel medical official waved in the air a military-ration food packet, which he said was recently found amid the supplies carried by captured loyalist soldiers on the front lines.

    The packet had Turkish labels on it and a production date that indicated it was manufactured in January. The official said that suggested Ankara was helping to supply the forces of Col. Gadhafi.

    “We found this food with Gadhafi soldiers,” the medical official, Dr. Gebril Hewadi, said. “It’s newly produced and it’s from Turkey. I think there is a special agenda between Col. Gadhafi and the Turkish government.”

    “While our civilians are being killed, Turkey is distributing food to Gadhafi’s militias,” rebel spokeswoman Iman Bugaighis added. “Turkey needs to stand on the right side of history.”

    It wasn’t possible to verify the claim or to determine how the Turkish food might have ended up with Gadhafi troops.

    On Tuesday, a rebel aid ship carrying food, medicine and weapons from Benghazi to Misrata was intercepted in international waters by a Turkish naval vessel and forced to turn around, according to rebel officials and journalists on board the boat. Turkish warships are stationed off the coast to enforce an arms embargo on Libya.

    Much of the rebel anger appears to stem from a belief that Turkey is behind what they perceive as NATO reluctance to provide air cover to rebels troops since the Western military alliance took over command of the operation from the U.S. “The Libyan people hold Turkey responsible for that,” said Hafiz Abdel Goga, a member of the rebels’ provisional governing body, the Transitional National Council.

    Turkey is a NATO member and was vocal is seeking transfer of the air operation’s command from the U.S. and French-led coalition that first imposed the Libyan no-fly zone.

    Coalition jets also attacked loyalist columns as they approached opposition centers, something the rebels say NATO has been hesitant to do.

    “As in all NATO operations, a commander was assigned to this operation and that commander is an American. There is no way that one country can interfere with that commander’s operational decisions,” said Selcuk Unal, a spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry, denying the charge.

    Turkey initially rejected the idea of any NATO military intervention in Libya, but has since appeared to backpedal as events on the ground changed and it found itself diplomatically isolated. Turkish companies snapped up more than $7 billion in construction contracts in Libya over the past two years and Turkish leaders had built a strong relationship with the Gadhafi regime.

    “This is the first time Turkish foreign policy in the region is facing a real challenge where it has to choose… Gadhafi has to go and the question is will Turkey join in pushing with its NATO allies or not?” said Huseyin Bagci, head of the international relations program at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara.

    Turkish policy has led to criticism from some media in Arab countries, such as Egypt and Qatar. A column in Qatar’s Al-Watan newspaper on Thursday accused Turkey of “wasting time” with its Libyan negotiation efforts, despite knowing that “there is no room at all for gathering the [opposition] National Council and Al-Qadhafi’s family at one table.”

    Qatar has spearheaded Arab support for military intervention in Libya.

    Mr. Unal dismissed an anti-Turkish demonstration by Libyan doctors in Benghazi on Wednesday as “a small group,” and defended Turkey’s more cautious diplomacy. Turkish officials also have questioned privately whether Wednesday’s demonstration was spontaneous, noting that just hours earlier a Turkish ship had collected hundreds of wounded rebels for evacuation and treatment in Turkey.

    That aid effort only appeared to trigger more opposition anger, however. Rebel officials said the ship was ill-equipped, and wounded patients received no medical treatment, forcing rebels in Benghazi to pull their own doctors away from hospitals to treat wounded on the boat. Turkey said the ferry had a medical staff of 15 on board including eight doctors, and ambulances and extensive medical aid.

    Turkey later tried to send an aide ship to Benghazi with food and medicine, but the rebel leadership turned it away. “We said thank you very much and refused to accept it,” said Ms. Bugaighis, the rebel spokeswoman. “We don’t accept aid from governments that refuse to help stop the killing of our people.”

    —Margaret Coker contributed to this article.

    Write to Marc Champion at [email protected] and Charles Levinson at [email protected]

  • Gaddafi should step down

    Gaddafi should step down

     

    84243 libyan doctors attend a demonstration in front of turkish embassy in b

     

    Turkey wants Moammar Gaddafi to step down as the ruler of Libya, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, in the wake of discussions with both Libyan government officials and representatives of the opposition.

    * (Photo: Reuters)<br>Libyan doctors attend a demonstration in front of Turkish embassy in Benghazi

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    (Photo: Reuters)

    Libyan doctors attend a demonstration in front of Turkish embassy in Benghazi

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    “We are not in favor of the Gaddafi family’s rule continuing in Libya. A new administration should be set up in line with the Libyan people’s demands,” an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told the Hürriyet Daily News, a Turkish newspaper based in Ankara.

    On Tuesday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met Mahmoud Jibril, a leader of Libyan opposition member, in Qatar to discuss a possible ceasefire in Libya.

    “We are looking for common ground, a starting point but both sides [in the Libyan conflict] have lots of objections,” a Turkish official said. “Our efforts aim to achieve an immediate truce, then a political negotiation between the parties and a new administration that will take power following an election.”

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    The prior day, Davutoglu met with Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi, with a message that Gaddafi wanted to end the civil war,

    Separately, Turkish officials told Jibril that they were dismayed by anti-Turkish protests in Benghazi, Libya.

    Rebel forces attacked the Turkish consulate in that city, and demanded the lowering of the Turkish flag. Protesters also blasted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a “persona non grata.”

    Last week, Erdogan insisted that Libyan rebels should not be armed by NATO.

    Protesters in Benghazi chanted, “The revolutionaries want arms,” “Erdoğan don’t be blithe, look at Misrata” and “Erdoğan, don’t talk to Gaddafi.”

    “The protestors are saying that Erdogan disappointed them and are urging him to take his place alongside the Libyan revolutionaries,” said Turkish Consul Ali Davutoğlu.

    Turkey’s former ambassador to Libya, Ömer Şölendil, was sent to Benghazi by Erdoğan to consult with Mustafa Abdul Jalil, head of the rebel group Transitional National Council.

    “Jibril also expressed regret over the protests and said they could not control all the groups in Benghazi,” a Turkish official said.

    Meanwhile, Turkey has taken control of the Benghazi airport in order to facilitate conduct humanitarian relief missions in Libya.

    On Tuesday, two Turkish airplanes carried more than 500 wounded Libyans to Turkey for medical treatment.

     

    83276 8060 rebel fighter stands in front of two burning vehicles used by forces l

     

     

    83276 8060 rebel fighter stands in front of two burning vehicles used by forces l

     

    via Gaddafi should step down: Turkey – International Business Times.

  • Turkey pursues its Libya mediation efforts despite setbacks – The National

    Turkey pursues its Libya mediation efforts despite setbacks – The National

     

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    Thomas Seibert

    Last Updated: Apr 7, 2011

    ISTANBUL // Faced with anti-Turkish demonstrations in Benghazi and a stubbornness to enter talks from the warring sides in Libya, Turkey is soldiering on with mediation attempts to end the conflict in the north African nation. But the government in Ankara is showing signs of frustration with the lack of progress.

    Turkey has invested much work and prestige into its efforts to find a political solution to the military confrontation between Colonel Muammar Qaddafi and the opposition in Libya, arguing that the use of soft power will prove to be more efficient than western air strikes.

    Turkish officials, after weeks of trying to bring the Qaddafi camp and the opposition together, have expressed disappointment about the lack of common ground between the two sides.

    Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, told reporters accompanying him on a trip through several Middle Eastern countries that Turkey is pursuing a three-fold strategy in Libya, according to news reports yesterday.

    via Turkey pursues its Libya mediation efforts despite setbacks – The National.