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MIDEAST MIRROR 13.05.15, SECTION C (TURKEY & IRAN)

 

1-From today’s Turkish press

 

TURKEY/SYRIA: Gonul Tol detects a U.S. shift towards Turkey’s position on the Syrian crisis in centre-left Radikal: "The U.S. seems to have changed its attitude about the jihadist groups in Syria. Previously it was supplying arms to the groups it was supporting on condition that they stay away from the jihadists, and it was refusing to cooperate with such groups. The recent Idlib [takeover by the Nusra al-Qa’ida affiliate] operation shows that Washington is now much more flexible about working with these groups. In brief, Washington seems to have moved closer to Turkey and Qatar's position on Syria to a certain extent. In return for that, and with the approval of the Saudis, Turkey is pressuring Nusra to sever its links with al-Qa’ida."

Nedret Ersanel expects further developments in Syria to the detriment of the regime in moderate, pro-Islamic, pro-government Yeni Safak: "The balance is rapidly changing in Syria. Only a limited area along the Syria-Israel border remains in the regime’s hands. The opposition is gaining strength in Syria and the regime is losing. Without doubt, the claim that 'friendly regimes in the region have a role in the growing strength of the opposition' indicates that developments are underway regarding the future of Damascus."

 

RUSSIA/WEST: Beril Dedeoglu concurs with Russia’s suspicions of Washington in centre-right, pro-government Star: "NATO is known to have recently held a series of military exercises near the Russian border. Apparently, Russia has also taken a sharp stance against NATO. Looking at Putin's speech on the May 9th V-E Day ceremony, it is clear that he sees the West as responsible for this tension. Putin is right on this issue. The U.S. has made a great effort to turn Russia into the 'other' so as to stem the likelihood that Europe would drift away from the U.S. It has apparently persuaded Putin of this as well."

 

DEATH OF 1980’S COUP GENERAL EVREN: Cengiz Candar seeks to settle accounts with Turkey’s former military regime in Radikal: "There has been no true settling of accounts with the September 12th 1980 military coup, and thus with its [recently deceased] leading general Kenan Evren, not even in the 2000s, which bear the stamp of the AKP (ruling Justice and Development Party), let alone in the 1990s. The 'New Turkey' that the AKP aspires to cannot be established unless Kenan Evren and not only the 1980 coup but the entire system it initiated are truly confronted.”

Ali Bayramoglu singles out the Kurdish issue as Evren’s main legacy in Yeni Safak: "Evren and September 12th mean crimes against humanity: Torture, execution, massive arrests, deaths in custody. The left considers itself to be the target of September 12th. However, the target was all political movements, the entire country in all its various identities. But if there was a separate group among them, it was the Kurds. The Kurdish issue is one of the legacies that Evren left behind. This legacy in all its dimensions is what Turkey needs to cleanse itself of, settle accounts with and face."

Deger Ozergun sounds a warning in centrist Millet: "Death sentences were passed on 517 people. 124 were approved. 50 were carried out. This is the balance sheet left by Kenan Evren. Now, he is being held responsible for what he did. Unfortunately today, as well, some people [in authority] seem to have adopted the former dictatorship regime as their model. They are looking at numbers, making calculations. They forget that they will be held responsible for what is happening today as well!"

 

 

2-From today’s Iranian press

 

NUCLEAR TALKS: Reformist Arman contends that the Arabs will pay: "Iran’s nuclear case greatly influences the international order. Whether it is resolved in a comprehensive deal or not, the region should be ready for huge changes. A major gap is developing between the Arabs and the United States. Some Arab states, who claim to be the core of the Arab world, are concerned that if a nuclear agreement is reached, they will have to accept obvious defeat and even pay a high cost in the region in the future." 

Conservative Resalat urges a response to U.S. intransigence: "Americans speak about holding nuclear negotiations with Iran while stating their refusal to lift sanctions. By flaunting imaginary military options, they continue their insensitive extortions. American repeated threats demonstrate that they do not seek a fair nuclear agreement and do not recognize Iran's nuclear rights. Our diplomatic apparatus should clearly and firmly respond to the rudeness and excessive demands of the American side once and for all in order to remove doubts that some people have about the nuclear talks." 

 

CAMP DAVID SUMMIT: Conservative Quds reports: "In the Camp David summit, the U.S. is going to brief six Persian Gulf countries about Washington's new policies after a final nuclear deal with Iran. Some Arab countries worry that the final agreement and the removal of sanctions will lead to the expansion of Iran's influence in the region. The American president will brief these Arab countries about U.S. policies after a possible agreement with Iran." 

Centrist Jomhuri-ye Eslami shows the Arabs the right way: "The U.S. aims at the Camp David summit to sign multibillion arms deals under the pretext of a security agreement. The best option for these regimes that are aligned with Israel is to become a little self-reliant, stay away from ignorant prejudices and return to Islam. Instead of looking for foreign support, they should try to provide security inside their countries and in the region. They should know that a big and powerful neighbour, such as Iran, provides a big umbrella of protection against foreign greed." 

 

SAUDI ARABIA: Reformist Mardom Salari claims that Saudi Arabia is a loser: "Saudi Arabia competes with Iran at the regional and geopolitical level. In this rivalry Saudi Arabia is the loser; the fury resulting from this loss is fully evident in its behaviour. The reason for Saudi violence against the Yemeni people is the defeat they suffered in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq."

Reformist E'temad explains: "Saudi King Salman believes that his country needs fundamental changes. He wants to send the message that the recent changes are not only political, but also ideological. This will be challenging for the Saudi kingdom, since Wahhabi clerics will not easily accept changes. By changing his title from king to Imam, Salman wants to tell Wahhabi clerics that his word is final and they must accept it. This doesn't seem to be easy."

Hard-line Keyhan is disappointed: "The strange and unfortunate remarks of Mr. Mohsen Rezai, the Expediency Council secretary, that ‘in case Saudi borders are violated, Iran would be the first country to rush to the aid of the Saudi people’ were made about a puppet regime that has betrayed Islam during its shameful existence and is currently brutally massacring the innocent people of Yemen. Can Mr. Reza'i deny these terrible crimes against humanity? After Saudi cruel attacks on Yemen, people of this Muslim country have the legal and religious right to respond. Indeed, they have attacked several military bases in Saudi Arabia. Mr Reza'i should be asked whether it is the duty of Iran to defend Saudi borders against Yemeni attacks. Mr. Reza'i, please judge yourself! Do you know what you are saying?!" 

 

CHINA/RUSSIA: Conservative Siyasat-e Ruz reads the message: "The joint naval exercise of Russia and China points to military and security convergence in the framework of fighting terrorism and countering security threats. The exercises convey a message to the West and their allies that crossing the Chinese and Russian security red lines will have serious consequences." 

Hard-line Javan reads another message: "Choosing the Mediterranean Sea for staging the drill conveys a clear message to Europe and the U.S.. It clearly conveys that both Russia and China no longer accept the Western unipolar approach and aim to consolidate their military presence in that sensitive region to create a multipolar balance." 

 

KURDISTAN: Conservative Khorasan is harshly critical: "The President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Mas'ud Barzani visited the U.S. after a Congress bill that considered Iraqi Kurdistan an independent country. Barzani's tyranny is encouraged by some U.S. power institutions. Although Barzani personally seeks to partition Iraq, he actually represents the U.S. neoconservative will."

 

 

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