MIDEAST MIRROR 25.06.15, SECTION C (TURKEY & IRAN)

1-From today’s Turkish press

COALITION SCENARIOS/EARLY ELECTIONS: Cengiz Candar puts Syria at center stage in centre-left Radikal: "Can a coalition, which will not accept to alter Turkey's Syria policy from top to bottom, be formed? Can the CHP [Republican People's Party] take part in such a coalition? Can the HDP [pro-Kurdish leftist alliance] support it? If the AKP [Justice and Development Party] and the MHP [Nationalist Movement Party] unite around the priority of 'opposing the Kurds in Syria', will they be able to rule Turkey despite the balance of power that was created by June 7th general elections? Unless these questions find their right answer, a permanent coalition cannot be formed."

Melih Asik argues that only one coalition option is possible in centrist Milliyet: "What kind of a compromise did the nation suggest with the election results? It is very clear: a compromise on a government in which the AKP does not take 60 percent. However, neither the CHP, nor the MHP are inclined towards such a partnership. Both party leaders did away with coalition alternatives without the AKP, even before the MPs took their oath. They prepared themselves for a coalition offer that would come from the AKP."

Mustafa Balbay notes a conflict between the president and the PM in secular, Kemalist Cumhuriyet: "With the new parliamentary era, Erdogan's dominance in the AKP has decreased. He still has some weight, of course, but the ease with which he could materialize the decisions he wants is no longer there. PM Davutoglu can rescue himself and his party from Erdogan’s tutelage and provide for the establishment of a new government. The climate being created by Erdogan and his close circle against Davutoglu’s approach is based on the following: The electorate is not happy with what is happening; the votes that left the AKP might return if there is an early election."

Writing in the same paper, Ahmet Tan looks at what may happen next: "The election of the parliamentary speaker represents the most important step for any coalition. It suggests that former CHP head Deniz Baykal and current head Kemal Kilicdaroglu are in a way uniting their fate. Baykal’s election would mean that Kilicdaroglu would be deputy prime minister of an AKP-CHP government. In this way, Kilicdaroglu's CHP leadership will also be consolidated. But what will the future of the country and his party be? The whole nation will have to wait and see."

Ali Yurttagul is disturbed by the prospect of an AKP/MHP coalition in moderate, pro-Islamic, pro-Gulen Zaman: "The parliamentary arithmetic and all the evidence show that we are moving towards an AKP-MHP coalition. With the MHP, democracy, freedom and the probability of returning to the EU track that symbolizes the AKP's rise, will be very difficult. Without moving forward on the Kurdish issue, which is the mother of the problems of democracy and freedom, it will not be easy to progress. It would be naive to expect a 'dialogue' on the Kurdish issue from an AKP-MHP coalition."

Halime Kokce sends a message to the opposition in centre-right, pro-government Star: "What is the AKP’s best option? There is no doubt that early elections serve it best. The opposition parties that sit at the table with their red lines regarding the effort to form a coalition should know that if a bargain were to be made, it is the AKP that holds the best card. That is to say that the AKP will gain most from an early election. Those who play hard to get, or who show disrespect for the president himself or his post as a matter of political posturing, should know that."

Abdulkadir Selvi bets on an AKP/CHP coalition in moderate, pro-Islamic, pro-government Yeni Safak: "MHP leader Devlet Bahceli is trying to make it harder and CHP leader Kilicdaroglu is trying to make it easier to form a coalition with the AKP at every opportunity. A coalition with the CHP preserves its significance since it will be based on broad social grounds, might end the tension in society and is the preferred option of the business world. Having the Kurdish peace process on the table and avoiding the risk of losing the Kurdish votes are also among the pros of an AKP coalition with the CHP. Early elections are a distant possibility and a coalition is more probable." 

2-From today’s Iranian press

NUCLEAR TALKS: Hard-line Keyhan lambastes the U.S.: "The Supreme Leader's precise remarks in a meeting with senior government officials once again upset the American game in the negotiations. In a multi-layered strategy, the U.S. seeks to turn the strengths and capabilities of Iran into weakness. Contrary to some domestic optimism regarding a deal, the Americans are determined to secure great privileges at our expense. They hope to convey a message to those who have been inspired by Iran over the past three decades that Iran has now been defeated. Those who glorify the U.S. should explain how a country that downed an Iranian passenger plane in 1988 and imposed sanctions on the purchase and use of civilian planes can be the nation's friend?" 

Conservative Resalat insists that lines ought to be drawn: "In the nuclear negotiations, U.S. strategists, diplomats and politicians are taking strong positions against our country's red lines. The U.S. wants to expand the talks away from any rules and regulations so that any behaviour, conduct and strategy can be justified. Insistence on our red lines will lead to the demarcation of the negotiations and would neutralize the enemy's game. The secret of Iran's success in the talks has been our insistence on these red lines and the emphasis on a demarcated field." 

Conservative Hemayat knows how to get there: "Nobody has any doubt about how a good deal can be reached. Observing the red lines set by the Supreme Leader is the way to do this. On some occasions, sanctions have strengthened the foundations of the country and should be welcomed. Our objection is that some cruel sanctions have limited world access to our domestic markets. It is our right that sanctions be removed on the day of signing rather than during implementation. The negotiating team's role is sensitive, because we face an arrogant culture that has opposed the foundation of Islamic Iran from the beginning. Our team should not be deceived by the enemy's smiles and false promises." 

Moderate Iran calls on the Supreme Leader to be decisive: "The fact is that President Rowhani's administration has faced domestic opposition from the beginning in pursuing its policy of resolving nuclear disputes through negotiations. When Rowhani was attacked by radicals at the airport after his return from the New York UN trip in September 2013, it became clear that the important nuclear talks faced opposition from hidden layers of Iranian power structure. This needs to be decisively brought under control by the regime's top authority."

U.S. SPYING ON FRANCE: Conservative Khorasan is not surprised: "Despite the remarks by the French government, it is not so difficult to understand why spying is so prominent in a world ruled by the logic of the jungle. Is it not true that their principle of national interests stipulates that in foreign policy there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests'? A clearer explanation for this logic can be found in the wolf's behaviour in the jungle."

For hard-line Javan U.S. spying is normal: "The U.S. regards spying on other states - even on its closest allies - as its right. The documents show that America's spying does not have any connection to the fight against terrorism. American spies focused on issues such as the policies of French presidents towards the EU and the EU's financial crisis as well as the internal affairs of the union. WikiLeaks announced that it would release more documents. But, it is clear that releasing more documents will not bring a change in U.S. behaviour. This matter will eventually face a similar fate to that of U.S. eavesdropping on Angela Merkel's telephone conversations." 

VOLLEYBALL DIPLOMACY: Reformist Mardom Salari writes about the role of sports in support of diplomacy: "Statements and remarks by the U.S. volleyball team about their impressions in their trip to Iran can neutralize the political and media plots of our enemies. The concerns of those who traffic in sedition should be ignored and greater cooperation between Western civil societies and our own civil society should be encouraged, in order to use public diplomacy to support official diplomacy."

TURKEY/SYRIA: Reformist Sharq expects a less interventionist Turkish policy in Syria: "Turkey's policies in Syria, particularly support for ISIS terrorists played an important role in reducing the Justice and Development Party's share of the votes in the recent elections and its failure to win a majority of parliamentary seats. The turbulent situation in Turkey following the recent elections, and the entry of the Equality and Democracy Party (EDP) as the ally of the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] made circumstances inside Turkey more difficult for the ruling current. The EDP, together with other Turkish parties, is against the interventionist policies of the previous government in Syria."

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