Turkey: U.S. Must Push for Political Reform
July 21st, 2010 by Farid
Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Henri Barkey argues that putting blame on the European Union for “Ankara’s movement away from the West,” as remarks from President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates have suggested, is an oversimplification and shows a lack of understanding of Turkey’s internal affairs. According to Barkey, the current Turkish administration “would have acted the same way even if membership to the EU were imminent,” saying that Turkey’s movement away from the West is simply a reaction to its “over-inflated” sense of importance in the world stage. Turkey, according to Barkey, believes that its “strategic location, economic prowess, historical ties and cultural affinities with the Muslim world” can be utilized to enhance its “activist foreign policy” and “Ankara’s importance.” Its interest in the Middle East is also a commercial one, as Ankara is searching for new markets, Barkey says. Nevertheless, in regard to its potential membership in the EU, Turkey faces several challenges, including the Kurdish problem and more importantly, the fact that the government “does not embrace the rule of law.” Barkey concludes that U.S. silence on domestic concerns within Turkey relieves “Turkish leaders from the burden of reform and from being honest with their public.” If EU membership for Turkey is in fact in America’s interest, then “the U.S. must align itself with Turkish and European advocates of change and help transform Turkey into a more tolerant and democratic society. Only then is EU membership likely.”
Posted in Kurds, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkey: 15 Year-Old Kurdish Girl Convicted As Terrorist
July 20th, 2010 by Farid
Becky Lee Katz at the LA Times Babylon & Beyond blog reports that a 15 year-old Kurdish girl, Berivan Sayaca, who attended a demonstration while visiting her aunt, has been convicted as a terrorist and sentenced to a seven-year, nine-month jail time. Turkish authorities allege that the demonstration was held by the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and they accuse Sayaca of throwing stones at the police. Supporters of Sayaca deny that she was part of the demonstrations, saying that she was only passing by a demonstration “coordinated not by the PKK but by the recently banned Kurdish political party Peace and Democracy, or BDP.”
Decorating a letter to a local human rights groups with hearts and roses, Sayaca wrote: “I’m drowning and imprisoned though I have committed no great crime,” “it is more than I can stand. I feel so much pain. I do not deserve to be here. You cannot imagine how terrible a place the prison is. Words are not enough to explain it. I’m so scared to spend the rest of my childhood in here. I want to be with my family, in my house, go to school, play with my friends. I want to be free instead of being in prison.” According to an anti-terror law passed by the Turkish government in 2006, “minors can be convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 50 years in prison,” and Sayaca is currently waiting until her 23rd birthday to be released, while her “mental health has deteriorated” during solitary confinement.
Posted in Human Rights, Kurds, PKK, Turkey | Comment »
Iran: Resurrecting a Human Rights Agenda
May 13th, 2010 by Josh
Responding to the news that Iran had executed five Kurdish activists — seen by some as a move to intimidate oppositionists from demonstrating on the one-year anniversary of the presidential election — Roxana Saberi takes to the Washington Post to promote human rights in Iran as a “first-tier” priority. “When the U.N. Human Rights Council meets in Geneva next month, Washington and the European Union should lead calls for a resolution setting up a mechanism to investigate human rights atrocities in Iran during the past year,” she says. “A bigger push should be made to send a U.N. special envoy on human rights to Iran and to aid Iranians, including the many journalists forced to flee their country out of fear of persecution.”
Amnesty International released a statement saying that the Kurdish prisoners, two of whom it claims confessed only when subjected to torture, were executed in violation of the law. “These latest executions appear to be a blatant attempt to intimidate members of the Kurdish minority and other critics and opponents of the government in the run up to the first anniversary, on 12 June, of last year’s disputed presidential election,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty’s Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Over at Democracy Digest, Michael Allen highlights some of the efforts by opposition members and unionists to show solidarity with the fallen Kurds and whip up a new wave of political support.
But the Leveretts aren’t as certain about the motivations behind the executions, and they find it unwise and damaging to the policy-making process for a New York Times reporter to disseminate unsubstantiated claims as part of what they believe is a less-than-subtle effort to “advance a pro-Green political agenda.”
Posted in Human Rights, Iran, Kurds, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »
Iraq: The Coalition Tug-of-War Continues
May 7th, 2010 by Chanan
Concerns about sectarian tension caused by Iranian meddling in Iraq resurfaced this past week as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition joined forces with two other leading Shia blocs, potentially marginalizing Ayad Allawi’s Sunni-backed and secular Iraqiya party. The alliance struck between Maliki’s State of Law bloc and the Shia-dominated Iraqi National Alliance grants the coalition 159 seats, three shy of a parliamentary majority.
In an interview with the AFP, Iraqiya spokeswoman Maysoon Damaluji described the alliance as a “sectarian merger” formed by Iran. ”The Iraqiya list and the national project have been targeted and we feel that this merger was designed by regional powers,” she said.
According to a report in Al-Hayat referenced by Juan Cole, Damaluji may be right about Iranian interference. “One of al-Hayat’s sources maintained that Iran had brokered the coalition in order to deny secular ex-Baathist Iyad Allawi, a known CIA asset, out of the prime ministership, and to stop any move to internationalize the process of forming an Iraqi government (as Allawi has called for),” which the U.S. supports. The blog, Musings on Iraq, arrives at a similar conclusion: “For now the main goal of the new Shiite coalition is to maintain their control of the state, and keep Iyad Allawi out of power. That doesn’t mean his National Movement won’t have a seat at the table of a new government, but Allawi will not be allowed to become prime minister again.”
Perhaps, for that reason, a visibly frustrated yet determined Allawi argued that he had the right - as the lead vote getter in the March 7 parliamentary elections - to get the first crack at forming a government. This might prove difficult, especially after Iraq’s predominant Kurdish bloc offered support on Thursday for Maliki’s growing faction.
Writing on ForeignPolicy.com about the burgeoning developments in Iraq, the Washington Institute’s Michael Knights sees the perfect storm of events weakening American influence and increasing Iranian clout. “If current trends persist, the next Iraqi government will sideline Iraq’s Sunni Arab population, lack the cohesion required to govern effectively, and will be the ideal environment for Iran to peddle its influence in the aftermath of the U.S. military withdrawal,” he argued. Though denying its likelihood, TIME columnist Joe Klein quipped, ”it would, of course, be rather ironic if Bush’s war of choice turned Iraq into an ally, or satellite, of Iran.”
Posted in Elections, Iran, Iraq, Kurds, Political Islam, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy, Uncategorized | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Assessing ‘A New Way Forward’: One Year of the Obama Administration in the Middle East”
January 21st, 2010 by Josh
The Project on Middle East Democracy hosted an event to analyze President Obama’s first year in office and present ideas for a more substantive engagement in democracy promotion moving forward. In his inaugural address on January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama declared, “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.” This vision of a “new way forward” became a theme of the Obama administration’s interactions with the Arab and Muslim world during its first year. President Obama further articulated this vision in his major speech in Cairo, in which he identified seven major challenges that the U.S. and the Muslim world must confront together: violent extremism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, nuclear nonproliferation, democracy, women’s rights, religious freedom, and economic development. Now, on the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration, we gather to assess the Obama administration’s first year and to examine further opportunities for the administration to implement its vision of a new beginning with the Arab and Muslim world.
POMED’s Executive Director Andrew Albertson provided opening remarks and introduced the keynote speaker, Senator Robert Casey, Jr (D-PA). Daniel Brumberg of the U.S. Institute of Peace then moderated a panel of six speakers, each of whom participated in one of POMED’s three regional conferences in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan: Mohammad Azraq, 2010 Leaders for Democracy Fellow in Jordan; Karim Bayoud, Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections; Cole Bockenfeld, International Foundation for Electoral Systems; David Linfield, Fulbright Fellow in Jordan; Bassem Samir, Egyptian Democratic Academy; and Jessica O’Higgins, International Student Exchange Programs.
Albertson moderated the second panel, which consisted of: Adel Abdellatif, Arab States Bureau, UN Development Programme; Michele Dunne, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Steven Kull, Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA). Congressman Tom Perriello (D-VA) provided closing remarks.
For POMED’s notes in PDF, please click here. Otherwise, continue reading below the fold.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Islamist movements, Jordan, Kurds, Lebanon, Legislation, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Publications, Reform, sanctions | 1 Comment »
Iraq: A Critical Year Ahead
December 22nd, 2009 by Jason
Kenneth Pollack warns that “while [Iraq] has made tremendous progress in both the security and political realms, all of those gains are fragile and could evaporate quickly if strained.” Pollack argues “the mistake we are in danger of making in Iraq is that as our military steps back, our civilians are not always stepping up.” If Iraqis begin to question our resolve, then ordinary Iraqis will have no choice but to support militias who might protect them in what they perceive as an impending civil war.
Fareed Zakaria also warns against forgetting the war in Iraq, contending that while the surge was a military success, Iraq has yet to resolve its fundamental political differences that preclude a stable future. Therefore, the Obama administration should maximize this opportunity to realize Iraq’s potential as an “extraordinary model for the Arab world.” While more pessimistic than Zakaria, Andrew Sullivan agrees this year will be “critical” in determining the ultimate success or failure of the war in Iraq.
John Hannah responds to the Iranian incursion into Iraqi territory. He argues that the incident proves that the Iraqi government is increasingly confident in protecting its sovereignty and Iraq has the potential to emerge as a “central pillar” in America’s struggle against violent Islamist extremism. Given the “flaccid U.S. response” to the incident, Hannah urges to “do far more to support our Iraqi friends.” While the incident has since died down, George Friedman argues Iran showed it might not wait for the U.S. to initiate a conflict. Now that Prime Minister Maliki has proven he is not an Iranian puppet but an Iraqi patriot, Hussain Abdul-Hussain argues the Gulf countries should “embrace a neighbor currently emerging from years of tyranny followed by civil strife.”
Finally, the AP reports a suicide bomber in northern Iraq has killed a city council chief, a member of the Turkmen minority affiliated with the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Iraq, Kurds, Military, Oil, Political Parties, Sectarianism, Terrorism, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iraq: Iranian Troops Enter Contested Oil Field
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Iraq officials have confirmed that Iranian soldiers have entered Iraqi territory and claimed an oilfield whose ownership is disputed by Iran. A U.S. military spokesman stated “there has been no violence related to this incident and we trust this will be resolved through peaceful diplomacy between the governments of Iraq and Iran.”
During a trip to Iraq, Admiral Mullen affirmed that the Iraq drawdown will proceed as scheduled, despite delayed elections and a recent spike in bombings. Meanwhile, Iraqi forces are on alert after threats of violence during the coming Christmas holiday.
IraqPundit relays a conversation he had with laborers from Sadr City who expressed their discontent with Moktada al-Sadr as well as the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. Instead, they plan to vote for Nouri al-Maliki “because he is not an extremist.” At the same time, IraqPundit reveals that many “Iraqis are disappointed in al-Maliki because he has presided over an extremely corrupt government, and he has failed to prevent terror attacks.”
The New York Times editorial staff warns that “the bitter discord between Iraq’s Kurdish regional government and the Shiite-Arab dominated central government - over land, oil and the power of the central government - is the most dangerous fault line in Iraq today.” Therefore, the situation calls for “deft and sustained American involvement.”
Finally, Peter Galbraith has written a statement clarifying his activities in Kurdistan concerning his role in advising the formation of the constitution and the negotiation of oil deals.
Posted in Afghanistan, Diplomacy, Elections, Iraq, Kurds, Legislation, Military, Oil, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Sectarianism, Secularism, Terrorism, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »
Turkey: Kurds Reconsider Resignations
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Reuters reports that the Turkish government announced it will continue as planned with reforms expanding Kurdish rights despite a court ruling that banned (see previous post) the Democratic Society Party (DTP). According to Interior Minister Besir Atalay, “the Kurdish initiative will continue with determination, the necessary regulations will be accelerated.”
Nonetheless, Christian Science Monitor wonders whether the ban on the DTP and subsequent violent protests will undermine reform efforts. According to Dilek Kurban of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), the ban “has made it increasingly difficult for Kurds to see a space for themselves in legitimate political life in Turkey.”
Meanwhile, according to al-Jazeera, a group of DTP politicians have reconsidered their resignation from parliament. According to DTP leader Ahmet Turk, “this decision is a clear demonstration that we have faith in democracy […] and that we advocate peace and not violence.” It is reported that their decision came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, currently imprisoned, sent a message through his lawyers urging them to not abandon the political process. The DTP members will now join the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) instead of serving as independents.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Kurds, NGOs, PKK, Protests, Reform, Turkey | Comment »
Turkey: Protests Turn Deadly
December 16th, 2009 by Zack
AFP reports that two people were shot dead during a Kurdish demonstration in Southeast Turkey on the fifth day of protests since the the largest Kurdish party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), was banned by the constitutional court. The protesters were shot by a shopkeeper who fired into the crowd after his shop windows were broken and his vehicle torched. The article notes, “Closing shops is a traditional Kurdish protest method against the state and shopkeepers who resist are said to come under pressure from militant Kurds.” DTP has said its lawmakers will resign in protest, but it is unlikely that the ruling AKP will support such a design, thereby blocking the absolute majority needed for parliament to approve a resignation.
At the same time, the NY Times reports on warming ties between Syria and Turkey that extends beyond an economic relationship into cultural and political dimensions. The new ties have emboldened Syria to “hedge its bets” by spurning previous commitments to the West as the country’s regional stature grows. Joshua Landis comments that many of Turkey’s neighbors are taking a page from the country’s “Zero Crescents, Zero Axises, and Zero problems with neighbors” foreign policy handbook, which Landis describes as the “perfect anti-Bush foreign policy.”
Foreign Policy notes that Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy was fired after Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s U.S. visit because the ambassador refused to ask that the Turkish foreign minister be included in Erdogan’s meeting with President Obama on account that the minister’s counterpart Secretary Clinton would not be in attendance.
Posted in Diplomacy, Kurds, Political Parties, Protests, Turkey | 1 Comment »
Turkey: Subtle Shifts and Kurdish Tension
December 14th, 2009 by Zack
Claude Salhani comments that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent condemnation of Israeli action in Gaza and the AKP’s shift away from Euro-centric foreign policies “come as no surprise” in light of Europe’s continued position of stringing along E.U. accession. For Salhani, this shift is eroding Turkey’s viability as a partner to negotiate a Middle East peace plan.
David Kenner at Foreign Policy reiterates Erdogan’s resentment towards the E.U. in a speech he gave at SAIS. At the same time, the article sees a genuine admiration for President Obama by Erdogan for his ability to adapt quickly to Turkish dynamics.
Michael Allen writes about Erdogan’s assertion that Turkish policy is not undergoing a “reorientation from the democratic West to Eurasian and Middle East states.” At a meeting in Washington, Erdogan downplayed reports of attacks on press freedom. However, Allen goes on to cite recent commentary that illustrate Erdogan’s inability to tolerate criticism, his support for the Iranian elections as democratic, and the sense that Turkey has lost much of its democratic momentum.
BitterLemons-International has released its latest edition discussing the relationship between Turkey and the Kurds. Saad Jawad traces the strained relationship between Turkey and the Kurds in northern Iraq, arguing that Turkey will not support an independent Kurdish region, perhaps to point of attacking the region and bringing Turkey into conflict with the U.S. Ibrahim Kalin, however, notes an accelerating rapprochement between the two parties initiated by the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Kalin believes the success of the newly burgeoning diplomatic ties will be determined by four principles that Turkey outlines with all of its neighbors: security for all, territorial integrity, economic integration, and deepening social relations among the people. Lastly, Khaled Salih writes that the Erdogan government is serious about dialogue with the Kurds as part of a movement to build a strong, new vision for Turkey. Currently, it appears the country will “likely adopt a combination of democratization and decentralization” that will recognize group identities and Salih argues that Erdogan could adapt elements from the British, Spanish, and Belgian systems in this pursuit.
In Turkey, AFP reports that Kurdish parliamentarians are debating a decision to withdraw from Parliament as the The Democratic Society Party (DTP), the largest Kurdish party, has been outlawed by the constitutional court on grounds it is linked to the PKK.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Kurds, Middle Eastern Media, Mideast Peace Plan, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Report: Human Rights on the Decline Part II
December 12th, 2009 by Jason
As we reported earlier, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) has released a comprehensive and thorough report, called “Bastion of Impunity, Mirage of Reform,” on the state of human rights throughout the Arab world. The full report in Arabic spans 254 pages and chronicles in detail the backsliding on human rights in the region while also identifying a few points of optimism. In addition to the full report, CIHRS has released a translation of the report’s introduction written by their general director, Bahey eldin Hassan, as well as a 21-page summary of the report in English.
According to Hassan’s introduction, while there have been important strides to “ease repressive measures” in the Middle East under the Forum of the Future regional initiative, in no country were there “real constitutional, legislative, or institutional gains that could upset the balance of power between authoritarian regimes and the forces of reform.” Hassan blames this failure on the narrow focus on electoral reform at the expense of human rights, the contradictory actions of the G-8 countries, attempts by the Arab League to co-opt reform with their own homegrown initiatives, and the European and American fear of Islamist electoral victories. Finally, Hassan contends “the last spark in the initiatives was quashed once and for all with the arrival of a new US administration” apparently unwilling to support democracy rhetorically.
Now, Hassan warns that the minor gains made over the past five years are under a “counterattack by Arab governments. Among other examples of backtracking, the Arab league disabled the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which only had 10 of 22 signatory countries to begin with. As with the CIHRS report last year, Hassan concludes that “lack of political will on the part of most regimes in the Arab region was the key to understanding and explaining chronic human rights problems in the region.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Algeria, Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, EU, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Hamas, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Jordan, Journalism, Judiciary, Kurds, Lebanon, Legislation, Military, Morocco, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Palestine, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Publications, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, United Nations, Western Sahara, Women, Yemen | 1 Comment »
Iraq: Election Law Passed
December 7th, 2009 by Zack
While the NY Times reports on U.S. military efforts to transition responsibility to the Iraqi armed forces, the Iraqi parliament has reached a deal on a new election law that is supported by Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish leaders and is unlikely to collapse again. The compromise expands the parliament to 325 seats from 275, with 310 of those seats allotted to Iraq’s 18 provinces and the remainder reserved for Iraqis living outside the country. According to the article, the deal differs little from the original law passed and then vetoed in November. However, Al-Arabiyya reports that Tariq al Hashemi has vowed to not veto this bill and the presidency council will soon set a date for the elections, likely to be either February 27 or 28.
In a guest column at Informed Comment, Adam Silverman believes this new law fails to address the overall problem that “the Kurds and the Shi’a Arabs, as represented by the Kurdistan Alliance, Dawa, and ISCI, have demonstrated that their views of Iraq are clearly sometimes sectional rather than nationalist: they seek to either a partial or complete de facto secession.” On top of this, Silverman argues that Iraq is still plagued by concerns over the Sunni response to their diminishing influence and the increasing fear the Iran will come to dominate Iraqi politics. To address some of these issues, he prescribes that the international community needs to work with the Independent High Electoral Commission to develop an Open List/Proportional Representation electoral system, a reliable census must be taken, and a compromise should be reached on Kirkuk that will likely grant greater Kurdish control while providing guarantees that Arabs will not be politically disenfranchised.
IraqPundit responds to a story in the Guardian claiming that Prime Minister al Maliki closed down over 300 nightclubs in Baghdad as part of a government push to stamp out vice. The IraqPundit, instead, claims that the paper was played by businessmen whose clubs were shut down for operating without a license and that Baghdad is rich with opportunities “to go to a club and drink alcohol and see dancing girls”, which would cost Al Maliki his office should he try to eliminate them.
Posted in Diplomacy, Elections, Iraq, Kurds, Legislation, Political Parties, Reform | Comment »
Iraq: Delayed Elections
December 3rd, 2009 by Zack
The U.N. has proposed February 27 as the most “feasible” date for Iraqi parliamentary elections while President Talibani and PM al-Maliki are calling on parliament to quickly approve a new election law. Al-Arabiyya reports that VP Tariq al-Hashemi has been allowed by the High Judicial Council to postpone until Sunday a decision on whether to veto the most recently proposed election law draft. Instead of addressing al-Hashemi’s concerns in the original law, Kurdish and Shiite MPs joined forces to pass an amended law that cut the number of parliamentary seats in predominantly Sunni areas. Al-Hashemi is expected to veto the law, stating “the reasons why I vetoed the law still exist. I consider these reasons to be principles that I will not relinquish because they concern all Iraqi citizens.”
Evaluating the election law crisis, Rachel Schneller argues that the law’s derailing is not as bad as it sounds because the original version “could have triggered greater instability.” The possibility of corruption would have called any government into question and the law could have created troubling divisions over oil revenues. She believes elections should not be used as a benchmark of progress in such a fragile country and there is every “likelihood that 2010 elections will also result in a slow government formation process” which is a much more important issue than whether elections are held on time. After examining the role of Kurdish power, she recommends that it would be in the best interest of the U.S. to postpone elections and focus on government reforms.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Iraq, Kurds, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkey: Questioning the Future
December 2nd, 2009 by Zack
Soner Cagaptay examines the seven years of AKP rule in Turkey for the Washington Institute. He writes that the AKP started out as a moderate Islamist movement indifferent to Turkey’s E.U. hopes, but with European Court of Human Rights decision to uphold the Turkish ban on headscarves and the military’s failed attempt to unseat the party, the AKP has eroded its E.U. aspirations and moved towards an authoritarian regime based on orthopraxy. The AKP has also worked to undermine liberal principles, including free speech, and continues to align itself with anti-Western and Islamist regimes, resulting in an “a la carte moralistic foreign policy.” Cagaptay believes the AKP “demonstrates that Islamists distort Islam, re-imagining it as inherently illiberal at home” and proves that “Islamism may not be compatible with the West, after all.”
David Schenker argues that Turkey has moved away from the West and towards Syria for two reasons: first, Turkey is no longer dependent on Israel to pressure Syria into not providing a safe haven for Kurdish extremists and, second, the Islamist shift in Turkish politics has shifted the country’s foreign policy paradigm. Damascus has naturally embraced rapprochement because the new face of Turkey is more amenable and Turkey can provide an avenue to facilitate diplomatic relations with Europe.
Michael Rubin writes that PM Erdogan is the new Vladimir Putin in his disdain for the free press and Rubin laments President Obama’s decision to turn a blind eye towards journalist abuses. Rubin, then, advertises a meeting of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Thursday morning at 10:30 on Turkey.
The Daily Star reports that Negar Azizmoradi, the head of the Iranian branch of the Rael sect, a group that rejects the “existence of any god and believe extraterrestrials created the earth,” faces deportation from Turkey to Iran, where she faces execution.
In other news, The Daily Star reports that Turkey has signed a free-trade agreement with Jordan that “is key to enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and boosting trade as well as investments between Jordan and Turkey.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Islamist movements, Kurds, Middle Eastern Media, Political Parties, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Syria: Repressing the Kurds
December 1st, 2009 by Zack
Human Rights Watch has released a report (available here) imploring Syria to end their “unlawful and unjustified” practices of attacking Kurdish gatherings and detaining Kurdish activists. Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch claims: “At a time when other countries in the region, from Iraq to Turkey, are improving the treatment of their Kurdish minority, Syria remains resistant to change.” Including the Syrian government’s systematic political repression of the Kurds, the report documents the arrests and trials of at least 15 Syrian Kurdish political leaders since 2005.
Meanwhile, The Economist looks at Syria’s return to become a regional powerhouse, illustrated most recently by Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt’s reversal to declare Syria “is the core of the Arab world.” The journal credits the change to rise of Bashar al Assad and his ability to address economic worries over the last six years. However, Syria has failed to liberalize politically and they explain that the secret police are still allowed free reign to crush opposition. Ultimately, Syria’s foreign policy strength rests on its ability to maintain intransigence on regional issues, slowing progess but drawing regional respect.
Posted in Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Kurds, Syria, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkey: Democracy and the Kurds
November 24th, 2009 by Zack
The Washington Post has written an editorial criticizing Turkish PM Recep Erdogan for backsliding on his commitment to democratic principles. Despite the fact that Erdogan is pushing through Kurdish reforms, the dimming prospects of Turkey joining the E.U. has led Turkey to adopt an unwanted stance on Israel and a coziness with Iran, Syria and Sudan, as well as cracking down on Turkish media. The editorial concludes that Erdogan must stop “coddling Muslim dictators — and stop following their practice of silencing domestic opposition.”
The New York Times on the other hand has published an editorial focusing on the courage of Erdogan’s Turkish reforms. While the editorial notes the same worrying trends, it argues Turkey is responding to U.S. efforts to push democracy and that Europe “must finally make clear that if Turkey bolsters its democracy and respects the rights of its minorities, it will be welcome in the European Union.”
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Elections, Foreign Aid, Kurds, PKK, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iraq: Will Another Election Law Stand?
November 24th, 2009 by Zack
After intense negotiations, reports the Huffington Post, the Iraqi parliament changed the basis for distributing parliamentary seats, giving preference to the Kurdish bloc rather than to the Sunnis. The decision to favor the Kurds caused dozens of Sunni lawmakers to walk out of the session. Al-Arabiyya explains that al-Hashemi is likely to also veto this legislation. According to the NY Times, this development will most certainly delay the scheduled January elections. The division underscores the depth of mistrust that remains and it does not appear that the parliament will be able to muster the necessary three-fifths majority to override a new veto.
In other news, the Daily Star has carried a story that PM Nouri al-Maliki is ramping up his public campaign against the Ba’athists before elections. Meanwhile, IraqPundit rejects Juan Cole’s argument that the Ba’athists are still going strong. The pundit claims Cole oversimplifies the complex influences facing Iraqis. including secularism, al-Qaeda, and Iran, and he concludes that, “Juan Cole thinks so little of the people who live in this region that he sees them as having only two choices: religious fundamentalism and Arab nationalism. That’s it. Someone please tell this silly man that at least in Iraq, those two choices are no longer an option. The Iraqi people have rejected both.”
Posted in Elections, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Kurds, Political Islam, Sectarianism, Secularism | Comment »
Senate and U.N. Condemn Iran
November 23rd, 2009 by Jason
Iran launched a series of war games this weekend as the international community expressed their frustration over troubled nuclear negotiations.
The Senate passed a resolution (S.R. 355) by unanimous consent condemning Iran for its multiple human rights violations. The bill was cosponsored by Carl Levin, John McCain, Bob Casey, Lindsey Graham, Bill Nelson, Bob Corker and Joe Lieberman. In response, the head of the National Iranian American Council, Trita Parsi, welcomed the resolution, explaining that “a U.S. approach to Iran that is singularly focused on the nuclear issue and neglects the human rights abuses in Iran will have limited success.” The United Nations also passed a resolution condemning Iran for its human rights abuses. While similar resolutions have passed for 15 consecutive years, this resolution focused the crackdown since the election this summer.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Judiciary, Kurds, Legislation, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Multilateralism, NGOs, Oil, Terrorism, US foreign policy, US politics, United Nations, sanctions | Comment »
Iraq Election Law Vetoed
November 19th, 2009 by Jason
The New York Times reports Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has officially vetoed Iraq’s new election law, citing insufficient representation of Iraq’s minorities and refugees abroad. The Kurds were also unhappy with the law, leading to a threat of a boycott and a likely veto from Kurdish Vice President Jalal Talabani. The decision has forced Iraqi’s Independent High Election Commission to halt preparations for January’s elections. This is the 11th time the election law has been delayed.
Juan Cole criticizes al-Hashemi for acting in the interest of the Sunnis and not Iraq as a whole. According to Cole, the veto threatens “to create a political vacuum and create a constitutional vacuum.” Reider Visser explains why the veto may please al-Hashemi’s potential allies, Ayad Allawi and Saleh al-Mutlaq, as well as the Kurdish community, who stand to gain the most from increased representation of refugees.
Iraq Pundit criticizes Westerners who belittle Iraqi democracy. He writes, “sure it’s more fashionable to insist that Iraqis are incapable of living in a democracy. But just as many trendy ideas are nonsense, so is that one. Because Iraqis definitely understand and appreciate democracy.” In another post, Iraq Pundit seeks to assuage the media’s fears of an imminent collapse in Iraq, expressing his hope that the Iraqi people will vote the current “losers out of office and bring in a new government.”
While exploring the continued threat of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Myriam Benraadof The Washington Institute explains how terrorists have shifted tactics from attacking U.S. forces to Iraqi institutions to destabilize the country. Despite the news of the election law veto, U.S. General Ray Odierno announced all U.S. combat troops will pull out by August 2010, unless the situation unexpectedly changes.
Meanwhile, Gary Sick argues that fears Iran will come to dominate Iraq’s nascent democracy are “exaggerated.” According to Sick, much of this fear “can be written off as status envy or political sour grapes or even uneasiness that Iraq, unlike nearly all its neighbors in the Middle East, holds elections that are not rigged in favor of the current rulers.” Sick concludes that “the Iraqi political experiment, messy as it may be, is showing signs of genuine representative government at a time when Iran seems to be sliding into a corporatist military dictatorship with an Islamic veneer.”
Posted in Elections, Iran, Iraq, Kurds, Legislation, Military, Political Parties, Terrorism, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iraq Elections
November 17th, 2009 by Zack
As resurgent Sunni attacks threaten long-term security in Iraq, the U.N. Security Council has called on Iraq’s political parties to show “national unity” ahead of elections. The U.N. is concerned that “inside and outside forces continue their efforts to impose an agenda of division and destruction,” as such the U.N. asked that “all political blocs and their leaders in Iraq to demonstrate true statesmanship during the election campaign.”
Marina Ottoway argues the new election law is important because it will allow elections to be held before the parliament is set to expire on January 31 and because the law does not openly embed confessionalism. Despite this, “the election law is no panacea, and it guarantees a messy post-election aftermath. As in the past, the problem of Kirkuk has simply been postponed rather than solved.”
The Daily Star has an AFP article with more on the Iraqi Presidential Council’s decision to ask parliament to rework the electoral law in order to give greater representation to Iraqis outside the country. The new election law has reduced seats available to minorities and outside Iraqis from 15 percent to 5 percent. According to the article the estimated 1.5 million Iraqis living abroad are expected to boost the Sunni election showing.
In light of the proposed changes, AP reports that the Kurdish political leadership has threatened to boycott elections unless the Kurds receive more seats in parliament. Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani said the current division of seats is “an attempt to reduce the number of Kurdistan Region representatives in the next Iraqi parliament and diminish their achievements.”
Posted in Elections, Freedom, Iraq, Kurds, Legislation, Political Parties, Secularism | Comment »
