Category: Governance

BAKU: Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the Azerbaijani cities of Fuzuli and Shusha, which were liberated from Armenian occupation during the Second Karabakh War. Lukashenko arrived in Fuzuli after holding talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, where he was welcomed by his counterpart at the Fuzuli International Airport. Aliyev and Lukashenko visited Fuzuli to examine the destruction that occurred during the Armenian occupation and to be briefed about the reconstruction and restoration efforts. Aliyev and Lukashenko then visited Shusha where they toured historical monuments and also reviewed reconstruction and restoration works. After completing his engagements, Lukashenko left Azerbaijan, with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov seeing him off at the airport. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: US President Joe Biden announced Friday the successful arrival of the first shipments of aid to the Gaza Strip via a multinational humanitarian pier. 'Earlier today, the first shipments of humanitarian assistance arrived on the shores of Gaza through the multinational humanitarian pier thanks to the tireless work of CENTCOM and our teams at USAID and the State Department,' Biden wrote on X. He said the aid, facilitated by USAID, comprises '170 metric tons of nutrient-rich food bars' tailored to 'support 11,000 vulnerable children and adults.' Additionally, the shipment includes 'ready-to-use therapeutic foods and essential supplies' aimed at providing 'shelter, clean water, and hygiene' support to more than 33,000 individuals in Gaza, according to the US president. 'More aid from the US and other countries continues to arrive in Cyprus, where it will be loaded onto ships for delivery via the pier,' said Biden. He stressed the urgency of addressing the dire situation faced by the Palestinian pop ulation, underscoring the critical need to expedite aid delivery to those most in need. 'Let me be clear: The Palestinian people are suffering. The need to get increased aid to the most vulnerable is urgent,' said Biden. He reiterated collaboration with Israel to enhance the flow of aid into Gaza via land routes, highlighting the commitment to ramping up humanitarian efforts in the region. Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed less than 1,200 people. More than 35,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 79,200 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine. Israel is accused of 'genocide' at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assis tance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Biden urges swift action for aid as first shipments reach Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: The Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) of Mexico released a powerful statement condemning the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. "CIDE categorically condemns the events occurring in the Gaza Strip and calls for an end to the genocide by Israeli troops," CIDE said in a statement Wednesday in response to recent inquiries from the CIDEOllín community. CIDE addressed concerns about Israel's military actions, which began Oct. 7, leading to significant "human rights violations," citing the tragic "loss of approximately 35,000 lives" in Gaza. It criticized Israel for ignoring international calls to halt "asymmetric warfare" and violating "recommendations from the International Court of Justice." CIDE's condemnation extends to the destruction of educational institutions in Gaza, emphasizing that such actions undermine the fundamental human right to education, as outlined in the "1948 Declaration of Human Rights and the 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education." Furtherm ore, CIDE revealed that it is reviewing an "active agreement with Tel Aviv University" that was established in 2014. "This agreement is currently under review by our legal department for termination," it noted. The statement underscores CIDE's commitment to advocating for human rights and peace, urging an end to the violence and calling for measures that support lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed led than 1,200 people. More than 35,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 79,200 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine. Israel is accused of 'genocide' at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee tha t humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a telephone call Wednesday with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, to discuss Gaza cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, according to diplomatic sources. Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, which killed less than 1,200 people. More than 35,200 Palestinians have since been killed in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, and over 79,000 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. In the West Bank, nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured since then, along with daily arrest campaigns by the Israeli army. Israel is accused of 'genocide' at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Trkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, the head of the Ukrainian parliament, in the capital Ankara, Trkiye's Communications Directorate said. No further information was provided about the meeting held at the presidential palace. On Tuesday, Turkish Parliament President Numan Kurtulmus, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Stefanchuk. Reiterating his call for peace in Ukraine, during the talks, the Turkish parliament speaker emphasized Trkiye's ongoing efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. For his part, Stefanchuk emphasized the importance of strong parliamentary cooperation for good relations. He also thanked Trkiye for its efforts and contributions in a bid to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine, and highlighted common historical values between the two nations. In March 2022, Trkiye hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Azerbaijan on Wednesday held a ceremony on the occasion of the completion of the Russian peacekeeping contingent's mission in the Karabakh region. A statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said the ceremony held at the airport in the city of Khojaly was attended by representatives from both countries, including Azerbaijan's Chief of General Staff Karim Valiyev and Chief of General Staff of Russia's Ground Forces Yevgeny Nikiforov. Speaking at the event, Valiyev said the Russian peacekeeping contingent 'fulfilled the assigned tasks and duties and spared no effort to ensure peace and stability in the territory of the Karabakh Economic Region.' He further said that following Baku's anti-terrorist operation in Karabakh in September 2023, President Ilham Aliyev decided to prematurely terminate the Russian peacekeeping contingent's mission in the country. 'Today's event is dedicated to the completion of your peacekeeping mission. On this occasion, I congratulate you and express my gratitude for your courageous service for the welfare of peace and stability in the Karabakh Economic Region,' he added. The statement went on to say that Nikiforov also addressed the event, speaking about the activities of the peacekeeping contingent and expressing gratitude on behalf of Russia's military leadership for the contingent's 'commendable fulfillment' of their duties. He also thanked Azerbaijan's military leadership 'for effective joint cooperation and the understanding achieved.' Last month, Russia announced that it began the process of completely withdrawing Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh. The Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in the aftermath of a fall 2020 conflict in which Azerbaijan regained much of its territory of Karabakh after nearly three decades of Armenian occupation. Relations between Baku and Yerevan have remained tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions. Mo st of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that opened the door to normalization and talks on delimitation and demarcation. Last September, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh following an "anti-terrorist operation" after which separatist forces in the region surrendered. Source: Anadolu Agency

JERUSALEM: Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Wednesday that an Israeli military rule in the Gaza Strip would be a 'dangerous trend' and 'the price paid would be bloodshed.' 'A dangerous trend is developing that advances the idea of Israeli military and civilian governance in Gaza,' Gallant said in a televised speech. 'This is a negative and dangerous option for the State of Israel strategically, militarily, and from a security standpoint.' He warned that a military rule in Gaza would become the main security and military effort of Israel over the coming years. 'The price paid would be bloodshed and victims, as well as a heavy economic price,' he said. 'I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military administration in Gaza. Israel must not exercise civilian control in Gaza,' the defense minister stressed. Gallant termed Israel's relationship with the US as 'strong' and 'dynamically stable despite differences in opinion.' 'The United States stands by us, and conflicts are resolved i n closed rooms, not in media interviews or tweets,' he said, in reference to critical statements of US President Joe Biden by Israeli government ministers following a decision to pause arms transfer to Israel over its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli minister vowed to dismantle Hamas' governing capabilities in Gaza. 'The key to this goal is military action, and the establishment of a governing alternative in Gaza,' he said. 'In the absence of such an alternative, only two negative options remain: Hamas's rule in Gaza or Israeli military rule in Gaza. 'The meaning of indecision is choosing one of the negative options. It would erode our military achievements, reduce the pressure on Hamas, and sabotage the chances of achieving a framework for the release of hostages,' he said. Gallant said that the 'day after Hamas' will only be achieved with Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas' rule. 'Unfor tunately, this issue was not raised for discussion, and worse, no alternative was brought up in its place,' he added. Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people. More than 35,230 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 79,140 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel is accused of 'genocide' at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. *Writing by Rania Abu Shamala Source: Anadolu Agency