July, 2021

• 24 July

  US senator says Turkish actions against pro-Kurdish party like ‘if Biden banned the Republican Party’

  

  Democratic and Republican senators voiced heavy criticism of the Turkish government to a State Department official during a Wednesday hearing. The lawmakers accused Ankara of abusing the international police system, being an “aggressor” toward Greece, and much more. US senators criticized Turkish government policies during a Wednesday hearing, and demanded …

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• 24 July

  US reaffirms stance on Turkey’s S-400, support for Syria’s Kurds

  

  The White House has maintained the previous administration’s demands that Ankara dispose of the Russian missile defense system. The Biden administration won’t budge on the previous administration’s demands that NATO ally Turkey get rid of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system. The United States will also continue to support the Syrian …

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• 24 July

  Israel ‘looks into’ NSO cyber-espionage affair

  

  Reports in Israel say the government has set up an interministerial team to ‘look into’ the export of Israeli-made Pegasus software and allegation over its abuse against politicians and journalists worldwide. Israel has not yet established a formal inquiry committee into the NSO Group affair, but the government has set …

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• 24 July

  Has Erdogan started a journey of no return in Cyprus?

  

  Unless he is playing a game of brinkmanship to force the Greek Cypriots into a settlement, Erdogan’s tough moves in the Cyprus conflict are raising the specter of Turkey’s eventual annexation of Northern Cyprus. Having exhausted the yields of his Syrian, Libyan and Eastern Mediterranean ventures, Turkish President Recep Tayyip …

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• 24 July

  The Personality Cult Of Xi Jinping – Part II: Xi’s Biggest Shortcoming Is His Lack Of Personal Prestige

  

  The following is the second of a series of analyses by Chinese dissident and expert Chris King, who is a Senior Research Fellow for the MEMRI Chinese Media Studies Project, on the personality cult of Chinese President Xi Jinping. King was an active participant in the student protests in China …

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• 24 July

  Russia Assesses Turkey’s Ambitions And Prospects In Afghanistan

  

  The United States and Turkey reached an agreement under which Turkey is to secure Kabul’s airport after the withdrawal of all American and NATO allied troops from Afghanistan by the end of August, 2021. This prompted a vigorous condemnation from the Taliban including the threat of Jihad: “We consider stay …

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• 24 July

  Five Years After Failed Coup, Turkey Languishes in Doldrums

  Five years after a group in the military tried to overthrow President Erdogan’s government, democracy and rule of law are in decline – as is the economy – while the young flee the country. Five years ago, a coup attempt was stopped by loyalist soldiers and ordinary people in Turkey. …

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• 24 July

  Moldova Eyes Energy Independence from Russia

  Though some ‘minor problems’ have still to be resolved, gas should start flowing from Romania to Moldova in October, giving the country a much-anticipated alternative to Russia. When construction ended in August 2020 on a 120-kilometre gas pipeline from Romania to Moldova, it was hailed as a milestone in cutting …

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• 24 July

  HUNGARY, POLAND FACE EU FUND FREEZES AFTER RULE OF LAW REPORT CRITICISM

  The Commission was at pains to show how its disparaged annual Rule of Law Report is already nudging member states to address democratic deficiencies. The level of criticism aimed at Hungary and Poland suggests it has more direct action in mind. he European Commission on Tuesday released its second annual …

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• 24 July

  Remote Albanian Village Happily Juggles Different Identities

  Borje lies in northern Albania, but has closer connections to Kosovo – as well as an interesting, if somewhat vague, connection to Bulgaria. At the centre of Borje, a village deep in the mountains dividing Albania and Kosovo, café owner Fatos Ollomani, 49, develops his multiple passions as a local …

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