#Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister

[beardedmrbean]

he candidate for Prime Minister of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) Acad. Nikolay Denkov returned to President Rumen Radev the completed second exploratory mandate to form a government.

Nikolay Denkov and the candidate for Prime Minister of GERB-SDS, Mariya Gabriel, will be Prime Ministers on a rotating basis - during the first nine months of the administration, Acad. Denkov will be Prime Minister, and Gabriel - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. After that, again for nine months, the Prime Minister will be Mariya Gabriel, and Acad. Nikolay Denkov will be the Deputy Prime Minister.

On Friday, "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" and GERB-SDS officially presented the names of the ministers in the draft cabinet for the second term.

The proposed Council of Ministers is composed of:

Nikolay Denkov - rotating prime minister for the first nine months

Mariya Gabriel – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, rotating Prime Minister for the second nine months

Asen Vassilev – Minister of Finance

Kalin Stoyanov - Minister of Internal Affairs

Todor Tagarev - Minister of Defense

Julian Popov - Minister of Environment and Water and Chairman of the Advisory Council for the European Green Deal

Rumen Radev - Minister of Energy

Andrey Tsekov - Minister of Regional Development and Public Works

Kiril Vatev - Minister of Agriculture and Food

Bogdan Bogdanov - Minister of Economy and Industry

Milena Stoycheva - Minister of Innovation and Growth

Ivanka Shalapatova - Minister of Labor and Social Policy

Atanas Slavov - Minister of Justice

Prof. Galin Tsokov - Minister of Education and Science

Krastyu Krastev – Minister of Culture

Georgi Gvozdeikov - Minister of Transport and Communications

Prof. Hristo Hinkov - Minister of Health

Zaritsa Dinkova - Minister of Tourism

Alexander Yolovski - Minister of e-Government

Dimitar Iliev - Minister of Youth and Sports

On May 29, President Rumen Radev handed over the second exploratory mandate for forming a government to the WCC-DB candidate for Prime Minister Acad. Nikolay Denkov. Then the head of state called on WCC-DB to reconsider the expediency of this mandate, which, according to him, has already been discredited. A few days later in Ankara, where he attended the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rumen Radev expressed hope that the next regular government would follow the course set by the caretaker cabinet.

Nikolay Denkov: We all need to calm the situation down so that people know that the cabinet, the National Assembly and the presidential institution work together

"I think we all need to calm the situation so that people know that the cabinet, the National Assembly and the presidential institution are working together so that the country can develop for the benefit of people and businesses". This was said by the Prime Minister candidate from "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" Nikolay Denkov.

"What we expect is that you issue a decree, it will be voted on in the National Assembly, if it gathers a majority, and then we will smoothly transfer power, as required by the Constitution", Denkov pointed out

"As soon as possible, I will issue a decree to submit your proposal to the National Assembly, where it will be voted on by the people's elected representatives," said the Head of State, Rumen Radev.

"Bulgaria needs institutions and politicians who are actually led by the Bulgarian people, who work for security, justice and against corruption, as expected by all respectable Bulgarian citizens. To strengthen the sovereignty of the country and work to deepen our European integration", said Radev.

"In the shortest possible time, a normal budget should be created, without this absurd deficit, and it should reflect the current situation". This is what the nominee for Prime Minister told journalists after returning the completed second mandate to form a government.

If today the president issues a decree to form a government, I will call a meeting of the parliament tomorrow, said Rosen Zhelyazkov

"If the president issues a decree today, I will call a meeting tomorrow". This was stated by the speaker of the National Assembly, Rosen Zhelyazkov, to journalists on the sidelines of the parliament.

"The procedure is simple - the candidate for prime minister is introduced, and he presents the candidates for ministers and the structure of the cabinet", Zhelyazkov said. According to him, the prime minister-candidate can make a political address and declaration or present the cabinet's priorities, after which there is an opportunity for a debate and the votes are held - for the prime minister, for the structure of the cabinet and for the staff, specified Zhelyazkov.

When asked if he is optimistic that the regular cabinet will be supported in the plenary hall, the speaker of the National Assembly said that it has a declared political majority. Zhelyazkov expressed hope that the future regular government will be more successful than the last one in the past two years.

"I think that we have been waiting for a regular government for a long time, so the convening of an extraordinary meeting is justified", Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nikola Minchev also commented to journalists on the sidelines of the parliament.

[kyreniacommentator]

Kaleburnu "in-Situ" Museum Project Starts

Kaleburnu “in-Situ” Museum Project Starts The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment, Fikri Ataoğlu, visited the Kaleburnu excavation site to learn about the museum planned for the area. This museum will be the first of its kind in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to feature an “in-situ display.”  During the visit, Ataoğlu was accompanied by…

[mariacallous]

The rebuilt Arnaudija mosque, which was badly damaged in 1993 during the Bosnian war, was officially reopened on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by hundreds of Muslims in Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity.

Husein Kavazovic, the grand mufti of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said at the ceremony that “with today’s reopening of this building, we are correcting at least part of the injustice towards this city, its history and its inhabitants”.

“We hope that the renovation of the Banja Luka mosques will bring back the old spirit of openness to this city and will strengthen good interpersonal relations,” Kavazovic said, Nezavisne Novine reported.

The Arnaudija mosque was originally built in 1595 in a classical Ottoman style by Hasan Defterdar, finance minister of the Eyalet of Bosnia, an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire, according to historians.

It was destroyed on May 7, 1993 by Bosnian Serb forces along with Ferhadija, another famous Banja Luka mosque a few hundred metres away. A total of 16 mosques were destroyed in the city during the war.

Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, said that the destruction of the mosques was “a mistake, an act of insanity”.

“The existence of such places of worship cannot be called into question by any demolition or any desecration,” Dodik said.

Dodik thanked Turkey for its financial help in renovating the mosque. Turkish minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who gave a speech on behalf of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that “the Arnaudija Mosque that we are opening today in Banja Luka was built on peace, brotherhood and harmony”.

Fragments of the demolished Arnaudija mosque were found in various locations, including the River Vrbas, collected and built into the reconstructed mosque. A similar method was used in the reconstruction of the Ferhadija mosque, which reopened in May 2016.

No one was ever held accountable for demolishing either the Arnaudija or Ferhadija mosques.

[xtruss]

Türkiye Dispatches 8th Aid Ship To Gaza

Türkiye has constantly been striving to deliver humanitarian aid, from El-Arish and Rafah Border Crossing to Gaza, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority chief says.

— TRT World 🌎

AFAD's President Okay Memis noted that 13 aircraft and seven ships carrying humanitarian aid materials have been delivered to Gaza. Photo: AA

A humanitarian aid ship, carrying 2,960 tonnes of aid destined for Gaza, has sailed from Mersin International Port.

In a collaboration between Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and General Directorate of Foundations, this marks the 8th humanitarian aid ship, comprising 125,000 food packages for the Palestinian people in Gaza loaded onto the vessel SARDES.

Speaking at the farewell ceremony held at the port on Thursday, Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan emphasised the significance of the port hosting aid ships alongside its commercial activities.

The governor stressed the contributions of not only institutions but also civil society organisations and citizens in preparing the aid, saying: "We are all aware of the oppression and suffering in Gaza. Our esteemed nation, with the highest sense of solidarity and cooperation, is showing the necessary sensitivity toward Gaza."

Continuous Support To Palestinian Cause

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Serdar Cam also expressed Türkiye's continuous support to the Palestinian cause.

Cam underscored that the Turkish people are mobilising their resources for Gaza, adding: "The Republic of Türkiye has always been a haven and a door for the oppressed and victims with its accumulated history."

"Today, all government agencies are mobilising their resources. A ceasefire seems to be in place for now, but this is a huge tragedy on earth."

He further stressed that "the first priority is a ceasefire. Albeit belatedly, this process has begun in the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. However, major efforts must be exerted to address actual troubles in the upcoming period."

"Not just Türkiye, but the entire world must mobilise for this."

The aid Türkiye sent to Palestine's Gaza constitutes 25% of all aid delivered to the enclave, COGAT has reported. Ankara has continued to provide comprehensive aid to Gaza amid Israel's ongoing restrictions and attacks that have killed more than 33,000 people since October 7.

13 Aircraft, 8 Ships

AFAD's President Okay Memis noted that 13 aircraft and seven ships carrying humanitarian aid materials have been delivered to Gaza.

Memis announced that with the support of the General Directorate of Foundations, they will send off the 8th ship to Gaza, saying: "So far, we have sent 39,607 tonnes of humanitarian aid materials, 1,151 generators, 214 tons of hygiene supplies, eight field hospitals, 53 ambulances, 242 tonnes of medical supplies, two UMKE (Turkish National Medical Rescue Team) vehicles, clothing, shelter materials, and drinking water.

"We are delivering drinking water both from Türkiye and through our agreement with the Egyptian Red Crescent, where AFAD sends five to 10 trucks of water every week," he stressed.

Underlining that Türkiye has constantly been striving to deliver humanitarian aid, from El-Arish and Rafah Border Crossing to Gaza, Memis added: "Around 1,500 Palestinian brothers and sisters have been brought to our country for health-related treatments from Gaza. We are working diligently with our Ministry of Health to meet all their needs."

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian enclave since an October 7 cross-border attack by Palestinian resistance group Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,500 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,900 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war, now on its 174th day, has pushed 85 percent of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

— TRT World 🌎

[azimutouroperator]

Relations with Turkey are increasingly improving thanks to the Turkish Minister of Tourism and Culture Mehmet Ersoy 🇸🇲 🇹🇷 🇮🇹

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I rapporti con il turismo turco sono sempre più forti grazie al Ministro del Turismo Turco Mehmet Ersoy 🇸🇲 🇹🇷 🇮🇹

[somalilandcurrentnews]

Somaliland: Minister of Agriculture distributes farm aid from Turkey to 100 farmers in Salahley

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey has provided assistance to benefit farmers, through the agency for cooperation and relations with Turkey, Tika, which included seeds, medicines and fertilizers. The Minister of Agricultural Development Hon. Abdiqadir Iman Warsame and officials of the Turkish government attended the event where this aid was distributed with 100 families benefitting…

[awutar]

LIVE - Greece, Algeria, Sicily, Turkey... Ongoing fires in several regions of the Mediterranean

12:34 Homes and hospital evacuated as a precaution in southern Turkey Turkish authorities evacuated a dozen homes and a hospital as a precaution on Tuesday after a wildfire spread through some 120 hectares of forest near the Mediterranean resort town of Kemer in Antalya province. Nuri Ersoy, the minister in charge of tourism and culture, said 10 Canadairs and 22 helicopters had been deployed to…

[irvinenewshq]

Vacationer arrivals might exceed 2019 degree subsequent yr: Turkish affiliation head

The variety of overseas vacationers visiting Türkiye is more likely to exceed its 2019 degree, says Firuz Baglıkaya, board chair of the Affiliation of Turkish Journey Businesses (TÜRSAB), Development experiences citing Hurriyet Day by day Information. “There isn’t a doubt about it, we’ll surpass the 2019 degree. We expect a brand new document,” Baglıkaya stated. In 2019, overseas vacationer arrivals elevated by 14.1 p.c from the earlier yr to greater than 45 million folks. “Tourism exercise has been happening as anticipated in 2022. Regardless of all of the challenges from the state of affairs in Ukraine, [arrivals from] different different markets, such because the Center East, Germany, and the U.Ok. have been on the rise, which helps compensate for the losses.” The 2023 vacationer season will probably be significantly better, he stated, including that the goal is to make Türkiye one of many prime three nations in international tourism. “Türkiye has so much to supply…from medical tourism to cultural tourism to cruise tourism and {golfing}, to not point out the seashores and heat climate. We’ve the potential to compete [with other countries],” Baglıkaya stated. “I’m assured that we will obtain the goal of constructing Türkiye one of many prime three nations on this planet inside the shortest time by working along with tour operators, hoteliers, transport corporations and journey businesses.” Earlier this week, Tradition and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that given the efficiency for the reason that begin of the yr, Türkiye is more likely to appeal to extra overseas vacationers and generate extra tourism revenues than foreseen in revised targets set for 2022. The upwardly revised targets for this yr foresee 47 million overseas vacationers and $37 billion in tourism revenues. In January-August, 29.3 million overseas vacationers visited Türkiye, up greater than 108 p.c in comparison with the identical interval of 2021. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

[salmankhanholics]

★ More Pix of Salman Khan with Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy at Çırağan Palace in Istanbul!

-September 2, 2021 

[timesofocean]

Erdogan to 'most probably' have meeting with Putin this week

New Post has been published on https://www.timesofocean.com/erdogan-to-most-probably-have-meeting-with-putin-this-week/

Erdogan to 'most probably' have meeting with Putin this week

Ankara (Times Of Ocean)- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he is “most likely” to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week.

Istanbul or Turkey’s capital Ankara “would be the solution point for steps to be taken” to ease tensions in eastern Ukraine, Erdogan told reporters after offering Eid prayers in Istanbul.

In the eastern part of the war-ravaged country, Russian forces intensified their attacks two months after Moscow began its war on Ukraine.

The Turkish government, which has friendly relations with both sides, is actively involved in diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. In a meeting in Istanbul last month, it proposed a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul on March 29, seen as a breakthrough in halting hostilities that began on Feb. 24.

The two foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine also met in Antalya earlier in March, the first time that senior government officials from both sides have met since the start of the war, now over two months ago.

Also, Turkish officials have discussed the issue of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine for evacuating stranded civilians and wounded persons.

“We are taking all kinds of steps in the process of accelerating evacuations in Ukraine,” Erdogan said.

So far, Turkey has helped dozens of civilians evacuate the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

Both Ukraine and Russia desire some support in grain exports from Turkey, and he said these issues will be discussed with Putin.

The UN estimates that 2,899 civilians have been killed and 3,235 injured in Ukraine since the war with Russia began. However, the real number may be much higher.

UNHCR’s report shows that more than 5.4 million people have fled the country, and 7.7 million are internally displaced.

President Erdogan stated that the ties between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will change dramatically in the near future, adding that they discussed it with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during their bilateral meeting last week.

“There has been a very positive development regarding the Arab nations,” he said, adding that he believes the arrival of Saudi visitors to Turkey will increase and accelerate.

According to Turkish tourism industry insiders, the number of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey in 2019 was around 550,000, but dropped to nearly 80,000 in 2020, and may increase to 400,000 this year.

Erdogan said Saudis’ understanding of tourism in Turkey is “very positive,” stressing: “I believe the tourism season will be very good in Turkey.”

Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister, will continue to work in this field.

Ankara and Riyadh have shown a desire to develop bilateral relations at the highest level, Erdogan said on Saturday. He spoke during his flight home from Saudi Arabia.

[secular-jew]

Arab Historian Admits there is No Palestinian People

One of the biggest, most stubborn and costliest untruths of our time is the notion that the jihad waged by Arabs in the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Gaza against Jews in Israel is a national struggle of an indigenous people for independence.No matter the facts, the lie persists to the tune of billions of dollars in international aid and political prestige, which makes it increasingly difficult for anyone involved to admit that the whole thing is nothing more than a propaganda stunt.Unlike the fairy tale of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, everyone pretends to be blind and deaf when it is pointed out that the emperor is naked. In fact, if the emperor himself were to stand up and yell, ‘I am naked folks, go home!’ the crowd would go on complimenting his non-existent garments.Last week the naked emperor did just that:“Before the Balfour Promise, when the Ottoman rule [1517-1917] ended, Palestine’s political borders as we know them today did not exist, and there was nothing called a Palestinian people with a political identity as we know today”, historian Abd Al-Ghani admitted on official PA TV on November 1.“Since Palestine’s lines of administrative division stretched from east to west and included Jordan and southern Lebanon, and like all peoples of the region [the Palestinians] were liberated from the Turkish rule and immediately moved to colonial rule, without forming a Palestinian people’s political identity.”In 1917, says this Arab historian on official PA TV, there was no such thing as a Palestinian people. This statement amounts to saying that the whole narrative of an ‘indigenous Palestinian people’ was made up at a later point in time.As Hamas Minister of the Interior and of National Security Fathi Hammad speaking on Al-Hekma TV said in March 2012: “Brothers, half of the Palestinians are Egyptians and the other half are Saudis. Who are the Palestinians? We have many families called Al-Masri, whose roots are Egyptian. Egyptian! They may be from Alexandria, from Cairo, from Dumietta, from the North, from Aswan, from Upper Egypt. We are Egyptians…”There is a reason, why the “Palestinian National Museum” is empty of historical artifacts.The Arab historian’s admission corroborates the observations of 19th century travelers to the region, who notably had no specific political agenda when they visited, unlike so many visitors to Israel today:”Outside the gates of Jerusalem, we saw indeed no living object, heard no living sound”, wrote French poet Alphonse de Lamartine about his visit in 1835.”The country is in a considerable degree empty of inhabitants and therefore its greatest need is that of a body of population.” wrote British Consul James Finn in his 1857 description of the Holy Land.”Palestine sits in a sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that withered its fields and fettered its energies. …Palestine is desolate and unlovely….It is a hopeless dreary, heartbroken land.” wrote American author Mark Twain in his description of his visit in 1867.Nevertheless, the Arab propaganda machine gets away with publishing fantastic falsehoods, such as this one on the Palestinian Authority’s tourism website: “With a history that envelops more than one million years, Palestine has played an important role in human civilization. The crucible of prehistoric cultures, it is where settled society, the alphabet, religion, and literature developed, and would become a meeting place for diverse cultures and ideas that shaped the world we know today”.The international community not only approves of these falsehoods, it happily pays for them.Historian Abd Al-Ghani’s declaration on PA TV was a historic, highly newsworthy admission that ought to have made the headlines everywhere, considering the importance the issue is given by political leaders, diplomats, the media and other establishment figures all over the world.After all, if the Arabs themselves admit that the ‘Palestinian people’ is an invented entity, should not the consequence be that the countless UN projects, billions of dollars in international aid, and the endless campaigns against Israel cease and be used for more noble purposes?The answer is yes, but no one is paying attention.We live in a post-factual world. Facts no longer have any currency, unlike feelings and ideological posturing. The truth has been reduced to a troublesome inconvenience and if it happens to stare you in the face, nothing could be easier than closing your eyes or simply looking away.

https://en.mida.org.il/2017/11/09/arab-historian-admits-no-palestinian-people/

[kyreniacommentator]

Turkish Vice President visits the TRNC

Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yılmaz arrived in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on his first visit after taking office.    Yılmaz was welcomed at the Ercan Airport by TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu, Security Forces Commander Major General Zorlu Topaloğlu, TRNC Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Culture,…

[mariacallous]

After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday in Athens, the two countries – historic foes – signed a new declaration of friendship and good neighbourliness.

The two leaders’ meeting was the fifth to take place within the framework of the Greece-Turkey Cooperation Council; the first was held in May 2010, followed by three more rounds in 2013, 2014, and 2016. It followed years of turbulence in Greek-Turkish relations due to several disagreements.

“We are neighbouring countries that share the same sea; it is quite natural for two countries to have problems as two siblings. We want to make the Aegean a sea of peace. There is no problem so big that it cannot be solved,” Erdogan said at the joint press conference.

Erdogan, who last visited Greece in 2017, expressed satisfaction at being in Greece, thanking Mitsotakis for the kind welcome.

According to the Greek media, the new declaration is a text of non-binding principles and can open a new path in Greek-Turkish relations.

Erdogan and Mitsotakis discussed new or upgraded agreements on electricity, trade, small and medium-sized enterprises, education, sports, technology, tourism and a general tightening of economic relations.

The two leaders also agreed to promote mutual understanding and exchange of best practices in agriculture, research and innovation, cooperation between young scientists and strengthening the export and investment environment in both countries

Greece has meanwhile secured the approval of the European Commission to activate the possibility for Turkish citizens and their families to visit Greek islands year round for seven or ten days.

There was no discussion of the burning issue of the delimitation of the continental shelf and Greece’s Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ, in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, however. According to Mitsotakis, this will be raised at the next political dialogue.

“The next phase of the political dialogue … can be an approach for the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, which, according to Greece, constitutes the only dispute that could be brought before an international jurisdiction with … International Law and especially the Law of the Sea the safest navigator in settlement of international disputes,” the Greek PM underlined.

Mitsotakis also clarified Greece’s views on the Cyprus issue.

The declaration signed by the two leaders confirmed their will to develop relations.

“We feel satisfied to see the projects’ results in the 2021 joint action plan framework. In the meeting with Mr Mitsotakis, we agreed to increase our bilateral trade from 5 billion to 10 billion dollars. We emphasized the importance of transport projects, such as constructing a second bridge at the Ipsala-Kipon station,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish President made special reference to the Turkish minority in Greece, specifically in Thrace. It is a contentious issue for Athens, which only recognises the religious status of this minority.

“Our wish is to solve common problems. The Turkish minority in Greece and the Greek community in Turkey are structural components of our human and cultural wealth,” Erdogan said.

Mitsotakis insisted Greece is doing its best to secure the rights of the Muslim minority in Thrace, which the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne defines. But Erdogan did not comment on Mitsotakis’s words and kept silent.

Traditional disputes over Cyprus and the Aegean Sea have been escalated with new challenges, including refugee waves and the distribution of energy riches in the East Med.

The two governments, which have both faced domestic political crises, have often used one another in their election campaigns for their populist rhetoric.

However, after both governments were re-elected in 2023, Mitsotakis for another four years and Erdogan for five, and amid several international crises, including the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s war in Ukraine, the two sides have opted for dialogue rather than confrontation.

With many migrants and refugees crossing Turkey and Greece en route to Western Europe, discussions are reportedly underway to exchange coast guard officials in order to create an open line of communication.

However, experts also warned BIRN that Greek-Turkish relationship remains on “thin ice”

Despite both sides being interested in stability in a time of geopolitical turbulence, the Turkish local elections in March 2024 may upset relations, given Erdogan’s tendency to lash out at nearby states during campaigning.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Turkey seeks to improve trade with Brazil

Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos França hosted a 30-minute talk on Monday with his counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu of Turkey. 

The Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry did not comment on the meeting. Per statements by the Turkish government, Brazil’s chancellor and Mr. Çavuşoğlu held a meeting focused on defense, tourism, culture, and matters of technical cooperation.

The Turkish cabinet minister indicated both countries will ramp up their trade partnership to a total of USD 10 billion in the coming future. “We believe we can easily achieve this goal,” he said after the meeting with Mr. França.

Continue reading.

[newstfionline]

Friday, August 6, 2021

US plans to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers (AP) The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said. The requirement would come as part of the administration’s phased approach to easing travel restrictions for foreign citizens to the country. No timeline has yet been determined, as interagency working groups study how and when to safely move toward resuming normal travel. Eventually all foreign citizens entering the country, with some limited exceptions, are expected to need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the U.S.

Big tech companies are at war with employees over remote work (Ars Technica) All across the United States, the leaders at large tech companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook are engaged in a delicate dance with thousands of employees who have recently become convinced that physically commuting to an office every day is an empty and unacceptable demand from their employers. The COVID-19 pandemic forced these companies to operate with mostly remote workforces for months straight. And since many of them are based in areas with relatively high vaccination rates, the calls to return to the physical office began to sound over the summer. But thousands of high-paid workers at these companies aren’t having it. Many of them don’t want to go back to the office full time, even if they’re willing to do so a few days a week. Workers are even pointing to how effective they were when fully remote and using that to question why they have to keep living in the expensive cities where these offices are located. Some tech leaders (like Twitter’s Jack Dorsey) agreed, or at least they saw the writing on the wall. They enacted permanent or semipermanent changes to their companies’ policies to make partial or even full-time remote work the norm. Others (like Apple’s Tim Cook) are working hard to find a way to get everyone back in their assigned seats as soon as is practical, despite organized resistance. In either case, the work cultures at tech companies that make everything from the iPhone to Google search are facing a major wave of transformation.

At least 10 dead as van carrying migrants crashes in Texas (AP) An overloaded van carrying 29 migrants crashed Wednesday on a remote South Texas highway, killing at least 10 people, including the driver, and injuring 20 others, authorities said. The crash happened shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 281 in Encino, Texas, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of McAllen. A surge in migrants crossing the border illegally has brought about an uptick in the number of crashes involving vehicles jammed with migrants who pay large amounts to be smuggled into the country. The Dallas Morning News has reported that the recruitment of young drivers for the smuggling runs, combined with excessive speed and reckless driving by those youths, have led to horrific crashes.

Turkish wildfires are worst ever, Erdogan says, as power plant breached (Reuters) Turkey is battling the worst wildfires in its history, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as fires spread to a power station in the country’s southwest after reducing swathes of coastal forest to ashes. Fanned by high temperatures and a strong, dry wind, the fires have forced thousands of Turks and foreign tourists to flee homes and hotels near the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Eight people have died in the blazes since last week. Planes and dozens of helicopters have joined scores of emergency crews on the ground to battle the fires, but Erdogan’s government has faced criticism over the scale and speed of the response. In the last two weeks, fires in Turkey have burnt more than three times the area affected in an average year, a European fire agency said. Neighbouring countries have also battled blazes fanned by heatwaves and strong winds.

Sri Lanka’s financial problems (Foreign Policy) Sri Lanka is threatening to become South Asia’s economic weak link. It’s mired in a severe debt crisis, and its budget deficit exceeded 11 percent of GDP during the last fiscal year, which ended in March. The country’s foreign reserves can only pay for three months of imports, prompting Colombo to cut back on many foreign imports, including turmeric, a staple product. Fitch Ratings has warned default is a real possibility. Sri Lanka’s woes stem in great part from a floundering tourism sector. Tourism typically accounts for at least 5 percent of GDP, and some estimates even put the figure at 12.5 percent. The sector’s troubles began before the coronavirus pandemic, when suicide bombers killed at least 290 people in churches and hotels in April 2019, keeping visitors away. But the pandemic still dealt a giant blow. A 2021 assessment found tourist arrivals between January and April fell nearly 100 percent from the same period in 2020.

Australia to spend $813M to address Indigenous disadvantage (AP) Australia’s government on Thursday pledged 1.1 billion Australian dollars ($813 million) to address Indigenous disadvantage, including compensation to thousands of mixed-race children who were taken from their families over decades. The AU$378.6 million ($279.7 million) to be used to compensate the so-called Stolen Generations by 2026 is the most expensive component of the package aimed at boosting Indigenous living standards in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the compensation was a recognition of the harm caused by forced removal of children from families.

Israel launches airstrikes on Lebanon in response to rockets (AP) Israel on Thursday escalated its response to rocket attacks this week by launching rare airstrikes on Lebanon, the army said. The army said in a statement that jets struck the launch sites from which rockets had been fired over the previous day, as well as an additional target used to attack Israel in the past. The IDF blamed the state of Lebanon for the shelling and warned “against further attempts to harm Israeli civilians and Israel’s sovereignty.” The overnight airstrikes were a marked escalation at a politically sensitive time. Israel’s new eight-party governing coalition is trying to keep peace under a fragile cease fire that ended an 11-day war with Hamas’ militant rulers in Gaza in May.

‘Winning a medal doesn’t make him Jewish’ (Washington Post) When gymnast Artem Dolgopyat stepped off the podium as only the second Israeli to win an Olympic gold medal, he triggered one of Israel’s many cultural tripwires: It quickly emerged that the country’s newest sports hero is banned from marrying his fiancee here because he is not considered Jewish enough by the rabbis who control Israel’s marriage law. Immediately after Dolgopyat took top honors in the men’s floor exercise, his mother took the chance to complain that Israeli religious law is keeping her engaged 24-year-old son from tying the knot because only his father’s side of the family is Jewish. Marriage law is tightly controlled by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. And for generations, couples who are of mixed religions—or who are atheists, gay or inadequately Jewish—have been forced to marry outside the country. Dolgopyat’s training schedule has made that impossible, said his mother, Angela Bilan. “I want grandchildren,” Bilan said Sunday in an interview with Israeli radio.

Talking to strangers (Atlantic) A hefty body of research has found that an overwhelmingly strong predictor of happiness and well-being is the quality of a person’s social relationships. But most of those studies have looked at only close ties: family, friends, co-workers. In the past decade and a half, professors have begun to wonder if interacting with strangers could be good for us too: not as a replacement for close relationships, but as a complement to them. The results of that research have been striking. Again and again, studies have shown that talking with strangers can make us happier, more connected to our communities, mentally sharper, healthier, less lonely, and more trustful and optimistic.

But tanks make such handy snowplows... (BBC) A German retiree was fined nearly $300,000 by local authorities on Tuesday following the discovery of a World War-II era tank in his basement along with other items of the period, including a flak cannon and multiple machine guns. The Panther tank was removed from the man’s property in 2015, a job that took 20 soldiers almost nine hours to complete. The unnamed 84-year-old might have been able to hold on to his tank and the rest of his collection—which must now be donated to a museum within two years, according to Tuesday’s ruling—had he kept it a better secret. “He was chugging around in that thing during the snow catastrophe in 1978,” Heikendorf Mayor Alexander Orth told reporters.

[kalyan-gullapalli]

Post # 133

Israel : India's new BFF...

On 4th July, 2017, Narendra Modi became the first sitting Indian prime minister to visit Israel. His counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, was seen alongside Modi on all three days, accompanying him to various industrial and cultural visits. The press duely reported his unusual level of participation, underscoring the significance of the trip for both the countries. Unlike prior diplomatic initiatives, the Indian prime minister did not balance this outreach with a visit to Palestine, India's long time friend, and Israel's staunchest enemy. India and Israel had become new BFFs.

And yet in 1948, when Israel became independent from Great Britain, just months after India did, India refused to recognize Israel as a newly formed country. Till 1992, India and Israel didn't have embassies in each others' countries, though there were informal engagements between the two countries. Since then, the relationship between the two countries has gone from strength to strength.

Today, India is the largest importer of Israeli defense systems. Israel is the second largest defense supplier to India, after Russia. In 1992, India-Israel trade was a paltry USD 200 million. In 2018, it had grown to almost USD 6 billion. India is a top-ten trading partner for Israel. And by the looks of it, this is just the trailer. Picture abhi baki hai.

So, what's the story behind this U-turn of the relationship? How did the indifferent, sometimes frosty relationship between the two countries suddenly blossom into such exuberant friendship? Therein lies a tale.

Cultural ties between India and Israel are millennia old, because both of them are pretty old civilizations. It is said that King Solomon used teak wood and ivory from the Malabar coast of India to build his palace and other structures in the grand city of Jerusalem, around 900 to 1000 BCE.

Tradition speaks of Jews coming to the Malabar coast of India on exile, after the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, during the Siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. The locals welcomed them with open arms. When the second temple of Solomon was also destroyed during the Second Siege of Jerusalem in 68 CE, another batch of Jews arrived in India. Jews have been coming to India ever since.

Throughout the world, especially in Europe, Jews have been despised and persecuted for ages. India is the only land where they were welcome to live and integrate into the local culture. This is borne out by the fact that some of the oldest Jewish synagogues outside of Israel are in Kerala, India.

Infact, during the reign of Raja Baskara Varman I, the king welcomed the Jews and issued a royal decree in Tamil to the effect that, “the Jews are being given the village of Anjuvannam and it would remain in their possession, so long as the world and moon exist.” Pretty dramatic, huh? The relics recording this conversation are still available.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his visit to Israel in 2017, gifted Benjamin Netanyahu with replicas of these relics, reinforcing the strong roots of ties between the two countries.

In World War I, British Indian soldiers played a key role in the liberation of the cities of Jerusalem, Haifa and Acre, from the Turkish Ottomon Empire and Germans. So, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in turn, gifted Modi with a photo that depicted Indian soldiers on December 11, 1917, leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem.

In 1918, soldiers from three Indian regiments, Jodhpur, Hyderabad and Mysore, sacrificed their lives while liberating Haifa, a prominent city in Jerusalem. Cementaries honoring these soldiers exist in Haifa and Jerusalem even today. In fact, the Teen Murti Marg in Delhi, which has been recently renamed as Teen Murti Haifa Marg, commemorates these three regiments.

Why then, one wonders, did the relationship go into a limbo post India's and Israel's independence?

The answer is - ideological differences.

Post India's independence from Britain in 1947, Indian leadership under Nehru took the non-alignment ideoligical path, whereas in reality leaning slightly towards Soviet Union and its pseudo-socialist economy. Whereas, post its independence from Britain just a few months later, in 1948, Israel decided to link its future with the capitalist west, especially the US.

Israel was formed on the basis of religion - It was a Jewish state. Gandhiji didn't like it. For him, Israel was like Pakistan - born with a religious identity.

For Nehruji, the problem was something else. He feared that close relations with the Jewish state might radicalize India's muslim citizens – numbering more than 100 million – and hurt its relations with the Arab world, on which India depended for oil.

So, in 1949, India voted against admission of Israel to United Nations. However, in 1950, India reversed its stand and officially recognised the State of Israel. Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru stated, "We would have recognised Israel long ago, because Israel is a fact. We refrained because of our desire not to offend the sentiments of our friends in the Arab countries."

In 1953, Israel was permitted to open a consulate in Bombay to facilitate smooth emigration of Jews to their newly formed country.

From 1950 to the early 1990s, the relationship remained informal in nature. Domestically, politicians in India feared losing the muslim vote if relations were normalised with Israel. Also, India did not want to jeopardise the large number of its citizen working in Arab Gulf, who were helping India maintain its foreign-exchange reserves. But both governments maintained informal ties, especially in areas of surveillance and intelligence.

Things changed with the formation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, an association of countries having muslim majorities. Many countries with significant muslim populations were given observer status. Pakistan blocked India's entry to that group. That gave India a legitimate reason to make overt diplomatic shifts.

In 1992, P V Narasimha Rao became the Prime minister of a near-bankrupt nation. Probably he had no other option, but somehow in the fading years of his political career, he took some bold decisions. He brought sweeping economic reforms and set the country on course to high growth levels. He made some drastic changes at the diplomatic levels too.

The same year, India opened up its embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel opened its embassy in New Delhi, with consulates in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Formal relationship between the two countries took off at an exponential pace.

In 1997, Ezer Weizman became the first Israeli President to visit India. In 2000, L.K Advani and Jaswant Sinha became the first Indian ministers to visit the state of Israel. In 2003, Ariel Sharon was the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit India. In 2006, Narendra Modi made his first visit to Israel as Chief minister of Gujarat. In 2012, despite "India's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause", Foreign Minister SM Krishna made a two-day visit to Israel. In May 2014, after Narendra Modi became Prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu personally called to congratulated him. Modi, in turn, met Netanyahu in New York City on the sideline of the UN General Assembly during his US visit in 2014. It has been bear hugs, big smiles and hand shakes all the way.

In 2012, Israel commemorated 20 years of diplomatic relations with India by coming out with a postal stamp, highlighting the similarities between Deepawali, the Indian festival of lights and Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, both these festivals falling around the same months of October-November.

Today, India and Israel collaborate in multiple areas - military, strategy and intelligence, trade, science and technology, space, agriculture, oil and natural gas exploration, tourism and cultural exchange.

In many ways, Israel has become India's new best friend!

Credits: Bharat Gyan and its promoters - D K Hari and Mrs. D K Hemahari's beautiful mini-book - Indo-Israel - A connect over millennia.