Ties strained over issues including purchase of Russian air defense system Updated 12 min 35 sec ago
Arab News
April 25, 2021 23:13
ANKARA: Turkey has shown unexpected restraint after US President Joe Biden formally recognized the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide by so far avoiding the deployment of rebellious or bellicose rhetoric against its NATO ally.
Turkey maintains that the killing of Armenians was not systematically orchestrated and that they died in wartime conditions, leaving the government with two options after Biden’s Saturday statement.
Either it can continue to be cautious and dodge a diplomatic crisis with the US at a time when the Turkish lira is depreciating against the dollar, or it can move further into Russia’s orbit and risk seriously damaging relations.
FRIDAY, APRIL 23 LJUBLJANA – Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at the Monument to the Victims of all Wars in Ljubljana during a visit to Slovenia at the invitation of her counterpart Borut Pahor. LISBON – Portugal’s Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva opens conference EU-Africa Green Investment Forum – 0800 GMT. VIENNA – Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein hold news conference on reopening the country – 1200 GMT. GENEVA – WHO to mark one-year anniversary of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator – 1300 GMT. LISBON – Portugal’s Defense Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho holds workshop with several EU defense ministers and secretaries of state about the Strategic Compass – 1530 GMT. ISTANBUL – Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Hanif Atmar, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shan Mahmood Qureshi and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hold talks in Istanbul – 1600 GMT. HANOI – Vietna
Abbas Says Determined to Hold Elections in All Palestinian Territories, Including East Jerusalem aawsat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aawsat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tanjug/AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File
However, according to Novosti, the request has now been officially announced by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in a letter to the OIC Secretary-General. As explained by Al Maliki, relations should be terminated because so-called Kosovo has violated international law and resolutions with their decision, and it also openly attacks the Palestinian people and their rights. Should the OIC members accept the Palestinian request, Pristina would face a great loss of support, because the independence of so-called Kosovo has been recognized by 30 of the 57 countries within the organization. It is estimated that they no decisions on withdrawing the recognition will be made, but a large number of the member states would certainly no longer provide support to so-called Kosovo in its efforts to join international organizations.
BICOM
19th April 2021
Guardian report that Syria is set to hold a presidential election next month in a move that will likely maintain President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power. The election for a president who will serve a seven-year-term will take place on 26 May, Parliament Speaker Hamouda Sabbagh said. Prospective candidates for the election would be able to register from Monday while Syrians abroad would be able to vote at embassies on 20 May. It is the second presidential election to take place during the civil war. The previous vote in 2014 – dismissed as undemocratic and illegitimate by opponents within Syria and by the US and EU – saw Assad win 92 per cent of the vote.