Author: Levent Kaan

Berlin (22/10 – 75) UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes, reported during his trip to the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in Tajikistan, he met with representatives of civil society and residents of the region. Varennes arrived in Tajikistan for a working visit on October 9 till October 20. The UN Special Rapporteur told journalists that the residents of Gorno-Badakhshan informed him about violations of their rights in 2021-2022, particularly concerning the rights of detainees and cases of harsh treatment by law enforcement agencies. He stated, “People are complaining about religious restrictions as well as limitations on the use…

The counterterrorism expert and author of “Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Massacre: Lessons for the International Community” explains how religious extremism manifested in Sri Lanka’s deadliest terror attack. On April 21, 2019 – Easter Sunday – a coordinated series of bombings ripped through Sri Lanka, targeting churches and luxury hotels. Over 260 people were killed, making it the deadliest terrorist attack ever suffered by Sri Lanka. The attack has continued to resonate in Sri Lankan society and politics, as the public demands to untangle questions of responsibility: Why was the attack not prevented, and what can be done to stop the…

Aidana Tastanova is a Kazakhstan national and a 3rd year law student attending the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under a Kazakh government scholarship. Aitylğan sõz – atylğan oq (translation: ‘A word once spoken can never be recalled’) – Kazakh proverb On July 10, the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, the Majilis, adopted the Law ‘On online platforms and online advertising’, aimed at regulating this sphere. Everything that is illegal offline should also be illegal online – this postulate of the European Union’s law enforcement practice outlines the principles of online behavior in the best possible way. Social networks have…

Frankfurt, Brussels (21/7 – 37) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again reversed course, approving Sweden’s bid to join the legacy European military bloc, having been promised a brace of classic F-16 fighter jets. This new deal was hammered out at the recent NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and included a vow by Türkiye to avoid quarrels with ancient enemy Greece also a NATO member. During a 12 July press conference on in Vilnius, Erdogan touched on several issues important for Türkiye, including ratifying Sweden’s NATO bid, its F-16 jet deal with the US, and a “balancing act” between…

Frankfurt, Brussels (14/7 – 30) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has concluded a summit held on July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, having issued a 90-point communique, with the detailed elaboration on new members, the ongoing Ukraine/Russia conflict and other defense matters. Highlights of the Vilnius Summit Communique: New members Russia – Ukraine Conflict China Indo-Pacific region Technology and defense Nuclear weapons

Paris, Washington (13/7 – 50) Kenes Rakishev (Keñes Hamitūly Raqyşev) aka Kenges Rakishev is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, former special envoy for Kazakhstan, head of the Kazakh boxing federation, a family man, and most importantly, a man of success. Under Kenges Rakishev’s leadership, the Kazakh female and male boxing squad leaped considerable forward and secured the top ranking in the recent boxing championship putting Kazakhstan boxing squarely in the top ranking in the world. A total of 21 medals were won by the Kazakhstan’s boxers – a tally of six gold, seven silver and eight bronze – and all were honoured…

If Turkiye wishes to come closer to Europe and open itself to the West, Greek-Turkish dialog must resume, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview to ANT1 on Wednesday. The dialog will concern “a single and only difference [between us], that is the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf in the Aegean and the East Mediterranean,” he told journalist Nikos Chatzinikolaou. Speaking ahead of a NATO Summit in Vilnius (July 11-12), which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend, Mitsotakis reiterated that “we do not have a lot to discuss – issues of…

The Pakistani community in Athens demonstrated outside the Indian embassy on Sunday over the Kashmir issue. Alarmingly though, seen among the three or four dozen protesting was the flag of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) Islamist party, known for its protests in opposition to any change to Pakistan’s blasphemy law and demands that Sharia be established as law. According to Islam, death is mandatory in cases of blasphemy, for both Muslim men and women. In 2018, when the Dutch politician Geert Wilders announced that he was planning to hold a contest to draw caricatures of Muhammad, there were large protests in Pakistan…

Protecting their wallets and even setting aside high food costs, Greeks heard and answered Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ call to let him continue an economic recovery, giving New Democracy a resounding win in elections, if not enough to form a government. Falling short of a parliamentary majority, he said he won’t try to form a coalition and will go to a second round, likely July 2, in which a sliding scale providing up to 50 seats in the 300-member Parliament could see him keep the single-party rule. The Wall Street Journal noted how voters tilted toward the economy in setting…

The Turkish Cypriot president on Friday slammed statements by US Sen. Bob Menendez that said the Turkish side has been occupying the Island of Cyprus, reports Anadolu Agency. The admission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as an observer member of the Organisation of Turkic States (TDT) and the visit of Gambian Vice President Badara Joof drew great attention across the world, the presidency stressed in a statement. That is why the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo made various attempts to block the TRNC’s progress toward recognition. The EU, the US and some other forces also took action, it said. Turkish…