World

Turkey’s pro-Kurd party to back main Erdogan rival at polls

Turkey’s largest non-aligned political party is planning to throw its weight behind an opposition alliance trying to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in elections in May, intensifying what’s become one of the biggest tests of his two decades in power.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party, or HDP, is prepared to back the main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, according to people familiar with the matter. The HDP is Turkey’s leading pro-Kurdish party and has been an important factor in past elections. Its decision would be a major boost for an opposition alliance that has struggled to mount an effective campaign.

The HDP will hold talks with Kilicdaroglu in the coming days and is expected to announce its support, the people said, declining to be named because the discussions are private.

That means the party isn’t planning to field a separate presidential candidate, they said.

The HDP declined to comment.

Kilicdaroglu will meet with HDP co-chairs Mithat Sancar and Pervin Buldan on March 18, NTV reported later on Wednesday.

The threat for Erdogan is that the main Kurdish party will reprise a role it played during municipal elections four years ago, when it backed the opposition and helped swing the vote against pro-government candidates in two of Turkey’s biggest cities.

The opposition camp has already agreed that if elected, it will appoint Ekrem Imamoglu, who won the mayor’s office in Istanbul with critical backing from Kurdish voters in 2019, as a vice president.

Kilicdaroglu emerged as the main opposition candidate last week after months of infighting held up a decision on who should run. The opposition has since shown a united front, drawing on a familiar face to help reverse a shaky campaign to topple the country’s longest-serving leader.

“The HDP has been working to convince its grassroots either to vote for Kilicdaroglu or Imamoglu in presidential elections and now both of them are aiming to run the country together, said Mehmet Kaya, head of the chamber of commerce in Diyarbakir.

‘New era’

“HDP’s likely support for Kilicdaroglu is expected to usher a new era in relations between the Kurds and the state, Kaya said. “Kilicdaroglu will definitely need the support of Kurdish lawmakers to make laws in the parliament.

Consolidation in the opposition ranks underscores the challenge facing Erdogan as a public backlash mounts over his government’s response to deadly earthquakes last month.

The disaster hit an economy already grappling with the ripple effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The opposition bloc, known as the Nation Alliance, promises a return to orthodox monetary policies and an “autonomous central bank should it come out on top at the polls.

HDP voters largely regard Kilicdaroglu as a politician who could help defend rights for Turkey’s Kurdish minority. The party is currently the third largest in parliament but has been the target of a clampdown by Turkish security forces since 2015, when it denied Erdogan’s AK Party a governing majority after a surprise election outcome.

By backing Kilicdaroglu, the HDP hopes to advance its goals, as the party also faces a potential ban by the country’s top court on separatism charges. It will likely field its parliamentary candidates on the ticket of another pro-Kurdish group, the Green Left, to circumvent such a ban, the people said.

Selahattin Demirtas, a former co-leader of the HDP who’s been imprisoned since 2016, urged his party’s supporters in a Twitter post on Tuesday to print out the Green Left Party’s logo and paste it to their doors and refrigerators.

“There should be no one left who doesn’t know what it is. It will be needed, Demirtas said.

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World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM