Category: General

The International Presidential Yacht Races, one of the most prestigious sea sports organizations in Trkiye, will be run between July 25-30 under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Trkiye.

Speaking to Anadolu, Ekrem Yemlihaoglu, head of the Istanbul Offshore Yacht Club, said that they aim to perform a really big task on behalf of promoting Trkiye, stressing that “we are also in a very respected and prestigious position in the international sense.”

Yemlihaoglu said the event consists of two parts. The first part of the races will be held in Trkiye’s Aegean province of Mugla on the Bodrum-Marmaris route between July 25-30 and the second part will be the Republic Cup in the Istanbul Bosphorus on Oct. 29.

He added that the race will be held this year with nearly 50 teams and more than 400 athletes from 12 to 14 different countries will compete.

“In Trkiye, there has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of athletes, and it seems that we are on the verge of catching up with European or American countries,” Yemlihaoglu said.

The rise in athletes with exceptional fighting power and discipline is becoming more evident as each day passes.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Israeli forces on Friday killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during a demonstration against illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry said the incident occurred in Umm Safa village, north of Ramallah, where Israeli soldiers inflicted severe injuries on two individuals, resulting in the death of one.

’17-year-old Mohammed Fuad Ata al-Bayed, who was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers in Umm Safa village of Ramallah, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital,’ it said.

The clash between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers broke out after the Israeli forces used force to disperse protesters.

According to witnesses, Israeli forces used live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, and tear gas against Palestinian demonstrators.

Earlier, local councils and institutions called for anti-settlement demonstrations in the village center after Friday prayers in the village.

Every Friday, Palestinians hold protests in various areas of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem to denounce the internationally recognized illegal Jewish settlements.

Israeli soldiers frequently use tear gas, rubber bullets, and, at times, live ammunition to disperse the protesters.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Protesters in Iraq stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire early Thursday over the burning of the Quran. The action by the followers of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr came after Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Muslim holy book under police protection in front of the Stockholm Mosque in Sweden last month, which was widely condemned in Muslim countries. Videos circulating online showed hundreds of protesters breaching Sweden’s embassy and waving flags and chanting. Smoke was rising from the embassy building, according to an Anadolu reporter in Iraq.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The United Arab Emirates sees Trkiye as a “very important commercial, economic and strategic partner,” the country’s minister of state for foreign trade said Wednesday. Trkiye has become the country that saw the fastest developments in relations with the UAE, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said during the UAE-Trkiye Business Forum organized by Trkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in the capital Abu Dhabi as part of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Gulf tour. Speaking at the forum’s closing session, Al Zeyoudi said relations between the two countries have progressed rapidly and new horizons have been opened following agreements signed between the two countries. He noted that relations between Trkiye and the UAE have gained great momentum. “There is a relationship based on a common acquisition project. Many agreements have been reached between the two countries so far,” he added. Calling on the Turkish business world, he said: “I would like to invite Trkiye to our country. We invite them to partner with us in our sustainable growth, because we have a very positive perspective towards you.” Stressing that the two countries can further increase their mutual investments and cooperation, Al Zeyoudi said the two countries have the same vision. He said the UAE and Trkiye can collaborate in the international area both politically and economically. He noted that the two countries signed agreements worth $50.7 billion on Wednesday and wished the agreements to be beneficial to the people of the two countries.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s aspirations regarding Europe ‘pass through Cyprus’, Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos said upon his arrival to the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU in Brussels, on Thursday, underlining also that Turkey’s assessment can only be benchmark oriented. EU – Turkey relations is one of the main issues on the agenda of the Foreign Ministers, and is set to be discussed during a working lunch. ‘There is a number of important and interconnected issues on the agenda today, ranging from Ukraine, the state of the US – EU relation, and China’ Kombos said. Referring to the discussion on the future of EU-Turkey relations, the Foreign Minister pointed out that ‘for Cyprus, that future has a very specific past.’ ‘Turkey’s assessment can only be benchmark oriented, merit-based, phased, proportionate and subject to established conditionalities. This is what the European Council has repeatedly concluded,’ he added. ‘Moreover, Turkey’s aspirations pass through Cyprus. We expect the speedy resumption of substantive negotiations leading to a solution of the Cyprus problem,’ he noted. ‘Today is a difficult day for us. It marks 49 years since Turkey’s invasion in Cyprus. That is 17,987 days. This has to stop,’ he concluded. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Republic of Cyprus seeks a just, viable and functional solution to the Cyprus problem, which will liberate our country and allow our people to live together in security and prosperity, said the Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Petros Xenophontos during a memorial service for the fallen during the 1974 Turkish invasion, which took place on Thursday at the Apostle Varnavas Cathedral in Nicosia, in the presence of President Nikos Christodoulides, House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou and state and political parties representatives. As Xenophontos said in his commemorative speech, 49 years since the bloody summer of 1974 “we have an obligation towards all those who sacrificed themselves for the justice and freedom of our country, to join forces in the common effort, with vision, determination, but also with prudence, in order to remove the current deadlocks”. “As the Republic of Cyprus, we seek a just, viable and functional solution. A solution that will liberate our country and allow our people, after 49 years of continuous efforts and through historical compromises, to live together in security and prosperity’, he stressed. “This is the legacy we have inherited and this is the direction we have to follow. This is our unpaid debt and our obligation to our heroes. May the memory of those who died in 1974 for the freedom of our country be eternal. We owe them the fight for the freedom of our country”, concluded Xenophontos. Moreover, in statements after the service, Greek Deputy Defence Minister Nikolaos Hardalias, who represented the Greek Government, said that “we do not forget for a minute the painful consequences of this violent invasion. We do not forget that 49 years later, 37% of our island remains under Turkish occupation.” He added that Athens and Nicosia are working in coordination to reunite the island, to find a viable, just, functional solution based on the UN Security Council resolutions, which, he said, should ensure the withdrawal of the occupying troops and, above all, should free the Cypriot people from anachronistic guarantees. “We are working feverishly and I think there will be progress in the next period,” Hardalias concluded. Earlier in the morning a memorial service was held at Makedonitissa Tomb – a military cemetery and war memorial – in Nicosia, to commemorate the fallen army officers and soldiers during the Turkish invasion. Present at the ceremony were President Nikos Christodoulides, Archbishop of Cyprus Georgios, House President, Annita Demetriou, other officials, party and other organizations’ representatives. The Greek government was represented by the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Nicholas Hardalias, and the Hellenic Parliament by its First Deputy Speaker Ioannis Plakiotakis. Many relatives of the heroes who sacrificed their lives to defend Cyprus’ freedom also attended the ceremony, during which President Christodoulides and Hardalias laid wreaths. Moreover, participants observed a one minute silence while the national anthem was played. In statements to the media after the ceremony, Archbishop Georgios said that the main message of this anniversary is that no matter how many years pass we will not give up on our homeland or accept the faits accomplis of violence, but we will seek to free our country. House President Annita Demetriou told the media that we must remain vigilant and remind ourselves as well as the European and the international community of what is going on in Cyprus for 49 years now. She stressed that “we have no other choice than to work tirelessly in order to be able to reunite and free the country.” First Deputy Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Ioannis Plakiotakis said that the Turkish invasion constitutes a clear violation of human rights that has been condemned by the international community in its whole, adding that Cyprus and Greece aim in coordination and with commitment to abide by the international legality to the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the UN Security Council decisions and the EU acquis. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Young entrepreneurs have shown interest in applying for the Youth Entrepreneurship Awards organised for the first time in Cyprus by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. According to a press release from the foundation, 23 young entrepreneurs submitted their applications to the “Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2023,” competing for a prize of 60,000 euros (1st Prize 30,000pound – 2nd Prize 20,000pound – 3rd Prize 10,000pound ), which Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou will award to the top three business ideas. It is added that the application submission process ended on July 14, 2023, and young entrepreneurs under the age of 35, of any nationality, who have established a company in the Republic of Cyprus within the last 5 years, participated. It is noted that the Awards Ceremony will take place online on Tuesday, September 12 2023, at 14:00 and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou will congratulate the three winners via Zoom.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Wednesday said the lives of those in need “should never be reduced to the tactics of geopolitical games,” after Russia used its veto power to halt vital cross-border aid last week into northern Syria. “Humanitarian action must always be guided by the principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. As such, effective humanitarian assistance can never be held hostage by any political interest,’ Csaba said as UN member states gathered to debate the Russian veto. Urging the members of the Security Council to “prioritize the needs of the affected population,” Korosi called on the UN body to be “alive to the realities and oriented towards genuine solutions; to urgently prioritize long-term cooperation over division; and the humanitarian imperative over brinksmanship.” ‘Together, we have the power to make a meaningful difference. The people of Syria are counting on us to deliver,’ he added. Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution last week seeking to extend cross-border aid delivery for nine months from Trkiye through a gate into northern Syria. Thirteen other Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution drafted by Switzerland and Brazil. China abstained, but as Russia is a permanent Council member, its veto prevailed. The long-running aid operation, which has been in place since 2014 and allowed the delivery of aid to 4 million people in Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, expired on July 10. Resolutions need nine votes to get through the Council and no veto by permanent members: Russia, China, France, US and UK.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Cyprus’ Department of Meteorology issued a yellow warning for ‘extreme high temperature’ on Thursday, while the risk of forest fires eruption will remain at the ‘Red Alert’ level on Thursday, the Department of Forestry said in a press release. According to the press release from the Forestry Department, the lighting of fire without a permit is prohibited and constitutes an offence which, according to the Law on Forests could lead to imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to pound 50,000 or both while the Prevention of Fires in the Countryside Law, provides for up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to pound 20,000, or both. Lighting a fire for food preparation is only allowed in the barbecue areas of picnic sites, it said. The Department has also called on the public to be especially careful during their outings, to avoid actions and activities that are likely to cause a fire, such as the use of tools or agricultural machinery that produce heat, sparks or flame, such as angle grinders, and welding. Members of the public are asked in case they notice smoke or fire to “immediately” call 1407 (Forestry Department) or 112 (Fire Service). Meanwhile, Cyprus’ Department of Meteorology issued a yellow warning for ‘extreme high temperature’ on Thursday. The warning is in effect for Thursday from 11:00 until 18:00. According to the warning, on Thursday, the maximum temperature is expected to reach around 41 degrees Celsius inland and around 33 degrees Celsius in the higher mountainous areas.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the West distorted the ‘meaning’ and ‘essence’ of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, after Moscow announced it was suspending its participation in the deal. The West ‘shamelessly profited from the grain deal. It simply completely distorted the meaning of these agreements and the essence,” Putin said during a meeting with the government. He said the deal was initially aimed at ensuring global food security and had ‘colossal humanitarian significance’ by reducing the threat of hunger and helping the poorest countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. ‘That is why Russia has assumed certain obligations to facilitate its implementation. However, this ‘deal’…was in fact used to enrich large American and European businesses exporting and reselling grain from Ukraine,” he said. Putin further said that Western countries completely removed everything valuable from the grain deal and “perverted” its original humanitarian essence, making it a tool of ‘political blackmail’ and ‘enriching transnational corporations, speculators in the global grain market.’ He said Russia showed ‘miracles of endurance, patience and tolerance’ by extending the grain deal and that Moscow expected the West to comply with its conditions, though ‘nothing like this happened.’ The West ‘only demanded something from Russia,” he said. “To do one thing, then another. To ensure one thing, the second, the third. Just outright arrogance and impudence. Promises and empty chatter. And they only compromised themselves by this.” He also accused the West of creating obstacles for Russia’s free transfer of fertilizers to the poorest countries. Putin said the basic condition for Russia’s return to the grain deal is the ‘restoration of its original humanitarian essence,” further recalling conditions under the agreement that he said must be fulfilled ‘without exception,’ after which Moscow will ‘immediately return to this deal.” On Monday, the Kremlin announced that it had suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, saying the Russian part of the agreement was not implemented. The agreement, initially signed in July last year in Istanbul by Trkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports which had been halted as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022.

Source: Anadolu Agency