Category: General

Minister of Health Michalis Damianos departs today for Brussels where he will participate in the Informal Meeting of the EU Health Ministers Council (EPSCO HEALTH).

According to an official press release, important issues related to the health sector will be discussed, including the health workforce crisis, the security of supply of medicines and the European plan to fight cancer, with a focus on primary prevention.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: Indonesia’s Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed an appeal against Prabowo Subianto’s victory in the Feb. 14 presidential election, local media reported.

The two rivals of President-elect Prabowo challenged his victory, seeking his disqualification and revote.

Defeated candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo charged that widespread distribution of social aid in key areas had swayed the vote in Prabowo’s favor.

Thousands of security personnel from the police and the military were deployed to secure the area just hundreds of meters away from the State Palace in Jakarta.

The defendant in the trial was the General Election Commission, which formally announced Prabowo’s victory on March 20.

Prabowo voluntarily participated in the ongoing trial as ‘the party of interest’ and sent his legal team to the court.

The court, headed by Chief Justice Suharto, also declared that Gibran Rakabuming Raka was a legitimate vice-presidential candidate in response to accusations by rival candidates that the
son of President Joko Widodo was not eligible to contest due to favoritism.

Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan petitioned the court to disqualify Gibran over claims that he had received an unfair advantage from the president and his uncle – then Chief Justice Anwar Usman.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Latif Rashid discussed counter-terrorism and Israel’s ongoing Gaza offensive during a meeting in Baghdad on Monday, according to Trkiye’s Communications Directorate. “The meeting addressed bilateral relations between Trkiye and Iraq, Israel’s attacks on Gaza, regional and global issues, and the fight against terror,” the Communications Directorate said on X after the meeting that took place during Erdogan’s first official visit to Iraq in 13 years.

It also said Erdogan conveyed Ankara’s expectations from Iraq “regarding the fight against the terrorist organization PKK” and that the country must be cleared of “all forms of terror.”

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Trkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Trkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq, near the Turkish b
orders, to plot attacks on Turkish soil.

Muslim unity against ‘Israeli oppression in Gaza’

Erdogan also highlighted the need for Muslim countries to work together to bring Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza to an end.

“Pointing out that efforts to stop Israeli oppression in Gaza continue, President Erdogan expressed that Muslim countries should act in unity during this process,” said the Communications Directorate.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 34,151 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, besides causing mass destruction, displacement and severe shortages of necessities.

Iraqi stability

Erdogan underlined that stability in Iraq required the normalization of relations between Iraq’s central administration and its northern Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

He stressed the need for its Turkmen community to “reach the status they deserve,”
according to the statement.

“President Erdogan stated that the steps taken by Trkiye and Iraq in cooperation in the coming period will also contribute to regional development and welfare,” the statement added.

During his one-day official visit, Erdogan also met Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in Baghdad.

Erdogan was accompanied by Trkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, his chief adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic, and other ministers.

After Baghdad, he will also be visiting Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq.

President of the Kurdish Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani expressed his happiness for hosting Erdogan in Erbil, saying: ‘I look forward to receiving President Erdogan in Erbil and discussing pressing issues, including peace, stability and economic development.’

Barzani said on X that Erdogan’s ‘historic visit’ to Erbil and Baghdad comes
at ‘sensitive time.’

‘It highlights the strong political, economic and security relations” between Iraq, its Kurdish Regional Government and Trkiye, he added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who earlier arrived in Istanbul for his inaugural visit to Trkiye to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic ties, highlighted the ‘close bond’ between the two countries.?

The German head of state, who will also visit Gaziantep and Ankara, was welcomed at the Istanbul Airport by Governor Davut Gul, German Ambassador Jurgen Schulz, and Trkiye’s envoy to Berlin Ahmet Basar Sen, among other officials.

Steinmeier also visited Istanbul’s Sirkeci train station, from where thousands of Turkish guest workers embarked on trains to Germany in 1961.

‘Sirkeci Station symbolizes the close bond between the two countries,” he said, noting that many stories began at this train station.

‘Today, approximately 3 million people of Turkish origin live in our country and contribute to shaping and forming our society. They helped build our country, made our country strong, and became part of the heart of our society,” the German president added.

Steinmeier also noted that some of
the guests accompanying him on this trip to Trkiye serve as examples in this regard.

‘Designed by German architect August Jachmund, the station was the last stop of the Orient Express, connecting East and West,’ he described how Germans supported the design and construction of the new capital Ankara in the 1930s and how guest workers from Trkiye also helped establish the economy of young Federal Germany since the 1960s.

‘In Germany, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Federal Republic in a month, we will do so with the awareness that millions of Turkish-German migrants’ stories are part of our history,’ he said.?

Steinmeier also stressed the importance of visiting Trkiye once again before the anniversary of the Federal Constitution.

‘They are not people with an immigrant background. Germany is a country with an immigrant background. Their stories are part of both Turkish and German history. They are part of what makes us who we are.”?

‘Starting our journey from Sirkeci Train Station today is not
a coincidence,” said Steinmeier, pointing out how the special relations between Trkiye and Germany become particularly apparent in crisis situations, including the solidarity extended following the 2023 twin earthquakes in Trkiye.

He recalled that aid materials were sent to Trkiye and said he would visit the earthquake-damaged area of Gaziantep on Tuesday to meet with the victims of the disaster and aid workers.

‘It hasn’t been long since I arrived here, but I can already say this: Everyone who comes here as a German is welcomed with open arms. This doesn’t just stem from Turkish hospitality; it mainly arises from the close human bonds you can feel in everyday life everywhere.”

He highlighted how the 5 million German tourists who visit Trkiye every year demonstrate the closeness of these bonds.?

He engaged in discussions on Turkish-German economic relations with representatives of German companies during a boat trip.?

100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Trkiye, Germany?

On the occasion of
the 100th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Steinmeier’s visit to Trkiye includes visits to Istanbul, Gaziantep, and Ankara.?

He also plans to meet representatives from business, science, arts, literature, sports circles, and civil society organizations.

On the second day of his trip, Steinmeier will visit a shelter for the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquake victims and a school supported by Germany in Gaziantep. He may also participate in the April 23 Children’s Day celebrations.?

President Steinmeier is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday. He plans to visit Ankara University and lay a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of Trkiye.

Protest against Germany’s support of Israel

The German president faced protests during his visit over Berlin’s support for Israel in its ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.?

Steinmeier, accompanied by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was met with chants from
a group protesting Germany’s stance during his visit to the Turkish metropolis’ Sirkeci station.

They chanted: “Murderer Germany, get out of Trkiye” and “Murderer Germany, guilty of genocide.”?

*Writing by Dilara Hamit and Gizem Nisa Cebi

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Delegations from Trkiye and Greece conducted on Monday a new round of talks on confidence-building measures, the Turkish National Defense Ministry announced. The Greek Defense Ministry hosted the meeting.

‘Both delegations included ambassadors, high-ranking military officers, as well as other officials,’ the Turkish ministry said on X.

The two sides reviewed previously agreed measures during the ongoing year, and discussed the implementation plan for 2025, the statement said, adding: ‘The meeting was held in a positive spirit. The next meeting will be hosted by the Turkish side.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Trkiye’s Foreign Ministry and the US State Department on Monday held bilateral counterterrorism consultations, diplomatic sources said.

According to an agreement reached during Trkiye-US Strategic Mechanism in Washington in March, consultations on counterterrorism were conducted in Ankara, the sources said.

Trkiye welcomed the visit of Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, the coordinator for counterterrorism at the US State Department, and the ‘sincere exchange of views.’

During the meeting, the officials discussed many issues related to national security, including the PKK and its affiliates such as the YPG, ISIS/Daesh and FETO terrorist organizations.

‘Trkiye, as a country with extensive experience in combating terrorism and steadfastly continuing this struggle, will continue to engage in sincere cooperation with its allies and all determined countries in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,’ the sources added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, has stressed the need for solidarity, as well as raising awareness of the civil society in issues related to the equal participation of women in decision-making centers.

Demetriou was speaking at the Meeting of Women Speakers of Parliaments of EU member states that took place within the framework of the Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of the European Union member countries in Palma de Mallorca.

A press release by the House of Representatives says that in her intervention in a round table discussion on the issue of women’s leadership, the President of the Parliament pointed out the need for solidarity, but also the need to raise the awareness of civil society on the issues of equal participation of women in decision-making centers, especially given the politically difficult times.

This is the only way to protect democracies and democratic societies, she underlined.

Other Presidents underlined in their interventions their commitment to sup
port the efforts made to include gender issues at all levels. The meeting was concluded with the adoption of Conclusions, which stress the role of parliaments in women’s empowerment issues and gender equality and the adoption of legislation regarding the equal participation of women in decision-making centers.

The Conclusions also condemn all forms of hate speech and violence and highlight the importance of adopting quotas in terms of parliamentary representation, the press release concludes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus had the highest rate of registered first-time applicants for asylum compared to its population in January 2024, according to the latest monthly asylum data released by Eurostat.

Compared with the population of each EU country (on 1 January 2023), the highest rates of registered first-time applicants per 100,000 people in January 2024 were recorded in Cyprus (106.0 per hundred thousand) and Greece (58.7 per hundred thousand).

The EU average of first-time asylum applicants for the same month was 19.1 per hundred thousand people.

Overall, in January 2024, a total of 85,855 first-time asylum applicants sought international protection in EU countries, a 3% increase compared with January 2023 (83 310). There were also 7,180 subsequent applicants (people who had applied in the past and whose applications were rejected or were not completed), representing a 1% decrease compared with January 2023 (7,265).

In Cyprus in January 2024 there were 975 new applications for asylum and 350 subsequent applications. C
ompared to January 2023, new applications increased by 38.3% (from 705). There is no available older data on subsequent applications in Cyprus until December 2023, due to temporary derogations.

Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum in the EU (13,445 first-time applicants), followed by Afghans (7,185), Turks (6,380) and Venezuelans (6,210).

The largest group of asylum seekers during the same month was Syrians (820 persons), followed by Nigerians (20), Iranians, Congolese (from DR Congo, 15 persons), Bangladesh (15) and Afghanistan (10).

In absolute numbers, the highest number of first-time asylum applications in the EU in January was recorded in Germany (26,375), followed by Spain (13,705), Italy (12,920) and France (11,620). Together, these countries accounted for 75% of all first-time applicants in the EU.

When it comes to unaccompanied minors, in January a total of 2,655 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, with most coming from Syria (810) and Afgh
anistan (480).

The EU countries that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors were Germany (935), the Netherlands (385), Greece (255), Italy (225) and Spain (215).

There was no data available on unaccompanied minors for Cyprus, as well as Poland.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ROME: Rome, one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated cities, on Sunday celebrated its 2,777th birthday with events to promote its historical and cultural significance.

The Historical Group of Rome (Gruppo Storico Romano), a non-profit founded in 1970 known for its activities to promote the Italian capital’s historical and cultural heritage, organized a series of events to mark the legendary city’s birthday.

Volunteers of the group dressed as soldiers, legionnaires, and senators from the era of republican and imperial Rome marched through the city center.

Starting from the Circus Maximus, the historical city’s central hippodrome area, the procession passed through significant landmarks such as Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali, and the ancient Colosseum, before traveling full circle to end up at the Circus Maximus.

There the public could take in visual shows on the founding of Rome, its historical development, and life in ancient Rome.

Both Romans and tourists visiting the city showed great inte
rest in the procession and shows, often stopping to snap photos.

The legendary founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus, marked as taking place on April 21, 753 BC, was proposed by the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro, who lived in the first century BC.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Several Palestinians were killed and many others injured early Monday in Israeli airstrikes on several areas in the central and southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli artillery shelling targeted the eastern part of Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp and the southeastern area of Khan Younis, Palestine’s official news agency Wafa reported.

Civilians were killed and others wounded in an Israeli airstrike targeting Al-Taqwa Mosque in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Another Israeli airstrike targeted the entrance of Al-Bureij Refugee Camp and the Al-Nuseirat Refugee Camp.

Several other Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike in the vicinity of Al-Sawarha cemetery in Al-Nuseirat Refugee Camp and in a house in the Al-Burouk area in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, Israeli warplanes hit the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood south of Gaza City and the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis city.

Local sources said that two Israeli airstrikes targeted late Sunday the southern areas of
Gaza City and the Al-Tuffah neighborhood.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 34,097 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 76,980 injured since then, according to Palestinian health authorities.

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

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul

Source:
Anadolu Agency