Istanbul prosecutors ordered the detention of 210 military personnel over suspected links to the network blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed 2016 military coup, the Istanbul chief prosecutor`s office said on Friday.

It said the suspects from the air, marine and land forces, as well as the gendarmerie and coast guard, included five colonels, seven lieutenant colonels, 14 majors, and 33 captains.

They were suspected of being supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Turkish authorities of masterminding the failed putsch three years ago. Gulen has denied any role.

More than 77,000 people have been jailed pending trial since the coup and widespread arrests are still routine.

Authorities have suspended or sacked 150,000 civil servants and military personnel.

The prosecutor`s office said it believed the number of Gulen supporters who remained unidentified within the military was greater than those who took part in the coup attempt, and the network still posed the greatest threat to Turkey`s constitutional order.

Turkey says Gulen`s network had infiltrated its military, judiciary and state institutions.&nbsp;

Ankara`s Western allies have criticised the crackdown, with Erdogan`s critics accusing him of using the putsch as a pretext to quash dissent. Turkish authorities say the measures are necessary to combat threats to national security.

The military personnel being sought on Friday were identified by listening to recordings of conversations held on pay phones across Turkey, the prosecutor said.

About 250 people were killed in the failed putsch. Gulen, a former ally of President Tayyip Erdogan, has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

Separately, state-owned Anadolu agency reported that the Ankara chief prosecutor ordered the detention of 41 people believed to be members of the network. They were suspected of obtaining the questions to a police school exam in 2009, to help their members join the force.

Istanbul prosecutors ordered the detention of 210 military personnel over suspected links to the network blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed 2016 military coup, the Istanbul chief prosecutor`s office said on Friday.

Istanbul prosecutors ordered the detention of 210 military personnel over suspected links to the network blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed 2016 military coup, the Istanbul chief prosecutor`s office said on Friday. It said the suspects from the air, marine and land forces, as well as the gendarmerie and coast guard, included five colonels, seven lieutenant colonels, 14 majors, and 33 captains. They were suspected of being supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Turkish authorities of masterminding the failed putsch three years ago. Gulen has denied any role. More than 77,000 people have been jailed pending trial since the coup and widespread arrests are still routine. Authorities have suspended or sacked 150,000 civil servants and military personnel. The prosecutor`s office said it believed the number of Gulen supporters who remained unidentified within the military was greater than those who took part in the coup attempt, and the network still posed the greatest threat to Turkey`s constitutional order. Turkey says Gulen`s network had infiltrated its military, judiciary and state institutions. Ankara`s Western allies have criticised the crackdown, with Erdogan`s critics accusing him of using the putsch as a pretext to quash dissent. Turkish authorities say the measures are necessary to combat threats to national security. The military personnel being sought on Friday were identified by listening to recordings of conversations held on pay phones across Turkey, the prosecutor said. About 250 people were killed in the failed putsch. Gulen, a former ally of President Tayyip Erdogan, has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Separately, state-owned Anadolu agency reported that the Ankara chief prosecutor ordered the detention of 41 people believed to be members of the network. They were suspected of obtaining the questions to a police school exam in 2009, to help their members join the force.

Turkey orders detention of 210 military personnel over links to Gulen

Turkey has arrested two intelligence operatives who confessed to spying on Arab nationals for the United Arab Emirates, and it is probing whether the arrival in Turkey of one of them was related to Jamal Khashoggi's murder, a senior Turkish official said on Friday.

One of the two men arrived in Turkey in October 2018, days after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khashoggi-family-denies-settlement-with-saudis-statement-209337">Khashoggi was murdered inside Saudi Arabia's consulate</a> in Istanbul, the official said, adding the other arrived to help his colleague with the workload.

"We are investigating whether the primary individual's arrival in Turkey was related to the Jamal Khashoggi murder," said the official, adding the person has been monitored for the past six months.

"It is possible that there was an attempt to collect information about Arabs, including political dissidents, living in Turkey."

The arrests were made in Istanbul on Monday as part of a counter-intelligence investigation. Turkish officials seized an encrypted computer located in a hidden compartment at what the official told Reuters was the spy ring's base.

The official, who requested anonymity, said statements by the detained men suggested their intelligence operation targeted political exiles and students.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2, provoking an international outcry.

The CIA and some Western countries believe the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, ordered the killing, which Saudi officials deny. The Saudi public prosecutor has indicted 11 unidentified suspects, including five who could face the death penalty on charges of ordering and committing the crime.

Turkey has arrested two intelligence operatives who confessed to spying on Arab nationals for the United Arab Emirates, and it is probing whether the arrival in Turkey of one of them was related to Jamal Khashoggi's murder, a senior Turkish official said on Friday.

Turkey has arrested two intelligence operatives who confessed to spying on Arab nationals for the United Arab Emirates, and it is probing whether the arrival in Turkey of one of them was related to Jamal Khashoggi's murder, a senior Turkish official said on Friday. One of the two men arrived in Turkey in October 2018, days after Khashoggi was murdered inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, the official said, adding the other arrived to help his colleague with the workload. "We are investigating whether the primary individual's arrival in Turkey was related to the Jamal Khashoggi murder," said the official, adding the person has been monitored for the past six months. "It is possible that there was an attempt to collect information about Arabs, including political dissidents, living in Turkey." The arrests were made in Istanbul on Monday as part of a counter-intelligence investigation. Turkish officials seized an encrypted computer located in a hidden compartment at what the official told Reuters was the spy ring's base. The official, who requested anonymity, said statements by the detained men suggested their intelligence operation targeted political exiles and students. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2, provoking an international outcry. The CIA and some Western countries believe the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, ordered the killing, which Saudi officials deny. The Saudi public prosecutor has indicted 11 unidentified suspects, including five who could face the death penalty on charges of ordering and committing the crime.

Turkey probes Khashoggi link after arresting suspected UAE spies

Turkey's main opposition candidate took office as Istanbul mayor on Wednesday after a stunning victory over President Tayyip Erdogan`s AK Party, but the new head of the country`s largest city still faces an appeal for the vote to be re-run.

The final result of the March 31 local elections gave a wafer-thin majority to the secularist opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) in Turkey`s commercial hub, ending 25 years of control by the AK Party (AKP) and its Islamist predecessors.

The loss is especially hard for Erdogan who launched his political career in Istanbul as mayor in the 1990s and has triumphed in more than a dozen parliamentary, presidential and local polls since his party came to power in 2002.

The Turkish lira, which has dipped since the election, firmed on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters outside the municipality building, Ekrem Imamoglu promised to work for all 16 million residents.

"We never gave up, we never gave up on our battle for democracy and rights," he said. "We are aware of our responsibilities and the needs of this city. We will start to serve immediately."

Imamoglu`s margin of victory - the final count put him about 13,000 votes, or less than 0.2 percentage points, ahead of the AK Party candidate and former prime minister Binali Yildirim - prompted several AKP challenges.

On Tuesday, after 16 days of appeals and recounts, the AKP asked the High Election Board to annul and re-run the election in Istanbul over what it said were irregularities. Its nationalist MHP allies made a similar request on Wednesday.

"I wish the decision will bring good. Democracy and law worked and the unnecessity of the raised tensions are seen," Yildirim said on Twitter after the mandate was given to Imamoglu, adding that the all legal rights are being used.

Imamoglu said he hoped that the election board would deal with the AKP challenge in a "just way", adding that he had won a mandate from the electorate, and only voters themselves could take that away.

"To everyone you see on your way home today, say: `A new beginning has arrived in Istanbul`," he told the crowd at his base in the city municipality.

"TOO MANY IRREGULARITIES"

The repeated challenges by the AKP and MHP have fuelled frustration among opposition supporters which spilled over into football stadiums at the weekend when fans chanted at top Istanbul derby matches for the mayoral mandate to be given to their candidate.

"There are way too many irregularities," AKP Deputy Chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz said, presenting the party`s justification for its demand for a new vote. "We are saying that organised fraud, unlawfulness and crimes were committed."

CHP Deputy Chairman Muharrem Erkek responded that there were "no concrete documents, information or evidence in the AKP appeal for an annulment."

"There is no legitimate reason at all. You are using your right (to appeal) to damage the will of Istanbul," he said.&nbsp;

While the AKP was defeated in the battle for Istanbul mayor, results showed the party had won most seats in its municipal councils. The AKP`s re-run appeal applies only to the mayoral elections, not those for municipal councils.

Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo political risk advisers, said it was puzzling to call only for a re-run of the mayoral elections, and added that some of the areas where the AKP claimed fraud took place were under its responsibility.

Uncertainty over the election results has also put pressure on financial markets, pushing the lira down nearly 5 per cent.

"From the market perspective, an extended period of uncertainty around elections is a bad idea — it would suggest more election-related policy easing which is bad for the rebalancing story," Tim Ash, senior emerging markets strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, told Reuters.&nbsp;

Erdogan had vowed that Turkey would enter a four and half year period with no elections after March 31, during which the ailing economy would be the focus. If the AKP appeal is upheld, Istanbul, which makes up more than a third of Turkey`s economy, will head to polls again on June 2.

Turkey's main opposition candidate took office as Istanbul mayor on Wednesday after a stunning victory over President Tayyip Erdogan`s AK Party, but the new head of the country`s largest city still faces an appeal for the vote to be re-run.

Turkey's main opposition candidate took office as Istanbul mayor on Wednesday after a stunning victory over President Tayyip Erdogan`s AK Party, but the new head of the country`s largest city still faces an appeal for the vote to be re-run. The final result of the March 31 local elections gave a wafer-thin majority to the secularist opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) in Turkey`s commercial hub, ending 25 years of control by the AK Party (AKP) and its Islamist predecessors. The loss is especially hard for Erdogan who launched his political career in Istanbul as mayor in the 1990s and has triumphed in more than a dozen parliamentary, presidential and local polls since his party came to power in 2002. The Turkish lira, which has dipped since the election, firmed on Wednesday. Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters outside the municipality building, Ekrem Imamoglu promised to work for all 16 million residents. "We never gave up, we never gave up on our battle for democracy and rights," he said. "We are aware of our responsibilities and the needs of this city. We will start to serve immediately." Imamoglu`s margin of victory - the final count put him about 13,000 votes, or less than 0.2 percentage points, ahead of the AK Party candidate and former prime minister Binali Yildirim - prompted several AKP challenges. On Tuesday, after 16 days of appeals and recounts, the AKP asked the High Election Board to annul and re-run the election in Istanbul over what it said were irregularities. Its nationalist MHP allies made a similar request on Wednesday. "I wish the decision will bring good. Democracy and law worked and the unnecessity of the raised tensions are seen," Yildirim said on Twitter after the mandate was given to Imamoglu, adding that the all legal rights are being used. Imamoglu said he hoped that the election board would deal with the AKP challenge in a "just way", adding that he had won a mandate from the electorate, and only voters themselves could take that away. "To everyone you see on your way home today, say: `A new beginning has arrived in Istanbul`," he told the crowd at his base in the city municipality. "TOO MANY IRREGULARITIES" The repeated challenges by the AKP and MHP have fuelled frustration among opposition supporters which spilled over into football stadiums at the weekend when fans chanted at top Istanbul derby matches for the mayoral mandate to be given to their candidate. "There are way too many irregularities," AKP Deputy Chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz said, presenting the party`s justification for its demand for a new vote. "We are saying that organised fraud, unlawfulness and crimes were committed." CHP Deputy Chairman Muharrem Erkek responded that there were "no concrete documents, information or evidence in the AKP appeal for an annulment." "There is no legitimate reason at all. You are using your right (to appeal) to damage the will of Istanbul," he said. While the AKP was defeated in the battle for Istanbul mayor, results showed the party had won most seats in its municipal councils. The AKP`s re-run appeal applies only to the mayoral elections, not those for municipal councils. Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo political risk advisers, said it was puzzling to call only for a re-run of the mayoral elections, and added that some of the areas where the AKP claimed fraud took place were under its responsibility. Uncertainty over the election results has also put pressure on financial markets, pushing the lira down nearly 5 per cent. "From the market perspective, an extended period of uncertainty around elections is a bad idea — it would suggest more election-related policy easing which is bad for the rebalancing story," Tim Ash, senior emerging markets strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, told Reuters. Erdogan had vowed that Turkey would enter a four and half year period with no elections after March 31, during which the ailing economy would be the focus. If the AKP appeal is upheld, Istanbul, which makes up more than a third of Turkey`s economy, will head to polls again on June 2.

Turkey's opposition takes office in Istanbul, re-run appeal still pending

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Turkish President Tayyip <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-erdogans-ruling-akp-ready-to-accept-election-recount-results-208411">Erdogan's AK Party</a> formally requested on Tuesday an annulment and rerun of Istanbul's municipal elections over what it said were irregularities, prompting the main <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-opposition-says-ahead-in-istanbul-election-recount-208170">opposition </a>to accuse it of damaging democracy.

Initial results from the March 31 vote showed the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) narrowly won control of Turkey's largest city, thereby ending 25 years of control of a key power centre by the AKP and its Islamist predecessors.

The loss of Istanbul, Turkey's financial hub, would be a blow to Erdogan, who campaigned hard ahead of the vote. The post-vote uncertainty has kept financial markets on edge and contributed to a nearly 5 per cent slide in the lira.

In the 16 days since the election, the AKP has filed numerous appeals for vote recounts across Istanbul, a city of more than 15 million people. The High Election Board (YSK) has approved some of those objections, ordering partial or full recounts in several districts. Some are still underway.

Submitting his party's appeal for the annulment and renewal of the vote to the YSK on Tuesday, AKP Deputy Chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz said thousands of votes had been impacted by the irregularities.

"There is clearly an organised unlawfulness, an election fraud here. The only authority that can end this controversy is the YSK," Yavuz told reporters in the capital Ankara.

The AKP has already lost control of Ankara and other key cities. Defeat in Istanbul, where Erdogan was mayor in the 1990s, would be an even greater setback to the president.

The AKP urged electoral officials to block the YSK from giving CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu his mayoral mandate after the Istanbul recounts are completed and a final result emerges.

CHP spokesman Faik Oztrak branded the AKP appeal for renewed elections as a "plot" and called on the YSK to mandate Imamoglu as the elected mayor of the city.

"The authority that will put a stop to this exploitation, who will hand the right the people gave to the person who earned it is the High Election Board," Oztrak told reporters.

"If there is security and predictability of the law in this country, then the YSK's decision should already be clear."

SUITCASES OF DOCUMENTS

The AKP's Yavuz said 16,884 votes were marked as either invalid or added to the tallies of other parties in the elections. He said the AKP had submitted three suitcases of documents to the YSK to prove the irregularities.

If the appeal is approved, a second election would take place on June 2. If rejected, the results would be finalised and the CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu would receive his mandate as mayor.

Yavuz said the gap between Imamoglu and his AKP rival, former Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim, had fallen to 13,900 votes from around 28,000 as a result of the recounts.

If all votes had been recounted across the city the AKP would have won, Yavuz added.

The repeated AKP challenges have fuelled frustration among CHP supporters, which spilled over into football stadiums at the weekend when fans chanted at top Istanbul derby matches for the mayoral mandate to be given to their candidate.

Speaking on Tuesday to supporters chanting "give Imamoglu the mandate" in Istanbul, Imamoglu said the AKP actions harmed the credibility of Turkey's democracy.

"To those who said they carried what they call evidence in suitcases, I say: I think you are experiencing an eclipse of reasoning. Stop this, don't harm this nation, these people," he said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party formally requested on Tuesday an annulment and rerun of Istanbul's municipal elections over what it said were irregularities, prompting the main opposition to accuse it of damaging democracy.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party formally requested on Tuesday an annulment and rerun of Istanbul's municipal elections over what it said were irregularities, prompting the main opposition to accuse it of damaging democracy. Initial results from the March 31 vote showed the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) narrowly won control of Turkey's largest city, thereby ending 25 years of control of a key power centre by the AKP and its Islamist predecessors. The loss of Istanbul, Turkey's financial hub, would be a blow to Erdogan, who campaigned hard ahead of the vote. The post-vote uncertainty has kept financial markets on edge and contributed to a nearly 5 per cent slide in the lira. In the 16 days since the election, the AKP has filed numerous appeals for vote recounts across Istanbul, a city of more than 15 million people. The High Election Board (YSK) has approved some of those objections, ordering partial or full recounts in several districts. Some are still underway. Submitting his party's appeal for the annulment and renewal of the vote to the YSK on Tuesday, AKP Deputy Chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz said thousands of votes had been impacted by the irregularities. "There is clearly an organised unlawfulness, an election fraud here. The only authority that can end this controversy is the YSK," Yavuz told reporters in the capital Ankara. The AKP has already lost control of Ankara and other key cities. Defeat in Istanbul, where Erdogan was mayor in the 1990s, would be an even greater setback to the president. The AKP urged electoral officials to block the YSK from giving CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu his mayoral mandate after the Istanbul recounts are completed and a final result emerges. CHP spokesman Faik Oztrak branded the AKP appeal for renewed elections as a "plot" and called on the YSK to mandate Imamoglu as the elected mayor of the city. "The authority that will put a stop to this exploitation, who will hand the right the people gave to the person who earned it is the High Election Board," Oztrak told reporters. "If there is security and predictability of the law in this country, then the YSK's decision should already be clear." SUITCASES OF DOCUMENTS The AKP's Yavuz said 16,884 votes were marked as either invalid or added to the tallies of other parties in the elections. He said the AKP had submitted three suitcases of documents to the YSK to prove the irregularities. If the appeal is approved, a second election would take place on June 2. If rejected, the results would be finalised and the CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu would receive his mandate as mayor. Yavuz said the gap between Imamoglu and his AKP rival, former Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim, had fallen to 13,900 votes from around 28,000 as a result of the recounts. If all votes had been recounted across the city the AKP would have won, Yavuz added. The repeated AKP challenges have fuelled frustration among CHP supporters, which spilled over into football stadiums at the weekend when fans chanted at top Istanbul derby matches for the mayoral mandate to be given to their candidate. Speaking on Tuesday to supporters chanting "give Imamoglu the mandate" in Istanbul, Imamoglu said the AKP actions harmed the credibility of Turkey's democracy. "To those who said they carried what they call evidence in suitcases, I say: I think you are experiencing an eclipse of reasoning. Stop this, don't harm this nation, these people," he said.

Erdogan's AK Party calls for rerun of Istanbul elections

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party said Tuesday it wants the Istanbul mayoral election to be repeated after the Supreme Electoral Council rejected a demand for a recount of all ballots cast in the city.

The AKP had appealed after results showed its Istanbul candidate narrowly lost in last week's local election in what would be a major setback for the party after a decade and a half in power.&nbsp;

"We will take the path of extraordinary appeal... We will say that we want the election in Istanbul to be repeated," the AKP's deputy chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz told reporters in Ankara.

Electoral authorities would have to decide whether the AKP has a case for a rerun of the Istanbul ballot after a very tight race for the city's mayor.

Former prime minister Binali Yildirim was the AKP's candidate against the main opposition CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu, an ex-mayor of one of Istanbul's districts.

Imamoglu beat Yildirim by around 28,000 votes according to the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) last week but after a recount of nulled votes, the difference between them narrowed.

The AKP earlier Tuesday said the difference between Imamoglu and Yildirim was now 14,604 ballots, while the latest number from the CHP was at 14,463.

The AKP had appealed to the YSK for another recount of all Istanbul votes but this was rejected. The council ruled for only a partial recount of 51 ballot boxes in 21 districts.

"Everyone has to abide by the YSK decisions but we have the right to criticise these decisions. Really, I don't understand the decision to recount 51 ballot boxes," Yavuz said.

The YSK had delayed a decision on one Istanbul district, Buyukcekmece, because of an investigation into fraud claims.

Yavuz said the AKP was making an extraordinary appeal regarding Buyukcekmece "because there are different kinds of irregularities there".

Istanbul police were investigating claims 11,186 people changed their addresses to Buyukcekmece before the local elections, DHA news agency reported earlier on Tuesday.

"There has been some kind of organised goings-on everywhere in Istanbul," Yavuz added without giving further details.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party said Tuesday it wants the Istanbul mayoral election to be repeated after the Supreme Electoral Council rejected a demand for a recount of all ballots cast in the city.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party said Tuesday it wants the Istanbul mayoral election to be repeated after the Supreme Electoral Council rejected a demand for a recount of all ballots cast in the city. The AKP had appealed after results showed its Istanbul candidate narrowly lost in last week's local election in what would be a major setback for the party after a decade and a half in power. "We will take the path of extraordinary appeal... We will say that we want the election in Istanbul to be repeated," the AKP's deputy chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz told reporters in Ankara. Electoral authorities would have to decide whether the AKP has a case for a rerun of the Istanbul ballot after a very tight race for the city's mayor. Former prime minister Binali Yildirim was the AKP's candidate against the main opposition CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu, an ex-mayor of one of Istanbul's districts. Imamoglu beat Yildirim by around 28,000 votes according to the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) last week but after a recount of nulled votes, the difference between them narrowed. The AKP earlier Tuesday said the difference between Imamoglu and Yildirim was now 14,604 ballots, while the latest number from the CHP was at 14,463. The AKP had appealed to the YSK for another recount of all Istanbul votes but this was rejected. The council ruled for only a partial recount of 51 ballot boxes in 21 districts. "Everyone has to abide by the YSK decisions but we have the right to criticise these decisions. Really, I don't understand the decision to recount 51 ballot boxes," Yavuz said. The YSK had delayed a decision on one Istanbul district, Buyukcekmece, because of an investigation into fraud claims. Yavuz said the AKP was making an extraordinary appeal regarding Buyukcekmece "because there are different kinds of irregularities there". Istanbul police were investigating claims 11,186 people changed their addresses to Buyukcekmece before the local elections, DHA news agency reported earlier on Tuesday. "There has been some kind of organised goings-on everywhere in Istanbul," Yavuz added without giving further details.

Erdogan's party wants rerun of Istanbul election: Official

Russian President Vladimir <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-putin-to-discuss-syria-in-moscow-208815">Putin and his Turkish counterpart</a> on Monday discussed a missile deal slammed by the US as well as closer military cooperation during a visit by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moscow.

The two sides must "strengthen cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Putin told Erdogan as they met in the Kremlin.

"This regard first of all the completion of the contract to supply S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey," he said.&nbsp;

"There are other promising projects on the agenda related to the supply of modern Russian military products to Turkey," Putin added.&nbsp;

NATO member Turkey's missile deal has tested its already soured relations with Washington.

The US has put a freeze on its joint F-35 fighter jet programme with Turkey in protest.&nbsp;

Last week, US acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he was confident Turkey would drop the plan and buy the US Patriot system instead.&nbsp;

Erdogan has said the S-400s are needed to protect Turkey's borders. He said he turned to Russia because no acceptable US missile deal was available at the time. &nbsp;

The first S-400 delivery is expected in July.

The pair also discussed Syria, where they have backed opposite sides in the eight-year conflict but have been working closely to end the fighting.&nbsp;

Putin said they were unable to reach an agreement to set up a monitoring centre in Syria's jihadist-held Idlib region, agreed at a summit in Sochi in February.&nbsp;

"We have so far not been able to create the monitoring centre," Putin said. "But I am sure that we will do this." &nbsp;

Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and rebel backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on the Idlib region, near the Turkish border.

On Sunday, 13 civilians died in bombing in Idlib.

Along with Iran, Russia and Turkey have positioned themselves as key foreign players in Syria's long-running war.

Erdogan is on his third visit to Russia since the beginning of this year.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart on Monday discussed a missile deal slammed by the US as well as closer military cooperation during a visit by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart on Monday discussed a missile deal slammed by the US as well as closer military cooperation during a visit by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moscow. The two sides must "strengthen cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Putin told Erdogan as they met in the Kremlin. "This regard first of all the completion of the contract to supply S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Turkey," he said. "There are other promising projects on the agenda related to the supply of modern Russian military products to Turkey," Putin added. NATO member Turkey's missile deal has tested its already soured relations with Washington. The US has put a freeze on its joint F-35 fighter jet programme with Turkey in protest. Last week, US acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he was confident Turkey would drop the plan and buy the US Patriot system instead. Erdogan has said the S-400s are needed to protect Turkey's borders. He said he turned to Russia because no acceptable US missile deal was available at the time. The first S-400 delivery is expected in July. The pair also discussed Syria, where they have backed opposite sides in the eight-year conflict but have been working closely to end the fighting. Putin said they were unable to reach an agreement to set up a monitoring centre in Syria's jihadist-held Idlib region, agreed at a summit in Sochi in February. "We have so far not been able to create the monitoring centre," Putin said. "But I am sure that we will do this." Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and rebel backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on the Idlib region, near the Turkish border. On Sunday, 13 civilians died in bombing in Idlib. Along with Iran, Russia and Turkey have positioned themselves as key foreign players in Syria's long-running war. Erdogan is on his third visit to Russia since the beginning of this year.

Putin and Erdogan discuss S-400 missile deal

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday his country would forge ahead with the purchase of an air-defense system from Russia despite U.S. warnings that using the equipment would jeopardize Ankara’s role within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Turkey vows to buy Russian Missiles despite US warnings

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to&nbsp;in Moscow on Monday.

Erdogan mentioned earlier that during his visit he would discuss a Turkish military operation in Syria with Putin.

''Another part of our cooperation is that we are continuing our joint fight against terrorist groups that pose a threat to our region. This especially concerns the steps we already took and will be taking in Syrian direction," Erdogan said.

Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-margin-too-small-for-opposition-to-claim-istanbul-win-208771">Erdogan said that the margin of votes</a> between Istanbul's top two candidates was too small for the opposition to have claimed victory, as his ruling party seeks a full recount to deal with what he called "organised crime."

Last week's initial results showed a narrow mayoral victory for Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in the March 31 municipal elections.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to in Moscow on Monday. Erdogan mentioned earlier that during his visit he would discuss a Turkish military operation in Syria with Putin.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to in Moscow on Monday. Erdogan mentioned earlier that during his visit he would discuss a Turkish military operation in Syria with Putin. ''Another part of our cooperation is that we are continuing our joint fight against terrorist groups that pose a threat to our region. This especially concerns the steps we already took and will be taking in Syrian direction," Erdogan said. Meanwhile, Erdogan said that the margin of votes between Istanbul's top two candidates was too small for the opposition to have claimed victory, as his ruling party seeks a full recount to deal with what he called "organised crime." Last week's initial results showed a narrow mayoral victory for Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in the March 31 municipal elections.

Erdogan, Putin to discuss Syria in Moscow

Turkish President<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/recep-tayyip-erdogan-loses-control-of-ankara-in-turkish-elections-207267&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwizivzSpsDhAhWljuYKHZ8SD9AQFggEMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2FYtZFxCwF-3kjZGMIp-q6"> Tayyip Erdogan</a> said on Monday the margin of votes between Istanbul's top two candidates was too small for the opposition to have claimed victory, as his ruling party seeks a full recount to deal with what he called "organised crime."

Last week's initial results showed a narrow mayoral victory for Turkey's main opposition <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/global-leadership-series-recep-tayyip-erdogans-full-interview-with-wion-3178&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwizivzSpsDhAhWljuYKHZ8SD9AQFggGMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0qp_iUD4H4sm-9ALfvzByg">Republican People's Party</a> (CHP) in the March 31 municipal elections.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-president-erdogan-says-his-party-may-have-lost-istanbul-mayorship-207065&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwizivzSpsDhAhWljuYKHZ8SD9AQFggJMAI&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1SboyiEh0aEx_Zn3cPpn17">Erdogan's AK Party</a> (AKP) had appealed the initial results in all 39 districts of Istanbul, leading to partial or full recounts across Turkey's largest city, which has some 10 million voters. On Sunday AKP said it sought a full recount.

"The citizens are telling us to protect their rights, they are complaining of organised crimes. And we, as political parties, have determined such organised crimes," Erdogan told a press conference in Istanbul.

Erdogan's AKP is reeling from its apparent loss of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, both cities which the party and its Islamist predecessors have dominated for a quarter of a century. Erdogan himself rose to prominence as Istanbul's mayor in the 1990s before emerging as a national leader.

Erdogan said he would only accept the result when the High Electoral Board (YSK) has processed all the appeals.

"Nobody has the right to get in an election victory mood in a city of 10 million voters with a margin of 13,000-14,000," he said. "When the appeals have been completed, we will accept the result."

So far the initial lead held by Ekrem Imamoglu, mayoral candidate for the secularist CHP, has narrowed from 25,000 immediately after the vote to a little less than 16,000 after more than 90 per cent of the recounts were completed.

Main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu warned of election security and called on the YSK to be impartial, saying that Erdogan's request for a full recount lacked a reasonable justification.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday the margin of votes between Istanbul's top two candidates was too small for the opposition to have claimed victory, as his ruling party seeks a full recount to deal with what he called "organised crime.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday the margin of votes between Istanbul's top two candidates was too small for the opposition to have claimed victory, as his ruling party seeks a full recount to deal with what he called "organised crime." Last week's initial results showed a narrow mayoral victory for Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in the March 31 municipal elections. Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) had appealed the initial results in all 39 districts of Istanbul, leading to partial or full recounts across Turkey's largest city, which has some 10 million voters. On Sunday AKP said it sought a full recount. "The citizens are telling us to protect their rights, they are complaining of organised crimes. And we, as political parties, have determined such organised crimes," Erdogan told a press conference in Istanbul. Erdogan's AKP is reeling from its apparent loss of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, both cities which the party and its Islamist predecessors have dominated for a quarter of a century. Erdogan himself rose to prominence as Istanbul's mayor in the 1990s before emerging as a national leader. Erdogan said he would only accept the result when the High Electoral Board (YSK) has processed all the appeals. "Nobody has the right to get in an election victory mood in a city of 10 million voters with a margin of 13,000-14,000," he said. "When the appeals have been completed, we will accept the result." So far the initial lead held by Ekrem Imamoglu, mayoral candidate for the secularist CHP, has narrowed from 25,000 immediately after the vote to a little less than 16,000 after more than 90 per cent of the recounts were completed. Main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu warned of election security and called on the YSK to be impartial, saying that Erdogan's request for a full recount lacked a reasonable justification.

Erdogan says margin too small for opposition to claim Istanbul win

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-russia-missile-deal-to-go-ahead-after-us-suspension-208201">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>'s ruling AKP will accept the results of local election recounts in Ankara and Istanbul no matter which party is declared the winner, a party spokesman said on Saturday.

The AKP won most votes nationwide in last Sunday's election, but results showed the ruling party lost Ankara and was also narrowly defeated in Istanbul in what would be one of their worst setbacks in a decade and a half in power.

Electoral authorities are conducting a recount in scores of districts in Ankara and in Istanbul where tallies showed the opposition CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu with a very slim lead over the AKP.

"At the end of the day, we will accept the final result regardless of whether it is to our advantage or disadvantage," AKP spokesman Omer Celik told a briefing for the foreign press in Istanbul.

Voters may have punished the AKP at the ballot box, with Turkey's economy in recession after a currency crisis last year that hit Turkish households hard when the lira lost 30 per cent of its value.

Losing Istanbul would be a blow to Erdogan, who built his political career as mayor of the city before becoming prime minister and later president.

In Istanbul, CHP candidate Imamoglu and the AKP's Binali Yildirim both declared victory when preliminary results showed them in a dead heat.

The AKP later appealed saying it had found irregularities in tens of thousands of votes.

Imamoglu's party said on Saturday he was still ahead by close to 18,000 votes with half of the recount completed. He has said he expects the recount to be finished by the end of the weekend, but the AKP could still appeal again to the Supreme Electoral Council.

Celik said the AKP would still control districts and municipal councils in both of the key cities even if they lost the mayor's offices. But he said the party would not deliberately block opposition mayor's agendas.

Erdogan, in power for 16 years, fought hard before the vote, holding rallies across Turkey where he described the election of mayors and district councils as a battle for the nation's survival.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP will accept the results of local election recounts in Ankara and Istanbul no matter which party is declared the winner, a party spokesman said on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP will accept the results of local election recounts in Ankara and Istanbul no matter which party is declared the winner, a party spokesman said on Saturday. The AKP won most votes nationwide in last Sunday's election, but results showed the ruling party lost Ankara and was also narrowly defeated in Istanbul in what would be one of their worst setbacks in a decade and a half in power. Electoral authorities are conducting a recount in scores of districts in Ankara and in Istanbul where tallies showed the opposition CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu with a very slim lead over the AKP. "At the end of the day, we will accept the final result regardless of whether it is to our advantage or disadvantage," AKP spokesman Omer Celik told a briefing for the foreign press in Istanbul. Voters may have punished the AKP at the ballot box, with Turkey's economy in recession after a currency crisis last year that hit Turkish households hard when the lira lost 30 per cent of its value. Losing Istanbul would be a blow to Erdogan, who built his political career as mayor of the city before becoming prime minister and later president. In Istanbul, CHP candidate Imamoglu and the AKP's Binali Yildirim both declared victory when preliminary results showed them in a dead heat. The AKP later appealed saying it had found irregularities in tens of thousands of votes. Imamoglu's party said on Saturday he was still ahead by close to 18,000 votes with half of the recount completed. He has said he expects the recount to be finished by the end of the weekend, but the AKP could still appeal again to the Supreme Electoral Council. Celik said the AKP would still control districts and municipal councils in both of the key cities even if they lost the mayor's offices. But he said the party would not deliberately block opposition mayor's agendas. Erdogan, in power for 16 years, fought hard before the vote, holding rallies across Turkey where he described the election of mayors and district councils as a battle for the nation's survival.

Turkey: Erdogan's ruling AKP ready to accept election recount results

Turkey's opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said Friday he was still winning by nearly 19,000 votes after the ruling AKP demanded a recount following Sunday's tight election race.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-party-appeals-istanbul-ankara-results-after-turkey-vote-207575">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> and his AKP suffered an upset in local elections when results showed the party lost the capital Ankara and was narrowly defeated in Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic hub.

The two rival Istanbul candidates declared victory soon after the vote when initial results showed them in a dead heat. AKP appealed after electoral authorities later said Imamoglu had taken a very slim lead.&nbsp;

In an interview with Fox Haber broadcaster, CHP opposition candidate Imamoglu said the difference between himself and the AKP's candidate, Binali Yildirim, was now 18,742 votes.

He said nearly 120,000 previously annulled votes had been recounted in 17 Istanbul districts, with 2,184 extra votes being allowed for Yildirim, and 785 for himself.

Imamoglu estimated the final difference could finish between 18,000 to 20,000 once counting ended, probably by Sunday. Nearly 200,000 more votes still need to be recounted, he said.

"It should be over by the end of the weekend," he told the station.

The AKP has said the recount will show its candidate won.

Election authorities provide ongoing recount details to observers from both parties to ensure transparency. Political parties have until April 10 to challenge the results.

A defeat in Istanbul would be especially sensitive for Erdogan who made his political career as mayor of the city. The AKP or its predecessors had held both cities since 1994.

Cost of living&nbsp;

Erdogan fought hard before the vote, holding rallies across Turkey where he described the election of mayors and district councils as a battle for the nation's survival.

But voters, concerned with the rising cost of living, double-digit inflation and unemployment, opted for the opposition in the country's two biggest cities.

AKP secretary general Fatih Sahin on Thursday said the party would also appeal to the Ankara provincial election board for the city's 25 districts for another recount.

Opposition candidate Mansur Yavas of the CHP beat AKP's Mehmet Ozhaseki in Ankara, according to preliminary results.&nbsp;

After an initial recount in Ankara, Ozhaseki got 1,805 extra votes, prompting the party to appeal to the next level of electoral authorities as is allowed by law.

"This result is far from what we expected," Sahin said.

AKP spokesman Omer Celik on Thursday said the party would respect the results and congratulate the winners "once the people's will has been clearly seen".

AKP officials have said they believe there was a huge discrepancy in both cities between ballots cast at polling stations and the actual data sent to election authorities.

Turkey's opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said Friday he was still winning by nearly 19,000 votes after the ruling AKP demanded a recount following Sunday's tight election race.

Turkey's opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said Friday he was still winning by nearly 19,000 votes after the ruling AKP demanded a recount following Sunday's tight election race. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP suffered an upset in local elections when results showed the party lost the capital Ankara and was narrowly defeated in Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic hub. The two rival Istanbul candidates declared victory soon after the vote when initial results showed them in a dead heat. AKP appealed after electoral authorities later said Imamoglu had taken a very slim lead. In an interview with Fox Haber broadcaster, CHP opposition candidate Imamoglu said the difference between himself and the AKP's candidate, Binali Yildirim, was now 18,742 votes. He said nearly 120,000 previously annulled votes had been recounted in 17 Istanbul districts, with 2,184 extra votes being allowed for Yildirim, and 785 for himself. Imamoglu estimated the final difference could finish between 18,000 to 20,000 once counting ended, probably by Sunday. Nearly 200,000 more votes still need to be recounted, he said. "It should be over by the end of the weekend," he told the station. The AKP has said the recount will show its candidate won. Election authorities provide ongoing recount details to observers from both parties to ensure transparency. Political parties have until April 10 to challenge the results. A defeat in Istanbul would be especially sensitive for Erdogan who made his political career as mayor of the city. The AKP or its predecessors had held both cities since 1994. Cost of living Erdogan fought hard before the vote, holding rallies across Turkey where he described the election of mayors and district councils as a battle for the nation's survival. But voters, concerned with the rising cost of living, double-digit inflation and unemployment, opted for the opposition in the country's two biggest cities. AKP secretary general Fatih Sahin on Thursday said the party would also appeal to the Ankara provincial election board for the city's 25 districts for another recount. Opposition candidate Mansur Yavas of the CHP beat AKP's Mehmet Ozhaseki in Ankara, according to preliminary results. After an initial recount in Ankara, Ozhaseki got 1,805 extra votes, prompting the party to appeal to the next level of electoral authorities as is allowed by law. "This result is far from what we expected," Sahin said. AKP spokesman Omer Celik on Thursday said the party would respect the results and congratulate the winners "once the people's will has been clearly seen". AKP officials have said they believe there was a huge discrepancy in both cities between ballots cast at polling stations and the actual data sent to election authorities.

Turkey opposition says ahead in Istanbul election recount

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings.

This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering.

So does the record of the past eight years. The counterrevolution’s one success, Egypt, has produced some of the harshest repression in the country’s history.

Saudi and UAE intervention in Yemen has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tarnished the image of the two Gulf states, and provided an opportunity to Iran to expand its network of regional proxies.

In a twist of irony, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, who justify the Yemen war by pointing to an invitation by the internationally recognised exile government of &nbsp;President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, support the rebel forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Libya.

Haftar’s forces are poised to march on Tripoli, the seat of the United Nations-recognised government of Libya, two weeks after the field marshal met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia. The fighting in Libya has turned into a proxy war between Gulf rivals with Qatar supporting the Islamist-dominated Tripoli government.

In Syria, rivals Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, who exasperated the country’s eight-year-long devastating civil war by backing rival rebel forces, are back to square one: the man they wanted to remove from office, president Bashar al-Assad, has gained the upper hand with the support of Russia and Iran.

The protests in Algeria and Sudan suggest that the social, economic and political grievances that fuelled the 2011 protests continue to hover just below the surface in a swath of land that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf.

Like in 2011, protests in the Middle East are not isolated incidents but the most dramatic part of a more global wave prompted by a loss of public confidence in leaders and political systems that have sparked anti-government demonstrations in countries as far-flung as Zimbabwe and Haiti.

The Algerian and Sudanese protests come on the back of a wave of smaller, political and socio-economic protests since 2011 that suggested that the Middle Eastern counterrevolution amounted to putting a lid on a pot that could boil over at any moment. Protests have erupted in recent years in a host of countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.

The protests also suggest the fragility of hopes of Middle Eastern autocrats that China’s model of successfully growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunity, and delivering public goods coupled with increased political control and suppression of rights would prove to be a sustainable model in their own backyard.

The fragility of the model is enhanced by the tendency of autocrats to overreach in ways that either distract from their core goals or pursue objectives like the creation of a ‘new man’ that ultimately have failed in countries like Turkey.

Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for the better part of two decades. Its success suggests that the effort to create a secular New Turk by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire almost a century ago, has stumbled.

Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have taken control and civilisationalism to new extremes by seeking not only absolute political power but also the ability to shape culture and dictate personal behaviour.

Al-Sisi recently ordered his officials to dictate the themes and scripts of Egyptian soap operas, a popular regional staple, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. A military-linked production company has taken charge of some of Egypt’s biggest and most successful shows.

Film directors have been instructed to focus on shows that praise the military and law enforcement and demonize the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been brutally targeted by Al-Sisi as well as the UAE that together with Saudi Arabia backed his 2013 military coup. The coup toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Brother and Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president.

Xi’s hopes to promote ‘core socialist values’ such as patriotism, harmony and civility amounts to an effort to counter individualism, materialism and hedonism. The campaign involves blurring piercings and jewellery worn by male pop stars during performances on television and the Internet, obliging soccer players to wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos, and ensuring that women conference hosts raise their necklines and rappers restrict their lyrics to the promotion of peace and harmony.

Saudi Arabia has argued that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six months ago by rogue government operatives who are currently standing trial in a process that lacks transparency and has called into question the kingdom’s version of events.

The overreach suggests that Middle Eastern autocrats are unlikely to respond to the protests in Algeria and Sudan any differently than they did in 2011.

Analyst Giorgio Cafiero predicts that in the wake of Bouteflika’s resignation, Saudi Arabia is likely to support efforts to maintain control by what Algerians call Le Pouvoir (The Power) or the deep state, a cabal of military and security officials and business tycoons, The same is likely to be true for the UAE.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside Egypt continue to back Al-Bashir although he is on the defensive after months of protests that have rocked the East African state.

Whether Algeria’s ancient regime backed by Gulf states is able to retain power may well be dependent on what conclusions protesters draw from the experience of the 2011 revolts.

Like the protesters then, Algerian demonstrators need to decide whether Bouteflika’s resignation is a sufficient enough success to justify the surrender of their street power and return to a structured political process.

Indications are that the protesters have learnt their lesson.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings.

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings. This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering. So does the record of the past eight years. The counterrevolution’s one success, Egypt, has produced some of the harshest repression in the country’s history. Saudi and UAE intervention in Yemen has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tarnished the image of the two Gulf states, and provided an opportunity to Iran to expand its network of regional proxies. In a twist of irony, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, who justify the Yemen war by pointing to an invitation by the internationally recognised exile government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, support the rebel forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Libya. Haftar’s forces are poised to march on Tripoli, the seat of the United Nations-recognised government of Libya, two weeks after the field marshal met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia. The fighting in Libya has turned into a proxy war between Gulf rivals with Qatar supporting the Islamist-dominated Tripoli government. In Syria, rivals Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, who exasperated the country’s eight-year-long devastating civil war by backing rival rebel forces, are back to square one: the man they wanted to remove from office, president Bashar al-Assad, has gained the upper hand with the support of Russia and Iran. The protests in Algeria and Sudan suggest that the social, economic and political grievances that fuelled the 2011 protests continue to hover just below the surface in a swath of land that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf. Like in 2011, protests in the Middle East are not isolated incidents but the most dramatic part of a more global wave prompted by a loss of public confidence in leaders and political systems that have sparked anti-government demonstrations in countries as far-flung as Zimbabwe and Haiti. The Algerian and Sudanese protests come on the back of a wave of smaller, political and socio-economic protests since 2011 that suggested that the Middle Eastern counterrevolution amounted to putting a lid on a pot that could boil over at any moment. Protests have erupted in recent years in a host of countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. The protests also suggest the fragility of hopes of Middle Eastern autocrats that China’s model of successfully growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunity, and delivering public goods coupled with increased political control and suppression of rights would prove to be a sustainable model in their own backyard. The fragility of the model is enhanced by the tendency of autocrats to overreach in ways that either distract from their core goals or pursue objectives like the creation of a ‘new man’ that ultimately have failed in countries like Turkey. Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for the better part of two decades. Its success suggests that the effort to create a secular New Turk by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire almost a century ago, has stumbled. Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have taken control and civilisationalism to new extremes by seeking not only absolute political power but also the ability to shape culture and dictate personal behaviour. Al-Sisi recently ordered his officials to dictate the themes and scripts of Egyptian soap operas, a popular regional staple, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. A military-linked production company has taken charge of some of Egypt’s biggest and most successful shows. Film directors have been instructed to focus on shows that praise the military and law enforcement and demonize the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been brutally targeted by Al-Sisi as well as the UAE that together with Saudi Arabia backed his 2013 military coup. The coup toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Brother and Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president. Xi’s hopes to promote ‘core socialist values’ such as patriotism, harmony and civility amounts to an effort to counter individualism, materialism and hedonism. The campaign involves blurring piercings and jewellery worn by male pop stars during performances on television and the Internet, obliging soccer players to wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos, and ensuring that women conference hosts raise their necklines and rappers restrict their lyrics to the promotion of peace and harmony. Saudi Arabia has argued that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six months ago by rogue government operatives who are currently standing trial in a process that lacks transparency and has called into question the kingdom’s version of events. The overreach suggests that Middle Eastern autocrats are unlikely to respond to the protests in Algeria and Sudan any differently than they did in 2011. Analyst Giorgio Cafiero predicts that in the wake of Bouteflika’s resignation, Saudi Arabia is likely to support efforts to maintain control by what Algerians call Le Pouvoir (The Power) or the deep state, a cabal of military and security officials and business tycoons, The same is likely to be true for the UAE. Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside Egypt continue to back Al-Bashir although he is on the defensive after months of protests that have rocked the East African state. Whether Algeria’s ancient regime backed by Gulf states is able to retain power may well be dependent on what conclusions protesters draw from the experience of the 2011 revolts. Like the protesters then, Algerian demonstrators need to decide whether Bouteflika’s resignation is a sufficient enough success to justify the surrender of their street power and return to a structured political process. Indications are that the protesters have learnt their lesson. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Middle Eastern rivalries spilling on the battlefields

The United States said Monday it was halting all deliveries and joint work with Turkey on the F-35 fighter jet program after the NATO ally insisted on a major arms purchase from Russia.

After months of warnings, the United States said that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-s-400-missile-defence-system-a-done-deal-turkey-199862">Turkey's decision to buy Russia's S-400 missile system</a> was incompatible with remaining part of the emblematic US warplane program.

"Until they forgo delivery of the S-400, the United States has suspended deliveries and activities associated with the stand-up of Turkey's F-35 operational capability," Pentagon chief spokesman Charles E&nbsp;Summers Jr&nbsp;said.

"Should Turkey procure the S-400, their continued participation in the F-35 program is at risk," he said in a statement.

US officials have voiced concern that, with Turkey in both camps, Russia could obtain F-35 data to improve the accuracy of the S-400 against Western aircraft.

The Pentagon said that it had started to look at secondary sources to produce parts for F-35s that were being developed in Turkey.

"We very much regret the current situation facing our F-35 partnership with Turkey, but the (Defense Department) is taking prudent steps to protect the shared investments made in our critical technology," Summers said.

Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States. The plane's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, said that contracts with Turkish companies to build parts for the F-35 had been expected to reach $12 billion.

Among the eight Turkish companies involved in the purchase, Ayesas has been building a panoramic cockpit display for the F-35 and Fokker Elmo makes 40 per cent of the electrical wiring and interconnection system, according to Lockheed Martin.

Growing tilt to Russia&nbsp;

The purchase of a Russian system is highly unusual for a member of NATO, the Western alliance forged to counter the Soviet Union.

The US suspension announcement comes two days before foreign ministers from the 29 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are due in Washington to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance -- and hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party suffered a surprise rout in elections in major cities including Istanbul.

Erdogan, whose relations with the West have soured sharply as he cracks down on dissent at home, has increasingly looked to Moscow as a partner. Russian tourists have made Turkey their top destination, providing a vital economic boost.

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Turkey, where Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted that the S-400 purchase would go ahead.

"We have an agreement with Russia and we are bound by it," Cavusoglu told reporters.

Hoping to offer an alternative, the United States last year approved the sale of Patriot missiles to Turkey -- a deal to which Ankara said it was open.

Four senators last week proposed legally barring the transfer of F-35s to Turkey if it buys the S-400. One of the senators, Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, praised the Pentagon suspension and pledged to "continue working in the Senate to prevent this dangerous possibility from becoming a reality."

Rocky ties with US&nbsp;

Turkey's relations with the United States plunged last year when President Donald Trump imposed tariffs, battering Turkey's lira, over the jailing of an American pastor detained as part of a mass roundup following a coup attempt against Erdogan.

The pastor, Andrew Brunson, was freed and Trump appeared to grow fond of Erdogan, speaking to him before his sudden decision to withdrew US troops from Syria.

But tensions quickly resurfaced with the United States fearful that Erdogan will strike US-allied Kurdish fighters in Syria and a Turkish court trying a US consulate staffer, Metin Topuz, on charges of spying.

Topuz, a Turkish citizen, is accused of ties to Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish preacher who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States. Erdogan has repeatedly demanded that the United States extradite Gulen, whom the Turkish leader accuses of fomenting the coup.

The United States said Monday it was halting all deliveries and joint work with Turkey on the F-35 fighter jet program after the NATO ally insisted on a major arms purchase from Russia.

The United States said Monday it was halting all deliveries and joint work with Turkey on the F-35 fighter jet program after the NATO ally insisted on a major arms purchase from Russia. After months of warnings, the United States said that Turkey's decision to buy Russia's S-400 missile system was incompatible with remaining part of the emblematic US warplane program. "Until they forgo delivery of the S-400, the United States has suspended deliveries and activities associated with the stand-up of Turkey's F-35 operational capability," Pentagon chief spokesman Charles E Summers Jr said. "Should Turkey procure the S-400, their continued participation in the F-35 program is at risk," he said in a statement. US officials have voiced concern that, with Turkey in both camps, Russia could obtain F-35 data to improve the accuracy of the S-400 against Western aircraft. The Pentagon said that it had started to look at secondary sources to produce parts for F-35s that were being developed in Turkey. "We very much regret the current situation facing our F-35 partnership with Turkey, but the (Defense Department) is taking prudent steps to protect the shared investments made in our critical technology," Summers said. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35A fighter jets, with pilots already training in the United States. The plane's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, said that contracts with Turkish companies to build parts for the F-35 had been expected to reach $12 billion. Among the eight Turkish companies involved in the purchase, Ayesas has been building a panoramic cockpit display for the F-35 and Fokker Elmo makes 40 per cent of the electrical wiring and interconnection system, according to Lockheed Martin. Growing tilt to Russia The purchase of a Russian system is highly unusual for a member of NATO, the Western alliance forged to counter the Soviet Union. The US suspension announcement comes two days before foreign ministers from the 29 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are due in Washington to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance -- and hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party suffered a surprise rout in elections in major cities including Istanbul. Erdogan, whose relations with the West have soured sharply as he cracks down on dissent at home, has increasingly looked to Moscow as a partner. Russian tourists have made Turkey their top destination, providing a vital economic boost. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Turkey, where Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted that the S-400 purchase would go ahead. "We have an agreement with Russia and we are bound by it," Cavusoglu told reporters. Hoping to offer an alternative, the United States last year approved the sale of Patriot missiles to Turkey -- a deal to which Ankara said it was open. Four senators last week proposed legally barring the transfer of F-35s to Turkey if it buys the S-400. One of the senators, Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, praised the Pentagon suspension and pledged to "continue working in the Senate to prevent this dangerous possibility from becoming a reality." Rocky ties with US Turkey's relations with the United States plunged last year when President Donald Trump imposed tariffs, battering Turkey's lira, over the jailing of an American pastor detained as part of a mass roundup following a coup attempt against Erdogan. The pastor, Andrew Brunson, was freed and Trump appeared to grow fond of Erdogan, speaking to him before his sudden decision to withdrew US troops from Syria. But tensions quickly resurfaced with the United States fearful that Erdogan will strike US-allied Kurdish fighters in Syria and a Turkish court trying a US consulate staffer, Metin Topuz, on charges of spying. Topuz, a Turkish citizen, is accused of ties to Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish preacher who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States. Erdogan has repeatedly demanded that the United States extradite Gulen, whom the Turkish leader accuses of fomenting the coup.

US suspends F-35 program deliveries to Turkey over Russian arms

Turkey voted in local elections on Sunday in a test for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with his ruling party fighting to keep hold of the country's two key cities as an economic slowdown takes hold.

Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have won every vote since the party first came to power in 2002 but this time, analysts say, the party risks losing Turkey's capital Ankara and even its economic hub Istanbul.

Sunday's poll was the first municipal ballot since Turks approved constitutional reforms in 2017 to create an executive presidency that gave Erdogan wider powers after a decade and a half in office.

But Erdogan, whose ability to win continuously at the ballot box is unparalleled in Turkish history, appears more vulnerable with the country's economy in recession, unemployment up and inflation in double digits.

Voting closed at 1400 GMT in Sunday's ballot, which was held mostly without incident, with the exception of the deaths of two men killed in a fight at a polling station in the east of Turkey.

Much of the AKP's success has been down to his perceived economic prowess, but days before the vote, the Turkish lira was sliding again, provoking memories of the 2018 currency crisis that badly hurt Turkish households.

Erdogan, who began his own political career as Istanbul mayor, personally campaigned hard across Turkey, often with several rallies a day, even though he is not on the ballot.

Looking to galvanize his base among conservative Turks, the president cast the election as a matter of survival, attacking opposition candidates by branding them as linked to PKK Kurdish militants.

"The economy is terrible," said Husnu Acar, 53, after voting in a school in Beylikduzu on the outskirts of Istanbul.

"They are the ones with a survival problem," he said of the AKP.

Voters are to elect scores of mayors, municipal councils and other local officials. Preliminary results are expected soon after polls close with official results released early in the week.

Two members of Saadet (Felicity), a religiously conservative party, were killed after an attack by an AKP candidate's nephew in a polling station in Malatya, eastern Turkey, Saadet chairman Temel Karamollaoglu said on Twitter.&nbsp;

The two men, one of whom was also an election observer, died after a fight between two groups in Puturge district, private DHA news agency reported. The Malatya governorate said four individuals were detained.

Erdogan said the incident was "upsetting" after he voted in Istanbul, and he called Karamollaoglu shortly afterwards to offer his condolences, the presidency said.

Charges of an unfair vote 
For his supporters, Erdogan remains the strong leader they believe Turkey needs and they tout the country's economic development over the 16 years he and the AKP have been in power.&nbsp;

But rights activists and even Turkey's Western allies say that under his leadership, democracy has been eroded, particularly after a failed 2016 coup that led to tens of thousands of people being arrested.

"The economy isn't doing so good for sure, but I have confidence in our president and things will be better after the election," said Koksal Karacan, a retiree voting in Istanbul's Kasimpasa, where Erdogan grew up.

The vote will be the first time since 2002 that the AKP is fielding candidates with its alliance partner, the rightwing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has refused to field candidates in several cities, saying the elections are unfair. Some of its leaders have been jailed on terror charges, accusations they reject.

The HDP criticised the detentions of candidates and its members in the run-up to the vote in a statement on Sunday, accusing the government of trying "to paralyse the HDP organisationally, and render the playing field even more uneven".

Observers say that with most media either pro-government or controlled by the president's supporters, opposition parties campaigned at a disadvantage because Erdogan's daily rallies dominated TV coverage.

"What has happened during the campaign for Sunday's local elections is unprecedented and demonstrates that — unlike during its first years in power — the AKP is no longer confident of being able to win a fair election," said Gareth Jenkins, a non-resident senior research fellow at the Silk Road Studies Programme.

'Boss of the economy' 
In Istanbul, where the race is expected to be tight, Erdogan has fielded one of his loyalists, former prime minister Binali Yildirim.

But in Ankara, Mansur Yavas — the candidate for both the opposition Republican People's Party or CHP and the nationalist Good Party — might have a stronger chance of winning, according to a number of recent polls.

With inflation at just under 20 percent and unemployment at a near 10-year high in December, Erdogan has sought to reassure voters about the economy.

"I am the boss of the economy right now as the president of this country," Erdogan told a rally on Saturday.

Turkey's finance minister, Berat Albayrak, who is Erdogan's son-in-law, said economic reforms would be announced the week of April 8.

Turkey voted in local elections on Sunday in a test for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with his ruling party fighting to keep hold of the country's two key cities as an economic slowdown takes hold.

Turkey voted in local elections on Sunday in a test for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with his ruling party fighting to keep hold of the country's two key cities as an economic slowdown takes hold. Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have won every vote since the party first came to power in 2002 but this time, analysts say, the party risks losing Turkey's capital Ankara and even its economic hub Istanbul. Sunday's poll was the first municipal ballot since Turks approved constitutional reforms in 2017 to create an executive presidency that gave Erdogan wider powers after a decade and a half in office. But Erdogan, whose ability to win continuously at the ballot box is unparalleled in Turkish history, appears more vulnerable with the country's economy in recession, unemployment up and inflation in double digits. Voting closed at 1400 GMT in Sunday's ballot, which was held mostly without incident, with the exception of the deaths of two men killed in a fight at a polling station in the east of Turkey. Much of the AKP's success has been down to his perceived economic prowess, but days before the vote, the Turkish lira was sliding again, provoking memories of the 2018 currency crisis that badly hurt Turkish households. Erdogan, who began his own political career as Istanbul mayor, personally campaigned hard across Turkey, often with several rallies a day, even though he is not on the ballot. Looking to galvanize his base among conservative Turks, the president cast the election as a matter of survival, attacking opposition candidates by branding them as linked to PKK Kurdish militants. "The economy is terrible," said Husnu Acar, 53, after voting in a school in Beylikduzu on the outskirts of Istanbul. "They are the ones with a survival problem," he said of the AKP. Voters are to elect scores of mayors, municipal councils and other local officials. Preliminary results are expected soon after polls close with official results released early in the week. Two members of Saadet (Felicity), a religiously conservative party, were killed after an attack by an AKP candidate's nephew in a polling station in Malatya, eastern Turkey, Saadet chairman Temel Karamollaoglu said on Twitter. The two men, one of whom was also an election observer, died after a fight between two groups in Puturge district, private DHA news agency reported. The Malatya governorate said four individuals were detained. Erdogan said the incident was "upsetting" after he voted in Istanbul, and he called Karamollaoglu shortly afterwards to offer his condolences, the presidency said. Charges of an unfair vote For his supporters, Erdogan remains the strong leader they believe Turkey needs and they tout the country's economic development over the 16 years he and the AKP have been in power. But rights activists and even Turkey's Western allies say that under his leadership, democracy has been eroded, particularly after a failed 2016 coup that led to tens of thousands of people being arrested. "The economy isn't doing so good for sure, but I have confidence in our president and things will be better after the election," said Koksal Karacan, a retiree voting in Istanbul's Kasimpasa, where Erdogan grew up. The vote will be the first time since 2002 that the AKP is fielding candidates with its alliance partner, the rightwing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has refused to field candidates in several cities, saying the elections are unfair. Some of its leaders have been jailed on terror charges, accusations they reject. The HDP criticised the detentions of candidates and its members in the run-up to the vote in a statement on Sunday, accusing the government of trying "to paralyse the HDP organisationally, and render the playing field even more uneven". Observers say that with most media either pro-government or controlled by the president's supporters, opposition parties campaigned at a disadvantage because Erdogan's daily rallies dominated TV coverage. "What has happened during the campaign for Sunday's local elections is unprecedented and demonstrates that — unlike during its first years in power — the AKP is no longer confident of being able to win a fair election," said Gareth Jenkins, a non-resident senior research fellow at the Silk Road Studies Programme. 'Boss of the economy' In Istanbul, where the race is expected to be tight, Erdogan has fielded one of his loyalists, former prime minister Binali Yildirim. But in Ankara, Mansur Yavas — the candidate for both the opposition Republican People's Party or CHP and the nationalist Good Party — might have a stronger chance of winning, according to a number of recent polls. With inflation at just under 20 percent and unemployment at a near 10-year high in December, Erdogan has sought to reassure voters about the economy. "I am the boss of the economy right now as the president of this country," Erdogan told a rally on Saturday. Turkey's finance minister, Berat Albayrak, who is Erdogan's son-in-law, said economic reforms would be announced the week of April 8.

Turks vote in test for Erdogan as recession hits home

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - April 1st, 2019

Turkish Presdent losing litmus test ?

Recep Tayyip Erdogan loses control of Ankara in Turkish elections

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vietnam-woman-in-kim-jong-uns-half-brother-murder-case-accepts-new-charge-likely-to-walk-free-207086">Vietnam woman in Kim Jong-un's half-brother murder case accepts </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vietnam-woman-in-kim-jong-uns-half-brother-murder-case-accepts-new-charge-likely-to-walk-free-207086">new</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vietnam-woman-in-kim-jong-uns-half-brother-murder-case-accepts-new-charge-likely-to-walk-free-207086"> charge, likely to walk free</a>

A Vietnamese woman suspected of assassinating the North Korean leader's half-brother accepted a lesser charge Monday and looks set to be freed soon, after her Indonesian co-accused was released last month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-to-launch-defence-satellite-pslv-c45-from-sriharikota-today-207087">ISRO to launch defence satellite PSLV-C45 from Sriharikota today</a>

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch&nbsp;PSLV-C45&nbsp;from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at around 9:30 am today.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-let-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-207071">J&amp;K: 4 LeT terrorists killed in </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-let-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-207071">encounter</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-let-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-207071"> with security forces</a>

Four terrorists belonging to the&nbsp;Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The terrorists were killed following an encounter in Lassipora area of Pulwama district.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-president-erdogans-ruling-akp-set-for-defeat-in-ankara-vote-207066">Turkish President Erdogan's ruling AKP suffers </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-president-erdogans-ruling-akp-set-for-defeat-in-ankara-vote-207066">setback</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-president-erdogans-ruling-akp-set-for-defeat-in-ankara-vote-207066"> in Ankara's local election</a>

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP suffered a major blow in Sunday's local election with the ruling party set to lose the capital Ankara and risking defeat in the&nbsp;country's economic hub Istanbul.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/arabs-to-seek-un-security-council-action-on-golan-heights-207067">Arabs to seek UN Security Council action on Golan Heights&nbsp;</a>

Arab leaders said on Sunday they would seek a UN Security Council resolution against the US decision to recognize&nbsp;Israeli sovereignty&nbsp;over the Golan Heights and promised to support Palestinians in their bid for statehood.

Vietnam woman in Kim Jong-un's half-brother murder case accepts new charge, likely to walk free A Vietnamese woman suspected of assassinating the North Korean leader's half-brother accepted a lesser charge Monday and looks set to be freed soon, after her Indonesian co-accused was released last month.

Vietnam woman in Kim Jong-un's half-brother murder case accepts new charge, likely to walk free A Vietnamese woman suspected of assassinating the North Korean leader's half-brother accepted a lesser charge Monday and looks set to be freed soon, after her Indonesian co-accused was released last month. ISRO to launch defence satellite PSLV-C45 from Sriharikota today The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch PSLV-C45 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at around 9:30 am today. J&K: 4 LeT terrorists killed in encounter with security forces Four terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The terrorists were killed following an encounter in Lassipora area of Pulwama district. Turkish President Erdogan's ruling AKP suffers setback in Ankara's local election Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP suffered a major blow in Sunday's local election with the ruling party set to lose the capital Ankara and risking defeat in the country's economic hub Istanbul. Arabs to seek UN Security Council action on Golan Heights Arab leaders said on Sunday they would seek a UN Security Council resolution against the US decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and promised to support Palestinians in their bid for statehood.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Turks voted on Sunday in local elections which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-fights-to-hold-turkeys-cities-in-bitter-election-battle-206553">President Tayyip Erdogan</a> has described as a matter of survival for Turkey and which were marred by violence that left two party members dead in the country's southeast.

Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than 16 years thanks in part to strong economic growth, has become the country's most popular, yet also most divisive, leader in modern history.

However, he could be dealt an electoral blow with polls indicating his ruling AK Party (AKP) may lose control of the capital Ankara, and even Istanbul, the country's largest city.

With the economy contracting following a currency crisis last year in which the lira lost more than 30 per cent of its value, some voters appeared ready to punish Erdogan, who has ruled with an increasingly uncompromising stance.

"I was actually not going to vote today, but when I saw how much they (AKP) were flailing, I thought this might be time to land them a blow. Everyone is unhappy. Everyone is struggling," said 47-year-old Hakan after voting in Ankara.

Voting started at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) in eastern Turkey and an hour later in the rest of the country. Polling stations close at 4 p.m. in the east and 5 p.m. in the west.

Just over 57 million people are eligible to vote. A clear picture of the winners will probably emerge around midnight.

This week, as authorities again scrambled to shore up the lira, Erdogan cast the country's economic woes as resulting from attacks by the West, saying Turkey would overcome its troubles following Sunday's vote and adding he was "the boss" of the economy.

"The aim behind the increasing attacks towards our country ahead of the elections is to block the road of the big, strong Turkey," Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul on Saturday.

Sunday's elections, in which Turks vote for mayors and other local officials across the country, are the first since Erdogan assumed sweeping presidential powers last year and will be a reckoning for his government, which has come under fire for its economic policies and record on human rights.

Symbolic blow

Defeat in Ankara or Istanbul would end nearly a quarter of a century of rule by Erdogan's AKP or its predecessors in those cities and deal a symbolic blow to Turkey's leader.

Ahead of the vote, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Iyi (Good) Party formed an electoral alliance to rival that of the AKP and its nationalist MHP partners.

The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), which Erdogan has accused of links to Kurdish militants, has not made an official alliance and is not fielding candidates for mayor in Istanbul or Ankara, which is likely to benefit the CHP.

The HDP denies links to the outlawed militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. Two years ago, the state took control of about 100 municipalities from an HDP-affiliated party and some voters in the main southeastern city of Diyarbakir said services there had improved as a result.

"Before, this city did not have the services I have now seen. I gave my vote to the AK Party for services to continue," said tradesman Haci Ahmet Beyaz, 43.

The election was marred by violence in the southeast.

Two members of the small Islamist Felicity Party, a polling station official and an election observer, were shot dead in Malatya province, a party spokesman said. Media reports said one person had been detained.

In Diyarbakir, two people were wounded and one of them was in critical condition after being stabbed in a dispute between candidates, a hospital source said.

The government took extensive security measures, with 553,000 police and other security forces on duty for the vote.

In the days leading up to the vote, Erdogan held around 100 rallies across the country, speaking 14 times in different districts of Istanbul over the past two days alone and more than four times in Ankara throughout his campaign.

He has described the elections as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his rivals as terrorist supporters aiming to topple the country. He has warned that if the opposition candidate wins in Ankara, residents would "pay a price".

His opponents have denied the accusations and challenged his characterisation of the elections as a matter of survival, saying Erdogan had led the country to its current state.

"What matter of survival? We're electing mayors. What does this have to do with the country's survival?" Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the CHP, told a rally in Eskisehir.

With reference to Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu said: "If there is a survival issue in Turkey, it's because of you."

Turks voted on Sunday in local elections which President Tayyip Erdogan has described as a matter of survival for Turkey and which were marred by violence that left two party members dead in the country's southeast.

Turks voted on Sunday in local elections which President Tayyip Erdogan has described as a matter of survival for Turkey and which were marred by violence that left two party members dead in the country's southeast. Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than 16 years thanks in part to strong economic growth, has become the country's most popular, yet also most divisive, leader in modern history. However, he could be dealt an electoral blow with polls indicating his ruling AK Party (AKP) may lose control of the capital Ankara, and even Istanbul, the country's largest city. With the economy contracting following a currency crisis last year in which the lira lost more than 30 per cent of its value, some voters appeared ready to punish Erdogan, who has ruled with an increasingly uncompromising stance. "I was actually not going to vote today, but when I saw how much they (AKP) were flailing, I thought this might be time to land them a blow. Everyone is unhappy. Everyone is struggling," said 47-year-old Hakan after voting in Ankara. Voting started at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) in eastern Turkey and an hour later in the rest of the country. Polling stations close at 4 p.m. in the east and 5 p.m. in the west. Just over 57 million people are eligible to vote. A clear picture of the winners will probably emerge around midnight. This week, as authorities again scrambled to shore up the lira, Erdogan cast the country's economic woes as resulting from attacks by the West, saying Turkey would overcome its troubles following Sunday's vote and adding he was "the boss" of the economy. "The aim behind the increasing attacks towards our country ahead of the elections is to block the road of the big, strong Turkey," Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul on Saturday. Sunday's elections, in which Turks vote for mayors and other local officials across the country, are the first since Erdogan assumed sweeping presidential powers last year and will be a reckoning for his government, which has come under fire for its economic policies and record on human rights. Symbolic blow Defeat in Ankara or Istanbul would end nearly a quarter of a century of rule by Erdogan's AKP or its predecessors in those cities and deal a symbolic blow to Turkey's leader. Ahead of the vote, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Iyi (Good) Party formed an electoral alliance to rival that of the AKP and its nationalist MHP partners. The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), which Erdogan has accused of links to Kurdish militants, has not made an official alliance and is not fielding candidates for mayor in Istanbul or Ankara, which is likely to benefit the CHP. The HDP denies links to the outlawed militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. Two years ago, the state took control of about 100 municipalities from an HDP-affiliated party and some voters in the main southeastern city of Diyarbakir said services there had improved as a result. "Before, this city did not have the services I have now seen. I gave my vote to the AK Party for services to continue," said tradesman Haci Ahmet Beyaz, 43. The election was marred by violence in the southeast. Two members of the small Islamist Felicity Party, a polling station official and an election observer, were shot dead in Malatya province, a party spokesman said. Media reports said one person had been detained. In Diyarbakir, two people were wounded and one of them was in critical condition after being stabbed in a dispute between candidates, a hospital source said. The government took extensive security measures, with 553,000 police and other security forces on duty for the vote. In the days leading up to the vote, Erdogan held around 100 rallies across the country, speaking 14 times in different districts of Istanbul over the past two days alone and more than four times in Ankara throughout his campaign. He has described the elections as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his rivals as terrorist supporters aiming to topple the country. He has warned that if the opposition candidate wins in Ankara, residents would "pay a price". His opponents have denied the accusations and challenged his characterisation of the elections as a matter of survival, saying Erdogan had led the country to its current state. "What matter of survival? We're electing mayors. What does this have to do with the country's survival?" Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the CHP, told a rally in Eskisehir. With reference to Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu said: "If there is a survival issue in Turkey, it's because of you."

Turks vote in local polls, Erdogan's party could lose in big cities

Turkey will solve the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-ally-declares-islamic-state-defeated-caliphate-eliminated-205019">Syria</a> issue "on the field" after Sunday's local elections, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, as he sought to drum up support for his AK Party in the vote.

Turkey has carried out two cross-border operations against Kurdish militants in northern Syria and has warned that it will launch further incursions if the threats along its borders are not eliminated.

"First thing after the elections, we will solve the Syria issue on the field if possible, not at the table," Erdogan told supporters in the first of his six rallies in Istanbul.

Less than a year after Tayyip Erdogan celebrated election triumph with fireworks in Ankara, Turkey's all-powerful leader faces the embarrassment of losing his capital in local polls marred by bitter campaign rhetoric and economic storm clouds.

Erdogan has ruled Turkey for 16 years with an ever-tightening grip and his June 2018 national election victory vastly expanded his presidential powers, alarming Western allies who fear Turkey is drifting deeper into authoritarianism.

But the 65-year-old president could be brought down to earth on Sunday when Turks vote in municipal elections which threaten to inflict the first defeat for his Islamist-rooted AK Party in Ankara or the country's biggest city and business hub, Istanbul.

Erdogan has portrayed the vote as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his domestic opponents as terrorist supporters and even invoking the New Zealand mosque killings as examples of the broader threats he says Turkey faces.

Turkey will solve the Syria issue "on the field" after Sunday's local elections, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, as he sought to drum up support for his AK Party in the vote.

Turkey will solve the Syria issue "on the field" after Sunday's local elections, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, as he sought to drum up support for his AK Party in the vote. Turkey has carried out two cross-border operations against Kurdish militants in northern Syria and has warned that it will launch further incursions if the threats along its borders are not eliminated. "First thing after the elections, we will solve the Syria issue on the field if possible, not at the table," Erdogan told supporters in the first of his six rallies in Istanbul. Less than a year after Tayyip Erdogan celebrated election triumph with fireworks in Ankara, Turkey's all-powerful leader faces the embarrassment of losing his capital in local polls marred by bitter campaign rhetoric and economic storm clouds. Erdogan has ruled Turkey for 16 years with an ever-tightening grip and his June 2018 national election victory vastly expanded his presidential powers, alarming Western allies who fear Turkey is drifting deeper into authoritarianism. But the 65-year-old president could be brought down to earth on Sunday when Turks vote in municipal elections which threaten to inflict the first defeat for his Islamist-rooted AK Party in Ankara or the country's biggest city and business hub, Istanbul. Erdogan has portrayed the vote as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his domestic opponents as terrorist supporters and even invoking the New Zealand mosque killings as examples of the broader threats he says Turkey faces.

Turkey will solve Syria issue 'on field, not at table': Erdogan

Less than a year after Tayyip Erdogan celebrated election triumph with fireworks in Ankara, Turkey`s all-powerful leader faces the embarrassment of losing his capital in local polls marred by bitter campaign rhetoric and economic storm clouds.

Erdogan has ruled Turkey for 16 years with an ever-tightening grip and his June 2018 national election victory vastly expanded his presidential powers, alarming Western allies who fear Turkey is drifting deeper into authoritarianism.

But the 65-year-old president could be brought down to earth on Sunday when Turks vote in municipal elections which threaten to inflict the first defeat for his Islamist-rooted AK Party in Ankara or the country`s biggest city and business hub, Istanbul.&nbsp;

Erdogan has portrayed the vote as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his domestic opponents as terrorist supporters and even invoking the New Zealand mosque killings as examples of the broader threats he says Turkey faces.

"It is a matter of survival against those who want to divide this country and tear it to pieces," he told hundreds of cheering supporters at a rally earlier this month in central Istanbul`s Eyup Sultan district, next to a 19th-century mosque.

He has toured the country for weeks speaking up to eight times a day - a punishing routine which showcased the supreme campaigning skills that have made him the most popular and powerful leader since modern Turkey`s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

It also highlighted, his critics say, Erdogan`s growing reliance on divisive rhetoric since a currency crisis in August ended years of strong economic growth which had helped deliver successive election wins for his AKP, attracting support from well beyond its conservative Muslim core.

A steep fall in the lira last Friday revived memories of last year`s meltdown, and provoked a flurry of stop-gap measures to halt a slump on the eve of voting which could erode support.

For many Turks, the vote is all about whether Erdogan can still deliver a decent standard of living.&nbsp;

"A crushing majority of people - including of course voters from the government party and its partners - think the economy is the number one problem in Turkey," said political analyst Murat Yetkin.&nbsp;

Some polls give the main opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) candidate in Ankara, Mansur Yavas, a lead over his AKP rival. In Istanbul, where the AKP is fielding former prime minister Binali Yildirim, the race appears close with the CHP.&nbsp;

Other cities may also be seized by the secularist opposition party.

REFERENDUM ON ERDOGAN

Analysts caution against reading too much into polling data - Erdogan won a first-round presidential victory last year, defying many expectations - and even if the AKP were to lose, it would not diminish the president`s official powers.

But those very powers that he assumed last year leave him increasingly exposed when things go wrong.

"The whole system has been so centralised around one individual that even a municipal election is a referendum on Erdogan himself," said Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo political risk advisers.

Defeat in either city would bring to an end a quarter century of rule by Erdogan`s AKP and its Islamist predecessors, and deal a symbolic blow to a leader who launched his career in local politics and served as mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s.

For two months he has addressed rally after rally, repeating well-honed presentations that include campaign songs, gifts of tea to supporters and lists of AKP achievements from garbage clearing to home building and infrastructure mega-projects.&nbsp;

Overwhelmingly supportive media broadcast hours of live coverage. Campaign posters proclaim that Istanbul is "a love story" for the AKP, and municipal duties are a "labour of love".

But Erdogan also promises his political opponents he will "bury them in the ballot boxes" just as Turkey`s armed forces have killed militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which he regularly links to the pro-Kurdish HDP party.&nbsp;

In the speech in Eyup Sultan he said CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, an election ally of the HDP, was "arm in arm" with a terrorist organisation. "Who is behind him? Terrorists are behind him. Mr Kemal is walking together with them".

The CHP and HDP deny any links to the PKK.

To his passionate supporters, Erdogan is speaking a self-evident truth. "I see, I hear, and I believe what I see and hear - not just what Reis (the chief) says," Ismail Zeybek, a 40-year-old electrician, said at the rally.

Others say that by portraying the vote as a question of survival, the president is splitting his country. "What kind of relation could there be between local elections and existence? He is trying to win votes by polarizing," said Mert Efe, a resident of Istanbul`s Besiktas district, a CHP stronghold.

When a lone gunman opened fire in two mosques in New Zealand a fortnight ago, Erdogan said if anyone tried to come to Turkey to do harm they would be sent back "in caskets" like Australian and New Zealand troops who fought Ottoman soldiers in Gallipoli a century ago.

He repeatedly showed extracts from the gunman`s manifesto, which he said threatened Turkey and Erdogan himself, as well as blurred footage from the shooting itself - even after New Zealand`s foreign minister flew to Turkey to ask him to stop.

"Looking at the rhetoric he is using, we have never seen this before on a municipal level. It`s unprecedented," Piccoli said. "This concentration of power is running short of ideas, that is why he is pushing more and more this nationalist, religious agenda."

In the final days of campaigning Erdogan also revived calls for Istanbul`s Hagia Sophia museum - the foremost cathedral in Christendom for 900 years and then one of Islam`s greatest mosques for 500 years until 1935 - to become a mosque again.

FOUR MORE YEARS?

After winning a 2017 referendum on his powerful executive presidency, and then last year`s hard-fought parliamentary and presidential elections, Erdogan could in theory enjoy the next four years free from electoral challenge.

A poor showing on Sunday, however, would strain his parliamentary alliance with the nationalist MHP party, raising the possibility that Erdogan could be back on the campaign trail sooner than the next scheduled national elections in 2023.

If the AKP suffers a "large-scale shock" involving the loss of both Ankara and Istanbul, or saw the share of the vote taken by the AKP/MHP alliance fall well below 50 per cent, it would be a clear sign that Erdogan`s party is on the wane, said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and analyst at Carnegie Europe.&nbsp;

"That would have consequences over time. It would make it more difficult to hold onto power through 2023, especially given that this perceived political weakness would be combined with the economic slowdown," Ulgen said.

If the vote does not go the way Erdogan hopes, he will be faced with a more immediate decision on Sunday night.&nbsp;

Asked whether he plans to address supporters again as he did triumphantly from his AKP headquarters in Ankara last June, Erdogan said his balcony speech had become an election night tradition.

"We did this in every election. I think it would not be right if we didn`t do it at this election. But we have not sat down with colleagues to make this decision yet."

Less than a year after Tayyip Erdogan celebrated election triumph with fireworks in Ankara, Turkey`s all-powerful leader faces the embarrassment of losing his capital in local polls marred by bitter campaign rhetoric and economic storm clouds.

Less than a year after Tayyip Erdogan celebrated election triumph with fireworks in Ankara, Turkey`s all-powerful leader faces the embarrassment of losing his capital in local polls marred by bitter campaign rhetoric and economic storm clouds. Erdogan has ruled Turkey for 16 years with an ever-tightening grip and his June 2018 national election victory vastly expanded his presidential powers, alarming Western allies who fear Turkey is drifting deeper into authoritarianism. But the 65-year-old president could be brought down to earth on Sunday when Turks vote in municipal elections which threaten to inflict the first defeat for his Islamist-rooted AK Party in Ankara or the country`s biggest city and business hub, Istanbul. Erdogan has portrayed the vote as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his domestic opponents as terrorist supporters and even invoking the New Zealand mosque killings as examples of the broader threats he says Turkey faces. "It is a matter of survival against those who want to divide this country and tear it to pieces," he told hundreds of cheering supporters at a rally earlier this month in central Istanbul`s Eyup Sultan district, next to a 19th-century mosque. He has toured the country for weeks speaking up to eight times a day - a punishing routine which showcased the supreme campaigning skills that have made him the most popular and powerful leader since modern Turkey`s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It also highlighted, his critics say, Erdogan`s growing reliance on divisive rhetoric since a currency crisis in August ended years of strong economic growth which had helped deliver successive election wins for his AKP, attracting support from well beyond its conservative Muslim core. A steep fall in the lira last Friday revived memories of last year`s meltdown, and provoked a flurry of stop-gap measures to halt a slump on the eve of voting which could erode support. For many Turks, the vote is all about whether Erdogan can still deliver a decent standard of living. "A crushing majority of people - including of course voters from the government party and its partners - think the economy is the number one problem in Turkey," said political analyst Murat Yetkin. Some polls give the main opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) candidate in Ankara, Mansur Yavas, a lead over his AKP rival. In Istanbul, where the AKP is fielding former prime minister Binali Yildirim, the race appears close with the CHP. Other cities may also be seized by the secularist opposition party. REFERENDUM ON ERDOGAN Analysts caution against reading too much into polling data - Erdogan won a first-round presidential victory last year, defying many expectations - and even if the AKP were to lose, it would not diminish the president`s official powers. But those very powers that he assumed last year leave him increasingly exposed when things go wrong. "The whole system has been so centralised around one individual that even a municipal election is a referendum on Erdogan himself," said Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo political risk advisers. Defeat in either city would bring to an end a quarter century of rule by Erdogan`s AKP and its Islamist predecessors, and deal a symbolic blow to a leader who launched his career in local politics and served as mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s. For two months he has addressed rally after rally, repeating well-honed presentations that include campaign songs, gifts of tea to supporters and lists of AKP achievements from garbage clearing to home building and infrastructure mega-projects. Overwhelmingly supportive media broadcast hours of live coverage. Campaign posters proclaim that Istanbul is "a love story" for the AKP, and municipal duties are a "labour of love". But Erdogan also promises his political opponents he will "bury them in the ballot boxes" just as Turkey`s armed forces have killed militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which he regularly links to the pro-Kurdish HDP party. In the speech in Eyup Sultan he said CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, an election ally of the HDP, was "arm in arm" with a terrorist organisation. "Who is behind him? Terrorists are behind him. Mr Kemal is walking together with them". The CHP and HDP deny any links to the PKK. To his passionate supporters, Erdogan is speaking a self-evident truth. "I see, I hear, and I believe what I see and hear - not just what Reis (the chief) says," Ismail Zeybek, a 40-year-old electrician, said at the rally. Others say that by portraying the vote as a question of survival, the president is splitting his country. "What kind of relation could there be between local elections and existence? He is trying to win votes by polarizing," said Mert Efe, a resident of Istanbul`s Besiktas district, a CHP stronghold. When a lone gunman opened fire in two mosques in New Zealand a fortnight ago, Erdogan said if anyone tried to come to Turkey to do harm they would be sent back "in caskets" like Australian and New Zealand troops who fought Ottoman soldiers in Gallipoli a century ago. He repeatedly showed extracts from the gunman`s manifesto, which he said threatened Turkey and Erdogan himself, as well as blurred footage from the shooting itself - even after New Zealand`s foreign minister flew to Turkey to ask him to stop. "Looking at the rhetoric he is using, we have never seen this before on a municipal level. It`s unprecedented," Piccoli said. "This concentration of power is running short of ideas, that is why he is pushing more and more this nationalist, religious agenda." In the final days of campaigning Erdogan also revived calls for Istanbul`s Hagia Sophia museum - the foremost cathedral in Christendom for 900 years and then one of Islam`s greatest mosques for 500 years until 1935 - to become a mosque again. FOUR MORE YEARS? After winning a 2017 referendum on his powerful executive presidency, and then last year`s hard-fought parliamentary and presidential elections, Erdogan could in theory enjoy the next four years free from electoral challenge. A poor showing on Sunday, however, would strain his parliamentary alliance with the nationalist MHP party, raising the possibility that Erdogan could be back on the campaign trail sooner than the next scheduled national elections in 2023. If the AKP suffers a "large-scale shock" involving the loss of both Ankara and Istanbul, or saw the share of the vote taken by the AKP/MHP alliance fall well below 50 per cent, it would be a clear sign that Erdogan`s party is on the wane, said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and analyst at Carnegie Europe. "That would have consequences over time. It would make it more difficult to hold onto power through 2023, especially given that this perceived political weakness would be combined with the economic slowdown," Ulgen said. If the vote does not go the way Erdogan hopes, he will be faced with a more immediate decision on Sunday night. Asked whether he plans to address supporters again as he did triumphantly from his AKP headquarters in Ankara last June, Erdogan said his balcony speech had become an election night tradition. "We did this in every election. I think it would not be right if we didn`t do it at this election. But we have not sat down with colleagues to make this decision yet."

Erdogan fights to hold Turkey's cities in bitter election battle

Strong winds lift man meters off ground

When Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay and foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu became this weekend the first high-level foreign government delegation to travel to Christchurch they were doing more than expressing solidarity with New Zealand's grieving Muslim community.

Oktay and Cavusoglu were planting Turkey's flag far and wide in a global effort to expand beyond the Turkic and former Ottoman world support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's style of religiously-packaged authoritarian rule, a marriage of Islam and Turkish nationalism.

Showing footage of the rampage in Christchurch at a rally ahead of March 31 local elections, Erdogan declared that “There is a benefit in watching this on the screen. Remnants of the Crusaders cannot prevent Turkey’s rise.”

Erdogan went on to say that “We have been here for 1,000 years and God willing we will be until doomsday. You will not be able to make Istanbul Constantinople. Your ancestors came and saw that we were here. Some of them returned on foot and some returned in coffins. If you come with the same intent, we will be waiting for you too.”

Erdogan was responding to an assertion by Brenton Tarrant, the white supremacist perpetrator of the Christchurch attacks in which 50 people were killed in two mosques, that Turks were “ethnic soldiers currently occupying Europe.”

Oktay and Cavusoglu’s visit, two days after the attacks, is one more facet of a Turkish campaign that employs religious as well as traditional diplomatic tools.

The campaign aims to establish Turkey as a leader of the Muslim world in competition with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and to a lesser degree Morocco.

As part of the campaign, Turkey has positioned itself as a cheerleader for Muslim causes such as Jerusalem and the Rohingya at a moment that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Muslim nations are taking a step back.

Although cautious not to rupture relations with Beijing, Turkey has also breached the wall of silence maintained by the vast majority of Muslim countries by speaking out against China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in the troubled north-western province of Xinjiang.

Erdogan’s religious and traditional diplomatic effort has seen Turkey build grand mosques and/or cultural centres across the globe in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia, finance religious education and restore Ottoman heritage sites.

It has pressured governments in Africa and Asia to hand over schools operated by the Hizmet movement led by exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan holds Gulen responsible for the failed military coup in Turkey in 2016.

On the diplomatic front, Turkey has in recent years opened at least 26 embassies in Africa, expanded the Turkish Airlines network to 55 destinations in Africa, established military bases in Somalia and Qatar, and negotiated a long-term lease for Sudan’s Suakin Island in the Red Sea.

The Turkish religious campaign takes a leaf out of Saudi Arabia's four decades long, $100 billion effort to globally propagate ultra-conservative Sunni Islam.&nbsp;

Like the Saudis, Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) provides services to Muslim communities, organises pilgrimages to Mecca, trains religious personnel, publishes religious literature, translates the Qur’an into local languages and funds students from across the world to study Islam at Turkish institutions.

Turkish Muslim NGOs provide humanitarian assistance in former parts of the Ottoman empire, the Middle East and Africa much like the Saudi-led World Muslim League and other Saudi governmental -non-governmental organisations, many of which have been shut down since the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Saudi Arabia, since the rise of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2015, has significantly reduced global funding for ultra-conservatism.

Nonetheless, Turkey is at loggerheads with Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; Turkish support for Qatar in its dispute with the Saudis and Emiratis; differences over Libya, Syria and the Kurds; and Ankara’s activist foreign policy. Turkey is seeking to position itself as an Islamic alternative.

Decades of Saudi funding has left the kingdom’s imprint on the global Muslim community. Yet, Turkey’s current struggles with Saudi Arabia are more geopolitical than ideological.

While Turkey competes geopolitically with the UAE in the Horn of Africa, Libya and Syria, ideologically the two countries’ rivalry is between the UAE’s effort to establish itself as a centre of a quietist, apolitical Islam as opposed to Turkey’s activist approach and its support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

In contrast to Saudi Arabia that adheres to Wahhabism, an austere ultra-conservative interpretation of the faith, the UAE projects itself and its religiosity as far more modern, tolerant and forward-looking.

The UAE’s projection goes beyond Prince Mohammed’s attempt to shave off the raw edges of Wahhabism in an attempt to present himself as a proponent of what he has termed moderate Islam.

 
The UAE scored a significant success with the first-ever papal visit in February by Pope Francis during which he signed a document on human fraternity with Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Muslim learning.

 
The signing was the result of UAE-funded efforts of Egyptian general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to depoliticise Islam and gain control of Al Azhar that Sheikh Al-Tayeb resisted despite supporting Al-Sisi’s 2013 military coup.

To enhance its influence within Al Azhar and counter that of Saudi Araba, the UAE has funded Egyptian universities and hospitals and has encouraged Al Azhar to open a branch in the UAE.

The UAE effort paid off when the pope, in a public address, thanked Egyptian judge Mohamed Abdel Salam, an advisor to Sheikh Al-Tayeb who is believed to be close to both the Emiratis and Al-Sisi, for drafting the declaration. “Abdel Salam enabled Al-Sisi to outmanoeuvre Al Azhar in the struggle for reform,” said an influential activist.

The Turkey-UAE rivalry has spilt from the geopolitical and ideological into competing versions of Islamic history. 
&nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

When Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay and foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu became this weekend the first high-level foreign government delegation to travel to Christchurch they were doing more than expressing solidarity with New Zealand's grieving Muslim community.

When Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay and foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu became this weekend the first high-level foreign government delegation to travel to Christchurch they were doing more than expressing solidarity with New Zealand's grieving Muslim community. Oktay and Cavusoglu were planting Turkey's flag far and wide in a global effort to expand beyond the Turkic and former Ottoman world support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's style of religiously-packaged authoritarian rule, a marriage of Islam and Turkish nationalism. Showing footage of the rampage in Christchurch at a rally ahead of March 31 local elections, Erdogan declared that “There is a benefit in watching this on the screen. Remnants of the Crusaders cannot prevent Turkey’s rise.” Erdogan went on to say that “We have been here for 1,000 years and God willing we will be until doomsday. You will not be able to make Istanbul Constantinople. Your ancestors came and saw that we were here. Some of them returned on foot and some returned in coffins. If you come with the same intent, we will be waiting for you too.” Erdogan was responding to an assertion by Brenton Tarrant, the white supremacist perpetrator of the Christchurch attacks in which 50 people were killed in two mosques, that Turks were “ethnic soldiers currently occupying Europe.” Oktay and Cavusoglu’s visit, two days after the attacks, is one more facet of a Turkish campaign that employs religious as well as traditional diplomatic tools. The campaign aims to establish Turkey as a leader of the Muslim world in competition with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and to a lesser degree Morocco. As part of the campaign, Turkey has positioned itself as a cheerleader for Muslim causes such as Jerusalem and the Rohingya at a moment that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Muslim nations are taking a step back. Although cautious not to rupture relations with Beijing, Turkey has also breached the wall of silence maintained by the vast majority of Muslim countries by speaking out against China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in the troubled north-western province of Xinjiang. Erdogan’s religious and traditional diplomatic effort has seen Turkey build grand mosques and/or cultural centres across the globe in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia, finance religious education and restore Ottoman heritage sites. It has pressured governments in Africa and Asia to hand over schools operated by the Hizmet movement led by exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan holds Gulen responsible for the failed military coup in Turkey in 2016. On the diplomatic front, Turkey has in recent years opened at least 26 embassies in Africa, expanded the Turkish Airlines network to 55 destinations in Africa, established military bases in Somalia and Qatar, and negotiated a long-term lease for Sudan’s Suakin Island in the Red Sea. The Turkish religious campaign takes a leaf out of Saudi Arabia's four decades long, $100 billion effort to globally propagate ultra-conservative Sunni Islam. Like the Saudis, Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) provides services to Muslim communities, organises pilgrimages to Mecca, trains religious personnel, publishes religious literature, translates the Qur’an into local languages and funds students from across the world to study Islam at Turkish institutions. Turkish Muslim NGOs provide humanitarian assistance in former parts of the Ottoman empire, the Middle East and Africa much like the Saudi-led World Muslim League and other Saudi governmental -non-governmental organisations, many of which have been shut down since the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. Saudi Arabia, since the rise of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2015, has significantly reduced global funding for ultra-conservatism. Nonetheless, Turkey is at loggerheads with Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; Turkish support for Qatar in its dispute with the Saudis and Emiratis; differences over Libya, Syria and the Kurds; and Ankara’s activist foreign policy. Turkey is seeking to position itself as an Islamic alternative. Decades of Saudi funding has left the kingdom’s imprint on the global Muslim community. Yet, Turkey’s current struggles with Saudi Arabia are more geopolitical than ideological. While Turkey competes geopolitically with the UAE in the Horn of Africa, Libya and Syria, ideologically the two countries’ rivalry is between the UAE’s effort to establish itself as a centre of a quietist, apolitical Islam as opposed to Turkey’s activist approach and its support for the Muslim Brotherhood. In contrast to Saudi Arabia that adheres to Wahhabism, an austere ultra-conservative interpretation of the faith, the UAE projects itself and its religiosity as far more modern, tolerant and forward-looking. The UAE’s projection goes beyond Prince Mohammed’s attempt to shave off the raw edges of Wahhabism in an attempt to present himself as a proponent of what he has termed moderate Islam. The UAE scored a significant success with the first-ever papal visit in February by Pope Francis during which he signed a document on human fraternity with Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Muslim learning. The signing was the result of UAE-funded efforts of Egyptian general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to depoliticise Islam and gain control of Al Azhar that Sheikh Al-Tayeb resisted despite supporting Al-Sisi’s 2013 military coup. To enhance its influence within Al Azhar and counter that of Saudi Araba, the UAE has funded Egyptian universities and hospitals and has encouraged Al Azhar to open a branch in the UAE. The UAE effort paid off when the pope, in a public address, thanked Egyptian judge Mohamed Abdel Salam, an advisor to Sheikh Al-Tayeb who is believed to be close to both the Emiratis and Al-Sisi, for drafting the declaration. “Abdel Salam enabled Al-Sisi to outmanoeuvre Al Azhar in the struggle for reform,” said an influential activist. The Turkey-UAE rivalry has spilt from the geopolitical and ideological into competing versions of Islamic history. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Turkey positions itself as a prominent backer of Muslim community in New Zealand

Turkey on Thursday said Interpol had issued red notices for 20 people in connection with the murder of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jamal-khashoggis-killing-a-murder-that-shook-2018-186106">Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi</a>.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jamal-khashoggi-other-journalists-are-named-time-magazines-person-of-the-year-183310">Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor </a>and critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 last year.

An Interpol red notice informs the police agency's member states about a suspected criminal wanted in one country.

Turkish authorities requested red notices for 18 suspects on November 15 and for two on December 21 in 2018, the justice ministry said.

Interpol issued the notices on March 1, the ministry said on Twitter, without giving further details on the suspects.

Turkey has said the journalist was killed by a team of 15 Saudis who strangled him. His remains have yet to be found.

Eleven men are on trial in Saudi Arabia, accused of involvement in the killing. The attorney-general is seeking the death penalty for five of them.

Turkey on Thursday said Interpol had issued red notices for 20 people in connection with the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 last year.

Turkey on Thursday said Interpol had issued red notices for 20 people in connection with the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 last year. An Interpol red notice informs the police agency's member states about a suspected criminal wanted in one country. Turkish authorities requested red notices for 18 suspects on November 15 and for two on December 21 in 2018, the justice ministry said. Interpol issued the notices on March 1, the ministry said on Twitter, without giving further details on the suspects. Turkey has said the journalist was killed by a team of 15 Saudis who strangled him. His remains have yet to be found. Eleven men are on trial in Saudi Arabia, accused of involvement in the killing. The attorney-general is seeking the death penalty for five of them.

Interpol issued red notices for 20 people over Saudi journalist Khashoggi's killing: Turkey

Two German journalists on Sunday left Turkey after Ankara refused to renew their accreditation, a move condemned by Berlin as "unacceptable".

Jorg Brase, Istanbul bureau chief for ZDF public television, and Thomas Seibert, who writes for the newspaper Tagesspiegel, had their applications for press cards rejected by the Turkish government for reasons both men said remained unknown.

The two journalists had to leave Turkey within 10 days of their rejection.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday said on Twitter it was "unacceptable" that German correspondents could not do "their job freely" in Turkey.

He told Tagesspiegel it was "incompatible with our understanding of press freedom".

At a news conference in Istanbul before the two men left Turkey, Brase and Seibert accused the Turkish government of trying to "silence" international media.

"The Turkish government managed to more or less silence national media, and now they are now trying to do it with international media," Brase said.

"What we will definitely do is ... keep on reporting on Turkish issues but we will do it from outside Turkey, unfortunately."

Seibert said he had been accredited in Turkey as a correspondent since 1997.

Brase claimed the Turkish press attache in Berlin made an offer to ZDF and Tagesspiegel, suggesting they send different correspondents. But the offer was rejected, Brase added.

Brase said he was considering moving to Tehran since the Iranian government had given him the necessary paperwork to live there. He had been working in Turkey since January 2018.

The two men were due to leave Turkey on separate flights from Istanbul.

Relations between Berlin and Ankara had been strained following the failed 2016 coup and the arrest by Turkish authorities of tens of thousands of people including Germans.

But after the release of German citizens including German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel and journalist Mesale Tolu, ties improved.

It is believed around 40 foreign journalists in Turkey including German reporters are still waiting for accreditation.

German public broadcaster NDR correspondent Halil Gulbeyaz said this month his application for accreditation had also been rejected.

The German foreign ministry updated its travel advisory for Turkey on Saturday to say there was a risk that the Turkish government could "take further measures against representatives of the German media or civil society institutions".

Two German journalists on Sunday left Turkey after Ankara refused to renew their accreditation, a move condemned by Berlin as "unacceptable". Jorg Brase, Istanbul bureau chief for ZDF public television, and Thomas Seibert, who writes for the newspaper Tagesspiegel, had their applications for press cards rejected by the Turkish government for reasons both men said remained unknown.

Two German journalists on Sunday left Turkey after Ankara refused to renew their accreditation, a move condemned by Berlin as "unacceptable". Jorg Brase, Istanbul bureau chief for ZDF public television, and Thomas Seibert, who writes for the newspaper Tagesspiegel, had their applications for press cards rejected by the Turkish government for reasons both men said remained unknown. The two journalists had to leave Turkey within 10 days of their rejection. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday said on Twitter it was "unacceptable" that German correspondents could not do "their job freely" in Turkey. He told Tagesspiegel it was "incompatible with our understanding of press freedom". At a news conference in Istanbul before the two men left Turkey, Brase and Seibert accused the Turkish government of trying to "silence" international media. "The Turkish government managed to more or less silence national media, and now they are now trying to do it with international media," Brase said. "What we will definitely do is ... keep on reporting on Turkish issues but we will do it from outside Turkey, unfortunately." Seibert said he had been accredited in Turkey as a correspondent since 1997. Brase claimed the Turkish press attache in Berlin made an offer to ZDF and Tagesspiegel, suggesting they send different correspondents. But the offer was rejected, Brase added. Brase said he was considering moving to Tehran since the Iranian government had given him the necessary paperwork to live there. He had been working in Turkey since January 2018. The two men were due to leave Turkey on separate flights from Istanbul. Relations between Berlin and Ankara had been strained following the failed 2016 coup and the arrest by Turkish authorities of tens of thousands of people including Germans. But after the release of German citizens including German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel and journalist Mesale Tolu, ties improved. It is believed around 40 foreign journalists in Turkey including German reporters are still waiting for accreditation. German public broadcaster NDR correspondent Halil Gulbeyaz said this month his application for accreditation had also been rejected. The German foreign ministry updated its travel advisory for Turkey on Saturday to say there was a risk that the Turkish government could "take further measures against representatives of the German media or civil society institutions".

Two German journalists forced to leave Turkey after accreditation row

A Turkish-Chinese spat as a result of Turkish criticism of China’s crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its strategic but troubled north-western province of Xinjiang complicates efforts by Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states to at best deal quietly behind closed doors with the plight of their citizens and ethnic kin in the People’s Republic.

China’s threat that the Turkish criticism of its massive surveillance and detention campaign, involving the alleged incarceration in re-education camps of up to one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims would have economic consequences and the temporary closure of the Chinese consulate in the Mediterranean port city of Izmir serves as warnings to others in the Muslim world what could happen if they break their silence.

The Chinese effort to get the Muslim and broader international community to maintain silence, if not acquiesce in the crackdown that constitutes the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history, was boosted when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a visit to Beijing last month appeared to endorse Chinese policy.

Prince Salman’s endorsement of China's right to undertake "anti-terrorism" and "de-extremism" measures was widely seen as tacit support for the crackdown by the custodian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

China has denied allegations of widespread abuse of human rights and insisted that the camps are re-education and training facilities that have stopped attacks by Islamist militants and separatists.

The Crown Prince’s remarks contrasted starkly with the characterisation last month of the crackdown by Turkey’s foreign ministry &nbsp;as an “embarrassment to humanity,” the ministry demanded that Chinese authorities respect the human rights of the Uyghurs and close what it termed “concentration camps.”&nbsp;

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called twice last week on China to make a distinction between perpetrators of political violence and innocent civilians while insisting that Turkey wished to continue cooperation with the People’s Republic.

“The fact that we have a problem with China on an issue should not necessarily hinder our cooperation on other matters,” Cavusoglu said.

Turkey is hoping that Chinese investment in nuclear, e-commerce, finance, and infrastructure will narrow its gaping trade deficit with China that last year stood at $17.8 billion.

That is not how China appeared to envision its future relationship with Turkey.

“There may be disagreements or misunderstandings between friends, but we should solve them through dialogue. Criticising your friend publicly everywhere is not a constructive approach,” said Chinese ambassador to Turkey Deng Li.

“The most important issue between countries is mutual respect. Would you stay friends if your friend criticized you publicly every day?” Deng asked.

“If you choose a non-constructive path, it will negatively affect mutual trust and understanding and will be reflected in commercial and economic relations,” Deng added.

Deng’s comments were not only designed to whip Turkey back into line but also to prevent Central Asian nations from speaking out despite mounting domestic pressure.

Deng’s comments reflected greater Chinese intolerance for criticism of its crackdown amid attempts to convince the international community by taking diplomats and journalists on carefully managed tours of Xinjiang that one participant called a “dog and pony show.”

The ambassador’s rings particularly loud in Kazakhstan whose ethnic kin constitute the second largest Muslim community in Xinjiang after the Uyghurs.

A former re-education camp employee, Sayragul Sauytbay, who fled to Kazakhstan told a Kazakh court last year that she was aware of some 7,5000 Kazakh nationals and Chinese of Kazakh descent being incarcerated.

Atajurt Eriktileri, a Kazakh group that supports relatives of people who have disappeared in Xinjiang, says it has documented more than 10,000 cases of ethnic Kazakhs interned in China. The Xinjiang Victims Database says it has collected some 3,000 testimonies of prisoners and their families, half of which are from ethnic Kazakhs.

Askar Azatbek, a former Xinjiang official who became a Kazakh citizen, went missing in December after allegedly having been kidnapped while on the Kazakh side of Khorgos, a free-trade zone on the border with China.

So has Qalymbek Shahman an ethnic Kazakh Xinjiang businessman who was refused entry into Kazakhstan, sent to Uzbekistan and disappeared in Thailand to where he was returned by Uzbek authorities. Shahman hasn’t been heard from since.

"I wanted to go to Kazakhstan because China's human rights record was making life intolerable," Shahman said in a videotape from Tashkent airport before being forced to fly to Thailand, which has a track record of complying with Chinese repatriation requests.

For now, Central Asian leaders are walking a tightrope. Officially, they insist that Xinjiang is a Chinese internal affair. At the same time, the leaders are trying to curb domestic criticism.

Serikzhan Bilash, the head of Atajurt Eriktileri, was fined in February by an Almaty court for operating an unregistered organisation.

Sauytbay has fired her lawyer after he became unreachable at key moments in her asylum application and encouraged her to not talk about it publicly. “I don’t want to talk…until I have some kind of protection. I’d prefer that protection to come from Kazakhstan, but I might need help from other countries,” Sautbay said.

Sauytbay is certain to hope that Turkey’s willingness to confront China, if maintained, makes Central Asia’s tightrope act increasingly risky, particularly in an environment in which public criticism of the crackdown, anti-Chinese sentiment and social and economic discontent are meshing.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

A Turkish-Chinese spat as a result of Turkish criticism of China’s crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its strategic but troubled north-western province of Xinjiang complicates efforts by Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states to at best deal quietly behind closed doors with the plight of their citizens and ethnic kin in the People’s Republic.

A Turkish-Chinese spat as a result of Turkish criticism of China’s crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its strategic but troubled north-western province of Xinjiang complicates efforts by Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states to at best deal quietly behind closed doors with the plight of their citizens and ethnic kin in the People’s Republic. China’s threat that the Turkish criticism of its massive surveillance and detention campaign, involving the alleged incarceration in re-education camps of up to one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims would have economic consequences and the temporary closure of the Chinese consulate in the Mediterranean port city of Izmir serves as warnings to others in the Muslim world what could happen if they break their silence. The Chinese effort to get the Muslim and broader international community to maintain silence, if not acquiesce in the crackdown that constitutes the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history, was boosted when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a visit to Beijing last month appeared to endorse Chinese policy. Prince Salman’s endorsement of China's right to undertake "anti-terrorism" and "de-extremism" measures was widely seen as tacit support for the crackdown by the custodian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. China has denied allegations of widespread abuse of human rights and insisted that the camps are re-education and training facilities that have stopped attacks by Islamist militants and separatists. The Crown Prince’s remarks contrasted starkly with the characterisation last month of the crackdown by Turkey’s foreign ministry as an “embarrassment to humanity,” the ministry demanded that Chinese authorities respect the human rights of the Uyghurs and close what it termed “concentration camps.” Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called twice last week on China to make a distinction between perpetrators of political violence and innocent civilians while insisting that Turkey wished to continue cooperation with the People’s Republic. “The fact that we have a problem with China on an issue should not necessarily hinder our cooperation on other matters,” Cavusoglu said. Turkey is hoping that Chinese investment in nuclear, e-commerce, finance, and infrastructure will narrow its gaping trade deficit with China that last year stood at $17.8 billion. That is not how China appeared to envision its future relationship with Turkey. “There may be disagreements or misunderstandings between friends, but we should solve them through dialogue. Criticising your friend publicly everywhere is not a constructive approach,” said Chinese ambassador to Turkey Deng Li. “The most important issue between countries is mutual respect. Would you stay friends if your friend criticized you publicly every day?” Deng asked. “If you choose a non-constructive path, it will negatively affect mutual trust and understanding and will be reflected in commercial and economic relations,” Deng added. Deng’s comments were not only designed to whip Turkey back into line but also to prevent Central Asian nations from speaking out despite mounting domestic pressure. Deng’s comments reflected greater Chinese intolerance for criticism of its crackdown amid attempts to convince the international community by taking diplomats and journalists on carefully managed tours of Xinjiang that one participant called a “dog and pony show.” The ambassador’s rings particularly loud in Kazakhstan whose ethnic kin constitute the second largest Muslim community in Xinjiang after the Uyghurs. A former re-education camp employee, Sayragul Sauytbay, who fled to Kazakhstan told a Kazakh court last year that she was aware of some 7,5000 Kazakh nationals and Chinese of Kazakh descent being incarcerated. Atajurt Eriktileri, a Kazakh group that supports relatives of people who have disappeared in Xinjiang, says it has documented more than 10,000 cases of ethnic Kazakhs interned in China. The Xinjiang Victims Database says it has collected some 3,000 testimonies of prisoners and their families, half of which are from ethnic Kazakhs. Askar Azatbek, a former Xinjiang official who became a Kazakh citizen, went missing in December after allegedly having been kidnapped while on the Kazakh side of Khorgos, a free-trade zone on the border with China. So has Qalymbek Shahman an ethnic Kazakh Xinjiang businessman who was refused entry into Kazakhstan, sent to Uzbekistan and disappeared in Thailand to where he was returned by Uzbek authorities. Shahman hasn’t been heard from since. "I wanted to go to Kazakhstan because China's human rights record was making life intolerable," Shahman said in a videotape from Tashkent airport before being forced to fly to Thailand, which has a track record of complying with Chinese repatriation requests. For now, Central Asian leaders are walking a tightrope. Officially, they insist that Xinjiang is a Chinese internal affair. At the same time, the leaders are trying to curb domestic criticism. Serikzhan Bilash, the head of Atajurt Eriktileri, was fined in February by an Almaty court for operating an unregistered organisation. Sauytbay has fired her lawyer after he became unreachable at key moments in her asylum application and encouraged her to not talk about it publicly. “I don’t want to talk…until I have some kind of protection. I’d prefer that protection to come from Kazakhstan, but I might need help from other countries,” Sautbay said. Sauytbay is certain to hope that Turkey’s willingness to confront China, if maintained, makes Central Asia’s tightrope act increasingly risky, particularly in an environment in which public criticism of the crackdown, anti-Chinese sentiment and social and economic discontent are meshing. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Turkish-Chinese spat puts Asian leaders on the spot

Any safe zone along Turkey's border with Syria must be under Turkish control, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday in an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk.

He was speaking after a senior US administration official said on Friday Washington would leave about 400 US troops in Syria, a reversal by President Donald Trump that could pave the way for US allies to keep troops there.

"If there is to be a safe zone along our border then it must be under our control. Because that is my border," Erdogan said.

Trump ordered the withdrawal of all 2,000 US troops from Syria in December after saying they had defeated Islamic State, a decision criticised by allies and US lawmakers.

He was persuaded on Thursday that about 200 US troops should join what is expected to be a total commitment of some 800 to 1,500 troops from European allies to set up a safe zone in northeastern Syria, a US administration official said.

Ankara regards the Kurdish YPG militia, which controls that region and has been a key US ally against Islamic State, as a terrorist group. Turkey has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily against the YPG east of the Euphrates river where the safe zone is planned.

Any safe zone along Turkey's border with Syria must be under Turkish control, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday in an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk.

Any safe zone along Turkey's border with Syria must be under Turkish control, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday in an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk. He was speaking after a senior US administration official said on Friday Washington would leave about 400 US troops in Syria, a reversal by President Donald Trump that could pave the way for US allies to keep troops there. "If there is to be a safe zone along our border then it must be under our control. Because that is my border," Erdogan said. Trump ordered the withdrawal of all 2,000 US troops from Syria in December after saying they had defeated Islamic State, a decision criticised by allies and US lawmakers. He was persuaded on Thursday that about 200 US troops should join what is expected to be a total commitment of some 800 to 1,500 troops from European allies to set up a safe zone in northeastern Syria, a US administration official said. Ankara regards the Kurdish YPG militia, which controls that region and has been a key US ally against Islamic State, as a terrorist group. Turkey has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily against the YPG east of the Euphrates river where the safe zone is planned.

Erdogan says safe zone on Syria border must be under Turkey's control

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call on Thursday to carry out the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/around-200-us-troops-to-remain-in-syria-after-pullout-white-house-198898">US military withdrawal from Syria</a> in line with their mutual interests, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said.

In December, Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision to withdraw all 2,000 US&nbsp;troops from Syria, declaring that Islamic State had been defeated there.

Erdogan previously said that uncertainty remained over the US&nbsp;withdrawal from Syria, adding there was talk of the pullout taking place in April or May.

During their phone call, Erdogan and Trump agreed that the US&nbsp;withdrawal from Syria should not damage the mutual goals of Ankara and Washington, Anadolu said.

Turkey wants to set up a safe zone with logistical support from allies and says it should be cleared of the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara views as a terrorist organisation linked with Kurdish militants on its own soil.

Erdogan and Trump also discussed bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria, Anadolu said, adding that the two agreed to support a political resolution to the Syria conflict.

Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's desire to maintain close ties with the United States in the phone call and the two leaders agreed to improve bilateral economic ties, Anadolu said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call on Thursday to carry out the US military withdrawal from Syria in line with their mutual interests, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call on Thursday to carry out the US military withdrawal from Syria in line with their mutual interests, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said. In December, Trump confounded his own national security team with a surprise decision to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria, declaring that Islamic State had been defeated there. Erdogan previously said that uncertainty remained over the US withdrawal from Syria, adding there was talk of the pullout taking place in April or May. During their phone call, Erdogan and Trump agreed that the US withdrawal from Syria should not damage the mutual goals of Ankara and Washington, Anadolu said. Turkey wants to set up a safe zone with logistical support from allies and says it should be cleared of the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara views as a terrorist organisation linked with Kurdish militants on its own soil. Erdogan and Trump also discussed bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria, Anadolu said, adding that the two agreed to support a political resolution to the Syria conflict. Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's desire to maintain close ties with the United States in the phone call and the two leaders agreed to improve bilateral economic ties, Anadolu said.

In a phone call, Erdogan and Trump agree to carry out US withdrawal from Syria

Turkish police on Tuesday launched raids to detain over 300 people, including military personnel, suspected of ties to a group blamed for a 2016 coup bid, state media reported.

Prosecutors in Turkey's three biggest provinces -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- issued arrest warrants for 324 people as part of different probes into followers of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, the private DHA and the Anadolu state news agency said.

Turkey accuses Gulen of ordering the abortive bid to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, 2016, but he strongly denies the claim.

The Istanbul public prosecutor sought the arrest of 53 active duty soldiers in 15 provinces, including in the metropolis, Anadolu reported.

In the Aegean province of Izmir, the public prosecutor issued 182 arrest warrants with police conducting raids across 42 provinces, including Izmir, DHA reported.

The capital's public prosecutor said it issued 89 arrest warrants in two separate probes including one looking at the gendarmerie, which is in charge of domestic security.

The Ankara prosecutor's office said 30 suspects had already been detained.

The operations against alleged members of Gulen's movement have increased in recent months.&nbsp;

More than 760 people were detained last week in operations across 76 provinces of Turkey's 81 provinces, although 122 suspects were later freed under judicial supervision.

Sixteen other suspects were released, according to the Ankara public prosecutor's office.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested over suspected links to Gulen since 2016.

Meanwhile, more than 100,000 people have been sacked or suspended from the public sector.

Despite criticism from Western allies and human rights defenders over the scale of the crackdown, the police operations and probes continue with rigour.

Turkish officials insist that the raids are necessary to remove the "virus" caused by the Gulen movement's infiltration of Turkish state bodies.

Turkish police on Tuesday launched raids to detain over 300 people, including military personnel, suspected of ties to a group blamed for a 2016 coup bid, state media reported.

Turkish police on Tuesday launched raids to detain over 300 people, including military personnel, suspected of ties to a group blamed for a 2016 coup bid, state media reported. Prosecutors in Turkey's three biggest provinces -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- issued arrest warrants for 324 people as part of different probes into followers of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, the private DHA and the Anadolu state news agency said. Turkey accuses Gulen of ordering the abortive bid to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, 2016, but he strongly denies the claim. The Istanbul public prosecutor sought the arrest of 53 active duty soldiers in 15 provinces, including in the metropolis, Anadolu reported. In the Aegean province of Izmir, the public prosecutor issued 182 arrest warrants with police conducting raids across 42 provinces, including Izmir, DHA reported. The capital's public prosecutor said it issued 89 arrest warrants in two separate probes including one looking at the gendarmerie, which is in charge of domestic security. The Ankara prosecutor's office said 30 suspects had already been detained. The operations against alleged members of Gulen's movement have increased in recent months. More than 760 people were detained last week in operations across 76 provinces of Turkey's 81 provinces, although 122 suspects were later freed under judicial supervision. Sixteen other suspects were released, according to the Ankara public prosecutor's office. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested over suspected links to Gulen since 2016. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 people have been sacked or suspended from the public sector. Despite criticism from Western allies and human rights defenders over the scale of the crackdown, the police operations and probes continue with rigour. Turkish officials insist that the raids are necessary to remove the "virus" caused by the Gulen movement's infiltration of Turkish state bodies.

Turkey seeks to detain over 300 for alleged Gulen ties

Turkey will not turn back from its deal to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Saturday, a day after an informal deadline Washington set for Ankara to respond to a rival offer passed.

NATO member Turkey has repeatedly said it is committed to buying the Russian missile defence system, despite warnings from the US-led alliance that the S-400s cannot be integrated into the NATO air defence system.

US officials had set an informal deadline of February 15 for Ankara to respond to the rival US offer and have said that if Turkey proceeds with the S-400 purchase, Washington will withdraw its offer to sell a $3.5 billion Raytheon Co-Patriot missile package.

They have also said it would jeopardize Turkey's purchase of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in the United States imposing sanctions.

However, speaking to reporters on the flight back from the Russian resort of Sochi, where a three-way summit on Syria between Turkey, Russia and Iran was held, Erdogan said Ankara would press on with the S-400 purchases.

"We made the S-400 deal with Russia, so it out of the question for us to turn back. That's done," Erdogan said, according to broadcaster NTV.

He said Turkey was open to purchasing Patriot systems from the United States as long as the deal served Turkey's interests but added there were issues on delivery and production that were still being discussed with Washington.

"The US administration views the early delivery issue positively, but they won't say anything about joint production or a credit. We continue our work based on the promise of the S-400 deliveries in July."

The formal US offer for Turkey's purchase of Patriot systems expires at the end of March, US officials have told Reuters, after which a new offer would have to be submitted.

The United States asked Turkey to give at least an informal answer on whether it would go ahead with its S-400 purchase by February 15, one US official said.

It was not immediately clear whether Turkey had responded to the US offer.

Turkey will not turn back from its deal to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Saturday, a day after an informal deadline Washington set for Ankara to respond to a rival offer passed.

Turkey will not turn back from its deal to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Saturday, a day after an informal deadline Washington set for Ankara to respond to a rival offer passed. NATO member Turkey has repeatedly said it is committed to buying the Russian missile defence system, despite warnings from the US-led alliance that the S-400s cannot be integrated into the NATO air defence system. US officials had set an informal deadline of February 15 for Ankara to respond to the rival US offer and have said that if Turkey proceeds with the S-400 purchase, Washington will withdraw its offer to sell a $3.5 billion Raytheon Co-Patriot missile package. They have also said it would jeopardize Turkey's purchase of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in the United States imposing sanctions. However, speaking to reporters on the flight back from the Russian resort of Sochi, where a three-way summit on Syria between Turkey, Russia and Iran was held, Erdogan said Ankara would press on with the S-400 purchases. "We made the S-400 deal with Russia, so it out of the question for us to turn back. That's done," Erdogan said, according to broadcaster NTV. He said Turkey was open to purchasing Patriot systems from the United States as long as the deal served Turkey's interests but added there were issues on delivery and production that were still being discussed with Washington. "The US administration views the early delivery issue positively, but they won't say anything about joint production or a credit. We continue our work based on the promise of the S-400 deliveries in July." The formal US offer for Turkey's purchase of Patriot systems expires at the end of March, US officials have told Reuters, after which a new offer would have to be submitted. The United States asked Turkey to give at least an informal answer on whether it would go ahead with its S-400 purchase by February 15, one US official said. It was not immediately clear whether Turkey had responded to the US offer.

Turkey's Erdogan says no going back from S-400 deal with Russia: Source

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