World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (March 2, 2011)

In an article headlined «IRAN: Tear gas, clashes and arrests at anti-government protest in Tehran» the LA Times reported that clashes have erupted betwen security forces and opposition supporters in Tehran on Tuesday. The rally was calling for the release of Iranian opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The LA Times quoted anonymous witnesses, who report that demonstrators were being chased by security forces in the streets and that dozens of people were detained by security forces and hauled into vans in an area north of Tehran's Enghelab Square and that dozens of protesters were seen chanting anti-government slogans, comparing some Iranian authority figures with the deposed Tunisian president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The clashes came a day after opposition websites claimed that the two men and their wives had been moved from house arrest and put in a Tehran prison, reports which Iranian authorities deny.   

Reuters report that Iran has not yet removed fuel from its Bushehr nuclear power plant, its foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, signaling a further possible delay to the Russian-built plant's operation date.

An article headlined “Gap between rich and poor widens in Turkey” published on March 2 in Hürriyet Daily News provides an analysis of the distribution of wealth in Turkey. The article deals with a recent study conducted by TurkStat, which has alarmed experts, who say the current trend could lead to more conflict and crime. Hurriyet reports that the people in Turkey’s highest income group are 8.5 times richer than those in the poorest, up from 8.1 times in the previous survey and the  poverty rate in the country increased from 16.7 percent in 2008 to 17.1 percent in 2009, the report said. This means a total of 12.97 million people living in poverty, up from 11.58 million a year earlier. According to TurkStat’s figures, the richest 20 percent of people in Turkey earned 47.6 percent of the country’s total income in 2009, while the poorest 20 percent had a share of only 5.6 percent.

 In an article headlined: ‘Russia: Sanctions on Iran may be eased’, Iranian state-run broadcasting company Press TV reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged major world powers to take a step-by-step approach towards Iran. He has also added that Iran must also respond positively to UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. "In response to its real positive steps we will need to take measures to encourage them, including weakening of the sanctions regime as Iran responds," Reuters quoted Lavrov.