World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (March 27, 2012)

The Guardian published an article entitled 'Arab spring leads to wave of Middle East state executions.' "Middle Eastern countries have stepped up their use of capital punishment, executing hundreds of people as rulers across the region seek to deter the wave of uprisings sweeping the Arab countries," the article reads, continuing "Despite a significant reduction in the number of countries that used the death penalty worldwide last year, there was a sharp rise in executions in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen, according to Amnesty International's annual capital punishment survey, released on Tuesday". Iran, Saudi Arabia and China are among the countries where capital punishment is used especially often.

The Washington Post published an article by Richard Cohen headlined 'The US can make all the difference in Syria.' The author believes that the US can easily change the situation in Syria and bring the Assad regime to a collapse. Moreover, he thinks the United States should do it immediately to stop the bloodshed. Such a campaign will not only save thousands of Syrian lives, but also improve the US and Israel's national security, as the Assad regime, being an Iranian puppet, is supporting Hezbollah and Hamas.

Hurriyet published an article by Mehmet Ali Birand devoted to the controversial reform of the Turkish education system. The article is headlined '3x4 is not the end of the secular republic' (the law is often called '4+4+4'). The author expresses scepticism about the opposition's fear that the law would threaten the secular character of Turkish society. "I doubt whether the AK Party is, in fact, pursuing an ultra-pious generation, beyond a religious one, by means of this law," the author writes. He also underlines that the current education system is no longer adequate.

Another article published by Hurriyet was written by Barcin Yinanc and devoted to Turkey's role in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. According to the author, Turkey should stay in Afghanistan. "There are several reasons why Turkish military and civilian personnel should remain in Afghanistan," Yinanc says, meaning that Turkey contributes much to the development of Afghan society and securing peace in the region. She also underlines that Turkey plays a major role in promoting women's right in the country. "As a woman I am biased, and have mentioned just a few of the projects that target Afghan women, but the list is much longer, including projects that do not target only women," Yinanc explains.