The world press on anti-Russian and anti-Iranian sanctions, Ankara policy, Ali Khamenei statements

By Vestnik Kavkaza

The Associated Press released an article “France: Europe Hurting From Russia Sanctions, Needs to Act” France's economy minister Emmanuel Macron told Associated Press that Europe has a "collective responsibility" to maintain pressure on Russia over its involvement in tensions in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. He said the European Union sanctions can't be eased or lifted "without a change on the Russian side." But he also expressed "concern" about the "economic side effects" of the sanctions on European businesses, such as oil companies and food producers that do business with Russia. Despite those concerns, some EU members are strongly opposed to easing sanctions and no changes are expected soon. 

“Gas producers in Ukraine warn policy changes to hurt” runs an article in Daily Mail. Two British energy companies with operations in Ukraine said their sales and investments in the country would be hurt by the beleaguered nation's policies to address its energy shortfall. JKX Oil & Gas Plc said it would suspend investments in Ukraine and that its sales would fall further, due to restrictions on selling gas to industrial clients and the continuation of high taxes on production. Regal Petroleum Plc, which gets all its revenue from Ukraine, also blamed these regulation changes for its decision to review investments in the country. Shares in JKX, which gets most of its gas from Ukraine, fell as much as 21 percent on Wednesday on the London Stock Exchange. 

Russia's Gazprom OAO cut gas deliveries to Ukraine for six months last year before agreeing last month to resume supplies until the end of the first quarter. Separatist fighting in eastern Ukraine has crippled the coal supply, exacerbating its energy supply worries.

In mid-2014, the country imposed rules mandating gas output be supplied to the population rather than to industries and almost doubled its tax on gas production to 55 percent. The higher rate stays in effect this year as well. "The situation cannot exist over a long time, because otherwise Ukraine will find itself completely at the mercy of the Russian gas suppliers, and all Russia needs to do is turn the tap off to reduce Ukraine to a complete shivering wreck", a JKX spokesman said. 

The Guardian published an article running “Pro-Russian group claims cyber-attack on German government websites.” German government websites, including Angela Merkel’s page, have been hacked in a cyber-attack claimed by a group demanding that Berlin sever official ties with the Ukrainian government. In a statement on its website, a group calling itself CyberBerkut took responsibility. Berkut is a reference to the riot squads used by the government of Ukraine’s former pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted during violent protests last February. “CyberBerkut has blocked German Chancellor and the Bundestag’s websites,” it said on www.cyber-berkut.org. The claim could not be independently verified. “We appeal [to] all people and [the] government of Germany to stop financial and political support of criminal regime in Kiev, which unleashed a bloody civil war,” it said.

The Washington Post today touches the topic of suicide bombing in Turkey in its article “Female suicide bomber strikes in Istanbul, killing policeman”. A female suicide bomber blew herself up at a police station in Istanbul on Tuesday, killing one policeman and wounding another, according to Turkish authorities. Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said the woman entered the police station and reported a missing wallet before detonating a bomb. The attack occurred in the Sultan Ahmet district, a popular tourist destination. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters the bomber was carrying two other bombs, which were safely defused. It was the second attack on police in a week in Istanbul. On Thursday, police subdued a man after he threw grenades and fired a weapon at officers near the prime minister’s offices.

Suicide attacks have been rare in Turkey since the government opened peace talks in 2012 with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, to end a 30-year insurgency. The DHKP-C has carried out sporadic attacks, including a suicide bombing on the U.S. embassy in 2013 that killed a security guard. The group was more active in the 1970s. 

Another article is called “Leftist group says it carried out Istanbul suicide bombing”. A Turkish leftist group has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at an Istanbul police station on Tuesday that killed an officer and wounded another. The group said the attack Tuesday was in retribution for the death of a 15-year-old boy who was hit in the head by a police tear-gas canister in protests in 2013. “Our sacrifice fighter was martyred, a policeman who is the guardian of the thieving, murdering fascist state was punished by death,” the statement said. 

The New York Times published an article called “Germany Extending Air-Defense Mission in Turkey for 1 Year”. The German government says it plans to extend for another year its troops' participation in a NATO air-defense mission in Turkey operating Patriot missile batteries near the Syrian border. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet on Wednesday approved plans to extend Germany's participation in the so-called "Active Fence" mission to January 31, 2016, with a maximum of 400 soldiers. Some 240 German soldiers are currently deployed. The decision must be approved by parliament. Germany, the Netherlands and the U.S. each committed two Patriot batteries to help guard the Turkish border in January 2013. Since then other NATO nations have contributed personnel as well. 

The article running “Turkey detains second Dutch journalist in as many days” appears in Daily Mail. Turkish authorities on Wednesday briefly detained a second Dutch journalist in as many days amid growing concern that media freedom in the country is under threat. He was released after questioning, but ordered to attend court on January 21. His detention follows that of Frederike Geerdink, a freelance reporter specialising in Kurdish issues, who was questioned and later released on Tuesday.

The detentions coincided with a visit to Turkey by Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders, who said he was shocked by the first incident. "Intimidation of journalists is unacceptable," he said. 

The detentions come at a time of political tension between Turkey and the Netherlands, home to one of the world's largest Turkish diaspora communities.

In article called “Youth killed in clashes in Turkey's Kurdish southeast” it is said that A 14-year-old boy was shot dead during clashes between police and Kurdish protesters in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday evening, and another man was wounded. It was the latest in a series of deaths highlighting the fragility of a two-year-old peace process between the government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a militant group that has waged a three-decade insurgency in pursuit of greater autonomy for Turkey's Kurds. The protests took place in Cizre, a mainly Kurdish town near Turkey's borders with Iraq and Syria. The violence has complicated efforts to end the PKK's 30-year-old insurgency, in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and European Union.

“Iran Leader: US 'Cannot Be Trusted' in Nuclear Talks” says the article in The New York Times. Iran's supreme leader said Wednesday the United States cannot be trusted to lift sanctions in a future nuclear deal and that Tehran should instead develop an "economy of resistance." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who makes the final decisions on all matters of national security, including the nuclear program, said the U.S. will only make more demands if Iran agrees to curb its uranium enrichment. "The Americans are impudently saying that even if Iran backs down on the nuclear issue, all the sanctions will not be lifted at once. They are saying that clearly. It shows that this enemy cannot be trusted," Khamenei told visitors at his Tehran residence, in remarks carried by state TV. His comments came ahead of a new round of talks between Iran and world powers scheduled to begin later this month in Geneva. Tehran and the six-nation group -- the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- hope to agree on a framework by March and a final agreement by June 30.