World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (October 30-31, 2010)

The Los Angeles Times published an article entitled 'Ahmadinejad says food, fuel subsidies will be slashed' on Sunday, October, 31. The author informs the public that as security forces swarmed Tehran on Saturday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared his country in a live television interview for deep cuts in subsidies that have kept the price of everything from bread to gasoline artificially low.

The article sites witnesses who reported that the security forces were mostly stopping young men on motorcycles and young couples in high-end automobiles, the same middle-class social strata likely to be hurt by the subsidies removal and inclined to support the opposition.

Meanwhile, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have been criticized for their records on women's rights, are on track to join the board of a new U.N. agency devoted to women. However, the author cites some activists who expressed concern that the two Islamic states could interfere with the work of the agency, U.N. Women.

The same news agency reported earlier that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warns the leaders of the Shiite Muslim clergy if they embrace Western ideals or oppose President Ahmadinejad's hard-line government, the Islamic Republic could collapse. The material is published in an article entitled 'Iran's supreme leader demands support of clerics'.

On the other hand, Iran, for the first time in more than a year, has agreed to talks with world powers over its nuclear program. According to the site, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters in Brussels on Friday that she had received an affirmative response from Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili to a standing invitation to talks and that he was ready to restart negotiations
sometime after Nov. 10.

The LA Times also published a series of articles on tragic events that took place in Istanbul on October, 31. According to the agency, the Taksim Square, attacked by the suicide bomber, is the commercial and cultural heart of Turkey, a vast transportation and commercial hub, and Istanbul's city's busiest node. According to the article, nearly half of those in Istanbul are police officers. The bombings bear hallmarks of an Al Qaeda attack, but officials hint that Kurdish insurgents may be involved.

Meanwhile, Turkey officials said Saturday that they were lifting a ban on YouTube more than two years after it blocked access to the site because of videos deemed insulting to the country's founder. The
agency quotes Turkey's Transport Minister Binali Yildirim, who is in charge of Internet issues, declaring that the government has been in touch with Google, which owns YouTube. There was no longer any reason to ban the video-sharing site, he said, as the offending videos had been removed.

The Washington Post reported on Saturday, that weapons cache containing artillery rockets seized by Nigerian security agents at the West African nation's busiest port originally came from Iran, as
international shipping company said.

On the other hand, the agency quotes the president of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Mohammad Nahavandian, who said that international sanctions imposed on Iran can't halt the importation of goods into Iran but estimates indicate that the cost of imports has increased between 15 to 30 percent. However, Iran's commerce minister on Saturday denied that international sanctions imposed on the country over its disputed nuclear program have damaged Tehran's trade ties and
said the penalties will prove futile.

Meanwhile, Israeli Tourism Minister urged his compatriots to boycott travelling to Turkey, Washington Post reports. According to the LA Times, the action was taken in response to Israeli press reports that
the country has classified Israel as a strategic threat. The minister's comments threatened to worsen the rising antagonism between the formerly close allies.

The Press-TV news agency reports that Ankara has given its support to security measures by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but maintains it does not believe that its neighbors, including Iran, pose a threat. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his accompanying delegation have arrived in Tehran after a tour to four African countries today, on November,1. The same date is marked by another successful turn of events for Iran: The new Ukrainian ambassador to Tehran has met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and presented him the Ukrainian Symbol of Popular President.

The Hurriet news agency quoted Turkish diplomats who claim that progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh talks will have a positive impact on reviving the suspended efforts to reconcile Turkey and Armenia. The same agency published analytical article on the Taksim blast. The author concludes that Turkey should of undertake whatever is required to bring an end to this bloodshed. Seeking dialogue and some other peaceful means, however, does not mean the Turkish state should abandon its fundamental duty of defending the Turkish people or giving in to terrorism and compromising from key national interests because of some lunatic demands of the collaborators of terrorists.

Reuters published information disproving the claims that Iran is to resume nuclear talks. Iran said on Friday it was ready to resume talks which stalled more than a year ago and led to tightened sanctions
against the Islamic Republic which many countries fear is seeking nuclear weapons, something it denies. Both sides have said the talks could happen after November 10, but Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a media adviser to the president, said they would not cover the nuclear issue - the one subject the other countries want to address.