World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (March 26-28, 2011)

On Saturday the New York Times published an article headlined “Every Revolution Is Revolutionary in Its Own Way.” The author considers reasons for social revolutions in general and in the Arab world. He concludes that no single American doctrine can or should fit this newly kaleidoscopic, multifaceted universe that is the Middle East from Iran to Morocco. We must realize this will be a long game, the grand tournament of the 21st century, should protect innocent lives when we can — with limited airpower, not boots on the ground, must analyze which countries matter to West strategically.

On Sunday the New York Times reported that on April 2, the curtain rises on the 30th annual Istanbul Film Festival, offering two weeks of nearly nonstop screenings of Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar winners and international box office hits at seven theaters around town. But for visitors, the festival is also a rare chance to see Turkish films with English subtitles. This year, to celebrate the milestone, the festival is looking back over three decades of classic films, while also casting an eye forward toward who might be the cinematic forces of tomorrow, including, its sponsors hope, some from Turkey.

“Iranian artists inspired by adversity” is an article published by the Los Angeles Times. It tells about Khosrow Hassanzadeh. His pieces have been displayed at the British Museum in London and the World Bank headquarters in Washington, been fawned over at exhibits in Venice, Amsterdam and New York, and fetched tens of thousands of dollars in auctions held by Sotheby's and Christie's. He is among the most successful of a new crop of artists in Iran who seamlessly meld East and West, even as they breezily blend Iran's traditions. Critics have placed him among a group of Middle Eastern artists who've made it abroad by deconstructing the dichotomies between the East and West.

Reuters reported on Saturday that Turkey's first-ever nuclear power plant is about to be built in the Southeastern town of Akkuyu, more than three decades after the government first licensed the site. But in the wake of the Japan crisis, opponents of the reactor are once again cautioning the government to drop the project. The reactor, to be majority-owned by Russia's Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, would lie 16 miles from the Ecemis fault line where the Eurasian and African tectonic plates meet. When the license was issued in 1976, the fault was believed to be inactive. But studies published in science journals in the decades since have shown it to be active.

The information agency Hurriyet published an article “Turkey, its neighbors and Europe.” This is an analysis of British view on Turkey and its neighbors. The author states that Turkey could share invaluable advice and form practical partnerships with its Arab neighbors to modernize and reform political systems. Turkey can also play a useful role in fostering dialogue and encouraging stability in the Caucasus, with its close relationships with Azerbaijan and Georgia. Britain’s commercial interest in Turkey’s energy sector is strong. Turkey’s accession will also be a turning point in the history of the EU. A confident, democratic and stable Turkey is good for Europe and the region in the 21st century.

The Iranian information agency Press TV reported on Sunday that Iran's Foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi has stressed the need to further boost the already flourishing ties with Turkmenistan and Armenia. In the meeting with the Turkmen foreign minister, Meredov and Salehi expressed readiness to work towards closer Tehran-Ashgabat cooperation on all political, economic and cultural fronts. In his meeting with Nalbandian, Salehi underscored the need to further enhance bilateral ties in all areas. The two foreign ministers called for joint investment ventures between Tehran and Yerevan and the promotion of energy cooperation.