World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (April 22, 2011)

The Washington Post reports that Greenpeace activists climbed aboard an oil rig off Istanbul on Friday, in a bid to prevent it from leaving for Greenland to begin deep-water drilling in the Arctic. The huge platform, bound for Greenland’s Baffin Bay, did not stop and was continuing on its course, heading toward the Dardanelles straits with the activists on board, Deniz Sozudogru, a Greenpeace spokeswoman for the Mediterranean region, told Associated Press. There were no Turkish coast guard boats trailing the oil rig, she said. The Dardanelles connect the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea.

The Guardian reports that four Iranians, including a 17-year-old boy, are on hunger strike and have sewn their lips together with fishing wire in protest at plans by the British government to send them back to Tehran. The men, who are among six protesters to have not eaten for 16 days, say they were beaten, tortured and in one case raped after taking part in anti-regime protests that swept Iran in 2009. They claim that, although their lives would be in danger in Iran, they have been "ignored and dismissed" by UK authorities since they sought refuge in the country last year.

The Turkish information agency Hurriyet published an article headlined “Turkey encouraging US officials to act 'fairly' ahead of April 24.” It says that Turkey expects the U.S. administration to act in a fair and impartial manner in the run-up to April 24, the day on which Armenians around the world commemorate the “Armenian genocide.” U.S. President Barack Obama, who as a candidate vowed to use the term genocide to describe the Ottoman mass slaughter of Armenians nearly a century ago, declined to do so in 2010 as he marked the anniversary of the start of the killings. Meanwhile, the ministry contacted Switzerland following the Alpine country’s decision to erect an “Armenian genocide monument” in Geneva’s city center, Ünal said. Ankara launched a similar diplomatic initiative, following an “Armenian genocide” movie in Iran.

“Russia warns against Libya ground operation” is an article published by Press TV. It reports that Russia's foreign minister says a ground operation in Libya is 'extremely risky' and could have unpredictable consequences. France, one of the main Western countries conducting airstrikes on Libya, has decided to send up to 10 military advisers to the North African country, reports say.  France has also promised to intensify NATO-led airstrikes to weaken Gaddafi's offensive. Britain has also said it will send military officers to advise Libyan revolutionary forces. In the meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday that “President Barak Obama has approved the use of armed predator drones in Libya” to target Muammar Gaddafi's forces.