Turkish Hurriyet Daily News published an analytical article headlined ‘Political crisis deepens’. According to its author, Turkish PM Tayyip Erdoğan had raised the bar to limit the maneuvering space of the CHP, by saying that the CHP would “eat their words” if they continue to protest by not taking the parliamentary oath unless eight elected deputies (two of them from the CHP who are under arrest, are not released to take their oath. Well, the expression used by Erdoğan in Turkish sounds much worse than its equivalent in English; a direct
translation would be something like, “Swallowing what you just spat out,” which makes the situation even harder for CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Yet, the CHP is looking for an honourable way out.
Meanwhile, a member of Turkey’s Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK), Zahid Akman, was detained in Ankara on Wednesday as part of aninvestigation into an embezzlement scandal involving the charity organization Lighthouse e.V. Three directors from Turkish broadcaster Kanal 7, known for its conservative line, were also detained. According to the Los Angeles Times, human rights abuses are increasing as Tehran's leaders use public executions to send a message to dissenters. The author notes that Egypt and Tunisia have overthrown repressive regimes. Citizens in Syria, Yemen and other Middle East countries are demanding change. Yet in Iran, where a wave of 2009 demonstrations helped spark the movements we are now witnessing
elsewhere in the Middle East, the populace is strangely silent. The lesson Iran learned from the uprisings of 2009 — and the one it is trying to impart to other leaders in the region — is that the way to quash peaceful dissent is through a public display of brute force, terror, intimidation and humiliation. The proper response to this from the international community must be resolute and firm: Iran's behavior is unacceptable and far outside the boundaries of civilized society. The author concludes that civilized nations, and the businesses based in them, should never be complicit.
Reuters published an article headlined ‘Analysis: Iran's nuclear steps deepen Western suspicions’, according to which Iran's determination to press ahead with its nuclear program suggests that tougher Western
sanctions are failing. Western analysts see fresh signs that Iran may be seeking to develop the means to build nuclear warheads. The decision to boost 20 percent uranium output was announced by Iran's new atomic energy chief, who has been subjected to UN sanctions because of what Western officials said was his involvement in suspected atomic weapons research.
