The Washington Post reported that Iran won’t stop uranium-enrichment activities that the U.N. has demanded it halt, the country’s nuclear chief said. Iran says it needs stockpiles for a medical research reactor, and that the level of enrichment — up to 20 percent — is far below the more than 90 percent needed to build a nuclear weapon. But U.S. officials have expressed concern that Iran is taking steps toward greater enrichment. The official IRNA news agency quoted nuclear chief Fereidoun Abbasi as saying Iran had asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide documentation of accusations about its nuclear program “so that we can examine them.”
The Turkish information agency Hurriyet published an article headlined “Minority communities ready for civilianization.” It says that Prime Minister Erdoğan’s meeting with Turkey’s minority leaders carries with it demands for a more active role in civil life from Turkey’s minority communities. Lay members of Turkey’s minority groups appear set to increase their participation in their internal affairs, while the communities themselves are looking to contribute more to overall society, according to community leaders attending a landmark iftar on Sunday with the prime minister. In addition to the desire for greater civil participation from minority communities, many in the groups have expressed a desire to have a greater say in the new constitution to be written during the present parliamentary term.
The Iranian information agency Press TV reported that the Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, has lauded the country's recent defense achievements, saying the Islamic Republic unveils “new and important” defense products every year. The increasing development in launching defense products shows that a “flourishing period” has begun in Iran's defense industry, Vahidi told Mehr news agency on Tuesday. The minister expressed hope that Iran's Kavoshgar 5 (Explorer) satellite carrier will be launched in September and stated that the project will play a leading role in creating a defense achievement. Iran is producing other defense products in various fields, Vahidi pointed out.
The same agency published an article subtitled “EU, NATO dismiss Abkhazia elections.” It says that the European Union and NATO have refused to recognize elections in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia, once again declaring support for the Georgia's territorial integrity. According to officials, Friday's presidential polls led to the election of Alexander Ankvab, who has served as prime minister and vice president of Abkhazia over the past five years. The election coincided with the third anniversary of Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as sovereign states following Moscow's five-day war with Tbilisi in 2008.
