World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (November 4, 2011)

The Washington Post reported that days of feverish media reports about possible Israeli plans to strike Iran, coupled with a long-range missile test, publicized air force drills abroad and a civil defense exercise Thursday, have heightened speculation here about the likelihood of military action against the Iranian nuclear program. Taken separately, none of the recent military actions is novel or unprecedented. But the combination of events, along with renewed warnings by Israeli leaders this week about the Iranian threat, have intensified the media focus on Israel’s military option, leading some cabinet ministers to complain that sensitive security matters were being compromised.

The Turkish information agency Hurriyet published the article headlined “Iran warns US to stay out of 'collision course'.” It says that Iran warned the United States on Thursday that it should think twice before it enters a "collision course" with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme. "The U.S. has unfortunately lost its wisdom and prudence in dealing with international issues. It only depends on power," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters during a visit to the Libyan city of Benghazi."Of course we are prepared for the worst, but we hope that they think twice before they put themselves on a collision course with Iran," he said.

The same agency reported that Turkish parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek outlined the steps that will be taken to draft a new constitution during a meeting with newspapers and television stations’ editors-in-chief yesterday in Istanbul. Çiçek said the chair of the commission would be the speaker of Parliament (Çiçek) and the commission would meet at least twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The commission will convene with at least one member from three political parties and the commission will make decisions with the consensus (unanimity) of all political parties making up the commission, Çiçek said, adding that topics where no decision is reached will be re-evaluated at a time the commission deems appropriate.

“Iran pursues efforts over Sadr's fate” is an article published by the Iranian information agency Press TV. It says that the Iranian ambassador to Beirut pursues the latest measures taken to clarify the fate of Imam Moussa al-Sadr, Lebanon's senior Shia cleric of Iranian descent, who has been missing since 1978. The envoy, Ghazanfar Rokn-Abadi, talked with Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on the matter in the Lebanese capital on Thursday, IRNA reported. The two officials stressed the need for negotiations and consultations towards determination of Sadr's whereabouts.