World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (February 4-6, 2012)

The Washington Post reported that Iran’s state TV reports that the country’s navy has opened fire on pirates to foil an attack on an Iranian oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden. The late Sunday report says the Iranian navy rushed to the site earlier in the day after it received a distress signal from the tanker, which was under attack from some 35 pirate boats. The report says the pirate boats fled after the Iranian forces opened fire. It did not report any casualties. From time to time, Iran announces the rescue of Iranian and other vessels from pirate attacks. Iranian vessels are part of an international flotilla of warships that patrols the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea, to protect shipping from Somalia-based pirates.

The New York Times published the article headlined “Trading Threats With Iran.” It says that on Friday Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said his country will assist any nation or group that “confronts” Israel, describing it as a “cancer.” He vowed to retaliate - especially against the United States - for tough new oil sanctions and Western military threats. On Thursday, Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, told a security forum that time is running out for halting Iran’s nuclear advance. “Whoever says ‘later’ may find that later is too late,” he said. Moshe Yaalon, a deputy prime minister, warned that Iran was developing a missile with a range of about 6,000 miles that could hit the United States. American officials say they have counseled Israel on the need for patience and warned that a military attack could backfire. They need to keep pressing on both fronts.

The same agency reported that President Obama said Sunday that he did not believe Israel had made a decision on whether to attack Iran to disrupt its nuclear program and that diplomacy remained the “preferred solution” to resolving the standoff over what Western leaders believe is Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Mr. Obama’s remarks appeared to be intended to ratchet down emotions after a series of reports and public statements about possible attacks on Iran or from Iran. Leon E. Panetta, the defense secretary, for instance, did not dispute a report last week by David Ignatius of The Washington Post that Mr. Panetta believed Israel might strike Iran this spring. But on Sunday, Mr. Obama said, “I don’t think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do.”

“Armenian cemetery damaged” is an article published by the Turkish information agency Hurriyet. It says that an under-construction chapel in a historic Armenian cemetery in Malatya that houses the remains of journalist Hrant Dink’s family was demolished Feb. 3 by municipal teams, causing incredulity in the Armenian community. “If this is deemed suitable for us, what can we do? They are knocking down our place of last prayer [the chapel]. This is very unfortunate for Malatya,” Hosrof Köletavitoğlu of the Philanthropist Armenians from Malatya Association (HAYDER) told the Hürriyet Daily News. The demolished chapel was being built through money raised by Armenians who live in Istanbul but are originally from Malatya. Meanwhile, officials from Malatya Municipality told the Daily News that several complaints and reports had been lodged with the municipality and that they had determined that a guard’s cabin was also being built separately to the chapel, leading them to order the demolition of the cabin.

The same agency reported that Turkish President Abdullah Gül expressed his regrets today over Russia and China's veto on a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria. "We are deeply sorry about the voting at the United Nations. Everybody should realize that the Cold War is over. There is no place for governments that violate human rights and use military force against civilians," Gül told reporters in response to a question during a joint press appearance with his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak in Ankara. Gül said casualties continued to rise in Syria over the past couple of weeks and Turkey was very much concerned. "Syria is headed to a point where there is no return. The best thing President [Bashar al] Assad can do for his country and for his people is to quit his policies and accept change."