World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (April 14 – 16, 2012)

The talks between Iran and world's leading powers on Tehran's nuclear program, which took place in Istanbul this Saturday have been in the center of international media for the last few days. It was the first meeting between the six world powers including America and Britain and Iran in over a year. "Iran agrees to concrete proposals for resolving nuclear crisis" is an article published by the Telegraph. According to the newspaper, both parties have recognized the talks as useful and constructive. The article quotes the concluding speech of Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council: "Today, we saw a positive approach and we consider it a step forward. For the Iranian people, the language of pressure doesn't work, but the language of co-operation could be fruitful. Today, we witnessed such an approach." However, as the newspaper notices Tehran has not proposed any specific plans in Istanbul and "the gap between the two parties remains as wide as ever." The sides will meet again in Baghdad on May 23.

The recent talks in Turkey  immediately affected oil prices. "Oil falls toward $102 a barrel in Europe after Iran nuclear talks" is an article published by the Washington Post. The newspaper reported that oil fell to near $102 per barrel after both sides of negotiations recognized the talks as positive.

Egypt on the eve of presidential elections is another popular subject in the media. In an article "Egypt’s top general calls for constitution before shift to civilian rule," the Washington Post reports that Egyptian current military leaders are urging political leaders to finish drafting the new constitution before the elections scheduled for June 30. The composition of a 100-member panel created previously specifically for this purpose was protested by liberals and leftists, due to the majority of Islamists in the group. The document will identify the paradigm of state development for Egypt. As the Washington Post writes, "critics of the military rulers worry that their new urgency is aimed at guaranteeing their continued influence and protecting their vast economic interests when a civilian leader takes over."

In the center of attention of the Turkish newspaper Hurrieyt Daily is the speech of Prime Minister of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan, given at a congress of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Thracian province of Tekirdag. "Turkey is no longer a “country of coups” thanks to the way it has come to deal with military interventions into politics," Erdogan said yesterday. At the meeting Erdogan criticized Turkey’s past military coups as well as the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and defended trials against alleged coup plots.