World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (November 1, 2010)

On November 1st 2010 the Washington Post published an article entitled "Iran's Ahmadinejad slammed over subsidy plan". The article touches upon the problems of the economic situation in Iran, Governmental economic policy and opposition. The author quotes the opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has said the country's president would be unable to successfully implement a plan to slash energy and food subsidies, cutbacks that experts have argued will only compound Iran's economic troubles. "Generally speaking, no one is against the subsidy cut plan, but our view is that there is no (competent) figure to manage this plan. Most prominent and competent experts have been sidelined," said Mousavi. Mousavi also criticized the government for stationing police and security forces around the Iranian capital before the implementation of the subsidy cuts. He said the heavy security presence was intended to intimidate Iranians.

The same day another article dealing with Iran was published by the Washington Post with the title "Iran postpones start of trial for 3 Americans". The author reports that the start of the trial of three
Americans charged with spying on Iran has been postponed, because one of them has not been summoned to return to the country to appear in court, Iran's judicial spokesman said Monday. These three American citizens were reportedly hiking in July 2009 in northern Iraq near the Iranian border, when Iranian forces took them into custody and accused them of intentionally crossing over.

"Kurdish rebels deny any role in attack", says the Washington Post in the article of the same name. Kurdish rebels on Monday denied any involvement in the suicide bombing in a crowded Istanbul square that wounded 32 people - half of them police - and announced the extension of a unilateral cease fire in hope of opening talks with Turkish leaders. Kurdish rebels, Islamic militants and leftist extremists have all carried out attacks in Turkey. But Sunday's bombing coincided with the end of the rebels' previous ceasefire, leading to suspicions that the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers Party, known by its Kurdish acronym PKK, may have been behind the attack.

An article headlined "TURKEY: Ankara adds Israel to list of strategic security threats" was published by the Los Angeles Times. The author reports that Turkey has added Israel to its so-called "Red Book," the top-secret security document that lists the country's threats and enemies. Israeli tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov struck back on Sunday by calling on Israelis to boycott Turkey as a tourist destination for "national honour." According to Turkish media, the Red Book, which is amended every five years, now identifies Israel as a "strategic threat" to Turkey. The document, which is drawn up by
Turkey's National Security Council, accuses Israel of being a destabilizing force and says Israeli actions could provoke a regional arms race.

An article entitled "Turkey: Separatist Group Denies Link to Bombing Causing Panic in Istanbul" was published on November 1 by the New York Times. "The separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK, denied Monday that it had any connection to Sunday's bombing in central Istanbul that wounded 32 people and caused widespread panic," says the author. The bombing coincided with the end of a two-month ceasefire that the group had declared, in order to clear the way for political talks, in an effort to end its conflict with the Turkish government.

"Tehran calls on more countries to take part in nuclear talks", is the hedline of an article published by Hurriyet. The author quotes Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, who says Tehran believes that if other countries join Iran's nuclear talks, together with the six powers, the negotiations will be more fruitful. "We think if more countries join the talks, better results will be achieved, because international issues which concern different countries will be discussed during the talks," Mehmanparast told the Mehr News Agency as he visited the Tehran International Press Festival on Sunday.