Turkish party leader says his arrest is part of a crackdown on Erdogan’s political opponents
Turkish party leader says his arrest is part of a crackdown on Erdogan’s political opponents/node/2593361/middle-east
Turkish party leader says his arrest is part of a crackdown on Erdogan’s political opponents
The leader of Turkiye’s Victory Party Umit Ozdag says he was arrested and detained on political grounds as part of an opposition crackdown that contradicts the government's purported effort to boost democracy while ending a Kurdish militant insurgency. (AFP/File)
Turkish party leader says his arrest is part of a crackdown on Erdogan’s political opponents
Umit Ozdag, leader of the Victory Party, is currently in jail pending trial on charges of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan and inciting hatred
“Democracy cannot be established with illegal arrests and silencing,” he said
Updated 12 March 2025
Reuters
ISTANBUL: The leader of a Turkish nationalist party has said he was arrested and detained on political grounds as part of an opposition crackdown that contradicts the government’s purported effort to boost democracy while ending a Kurdish militant insurgency.
Umit Ozdag, leader of the Victory Party and known for his fierce opposition to the presence of millions of Syrian migrants in Türkiye, is currently in jail pending trial on charges of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan and inciting hatred.
“Democracy cannot be established with illegal arrests and silencing,” he said in a hand-written statement responding to Reuters’ questions from his cell in Silivri prison in northwest Türkiye.
Erdogan’s office did not immediately respond to Ozdag’s claims about his arrest.
Opposition politicians have faced a series of legal probes, detentions and arrests in what critics say is a government effort to muzzle dissent and hurt their popularity among voters.
Last month Turkish police detained nine district municipal council members from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on terrorism-related charges and several pro-Kurdish DEM party mayors have been removed from their posts over convictions on terrorism-related offenses.
The government has repeatedly stated that the judiciary operates independently in response to criticism that arrests are politically motivated.
Opinion polls suggest Ozdag’s nationalist rhetoric, such as calling for an end to financial support for Syrian migrants and proposing that they be sent home, resonated with some voters. A survey by research firm Konda, carried out after his January arrest, showed support for his party rose to 6 percent in February — its highest ever — up from 4.6 percent in January.
In his first response to media queries since being detained seven weeks ago, Ozdag dismissed Ankara’s current effort to end a 40-year conflict with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, as “too good to be true.”
The PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan brought that goal one step closer last month when he called on the group’s commanders in Iraq to convene, disarm, and disband.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye and its Western allies, responded by agreeing to heed the call.
Ozdag linked his arrest to this ongoing process.
“I was arrested by the political decision of the government because I had studied terrorism issues as an academic for years before politics and was the party leader who best analyzed the politics carried out with the PKK,” he said.
Erdogan’s office did not respond to Ozdag’s claims about the PKK.
Previously, Ozdag has said in a statement on X that his party rejects the current process with the PKK, saying it had the potential to harm Türkiye’s national identity and unity.
Ending the insurgency would be a major achievement for Erdogan after past efforts failed to resolve a conflict in which more than 40,000 people have died since 1984.
Ocalan’s call may also boost Erdogan’s own political prospects. In order to extend his rule beyond 2028, when his last term as president ends, he would need the support of an opposition party, in order to amend the constitution or bring about early elections.
INTIMIDATION
Ozdag was detained in Ankara in January after he was accused of inflaming tensions during anti-refugee riots in Kayseri in the summer of 2022. The riots, which lasted a week, involved widespread vandalism.
Authorities say Ozdag’s statements on social media played a role in inciting the unrest. Ozdag denied this. The Konda Barometer’s February report found that three out of five people believe his detention is illegal.
Ozdag said the ruling alliance was using its engagement with Ocalan to burnish its democratization credentials with voters while continuing to silence political opponents and intimidate independent institutions.
It has not taken the needed steps for a lasting peace, he said.
“It is not clear what changes to the Constitution or laws will be required. Will there be an amnesty for PKK members? How will the YPG be treated?” he said, referring to the Kurdish militia in Syria that Ankara views as an extension of the PKK.
“There are too many dark points in this process,” he added.
Ozdag pointed to the investigation into leaders of TUSIAD, Türkiye’s leading business group, as further evidence of authorities’ disinterest in democratic reforms. “The entire business world has been intimidated through TUSIAD,” he said.
Palestinians might appoint a vice president to serve under the aging Abbas. Here’s why it matters
The expectation is that whoever holds that role would be the front-runner to succeed Abbas — though it’s unclear when or exactly how it would be filled
Updated 13 sec ago
AP
Senior Palestinian officials loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas are meeting to vote on the creation of a vice presidency and could choose a possible successor to the unpopular 89-year-old.
The two-day meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Central Council, beginning Wednesday, comes as Abbas seeks relevance and a role in postwar planning for the Gaza Strip after having been largely sidelined by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In his opening speech, Abbas lashed out at Hamas, calling the militant group “sons of dogs,” using unusually harsh language in an apparent strategy aimed at garnering international support for a future role in Gaza.
The council is expected to vote on creating the role of vice chairman of the PLO Executive Committee, who would also be referred to as the vice president of the State of Palestine — which the Palestinians hope will one day receive full international recognition.
The expectation is that whoever holds that role would be the front-runner to succeed Abbas — though it’s unclear when or exactly how it would be filled.
The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited autonomy in less than half of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Abbas’ Fatah dominates both organizations.
Hamas, which won the last national elections in 2006, is not in the PLO. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas’ forces in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed.
Hamas touched off the war in Gaza when its militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 people hostage. Israel responded with an air and ground campaign that has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. Why does succession matter?
Abbas is still seen internationally as the leader of the Palestinians and a partner in any effort to revive the peace process, which ground to a halt when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office in 2009.
But the chain-smoking political veteran has clung to power since his mandate expired in 2009 and has not named a successor. He has repeatedly postponed elections, citing divisions with Hamas and Israeli restrictions, as polls in recent years have shown plummeting support for him and Fatah.
In his speech opening the PLO meeting, Abbas called on Hamas to release the dozens of hostages it still holds in order to “block Israel’s pretexts” for continuing the war in Gaza. He also called on Hamas to lay down their arms.
Mustapha Barghouti, a veteran Palestinian politician in the West Bank, said Abbas’ harsh words were “inappropriate.”
“This will not create anything except more divisions and more anger within the Palestinian people,” he said.
Abbas, unlike Hamas’ leaders, recognizes Israel and cooperates with it on security matters. He supports a negotiated solution to the conflict that would create a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Western nations have suggested a reformed Palestinian Authority should govern postwar Gaza.
Netanyahu’s government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says Abbas is not truly committed to peace. Netanyahu has also ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and says Israel will maintain security control over the West Bank and Gaza indefinitely. Why create a vice presidency now?
Creating a vice presidency would provide some clarity about the post-Abbas future, though he is set to maintain tight control over the process.
It comes as the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank has made a series of reforms sought by Western and Arab donors, who have demanded changes for the Palestinian Authority to play a role in postwar Gaza. The authority is deeply unpopular and faces long-standing allegations of corruption and poor governance.
Israel has largely dismissed the authority’s latest efforts and has shown no sign of changing its policies, which have the full support of the Trump administration. What is being decided this week?
The PLO’s Central Council, composed of 180 members from inside and outside the territories, is meeting at the presidential headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday and Thursday to amend the organization’s bylaws.
They will vote on creating the new position. The Executive Committee, the PLO’s top decision-making body, would then appoint one of its own 16 members through a process that is still being determined.
The main contender appears to be Hussein Al-Sheikh, a close aide to Abbas who was appointed secretary-general of the PLO in 2022. He served for several years as the authority’s main liaison with Israel, developing close ties with senior Israeli officials.
The only other member of the Executive Committee from Abbas’ Fatah party is Azzam Al-Ahmad, who has led past negotiations with Hamas. The others are lesser-known political independents or members of smaller factions.
It’s possible, however, no one will be appointed just yet, even if the position is created.
A presidential decree last year said that if Abbas is unable to carry out his duties, then Rawhi Fattouh, the speaker of the PLO legislature, would lead the Palestinian Authority in a caretaker capacity until elections are held. Fattouh, who has served as a transitional leader before, has little influence or political support. Who else is a possible successor?
Abbas could potentially open the process to other candidates.
Majed Faraj oversees the Palestinian security and intelligence services. He and Al-Sheikh are widely seen as Abbas’ closest advisers, thought Faraj has adopted a much lower public profile.
Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah leader, has gained some popularity as head of the Palestinian soccer association but has sparked controversy internationally by pushing for sport boycotts of Israel.
Mohammed Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief who was exiled in 2010 after a bitter falling-out with Abbas, has cultivated close ties with the influential United Arab Emirates, where he serves as an adviser to the ruler. Abbas had accused him of corruption, but a recent amnesty could clear the way for him to return to the Palestinian territories.
Polls consistently show that the most popular Palestinian leader by far is Marwan Barghouti. The senior Fatah leader is currently serving multiple life sentences after being convicted of orchestrating deadly attacks against Israelis during the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in the early 2000s. Israel has ruled out his release as part of any Gaza ceasefire deal.
What will happen to the survivors of camp massacres in Sudan’s North Darfur?
Armed groups attacked Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps on April 11, killing at least 100 people in one day
More than 120,000 survivors fled to Tawila, where water, food, and medical supplies are critically scarce
Updated 23 April 2025
ROBERT BOCIAGA
LONDON: Under the searing desert sun, where the wind kicks up sand and the silence is broken by the murmurs of hunger, tens of thousands of people have gathered in makeshift camps with nothing but bundles of belongings, tired donkeys and empty water containers.
These are the lucky ones, the survivors of an assault on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps in Sudan’s North Darfur on April 11 by armed groups reportedly affiliated with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
At least 100 people were reported killed during that single day of violence at the camps and the nearby city of Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Among the dead were at least 20 children and nine humanitarian aid workers.
Thousands more fled, carrying what little they could manage: bundles of clothing, jerry cans, and the names of family members they could not find amid the mayhem.
The RSF said the camps in question were being used as bases by what it called “mercenary factions.” It also denied targeting civilians and accused its rivals of orchestrating a media campaign, using actors and staged scenes within the camp to falsely incriminate it.
This handout image courtesy of Maxar Technologies taken on April 16, 2025 shows weapon-mounted technical vehicles on the eastern border of Zamzam camp near the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher. (Maxar Technologies via AFP)
One of the few doctors still working in Al-Fasher, Dr. Yasser Mohammed, witnessed the horrors from inside.
“The attack began from three directions,” he told Arab News. “The casualties were mostly civilians. I saw children, elders, students of Quranic schools, and even our medical staff shot. The numbers are too many. I can’t count.”
Many of the survivors have gathered in Tawila, a locality 70 kilometers away that was already struggling with limited resources. More than 120,000 people have arrived there in a matter of days. Local leaders say the area is suffering from acute shortages of drinking water and medicine. Several displaced people have died of heatstroke or thirst.
IN NUMBERS
• 13.6 million People forcibly displaced by the Sudan war, which began on April 15, 2023.
• 700,000 Displaced people living in Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps in North Darfur.
A video shared by local humanitarian volunteers showed a woman fainting after going three days without food or water. Many people arrived already malnourished, having lived in famine-like conditions for nearly eight months, with a siege crippling food supplies and basic services.
The crisis is only the latest chapter in a war that has torn Sudan apart since April 2023, when a power struggle between rival military commanders plunged the country into a brutal internal conflict.
Fighting has devastated major cities and destroyed vital infrastructure, displacing more than 13.6 million people — the largest displacement crisis on the planet.
This picture shows the burnt and heavily damaged facilities of the Jaili Oil Refinery, Sudan's largest, north of the capital Khartoum on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
The recent recapture by the Sudanese Armed Forces of the capital, Khartoum, from the RSF has intensified violence in other regions, especially Darfur, where civilians have long been targeted.
Al-Fasher is a city in a state of crisis. “Water is nearly gone. Fuel is nearly gone. And the desert heat is relentless,” Ramadan Djabir Nahar Awadallah, an aid worker based in Dabbah, told Arab News.
“Nearly half a million people are now living in one neighborhood, Hayy Al-Jami’a, near the airport.”
Al-Fasher, like much of North Darfur, has been functionally cut off for months. Aid workers say what little water makes it through on trucks is shared among hundreds of families.
This picture taken on September 1, 2023 shows a view of destruction in a livestock market area in al-Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state. (AFP/File)
“We try to provide water,” said Awadallah. “But it is limited and may run out soon. Al-Fasher has become a city of shadows; people move but they are not really living; they are surviving.”
The burden is visible in photos taken on the ground: families squatting in open fields under the sun; boys herding donkeys between heaps of kindling; girls clutching empty pots. No proper tents, no sanitation, no roads. Just earth, exhaustion and silence.
“This is yet another disaster for families in Sudan who have faced two years of conflict that have caused the world’s largest displacement crisis,” said Francesco Lanino, deputy country director for Save the Children Sudan.
“There is dire need for urgent food distributions, including ready-to-eat meals and nutritional support to curb malnutrition. Provision of shelter and other non-food items is paramount for the new arrivals who are sheltering in schools in open spaces.
“Additionally, there is an urgent need to support or establish mobile health clinics and ensure the availability of essential medicines, first aid supplies, and basic maternal and child health services.
People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control, queue for food rations in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
“With such rapid displacement comes the real risk of waterborne diseases and therefore the need to install additional water sources or rehabilitate existing ones, and construct emergency latrines so as to keep waterborne diseases at bay,” Lanino continued.
“Hygiene kits containing soap, sanitary materials and other essentials are needed to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
“We also need to be able to provide mental health and psychosocial support, particularly for children and caregivers, who have witnessed traumatic events such as killing and maiming of their family members.”
As these events unfolded, global officials gathered in London to discuss the crisis in Sudan. Yet, in the eyes of many Sudanese and humanitarian observers, something was missing.
“There was not a single reference to the camps under siege or the civilians fleeing,” Shayna Lewis, a Sudan specialist with the US-based non-profit organization PAEMA, told Arab News.
Shayna Lewis. (Supplied)
“It is absolutely beyond belief that the conference statement didn’t once mention what’s happening in Darfur right now.”
The omission of civilian protection from the final statement drew widespread concern.
“That silence isn’t just an oversight,” said Lewis. “It’s a devastating betrayal by those who could help but choose not to.”
Avaaz, a global advocacy organization, shared a stark summary: “There is a massive gap between the urgency on the ground and the pace of international action. While statements were read and funding was pledged, people were fleeing on foot, without food, without water, without help.”
Inside the camps, trauma is etched into every face.
“The psychological state of survivors is very bad,” said Dr. Mohammed. “Children and women are living without shelter. Some are still in shock. There are many injuries and we have almost no supplies left to treat them.”
Displaced Sudanese women and children gather at a camp near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 11, 2025, amid the ongoing war between the army and paramilitary forces. (AFP)
Medical needs go unmet, food is scarce and temperatures are rising, with no reprieve in sight.
Relief organizations have warned that North Darfur is already at risk of famine. In a recent update, the UN’s World Food Programme estimated that more than 18 million people across Sudan face acute food insecurity, one of the world’s worst hunger crises.
As the rainy season approaches, access to many of the worst-affected areas might be further limited. Roads will wash away, disease will spread and the people who survived the shelling might face a slower, quieter death, from thirst, hunger or despair.
In the midst of such devastation, voices from Darfur are still calling out, pleading for assistance.
Displaced Sudanese children gather at a camp near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 11, 2025, amid the ongoing war between the army and paramilitary forces. (AFP)
“Help us,” said Dr. Mohammed. “Send water, food, medicine. Listen to us.”
Eva Khair, director of the Sudan Transnational Consortium, echoed the urgency of this plea.
“The message we are hearing from inside Sudan is clear,” she said. “People want to survive. They want dignity. But they cannot do this alone.”
Kate Ferguson, of the organization Protection Approaches, described this moment as one of grave responsibility for the international community.
People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control, rest in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
“The risk now is that this failure becomes precedent, that inaction becomes the norm,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to. There is still time to act. There is still a chance to protect life.”
As night falls over Tawila, the sands grow cool and the stars shine down on families who have not eaten in days. Some of them will sleep. Some will keep walking. Some will stay where they are, hoping for a relief truck, a food parcel, a medic — anything.
They have escaped one form of violence. Now they face another: indifference.
Iran slams ‘hostile’ US sanctions ahead of new talks
Iran said the sanctions are a ‘clear contradiction with the United States’ demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America’s lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard’
Updated 23 April 2025
AFP
TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned new US sanctions targeting its oil network, calling the move a sign of Washington’s “hostile approach” ahead of a third round of nuclear talks.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington’s policy of imposing sanctions on the Iranian people was a “clear contradiction with the United States’ demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America’s lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard.”
On Tuesday, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on an Iranian shipping network and an individual named Asadoollah Emamjomeh, who Washington says is the network’s owner.
It said in a statement the network was “collectively responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to foreign markets.”
The sanctions came after Tehran and Washington held two rounds of indirect nuclear talks on consecutive Saturdays in Muscat and Rome, starting on April 12.
Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has reimposed sweeping sanctions under his policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran.
In March, he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for talks but also warning of possible military action if they failed to produce a deal.
Oman said the third round of talks, set for Saturday, April 26, would again be held in Muscat.
On Tuesday, Iran announced that a technical expert-level nuclear meeting between the two countries will also be held on Saturday.
“The expert and high-level indirect talks in Oman will not be held simultaneously,” state TV reported on Wednesday.
“Iranian and American experts will first hold their indirect talks and convey the results of the talks to the high-level officials, who will then start their discussions,” the report said.
Hamas video shows Israeli hostage marking his birthday
In the nearly three-minute clip, the hostage — who identifies himself as Omri Miran — addresses the camera in Hebrew
Updated 23 April 2025
AFP
GAZA CITY: Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Wednesday showing an Israeli Hungarian hostage walking through a tunnel in Gaza and lighting a candle to mark his birthday.
In the nearly three-minute clip, the hostage — who identifies himself as Omri Miran — addresses the camera in Hebrew.
His family confirmed his identity, while requesting that the media refrain from publishing the footage. Miran said he was marking his 48th birthday, which fell on April 11.
He is initially shown walking through a tunnel, then seated on a mattress in a confined space, acknowledging protesters in Israel who have been demonstrating against the government and demanding the hostages’ release.
He states that hostages are living in constant fear of bombings and urges a deal be reached as soon as possible to secure their release, adding that he missed his wife and daughters.
Emirati FM holds talks with Nepal’s president and prime minister in Kathmandu
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan emphasizes commitment of the UAE to the enhancement of bilateral relations
Areas identified for improved collaborations include the economic, commercial, investment and developmental sectors, as well as trade
Updated 23 April 2025
Arab News
LONDON: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s foreign minister, met the president and prime minister of Nepal in Kathmandu on Wednesday as part of a diplomatic visit to the country.
President Ram Chandra Paudel expressed his country’s desire to strengthen and enhance relations with the UAE, as he and Sheikh Abdullah discussed ways in which collaboration might be improved in several areas, including the economic, commercial, investment and developmental sectors, the Emirates News Agency reported.
In a separate meeting, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli also talked with the foreign minister about how to boost bilateral relations. They focused in particular on enhancement of economic and trade cooperation, and explored sectors that could help support sustainable development in both countries.
Sheikh Abdullah said his country is committed to the strengthening of relations with Nepal and investment in available opportunities, and he praised the ongoing development of cooperation in various sectors.
Other officials present at the meetings included Ahmed bin Ali Al-Sayegh, an Emirati minister of state; Saeed Mubarak Al-Hajeri, assistant minister for economic and trade affairs; Abdulla Balalaa, assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability affairs; and Abdullah Al-Shamsi, the UAE’s ambassador to Nepal.
