TÜRKIYE CALLS ON INT’L COMMUNITY TO PREVENT ACTS OF QUR’ĀN BURNING
Following a surge in incidents of burning of Islam’s holy book, the Qur’ān, Türkiye on July 11 called on international authorities to take necessary measures and prevent the recurrence of such attacks. Addressing an urgent session on Acts of Religious Hatred at the UN Human Rights Council via a video message, Yasin Ekrem Serim, Türkiye’s deputy foreign minister, said: “We deeply condemned recent public burnings of the Holy Qur’ān, which are clear manifestations of growing religious hatred.” He emphasised that any form of disrespect toward any holy book contradicts the principles of tolerance, social peace and respect for human dignity. “Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of society, but it cannot be misused to spread hatred. It is unacceptable to allow these acts on the grounds of freedom of expression. We call on all authorities to take necessary action against perpetrators of these acts and to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” he said. Serim added: “Türkiye, with vast majority of Muslim population and as a member and partner of all Western organisations like Council of Europe, NATO and also an EU candidate, will continue to support initiatives against anti-Islam sentiments.”
TALIBAN HALT SWEDEN ACTIVITIES IN AFGHANISTAN AFTER QUR’ĀN BURNING
The Taliban administration on July 11 halted all activities by Sweden in Afghanistan in response to the burning of a copy of the Qur’ān in Stockholm last month, and a major Swedish aid group said it was seeking clarification about the impact on its programmes. “After the insulting of the holy Qur’ān and granting of permission for insulting of Muslim beliefs …The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ordering the stopping of all activities of Sweden in Afghanistan,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban administration. However, the Taliban administration did not provide details on which organisations would be affected by its ban. An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned a copy of the Qur’ān outside a Stockholm mosque last month, causing outrage in the Muslim world. Swedish officials have deplored the act but said they could not prevent it because of free speech rules.
TÜRKIYE, QATAR TO LAUNCH JOINT INVESTMENT FOR CHIP PRODUCTION
Türkiye and Qatar will launch a joint investment for semiconductor production, the Turkish Industry and Technology Minister said on July 14. “Qatar decided to move its investment for producing 65-nanometer chips to Türkiye. It is projected to be worth over $60 million,” Mehmet Fatih Kacir said at a news conference in Ankara. He added that Türkiye aims to attract more global investors for largescale investments in the semiconductor industry. Türkiye is working on accelerating investments in new generation, hybrid and electric vehicles, to boost its export capacity and meet domestic demand, Kacir said. He said that 1 million units of Türkiye’s first indigenous electric car brand, Togg, will be produced by 2032. Togg began selling its first model, the T10X, in the domestic market and plans to deliver 20,000 units of electric cars within this year.
EGYPT’S INFLATION HITS RECORD HIGH OF 36.8%
Official data shows that Egypt’s annual inflation rate hit a record high in June at 36.8 per cent, up from 33.7 per cent in May, as the country continues to face an economic crisis. Egyptians have been grappling with price rises for months and many citizens are struggling to buy basic food products like fruit and meat, and other essential items like medicine. In March, Carnegie reported that food prices had jumped by 14.4 per cent month on month and 61.8 per cent annually. Around a third of Egyptians already live below the poverty line and the increase in food prices will place further stress on these households. The country has been rocked by political unrest for years, including the military coup in 2013, after which thousands of Egyptians were arrested.