TURKISH PARLIAMENT RATIFIES BILL TO LIFT MPS’ IMMUNITY
Turkey’s parliament on 20 May approved a bill to lift the immunity of 138 MPs facing criminal charges, which paves the way for judicial proceedings to begin against them. The bill will now be presented to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for final approval before it becomes law.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has 316 seats, and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party, also known as MHP, which has 40 seats, both backed the bill. While the vote was taking place in the parliament, Erdogan said he might pursue a referendum on lifting MPs’ immunity if the total number of lawmakers supporting the bill failed to exceed 367. Out of the 138 lawmakers facing criminal charges, 27 belong to the ruling AKP, 51 from the opposition CHP, 50 from the HDP, nine MHP and an independent deputy from Ankara, Aylin Nazlıaka, a former CHP member.
RUSSIA’S SBERBANK TO INTRODUCE INTEREST-FREE BANKING
Russia’s state-owned Sberbank intends to introduce interest-free banking this autumn in Tatarstan, a region with a significant Muslim population, the bank’s Deputy Chairman Maxim Poletaev said on 20 May. Interest-free banking is a type of banking that is consistent with the principles of Islamic law, which prohibits acceptance of specific interest or fees for loans of money. Poletaev revealed that right now the Central Bank of Russia is discussing changes in legislation that could allow interest-free banking in the country. Although this method of pilot transactions could also be carried out within the framework of existing legislation, he added.
Currently, Russian legislation prohibits some interest-free banking operations. “This is the idea we want to develop very seriously. This is necessary for the country to diversify funding sources,” Poletaev said.
REGIME SIEGE MAKES LIFE MISERABLE IN SYRIA’S HOMS
A crippling siege imposed by regime forces on the northern countryside of Syria’s central Homs province is depriving around 250,000 civilians of vital commodities, a report said on 19 May. According to Syrian activists, regime forces prevent the access of humanitarian aid to Homs’ northern countryside, which deny around 250,000 civilians in opposition-held areas from getting their daily needs. “Most commodities are not available at markets and their prices have skyrocketed,” Ali said, adding that prices of most commodities have gone up by about tenfold.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with disproportionate ferocity.
UN HINTS AT AID AIRDROPS IN SYRIA
The UN’s Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, on 19 May said if the country’s regime continued blocking humanitarian aid to besieged towns, supplies may be delivered by airdrops. After the International Syria Support Group’s Humanitarian Access Task Force meeting in Geneva, de Mistura told reporters: “If there is no substantial progress in humanitarian access to these areas by the first of June, there is an option of airdrops.”
Any lack of improvement in humanitarian access or a cessation of hostilities would mean “the credibility of the next round of talks will be in question, therefore I am not going to give you a date yet,” de Mistura added. According to the UN, 13 out of 18 besieged areas have been reached so far although the regime blocks aid to the remaining locations. The Syrian regime on 12 May refused entry to the town of Daraya, under siege since 2012.
NATO ASSURES TURKEY OF SUPPORT IN ISIL FIGHT
Turkey has been affected by ISIL terrorism the most among NATO allies, the alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on 19 May. Addressing a press conference in Brussels before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on security challenges in Afghanistan, Middle East, North Africa and Russia, Stoltenberg said NATO stands in solidarity with Turkey. We have increased our presence and continue to implement our assurances given to Turkey, he said, referring to the situation in Kilis province, which has been shelled by ISIL.
He said that the alliance’s AWACS surveillance aircraft were flying over Turkey, while the number of port visits, port calls of naval ships from NATO allied countries had increased. “And therefore, everything we can do to support the efforts of the coalition fighting ISIL is important for Turkey,” he added.
US, TURKEY PRESIDENTS DISCUSS SYRIA, ISIL, PKK
President Barack Obama and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed the ongoing crisis in Syria, as well as opportunities for increased bilateral counter-terror cooperation, a report said on 19 May. During a telephone call, they “agreed on the urgency of continued efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL, and to disrupt ISIL’s capacity to conduct terrorist operations in Turkey, Europe, and beyond,” the White House said in a statement.
“The two leaders discussed opportunities for deepened cooperation in the fight against all terrorist groups, including the PKK,” the White House added. “In this context, the president emphasized the U.S. commitment to Turkey’s security as a NATO Ally.” The leaders also discussed the Syrian conflict, with Obama noting the importance of “international cooperation to maintain the Cessation of Hostilities”, and continued progress toward a negotiated political transition.
TUNISIA’S ENNAHDA PARTY STICKS TO POLITICAL PATH
The leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement touted his party differentiating between its political and proselytising aspects as a kind of “maturity” that is in harmony with the constitution. Speaking to Anadolu Agency on 19 May, one day before the start of his party’s 10th conference, party leader Rashid Ghannoushi asserted that Tunisia’s interests come before concerns about being in power.
“If we saw our presence in power will threaten the democratic path, then Tunisia is more precious for us than power,” Ghannoushi said, referring to his party’s move in summer 2013 to cede leadership to a technocratic government. Ghannoushi asserted his support to the current coalition led by the Nidaa Tounes Party, despite the reduction of its lawmakers’ seats from 86 to 59 after a group of Nidaa deputies resigned to form their own party.
TUNISIA’S WAR ON ‘TERROR’ HAS COST $4 BILLION
Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi on 19 May said in Doha that his country’s battle to fight “terrorism” has cost it around $4 billion diverted away from the country’s economy. “The war against terrorism has cost Tunisia a lot, about $4 billion,” Essebsi told reporters in Qatar, at the end of an official three-day visit to the Gulf country. “It could have been invested in economic matters but unfortunately in this situation it was necessary to give a priority to fighting terrorism and achieving security.”
Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, has suffered from a wave of extremist violence since its 2011 uprising which saw longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ousted. Tunisia was hit by a series of deadly ISIL group attacks last year on foreign holidaymakers and security forces that killed dozens and dealt a devastating blow to its lucrative tourism industry.
BELGIUM NOMINATES MARWAN BARGHOUTI FOR NOBEL PRIZE
Hundreds of lawmakers from the country’s political landscape have united in agreement over one common factor: jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Marwan Barghouti is currently serving five life sentences stretching to 40 years in an Israeli prison. He was accused of orchestrating ambushes and suicide attacks during the Second Palestinian Intifada. Activists have been campaigning for his nomination for a Nobel since April.
Palestinians want to see him replacing Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian Authority, Belgian lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives penned a letter urging for his release: “He is an important actor for the future of a region more fragmented than ever,” the letter reads. “Peace requires the freedom of Marwan Barghouti and of the political prisoners, and more generally the freedom of the Palestinian people living for decades under occupation.”