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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that U.S. President Joe Biden is undergoing "a test of sincerity" in his handling of the Gaza war.

In an interview with reporters on his way back from the G7 Summit in Italy, Erdogan said Biden is expected to demonstrate that the Gaza ceasefire plan is not a calculated electoral tactic but a sincere effort to end the war.

He also said that Germany has softened its stance on sales of Eurofighter jets to Turkey. In November, Turkey said the country was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoons, though Germany objected the idea.

"Eurofighters are important to us," he added.

Erdogan also said that inflation will be put on a more favourable position in the final quarter with the steps to be taken on interest rates.

"Policies aimed at rebalancing the economy are bearing fruit," Erdogan said.

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Erdogan says Biden faces a test of sincerity in handling of the Gaza war By Reuters - Investing.com

In India, a powerful leader wins another term but sees his partys majority vanish. In South Africa, the governing party is humbled by voters for the first time since the end of apartheid. In Britain, a populist insurgent barges into an election that is shaping up to be a crushing defeat for the long-ruling Conservatives.

If there is a common thread halfway through this global year of elections, it is a desire by voters to send a strong signal to the powers that be if not quite a wholesale housecleaning, then a defiant shake-up of the status quo.

Even in Mexico, where Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and the handpicked successor of the president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, was elected in a landslide last Sunday, voters were rewarding the forces that had uprooted the countrys entrenched establishment only six years earlier.

With a billion-plus people going to the polls in more than 60 countries, some analysts had feared that 2024 would pose a fateful test for democracy one that it might fail. For years, populist and strongmen leaders have chipped away at democratic institutions, sowing doubts about the legitimacy of elections, while social media has swamped voters with disinformation and conspiracy theories.

In some of the biggest, most fragile democracies, leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had been regarded as close to invincible, using appeals to nationalism or sectarianism to mobilize supporters and bending institutions to suit their purposes.

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In Global Elections, Strongmen Are Taken Down a Notch - The New York Times

On Monday, the Interior Ministry suspended Mehmet Sddk Ak, co-mayor of Hakkari (Colemrg), from the Kurdish nationalist Peoples Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party, formerly HDP), and appointed Hakkari Governor Ali elik as a trustee. Ak, against whom there is no final court decision, was detained on charges of membership of a terrorist organization (i.e., the Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK).

After more than 10 years of delay, the case was finalised only two days after Ak was arrested and he was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months in prison. The process and timing of the trial is proof that this case is entirely political and directed by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoan. The prosecutor who opened the case is a fugitive on charges of involvement in the 15 July coup attempt, and there are reports that the secret witness who testified against Ak was coerced by the police.

This arrest and the appointment of a trustee to replace an elected mayor is an attack on basic democratic rights. This reactionary practice, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoans government has systematically resorted to after 2015 by dismissing dozens of elected Kurdish mayors, effectively eliminates the right of the Kurdish people in particular to vote and be elected.

In its first statement after the raid in Hakkari, the DEM party said: The government, which has been defeated every time by the will of the people, has once again resorted to the way it knows best: usurpation of the will and coup dtat. ... Ak has been arrested in Van, our municipality has been occupied by the police. ... We call on all those who are in favour of democracy to take an open stance against this coup.

The leader of the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), zgr zel, said in a statement on X: [W]e reject the appointment of a trustee on the basis of a case that started 10 years ago and is still ongoing, adding, What is happening is that the will of the people of Hakkari, which was manifested only 2 months ago, is being ignored. The appointment of a trustee must be withdrawn. We are on the side of democracy and the will of the people and against the trustee approach!

However, this first appointment of trustees after the March 31 local elections, in which Ak took office with 48.92 percent of the vote, is part of the police state repression that escalated after the so-called dtente meeting between Erdoan and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader zgr zel on May 2.

Hundreds of people have been arrested across Turkey following May Day demonstrations. In Istanbul, more than 70 people were arrested and sent to prison for protesting against the closure of Taksim Square. Five were arrested for protesting against the Erdogan governments cooperation with Israel in an earlier demonstration.

This was followed by heavy prison sentences for politicians in the Kobani trial, including former co-chairs of the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirta and Figen Yksekda. Twenty-four defendants were sentenced to a total of 408 years and 3 months imprisonment on various charges.

Following the DEM Partys call to start a vigil2 in front of the municipalities and protest against the decision, an unconstitutional ban on demonstrations and marches was announced in Hakkari, Igdr, Tunceli, Mu, Ar, Batman, Siirt, Mardin, Bitlis and Van. Despite the ban, protests were organised in the Kurdish provinces and across the country. Police attacked demonstrators with tear gas in several places, including Hakkari.

Erdoans Justice and Development Party (AKP) came second to the CHP for the first time in the March 31 local elections, losing millions of votes amid a cost-of-living crisis and growing public discontent over the governments cooperation with Israel over the genocide in Gaza.

In his April statement on the DEM party municipalities, Erdoan signalled that the appointment of trustees would continue: It would not come as a surprise that those who try to touch our unity and integrity with such provocative actions will be dealt with in the same way as they have been dealt with before on the basis of the law. Everyone should be prepared for this.

The latest state crackdown on Kurdish politicians comes as the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria, controlled by the US-backed Kurdish nationalist Peoples Defence Units (YPG), prepares to hold local elections on June 11. Ankara considers the YPG, the PKKs sister organisation in Syria, a terrorist organisation.

Erdoan threatened a military operation against the planned elections, saying, We are closely following the aggressive actions of the terrorist organisation against the territorial integrity of our country and Syria under the pretext of the referendum. We have made our policy on this issue very clear before.

Erdoan added, Turkey will never allow the separatist organisation to establish a Terroristan in northern Syria and Iraq, just beyond its southern borders. Faced with a fait accompli, we did what had to be done before and we will not hesitate to act again if we are faced with the same situation.

After the Kurdish forces became the main US proxy force in Syria, the governmenthorrified by the prospect of a Washington-backed Kurdish state on Turkeys southern border and the possibility of this encouraging similar tendencies within Turkeyended the peace process with the PKK in 2015. Since then, military operations in Syria have been accompanied by a crackdown on Kurdish politicians at home, carried out with the support of other bourgeois parties, including the CHP.

The Erdogan government has ordered the Turkish army (TSK) to invade Syria three times to crush Kurdish nationalist forces, and it still controls the northwest of the country with its Islamist proxies. The first was Operation Euphrates Shield in August 2016, the second was Operation Olive Branch in January 2018, and the third was Operation Peace Spring in October 2019. Before the 2019 operation, the mayors of Diyarbakr, Mardin and Van were dismissed and replaced by trustees.

According to a report released by the DEM Party last December, at least 22,818 party members have been detained since 2015. Over 4,300 have been arrested, including co-chairs, deputies, provincial and district co-chairs, party officials, and members.

The report stated that 93 co-mayors elected on March 30, 2014, were arrested and trustees were appointed in 95 municipalities; 43 co-mayors elected on March 31, 2019, were arrested and trustees were appointed in 48 municipalities. Currently, 17 co-mayors, seven deputies and 14 members of the party leadership are in jail.

The mounting attacks on democratic rights and political opposition go hand in hand with the policies of war, genocide and attacks on the working class by the ruling classes around the world. While NATO-backed Israel is intensifying the genocide in Gaza, a Middle East-wide war is being provoked against Iran. At the same time, NATO forces are escalating their war against Russia in Ukraine, threatening a nuclear conflict.

The war orientation of the ruling class and its attacks on democratic rights stem from the global crisis of capitalism. The struggle against this cannot be fought by appealing to the government or other factions of the ruling class. The way forward is to mobilize the working class on the basis of an international socialist programme, as the only social force that can secure the release of all political prisoners, consistently defend democratic rights and stop genocide and war.

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Turkey: Erdogan government sacks Hakkari mayor amid growing state repression - WSWS

Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 6 arrived on an official visit to Turkey and quickly joined Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in expressing an ambitious goalthe two countries will focus on ramping up their bilateral trade volume to $5bn from the $3bn recorded in 2023.

bne IntelliNews recently described how Turkey and Uzbekistan, the two largest countries in the Turkic world, have fostereda closer relationship, with the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) emerging as a new regional alliance bringing together shared strategic, economic and security interests. Turkey and Uzbekistan, with populations of 85mn and 35mn, respectively, constitute the majority of the 165mn people in Turkic-majority states.Mirziyoyevs predecessor Islam Karimov became wary of perceived difficulties in finding common paths with Turkey and put a brake on deepening relations, but the coming to office of reformist Mirziyoyev in late 2016 heralded a new era in the Turkey-Uzbekistan relationship, economic and otherwise.

Turkish companies in Uzbekistan are engaged in more than 100 projects, with recent investment amounting to towards $10bn.

In trade with Uzbekistan, Turkey does not come close to matching ChinaUzbek-Chinese trade last year stood at around $13.7bnor RussiaUzbek-Russian trade in 2023 amounted to approximately $9.8bnbut both Uzbek and Turkish officials are bullish on prospects.

The highlight of Mirziyoyevs appearance in Ankara was the convening of the third meeting of the high-level bilateral strategic cooperation council.

Discussions centred on bolstering the two nations comprehensive strategic partnership across domains including the political, trade-economic, investment, transport-communication, education and cultural-humanitarian.

Mirziyoyev toured aerospace and defence company Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara. The company, established in 1973, has emerged as a leading Turkish technology hub for aerospace systems.

At the first meeting of the Uzbekistan-Turkey Business Council, both parties agreed to establish an Uzbekistan-Turkey industrial cluster.

Mirziyoyev emphasised the importance of developing public-private partnerships (PPPs), with plans for joint projects worth $3bn based on this approach.

Additionally, the leaders deliberated on regional issues of significance, including the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

In a closing gesture, Mirziyoyev extended an invitation to Erdogan to visit Uzbekistan for the next meeting of the council.

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Mirziyoyev and Erdogan declare $5bn trade goal as Uzbek leader visits Turkey - bne IntelliNews

Levent Kenez/Stockholm

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has assumed the authority to declare a mobilization and a state of war. The authority to declare a mobilization previously belonged to the Cabinet, while the decision to declare war was made by the parliament.

Turkey introduced an executive presidential system in 2018giving Erdogan sweeping powers and preventing parliament from conducting its oversight of the executive branch.

According to the new regulation published in the Official Gazetteunder President Erdogans signature, the Mobilization and State of War Regulation has replaced the former Mobilization and State of War Decree, effectively ending the practicesin placesince 1990. With the new regulation in effect, several older regulations havebeen annulled, including the 1980 Turkish Armed Forces logistical mobilization preparedness regulation, the 1991 Turkish Armed Forces personnel mobilization regulation and the 2010 Reserve Personnel deferment regulation. References to the repealed decree in existing legislation will now point to the new regulation.

The 52-page document defines the regulations purpose as enabling the swift and effective transition of all state power and resources from a state of peace to a state of mobilization or war.

Mobilization isdefined as the preparation, assembly, arrangement and utilization of all state power and resources, especially military power, to meet wartime needs. This process allows for the partial or complete restriction of citizens rights and freedoms by law. The Ministry of Defense describes mobilization as the state during which the country and the nation prepare for war.

Partial mobilization pertains to one or more regions of the country, requiring only a portion of the states power and resources. The new regulation underscores the presidents pivotal role in these preparations and activities during mobilization.

Some legal expertsnote that this change is a routine adjustment necessitated by Turkeys transition to a presidential system of governance following a 2017 referendum, which transferred powers previously held by the Cabinetto the president.

Former Turkish Navy commander Mehmet Dagc voiced his criticism of the recent change during an interview on X, where he emphasized that the shift of authority to declare a mobilization from the Cabinetto the presidency is concerning as it centralizes power in a single individual. Dac expressed his apprehensions, suggesting that the underlying motive behind the regulation appears to be safeguarding the regime against internal unrest and potentialuprisingsrather than primarily addressing external threats.

Meanwhile, legal expert Hatice Yldz expressed concerns that the new regulation could restrict certain fundamental rights and freedoms, noting the ambiguous language used. According to the regulation, even our private cars could be confiscated under the pretext of mobilizationwithin six hours, she said.

Yldz also highlighted another critical aspect of the regulation, that mobilization can now be declared not only against external enemies but alsoin response to internal uprisings or insurrections. Its not just about a state of war with an external enemy; it also includes the potential for internal uprisings or insurrections, she said. For instance, if this authority had existed during the Gezi Park protests in 2013, a mobilization decision could have been ordered. The president could claim, I see an uprising in the country, and I am making this decision. So who decides what constitutes an uprising or insurrection? It will be Erdogan himself.

Text of the new Mobilization and State of War Regulation:

The most striking provision in the new regulation is that individuals dismissed from state institutions through emergency decrees canbe called up as reserve personnel during periods of mobilization. Notably, following a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016, tens of thousands of people, primarily from the military and other state institutions, were expelled without court rulings on charges of membership in a terrorist organization. Ironically, these individuals may now be assigned duties during critical periods when reliable and trustworthy personnel are needed most.

Ruling party spokesperson mer elik said at a press conference on Wednesday, In light of changing war conditions and developments, it is necessary to update old decrees. elik explained that the former regulation, whichwas first draftedin the 1990s, has undergone six or seven changes. Since 2011, input has been gathered from all institutions. It was supposed tobe reviewed earlier, but the earthquake agenda took precedence. We decided what coordination for national security entails, and the regulation was published, he said.

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Erdogan grants himself the authority to declare war - Nordic Research and Monitoring Network