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2022 was ‘a defining moment’ for Turkish diplomacy

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Türkiye has been a top mediating force between Ukraine and Russia, while developing different reconciliation paths with countries from Israel to Egypt.

2022 will be remembered as the year when Russia attacked Ukraine, starting a difficult war with no end in sight and escalating tensions between the West and Moscow.  

The year has also seen some crucial peace initiatives emanating from Türkiye, a NATO member, which has a working relationship with Russia on different conflicts like Syria, aiming to find a common ground between Kiev and Moscow. 

Turkish peace efforts were fruitful with some significant results, like the landmark grain deal and exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. Ankara has also launched other crucial peace initiatives normalising its ties with Israel and Egypt, two important Middle Eastern states, with which its relations had deteriorated in the 2010s.

Gregory Simons, an associate professor at the Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University, believes 2022 was “a defining moment” for Türkiye, which “managed to negotiate achievements that no other country can.”

According to Simons, “the example of Ukraine as a geopolitical shatter belt between US and Russia has seen Türkiye take a role as an honest broker in the conflict,” which reaffirmed the country’s wisdom in establishing and developing an independent balancing and mediating role in the current era of risk and uncertainty.

Unlike many other Western states, Ankara’s hard work and persistence along political and economic tracks yielded progress like the grain shipment agreement “in a highly divisive and emotionally driven geo-economic and geopolitical conflict,” showcasing Ankara’s growing position as a subject and not an object of events, Simons tells TRT World.

In 2022, Türkiye emerged as “the world’s most important peace actor that left its mark on the year,” says Mesut Hakki Casin, a professor of international law at Yeditepe University, referring to Turkish efforts to address the Ukraine conflict.

“While Turkey successfully demonstrated its neutrality policy in the Ukraine war, just as it did in the Second World War, it played the role of mediator in the conflict as stipulated in the 33th article of the UN,” Casin tells TRT World. During WWII, Ankara stayed neutral between Nazi Germany-led Axis countries and the Allied forces, avoiding any casualties.

Ukraine policy:

Despite much pressure from the US and Europe, Türkiye has refused to be part of Western sanctions on Russia, believing that talking with Moscow is better than isolating it. But at the same time, Türkiye has urged Russia to withdraw from all occupied Ukrainian territories, fiercely defending Kiev’s territorial integrity.

The Ukraine war has shown that “Türkiye in the 21st century pursues a fundamentally different foreign and security path than that played during the Cold War,” says Simons. In this path, Ankara acts as a bridge between the Western-centric and non-Western-centric worlds, he says.

Unlike the past, when Ankara followed a passive foreign policy, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Türkiye has demonstrated the country’s political and military potential in the international arena from Ukraine to Central Asia.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the only leader capable of talking with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, working to develop a rapprochement between the two sides,” says Casin.
Beyond Turkish mediation efforts, Ankara has also taken a crucial step to close its straits to both Russian and NATO warships in alignment with the Montreux Convention, which regulates the status of Turkish channels. “With this crucial measure, Türkiye has prevented the spread of the Ukraine war to other areas particularly in the Black Sea,” says Casin.

This measure also crucially led to setting demarcations in the conflict between Russia and the West, limiting tensions between the two sides, according to the Turkish professor.

Yasar Sari, an expert at Haydar Aliyev Eurasian Research Center of Ibn Haldun University, also believes that Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts “have kept the Ukraine conflict limited,” preventing the war from turning into a regional conflict.

Besides the Ukraine conflict, Türkiye has displayed its mediation skills in another difficult conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Karabakh dispute, urging both Erivan and Baku to find common ground to address their differences.

In October, Erdogan played a critical role to realise an icebreaker peace talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Prague on the sidelines of an EU meeting.

Middle East normalisations:

During 2022, Türkiye also worked hard to de-escalate tensions across the Middle East, reestablishing its ties with Egypt and Israel and strengthening its connections with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Since a 2010 Israeli raid on Mavi Marmara, a Turkish aid ship travelling toward Gaza, which had long faced blockade by Tel Aviv, Turkish-Israeli ties experienced a deteriorating trend. In 2013, Turkish-Egyptian diplomatic ties were cut off after a coup led by general-turned-President Abdul Fattah al Sisi overthrew the country’s first democratically-elected government.

“Turkiye’s diplomatic initiatives have been very successful in opening a new page with all of the regional powers in the region. This is part of a broader trend in the region of trying to maintain diplomatic channels open among the major players,” says Gallia Lindenstrauss, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Israeli think-tank.
“The normalisation process with Israel has been noteworthy for the fact that contrary to the 2016 normalisation effort, this time around there were many more high-level visits, indicating that there is a more solid ground for the current normalisation,” Lindenstrauss tells TRT World.

In March, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Erdogan in a groundbreaking visit to Türkiye. In September, another high-level meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Erdogan was held at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Erdogan also indicated that he wanted to visit Israel after the November elections.

This high-level meeting approach to solidify ties between Türkiye and other states has also been obvious in Ankara’s normalisation process with Egypt. Last month, Erdogan met Sisi in Qatar saying that “there should be no resentment in politics,” referring to past tensions between the two states following the Arab Spring rebellions.

It’s an approach that could go further in the turbulent Middle East. “In the next period, just as it (Türkiye) has entered a (normalisation) path with Egypt, it can also enter another (normalisation) path with Syria,” the Turkish president said. Ankara-Damascus ties have been cut off in the wake of the Syrian civil war, seeing millions of refugees flowing to Türkiye.

During 2022, Erdogan also met UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi and Mohammed Bin Salman in Ankara, showing his commitment to strengthening formerly strained ties with the two Gulf countries.
According to Lindenstrauss, Ankara’s normalisation with Israel indicates the depths of ongoing Turkish diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.

International News

Pakistan blast: 14 Army soldiers among 25 killed at Quetta railway station in Balochistan

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Pakistan blast: A bombing claimed by Pakistani separatists killed 25 people, including 14 Army soldiers, at a railway station in Quetta in Balochistan province on Saturday, November 9. The blast hit as passengers waited on a platform at the main railway station in the provincial capital Quetta.

“Fourteen army personnel are among the 25 confirmed dead,” said Muhammad Baloch, a senior local police official, raising an earlier toll of 22 provided by the local government,

At the time of the blast, a train was ready to depart from the platform for Peshawar, reported news agency Reuters.

Quetta senior superintendent of Police (SSP) operations Mohammad Baloch earlier said the incident “seems to be a suicide blast” but it would be too early to say for sure, adding that an investigation was underway to ascertain the nature of the blast.

Mohammad Baloch, a senior police officer, said the bomb exploded when passengers were waiting for a train to travel to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta.

In a statement, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said police and security forces had reached the site of the incident.

Shahid Rind said the nature of the blast was being investigated as the Bomb Disposal Squad was collecting evidence from the site, and a report on the incident had been sought.

Shahid Rind said the death toll from the attack was likely to rise as some of the wounded passengers were listed in critical condition.

The government official stated that an ‘emergency’ has been imposed in the hospitals there, adding that the “injured were being provided with medical aid,

The train station explosion hit at around 8:45am (0345 GMT) and was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of the area’s main separatist groups.

The attack “was carried out on a Pakistani army unit at Quetta railway station… after completing a course at the Infantry School,” the BLA said in a statement.

The Associated Press of Pakistan, the official news agency, cited railway officials as saying the blast happened near the ticket booth when two trains were scheduled to depart.

Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, resource-rich Balochistan is home to separatist militants.

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‘My Heart Is Full Today’: US VP Harris After Conceding Defeat

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US Vice President Kamala Harris while addressing supporters at Howard University appeared emotional at her loss, but expressed hope for the betterment of the country.

Donald Trump won a second term in office in the presidential polls. He surpassed the 270-majority mark with a key win in Wisconsin.

Harris expressed hope and said that the light of the US’s promise would burn bright as long as people kept fighting.

“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve. The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting,” she said.

Harris thanked her husband, Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, US President Joe Biden and his family, her running mate Tim Walz and the entire team for their support.

“To my beloved Doug and our family, I love you so very much. To President Biden and Dr Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue. And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and the local election officials. I thank you all,” she said.

Choking back her tears, Harris said that she was proud of the way the team ran for the race over the course of the campaign period. She said that the campaign was a reminder of the fact that there was a lot more in common among them than what separated them.

“I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, by the love of country, with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us. Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election,” she said.

Harris added that she spoke to President-elect Donald Trump and congratulated him on his win. She added that what distinguishes a democracy from tyranny or monarchy is to accept the election result.

“Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition, and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honour it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign,” she said.

Harris said that the fight that she won’t give up is a fight to reflect the US at its best. She subtly hinted at the controversial abortion ban, the overturning of which was a part of her campaign and said that her fight would continue for women’s rights over their bodies.

“The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation. The ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up. I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld,” she said.

Harris added that her fight would continue everywhere. Subtly hinting at Trump’s policy of ‘sealing the borders’, said that the fight also includes acceptance of strangers as neighbours.

“We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbour, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve,” she said.

Harris added that the fight for such freedom requires hard work, but it is always worth it.

“The fight for our freedom will take hard work, but like I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. And the fight for our country is always worth it. It is always worth it,” she said.

Addressing the young voters, which was Harris’s trump card, she said that the fight wasn’t over yet, and it was time to roll sleeves up, and not give up.

“To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign, I would often say, when we fight, we win. But here’s the thing, here’s the thing. Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up.

Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world. And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together,” she said.

Harris motivated people by asking them to find light within themselves and draw strength.

“Look, many of you know I started out as a prosecutor and throughout my career I saw people at some of the worst times in their lives. People who had suffered great harm and great pain. And yet found within themselves the strength and the courage and the resolve to take the stand, to fight for justice, to fight for themselves, to fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination be our charge. And I’ll close with this. There’s an adage and historian once called a law of history. True of every society across the ages.

The adage is, only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service,” she said.

Harris concluded by asking for God’s blessings for the people and the country.

“May that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks, toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America. I thank you all. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America,” she said.

Several of her supporters appeared extremely sad and cheered for her.

Aaron Carter, a supporter of Harris, said, “I think Kamala’s [Harris] speech was uniting. She tried to be optimistic about the future, which was great. I hope she will be back here next time again for the Presidency. I think she was a great candidate as she managed to bring the really young crowd to support her. It was fantastic.”

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US Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Trump On Brink Of Landslide Victory, Leads In 4 Swing States

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US Elections Results: After a bitter election campaign, US voters seem to have delivered Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a second non-consecutive stint in the Oval office. As for electoral college numbers, which determine the winner in this election, Trump is leading with 267, on the brink of a landslide victory, while Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is trailing with 214 votes.

As far as swing states are concerned, Trump has secured four battleground states.

Donald Trump said he would be prepared to concede defeat after Tuesday’s vote “if it’s a fair election”, while again raising concerns about the use of electronic voting machines. Trump, however, said he feels “very confident” about winning back the White House, after casting his Election Day ballot in Florida in one of the most contentious US elections in decades.

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday thanked his wife Melania Trump in a speech he delivered as he neared the halfway mark in the race for the US President’s post.

He also praised her book, calling it the top-selling book in the country. In the memoir, Melania Trump wrote about her pro-choice stance on abortion, when she met Donald Trump in a New York City night club, and rumours about her son having autism, but left out many personal details of her life.

US Elections Results: “Result Will Help Our Country Heal”, Says Trump

“Result will help our country heal,” says Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as he addresses the supporters following US presidential election result. “US has never seen anything like this,” Trumps adds as he calls the presidential elections 2024 the “greatest political movement ever”.

Trump was joined on stage by members of his family and his wife, Melania Trump, as well as his running mate, JD Vance, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

US Election Results: Harris vs Kamala: Who Will Reach The 270 Mark First?

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is leading with 247 electoral candidate votes while Kamala Harris trails closely with 214. The US Presidential election results remain nail-biting with the two candidates neck and neck.

Donald Trump has secured his position in two of the seven swing states or key states that will decide the election’s outcome.

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