International News
A new beginning for Turkey-Israel relations
The reset of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Israel may result in some new paradigm shifts at the regional level besides helping both to focus more on bilateral economic gains.
Recently there have been indications both from Israel and Turkey that the leadership in those countries was mulling a reset in their bilateral ties.
In Israel’s case it was one more step in the direction of regional rapprochement, while for Turkey it is basically aimed at tackling and furthering its economic woes and regional interests.
The announcement by the two countries on August 17 that they’ll exchange ambassadors and normalise bilateral diplomatic relations, follows re-tuning of Turkish diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
It seems as if the Turkish leadership has realised that its priority should be to focus more on the internal and nearer home issues such as the country’s economic woes, Kurdish problem and its relations with Cyprus and Greece. Better regional ties will give it more time and energy to focus on tackling the country’s economic woes and expectations of the electorate.
The relations between the two countries soured in 2018 when Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador from Ankara, after the killing of 60 Palestinians in Gaza during protests against former US President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In fact, the Turkish support to the Palestinian groups, particularly the Hamas and its objection to the Israeli annexation of territories in and around the Gaza Strip has been the bone of contention between the two.
The thaw in ties comes after more than 10 years of tensions. A visit to Turkey by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in March, followed by visits of two countries’ foreign ministers, helped warm relations.
Turkey’s compulsions
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to have realised the futility of Turkey’s hostile policies and stand against Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This stance has made Turkey isolated in the region besides being economically unviable for it.
One of the basic reasons for Turkiye’s animosity against other so-called Islamic countries is the contest for claiming the title of the Leader of the Islamic World. This has resulted in Turkiye blaming the successive Egyptian, Saudi Arabian and UAE governments as the main source of adopting postures against its claim to the Islamic world’s leadership and making it a pariah state in the region.
Historically it was Turkey, which maintained the Two Holiest Shrines of the Muslim world in Saudi Arabia, before oil was discovered in the Kingdom, which changed its fortunes forever. This newfound wealth led Saudi monarchs to lay claim to being the leader of the Islamic world.
Obviously Turkiye tried to resist this change but the fall of the Ottoman empire led it to modify its stand on several issues related to the Muslim Ummah. In addition Turkiye blamed these governments and their policies as responsible for heightening the regional stability for their own selfish interests. In return these states blamed Turkiye for adopting such postures and policies, which led to friction in the region and amongst so called Islamic states.
As retaliation these countries have bettered relations with both Cyprus and Greece, Turkey’s arch foes in the Mediterranean. While at the same time Turkey has improved ties with Qatar, a country which was made an outcast in the Gulf region in 2017 when UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain imposed an economic blockade against it.
In addition before facing the electorate next year, Erdogan has shaken hands with Israel in the hope that it may change Turkey’s economic condition with increased economic exchange with Israel, translating into improved economic climate for Turkish citizens.
Israel’s game plan
Recently, Israel has sought to reset its ties with regional countries both Arab and non-Arab. It considers Turkey to be an important factor both regionally and in Gaza also, as Hamas has opened up an office in Istanbul and for the last 10 years it has been operating from Turkey, in addition Israeli authorities feel that closer ties with Turkey will allow it to efficiently conduct intelligence monitoring of Iran.
In addition, Israel feels that if it wants to sell its natural gas to Europe, which was found near its coast in 2010, then the most economically viable route will be through Turkey. It could be a win-win situation for both if they are able to thrash out any future plan for cutting off Russian gas supply to Europe, both diplomatically and financially in the long run.
During the hostile period with Turkey, Israel had come closer to both, Cyprus and Greece. This resulted in increased economic, security and people to people contacts between them. Both countries enjoyed influx of Israeli tourists, who abandoned the Turkey’s coasts. Israel also initiated military cooperation with them and has also been training Greek and Cypriot military forces.
Now Israel will have to balance the geostrategic and potential economic benefits of cooperation with Turkey with Jerusalem’s well-developed ties with Athens and Nicosia. Israeli President Herzog, who played a key role in the Israel-Turkey rapprochement, has given assurances to both Cyprus and Greece that Israel’s new found friendship with Turkey will have no bearing on its existing relationship with Cyprus and Greece.
All in all, one can presume that the present situation points to a scenario where diplomatic, political and security ties may remain cold, as the real target for both the countries is to give a boost to their economic ties. Israel is also aware that Turkey may continue to play the Palestinian card to placate its internal audience.
Over all this odd marriage of convenience might be able to counter other regional alliances and axis’s of power, and both would try to maximise their returns either independently or bilaterally, based on the given situation.
Crime
Wanted fugitive Ganesh Balaso Kale deported from Thailand, arrested at Mumbai Airport

Mumbai, June 11: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said that it has successfully secured the deportation of Red Notice subject Ganesh Balaso Kale from Thailand to India.
The deportation process was carried out in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Embassy of India in Bangkok.
According to the officials, Kale is wanted in connection with cybercrime fraud, in which victims were lured by the offer of online part-time jobs. They were asked to make certain deposits as monetary investments and were later defrauded.
Investigators said that the accused used to operate a network of cyber financial criminals by involving various unsuspecting persons in the scam. “He used to lure individuals by promising interest/commission in exchange for allowing the use of their bank accounts for the transfer of illicit funds and subsequently utilised such accounts to cheat multiple innocent victims,” the officials said.
“The subject also allegedly instructed co-accused persons to arrange mobile phones and procure fake SIM cards to facilitate the commission of offences,” the CBI officials added.
Based on the Interpol Red Notice, the accused was located in Thailand. He was detained by the Thai Authorities on May 24 in Bangkok. Following due legal proceedings and close coordination between Indian and Thai authorities, the accused was successfully deported to India.
Officials announced that a Red Corner Notice for Kale was issued in May. He was successfully located, apprehended, and returned to India within about 20 days of the notice.
On Thursday, the accused arrived at Mumbai Airport, where he was taken into custody by the Maharashtra Police’s Cyber Cell.
“The CBI, as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India, coordinates with all Law Enforcement Agencies in India through BHARATPOL for assistance via INTERPOL channels,” officials said.
Investigators said that over 160 wanted criminals have been successfully brought back to India in the last few years through coordination between different agencies.
International News
Japan sees rising bear attacks, 27 injured or killed across 9 prefectures: Report

Tokyo, June 11: Bear attacks have left at least 27 people injured or dead across nine prefectures in Japan during the current fiscal year as of Wednesday noon, according to a tally by a public broadcaster.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, four of the victims were confirmed to have died after being attacked by bears.
By prefecture, Fukushima recorded the highest number of casualties with eight, followed by Akita with five, Iwate with four, Yamagata and Toyama with three each, and Tokyo, Niigata, Hokkaido, and Miyagi with one each, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting public broadcaster NHK.
Based on available information, at least 11 of the 27 victims were attacked within human living areas, including urban districts, farmland, and areas near their homes.
On June 2, four people were injured in a series of bear attacks in a neighbourhood of Fukushima City where businesses and residences are located.
On Tuesday, an elderly woman in her 80s in Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, fell and suffered injuries to her arm and other areas after coming face-to-face with a bear in front of her home. The same day, a woman was attacked by a bear at a shrine parking lot in a mountainous area of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, sustaining injuries to her face and shoulder.
In addition, at least nine people, including three of those who died, are believed to have been attacked while visiting forests or mountainous areas to gather wild edible plants.
Meanwhile, more bear sightings have been recorded in urban areas, raising public concern. On Tuesday, a roughly 100 kg bear was cornered and tranquilised following four days of repeated sightings in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, prompting the temporary closure of all 94 municipal elementary and junior high schools. Another bear was captured Wednesday night near Amanohashidate, a famous scenic spot in Kyoto Prefecture, according to Kyodo News.
To help prevent bear attacks, the Ministry of the Environment urges people to carry radios or bear bells, travel in groups rather than alone, deliberately make loud noises in areas with poor visibility, avoid leaving food waste or other attractants that may draw bears, and check the latest bear sighting information issued by local governments.
International News
Trump claims Iran ready for nuclear deal

Washington, June 9: US President Donald Trump said that Iran was willing to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and sign an agreement with the United States, as he claimed American military operations had severely weakened Tehran’s military capabilities.
Speaking during a virtual tele-rally for South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham ahead of Tuesday’s Republican primary, Trump devoted much of his remarks to Iran, ongoing negotiations and the broader security situation in the Middle East.
“We’re negotiating now and they wanna make a very good deal. They’re willing to give us everything. They’re willing to give us no nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and it’s as simple as that.”
Trump claimed US military action had inflicted extensive damage on Iran’s military infrastructure.
“We’ve decimated their military. We’ve decimated their, everything there is to decimate, including their leadership,” he said. “Their navy is totally gone. They had 159 ships. Every ship is underwater right now.”
The President predicted a favourable outcome from negotiations and said a formal declaration of victory could come soon.
“I think we are winning that battle, but you’re really gonna win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory,” Trump said. “It’ll be a total victory. It’ll happen very soon and oil prices will come tumbling down.”
The remarks came as Trump urged Republican voters in South Carolina to support Graham, a longtime ally who has been one of the Senate’s most vocal advocates of a hard line towards Iran.
“And Lindsey has been fighting with me all the way, all the way for that,” Trump said. “We’ve been a very tough team.”
Trump also praised Graham’s role on border security, military spending and conservative judicial appointments.
“I’ve known Senator Lindsey Graham for many years and he’s always been a tireless advocate for the people of South Carolina,” Trump said.
The President described Graham as having his “complete and total endorsement” and urged voters to support him in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
Trump also endorsed South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, calling her “an America first patriot” and predicting she would become a successful governor.
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