TURKISH ELITE TARGETED IN CRACKDOWN
Under growing discontent with his rule, over the past two months the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has begun targeting the financial industry in a series of accusations and investigations. The government has collected records from companies including Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and Citigroup. Since then, the Turkish stock index fell by over 20 percent and the lira depreciated steeply. As Erdogan’s popularity has begun to fall, members and supporters his Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) have begun to distance themselves from Erdogan, possibly creating a rift in the AKP. “A split in AKP could end political Islam in Turkey,” Der Spiegel reports. (Der Spiegel August 20 and August 21, 2013)
IRAQI PIPELINE BOMBED
Amid a rising tide of violence, in late August three bombs exploded next to a major Iraqi oil pipeline 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. The pipeline transports 2.32 million barrels of oil from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, comprising nearly a fourth of Iraq’s oil exports. The pipeline has become a frequent target for militants aiming to disrupt the government and target its finances. Technical teams were dispatched to repair the line but it is unclear when it will again become operational. (The Associated Press August 22, 2013)
SYRIAN REFUGEES FLOOD KURDISTAN
A large wave of new Syrian refugees crossed into Iraqi Kurdistan. Last Saturday alone, 10,000 Syrians crossed at Peshkhabour, marking what the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says is one of the biggest waves of refugees since the Syrian uprising began. The UN has said the reason for the influx is not clear, and UN agencies, NGOs and regional governments are straining to support the new arrivals. Some attribute the surge toward Iraqi Kurdistan to increased difficulties entering Turkey, and a decision by the government of Iraqi Kurdistan to play a more active role in Syrian crisis. (British Broadcasting Corporation August 18, 2013)
OPPOSITION REPORTS CHEMICAL WEAPONS USED IN SYRIA
Last week the Syrian opposition claimed more than 1,000 people were killed by chemical weapons attacks initiated by the government. A UN chemical weapons team is currently in Damascus to investigate a separate, earlier claim of a chemical weapons attack the reportedly happened months ago. Thirty-five member states have signed a letter calling for the UN inspectors to investigate as soon as possible. But Moscow, which supports the Assad government against the opposition, has questioned the veracity of the reports, calling the claims baseless. Moscow has blocked the UN Security Council from demanding an investigation by the team currently in country. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stated that if there was proof of a chemical weapons attack by the regime, “we need a reaction by the international community … a reaction of force.” (British Broadcasting Corporation August 21, 2013 and The Washington Post August 22, 2013)
MUBARAK RELEASED FROM PRISON
After 17 months in prison, Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt for thirty years, has been released after a court declared he could no longer remain incarcerated. Recently-ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, on the other hand, remains in detention at an undisclosed location as protests across the country continue. In the past week, 1,100 people have been killed and hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members have been arrested following the soft coup by the Egyptian military. Increasing levels of violence has led EU member states to “suspend export licenses to Egypt of any equipment used for internal repression, and to reassess their export licenses covered by the EU common position.”. (The New York Times August 21, 2013 and al Jazeera August 21, 2013)