Orientul Mijlociu

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s victory over the alliance of opposition parties in Turkey’s May elections, in which he secured another term as president and maintained his alliance’s majority in parliament, came as a surprise to many, as credible pollsters had forecast just the opposite. Investors had to quickly adjust their market positioning as a result. At the same time, Erdoğan was making rapid adjustments of his own, backtracking on his campaign promise that he would maintain the existing economic model, which has been a major source of financial instability over the past five years. His change was likely driven by the high likelihood of a balance of payments crisis — that is, an inability to redeem external debt or pay for imported goods. His only other options were to impose strict capital controls, a move that would be perceived negatively by both business owners and households alike or to sign a stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a dramatic policy shift with unmeasurable domestic and external political outcomes. Not wanting to go down these paths, Erdoğan retreated from the so-called “Turkish economic model,” at least temporarily or partially, and brought in a new economic team.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states apparently still do not trust the Biden Administration, largely because of its perceived abandonment of its traditional Arab allies in the Middle East and President Joe Biden’s hostility to Saudi Arabia. This view began with then-presidential candidate Biden declaring the kingdom a “pariah” state — and is continuing with US attempts, still ongoing, to revive a “nuclear deal” that will enable an expansionist Iran to have nuclear weapons potentially to topple other countries in the region.

Somalia has fired its army chief, Maj-Gen Odowa Yusuf Rage, as the country faced a resurgence of Al Shabaab attacks, months after it had raised its tempo against the militants.

Rage, 44, who had trained in Uganda and Turkey, had been the youngest army chief named in modern Somalia, having been appointed by former President Mohamed Farmaajo in 2019.

Following his re-election, Erdogan reshuffled his cabinet, resulting in foreign and economic policy leadership changes. The new cabinet members are expected to strengthen Turkey’s international standing and address the country’s economic difficulties.

Turkey’s military “neutralised” 53 Kurdish militants in northern Syria, using ground artillery and drones in retaliatory strikes following an attack on a police post on the Turkish side of the border at the weekend, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

A PKK terrorist accused of ordering a 2017 attack in Türkiye, was “neutralized” by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in northern Iraq, security sources said Wednesday. The term is used to indicate terrorists killed or captured in operations.

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) aided Syrian opposition forces in capturing a member of the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian wing, the YPG, as she was trying to infiltrate Türkiye, security sources said on Friday.

Ending the ceasefire that the group announced after the earthquakes reflects the reality that Erdogan will continue in power.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party announced late Tuesday that it had ended its unilateral ceasefire declared in the wake of twin earthquakes in February. The move signals a hardening of the militants’ stand, with potential repercussions for the Kurdish political movement inside Turkey and the presence of US troops in Syria.

Assad’s militia is deliberately sowing security chaos among different military factions originating from the same towns or regions, Orient Net writes.

In recent days, the governorate of Damascus countryside has experienced a resurgence of assassinations, security turmoil, and an alarming proliferation of weapons. These incidents have been occurring across different areas, resulting in the loss of lives and injuries among members of the Assad militia, its auxiliary forces, and innocent civilians. These sporadic attacks have taken place in towns such as Zakia, Beit Jinn, al-Hama, Hawsh Arab, Madaya, al-Jibbah, and other regions. These unsettling events raise concerns about the prevailing security situation and raise questions about the objectives pursued by the Assad regime in the governorate.