Middle East Experience

Turkish president throws his lot in again with Russia and Iran in Syria, expands plans for influence in North Africa and moves to convert the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Erdogan: Turkey on path to ‘unstoppable power’ in region

The first case of the coronavirus in Idlib follows a veto at the UN Security Council today of a resolution that would have allowed aid to reach the embattled area via Turkey.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: First confirmed COVID-19 case detected in northwest Syria

Iran said on Saturday that it cannot afford to shut down its sanctions-hit economy, even as the Middle East's deadliest coronavirus outbreak worsens with record-high death tolls and rising infections.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Iran must continue "economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols", President Hassan Rouhani said during a televised virus taskforce meeting.“The simplest solution is to close down all activities, (but) the next day, people would come out to protest the (resulting) chaos, hunger, hardship and pressure,” he added.The Islamic republic has been struggling since late February to contain the country's COVID-19 outbreak, which has killed over 12,400 people and infected more than 252,000.Deaths from the respiratory disease hit 221 on Thursday -- a single-day record for Iran.The country closed schools, cancelled public events and banned movement between its 31 provinces in March, but Rouhani's government progressively lifted restrictions from April to reopen its sanctions-hit economy.The outbreak's rising toll has prompted authorities to make wearing masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and to allow the hardest hit provinces to reimpose restrictive measures.Iran has suffered a sharp economic downturn after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe International Monetary Fund predicts Iran's economy will shrink by six percent this year.“It is not possible to keep businesses and economic activities shut down in the long-term,” Rouhani said, emphasizing that ‘the people will not accept this.”Health Minister Said Namaki warned on Wednesday of a potential “revolt over poverty” and blamed US sanctions for the government's “empty coffers.”The reopening of the economy “was not over our ignorance (of the virus’ dangers), but it was due to us being on our knees against an economy that could take no more,” Namaki said on state television.US sanctions targeted vital oil sales and banking relations, among other sectors, forcing Iran to rely on non-oil exports, which have dropped as borders were closed to stem the spread of the virus.Read more:Iran will develop oil industry despite US sanctions: MinisterIran’s oil revenues fell steeply from $100 bln to $8 bln in 2019: First VP JahangiriExplosion heard in western Tehran: Iran state media
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Iran says can’t afford economy shutdown as COVID-19 outbreak worsens

Dubai has adopted an economic stimulus package worth 1.5 billion dirhams ($408 million) to help counter the impact of the coronavirus, announced Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Saturday.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.The package is the third package passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and brings the total spend up to 6.3 billion dirhams, he said on Twitter.Sheikh Hamdan listed some of the beneficiaries from the stimulus including schools."We adopted the initiative to cancel fines and exempt private schools from fees for renewing commercial and educational licenses until the end of next December," he tweeted on Saturday."We trust in the flexibility and durability of our economy ... We stand together with the private sector to move beyond this stage very quickly ... We are keen to return business to normal as soon as possible and we confirm our commitment to support all economic sectors," he added.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE adjusts expiry extensions, fine collection rules for visas, ID cardsDubai’s Emirates airline to cut up to 9,000 jobs amid coronavirus: ReportCoronavirus in UAE: Abu Dhabi implements COVID-19 safety measures as flights resume
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Dubai Crown Prince announces over 0 million economic stimulus package

Saudi Arabia recorded 2,994 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, with a further 2,370 COVID-19 patients recovering and 30 more people dying from the disease, according to the Ministry of Health on Twitter.On Friday, Saudi Arabia had recorded 3,159 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total to 226,486, according to the health ministry.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The Kingdom continues to urge people to adhere to precautionary measures such as social distancing, avoiding crowds and wearing face masks.Read more:Coronavirus: Dubai Crown Prince announces over $400 million economic stimulus packageCoronavirus: Qatar records 498 new COVID-19 cases, no new deathsCoronavirus: Iran says can’t afford economy shutdown as COVID-19 outbreak worsensThe health ministry said one woman who became infected from another family member “broke the transmission chain and maintained the safety of others” because she decided to keep a distance and wore a face mask.Saudi Arabia currently has the highest number of cases in the GCC region but maintains a relatively low death rate.Global tollThe novel coronavirus has killed at least 560,425 people since the outbreak emerged in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Saturday.At least 12,522,050 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories. Of these, at least 6,688,300 are now considered recovered.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appThe tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases.The United States is the worst-hit country with 134,097 deaths from 3,184,722 cases. At least 983,185 people have been declared recovered.After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 70,398 deaths from 1,800,827 cases, the United Kingdom with 44,650 deaths from 288,133 cases, Italy with 34,938 deaths from 242,639 cases and Mexico with 34,191 deaths from 289,174 cases.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 2,994 new COVID-19 cases, 30 deaths

Turkey’s decision to turn Istanbul’s 6th century Hagia Sophia cathedral from a museum into a mosque has sparked controversy across the world including accusations that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has framed the issue differently based on his audience.The UNESCO World Heritage Site was originally built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral before being converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453.In 1934, the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Atatürk turned the iconic building into a museum as part of his secularization drive, but on Friday Erdogan proclaimed the Hagia Sophia as a mosque after a court annulled the site’s museum status.The move has since sparked controversy, with a range of domestic and international voices criticizing Erdogan – but some voices from organizations affiliated with the president and his Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated allies supporting it.Read more:Erdogan declares Hagia Sophia open for prayers after court ruling, ignoring warningsHagia Sophia mosque move: Greece says ‘provocation to civilized world’Erdogan rejects criticism over Turkey’s Hagia Sophia landmark moveErdogan criticized for double speakPresident Erdogan has come under fire for framing the conversion of the mosque differently in his English and Arabic announcements.The president’s office released two signed letters announcing the declaration, but observers were quick to note that the English content did not match up to the Arabic.While the English was far more conciliatory and talked of the “shared heritage of humanity,” the Arabic content described the move as “fulfilling the promise of [Ottoman Sultan] Mehmed II” and said the “The revival of Hagia Sophia is a sign toward the return of freedom to al-Aqsa mosque,” the Islamic holy site in Jerusalem.On Twitter, commentators pointed out that Erdogan was likely trying to appeal to his core support in Arabic while presenting a more conciliatory tone in English.“Two Completely Contradictory Messages. As #Erdogan uses phrases such as ‘open to all’ and ‘shared heritage of humanity’ in English. In Arabic it reads as a romanticized Sultan-like speech appealing to a certain ‘fan base’ to trigger extremist ideology and action,” tweeted the London School of Economics’ Juhaina Al Ali.Some critics pointed out that Erdogan has increased trade with Israel despite his claim to want to liberate al-Aqsa, which implies removing Israeli control over Jerusalem.Erdogan himself has rejected criticism, insisting that Turkey has sovereignty over the Hagia Sophia.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the appIs Hagia Sophia decision the end of secularism?Erdogan has been accused of attacking longstanding traditions of secularism in Turkey.Erdogan’s AKP party promotes an ideology that has been described as “Islamist,” and the president has sought close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.This latest move has been interpreted by onlookers as a symbolic attack on secularism, with the Wall Street Journal covering the decision under the headline: “Symbol of Secular Turkey to Reopen as Mosque.”Other analysts saw the conversion of the Hagia Sophia as a “crowning moment” in Erdogan’s much broader plans to revolutionize Turkey.“Erdogan has been flooding Turkey’s public space, education policy and government with a brand of conservative Islam, and Hagia Sophia is the crowning moment of Erdogan’s religious revolution which has been unfolding in Turkey for over a decade,” Soner Cagaptay, Director of Turkish research program at Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Reuters.“Just as Ataturk nearly 100 years ago ‘unmosqued’ Hagia Sophia to underline commitment to his own secularist revolution, to take religion out of politics, Erdogan is now doing nearly the opposite. He is reconverting the building into a mosque to underline his own religious revolution,” he added.“This regrettable move Mr President makes Istanbul poorer culturally. There are over 3,000 mosques in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia is much more than a physical building, it is a unifying symbol for various faiths,” tweeted the Emirati commentator Sultan Saoud al-Qassemi.Read more: Opinion: Turkey released my father from prison, but the fight for freedom has only begun.Religiously divisive – but backed by someChristian leaders also criticized the decision, with a senior Russian Orthodox official warning that it could lead to “greater divisions.”“It is a real shame that the concerns of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Orthodox churches were not heard. This decision, alas, is not aimed at reconciling existing differences, but on the contrary, may lead to even greater divisions,” said Russian Orthodox Church official Vladimir Legoida to Reuters.Turkey’s Christian neighbors Cyprus and Greece, with whom it has poor relations, also criticized the move.It is a historical appropriation and desecration of a World Heritage monument of particular value to the world’s Christians,” said Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.The move was an “open provocation to the civilized world,” said Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, adding that it “absolutely confirms that there is no independent justice” in Turkey.Other analysts suggested that Erdogan would attempt to benefit from a spike in religious tensions by positioning himself as a defender of Islam.“One of the effects of the conversion of Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque will be a spike in Islamophobia in the West and elsewhere. Which, of course, Erdogan will then use to his advantage,” tweeted Dimitar Bechev of the Atlantic Council.However, some organizations voiced their support for the move.The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, welcomed the verdict.“Opening of Hagia Sophia to prayer is a proud moment for all Muslims,” said Hamas’ press office head Rafat Murra, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.Al Jazeera English also quoted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – which is only recognized by Turkey - as approving of the move.“Hagia Sophia has been Turkish, a mosque and a world heritage since 1453. The decision to use it as a mosque, at the same time to be visited as a museum, is sound and it is pleasing,” the Prime Minister Ersin Tatar reportedly said.Read more: Turkey’s Erdogan may be seriously pursuing his nuclear ambitions: Expert
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque move sparks controversy, Erdogan accused of double speak

An Arabic-language statement published on the official Turkish presidency website said the move to 'resurrect' Hagia Sophia paves the way for the liberation of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Hagia Sophia resurrection paves way for 'Al-Aqsa liberation', Erdogan says

The US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism called the J Street's tweet on annexation antisemetic, and the Simon Weisenthal Center along with a JTA reporter jumped in.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Elan Carr calls J Street annexation tweet antisemitic, sparking argument

In order to volunteer for the trial you must be 18 or older and complete CoVPN’s online survey. CoVPN emphasizes that participation in the clinical trials is voluntary.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: US adults can volunteer for coronavirus vaccine trials - here's how

Eight people detained by police in recent days for violations
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Panicked Jerusalemites report 'gunshots,' turn out to be fireworks - WATCH