Stockholm                                                                                                                                                                                            16 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                       (Anadolu News)

Turkish ambassador to Sweden has asked a Swedish politician visiting a polling station in the country to leave the room since his presence was against Turkish electorate legislations.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ambassador Emre Yunt said the incident took place when Jonas Sjostedt, Chairman of the Left Party in Sweden, was visiting a polling station in Stockholm where expat Turks were voting in Turkey’s presidential and general elections.

“According to our legislation, except Turkish citizens who will be voting, polling clerks, and security forces, we can only allow members of the press for a reasonable period of time for coverage [at the polling stations],” Yunt said.

“I have reminded him about our electorate legislations and asked him to go out,” he said.

Earlier, in a Twitter post, Sjostedt asked Turkish voters in Sweden to support the jailed former Co-Chairman of Peoples' Democratic Party Selahattin Demirtas in the upcoming elections.

Over 3 million Turks living abroad are eligible to vote for the June 24 presidential and general elections.

Six candidates are running for president, while eight political parties are taking part in the parliamentary elections.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has served as president since 2014 -- Turkey's first popularly-elected president. Before that, he served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014.

Should he win the June election, Erdogan would be Turkey's first leader under the presidential system.

Washington                                                                                                                                                                                         16 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                       (APP)

The US based World Kashmir Awareness Forum on Friday strongly condemned the assassination of veteran Kashmiri journalist, who was a staunch advocate of peace in the disputed valley.

Syed Shujaat Bukhari, a prominent journalist and the editor of a prominent newspaper Rising Kashmir was shot dead by three unidentified assailants on Thursday when he was leaving his office in Srinagar. Two of his security guards were also killed in the attack.

“There is no room for debate over assassinating an innocent person, like Syed Shujaat Bukhari. It is criminal. It
is brutal. It is sinful. And it is an evil that begets only more evil,” Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of WKAF said in a statement here.

Mr. Bukhari had previously been attacked, but the criminals left un-apprehended. Fai called for an independent and impartial investigation body to investigate the killing and prepare an official report so that justice will be done.

Fai denounced the attempt to assault freedom of the press, and praised the Shujaat Bukhari for his
unswerving devotion to his vocation educating the public to the freedom of thought and expression.

Dr. Fai said that there was no room for debate over assassinating an innocent person, like Syed Bukhari. He said that no cause overrides the humanitarian imperative of sparing innocent civilians from death, injury, or psychological trauma.

Three unidentified assailants riding motorbikes sprayed bullets on Mr. Bukhari when he was leaving his office.
He and his two guards died on the spot.

Bukhari was an active peace activist and had been writing on the violence in the disputed region. He was also part of the delegation that was engaged in informal peace talks between Pakistani and Indian representatives held
in Dubai last year.

The disputed Kashmir region has witnessed intense violence this year that has claimed lives of more than
130 people. A recent UN report accused India of using excessive force in the disputed region since 2016 and has called for an international inquiry into the gross human rights violations.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                      16 June 2018

Aspire Zone Foundation opened its '2018 FIFA World Cup Russia' Fan Zone in the iconic 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar venue, Khalifa International Stadium, on Friday, 15 June, giving fans a chance to celebrate the most anticipated sporting event in the world. The opening day also marked the first day of Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

More than 1,500 members of the Moroccan community, led by Nabil Zniber, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco attended the opening day to watch Morocco’s first 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia match against Iran. There was widespread enthusiasm and cheering from spectators throughout the match.

Commenting on the occasion, Nasser Abdullah Al-Hajri, Director of PR and Communications at Aspire Zone Foundation said “We’re delighted to welcome so many members of the Moroccan community to Khalifa International Stadium as they support their national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Aspire Zone Foundation enjoys a strong relationship with various embassies, including the Moroccan Embassy. Such a show of support for the Moroccan Community is consistent with Qatar’s ongoing, strong relationship with the county, including being one of the first to back its FIFA World Cup bid.”

Nabil Zniber, Moroccon envoy said on the occasion "I’d first like to wish everyone Eid Mubarak. It’s a pleasure to see so many members of the Moroccan community here to cheer on our national team during their first match in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. I’d also like to extend my appreciation to the other Ambassadors who joined us today.”

Among other dignitaries included Bart De Groof, ambassador of Belgium, Galma Mukhe Boru, ambassador of Kenya and Dr Haruna Bawa Abdullahi Wase, ambassador of Nigeria.

Abdelaziz Sebaa, Ambassador of Algeria to Qatar who also attended the match commented: "The atmosphere amongst spectators was excellent and it felt just like watching a match from the stands. Aspire Zone Foundation has done a great job with the Fan Zone at Khalifa International Stadium – it’s the ideal setting for community members to follow World Cup games and keep up with all the action.”

The Fan Zone seats more than 2,500 people and has car parking capacity for more than 2,000 vehicles. The Fan Zone will also be equipped with the latest cooling technologies, a giant LED screen, and a range of food and beverage stalls creating a unique and memorable atmosphere for the country’s football fans. The experience provides clues as to what fans can expect at one of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ stadiums in four years’ time.

This year’s Fan Zone is sponsored by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (Main Partner) and Ooredoo (Main Sponsor), as well as Al Attiya Motors and Trading Co., CISCO, Witr Jewellery, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and Pepsi.

 

Moscow                                                                                                                                                                                             14 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                     (TASS News)

The 2018 FIFA World Cup, the first-ever hosted by Russia, kicks off on Thursday with the opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium.

The championship will be held at 12 stadiums in 11 cities of the country and will end on July 15. The final match will also take place at the Luzhniki stadium.

A total of 32 national football squads were divided into eight groups with four teams in each. Hosts Russia were placed in Group A with teams from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay.

On June 19, Russia will play with the Egyptian team in St. Petersburg, and on June 25 in Samara the hosts will meet with rivals from Uruguay. The top two teams from each group advance to 1/8 finals.

Here is the breakdown of the rest of the groups:

Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Iran,

Group C: France, Australia, Peru and Denmark,

Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Morocco,

Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia,

Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea,

Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England,

Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.

The matches of the preliminary stage will be played on June 14-28.

The games of the 1/8 finals are scheduled for June 30 - July 3,

Quarter-finals will take place on July 6-7, semi-finals will be played on July 10 and 11. The third-place match will be played on July 14 and the final will take place on July 15.

The renovated Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, which is capable to hold 81,000 spectators, will be the main arena of the tournament. The new arena in St. Petersburg with the spectator capacity of 67,000 seats, will host one of the semi-finals and the third-place match. The remaining stadiums are capable to accommodate from 35,000 to 45,000 fans.

In Moscow, World Cup matches will also be held at the Spartak stadium.

The games of the tournament will also be played at the stadiums in Kazan and Sochi, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Volgograd, Kaliningrad and in Yekaterinburg.

More:
http://tass.com/sport/1009417

United Nations                                                                                                                                                                                  13 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                    (TASS News)

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday condemned Israel for disproportionate use of force against participants in mass protests on the border of the Gaza Strip and ordered to consider options for providing international protection to the Palestinians. The corresponding resolution was adopted by a majority vote.

The document received the support of 120 countries of the General Assembly, including Russia.

Eight countries, including Israel and the U.S. voted against the resolution, while another 45 countries abstained from voting.

The United Nations General Assembly’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People condemned the excessive and disproportionate use of force by Israeli security forces against peaceful Palestinian demonstrators at the Gaza fence with Israel.

The resolution asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to report back within 60 days on proposals "on ways and means for ensuring the safety, protection and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation, including recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism."

The text does not mention the Hamas group which controls the Gaza Strip and, according to Israel, is responsible for the death of the Palestinians. In general, the document repeats the wording of the draft resolution, which was put to a vote in the Security Council on June 1 and was blocked by the United States. At the same time, the American document, which was considered the same day, concerning the actions of Hamas, did not find support in the Security Council.

 

Ankara                                                                                                                                                                                                  12 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                        (TRT World)

 

Turkey along with other partner countries launched on Tuesday the historic Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project in the central Turkish city of Eskisehir.

The inauguration of the project was performed jointly by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and Mustafa Akinci, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry of State of Qatar also represented State of Qatar on the occasion, Qatar News Agency reported today.

Speaking at the ceremony, Erdogan called TANAP the fruit of the shared vision of the countries involved in the project and said it would pave the way for similar future projects.

“The political and economic stability ensured over the last 16 years in Turkey has played a very significant role in realising TANAP in such a short time,” Erdogan said, referring to the era governed by the Justice and Development (AK) Party.

Calling it a historic step for the countries of the region, he added, "We are opening the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, the backbone of the southern gas corridor, which we call the Silk Road of energy."

Erdogan said the project was made possible primarily due to good Turkish-Azeri relations, based on mutual trust. He added that the harmonisation and understanding among producer, transit, consumer countries, and companies also sped up the process.

Noting TANAP’s starting capacity of 16 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas, he said 6 billion of that will go to Turkey and the rest to Europe.

Erdogan said the first gas delivery to the Greek border is set for June 2019.

"We have sent our first local and national drilling ship, the Fatih, to the Mediterranean. With this ship and its cutting-edge technology, we have addressed an important shortcoming of our country," Erdogan said, adding that they have boosted Turkey's renewable energy resources' installed power from 12,305 megawatts to 40,838 megawatts.

The project

TANAP is a natural gas pipeline stretching from the Turkish-Georgian border to the Turkish-Greek border to supply natural gas to both Turkey and the European countries.

The 1,850-km pipeline is the largest section of the 3,500-km Southern Gas Corridor, which was inaugurated on May 29 in Baku.

TANAP, with around $8 billion in investment, will deliver 6 billion cubic metres of Azeri gas to Turkey and 10 billion cubic metres to Europe per year.

The European part of the project is expected to be operational in 2020.

The TANAP project has seen the employment of around 13,000 people.

The estimated investment cost was $11.7 billion at the start of the project, but this figure has been revised down to $7.99 billion.

TANAP will be followed by an 878-km cross-border natural gas pipeline, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

TAP is currently under construction, stretching from the Greek-Turkish border crossing Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to Italy. At its entry point, TAP will connect to TANAP in Turkey.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                      13 June 2018

First non-stop Qatar Airway's flight to Antalya inaugurated today. It marks Qatar Airway's 7th gateway into Turkey and third new route for the airline in 2018.

The seasonal service to Antalya will be operated by an Airbus A320 until 30th September 2018.

Flight Schedule: (13 June – 30 September)

Doha (DOH) to Antalya (AYT) QR 315 Departs 07:05 AM, Arrives 11:30 AM (Wednesday, Sunday)

Antalya (AYT) to Doha (DOH) QR 316 Departs 12:30 PM, Arrives 16:30 PM (Wednesday, Sunday)

Antalya is the largest city on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, and boasts a 400-mile sweep of white sand beaches and secluded coves. The ‘Gateway to the Turkish Riviera’ offers coastal scenery dotted with olive and citrus groves, avocado plantations and the Taurus Mountains, all set against a backdrop of yacht-filled marinas, traditional bazaars and Ottoman architecture. Antalya’s beautiful turquoise waters and ancient ruins attracts tourists from around the world.

Visitors can enjoy the many hotels in the coastal resort towns of Alanya, Side, Belek, Kas and Kalkan, or take a trip to Perge, Aspendos, Termesoss, or the Duden Waterfalls. Divers can explore the sunken city near Kekova, while golf lovers can perfect their swings at the various world-class golf courses in Belek.

Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways said: “We are delighted to launch direct services to Antalya, our seventh gateway into Turkey, only one day after we commenced direct services to the Turkish resort city of Bodrum. These new routes reinforce and deepen the already strong ties that exist between the State of Qatar and Turkey. Antalya is a major destination during the summer leisure season, due to its prime location on the country's beautiful Mediterranean coast. We are delighted to now be able to introduce holidaymakers to beautiful Antalya and all it has to offer.”

New twice-weekly service to Antalya offers five-star comfort on its Airbus A320 aircraft, with 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class. The seasonal service will be operated every Wednesday and Sunday until 30 September 2018.

Qatar Airways now operates flights to seven destinations in Turkey:

Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport (twice a day)                                                                                                                          Istanbul Ataturk Airport (10 times a week),                                                                                                                            Adana Airport (three times a week),                                                                                                                                      Hatay Airport (three times a week) and                                                                                                                                Daily flights to Ankara.

The award-winning airline launched direct services to Adana in September 2017 and to Hatay in February 2018. The new twice-weekly services to Bodrum and Antalya increase the airline’s total weekly frequency to 82 flights a week between Turkey and the State of Qatar.

 

Moscow                                                                                                                                                                                              13 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                    (Reuters)

The leaders of Mexico and Canada gleefully cheered winning the right to host the 2026 World Cup jointly with the United States on Wednesday, emphasizing unity at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has frayed relations with the two neighbors during his 18 months in office.

Trump, who as part of a tougher U.S. immigration policy has called for a wall to be built on the country’s southern border and paid for by Mexico, just days ago personally insulted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over a trade dispute.

U.S. Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro suggested to reporters on a conference call that bringing the three countries together was more of a challenge than any Trump effect.

“If you stop and appreciate for a second just the vast number of assurances, guarantees that we had to get from all three governments working together, that is a massive undertaking for one nation, let alone three nations,” Cordeiro said after the vote by the Congress of world soccer’s governing body FIFA in Moscow, where the 2018 World Cup kicks off on Thursday.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                  11 June 2018

The 12th edition of Milipol Qatar 2018, is expected to witness a wide global participation of companies operating in the internal security sector, which will be the largest since its launch in 1996.

Milipol Qatar 2018 Committee revealed in a statement that the exhibition, which is set to take place from 29-31 October, will see the participation of a wide range of leading local and international companies working in the field of internal security and civil defense, noting that Milipol Qatar 2018 and Civil Defense Exhibition and Conference have been merged into a single exhibition.

Milipol Qatar is one of the most important international exhibitions in the Middle East and North Africa, with Milipol Paris and Melipol (Asia and the Pacific) are a leading international network of exhibitions dedicated to providing security services, technologies, and innovations.

Milipol Qatar exhibition sheds light on the latest and extensive range of defense, security, detection, and prevention solutions to protect populations. This years edition will, for the first time, include live demonstrations, where exhibitors, visitors, and buyers can witness new products and innovations in action.

Milipol Qatar 2018 will define the future of internal security and public safety with the world's leading homeland defense specialists and industry experts set to gather in one location for this unique event.

The exhibition will feature local and international exhibitors and several country pavilions including Italy, France, Germany, UK and North America.

Milipol Qatar 2018 presents a unique opportunity for international homeland security solutions providers to demonstrate their latest innovations to protect internal and international borders.

Homeland security and public safety is an ever-growing industry with worldwide spending set to reach USD 96 billion by the end of this year according to Gartner, the worlds leading research and advisory company.

Milipol Qatar 2018, the leading event dedicated to Homeland Security in the Middle East, will bring together key global civil defense players, for a range of focused conference sessions and agenda-setting panel discussions on the latest and emerging civil defense trends and best practices.

President of Milipol Qatar Committee Brig. Nasser bin Fahad Al-Thani said: "The 12th edition of Milipol Qatar will be the most engaging event in the exhibitions history and it presents a myriad of opportunities for our security partners from around the world to demonstrate their products and services designed to enhance internal security and safety while networking with global industry experts and emerging players,"

"Milipol Qatar 2018 will further emphasize Qatars position as a crucial destination for top-level exhibitions and conferences in the future and we very much looking forward to an intriguing agenda-shaping exhibition in October."

This year's exhibition is expected to witness discussion seminars and important discussions on internal security issues at various levels, in the presence of a group of thought leaders and experts from different countries around the world.

Moscow                                                                                                                                                                                                 11 June 2018                                                                                                                                                                                         (Tass News)

About 25,000 people visited Moscow’s FIFA Fan Fest on its opening day, FIFA said in a press release on Monday.

On Sunday, the Fan Fest opened doors outside the main building of Moscow State University on Vorobyevy Gory (Sparrow Hills) in the Russian capital.

French FIFA World Cup champion Marcel Desailly, Russia’s all-time top scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Moscow’s Head of Sports Department and Tourism Nikolay Gulyaev "took to the stage to greet the crowd." Desailly presented the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy.

Fan fest areas will be open in all the host cities during the tournament. They will entertain the visitors with live coverage of the games and, on top of that, with expansive entertainment programs and shows.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday with the opening match in the Russian capital of Moscow between hosts Russia and the national team from Saudi Arabia.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara. The matches will be played from June 14 through to July 15. Two stadiums in Moscow - Luzhniki and Spartak - will host some of them.

More:
http://tass.com/sport/1009123