Monthly Archives: January 2009

By Abbas Djavadi – A few days before the treason trial of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan begins on the prison island of Imrali, Turkish media continue to reflect only one side of the story, that of Turkish … Continue reading →

By Abbas Djavadi – Turkey’s top officials have hinted that the treason trial of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan might be postponed until the country’s new parliament changes legislation governing the state security courts where Ocalan will be … Continue reading →

By Abbas Djavadi – “He will be hanged, with or without a trial.” That’s the view of a young lottery vendor on Istanbul’s Taksim square. It’s indicative of public expectations in Turkey as the country prepares for the high-profile trial … Continue reading →

By Abbas Djavadi – A commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, has taken steps to defuse a potentially damaging row between Central Asian neighbours Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The row can be said to have its … Continue reading →

By Abbas Djavadi – Tajikistan’s government and its Islamic Tajik opposition have embarked on an unprecedented experiment. Two previously hostile groups are joining to form a government and a unified army. One group, the Moscow-backed national administration, consists of former … Continue reading →

By Abbas Djavadi – Tajik President Imomali Rahmonov and Tajik opposition leader Abdulloh Nuri met in Mashhad in northeastern Iran today and agreed on the formation of a coalition government and the composition of a reconciliation commission. The government will … Continue reading →

Turkish-German parliamentarian Cem Ozdemir’s election as German Green Party’s co-chairman is most welcome in Turkey. But would Turks themselves elect a non-Turk or a non-Muslim as their president, or prime minister, or a party chairperson? Continue reading →

  By Abbas Djavadi – Iraq’s parliament is nearing a vote on a long-awaited security agreement with the United States. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s cabinet backed the agreement on November 16 and lawmakers are expected to vote on it by … Continue reading →