03 December 2012

UN Votes to Upgrade Palestinian Status

The United Nations General

Assembly has voted in favour of

upgrading the Palestinians status

to that of a non-member observer

state. The vote was taken at a

meeting of the body in New York,

with 138 countries voting in

favour of the upgrade. Nine

countries voted against it, and 41

others abstained. Thousands of

Palestinians gathered across the

West Bank and Gaza to

demonstrate their support for the

fresh attempt by President

Mahmoud Abbas to secure the

status. Palestinians were

previously listed as a UN observer

"entity" with no voting rights. The

new status is an indirect

recognition of the Palestinians'

claims on statehood in the West

Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza

Strip. It allows them to join a

number of UN agencies, as well as

the International Criminal Court

(ICC). Abbas addressed the Gene-

ral Assembly ahead of the vote.

Continues in Page 7...

President Juan Manuel Santos

said that Colombia has pulled out

of a pact recognising the

International Court of Justice

(ICJ)'s jurisdiction over its

territorial disputes. 'Colombia

withdrew from the (1948) Pact of

Bogota on (Tuesday). The

corresponding notice was given to

the secretary-general of the

Organisation of American States,'

Santos said. Wednesday's

decision comes nine days after

the ICJ redrew Colombia's

maritime border in the Caribbean

in favour of Nicaragua. Santos

said his decision adheres to the

basic principle that 'territorial and

maritime borders are set through

(bilateral) treaties, as has been

the legal tradition in Colombia'.

The Hague-based ICJ ruled on

November 19 that seven

Caribbean islands belong to

Colombia, ending a three decade-

long dispute between the Andean

nation and Nicaragua.

Continues in Page 3...

Colombia Withdraws from the ICJ

THIS

WEEK

EUROPE

PAGE 2

AMERICAS

PAGE 3

OPINION

PAGE 4-5

ASIA

PAGE 6

MIDDLE EAST&AFRICA

PAGE 7

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

PAGE 8-9

TURKEY

PAGE 10

SOCIAL

PAGE 11

EDITORIAL

PAGE 12

Overwhelming majority of states vote to give Palestinians non-member observer status, despite

Israeli criticism.

Volume 7, Issue 7

The Andean nation expressed its discontent with the Court’s decision regarding territorial and

maritime dispute with Nicaragua and decided to withdraw from the Bogota Pact

EUROPE

PAGE 2

EU Cuts Syria Sanctions Term to

Possibly Help Rebels

Ireland looks set to bring in

laws reforming the

country's limited ban on

abortion in the new year.

The Health Minister James

Reilly revealed that the

government will make its

decision on whether to

introduce a combination of

legislation and regulations

by the end of next month.

Independent / November

27, 2012

French President Francois

Hollande has met the

owner of steel giant Arcelor

Mittal, after saying he

would discuss nationalising

one of its plants.

BBC / November 27, 2012

Eurozone nations should

be prepared to ease up on

deficit reductions to avoid

pushing the single currency

area into a deeper slump,

the Organisation for

Economic Co-operation and

Development argued

yesterday.

Independent / November

28, 2012

Hungarian MP Denounced for 'Jewish List' Call Marton Gyongyosi, Jobbik party deputy leader, said residents of Jewish origin should be listed for

security.

A call in the Hungarian parliament for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security has

sparked international condemnation of Nazi-style policies and a protest outside the legislature in

Budapest. The parliamentarian, from the far-right Jobbik party, dismissed demands on Tuesday that he resign, however, and said his remarks during a debate on Monday had been misunderstood. Marton

Gyongyosi said he was referring only to Hungarians with Israeli passports. Hundreds of demonstrators

gathered outside parliament, many wearing the kind of yellow stars forced

on Europe's Jews in the 1940s and some chanting "Nazis go home" at

Jobbik members. Prime Minister Viktor Orban issued a statement on

Tuesday condemning the remarks by Gyongyosi. "The Hungarian government condemns in the strongest possible terms remarks made by

Jobbik's Marton Gyongyosi in parliament and is opposed to all expressions

of extremism, racist or anti-Semitic, and does everything in its power to

combat it." the statement said. Al Jazeera / November 28, 2012

The European Union will reduce its renewal term for sanctions

on Syria to three months.

EU will reduce its renewal term for sanctions on Syria to make it easier in

future to equip rebels fighting to depose Assad, EU diplomats said. EU

sanctions on Syria include visa bans and asset freezes on individuals and businesses connected to Assad's government and an embargo on the

supply of arms to the country, imposed to prevent the flow of weapons to

Assad's forces. The current sanctions package was expected to be extended

for a year. But following a British push, they will now be renewed by three

months instead. The shorter review period would "allow the EU to look at

amendments to the embargo to possibly allow the supply of forms of non-lethal training and equipment to the Syrian rebels, she said. Reuters /

November 28, 2012

Strict legal regulations are now a necessity says Lord Justice Leveson.

Amid the aftermath of the News of the World hacking scandal, the subse-

quent Leveson Inquiry has put forward its recommendation that the British

Press should be regulated and overseen by an „independent group sup-

ported by law and with the power to fine‟. This independent group is not to be government created to ensure freedom of press is maintained, but that

the group should be industry created. The Prime Minister, who ordered the

inquiry, has said that he agrees with

the recommendations and says the

onus is now on the media industry to

implement them rapidly. He added that the pain and misery that the UK news

media industry has put on to people is

beyond what we can imagine. A senti-

ment shared by the UK population.

CNN / November 30, 2012

Leveson Inquiry Calls for Regula-tion on British Press

AMERICAS

PAGE 3

Continues from Page 1...

The world court had earlier confirmed Bogota's claim to the larger islands of San Andres, Providencia and

Santa Catalina, part of an archipelago that lies 775km from mainland Colombia and 220km from the

coast of Nicaragua. While giving the islands to Colombia, the decision also significantly expanded the

waters under Nicaraguan control. The tourist haven of San Andres has been at the centre of the

historical dispute, which goes back to the 1800s. Nicaragua took its case to

The Hague, Netherlands, in 2001. Colombia was expecting to lose some of

its territorial waters, but experts were surprised by the amount put in play.

Carlos Arguello, Nicaragua's ambassador to the ICJ, said Colombia's

withdrawal from the body 'makes no sense,' because it won't influence the

ruling. Arguello said Colombia's pretension that the court draw the

maritime boundary between the far-flung San Andres and the Nicaraguan

mainland was unreasonable. 'It's impossible that Colombia seriously

believed that we were going to remain trapped,' he told Nicaragua's La

Prensa newspaper. Sky News / November 29, 2012

US Envoy Susan Rice Admits

Benghazi Attack Error

Oil Royalties Bill Ignites Protest and Divides Parts of Brazil

Venezuelan President

Hugo Chavez arrived in Havana early Wednesday

for a new round of medical

treatment, Cuban state

media reported. The timing

of his departure, weeks before regional elections in

Venezuela, has fueled

renewed speculation about

the president's health.

CNN / November 28, 2012

For the first time in living

memory, New York has

spent a day entirely

without violent crime.

Despite a July spike in

homicides, the city's

murder rate is on target to

hit its lowest point since

1960.

BBC / November 29,

2012.

Toronto's mayor Rob Ford,

was ordered out of office

on Monday after a judge

found him guilty of

breaking conflict-of-

interest laws.

Reuters / Nov. 26, 2012

Colombia Withdraws from the ICJ

Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

The aim was to protest a bill aimed at shifting big portions of oil royalties

from petroleum-rich states along Brazil‟s coast to regions across the coun-

try. If enacted, the legislation would deal a blow to Rio de Janeiro, the nerve

center of Brazil‟s expanding oil industry and the host of the 2014 World Cup

and the 2016 Summer Olympics. A few coastal oil-producing states, includ-

ing Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, estimate that the legislation would

cost them about $3 billion a year and damage their capacity to respond to

oil spills off their coasts. But officials in states without oil production argue

that their relatively meager budgets would receive a much-needed boost

from the legislation. New York Times / November 26, 2012

UN Ambassador Susan Rice said there had been no attempt to mislead

the public, but Republicans were unconvinced.

After meeting Ms Rice on Tuesday, senators said they were troubled. White

House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Tuesday there were "no unan-swered questions" about Ms Rice's response to the Benghazi incident, ac-

cusing Republicans of being obsessed with it. Republicans are demanding a

joint committee investigate the attack.

Current Secretary of State Clinton is not

expected to continue in the role for a sec-

ond four-year term. The Obama admini-stration would need the support of the

Senate for any nomination to the post.

After winning re-election, Obama vigor-

ously defended Ms Rice, calling Republi-

can criticism of her "outrageous". BBC / November 28, 2012

PAGE 4

OPINIONS

AMERICAS

TURKEY

UN Expert: Turkey Must Do More to End

Unlawful Killings

United Nations Special Reporter Christof Heyns explained that while Turkey has made progress in

cracking down on extrajudicial killings, it still has a long way to go in remedying the problem.

The report has not finished yet that Heyns will present it on the UN Human Rights Council in the next

year and the result will evaluated two years later. He made some official and unofficial negotiations in

Istanbul, Diyarbakır and Ankara and come up with some consequences which Turkey wouldn‟t like that

Henys explained that he has still some human rights concerns for Turkey. In the sense of human rights,

he pointed out some critical issues that firstly, there is some breach of life, for example, the criminals

couldn‟t be punished and the responsibles couldn‟t be founded, and also he argues that the legal process

extends over a long time. Secondly, he reminds that the Uludere report has not been finished yet but he

took a promise from the authorities that it will be ended until the 15th of the December. Finally, he also

pointed out the „honor killings‟ and „violence against the women‟ in Turkey that it is still a reality of Tur-

key. I think this issue is the one of the most important subject in the sense of human rights because re-

cently, we are very familiar the violence to the women that it is very common almost all parts of the coun-

try from East to the West. Although some measures tried to be taken and the consciousness tried to be

increased, the problem is still a big obstacle for human rights in Turkey.

Yağmur ERŞAN

Land of the Free, Home of the Drones With the amendment to National Defense Authorization Act on the Senate floor, it’s time to take a

trip down memory lane.

“When you suspend habeas corpus, which has been a principle dating before even out country. It's the foundation of Anglo-American law, which says very simply if the government grabs you then you have the right to at least ask „Why was I grabbed?‟ and say maybe you've got the wrong person. The reason for that is because we don't always have the right person.“ Do you know who this quote belongs to? I‟ll give

you a hint. He signed an act into law which states that the U.S. military can hold non-U.S. citizens in-

definitely without a trial. He claimed to release prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that are perceived as inno-

cents, but then back pedalled, and said that there‟s a gray area, those not going to receive a trial, but not going to be released either. He‟s Barack Hussein Obama. And he‟s a hypocrite.

The quote is from his campaign back in „08. I was in America that year. I lived in Tucson, Arizona

for a year with an American family, and around Christmas, I went up north to visit a friend in Oregon; an

exchange student living with an American family just like me. The father of the family, a lovely man named Dean, said to me a couple of words that haunt me to this day. “You‟re lucky to be in America this year” he said, “change is coming and everything‟s looking up”. I‟m sorry Dean. You, as a nation, put you

faith in the wrong man. This man is nothing he said he was going to be. A constitutional law professor

who was going to defend the document of the Founding Fathers? He‟s ordering drone strikes all over the

world against “unknown militants” now, because it‟s easier than capturing them and retaining them be-

cause of the political heat that action brings. Don‟t want to confront the American people and the Repub-licans in the capturing, detention and possible trial/no trial of a perceived terrorist? Just bomb „em. No

harm, no foul.

I‟m sorry, but I call this hypocrisy at its finest. Oh maybe you‟re going to say that this was his

first term, and he had worries of not getting re-elected? Well, he doesn‟t have any now. But the Senate is voting for an amendment to the NDAA that will possibly give the military to exercise police-like powers

against non-citizens within the U.S. soil. Will he sign that into law? You want my guess? He will. Because

Democrat is just another word for a Republican, and a politician is always a politician.

Yiğitcan ERDOĞAN

PAGE 5

OPINIONS

ASIA

TURKEY The Turkish Nation, Always the Hero

Turkish foreign policy has changed over the years, and there is still much to come

Without a doubt, the biggest debate in Turkish foreign policy in recent years has shaped around the con-

cept of Neo-Ottomanism. This idea is almost the core of Turkish foreign policy today, yet there are many question marks in the people‟s minds about it. In order to answer these questions, we first have to define

this political trend. Neo-Ottomanism is a political ideology which states that contemporary Turkish state

has a right of influence over the areas the Ottoman state has lost in the Balkan Wars and World War I

and should actively be involved in the region‟s troubles to increase power in the international arena. At

the heart of this trend, lies the popular political movements of the Empire‟s dissolution period: Ottoman-

ism and Islamism. So what happened that resurfaced this ideology that was put forth by the intellectuals and bureaucrats that predicted the downfall of the Empire, today? My belief is that the bureaucracy that

witnessed the corruption of the Ottoman State transformed itself into the Turkish Republic and an al-

most isolationist policy was followed abroad with a unitary state within. But in the 80 years that fol-

lowed, Turkey got in to a position where it possesses one of the strongest armies in the world and an

economy that is 17th most strongest; making a wish for a more active participation in the Balkans, Mid-dle East and even Central Asia as a centre of power nothing of a surprise. On top of that, the turbulent

situation and the oil reserves of the Middle East is attracting such displays of power, and Davutoğlu

makes no efforts to hide this in his speeches; but of course, he veils these in words of religious and his-

torical camaraderie. This new policy receives support from the Western powers, but Assad thinks other-

wise, believing Erdoğan to be playing “Caliph”. It is also possible to say that Russia is disturbed by the

increasing Turkish influence over Central Asia. U.S. on the other hand, seems to be wishing a „good cop‟ placed in the Middle East near Israel, because in the Middle East, animosity against the United States is

increasing because of the unconditional support for Israel despite the country‟s crowded rap sheet. It is

also not far fetched to think that the superpower might want to deal with its problems in the area with an

ally that won‟t misbehave. Whatever Turkey might gain or lose with this ideology that is being shaped

around Davutoğlu‟s “Strategic Depth” will be apparent in time. But one fact remains, approaching all is-sues in the Middle East including Syria and Palestine with Neo-Ottomanism will result in either a big pay

-off, or a big payback. Salihpaşa Demirbaş

Nuclear Ambitions of North Korea North Korea’s insistence on launching long-range rockets creates resentment through interna-

tional community.

Although being one of the most heavily sanctioned states, North Korea continues to see the nuclear

weapons as a primary tool to reach its political aims. There might have been multifaceted motivations

behind North Korea‟s ambitions. With this act, North Korea is flexing its nuclear muscles to gain superi-

ority in its relations with the United States for the prospective negotiations. This year in October, North Korea claimed that it has missiles that can reach the United States mainland. The international concerns

regarding the weapon technology of the North was eased by the previous unsuccessful launch which took

place in April 2012. The failure revealed that the technology for an intercontinental weapon has not been

perfected yet. Therefore, the success of this new attempt has a key role in determining the capability of

the North to strike the US directly. In addition, some argues that North Korea wants to utilize the launch to bolster internal unity, underlining that it coincides with the first anniversary of the rule of Kim Jong-

un. If this is the case, there certainly are many other more appropriate ways to pay tribute to the first

year of the new leader. Such provocative acts are the greatest obstacles for healthy international relations

freed from fear and tensions. There are several United Nations resolutions to ban North Korea from con-

ducting weapons test requiring missile technology. The attempt was responded by condemnation by the

international community on the grounds that it will damage the prospects of peace and stability. The United Nations warned Pyogyang underlining that “it would be extremely inadvisable to proceed with the

test.” Japan, on the other hand, ordered its military to prepare to shoot down the North Korean missiles

should they be heading towards Japan, and postponed bilateral talks with North Korea. In defiance of

these sanctions and condemnations and at the expense of international security, North Korea does not

seem to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Cansu Buluklu

PAGE 6

ASIA

ASIA

Presidential Campaign Starts in

South Korea

Deadly blast shook

Pakistani city as

worshippers marked the

sacred holiday of Ashura. It

occurred near a Shiite

Muslim procession in Dera

Ismail Khan, killing five

people and injuring more

than 70. Pakistani Taliban

claimed responsibility for

the explosion.

CNN / November 26, 2012

The Philippines declared

that it will not stamp visas

in the new Chinese

passport because it

contains a map showing

parts of the South China

Sea, claimed by the

Philippines, as Chinese

territory. Al Jazeera /

November 29, 2012

Taliban suicide bombers

have killed four Afghan

soldiers and wounded Nato

troops in an attack on a

joint US–Afghan airbase in

eastern Afghanistan.

BBC / December 2, 2012

Russia Pressuring Assad for End to Violence Russia's leadership is pushing Damascus to stop military operations against the country’s

insurgency in order to enable a political solution to the standoff in Syria

“To stop all the attacks of the regime – it will be a great victory for those who want peace. I think they [the

Russian Foreign Ministry] sent something to the Syrian regime, a very strong message about it,” said

Haytham Manna, a member of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change in Syria (NCC), speaking on the sidelines of a news conference. Russia has promoted a political solution to the

crisis throughout the entire 20-month-long standoff in Syria, vetoing three resolutions in the UN Security

Council that called for tougher measures against Assad. However, Russia’s

envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said on late Thursday that “we are trying

to pressure the government in Syria, to convince them there is no military

solution to the crisis and to sit them down at the negotiating table with the opposition,” Itar-Tass reported. The NCC plans to hold a conference in

Rome on December 17-18 in a bid to further unite Syrian opposition

groups. RIA Novosti / November 29,2012

Daughter of former military strongman Park Chung-hee faces off with

a son of a North Korean refugee.

South Korea's two main presidential hopefuls are running neck and neck

with the election barely a month away, the latest polls showed after a popu-

lar independent candidate bowed out of the race. The latest survey was released as the candidates, including the daughter of former military ruler

Park Chung-hee, officially begin campaigning on Tuesday. Election is set on

December 19. The two main candidates seeking to replace Lee Myung-bak

are Park Geun-hye, of the ruling Saenuri Party, and Moon Jae-in, from the

main opposition Democratic United Party. Park wants to follow in the

footsteps of her father, who ruled South Korea for 18 years until his assassination in 1979. She also served as the unofficial first lady of South

Korea after her mother Yuk Young-soo was killed by a North Korean

sympathiser from Japan. Both parties have promised for greater economic

democracy and beter social welfare. Al Jazeera / November 27, 2012

North Korea is to launch a long-range rocket between 10 and 22 De-

cember, its official news agency says.

The announcement is likely to increase tensions with North Korea's neighbors, with South Korea expressing concern over Pyongyang's an-

nouncement. South Korean officials called the move a "grave provocation"

and a "challenge to the international community". The atmosphere in South

Korea is especially tense as the country prepares for a presidential election scheduled for 19 December. North Korea's most recent rocket launch, in

April, was a failure. The US, Japan

and South Korea said the rocket

flew only for a short time before

breaking up and crashing into wa-

ters off the Korean peninsula. Ear-lier this week South Korea halted a

satellite launch minutes before take

-off after problems were found dur-

ing the final checks.

BBC / December 1, 2012

North Korea’s New Rocket Plan

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

PAGE 7

Continue from Page 1...

Abbas referenced the recent Israeli assault on Gaza, saying that Palestine had come to the UN at time

when they were "still tending to [their] wounds and still burying [their] beloved martyrs of children,

women and men who have fallen victim to the latest Israeli aggression". "What permits the Israeli

government to blatantly continue with its aggressive policies and the perpetration of war crimes stems

from its conviction that it is above the law and that it has immunity from accountability and

consequences [...] The moment has arrived for the world to say clearly:

Enough of aggression, settlements and occupation." He said that the

Palestinians were not seeking to "delegitimise" Israel, but to affirm the

legitimacy of Palestine as a state. This recognition of an upgraded UN status

was the beginning of "a final serious attempt to achieve peace", he said,

stressing that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was seeking to

"breathe new life" into negotiations. Al Jazeera / November 29, 2012

Israel's political world has been shaken by Defence Minister Ehud Ba-

rak suddenly quitting politics just weeks ahead of a general election.

"I didn't make this decision without hesitating, but I made it

wholeheartedly," he told a hastily arranged news conference, saying he had

been wrestling with the decision for weeks. Mr Barak made the surprise

announcement even after polls showed his

breakaway Independence Party gaining

momentum after Israel's recent military

offensive in the Gaza Strip. "I feel I have

exhausted my political activity, which had

never been an object of desire for me. There

are many ways for me to serve the country,

not just through politics," he said, adding

his decision was spurred in part by his

desire to spend more time with his family.

Independent / November 26, 2012

Ehud Barak Quits Politics

Gunmen killed a Saudi diplomat and his Yemeni bodyguard on a busy

street in the capital Wednesday.

The diplomat was inside his vehicle about noon when another vehicle

blocked the road, according to a Yemeni security official. The gunmen

stepped out of their vehicle and began firing into the diplomat's car. ."Both

the diplomat and his bodyguard were shot in the head," said the official,

who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to

speak to the media.In 2009, Saudi Arabia used fighter jets to bomb Yemeni

Shiite Houthi rebels engaged in a civil war with Yemen's government,

claiming that the rebels had crossed into the country. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni

Muslim power, is concerned that the Houthi could create a Shiite state,

backed by Iran's theocracy, along its borders. Independent / Nov. 29, 2012

Phone and internet

networks were down

across most of Syria for a

second straight day, amid

reports of fighting near the

capital’s international

airport. The length of

internet blackout is

unprecedented in Syria's

20-month-old uprising

aga i ns t A ss a d . Al

Jazeera / Nov. 30, 2012

Following Friday prayers,

the numbers protesting

against Egypt’s draft

constitution grew. The

demonstrators say the

proposals will restrict

freedom of speech and

could give Muslim clerics

the chance to oversee new

legislation. Euronews /

November 30, 2012

Ahmadinejad has moved

his chief of staff, seen as a

potential successor and a

target of criticism from

hardline conservatives, to

another job in a pres

conference. Haaretz /

December 1, 2012

UN votes to upgrade Palestinian status

Saudi Diplomat Shot Dead in

Yemeni Capital

PAGE 8

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Larbi SADIKI

Senior Lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Exeter

It is "very healthy" that Arabs protest when a president claims new sweeping powers that

"undermine their revolutions".

Today, new Egypt is re-constituting itself through public engagement, not disengagement as in

the Mubarak era. The notion of an omnipresent president no longer exists. Even Morsi buckles under

pressure; and he may have to rescind decisions and inevitably may have no option but to retract or

adjust some of his latest decrees. This may in the short run be at the expense of his standing. However,

in the long run it will strengthen his profile as a resilient and responsive president. The latest sparring

between state and society should be taken as evidence of a country re-constituting itself dialogically, even

if this means interim confusion, low-key violence and cacophony, from within and without.

The anatomy of the latest crisis - which should be looked as pertinent to democratic

reconstruction in a context of state-society relations still shackled by a 60-year-old dictatorial legacy -

can be outlined through an approach that considers the fundamentals of the crises unfurling in Egypt -

and this partly has consequences for both Libya and Tunisia.There is a sparring going on in Egypt

between old and new, decaying institutions and others awaiting democratic midwifery to see birth. In a

way, the dialectic of life-death makes sense in this context. In this sense, the Libyans are luckier than

their Egyptian and Tunisian neighbours. They are more or less starting with a clean state. The February

17 revolution may be legitimately called dissolution. Gaddafi's authoritarian structures of power

witnessed a total melt-down. Libyans worry more about tribe and region, which ignite dissension and

foment tension and rebellion.In Egypt and Tunisia, the biggest challenge at the core of democratic

reconstruction is surpassing the surviving forces, voices, discourses and their supporting networks. In

both, the media, business, civil society and the legal profession forces of conservatism refuse to adjust -

much less "die". There is one difference: the armed forces and the arts constitute two additional arenas

where vestiges of the ancien regime have outlived the ousted ruling head of state and co-dependent inner

circles in Egypt. In Tunisia, where the army is small and marginal, it is from within the trade union

movement that challenge to the new rulers is mounted, mobilised and organised. Morsi is up against

decaying forces, namely within the judiciary and the media, that cannot be expunged all at once.

This is the key to unlocking how Morsi is attempting to create openings for corroding the remnant

forces of the old system of which the legal system is the most challenging, powerful, plural (Bar

association, Judges associations, Supreme Constitutional Court and the Supreme Juridical Council) and

the hardest to reform. Morsi seems to be working to a plan - and therefore I do not view the latest crisis

as some kind of ill-thought decision taken on the spur of the moment. Banking on his success in the

negotiation of the Gaza ceasefire, Morsi picked another moment in his incremental strategy to rid the

state he presides over of an arm of the judiciary appointed by none other than Mubarak himself. On this

count, Morsi has not committed errors of judgement. The judiciary calls for reform in Egypt; it is not

totally impartial in either its politics or composition. When judges stage a protest calling for the downfall

of the regime - as if Morsi, the legitimate president, is on par with Mubarak - then there is something

wrong with the judiciary: it has trespassed its jurisdiction in that it may be taking sides in a fight

between partisan foes, the Islamists on the one side, and the liberals and leftists united against Morsi's

latest decrees, on the other. Where Morsi was wrong was at his strategy of how to reform and change

corrupt and impartial judges. There are many examples from the world of how to go about this. Since

winning office in July, Morsi is simply trying to avoid a repeat of the Supreme Constitutional Court's

June 2012 decision to dissolve the Islamist-led parliament. Since then, the scene has been set for a

battle of wills between the judges and the president.

Morsi has had some success. In a daring and calculated fashion, but executed deftly and

smoothly, he dismissed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in August. This move meant

retiring Egypt's two top generals, Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi and General Sami Enan, but he kept

Re-Constituting Egypt

PAGE 9

them in his political entourage as advisers. Morsi, however, played his cards skilfully by not opting for

replacements from outside SCAF. Instead, he recruited the youngest SCAF general, Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi,

a military intelligence chief, as Tantawi's replacement. SCAF had the support of members of the

conservative judiciary on which it must have relied to draft its March 2011 constitutional declaration,

arrogating to unfettered powers.In June 2012, SCAF and the Supreme Constitutional Court worked in

tandem, more or less conspiring against the country's freest and fairest elections ever. The latter declared

the elected parliament null, invoking the unconstitutionality of the electoral process. The former, a week

later, issued its June declaration in anticipation of Morsi's victory, limiting the powers of the president-to

-be. The laws invoked for declaring the unconstitutionality of the elections are not themselves crystal

clear, and may be open to all kinds of interpretation as the country had an impartial judiciary.

Many forces and discourses in the country's civil society, such as the April 6 Movement, protested

vehemently and loudly against SCAF's threat to the revolution and democratic process. Others who are

now up in arms, with some justification, against a few of the prerogatives Morsi granted himself were not

as vociferous as they are today. And this is confusing - the problem is not that Morsi's "grab of power" is

turning Egypt's first popularly elected president into a Pharaoh. Rather, fundamentally the notion of an

Islamist president like that of an Islamist-leading parliament has not yet been accepted. The sparring

between Islamists and non-Islamists will continue unabated in the foreseeable future. Plus, there is the

problem of old habits die hard: if elections do not produce favourable results they must be re-done.

Contests in a democracy are periodic: the problem is that some forces within the opposition in Egypt, like

in Tunisia, do not yet know "how" to go about the job of the opposition. They know little about the "how"

of opposition and focus so much on the "who" of opposition: objecting to all things Islamist at all cost.

For, there is no way out of the current impasse in Egypt, and this applies to Tunisia, if the opposition

hangs on to the idea that the constitutional processes nearly 80 per cent completed must be abandoned

in favour of new elections for new Constituent Assemblies. Should the current process in Egypt be

completely abandoned in favour of new elections, the country will suffer not only from the dire

consequences of constitutional and political vacuum, but also from endless abortions of the electoral and

democratic processes.

It is expensive to hold elections every six months in a country like Egypt with its multi-stage and

complex polls. The 100-member committee assigned to frame the constitution must be encouraged to get

on with the job: the practice of boycotts and walk-outs does not measure up to the vocation of law-

making, which is expected to be painstaking, arduous, complex and not linear. If Islamists, leftists and

liberal forces within parliament agree to disagree, this must be seen as part and parcel of the vocation of

legislators who must parley to resolve differences. Credible figures, including Abdel Moneim Aboul

Fotouh, Mohamed El-Baradei, Amr Moussa and Hamdeen Sabahi have got so much potential. They must

build their constituencies, prepare their programmes and ready themselves for the next round of

democratic contests. In fairness to El-Baradei, he is not asking for dissolution of the current parliament

unlike some outlandish voices lost in the new game of democratic reconstruction. A constitution is not

the Quran: it can be amended and re-amended in the future if it has questionable articles inimical to

democratic reconstruction or civil and political freedoms. Note that Mubarak and others were ousted

because they did not know when to stop when they had plenty of warning and time. Even the idea by the

newly-appointed Prosecutor General, Talaat Ibrahim Abdallah, of revolutionary courts to retry figures

from the Mubarak era may need to wait till Egypt goes beyond the interim period of constitution-framing;

holds new elections; and has in place a reformed judicial system.

Similarly, it is very healthy that Arab citizens protest when a president claims new sweeping

powers that undermine their revolutions. Egypt has no shortage of talent and cadres and its social

capital bodes well for defusing the current stand-off between the Islamist-led government and an

opposition searching for an identity, role and may be a public.

In the final scheme of things, the missing link in all of the crises witnessed in Egypt, Libya and

Tunisia is the absence of legal frameworks and a spirit of laws for reconstituting and re-imagining

societies, states and communities. Constitutions alone do not provide this. What is required iAs the legal

ethos that bans branches of government to expand, illegally, at the expense of the others and to infringe

on each other's function and ultimately the freedoms conferred upon the public by revolutions, which

belong to the people.

Al Jazeera/ November 29, 2012

TURKEY

PAGE 10

The president calls for progress in the right direction instead of revisiting past mistakes by

stripping MPs’ immunity, telling the BDP not to praise terror.

Abdullah Gül reiterated his opposition to lifting the immunity of BDP deputies and one independent

deputy, urging the government not to push Turkey toward a dead end. Once close fellows and cofounders

of the AKP, Gül and Erdoğan now differ on a number of critical issues. Erdoğan seemed committed to

push for the lifting of the immunities of the deputies, asking his parliamentary group to take the

necessary action in this regard. The discussion emerged after Gültan

KıĢanak, co-chair of the BDP, was pictured hugging a member of the PKK.

Burhan Kuzu, a senior AKP member, replied to Gül’s statement the same

day: “We will pay attention to its echoes in society, but we cannot think

that it will have consequences similar to those of 1994. Gül also warned

BDP deputies to act in line with lawmaker responsibilities and distance

themselves from terrorism. Hurriyet Daily News / December 30, 2012

PM has slammed Iran's threatening remarks that the use of Patriot

missiles would cost Ankara dearly.

Being Assad's last regional ally, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman told that

deploying the Patriot system "will not only not help solve the situation in Syria, it will actually make the situation more difficult and complicated as

well." Responding to allegations of Iran, Erdoğan said “When your

government, your state, makes a decision on anything, it knows who to

consult. We do not need to ask anyone's permission”. Later, Russia joined

Iran in opposing the deployment of the NATO Patriot missile battery, as did

Syria, which called the Turkish request “provocative.” Moscow, a heavy benefactor of Damascus, said the deployment could increase risks in the

conflict. Arutz Sheva, November 25, 2012 / Today’s Zaman, November

29, 2012

Lifting Immunities a Dead-End, Gül Warns

Believe in Your Government,

Believe in Your State

Foreign Minister Davutoğlu played a key role in Thursday’s vote to

upgrade Palestine’s U.N. status to observer state.

He made a speech at UN General Assembly: “In Turkish we have a saying;

for 60 years the whole world has shut their eyes to the plight of the Pales-

tinian people. The reality about Palestine is simple, yet a harsh one. It is in

the heart of the Palestinian people who have been subjected to exiles, mas-

sacres, wars collective punishment and blockade for many decades. Today

is a milestone. Finally, we have chance to open our eyes to the reality. To-

day, we have an opportunity to give com-

fort to the Palestine people who aspire

for having a chance to uphold their dig-

nity after years of humiliation. Our call

is for peace, no more and no less. The

recognition of Palestinian statehood is

not an option but a moral, political, stra-

tegic and legal obligation for the interna-

tional community.” Sabah / November

30, 2012

FM Davutoglu’s Address to the UN

Special Rapporteur of UN

Heyns said “I had observed

that violations of the right

to life continued in the

context of counter terrorism

measures and responsibility

for the Uludere incident

remains unresolved and

raises concern.” UN News

Centre / December 1,

2012

Ties between Iraq and

Turkey have been marred

by a flurry of disputes this

year, most recently Maliki’s

refusal an invitation by his

Turkish counterpart, Recep

Tayyip Erdoğan, for visiting

Ankara. Kurdistan News /

November 29, 2012

The main opposition and

nationalist parties have

united to resist a legal

arrangement that would

pave the way for defense in

one’s mother tongue,

labeling the draft bill as “a

concession given to the

PKK.” Hurriyet Daily

News / November 29, 2012

3 December 2012:

Balkan SavaĢları’nın 100. Yılı ve

Göç (Exhibition)

Milli Piyango Talih KuĢu Galeri/16.30

Ankara Kitap 2012 (Fair)

ATo Kongre ve Sergi Sarayı/11.00

4 December 2012:

18.Gezici Festival( Festival)

Büyülü Fener Kızılay/12.15-21.15

33 Varyasyon (Theater)

Akün Sahnesi/20.00

5 December 2012:

Yasmin Levy (Concert)

MEB ġura Salonu/21.00

Elif Çağlar(Concert)

IF Performance Hall/22.00

6 December 2012:

Claron McFadden & Artvark

Saxophone Quartet (Concert)

CerModern/20.00

Vega (Concert)

IF Performance Hall/22.00

7 December 2012:

Bedri Baykam(Exhibition)

Siyah-Beyaz Sanat Galerisi/18.30

Metin ve Arkas Trio (Concert)

Bilkent Konser Salonu/20.00

8 December 2012

Mor ve Ötesi (Concert)

Jolly Joker/22.00

Biedermann ve Kundakçılar

Theater)

Tiyatro tempo/20.00

For more information, visit:

http://ankaradanefesalmarehberi.blogspot.com

Without Words

PAGE 11

HUNGARY

Capital & Largest City: Budapest

Other Largest Cities: Debrecen, Szeged, Miskolc

Official Language: Hungarian

President: Janos Ader

Foundation: 895 (23 Oct. „89 for the current 3rd Rep.)

Population: 9,942,000

GDP (Per Capita): $19, 891

Currency: Forint

Government: Parliamentary Republic

EVENT

CALENDAR

EDITORIAL

TWITTER FEED Obama: If you kill 40,000 people with one type of

chemical -- gunpowder -- no problem. But use a dif-

ferent chemical, and that's a problem.

Blake Hounshell, Editor of “Foreign Policy”

Embarassing for Damascus if reports true that Jihad

Makdissi, #Syria foreign ministry spokesman has

indeed defected after being sacked.

Ian Black, M. East Editor of “The Guardian”

The pope joined the twitter. His first seven followers?

Himself in the other languages he'll be tweeting.

Editors of the CNN Belief Blog

For genocidaires who are causing death and

destruction in Congo n Rwanda's border area, you

have got away with it for too long...has to stop!

Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda

Scientists are discovering that while anger and

hatred eat into our immune system, warm-

heartedness and compassion are good for our health.

Dalai Lama, His Holiness

GENERAL DIRECTOR

Alper AKGÜN

CO-EDITOR

Yiğitcan ERDOĞAN

COORDINATORS

Hazal AKGÜL, AyĢe ATASOY, Cansu BULUKLU,

Begüm ÇELĠKTUTAN

EUROPE CORRESPONDENTS

Ekin BOZKURT, Dan PRITCHETT,

Asude Dilan YĠĞĠT

AMERICAS CORRESPONDENTS

Paddy SPICER WARD, Ayça ġEN

ASIA CORRESPONDENTS

Bektur ELEBESOV, H. Sinan GÜLER,

AyĢenur ġANLI

M. EAST & AFRICAS CORRESPONDENTS

R. Sinan USTA, Çağlar YILDIZ

TURKEY CORRESPONDENTS

Didem ELERMAN, Yağmur ERġAN

SOCIAL EVENTS CORRESPONDENT

Yağmur ÇĠFTÇĠ

Twitter: @metunewsreport