Read more at:https://www.dw.com
Showing posts with label Crimea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crimea. Show all posts
7/17/23
Ukraine Russian Invasion: Russia blocks grain shipment deal after it blames Ukraine for attack on bridge into the Island of Crimea which they occupied from Ukraine.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking a vital bridge that links Russia and Crimea, with the help of the US and UK. Traffic was earlier halted on the route due to an "emergency situation." Follow DW for the latest.
6/22/23
Ukraine war: Ukrainian missile strike destroys major Crimean bridge
Ukrainian forces have carried out a missile attack on a bridge connecting Ukraine's Kherson region and Crimea, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said on Thursday.
The Chongar bridge, which connects Russian-held parts of the Kherson region with the Crimean peninsula, was struck, the officials said, adding that traffic was diverted to another route.
Read more at: https://www.dw.com
10/8/22
Ukraine war: Huge blast destroys main btidge connecting Ctimea with mainland
An explosion on Saturday morning hit a controversial bridge linking Crimea with Russia, causing it to partially collapse.
The blast happened at around 6 am local time, sparking a large fire and badly damaging one section of the road bridge which fell into the water.
Russia attributed the explosion to a truck bomb. Moscow has not said who it thought was behind the blast, though Russian-backed authorities in Crimea have denounced Ukrainian sabotage.
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com
8/20/22
Russian Invasion Ukraine: Blasts, fresh drone attacks rock Russian-held areas far from Ukraine war front - by Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder
Russia reported fresh Ukrainian drone attacks on Friday evening, a day after eexplosions erupted in Russian held areas far from the Ukraine war front as a result of drone attacks. This as half of the Russian Black sea Airforce is destroyed.
Re ad more at: Blasts, fresh drone attacks rock Russian-held areas far from Ukraine war front | Reuters
8/13/22
Crimea: Watch as Ukraine warns Russians it's 'big mistake' to visit Crimea in mock ad with Bananarama song after airbase blast
RUSSIAN tourists have been warned not to visit Crimea in a mock advert released by Ukraine featuring the Bananarama soundtrack.
The video comes after blasts hit an airbase on the peninsula, sending holiday makers fleeing from a nearby beach, in an area which is popular with Russian visitors.
Read more at: Watch as Ukraine warns Russians it's 'big mistake' to visit Crimea in mock ad with Bananarama song after airbase blast | The Sun6/29/21
Netherlands-Russia Relations: Netherlands says Russian jets 'harassed' its warship in Black Sea
The Netherlands has accused Russian fighter jets of "unsafe" behaviour in an encounter with a Dutch warship in the Black Sea.
The incident last Thursday involved the frigate HNMLS Evertsen, part of a carrier strike group with the British destroyer HMS Defender, which itself purportedly came under Russian warning fire a day earlier.
Read more at: Netherlands says Russian jets 'harassed' its warship in Black Sea
The incident last Thursday involved the frigate HNMLS Evertsen, part of a carrier strike group with the British destroyer HMS Defender, which itself purportedly came under Russian warning fire a day earlier.
Read more at: Netherlands says Russian jets 'harassed' its warship in Black Sea
10/29/17
EU-Russia trade bouncing back - "Russia is not the EU's enemy, despite US rhetoric to the contrary"
 |
| Russia is not an enemy of the EU, to the contrary |
In September, the EU Parliament published a report confirming that this decline continued in 2016 and this news was also reported by EUobserver.
However, the trend has changed in 2017.
Eurostat data from the first seven months of the year shows that this decline has stopped and, in fact, the trend was reversed with an expected increase of 20 percent by the end of the year compared to 2016.
EU-Russia trade was up to €285 billion in 2014. In 2016, this number dropped to €181 billion. In only three years, EU members imported €64 billion less from Russia and exported to it €31 billion less.
This decline affected Germany, Italy, Austria and Lithuania above all, which constitute €14.5 billion less in export towards Russia.
However, Austria, Ireland and Lithuania are the three members that suffered the most in relative terms with declines in export of 51, 50 and 40 percent respectively in two years only. Interestingly,
Luxembourg is the only country that increased its exports to Russia from 2014 to 2016.
The average decline for EU members was 34 percent in import and 29 percent in export with Russia.
The trend was reversed starting in January 2016 when trade with most of EU member states started to recover.
This is evident if we look at data for the half-year period. When we compare the first six months of 2016 with the same period of 2017, we notice that the volume of EU-Russia trade increased by €27 billion. The lion's share is for Germany with an expansion by €6 billion and the Netherlands with €4 billion. The only country that reduced its trade is Malta with a decrease of €400,000.
If we look at the exports only in the first six months of 2017 compared to last year, then the leading countries are Germany (plus €2.6 billion), Italy (plus €739 million) and the Netherlands (plus €707 million). The only countries decreasing their exports are Malta, Cyprus and the United Kingdom.
The behaviour of trading partners may be an indication that the Crimea crisis has been discounted already and that politics will, slowly, adjust.
One of the signals was the critical stand of some EU members to the recent round of secondary sanctions imposed by US Congress on Russia, which could create problems for companies involved in the construction of Nord Stream II.
While it is hard to predict the direction of trade flows in the future, we can state that the positive trend seems to lead towards a normalisation of EU-Russia trade in the coming future despite the unresolved crises in Crimea, Ukraine and US meddling in the EU-Russia relations..
EU-Digest
8/12/16
Crimea - Ukrain: Russia deploys S-400 missiles to Crimea
Russia has deployed a regiment of its advanced S-400 air
defense missile system to Crimea as a dispute deepens between Moscow and
Kiev over the security situation in the Black Sea peninsula.
Russian news agencies made the announcement on Friday, citing a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The ministry had earlier in the day announced that its navy would start to hold three-day military exercises in the Black Sea to practice repelling underwater attacks by saboteurs.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea is taking part in the military exercises. More than 10 warships, MI-8 and Ka-27PS helicopters are participating in the training.
“During the drill we are going to practice the issues of both operational and technical support. These include operations to counter underwater sabotage, navigational and hydrographic exercise, search and rescue missions,” said Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov.
Read more: PressTV-Russia deploys S-400 missiles to Crimea
Russian news agencies made the announcement on Friday, citing a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The ministry had earlier in the day announced that its navy would start to hold three-day military exercises in the Black Sea to practice repelling underwater attacks by saboteurs.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea is taking part in the military exercises. More than 10 warships, MI-8 and Ka-27PS helicopters are participating in the training.
“During the drill we are going to practice the issues of both operational and technical support. These include operations to counter underwater sabotage, navigational and hydrographic exercise, search and rescue missions,” said Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov.
Read more: PressTV-Russia deploys S-400 missiles to Crimea
5/14/16
Eurovision Song Festival: Jamala’s ‘political’ song wins Eurovision for Ukraine in Stockholm
Music, kitsch and politics took centre stage at the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm on Saturday night.
The competition was won by Ukraine with 534 points.
The country’s candidate, 32-year-old jazz singer Jamala, had called on Europeans to support her to show they were “not indifferent to suffering” in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
She said her song, “1944”, was not only about the deportation of the Crimean Tatar population during World War II, but also about the events of the past two years in the peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Australia came second with 511 points with “The Sound of Silence” by Dami Im, while Russia – a pre-contest favourite, was third with Sergei Lazarev’s “You Are The Only One” on 491 points.
The final was broadcast to an estimated 200 million viewers in Europe and beyond – including, for the first time, in the United States.
Read more: Jamala’s ‘political’ song wins Eurovision for Ukraine in Stockholm | euronews, world news
The competition was won by Ukraine with 534 points.
The country’s candidate, 32-year-old jazz singer Jamala, had called on Europeans to support her to show they were “not indifferent to suffering” in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
She said her song, “1944”, was not only about the deportation of the Crimean Tatar population during World War II, but also about the events of the past two years in the peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Australia came second with 511 points with “The Sound of Silence” by Dami Im, while Russia – a pre-contest favourite, was third with Sergei Lazarev’s “You Are The Only One” on 491 points.
The final was broadcast to an estimated 200 million viewers in Europe and beyond – including, for the first time, in the United States.
Read more: Jamala’s ‘political’ song wins Eurovision for Ukraine in Stockholm | euronews, world news
4/1/16
EU-Russia relations: More and more EU states come out against sanctions says Russia EU ambassador
 |
| EU-Russian Relations |
The West cannot forgive Russian President Vladimir Pu
"I would not like to speak about the future of sanctions, all the more to guess when and in which form their fate will be determined," the diplomat said. "We know that discussion (about anti-Russian sanctions) is scheduled for the EU summit in June, but this is not the subject of our negotiations and discussion with the EU," the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the EU added.
"This is the problem they created, and they are to solve it," he said. Chizhov confirmed that more and more EU countries were seeking to see the sanctions abolished.
"In one of my previous interviews I compared this with the physical process of accumulation of a critical mass," the diplomat said. "So let us wait and see. So far, indeed an increasingly growing number of countries, more and more leaders speak out in favor of ending this practice of sanctions, not only in contacts with us but also publicly," Chizhov said.
"At a certain point of time, I am sure, their number will grow. I won’t be guessing when this moment will come," the EU ambassador added.
The actions taken by EU's officials to plug the channels, along which finances are pumped to terrorists in Syria, are insufficient and more attention should be given to the illegal trading in oil terrorists engage in with assistance from Turkey, Chizhov said.
"As regards the tracing of the financial flows and the economic ties (that keep the terrorists in Syria afloat TASS), the EU has a lot to do in that sphere," he said. "It's making some efforts already but the latter still fall short of what's needed."
Chizhov also said some amounts of the crude oil that the Islamic State terrorist grouping was selling to Turkey might be reaching European markets.
"I don't think all the crude oil Daesh sells to Turkey ends up there," he said. "Some amounts of it are apparently consumed (on the Turkish territory) but considerable amounts get to the European markets, either in the crude or in the refined form."
Chizhov indicated his doubts over the EU's readiness to take part in the destruction of the Islamic State's oil business infrastructure.
"The oil business you're talking about is one aspect of the mattger and the Islamic State is doing it with Turkey and one can scarcely foresee the EU's involvement in armed operations to destroy this infrastructure," he said. "The EU is not a party to military operations in Syria or wherever and it isn't a military organization, for that matter.".
Read ,ore: TASS: Russian Politics & Diplomacy - More and more EU states come out against sanctions — Russia EU ambassador
6/13/14
Is EU Foreign Policy Weak or clever ?: A promise barely noticed- Charlemagne:
America's retreat from the woes of the world is worrying its friends in the Middle
East. Jihadists are surging through Iraq; Syria uses chemical weapons
without retribution; and the latest American attempt to solve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict has failed. Is it time for Europe to help
fill the vacuum?
Europeans always dream of exerting global influence commensurate with their economic weight. The Middle East’s problems have a way of washing up on Europe’s shores, be it boat people landing on the Mediterranean coast, or terrorists returning after being hardened by jihad in one or other civil war. And yet Europeans are struggling to be heard.
Take this week’s visit to Israel by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. He expanded on what, in another time or place, would be a big promise: if and when the Israelis and Palestinians make peace, the EU stands ready to offer economic integration akin to that enjoyed by Norway and Switzerland. In Ukraine the power of a similar offer precipitated a civil war and geopolitical contest with Russia; in the Holy Land, though, the promise of “special privileged partnerships” was barely noticed. It is striking, that, separately, Israel chose not to vote in March on a UN motion sponsored by the West to condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
If America elicits less respect from Israel these days, Europe is the object of much scorn. Europe is remembered as a Jewish graveyard and, latterly, is regarded as an economic basket-case. Even collectively, it packs far less military punch than America. The French- and British-led intervention that toppled Muammar Qaddafi in Libya has left a violent mess.
The European Union’s 28 member-states are divided between big, small, old and new members and, when it comes to Israel, between the guilt-ridden (Germany) and the disapproving (Sweden).
As with much else, EU foreign-policy positions are finely balanced compromises, so even important moves are lost in woolly formulations. Seeking to keep Israeli-Palestinian peace talks alive after John Kerry, the American secretary of state, declared a “pause” in his mediation, Mr Barroso said the hiatus was “untenable in the long run”; peace with the Palestinians was in Israel’s best security interest.
America is of paramount importance to Israel’s security. But Europe makes several vital contributions. Its sanctions on Iran helped bring the mullahs to the negotiating table; its money keeps the Palestinian Authority alive as a negotiating partner for Israel; and Europe is central in managing the Syrian refugee crisis.
To be heard, Europeans need to speak clearly about what a two-state solution means: the end of Israeli occupation of land captured in 1967 (with agreed land swaps and a deal on Jerusalem), but also the end of further Palestinian claims on the Jewish state created in 1948. Palestinian refugees will, overwhelmingly, return to the new state of Palestine, not their old homes in Israel.
Read more:Charlemagne: A promise barely noticed | The Economist
Europeans always dream of exerting global influence commensurate with their economic weight. The Middle East’s problems have a way of washing up on Europe’s shores, be it boat people landing on the Mediterranean coast, or terrorists returning after being hardened by jihad in one or other civil war. And yet Europeans are struggling to be heard.
Take this week’s visit to Israel by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. He expanded on what, in another time or place, would be a big promise: if and when the Israelis and Palestinians make peace, the EU stands ready to offer economic integration akin to that enjoyed by Norway and Switzerland. In Ukraine the power of a similar offer precipitated a civil war and geopolitical contest with Russia; in the Holy Land, though, the promise of “special privileged partnerships” was barely noticed. It is striking, that, separately, Israel chose not to vote in March on a UN motion sponsored by the West to condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
If America elicits less respect from Israel these days, Europe is the object of much scorn. Europe is remembered as a Jewish graveyard and, latterly, is regarded as an economic basket-case. Even collectively, it packs far less military punch than America. The French- and British-led intervention that toppled Muammar Qaddafi in Libya has left a violent mess.
The European Union’s 28 member-states are divided between big, small, old and new members and, when it comes to Israel, between the guilt-ridden (Germany) and the disapproving (Sweden).
As with much else, EU foreign-policy positions are finely balanced compromises, so even important moves are lost in woolly formulations. Seeking to keep Israeli-Palestinian peace talks alive after John Kerry, the American secretary of state, declared a “pause” in his mediation, Mr Barroso said the hiatus was “untenable in the long run”; peace with the Palestinians was in Israel’s best security interest.
America is of paramount importance to Israel’s security. But Europe makes several vital contributions. Its sanctions on Iran helped bring the mullahs to the negotiating table; its money keeps the Palestinian Authority alive as a negotiating partner for Israel; and Europe is central in managing the Syrian refugee crisis.
To be heard, Europeans need to speak clearly about what a two-state solution means: the end of Israeli occupation of land captured in 1967 (with agreed land swaps and a deal on Jerusalem), but also the end of further Palestinian claims on the Jewish state created in 1948. Palestinian refugees will, overwhelmingly, return to the new state of Palestine, not their old homes in Israel.
Read more:Charlemagne: A promise barely noticed | The Economist
5/10/14
Ukraine: Putin arrives in Crimea for Victory Day amid Ukraine crisis - by Laura Smith-Spark, Phil Black and Matthew Chance
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Friday to take
part in Victory Day celebrations in Sevastopol, in what is his first
visit to the disputed territory since Russia annexed it from Ukraine.
Read more: Putin arrives in Crimea for Victory Day amid Ukraine crisis - CNN.com
The President arrived in
the port of Sevastopol by sea, in an event televised by Russian state
TV, and watched while flanked by senior officers as Russian warships
took part in a naval display in the Black Sea.
The military parades,
held each year to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany, come amid soaring
tensions in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are planning a
weekend referendum on autonomy.
At least seven people
were killed and 39 others were injured in clashes between separatists
and Ukrainian government forces in the flashpoint southeastern city of
Mariupol, the Donetsk regional health department said Friday.
Read more: Putin arrives in Crimea for Victory Day amid Ukraine crisis - CNN.com
4/1/14
Crimea: Germany preparing to mobilise once mighty Luftwaffe in response to Russia’s Crimea crisis
 |
| German Luftwaffe Eurofighter |
German media reported at the weekend that Berlin's defence ministry was ready to make available up to six aircraft for a strengthened air patrolling mission in parts of eastern Europe, and the number of Nato aircraft would be at least doubled as a response to the crisis in Crimea.
Berlin has been reluctant to involve the German military in foreign conflicts, and after the Second World War West Germany's constitution went so far as to prohibit any military action, except in case of an external attack against Germany or its allies.
Earlier this month US President Barack Obama said Nato needed to boost its presence in those eastern European partner states that feel vulnerable to Russia.
But German magazine Der Spiegel quoted German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the weekend as saying it was important for Nato to keep a cool head and not get dragged into a military escalation.
Read more: Germany preparing to mobilise once mighty Luftwaffe in response to Russia’s Crimea crisis | World | News | Daily Express
3/29/14
Ukraine: Russia rules out intention to invade Ukraine
Russia's foreign minister says Moscow has "absolutely no intention"
of ordering its armed forces to cross over the Ukrainian border, in a
statement that appears to rule out an invasion of mainland Ukraine
following Russia's seizure of Crimea.
"We have absolutely no intention and no interests in crossing the Ukrainian border," Sergei Lavrov told Russian state television on Saturday.
"We (Russia and the West) are getting closer in our positions," he added, saying recent contacts had shown the outlines of a "possible joint initiative which could be presented to our Ukrainian colleagues".
Lavrov's comments came after US President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from near the Ukraine border, in the first direct contact between the two leaders since the Crimea takeover.
The White House said on Saturday that Obama had urged Putin, in a "frank and direct" telephone conversation, to ease tensions by removing troops, and respond to proposals for a diplomatic solution put forward by the US earlier this week.
Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reporting from Washington DC, said: "It is really about trying to push forward, get some sort of diplomatic solution that everyone can live with. No one is going to get exactly what they want out of this, but Barack Obama believes that the diplomacy is the way ahead."
Read more: Russia rules out intention to invade Ukraine - Europe - Al Jazeera English
"We have absolutely no intention and no interests in crossing the Ukrainian border," Sergei Lavrov told Russian state television on Saturday.
"We (Russia and the West) are getting closer in our positions," he added, saying recent contacts had shown the outlines of a "possible joint initiative which could be presented to our Ukrainian colleagues".
Lavrov's comments came after US President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from near the Ukraine border, in the first direct contact between the two leaders since the Crimea takeover.
The White House said on Saturday that Obama had urged Putin, in a "frank and direct" telephone conversation, to ease tensions by removing troops, and respond to proposals for a diplomatic solution put forward by the US earlier this week.
Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reporting from Washington DC, said: "It is really about trying to push forward, get some sort of diplomatic solution that everyone can live with. No one is going to get exactly what they want out of this, but Barack Obama believes that the diplomacy is the way ahead."
Read more: Russia rules out intention to invade Ukraine - Europe - Al Jazeera English
3/25/14
Crimea: Obama Assures NATO but says" Force Won’t Be Used in Crimea" - by M. D. Shear and a Smale
President
Obama vowed on Tuesday that the United States would use its military to
come to the defense of any NATO country that is threatened, sending a
warning to the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, about the
consequences of further aggression along the border with Eastern Europe.
Read more: Obama Assures NATO but Says Force Won’t Be Used in Crimea - NYTimes.com
“We
will act in their defense against any threats,” Mr. Obama said at a
news conference in The Hague. “That’s what NATO is all about. When it
comes to a potential military response, that is defined by NATO
membership.
”
The president said the United States and other world powers rejected Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a region of Ukraine that voted to secede
on March 16. But he acknowledged that military force would not be used
to return that region to Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO.
Read more: Obama Assures NATO but Says Force Won’t Be Used in Crimea - NYTimes.com
3/24/14
Ukraine crisis: G7 summit side talks to focus on defiant Russia
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will sit down with his G7 colleagues
tonight — conspicuously excluding Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The meeting will discuss Russia’s actions in Crimea, and whether that country should be permanently expelled from the G8.
Leading into tonight's gathering, Harper called for strong action against Russia, adding, "We need to be prepared to take that action for the long term.”
Read more: Ukraine crisis: G7 summit side talks to focus on defiant Russia - Politics - CBC News
The meeting will discuss Russia’s actions in Crimea, and whether that country should be permanently expelled from the G8.
Leading into tonight's gathering, Harper called for strong action against Russia, adding, "We need to be prepared to take that action for the long term.”
Read more: Ukraine crisis: G7 summit side talks to focus on defiant Russia - Politics - CBC News
3/21/14
Turkey - let's get real - a far bigger and more serious problem than Crimea - by RM
While the world focuses on Crimea and the comical "tick-tac-toe" between President's Obama and Putin, there is another geo-political problem, which in terms of scope and strategic importance to the West, is far more critical than Crimea
That problem is called Turkey, on the opposite side of Crimea, with the Black Sea in between .
Here we are now facing a corrupt and paranoid PM and his government, who have gone power crazy and totally out of control, taking Turkey down the road of potentially violent public disturbances and economic meltdown.
Even though, in all fairness Erdogan's accession on to Turkey's political scene more than 10 years ago "raised many eyebrows right from the start, most Turks gave him the benefit of the doubt and overlooked Erdogan's hard-line reputation, and the religious undertone of his AKParty given the apparent prosperity the country was experiencing under his leadership.
Then came a change, the "Genie got out of the bottle", and the AKparty and Erdogan became more and more dictatorial, eliminating all forces of opposition, including those in the powerful Turkish military, the press and many other organizations.
The situation got even worse after Erdogan got into a "spat" with his Guru and Mentor, Muhammed Fethullah Gülen, who lives in Pennsylvania, USA, as an exile and from there also controls a global network of schools and organizations under the banner "Moderate and Peaceful Islam.".
Obviously back in Pennsylvania Muhammed Fethullah Gülen, was not very happy his "pupil" Erdogan had stopped listening to him and rumors and evidence began circulating about the billions Erdogan and his croonies in government had swindled.
Erdogan pointed his finger at his former buddy Muhammed Fethullah Gülen claiiming that it was him who had created a parallel state within the state that wanted to topple his government.
Unfortunately for Erdogan despite his illegitimate reshuffling of thousands of
police officers and hundreds of judges and prosecutors, he nor his government were able to track down a single piece of evidence of what he called a "parallel state".
In
light of all these signs of corruption, it has also become evident to many people in Turkey that the whole
parallel state argument by Erdogan was an imagined enemy that Erdogan, like Don Quixote, used in his
fight against the "windmills".
But Erdogan still has quite a few cards to play. As a result of the Turkish electoral and voting system Erdogan and his party still control the Turkish parliament. Consequently Erdogan's AKParty is approving new laws on a daily basis to consolidate and strengthen his grip on every level of the Turkish society.
Mr Erdogan's other major fobia is that he is totally intolerant of criticism from whatever source it comes and has not hesitated to use his powers to have anyone he considers "a threat to the Republic" thrown into jail.
Turkey now has more journalists in prison than just about any other country in the world.
Turkey ranked 154th out of 180 countries surveyed in the World Press Freedom Index released by the Reporters Without Borders Association on Feb. 12, even behind China and war-torn nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The report noted further that “the Gezi Park revolt highlighted the repressive methods used by the security forces, the increase in self-censorship and the dangers of the prime minister’s populist discourse,”
More recently, audio recordings that appear to be of Erdogan have shown how deeply he is involved in government corruption, were posted on Twitter by an anonymous account holder, just weeks before the March 30 local elections in the country.
Even though Erdogan denied that these recordings were legitimate he apparently decided it was better to be 'safe than sorry' and just get rid of Twitter altogether.
On Thursday, March 20 Erdogan made good on his promise to wipe out Twitter in his country, and Turkish tweeters are now reporting that they are unable to access the service.
Twitter published a message on its service that same day advising users in Turkey that it was still possible to send Tweets on twitter using mobile phone text messaging.
Erdogan has previously also called social media a "menace to society" and threatened to ban YouTube and Facebook. Last year, at least 25 people were arrested for tweeting messages of protests against Erdogan and his government. It now also appears that Facebook is being shut down in Turkey.
Indeed, the world, and particularly the EU should wake up and "smell the roses" about the situation in Turkey,
Like it or not, Turkey is a powerful economic ally of the West, a member of NATO and a candidate member of the EU with a population of 81.7 million.
In contrast Crimea and its 2.3 million people, which since 700 BC has been changing hands many times including being part of the Cimmerians, Bulgars, Greeks, Scythians, Romans, Goths, Huns, Khazars, Kievan Rus, the Byzantine Empire, Venice, Genoa, Kipchaks, the Golden Horde, the Ottaman Empire, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, Germany, Ukraine and now Russia again.
Crimea or Turkey - Come on EU Commission and EU-Parliament - You don't need to be Einstein to figure that one out ?
As to Crimea, let's be frank - Crimeans voted fair and square they don't want to be part of Ukraine anymore. Maybe the simple solution would be for President Obama to shake hands with President Putin, wish Crimea well, and tell President Putin not to start messing with Ukraine in the future, or else.
Let's get real - its time to focus on Turkey. .
3/17/14
Ukraine crisis: EU and US impose "very soft" sanctions over Crimea
The EU and US have announced travel bans and asset freezes against a number of officials from Russia and Ukraine.
The individuals targeted by the sanctions are seen as having played a key role in the referendum, which Kiev, the US and EU deem illegal.
Pro-Russian forces have been in control of Crimea since late February.
Moscow says the troops are pro-Russian self-defence forces and not under its direct control.
Note EU-Digest: Not one country so far in the world has applauded this move by Russia and in the long run this issue could come and bite Mr. Putin in the tail economically.
Read more: BBC News - Ukraine crisis: EU and US impose sanctions over Crimea
3/16/14
U.S. rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation |
The U.S. is rejecting the vote in Crimea even before the results are released.
The White House says Sunday’s referendum on succession is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution.
The U.S. says the world won’t recognize the results of a vote held under what it says are “threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.”
A written statement from the White House calls Russia’s actions in Ukraine “dangerous and destabilizing.”
The U.S. is urging other nations to “take concrete steps to impose costs” against Russia.
Secession was expected to be approved overwhelmingly.
For more: U.S. rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com
The White House says Sunday’s referendum on succession is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution.
The U.S. says the world won’t recognize the results of a vote held under what it says are “threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.”
A written statement from the White House calls Russia’s actions in Ukraine “dangerous and destabilizing.”
The U.S. is urging other nations to “take concrete steps to impose costs” against Russia.
Secession was expected to be approved overwhelmingly.
For more: U.S. rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com
Ukraine: As vote held in Ukraine's Crimea, allegations of poll rigging, intimidation - by Pamela Constable
Officials in the Crimean capital tried with mixed success Saturday to put a professional face on arrangements for the hastily planned referendum on joining
Russia, and they shifted the tone of their message from overtly
pro-Russian propaganda to messages and events that stressed the
democratic legitimacy of the poll.
Jumbotron broadcasts that had been touting the glories of life in Russia all week switched to more neutral messages that called on voters to "defend Crimea" against the threat of Nazism by participating in the poll. Pictures of German World War II helmets were juxtaposed with happy images of children, flowers and butterflies.
Several people within earshot of the broadcasts said that they thought the Nazi threat was being overdone but that they planned to vote to be reunited with Russia in any case. A carpenter had constructed a long banner that passersby were signing with phrases such as "We are not anyone's puppets, we are Titans!" and "NATO go to hell!"
Read more: As vote held in Ukraine's Crimea, allegations of poll rigging, intimidation - Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news
Jumbotron broadcasts that had been touting the glories of life in Russia all week switched to more neutral messages that called on voters to "defend Crimea" against the threat of Nazism by participating in the poll. Pictures of German World War II helmets were juxtaposed with happy images of children, flowers and butterflies.
Several people within earshot of the broadcasts said that they thought the Nazi threat was being overdone but that they planned to vote to be reunited with Russia in any case. A carpenter had constructed a long banner that passersby were signing with phrases such as "We are not anyone's puppets, we are Titans!" and "NATO go to hell!"
Read more: As vote held in Ukraine's Crimea, allegations of poll rigging, intimidation - Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)