344 Posts in International

The source added that the flame would not be put at the top of the Eiffel Tower, for technical reasons, and it was not clear whether it would stay on the monument throughout the Games but the combination of two such iconic images would be a dramatic backdrop to the July 26 – August 11 event. “It’s been a work in progress for the last two years now,” the source said. The flame cannot be at the top of the tower because of the antennas already installed there, they added.           “The venue for the lighting of the flame on the Opening Day of the Olympic Games has not yet been decided,” a Paris 2024 spokesperson told Reuters. They did not deny working on installing the flame at the Eiffel Tower and would not disclose when any announcement would be made. The flame will arrive in the port city of Marseille on May 8 by boat – the three masted tall ship “Belem” – after a 10-day journey across the Mediterranean from Greece.

His challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, called it “the most unfair election in years” but did not dispute the outcome. Official results showed Kilicdaroglu won 47.9% of the votes to Erdogan’s 52.1%, pointing to a deeply divided nation. The election had been seen as one of the most consequential yet for Turkey, with the opposition believing it had a strong chance of unseating Erdogan and reversing his policies after his popularity was hit by a cost-of-living crisis.   Instead, victory reinforced his image of invincibility, after he had already redrawn domestic, economic, security and foreign policy in the NATO member country of 85 million people. The prospect of five more years of his rule was a major blow to opponents who accused him of undermining democracy as he amassed ever more power – a charge he denies. In a victory speech in Ankara, Erdogan pledged to leave all disputes behind and unite behind national values and dreams but then switched gears, lashing out at the opposition and accusing Kilicdaroglu of siding with terrorists without providing evidence. He said releasing former pro-Kurdish party leader Selahattin Demirtas, whom he branded a “terrorist,” would not be possible under his governance.   Erdogan said inflation was Turkey’s most urgent issue. Kilicdaroglu’s defeat will likely be mourned by Turkey’s NATO allies which have been alarmed by Erdogan’s ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who congratulated his “dear friend” on his victory. US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter: “I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.” US relations with Turkey have been impeded by Erdogan’s objection to Sweden joining NATO as well as Ankara’s close relationship with Moscow and differences over Syria. ‘The only winner today is Turkey’ Addressing jubilant supporters earlier from atop a bus in Istanbul, Erdogan, 69, said “the only winner today is Turkey.” “I thank every single one of our people who once again gave us the responsibility to govern the country five more years,” he said. Erdogan’s victory extends his tenure as the longest-serving leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established modern Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire a century ago – a politically potent anniversary to be marked in October with Erdogan in charge. Erdogan, head of the Islamist-rooted AK Party, appealed to voters with nationalist and conservative rhetoric during a divisive campaign that deflected attention from deep economic troubles. In his victory speech, he attacked the opposition again, calling them pro-LGBT. Kilicdaroglu, who had promised to set the country on a more democratic and collaborative path, said the vote showed people’s will to change an authoritarian government. “All the means of the state were laid at the feet of one man,” he said. ‘Sad and disappointed’ Erdogan supporters, who gathered outside his Istanbul residence, chanted Allahu Akbar, or God is Greatest. “I expect everything to become better,” said Nisa, 28, a headscarved woman wearing a headband with Erdogan’s name. Another Erdogan supporter said Turkey would get stronger with him in office for five more years. “There are issues, problems in every country around the world, in European countries as well … With strong leadership we will overcome Turkey’s problems as well,” said the supporter who gave his name as Mert, 39, as he celebrated with his son. Bugra Oztug, 24, who voted for Kilicdaroglu, blamed the opposition for failing to change. “I feel sad and disappointed but I am not hopeless. I still think there are people who can see the realities and truth,” Oztug said. Erdogan’s performance has wrong-footed opponents who thought voters would punish him over the state’s initially slow response to devastating earthquakes in February, in which more than 50,000 people died. But in the first round of voting on May 14, which included parliamentary elections, his AK Party emerged top in 10 of the 11 provinces hit by the earthquakes, helping it to secure a parliamentary majority along with its allies. Fears for liberties French President Emmanuel Macron offered congratulations, saying France and Turkey had “huge challenges to face together.” The presidents of Iran, Israel, and the Saudi king were among leaders to congratulate him in the Middle East, where Erdogan has asserted Turkish influence, at times with military power. Erdogan, who was for years at odds with numerous governments in the region, has taken a more conciliatory stance in recent years. Emre Erdogan, a political science professor at Istanbul’s Bilgi University, attributed Erdogan’s success to his supporters’ belief “in his ability to solve problems, even though he created many of them.” Erdogan had also maintained the support of conservative voters who long felt marginalised. “This era will be characterized by a decline in political and civil liberties, polarization, and cultural fights between two political tribes,” he said. Erdogan appeared to have prevailed despite years of economic turmoil which critics blamed on unorthodox economic policies which the opposition had pledged to reverse. Uncertainty about what an Erdogan win would mean for economic policy pushed the lira to record lows last week. Reuters reported last week that there was disagreement within Erdogan’s government over whether to stick with what some called an unsustainable economic program or to abandon it. Kilicdaroglu had promised to reset governance, restore human rights, and return independence to the courts and central bank after they were sidelined over the last decade.

Milena Kontou and Zoe Fitsiu won the silver medal in the lightweight double sculls. The Greek crew completed their final effort in 6:54.78, finishing behind the Great Britain crew of Emily Craig and Imogen Grant (6:52.32). The bronze medal went to the French Laura Tarantola and Claire Beauvais with a performance of 6:55.30. For their part, Petros Gaidatzis and Antonis Papakonstantinou won the bronze medal in the lightweight double sculls, as they completed their effort in the final in 6:15.99. The gold medal was hung around the necks of the Swiss Jan Schäuble and Rafael Achumanda Ireland with a performance of 6:13.81, who left the Italians Stefano Opo and Gabriel Soares in second place with a time of 06:15.06. Meanwhile, Stefanos Duskos qualified for the skiff final. The "golden" Olympic medalist of Tokyo finished second in the 2nd semi-final series with a performance of 7:00.28 and got the "ticket" for tomorrow's (28/5, 14:25) final, where he will claim a place on the podium. For the record, Duskos finished behind Germany's Oliver Scheidler, who completed his effort in 6:57.17. Finally, Evangelia Fragou ranked sixth in the 2nd semi-final of the skiff with 7:54.42 and got the "ticket" for tomorrow's (28/5, 11:28) final B.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said in a statement that the situation for asylum-seekers on the eastern Aegean Sea island is “continuously deteriorating.” “Many people there have been exposed to violence and have alleged abductions by unidentified masked people, pushbacks that forced them out of Greece, arbitrary detentions, and deprivation of food and shelter,” it said. The Greek government has ordered an investigation into claims that a group of migrants was illegally deported from Lesbos back to Turkey. Last week’s New York Times report claimed that the migrants were taken onto a Greek coast guard boat that left them in a raft at sea to be picked up by the Turkish coast guard, which returned them to Turkey. Athens has repeatedly denied persistent allegations that it engages in such deportations, known as pushbacks. Lesbos is a major landing point for thousands of people seeking a better life in Europe, who cross illegally from Turkey in small boats provided by smuggling gangs. MSF said Thursday that fear of pushbacks was preventing many newly-arrived migrants from accessing its health services, while others who could not be found may have been secretly deported. “When we are alerted of newly arrived people in urgent need of medical assistance, we spend hours — sometimes days — looking for them as they are often hiding in forests,” Nihal Osman, MSF’s Lesbos coordinator, said. Osman added that since June 2022, MSF had been unable to find 940 people at their reported locations. The group also claimed that Greek authorities stopped giving food on May 17 to people who had completed the registration process in a Lesbos center for asylum seekers to stay pending examination of their bids. “The government is using food as leverage to force people to leave the facility,” Osman said. He also described as “dire” conditions at another center where newly arrived asylum seekers are sent for days, saying it’s overcrowded and too remotely located. There was no immediate comment from the Greek government. Nearly a million people reached Greece from Turkey in 2015, most landing on Lesbos. Numbers later dropped, and since 2019 Athens has stepped up patrols at sea to further reduce arrivals.

“We congratulate the Greek people for exercising their democratic right to vote in the birthplace of democracy. We look forward to continuing to deepen our partnership with Greece, working with the government that will be chosen by the Greek people,” a State Department spokesperson said.           “The United States considers Greece an indispensable ally and partner in NATO. Together, we will continue to advance our common goals for peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Balkans, the Black Sea region, united by shared democratic commitments.”

Cmdr. Peter C. Flynn said that Russian warplanes and naval vessels have been conducting themselves professionally, like other military forces in the region, and there’s been no indication of any heightened aggression or hostility. “We obviously study what is going on in theater and you know that certainly plays a role in what we do and what we prepare for, but not a significant change” in the attitude of Russian forces, Flynn told The Associated Press aboard the USS Arleigh Burke. The destroyer, one of the United States’ most capable warships, is docked at Cyprus’ main Limassol port. Russia has a naval base in Tartus, Syria, the only such facility that Moscow has outside the former Soviet Union. In 2017, Moscow struck a deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad to extend its lease on Tartus for 49 years and keep up to 11 warships there, including nuclear-powered ones. Tartus is 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Cyprus’ eastern coastline. F-35 jets from the UK’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth , operating off Cyprus in June 2021 had stirred the interest of Russian warplanes, which tried to keep tabs on the cutting-edge warplanes. The Arleigh Burke is three months into a 4½-month patrol mission in the region. It docked in Cyprus after operating in the Red Sea and passing through the Suez Canal. Since February, the destroyer has also operated above the Arctic Circle, the Baltic and North Seas and the eastern Atlantic.             “The Eastern Mediterranean is so important for maritime security and the history here is just so much,” Flynn said. The Arleigh Burke was the last U.S. Navy ship to sail in the Black Sea prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “The Arleigh Burke has the most capable, offensive and defensive systems of any other U.S. ship,” Flynn said. “So if we can’t do it, nobody else can.” The ship is equipped with an array of missiles that can engage aircraft, submarines, other surface ships and even ballistic missiles in outer space. Flynn said the destroyer has recently conducted joint maneuvers with Saudi and Egyptian naval vessels. Apart from projecting US power, the ship aims to buttress ties with friendly nations, he said.

Talking about a decision for a register of damage caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine, she stressed that without justice, there cannot be peace. Sakellaropoulou reiterated Greece's support and tangible solidarity with Ukraine and all those are defending their country, as well as Greece's mutual commitment, in an international rules-based system, to multilateralism and the need to respect international law. "There can't be an approach using double standards in terms of respecting this, nor 'selective sensitivity,' based on specific geopolitical interests. We should learn our lesson from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: the mistakes of the past should not be repeated," Sakellaropoulou underlined. At the same time, she focused on the issue of solidarity, noting that, "the decision for the establishment of the 'Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine' is a resounding commitment: a commitment for justice." "Without justice, there cannot be peace," she added. 

The match between the Greek champion, who is ranked No. 5 in the world, and the Italian tennis player (No. 19 in the world), ended at 02:43 Greek time, as due to the delay in the end of the previous matches, it started almost an hour after midnight .  The main reason for the delay of the match was the meeting of the Ukrainian, Angelina Kalininina (No. 47 in the world) with the Brazilian, Beatriz Haddad Maia (No. 15), which lasted three hours and 41 minutes and ended with a victory of the European tennis player with 6- 7(2), 7-6(6), 6-3. Fortunately for Tsitsipas, today is a day of rest, while tomorrow he faces Croatia's Borna Coric (No. 16 in the world).

Italy is struggling with a sharp rise in arrivals of sea migrants, with over 45,000 coming ashore so far in 2023 against about 12,000 in the same period last year, with numbers growing especially from north Africa. Boats are also increasingly reaching Italy's coasts via the eastern Mediterranean route. In February, dozens of people who had left Turkey died in a shipwreck off the southern region of Calabria. Police said the 29 people arrested were part of a network active also in Greece and Turkey. The 29 were not only smuggling migrants to Italy but also helping them to reach central and northern European countries, police said. Police said migrants - mostly from Asia and the Middle East - were asked between 7,000 and 15,000 euros ($7,705 - $16,512) for the trip and smugglers made large use of sailing boats, looking to escape police checks at sea. The boat captains were mainly Ukrainians or people from "the former Soviet Union area," the statement said, while other parts of the criminal group mostly came from the Middle East.

The map purports that the Greek islands of Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Kos, Ios, Amorgos and Rhodes voted for Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party in Sunday’s presidential election in the neighboring State. Diplomatic sources in Athens said that, on the instructions of Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, Ambassador Dimitrios Zevelakis wrote to the newspaper, calling on it to remove the infographic, which gave Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu as its source. Le Monde is understood to have removed the map in question from its website.

The Greek tennis player, who managed to win the first set yesterday, took the second set today in the tie-break and won 6-3, 7-6 (3). Tsitsipas had the opportunity to "clean up" the second set and the match relatively easily, but, while holding his serve comfortably, he lost the opportunity to break in three different games. Sonego recovered and reached two bowl sets, at 5-4 and 6-5, but in both cases "Steph" "erased" them with winners and finally the set was taken to the tie-break. There Tsitsipas took the first two points, Sonego the next three and then the Greek champion with five consecutive points reached 7-3 and qualified. The next opponent of Stefanos Tsitsipas will be the winner of the match between the Italian Lorenzo Muzzetti and the American Francis Tiafoe.

Friday’s arrest of Dhionisios Alfred Beleri, a candidate for mayor of the Albanian city of Himare — a town located in the Albanian Riviera 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital, Tirana, that has a Greek minority presence — raised tensions between the two neighbors. Greece’s Foreign Ministry demanded Beleri’s immediate release, hinting that the case could negatively impact Albania’s application to join the European Union. Beleri was arrested by Albanian police while he was allegedly offering some 40,000 Albanian leks (360 euros; $390) to buy eight votes. A second person was arrested on the same charges and a court confirmed Saturday that they would both remain in custody. Beleri belongs to the Human Rights Union Party of the ethnic Greek minority, but in this municipal vote he was the candidate for a coalition that also included the center-left Freedom Party of former president Ilir Meta and a breakaway group from the center-right opposition Democratic Party. Supporters were shouting his name Monday after learning of Beleri’s victory, just 19 votes ahead of the candidate of the governing Socialist Party. During a campaign stop in Athens ahead of Sunday’s national elections in Greece, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he had been “very pleased” to hear of Beleri’s victory. “I hope this incident will soon be over, because ... Albania’s course towards (European Union membership) leads past the respect it shows for the rights of the Greek ethnic minority,” he said Monday. On Saturday Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka responded angrily to Athens’ remarks, saying it was “nearly impossible to understand how our friends have the right to dispute a court decision in our country, when the hard evidence they were looking for couldn’t be any harder — Beleri has been caught engaging in criminal activity against free and fair elections.” Relations between Greece and post-communist Albania have been at times uneasy, largely over the issues of minority rights and the sizeable Albanian community in Greece. Preliminary results show that the divided opposition won only six out of 61 municipalities, with all the rest remaining with the ruling Socialists of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The turnout was around 38% — up from 23% four years ago when the vote was boycotted by the opposition. “The campaigns and coverage for these local elections focused mostly on national politics and parties and not on the issues of greatest importance in the different localities, particularly outside of Tirana,” said a preliminary report by the international observers. “This … reduced the region’s ability of voters to make their choice.” The election monitoring office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has had more than 250 observers monitoring Albania’s vote.