In the spring of 2006, for one of my first jobs in journalism, I worked as a reporting intern for a wire service at the UN headquarters in New York. Two days a week I marched into the sleek Secretariat building looming over the East River, eager to cover the day’s most urgent issues – the Darfur crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, global hunger and more.
I soon discovered that diplomats were much better at their jobs than I had imagined. They would look me dead in the eye and respond to my questions with intelligence and apparent insight. Yet, once I had typed up the interview and dropped it into my article, I would realise they had simply used different words to express sentiments that had been said a hundred times before.
Reporting at the UN was like panning for gold: high hopes inevitably crumbled as the sifting turned up only sand. Amid the flurry of flashbulbs, it turned out, very little of substance occurred. By the time I left, I viewed the UN as little more than the world’s pre-eminent public relations platform.
This might explain why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has over the years shown a knack for grabbing the world’s attention on his autumnal visits to Turtle Bay. In his first UN General Assembly speech in 2005, he declared terrorism “the enemy of humankind” and launched the Alliance of Civilisations initiative with Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain’s then prime minister, to unite international counter-extremism efforts.
In 2014, Mr Erdogan invoked, for the first time on the global stage, the phrase that has since become his refrain on the UN Security Council’s five permanent members. “I should emphasise that the world is bigger than five,” he said.
In 2016, he denounced Europe’s “degrading treatment” of a wave of newly arrived, mostly Arab refugees and, just weeks after a failed coup had shaken Turkey, urged the world to take measures against his government’s main suspect, the Gulen movement.
In 2019, he proposed a controversial safe zone in northern Syria and defended the rights of Palestinians. “Where are the borders of the state of Israel?” he wondered, denouncing Israeli annexations as illegitimate.
Absent was the fire of earlier UN speeches. He called for peace in Syria but refrained from criticising the EU and US
Last year, Mr Erdogan handed out copies of his new book, urging reform at the UN and other international bodies, and inaugurated the $300 million Turkish House. He described Turkey’s new consulate and permanent UN mission – 17 metres taller than Secretariat, just across the street – as an expression of his nation’s growing influence.
This year, in contrast, Mr Erdogan seemed more subdued, seeking to highlight his country’s positive role in world affairs. Citing the need for food security in the Horn of Africa and peace talks in Ukraine, he said Turkey had endeavoured “to be part of the solution” around the world.
He’s half right, as we’re in the midst of another Tale-of-Two-Cities moment for Mr Erdogan. At home he may be less well liked than he’s been since his last days as Istanbul mayor, a quarter-century ago. And tensions with Greece, Turkey’s Aegean neighbour, have spiked in recent weeks as the two have traded insults and accusations.
But farther abroad, despite lingering tensions with the US and EU, Turkey has made real diplomatic gains, including renewed ties with Gulf powers, Israel and Egypt. In New York, Mr Erdogan held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minster Yair Lapid, marking the first time since the George W Bush presidency that an Israeli prime minister met a Turkish president.
However troubling Mr Erdogan’s threats to “open the gates” of migration have been, it’s Turkey – not Greece, as top EU officials have asserted – that has served as Europe’s refugee shield, hosting 4-5 million foreigners for nearly a decade and keeping them out of the EU.
Also, even as Turkey has strengthened ties with Azerbaijan, potentially providing Europe with a much-needed alternative to Russian natural gas, Ankara has inched toward normalisation with historic rival Armenia and the opening of their long-closed border.
Last but not least is Ukraine. Ankara’s western and Nato allies have been largely unable to criticise its continued friendly relations with Moscow because of how it has leveraged them. With more than 40 countries at risk of famine in late summer, Turkey played a crucial role in bringing Ukraine and Russia to agree on a plan to release millions of tonnes of grain from Ukrainian ports.
Since March, Ankara has spearheaded efforts to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table. “There will be no losers in a fair peace process,” Mr Erdogan told the UN General Assembly, calling for support of Turkey’s diplomacy.
Absent was the fire of earlier UN speeches. He called for peace in Syria but refrained from criticising the EU and US for their unwillingness to help solve the refugee issue. He also stayed his hand on Moscow’s military mobilisation, even as reports emerged that four of five military summons in Russian-occupied Crimea have gone to Crimean Tatars – a persecuted Turkic-Muslim minority Mr Erdogan regularly defends.
His most notable activity in New York was an afternoon stroll in Central Park. He met a local rabbi, sat for photos with parents and their children, and from one passerby, received a hearty "thank you" on Ukraine, for the drones, the grain deal and “helping to make Nato stronger”.
The President’s communications team released a seven-minute video of the park visit, which some critics said had been staged. This is understandable; in Turkey, Mr Erdogan does not stroll through parks or chat with everyday citizens. But it all seemed real enough.
Turkey’s lira hit yet another record low last week, at 18.42 to the dollar, and the governing AKP has been trailing in polls for months. With elections looming next year, the Central Park video was probably an attempt to humanise Mr Erdogan, to present a warmer leader who is also comfortable in the world.
Maybe after years of relishing his moment in the spotlight, Mr Erdogan has come to share my view that the UN is mostly sound and fury. Perhaps he decided to take a break and enjoy his time in the Big Apple, walk in the park, revel in recent successes, speak in the third person.
A Turkish reporter at the UN asked if he hoped to meet US President Joe Biden and he shook his head. “He is Biden,” Turkey’s leader responded with a grin. “I’m Erdogan.”
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Company%20profile
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Company%20profile%20
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Honeymoonish
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THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
