On the weekend of Turkey’s 100th birthday, the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) held a huge rally at a defunct Istanbul airport named after the country’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inviting all Turks to attend.
One might have expected a celebratory parade and marching band, paeons to the famously dapper war hero, founder and statesman, and recitations of his most memorable quotes.
There was just one problem: the event on Saturday had nothing to do with the centennial, but sought to express support for Palestinians in Gaza facing an Israeli onslaught that has now killed some 9,000 people, including 3,500 children.
The AKP’s vocal solidarity with the region’s suffering Muslims underscores just how far Turkey has travelled from its founder’s pro-western stance. Days after describing Hamas militants as “freedom fighters”, Mr Erdogan at the rally charged Israel with war crimes and said the “main culprit” behind the Gaza “massacre” is the West.
It’s not much of a stretch. US President Joe Biden, supposed leader of the western world, has questioned the reported Gaza death toll and refused to set red lines for Israel, essentially giving its military carte blanche.
As Israel cut off Gaza communications last week and launched an initial ground incursion, the US joined a little more than a dozen countries in voting against a UN resolution for a truce, in contrast to 121 states in favour. No surprise, then, that more than eight out of 10 Israeli Jews (83 per cent), when asked if Palestinian civilians’ suffering should be considered in Israel’s Gaza war plan, said “not at all” or “not so much”.
We’re already seeing growing global anger as attitudes harden. Could it lead to increased radicalisation?
Even Israel-friendly western observers are expressing fears that Washington’s stand could backfire. “America will be blamed around the world for every civilian death,” Financial Times’ editor Edward Luce warned on X.
On the weekend, activists around the globe organised pro-Palestinian rallies – in the US, UK, Canada, India, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand and beyond. In Turkey, some shops banned Israeli goods and conservatives called for boycotts of US brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Starbucks.
This posture has turned more aggressive in recent days. An Istanbul bookstore on Friday barred entry for Jewish people and an angry crowd ransacked a Starbucks in Gaziantep. The next day, a Turkish man stabbed a worker at a Burger King in Adana, saying the food contained baby’s blood, while another bashed the windows of a McDonald’s in Mersin with an axe.
It’s been more than four decades since Edward Said wrote about “age-old western prejudices about Islam [that] dehumanised us, reduced us to the status of a barely tolerated nuisance”. Yet a renewed appreciation for this Orientalist bias seems to be driving many Muslims and their allies to take an ideological position against the West and its purported morality.
“The US-led order is just so, in my view, transparently hypocritical and completely divorced from the Global South and a lot of the rest of the world who have genuine sympathies, not to Hamas, but to the Palestinian cause,” Shadi Hamid, a Brookings Institution senior fellow and The Washington Post columnist, said on a podcast last week. “[Western] people just don’t like Arabs, don’t like Muslims … their lives don’t matter as much," he claimed.
Many predicted that an over-aggressive Israeli response to Hamas’s gruesome October 7 assault would have the opposite of its intended impact, and we’re already seeing growing global anger as attitudes harden. Could it lead to increased radicalisation?
Either way, we are already seeing signs of a broader war taking shape. Violence has surged in the West Bank, where Israeli troops attacked the Jenin Brigades militant group amid reports of a surge in arms smuggling. On Saturday, Hezbollah launched a rocket barrage on Israel from southern Lebanon, prompting Israeli attacks on both Lebanon and Syria the next day.
Iran-backed militias have launched more than 20 drone attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria. The US, in turn, has attacked Iran-backed groups in Syria and a US naval destroyer blew up a rocket from Yemen headed towards Israel.
Tehran appears to be hoping to bait the US into direct conflict, and the arrival of the USS Eisenhower in waters off Iran’s coast this week suggests some US interest. One starts to wonder, in a possible war between the US and Iran, where would Turkey stand?
The US has an Air Force unit and nuclear weapons stationed inside Nato member state Turkey, so the answer seems pretty clear. But in aligning with the US, Ankara would be turning against Palestinians and countless pro-Palestinian Turks. What’s more, on Monday an Israeli missile hit Gaza’s only cancer hospital, which Turkey’s aid agency built for $70 million.
Commentator Ibrahim Karagul, known for supporting the AKP, foresees a regional war that irrevocably ends western global leadership. “Just like we fought the British in 1917, we will fight Israel like that today,” he said on X over the weekend.
The last time Turkish forces defended Levantine land, they were led by Turkey’s founder. The German-allied Ottomans had lost Jerusalem, its leadership had evaporated and the British marched north to Syria unimpeded; Ataturk described Ottoman resistance as “like a cotton thread across their path”. But after a retreat to Aleppo, he rallied the Ottomans’ Thunder Command and halted the British advance near Turkey’s present-day border.
Mr Erdogan visited Ataturk’s mausoleum on Sunday morning before Turkey, finally, held its centennial event on the Bosporus, with drones and fireworks and a naval parade. But the celebration was muted; several concerts, a gala reception and other festivities were cancelled, with organisers citing the tragedy in Gaza.
With local elections less than five months away, Mr Erdogan may soon need to decide whether to take an Ottomanesque position or a more Kemalist stance on the Middle East crisis. He surely knows which his base would prefer.
During his Saturday speech, Mr Erdogan asked the crowd if they were ready to help Palestinians defend their homeland. “We did it yesterday,” he told a sea of Turkish flags. “We will do it tomorrow too, Inshallah.” The sea responded, chanting: “Turkish troops in Gaza.”
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
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
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 v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
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.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
