ISTANBUL // Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a visit to Turkey's Kurdish region yesterday to call for unity between Turks and Kurds, amid speculation that the prime minister is about to start a new initiative to solve the long-running Kurdish conflict.
Mr Erdogan flew to the province of Van, near the border with Iran, for a ceremony marking the completion of housing complexes for tens of thousands of people made homeless by an earthquake that killed more than 600 people on October 23 last year.
"We will not encourage those who plant the seeds of separation," Mr Erdogan said during a televised speech in Ercis, a town in Van province that was flattened by the quake. "We will be one."
He called on Kurds to take a stand against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant group fighting for Kurdish self-rule since 1984 in an insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people.
"We come to serve, they come to burn down and destroy."
The prime minister's visit came as efforts to solve the Kurdish conflict are gathering momentum following high-level talks of Kurdish politicians in Ankara. Mr Erdogan has also said he is ready to relaunch talks with the jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Ocalan, the PKK founder, has been serving a life sentence since 1999 on the prison island of Imrali near Istanbul.
Mr Erdogan has been applying a two-pronged approach to the conflict, matching military pressure on the PKK with political reforms designed to sap support for the militants among Turkey's estimated 12 million Kurds.
The government conducted separate confidential talks with both Ocalan, who remains a revered figure among many Kurds, and PKK representatives through Turkey's National Intelligence Service (MIT), but negotiations ended without a result last year.
Now, talks could be about to start again. A Kurdish politician has said fresh closed-door negotiations may already have begun.
Speaking to Turkish reporters travelling with him on a visit to Azerbaijan last week, Mr Erdogan said the Turkish intelligence service could "do anything at any moment", if asked by the government. "For example, if it is necessary to got to Imrali tomorrow, I will tell the MIT chief to go ahead," he said.
Mr Erdogan did not say which issues would be discussed by MIT officials and Ocalan if new talks were held. Key Kurdish demands in return for an end to the PKK's armed struggle are an improvement of Ocalan's prison conditions, complete abolishment of bans on the public use of the Kurdish language, and more autonomy for the Kurdish region.
This month, legislators from the Party for Peace and Democracy (BDP), Turkey's main Kurdish party that has close ties with the PKK, met Abdullah Gul, Turkey's president, as well as Cemil Cicek, the parliamentary speaker, and officials from Mr Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Hasip Kaplan, a leading BDP legislator, said fresh negotiations between the state and Ocalan might be under way already.
"I presume that talks on Imrali have started anew," Mr Kaplan told Turkish media on Sunday. There was no official comment.
Ocalan's last known contact to the outside world was a visit by his brother Mehmet last month. Mehmet Ocalan said afterwards his brother was ready to participate in new peace talks.
A role for Ocalan in the negotiations would answer a BDP demand. Another condition for peace cited by Kurdish politicians is the end of what they call the isolation of the PKK founder in prison. Hundreds of Kurdish prisoners in Turkish jails have gone on hunger strike to demand better prison conditions for Ocalan.
Mr Erdogan recently signalled the government's willingness to compromise. He introduced auxiliary Kurdish language courses in state middle schools for the first time and allowed Kurdish activists on trial for suspected support for the PKK to speak Kurdish in court.
But that has failed to end violence in the Kurdish region. Six members of the Turkish security forces died in clashes with PKK rebels in south-eastern Anatolia last week. PKK militants also threw firebombs at several state school buildings and kidnapped teachers in the Kurdish region to underline their demand for more Kurdish language rights.
Yalcin Akdogan, a close adviser to Mr Erdogan, said the government was sincere in its wish to end the Kurdish conflict, but he warned of overblown expectations.
"Of course everyone wants good things to happen," Mr Akdogan wrote in his column for the pro-government Star newspaper on Friday. "But exaggerating this atmosphere, like raising the bar of expectation, can result in psychological dissatisfaction and disappointment."
One reason behind Mr Erdogan's stated willingness to compromise may be local elections next year, when his party and the BDP are expected to be the main rivals in the Kurdish region.
In Van yesterday, Mr Erdogan criticised the BDP for failing to provide basic services in towns and cities governed by its representatives. "Voters should take them to account over this," he said.
Mazlum Dinc, a lawyer for Ocalan, said it was unclear whether the government was changing its policy.
Speaking in Istanbul this week, Mr Dinc said Ocalan had not been allowed to talk to his lawyers since July last year. "The isolation is continuing," he said, adding that they had asked the authorities for permission to see their client this week. There was no answer by yesterday afternoon, Mr Dinc's office said.
Mr Kaplan, the BDP legislator, said permission for Ocalan's lawyers to go to Imrali would be proof of the government's sincerity. Until that happens, he said, hunger strikes and the clashes in the Kurdish region would continue.
"The prime minister has to open the doors of Imrali immediately," Mr Kaplan said. "As long as the doors of Imrali are not opened, there will be deaths inside prisons, while deaths outside will continue."
tseibert@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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.”
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Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)