Tag: Diplomacy

Economy and diplomacy: The writer defends Jaishankar’s ‘Common Sense’ statement on China

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India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in an interview a few days ago: “Look they (China) are a bigger economy. What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, I am going to pick up a fight with bigger economy? It is not a question of being a reactionary; it is a question of common sense.”
Obviously, Jaishankar is advising caution in dealing with China because its bigger economy translates into greater military strength and stronger diplomatic clout. Most political and diplomatic commentators have kept quiet about the far-reaching implications of this statement and those who have spoken, have reacted adversely generally characterizing it as ‘capitulatory mentality’.
Leaving aside the question whether External Affairs Minister should have publicly broached the subject or left it to closed-door conclaves of policymakers, one must frankly accept that the whole issue of Economy and Diplomacy is extremely important and needs to be openly discussed. Informed public opinion is essential for the success of Government policies in a democracy. One hopes that Jaishankar’s frank articulation of the problems of pursuing a viable security policy vis a vis China because of economic asymmetry will start a much-needed debate on the importance of economy for defense and diplomacy.
Public should be made aware of facts
China’s GDP is $18 trillion while that of India is $3.47 trillion or 1/5 that of China. In 1950 the GDP of both countries was about the same.
For perspective it may be noted that US GDP is 25 trillion, that of Japan 4.94 trillion and Germany 4.25 trillion. When US power was at its peak in the 1950s after the Second World War, its GDP was 40% of the world’s total. Today its economic and military preeminence is not the same, because other economies have risen and its share of world GDP has shrunk to about 23%.
China’s diplomatic clout has been increasing in the step with its economic power. Mao had famously said that “power flows from the barrel of a gun,” but it is Deng’s pragmatic economic policies exemplified by his famous declaration “no matter it is white cator black as long as it can catch mice” that has transformed China into a global power. With this one sentence he jettisoned three decades of ideological dogmatism in economy and substituted it with result-oriented pragmatism. Within 40 years China became an economic giant and manufacturing hub of the world.
Diplomatic muscle of Japan and Germany

Other examples of diplomatic muscle because of their economic strength are Japan and Germany the third and the fourth largest economies in the world. With large foreign exchange reserves these countries can pursue economic diplomacy to promote their national interest very effectively. The relationship between economy and diplomacy is the same as between body and fist, the power of the latter depends on the strength of the former.
India’s own international footprint has increased since 1991 when under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the economy was unshackled and the suffocating “license Raj” relaxed. In 1991 India was about to default on its foreign payment obligations. With foreign exchange reserves adequate only for about three weeks of imports it had to pledge gold in international market to borrow hard currency for its foreign exchange requirements. Today, with its foreign exchange reserves position comfortable, India is in a position to stand up to international pressures much better and pursue foreign policy dictated by its national interest. The frequent difficulties faced by the Latin American countries to effectively pursue independent foreign policy due to external debt and inadequate foreign exchange reserves, clearly establishes the relationship between economy and diplomacy.
It is easy to establish the correlation between economic strength and diplomatic clout but impossibly difficult to attain it. Often there is a tendency to attribute China’s economic progress to its authoritarian system. It is a mistake. Soviet Union despite its authoritarian decision-making failed to achieve economic progress and collapsed. China’s economic progress took off when it allowed free enterprise in economy while retaining one-party rule politically. Many in India attribute its slow economic growth to the elaborate consultative decision-making progress inherent in a democracy. This is a mistaken notion.
Democracy can outperform authoritarianism
Democracy can outperform authoritarian system in all respects–economic, political, technological–if it has the honest commitment of the people and the leaders for its success. Democracy and economic success need political leadership which truly adheres to the rule of law, justice, equality, individual freedom, human rights, transparency and accountability. Democracy has a self-correcting mechanism which prevents things from going over the cliff as has happened to so many authoritarian regimes in the 20th and 21st centuries e.g., Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet communism, dictatorships in Middle East.
On the part of captains of business and industry it requires honest commitment to rule of open and free competition, not pursuit of cronyism for quick wealth. Cronyism is feudalism in economics. It prevents inclusive and sustained growth which alone can make a society stable and strong.
Comparative studies of democracies and authoritarian regimes in 20th century clearly show that democracies have achieved much more economically and have shown more sustaining power politically than authoritarian systems.
But democracy requires patience and honesty on the part of the people for its success. Impatience leads to shortcuts to attain political power and cronyism in business and industry.
Democracy is a government of the patient, for the patient and by the patient just as authoritarianism is a government of the impatient, by the impatient and for the impatient.
All authoritarian leaders display impatience while good democratic leaders act with patience and stamina. Impatience is inherently unsustainable and quickly self-destructs. A study of the 20th century dictatorships and democratic regimes establishes the validity of this proposition. Dictators are gone while democracies plod on.
China will have to one day reconcile its one-party political system with the free enterprise economy. It cannot go on with this dichotomy between its political and economic systems without tensions and conflicts. India for its part will have to protect, preserve, and strengthen its democracy.
Ishrat Aziz is an expert on a variety of subjects including democracy and its connectivity with Islam. A former ambassador of India to several Middle Eastern countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he now resides in the US.
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#Economy #diplomacy #writer #defends #Jaishankars #Common #Sense #statement #China
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 13, 2023
Germany’s Scholz says China ‘declared it will not deliver’ weapons to Russia

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MESEBERG, Germany — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday said China had declared it won’t supply Russia with weapons for its war against Ukraine, suggesting that Berlin has received bilateral assurances from Beijing on the issue.
Scholz was speaking at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who told reporters that the EU has received “no evidence” so far from the U.S. that Beijing is considering supplying lethal support to Moscow.
Senior U.S. officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken have expressed deep concern in recent weeks that China could provide weapons such as kamikaze drones to Russia, which in turn triggered warnings to Beijing from EU politicians. Scholz himself urged Beijing last week to refrain from such actions and instead use its influence to convince Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
Yet speaking at Sunday’s press conference, which was held at the German government retreat in Meseberg north of Berlin, Scholz claimed that China had provided assurances that it would not send weapons to Russia.
“We all agree that there should be no arms deliveries, and the Chinese government has declared that it will not deliver any either,” the chancellor said in response to a question by POLITICO. “We insist on this and we are monitoring it,” he added.
Scholz’s comments came as a surprise because China has not publicly rejected the possibility of weapons deliveries to Russia. The chancellor appeared to suggest that Beijing had issued such reassurances directly to Germany.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell received similar private assurances last month. Borrell told reporters that China’s top diplomat Wang Yi had told him in a private discussion at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February that China “will not provide arms to Russia.”
“Nevertheless, we have to remain vigilant,” Borrell said.

Von der Leyen, who attended the first day of a two-day German government retreat in Meseberg, told reporters that the EU still had not seen any proof that China is considering sending arms to Russia.
“So far, we have no evidence of this, but we have to observe it every day,” the Commission president said. She did not reply to the question on whether the EU would support sanctions against China should there be such weapon deliveries, saying that was a “hypothetical question” she would not answer.
Stuart Lau contributed reporting.

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#Germanys #Scholz #China #declared #deliver #weapons #Russia
( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

March 2, 2023
In Nord Stream bombings probe, German investigators see Ukraine link, reports say

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BERLIN — German prosecutors have found “traces” of evidence indicating that Ukrainians may have been involved in the explosions that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, according to German media reports Tuesday.
Investigators identified a boat that was potentially used for transporting a crew of six people, diving equipment and explosives into the Baltic Sea in early September. Charges were then placed on the pipelines, according to a joint investigation by German public broadcasters ARD and SWR as well as the newspaper Die Zeit.
The German reports said that the yacht had been rented from a company based in Poland that is “apparently owned by two Ukrainians.”
However, no clear evidence has been established so far on who ordered the attack, the reports said.
In its first reaction, Ukraine’s government dismissed the reports.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied the Ukrainian government had any involvement in the pipeline attacks. “Although I enjoy collecting amusing conspiracy theories about the Ukrainian government, I have to say: Ukraine has nothing to do with the Baltic Sea mishap and has no information about ‘pro-Ukraine sabotage groups,'” Podolyak wrote in a tweet.
Three of the four pipes making up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 undersea gas pipelines from Russia to Germany were destroyed by explosions last September. Germany, Sweden and Denmark launched investigations into an incident that was quickly established to be a case of “sabotage.”
The German media reports — which come on top of a New York Times report Tuesday which said that “intelligence suggests that a pro-Ukrainian group” sabotaged the pipelines — stress that there’s no proof that Ukrainian authorities ordered the attack or were involved in it.

Any potential involvement by Kyiv in the attack would risk straining relations between Ukraine and Germany, which is one of the most important suppliers of civilian and military assistance to the country as it fights against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to the investigation by German public prosecutors that is cited by the German outlets, the team which placed the explosive charges on the pipelines was comprised of five men — a captain, two divers and two diving assistants — as well as one woman doctor, all of them of unknown nationality and operating with false passports. They left the German port of Rostock on September 6 on the rented boat, the report said.
It added that the yacht was later returned to the owner “in uncleaned condition” and that “on the table in the cabin, the investigators were able to detect traces of explosives.”
But the reports also said that investigators can’t exclude that the potential link to Ukraine was part of a “false flag” operation aiming to pin the blame on Kyiv for the attacks.
Contacted by POLITICO, a spokesperson for the German government referred to ongoing investigations by the German prosecutor general’s office, which declined to comment.
The government spokesperson also said: “a few days ago, Sweden, Denmark and Germany informed the United Nations Security Council that investigations were ongoing and that there was no result yet.”
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed the reports of Ukrainian involvement in the Nord Stream bombings, saying in a post on the Telegram social media site that they were aimed at distracting attention from earlier, unsubstantiated, reports that the U.S. destroyed the pipelines.
Veronika Melkozerova in Kyiv contributed reporting.

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#Nord #Stream #bombings #probe #German #investigators #Ukraine #link #reports
( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

March 2, 2023
‘Disappointment’ in Brussels after Israel expels MEP on official visit to Palestine

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EU leaders expressed surprise and regret Tuesday after the Israeli government barred a member of the European Parliament from entering the country on an official visit and deported her to Spain.
Ana Miranda, a Galician MEP in the Greens group, landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv Monday evening along with eight other lawmakers from two European Parliament delegations, one for Israel and one for Palestine. On the orders of the Israeli interior ministry, Miranda was put on a flight to Madrid.
“It’s a diplomatic conflict [and] it’s intolerable that Israel exerts control over members of a delegation that’s going to Palestine, not going to Israel,” Miranda told POLITICO.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Mission to the EU said: “The only reason that she was not allowed to enter is the issue that she tried to enter [Israel] illegally.” This referred to Miranda’s participation in a flotilla in 2015 that aimed to break the naval blockade of Gaza by Israel.
Israel has recently elected a far-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Miranda said that while being held at the airport for three hours, a female border control guard repeatedly told her to “shut up,” and that when Miranda explained that she was an MEP, the person replied: “What is the European Parliament? It’s nothing here.”
Miranda said she did not hide her participation in the flotilla when questioned.
The four-day visit by MEPs this week will include trips to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where the Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy. The delegation was denied access to Gaza, Miranda said.

Parliament President Roberta Metsola described her “disappointment” on Twitter, saying she will contact the Israeli authorities to demand answers, and also convene the leaders of political groups to discuss the next steps.
Relations between Jerusalem and the Parliament have been cordial as of late, with the institution having hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in January. Metsola, a Maltese MEP from the center-right European People’s Party, visited Israel in May last year.
Miranda was given the go-ahead to enter Israel, according to emails dated February 2 and 14 between the EU’s External Action Service in Israel and the country’s foreign affairs ministry, seen in full by POLITICO. The emails stated that Manu Pineda, a Spanish far-left MEP who chairs the Palestine delegation, was barred entry, but made no mention of banning Miranda from entering. Miranda said it was a “lie” that she was still banned from entering Israel. “Otherwise they would not have authorized me [to travel],” she wrote in a follow-up message.
The spokesperson for the Israeli Mission to the EU said Pineda — who did not travel to Israel with the rest of his delegation — supports Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization in the EU. The EU’s General Court has ruled that Hamas should be removed from this list, a decision that is currently suspended pending an appeal by the Council.
Pineda told POLITICO in a statement: “I am not a Hamas supporter, no matter how much the Israeli regime insists.”
He continued: “The Israeli regime can continue to insist on its alibi of photos and Hamas. But in reality what they are doing today is preventing my work as chair of the Delegation for relations with Palestine and preventing the proper functioning of this delegation, because of my past as a human rights activist in Gaza.
“Israel has a very serious human rights problem and does not want anyone to witness the killings, forced displacements, illegal settlements and systematic arrests,” he added.
Pineda’s Left group has demanded that the Parliament take “reciprocal measures” for Israel. He said this means that no Israeli politician or diplomat should be allowed entry.
“Respect for all elected MEPs and the European Parliament is essential for good EU-Israel relations,” said Nabila Massrali, the European Commission’s spokesperson for foreign affairs. “This decision is deeply disappointing, it is also surprising.”
Gregorio Sorgi contributed reporting.

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#Disappointment #Brussels #Israel #expels #MEP #official #visit #Palestine
( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

February 21, 2023
Biden brings hope — as well as pledges of cash and weapons — to Ukraine

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KYIV — Just days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the streets of the capital were suddenly locked down on Monday morning. Then videos of a mysterious procession of vehicles with blacked-out windows began being posted online.
Who, wondered many ordinary Ukrainians — trying to go about their daily business as best as they can despite the war — was the foreign guest causing so much inconvenience?
There had been rumors that Joe Biden was going to make a surprise visit to Kyiv before his scheduled trip to Poland. But the people of Ukraine didn’t know for sure until Biden was pictured walking out of Mykhailivsky monastery in central Kyiv together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The image of the U.S. president calmly walking in Kyiv, while air raid sirens blared in the background, gave hope to Ukrainians, who saw a powerful ally standing beside them.
“Thank you, Mister President, for visiting Kyiv today. Strong gesture in support of our fight. Again, we are invincible when united! Russia is already losing. Invaders will die. Be brave like Ukrainians and like Biden,” prominent Ukrainian military volunteer Serhiy Prytula said in a statement.
Russians were obviously less impressed. Dmitry Medvedev, a former president, reacted with a rant about Biden “being allowed to safely travel to Kyiv by Russians” and Russian military bloggers started asking when Vladimir Putin is going to the occupied Donetsk region to show the same kind of support for his troops.
Vladyslav Faraponov, an Internews Ukraine media analyst, told POLITICO that “Russians are going crazy on social media because they realize their weakness during this visit. There is nothing they can do about it. What is more, as the first anniversary of the war approaches, it makes them think of their foolishness as Russia’s officials have convinced them that Kyiv could be captured in three days.”
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told the AP that the Russians were only formally informed several hours before the visit to avoid “any miscalculation that could bring the two nuclear-armed nations into direct conflict.”

“It is difficult to imagine a bigger diplomatic slap [in the face] to Putin than the arrival of President Biden in Kyiv,” former CEO of Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz Andriy Kobolev wrote on Facebook.
Biden came bearing more than support: In a joint address with Zelenskyy, he announced half a billion dollars of additional assistance to Ukraine, which will include military equipment such as artillery munitions, javelins and howitzers.
“Together with more than 50 partner countries, we have approved more than 700 tanks and thousands of armored vehicles,” the U.S. president said. Biden also said he thought it was critical not to leave any doubt about U.S. support for Ukraine in the war: “The Ukrainian people have stepped up in a way that few people ever have in the past.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar described Biden’s visit as a historic day for Ukraine. “It is a sunny and warm day in Kyiv. We survived this winter, which is almost over. Now it is time to win the war,” she wrote in a statement, posting a photo of the Ukrainian first couple happily greeting Biden in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Deputy of Defence Minister Hanna Maliar | Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front lines also saw Biden’s visit as a morale boost ahead of the expected counteroffensive later this week.
“He came to the capital, half a thousand kilometers from the front line. And the guys at the very front, despite the wild fatigue and cold, have a completely different mood. More energy and strength. There is even greater confidence that we are doing everything right,” Ukrainian serviceman and environmental activist Yehor Firsov wrote in a Facebook post.
Faraponov, the Internews Ukraine media analyst, said: “In my view, the visit of President Biden is crucial for Ukrainians because it hasn’t been announced in advance, and it brings some hope during this difficult time.”
He added: “The visit is happening at the moment of the Russian counteroffensive in the east. In addition, last week Russia continued to launch missiles all over Ukraine. Therefore, Ukrainians have enormous expectations for the U.S. regarding extending its support toward Ukraine. It applies to fighter jets, more tanks, long-range missiles, and other means to defeat Russia. But what I’ve seen today is a confirmation that Biden has a special sentiment toward Ukraine.”
The shock visit was a logistical nightmare to arrange. Biden left Washington at 4:15 a.m. local time and U.S. officials had expressed concerns that the president couldn’t fly into Ukraine or take a 10-hour train ride without immense risk to the host nation and Biden himself. Ensuring the president’s safety was a near-impossible endeavor, those officials said, though they acknowledged Biden had long wanted to go to Kyiv.
A Ukrainian government official, speaking on the condition on anonymity due to the confidential information involved, said the Ukrainians “have been requesting this visit for a long time.”
The same official added that the visit had been prepared “in a very short amount of time” — around a week — “with the utmost level of secrecy through (President’s Office Head Andriy) Yermak’s and (Foreign Minister Dmytro) Kuleba’s lines of communication.”
Biden’s bold move brought praise from beyond Ukrainian borders. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said the visit to Kyiv was “immense.”
“In a way, it will frame all these events around the sad anniversary of the year of the full-scale war. And it will give, I think, a lot of mental power to the Ukrainian people. It will give a strong signal to Russia. But very important also, I think, all over the planet, and also countries of global south will get that signal.”
Poland’s Ambassador to the EU Andrzej Sadoś said Monday’s visit “strengthens the allies’ determination to support Ukraine and introduce further sanctions against Russia. It is a timely, symbolic and historic visit which shows that the free world stands with Ukraine.”
Lili Bayer contributed reporting.

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#Biden #brings #hope #pledges #cash #weapons #Ukraine
( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

February 20, 2023
Macron calls out Russia for work with ‘neo-mafia’ Wagner group

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MUNICH — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called out Vladimir Putin for telling him last year that the paramilitary Wagner Group had nothing to do with Russia.
“A year ago I spoke to Putin and he assured me Russia had nothing to do with the Wagner Group,” he told an audience at the Munich Security Conference. “I accepted that,” he said.
The Wagner Group has since provided military services supporting Russia’s war effort. It means Moscow “formalized the fact that Wagner was an explicit, direct, diplomatic-military, neo-mafia medium of Russia around the world,” Macron said.
Macron’s speech comes as country leaders and security officials gathered for a three-day event in the Bavarian capital, a conference dominated by the West’s efforts to allign on how to support Kyiv in its conflict with Russia.
The French president said the time isn’t right for dialogue with Russia and called on Western states to “intensify” their backing of a Ukrainian counter-offensive. But he suggested that — when negotiations would end the war on terms acceptable to Kyiv — Europe and Russia should “create an imperfect balance” on the Continent.
“It’s time for a transition,” he said, suggesting Russia and its adversaries will need to agree on a new regional security architecture, calling it an “imperfect balance.”
But he emphasized the time isn’t right for negotiations, noting it’s “too early” to formulate such a Europe-Russia understanding.
The comments reflect Macron’s long-held view that security guarantees for Russia are an “essential” component of any peace talks. Moscow has to be satisfied with how the war ends, or else any deal would be no more than a ceasefire and not a treaty, he argues.

Laura Kayali contributed reporting.
CORRECTION: This article was updated to correctly reflect Macron compared the Wagner group to the mafia.

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#Macron #calls #Russia #work #neomafia #Wagner #group
( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

February 16, 2023
Turkey Disaster

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As a shallow, inland earthquake of a huge magnitude flattened a vast belt straddling the border between Turkey and Syria killing thousands of people instantly, a number of Kashmiri students have joined relief and rescue teams. Khalid Bashir Gura talked to a few of them to report the state and status of a major tragedy
An aerial view of Hatay (Turkey) after the devastating twin earthquakes flattened the region. Image: Ibrahim Haskoloğlu
On February 5, Fazilah, a Kashmiri student went to Kahramanmaras, a Turkey city for a day trip. As it was snowing in Gaziantep, the message from the university group doubled the joy of tired Fazilah and her friends. “The educational institutions will be closed on Monday,” the varsity message read. Sensing an opportunity to rest and wake up late, joyful Fazilah planned to sleep late the next day without dinner.
On February 6, morning a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent 7.5-magnitude tremor hit the area seriously impacting contiguous territories in Turkey and Syria. The shallow earthquake said to be the major inland earthquake of the world in recent years killed more than 35000 people and reduced nearly 4000 buildings to rubble as the World Health Organisation (WHO) fears the toll can go unimaginably up. As rescuers scour to find survivors amidst the rubble of flattened buildings, Kashmiri students in Turkey said not many tourists and students were in the region where most people were sleeping.
Mourning Monday
“Tired, I went to bed but little did I know what was in store after a few hours. At around 4:15 am, the building started shaking so hard and everything rattled and fell that it woke us up and we were frightened,” Fazilah said. Luckily, the horrific shaking sounds woke us up, she said. “My roommate was in complete shock and started shouting, “ye kyahorhahai, ye rukkyunahirha, hum mar jayenge.” Having an experience of earthquakes back home, I hugged her to calm her down.” Instinctively, they hid under the bed but the relentless shaking scared them enough and they started running away, leaving everything in the room.
Ben Anadoluyum benim vergilerim çöpten ibarettir pic.twitter.com/Htp9YpGgcE
— Furkan Soylu (@FurkanS36997803) February 12, 2023
While running Fazilah’s roommate fell and broke her chin. “Coming out of the room looked like a long journey. At one point, I believed we will not make it and will get buried in the building,” she said. “The wall plaster was falling off and in the din of shrieks and cries, we somehow managed to move out.” It was too cold and snowing and they had no protection against it.
Shivering and watching the destruction around, Fazilah watch another major earthquake that widened the cracks in buildings. As it thawed, they quickly ran into the room and retrieved their shoes, jackets and cell phones.
“In frigid cold air students, and families huddled and left for a safer place called Olipmichavuz (Olympic pool). Panicked people had to leave the apartments and take refuge at safer locations. Later, authorities were providing food and necessary items but it wasn’t enough for all the people there,” she said, insisting though the place was warm, it lacked space and was jam-packed.

As the news broke back home, there was a barrage of distressed calls and messages.
Much later, as they walked to their dormitory, they felt deserted streets, silent roads and quiet apartments as if life ceased to exist. Every time the people felt safe in a building, the fierce aftershocks ensured they ran out.
“I left the devastated city and now I am in Ankara, with Kashmiri students studying here,” Fazilah said, insisting the memories of miraculous survival and aftershocks have triggered trauma and she has a huge sleep deficit.
Volunteers and Response
Unlike, Fazilah, Zeenish, a Kashmiri student in Film and TV at Bahcesehir University was deep in sleep when the earthquake struck. She lives in Istanbul, more than 1000 km away from the epicentre. She did not feel tremors either. After the details of the devastation emerged, she joined the three Kashmiri students to volunteer for work.
Teams from around the world dispatched rescue workers, equipment and aid to deal with the disaster. So far 97 countries have offered assistance as the earthquake affected more than 13 million people across 10 Turkish provinces. Three different teams from India are part of the rescue efforts in Turkey. These include a 101-member NDRF team and an army medical corps detachment. This is in addition to a huge relief that has flown to Syria and Turkey. Turkey has arranged thousands of translators to bridge the communication gap between the rescue teams and the local people.
An aerial view of the devastation by the February 2023 earthquake in Hatay, Turkey.
“We started volunteering on the second day after the earthquake after our university pages posted advertisements to volunteer or contribute relief material for the victims,” said Zeenish. Outside the campus, various e-commerce sites are offering relief delivery free.
According to her, they saw the advertisement and went with whatever relief material we could offer and help in packing and dispatching. “We collect the relief material, pack it in boxes and then load them in trucks to deliver it to the affected site. We know about the authentic sites here and therefore choose to contribute carefully,” she said.
The tragedy has united the Turkish people. “Food is being cooked by volunteers overnight even in Istanbul, which is more than a thousand km from that place, and then taken to the Gaziantep and nearby areas. People are donating blood, food, clothes, blankets, and essential supplies. Many of the rich property owners provided living facilities for the people who are homeless after the quake.”
Relief and Rescue
To address connectivity, social media is being used by companies and relief workers in fundraising, relief gathering and relief delivery.
There are two types of responses right now according to Wahid Bashir, a Kashmiri scholar in Istanbul. Firstly, according to him, the government institutions like AFAD, a disaster management system in the home ministry, are leading all the rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities. There are other government institutions and organisations as well.
“There are non-governmental or semi-governmental groups that are into rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities. But all these institutions are doing activities in the areas they have a speciality in. Some are doing only rescue, some only relief and some may start rehabilitating the people as well,” he said. He said Turks as a nation are so much a responsible society that they are responding to this disaster collectively. “They try to do things in collaboration with government agencies in a controlled manner and not in haphazard ways.”
#OperationDost
We Care.#IndianArmy #Türkiye pic.twitter.com/WoV3NhOYap
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) February 9, 2023
Kamran Ashraf Bhat, another Kashmiri, a Media and Cinema researcher at Bahcesehir University, has volunteered for rescue and relief operations. A resident of Kupwara, he had received panic calls and messages when he was sleeping. Bhat was a class seven student when on October 8, 2005, an earthquake measuring 7.6 rattled Kashmir. However, at home, his distressed parents, and friends heaved a sigh of relief when he said: ‘hello’ on phone.
“According to him, there are not many Kashmiris in the devastated area as there are no major educational institutions and only two Kashmiris were located and they are safe. The area is far off from the capital. However, the gloom is all over Turkey,” Bhat said, insisting there are systems in vogue that encourage people to contribute their bit without physical involvement. “Each individual, the organisation has been given a specific area to tackle as the priority is to save lives and reduce the death toll by pulling people out of the rubble. Many NGOs have also chipped in,” he said.
Modern Aids
Turkish engineers have developed technologies to aid earthquake victims. Apps like Debris Listening App, serve to hear the voices of those under the debris without the need for the internet. The system can record frequencies between 350 – 5000 Hz. There are other Apps like Collective Platform for Earthquake Victims, Disaster Information, Map for Safe Zones, Earthquake Help, Earthquake Call (A Twitter stream application for people under the debris.), Be My Guest (People not in the earthquake zone can give victims the run of their homes.).
There are set psychological intervention formats too. Off late, the Turkish government is being criticised for its failure in curbing disinformation and ensuring smooth rescue and relief operations.
Other than the AFAD, Yaqeen Sikander, a Kashmiri psychotherapist and clinical psychologist based in Istanbul said there are many organizations on the ground like IHH and India operation Dost.
The 1999 Marmara earthquake, however, marked a turning point in the area of disaster management and coordination. This devastating disaster clearly demonstrated the need to reform disaster management and compelled the country to establish a single government institution to single-handedly coordinate and exercise legal authority in cases of disaster and emergencies.
Off late, a clinical psychologist is coordinating a project in which there will be specific instructions for adults, children, psychologists and first responders who are on the ground. “It includes tips to reduce anxiety, and phone numbers one can call. It will be a one-pager psychological first aid.”
Besides providing safety, food and shelter we have to ensure psychosocial education. Besides, there will be a psychological assessment to assess trauma and this involves listening to them mostly,” Sikander, who is a PhD candidate at IbnHaldun University, said. He is doing this project for his University as the University’s first group has left for fieldwork.
“There are children who need explanation and people whose family members died. How do you send this message to them? Generally, a psychologist is sent to deliver this news, while following the protocol,” he said.
(Some figures in the report were changed)

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#Turkey #Disaster
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

February 14, 2023
Can disaster diplomacy after tragic earthquakes bridge political differences?

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Ankara: Natural disasters usually work to unite people to put aside political differences, and it’s been the case for the deadly earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria.
The catastrophe may also have an impact on international relations. Countries at odds with Turkey and Syria have rallied in solidarity with the two quake-hit countries, sending batches of aid and rescue teams, Xinhua news agency reported.
However, it’s unclear whether this dynamic will continue when the disaster has passed or whether new understandings and bridges will be established, experts said.
Over 9,800 rescue personnel from 70 countries have rushed to southeastern Turkey after it was jolted on February 6 by two powerful earthquakes that have killed 31,643 and wounded over 80,000, according to the latest official toll announced on Monday.
This is the worst natural disaster that Turkiye has witnessed. An earthquake in eastern Turkey in 1939 had killed 30,000 people.
Some countries stick out on the long list more than others, such as Greece, Armenia and Cyprus, despite having had difficult or tense relations with Ankara over decades.
However, all of these old rivals have set aside their animosity and given helping hands at a time of disaster.
“Natural disasters are indeed brief moments of conciliation in bilateral disputes. In the case of Turkey and Greece they are both earthquake-prone countries and have come to the aid of one another many times, allowing for reconciliation,” Batu Coskun, an independent political risk analyst, told Xinhua.

“Usually when the crisis subsides, bilateral tensions reassert themselves, though with less severity,” he pointed out.
Earthquakes that struck both Turkey and Greece in 1999 gave rise to “earthquake diplomacy” and improved previously tense ties between the two nations. Before tensions reemerged, the post-quake mood persisted for a few years.
Ankara and Athens have decades-old feuds and have repeatedly come to the brink of war. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias arrived on Sunday for a visit to Turkey’s disaster-struck Adana province, where he was warmly greeted by his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu who praised Greek relief efforts.
“We do not need to wait for natural disasters to improve our relations,” Dendias was quoted as saying by the local press.
Turkey has not had diplomatic or commercial ties with Armenia since the 1990s. The two countries also reconnected for the first time in decades in the wake of the earthquakes.
A border gate between the two countries has been opened for the first time in more than three decades to allow aid for victims of the devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey, according to the semi-official Anadolu Agency.
“The land border with Armenia being opened is a significant milestone. Likely, this event will become a major motivator for both countries to normalize relations and exchange ambassadors,” Coskun said.
He added that in the post-crisis period when foreign policy again becomes a priority for the government after disaster relief, “we will see the impact of this.”
Israel has also sent aid to Turkey. The two countries have improved their relations recently after over a decade of discord.
Tulin Daloglu, a journalist and foreign policy analyst, said that Turkey should take lessons from this tragedy and try to move to a softer line in foreign policy towards some countries it has problems with.
She specifically mentioned Sweden, whose NATO membership bid has met with objections from Ankara over security issues.
“Yet, Sweden immediately rushed to assist Turkey in the aftermath of the disaster,” Daloglu said, adding that such an event can change the way a country is seen by the public opinion of the host country.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 13, 2023
Nuclear Conflict?

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Mike Pompeo, former US Secretary of State has claimed that India and Pakistan were on the brink of a nuclear war in wake of the surgical strikes in 2018, an issue that the US settled in a night that he will never forget
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania on Monday tried their hands at spinning the ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel) at the Sabarmati Ashram Ahmedabad Gujarat. Pic: ANI
The Balakot surgical strike on February 27, 2018, had triggered a serious diplomatic crisis and was heading towards a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. This is precisely what Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has claimed in his memoir Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love.
“I do not think the world properly knows just how close the India-Pakistan rivalry came to spilling over into a nuclear conflagration in February 2019. The truth is, I don’t know precisely the answer either; I just know it was too close,” Pompeo wrote.
Then in Hanoi, Vietnam, for negotiations between North Korean leader and Trump, the Indo-Pak tensions flared after a militant blew up an explosive-laded vehicle hitting a CRPF convey killing more than forty paramilitary personnel on February 14. In retaliation, Indian Air Force flew bombers during the night of February 27 and 28, hitting Balakot, a key Jaish formation. A day later, there was a dogfight between the rival fighters as a result of which India lost a fighter jet and its pilot was caught (later returned). Pakistan Air Force also bombed various spots inside Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking about the call that he received from his counterpart, then Sushma Swaraj, Pompeo wrote that he was informed that “Pakistanis had begun to prepare their nuclear weapons” and India was also “contemplating its own escalation”.
“I asked him to do nothing and give us a minute to sort things out. I began to work with Ambassador Bolton, who was with me in the tiny secure communications facility in our hotel,” Pompeo wrote. “I reached the actual leader of Pakistan, General Bajwa, with whom I had engaged many times. I told him what the Indians had told me. He said it wasn’t true. As one might expect, he believed the Indians were preparing their nuclear weapons for deployment. It took us a few hours—and remarkably good work by our teams on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad—to convince each side that the other was not preparing for nuclear war. No other nation could have done what we did that night to avoid a horrible outcome.”
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Love for J
The Ministry of External Affairs Ministry in Delhi has avoided reacting to the revelation. At the same time, Pompeo has asserted that he actually worked with NSA Ajit Doval and the then foreign secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who later in May 2019, became the Foreign Minister of India.

In his book, Pompeo has showered praises on Jaishankar’s capacity and knowledge – a man speaking seven languages, English “somewhat better than mine”, professional, rational, and a “fierce defender of his boss and his country”. However, Pompeo has termed Swaraj, a “goofball and a heartland political hack”. Jaishanker has strongly reacted to this and termed it “disrespectful” to his predecessor.
India versus Pakistan
While Pompeo’s book is an idea about Trump’s world order, it offers many details about the Indian subcontinent, especially India and Pakistan.
Indian leaders, Pompeo writes are “intently focused every minute on their bête noire of Pakistan” because the nuclear power controlled by its military and Islamist-sympathizing intelligence services presents a significant strategic and a terroristic threat to India. “Every action I took with respect to Pakistan—a trip or a phone call or a comment—was sure to result in a message saying that Prime Minister Modi or Foreign Minister Jaishankar wanted to speak. They were relentless and appropriately so,” the book reads.
Great Allies
At the same time, however, Pompeo has staked credit for ensuring a shift in India’s foreign policy that has always “charted its own course without a true alliance system, and that is still mostly the case” and has never remained tilted either towards USSR or the USA.
Pompeo sees the China angle as the key to a change. A strong ally of Pakistan, the Chinese army clubbed 20 soldiers in a skirmish in Ladakh. “That bloody incident caused the Indian public to demand a change in their country’s relationship with China. India also banned TikTok and dozens of Chinese apps as part of its response,” Pompeo wrote.
India’s foreign minister speaking to the UN general assembly on September 29, 2018
Offer details of a shift in US foreign policy, Pompeo – who was CIA chief before becoming Secretary of State, wrote that American diplomacy put Tokyo at the centre of its Asia policy and viewed Seoul as its primary location for geostrategic reach, which neglected India.
“Its population rivals that of China. We are natural allies, as we share a history of democracy, a common language, and ties of people and technology. India is also a market with enormous demand for American intellectual property and products. These factors, plus its strategic location in South Asia, made India the fulcrum of my diplomacy to counteract Chinese aggression,” explained Pompeo. “In my mind, a counter-China bloc made up of the United States, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the European Union would have an economic weight at least three times that of China. I chose to devote serious quantities of time and effort to help make India the next great American ally.”
This was the key reason why India joined Quad, according to the book. However, certain inherent limitations remain. These include India’s inherent dislike for alliances, a deeply protectionist and state-directed economy, Russian weaponry and its trading relationship and a long international border with China. These issues limit “India’s appetite for risk”.

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

February 2, 2023
European allies will send about 80 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Germany says

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BERLIN — Germany and its European partners plan to “quickly” send two Leopard 2 tank battalions to Ukraine — suggesting about 80 vehicles — the government in Berlin announced Wednesday, adding that Germany would provide one company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks “as a first step.”
Other countries likely to send Leopards to the war against Russia include Poland, Spain, Norway and Finland.
The decision by Chancellor Olaf Scholz — which emerged on Tuesday evening — marks a decisive moment in Western support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, which entered its 12th month this week and could soon heat up further as Moscow is expected to launch a new offensive.

Following Berlin’s move, other European countries like Spain and Norway reportedly agreed to join the Leopard tank alliance.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, welcomed the German announcement as a “first step.”
“Leopards are very much needed,” he said on Telegram.
Zelenskyy himself also welcomed the move on Twitter. “Sincerely grateful to the Chancellor and all our friends in” Germany, he said.
Russia’s Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev said in a statement the decision was “extremely dangerous,” and took the conflict “to a new level of confrontation.”
Kyiv had long urged Germany and other partners to supply its army with the powerful German-built Leopard 2 tank, but Scholz hesitated to take the decision, partly out of concern that it could drag Germany or NATO into the conflict. He remained adamant that such a move had to be closely coordinated and replicated by Western allies, most notably the United States.
The news of an imminent announcement by U.S. President Joe Biden to send “a significant number” of American M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine facilitated the chancellor’s decision. Scholz had come under huge pressure from European partners like Poland, as well as his own coalition partners in government, to no longer block the delivery of the German tank. Since they are German-made, their re-export needed the approval of the German government.
“This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability. We act internationally in a closely coordinated manner,” Scholz said in a written statement. He is also due to address the German parliament at 1 p.m. on Wednesday to further explain his decision.
“The goal is to quickly form two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine,” a German government spokesperson said.
“As a first step, Germany will provide a company of 14 Leopard-2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks. Other European partners will also hand over Leopard-2 tanks,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also said the training of Ukrainian crews on the tanks “is to begin rapidly in Germany.” Berlin would also provide “logistics, ammunition and maintenance of the systems.”
Moreover, Germany will provide partner countries like Spain, Poland, Finland or Norway, which “want to quickly deliver Leopard-2 tanks from their stocks,” the necessary re-export permission, the spokesperson said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that he “strongly welcomes” Berlin’s decision. “At a critical moment in Russia’s war, these can help Ukraine to defend itself, win & prevail as an independent nation.”
Spain, which owns one of the largest fleets of Leopards in the EU, with 347 tanks, has previously said it would send tanks to Kyiv as part of a European coalition, according to El País.
The Norwegian government is considering sending eight of its 36 Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but no decision has been made yet, Norwegian daily DN reported late Tuesday after a meeting of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defense, quoting sources close to the deliberation.
Portugal, which has 37 Leopards, could provide four tanks to the assembling European coalition, a source close to the government told Correio da Manhã late on Tuesday.
The Netherlands, which is leasing 18 Leopards from Germany, is also weighing supplying some of their armored vehicles, Dutch newswire ANP reported, quoting a government spokesperson. On Tuesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was “willing to consider” buying the tanks from Germany and shipping them to Ukraine, but that no decision had been made.
On Wednesday, the Swedish defense minister said that Sweden did not exclude sending some of its own tanks at a later stage, according to Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.
Wilhelmine Preussen and Zoya Sheftalovich contributed reporting.
This article was updated.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023