NEW: PKK leader Ocalan says he won’t allow an Israeli dominance in the region through the Kurds

• In leaked minutes, Ocalan presents himself as a lynchpin against the Israeli ambitions in the Middle East.

He also reveals some tidbits 🧵 1/

middleeasteye.net/news/pkks-ocal… Ocalan claims Israel has promised an independent state for the Kurds for the last 30 years.

“Whoever aligns the Kurds with themselves will gain dominance in the Middle East," he said. "They realized this before I did."

middleeasteye.net/news/pkks-ocal…

When Sudanese military hit Nyala airport controlled by rival RSF early in May with Turkish drones, they celebrated.

Yet they little knew that the military cargo plane they literally burned the ground was carrying Emirati officers, killing them, 🧵

middleeasteye.net/news/shadow-wa… The Emiratis, through RSF drones and missiles, responded the attack a day later by hitting Port Sudan, the country’s de-facto capital.

They hit airport and hangars, where Turkish-made drones were stored, injuring also some Turks.

The damage was severe. 2/

NEW: Turkey cautiously optimistic about Syria’s deal with the Kurds, Turkish sources say

• Deal appears to fulfil some key demands but Ankara will remain vigilant about how the SDF dissolves

Comments: @OmerOzkizilcik, @GLindenstrauss, @putintintin1

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-ca… Pro-government Turkish media and public news outlets were jubilant about the SDF - Damascus deal on Tuesday morning. TRT television said that the SDF bowed to Turkish pressure, while the Yeni Safak newspaper claimed that the group accepted disarmament

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-ca…

What’s next after Ocalan’s order to disband the PKK? 🧵

• PKK is expected to convene a congress in a month or two
• After the official decision, the gov’t May take some steps such as the release of Selahattin Demirtaş

1/

middleeasteye.net/news/whats-nex… Next?

• Weapons return and registration will begin in cooperation with neighboring countries

• Foreign fighters will be required to leave their host countries.

• Senior PKK leaders will be relocated to third countries, some to Suleymaniyeh

2/

middleeasteye.net/news/whats-nex…

Turkey has been quietly changing its policy regarding the Syrian Kurds. 🧵

• While Erdogan is using a tough rhetoric, Turkish officials develop a nuanced strategy to accommodate Kurdish grievances.

1/

middleeasteye.net/news/what-turk… • In order to find a middle ground, Ankara is asking SDF to expel 2,000 PKK fighters from its ranks and also cease its connections with the Qandil appointed leaders such as Sabri ok.

2/

middleeasteye.net/news/what-turk…

Turkey is rebuilding its navy, here is why 🧵:

• First, Turkey’s 16 frigates are very old. Some have 40 years under their belt. Ankara wants to replace them with locally produced ones.

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-bu… Secondly, the East-Med crisis with Greece in 2020 showed that Turkey doesn’t have ships to guard civilian vessels.

“We overworked both the ships and personnel, leading to even personnel attrition.”

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-bu…

HTS leader Jolani explains how his group was able to defeat Syrian government this time:

• “Revolution has transition from chaos to a state of order both in civil and institutional matters and military operations a like. “

• “Unification of internal opinions”
• “Institutional structures”
• “Restructuring military factions”
• “Unified training camps”
• “discipline and engaging battle in an organised way”
• “Progress and execution of battles have been swift with adherence to command.” Asked about his way of “Islamic” governance, Abu liberal Jolani says he wants to establish a system in Syria based on institutions, a country which isn’t rule through whims of a leader

“December 9, 1917 is one of the most difficult, painful and heartbreaking historical days that Turks have experienced.

Today, British armies have given one of the greatest gifts to the Christian world before Christmas by capturing Jerusalem, which had been under Ottoman rule for 401 years.

As a result of General Allenby's attack on Turkish positions in Jerusalem, which took advantage of the weather on December 8, which was also a rainy and foggy night, Ottoman Army’s the 20th Corps commander Ali Fuat Pasha requested permission from the German General Falkenhayn, the supreme commander of the Ottoman armies at the time, to withdraw from the city due to the fatigue of its soldiers and the lack of ammunition and provisions.

Falkenhayn, who was astonished by this unexpected situation, thought that the front could hold out, and even hoped to hold out until the reinforcements of the 1st Division and the German Asian branch, which were expected to arrive by December 13, reached the front.

However, it was not possible for the 20th Corps to resist. Because, against three British divisions consisting of 15-20 thousand people, Ali Fuat Pasha could hold on for a maximum of 12 hours with only 3800 soldiers. 7th army commander Fevzi Pasha ordered the corps to retreat.”
“The evacuation, which started on the evening of December 8, would be completed on the morning of December 9 and the Turkish army would retreat to new defensive fortifications in the north and east. After the withdrawal of the army, civil servants and official duties also left the city.

Izzet Bey, who was the governor of Jerusalem at that time, left the following letter to Mayor Selim El-Husniye to be delivered to the British command:

"To the British Command

In Jerusalem, which is sacred to every nation, Howitzer rounds have been falling in some places for two days.

In order to protect the religious buildings from destruction, the Ottoman Government withdrew the soldiers from the town and appointed officers to guard the religious buildings such as Kamame and Masjid al-Aqsa. We are sending this document via Hüseyinzade Bey, the Deputy Mayor, with the hope that you will treat the situation accordingly, sir.

Independent Governor of Jerusalem İzzet”

BREAKING — Egyptian Intelligence Minister called Netanyahu ten days before Hamas attack and warned him of "something unusual, a terrible operation" that was about to take place from Gaza.

Egyptians were "surprised by the indifference shown by Netanyahu".

— Yedioth Ahranoth Netanyahu’s office denied the Egyptian party's claim, saying that "the report of a warning that came from Egypt before the outbreak of the war is incorrect and false”

Armenian and Greek lobbyist Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife are indicted on federal bribery charges by the US Department of Justice Menendez is accused of accepting hundreds thousands of dollars to benefit Egypt and seek to protect three business persons

BREAKING — Putin sends condolences to Prigozhin’s family “Prigozhin was a man of difficult fate, but talented”, Putin said

BREAKING — A Russian jet frequently used by Prigozhin crashed, per pro-Wagner telegram accounts.

Multiple Russian media reports say all 10 people on board died.

The crashed jet belonged to Prigozhin, but he usually flew on another plane - source tells Readovka

The plane that crashed in the Tver region is one of Prigozhin's aircraft. He usually flew on another plane, with the number RA-02878, a source told Readovka. Whether the businessman was on the fallen board is still unknown. TASS says the crashed business jet was on its way from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

BREAKING — Erdogan is set to win a third presidential term according to latest data both from Anadolu and its rival Anka.

Erdogan remains the president of Turkey for the next five years Follow the lives updates on #Turkey’s elections here:

middleeasteye.net/live/turkey-el…

Polls are open in Turkey’s presidential runoff between Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu.

Here is what you need to know:

• Polls will close by 5pm local time
• A broadcast ban likely to be lifted around 6:30pm
• Anadolu and Anka will cover the results
• The count won’t be long • Erdogan is leading with a big margin in multiple polls but it might all depend on who goes to the polling stations. Whoever mobilises their supporters and ferry them to vote will have a distinct advantage

Turkey’s runoff presidential elections between Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu are set for tomorrow and here is what happened so far

Kilicdaroglu run a campaign based on fear but also trying to woo GenZ and nationalist voters

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-el… 2- Erdogan on the other hand ran a less polarising campaign compared to the first round.

He even embraced pro-Kurdish HDP voters today, telling them to vote for himself

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-el…

NEW: Erdogan to meet presidential candidate Sinan Ogan in Istanbul today Erdogan today told CNN that he wouldn’t negotiate with Ogan

Here is Kilicdaroglu’s runoff strategy

• Tense; nationalist campaign
• Present a binary choice between him and Erdogan
• Table of Six leaders won’t be visible
• Steps to push 8 million voters who didn’t show up back to polls on May 28

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-el… • Moves to capture GenZ votes, CHP suspects half of them didn’t go to the polls
• Will try to increase Kurdish voter turnouts
• Imamoglu, Yavas will stay in Istanbul and Ankara, campaign in their respective cities to rally support

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-el…

There are a lot of disinformation about the Turkey elections vote count. Let me explain, bear with me

1- Votes are counted in individual polling stations and each party get the results and submit them to their own database

2- Then the bags full of ballots carried to districts 3- District election boards collect bags and the records, merge them and send them to provincial election boards

4- Provincial boards enter the data to the official system as the final vote, the change from the first point to last point is generally minimal

Polls open in Turkey’s fiercely fought elections My neighbourhood school was very busy. Lines everywhere even though it is very early in Turkey, 8am.

Erdogan tonight recited the Holy Quran’s surah Al Baqarah at The Hagia Sophia

“Alif- Lâm- Mîm. This is the Book! There is no doubt about it, a guide for those mindful of Allah…”
Erdoğan at Hagia Sophia from a different angle

One day to go to Turkey’s elections, and here is a thread of stories which I think is useful to understand what’s at stake.

First, what kind of a campaign does Erdogan run, and what does his close advisor think on the elections? Here is a gist

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-el… 2- There are more than 5 million first time voters, the GenZ. And their political leanings might decide the future of the country

middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-el…