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Islamic World News ( 8 Oct 2016, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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'Al-Aqsa in Danger': Muslim Leaders Call for Unity to Solve Israel-Palestine Conflict

New Age Islam News Bureau

8 Oct 2016

Gazans praying at Al-Aqsa mosque (AFP Photo)

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• Nigeria's Northern Kaduna State Declares Shi'ite Muslim Sect Unlawful

• Which Egg Is Hafiz Saeed Laying For Us, Pakistan MP Asks

• Iran Prevents ISIL from Becoming State

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Mideast

• 'Al-Aqsa in Danger': Muslim Leaders Call for Unity to Solve Israel-Palestine Conflict

• Two Car Bomb Attack Planners Blow Themselves Up In Turkey's Capital

• US assures Turkey of ‘no PKK affiliate’ in Mosul operation

• Turkish Police Foil Terrorist Attack in Ankara, 2 Suicide Bombers Blow Up

• Three Turkish diplomats seeking asylum in Germany after coup attempt: Report

• I would give my everything for peace in Turkey: Nobel laurate Aziz Sancar

• Turkish lawyer files complaint for top US soldiers for ‘supporting coup attempt’

• Ending visa talks with Turkey ‘stupid mistake’

• Iraqi govt’s remarks on Turkish troops ‘provocative,’ says PM Yıldırım

• PM to meet opposition on mini constitution changes

• Coup attempt plan to pound key Turkish state buildings with high-tech device failed, testimony shows

Africa

• Nigeria's Northern Kaduna State Declares Shi'ite Muslim Sect Unlawful

• Niger: Attackers Kill 22 Soldiers near Refugee Camp

• Amid worries of Islamic militants and jobs, Moroccans vote

• Islamic body donates to Esther Lungu Trust

Pakistan

• Which Egg Is Hafiz Saeed Laying For Us, Pakistan MP Asks

• Afghanistan Hikes up Entry Tax on Pakistani Cargo Trucks By 100pc

• MQM-London not the issue, objective is to drive out MQM-Pakistan from Karachi, says Sattar

• Imambargah trustee shot dead, son critically injured in suspected sectarian attack

• US-India relations reason for Pakistan's burgeoning ties with Russia: Mushahid Husain

• Never called Altaf Hussain traitor, says Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

• CTD arrests nine suspected terrorists in Karachi

• Pakistan’s treatment of its minorities measures its achievement in decency

• Pak’s ISI chief likely to be replaced in next few weeks: report

• CPEC won’t pass through KP sans western route, says Khattak

Arab World

• Iran Prevents ISIL from Becoming State

• Over 30 Terrorists Killed, Wounded in Army Attacks across Dara'a

• Iraqi Volunteer Forces Preparing for Mosul Liberation Operation

• Syrian Gov't Forces Repel Fatah Al-Sham's Assault to Cut off Two Key Roads in Hama

• Fatah Al-Sham Terrorists Reject De Mistura's Demand for Leaving Aleppo City

• ISIL's Offensives to Break Through Gov't Positions Repulsed by Syrian Army

• Fighting Drug Trafficking Imposes Heavy Costs on Iran

• Iran Renews Support for Political Solution to Syrian Crisis

• 35,000 Terrorists Killed, Nearly 12,000 sq/km of Land Liberated in Syria in 6 Months

• Riyadh Using Starvation as Tactic against People of Yemen, Saudi Arabia

• Moscow, Damascus Fulfill All Conditions of Truce in Syria

South Asia

• Due Process and Bangladesh’s Counter-Terrorism Measures

• 9 ISIS Loyalists Killed In Nangarhar Airstrike

• Pak envoy links peace in Afghanistan to resolution of Kashmir issue

• Abdullah appreciates Pakistan’s $500m commitment, support to Afghan refugees

• Bangladesh forces kill four suspected Islamist militants

• Bangladesh court clears Canadian of attack charges

• New militant recruits killed RU Prof Rezaul Karim

India

• Muslim Organisations Hail Surgical Strikes, Urge Political Parties to Unite

• Hindus And Muslims of Agartala Unite To Make This Durga Puja A Grand Success!

• Home Minister to review security at Indo-Pak border in Barmer

• Amid conflict, residents of Indo-Pak border village hope for peace

• Curfew imposed in Srinagar after 12-year-old dies in pellet firing

• No Lakshman rekha for these Muslims

• Muslims make effigies of Ravana on occasion of Dussehra

• Kerala HC sets 'IS suicide bomber' free

Southeast Asia

• Malaysia Nabs 10 on Suspicion of Passing Information to Abu Sayyaf Group

• Kofi Annan should visit Rohingya refugees camps

• Seven teens missing after boat capsizes in Indonesia

Europe

• Muslim Migrants in Europe Are Not Refugees But Job Seekers

• EU backs 'grassroots' efforts to fight radicalisation

• Russia to Submit to UNSC Alternative Draft Resolution on Syria

• Will Anti-LGBT Muslim Cleric Be Expelled From U.K.?

North America

• US Does Not Back Moves to Declare Pakistan Terrorist State

• Former Springfield Men Sentenced For Defacing Islamic Centre

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-aqsa-danger-muslim-leaders/d/108802

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'Al-Aqsa In Danger': Muslim Leaders Call For Unity To Solve Israel-Palestine Conflict

ANADOLU AGENCY

ISTANBUL08 October 2016: More than 500 Muslim leaders and clerics from 30 countries met in Istanbul on Friday to warn that the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site that is located in Jerusalem, was in danger.

The religious and political leaders, representing at least 50 civil society organizations and political parties in their countries assembled at the 8th Islamic Countries' Opinion Leaders Forum, titled "Al-Aqsa is in Danger" in Istanbul, organized by the Arab-Turkish Relations Center.

Yasin Aktay, vice chair of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, represented Turkey as he spoke at the opening of the forum, saying: "Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is in danger means humanity is in danger, because Al-Quds [Jerusalem] gave us an example how people [from different sects] coexisted peacefully in an ideal way."

Abderrazak Makri, president of the Movement of Society for Peace in Algeria, claimed: "There would be no success in any Islamic country without working on Palestine" and blamed foreign powers that "do not want us to become united, be developed. That is why we should be united to work for Al-Aqsa Mosque."

During last year's Rosh Hashanah holiday, which marks the Jewish new year, restrictions on men under 50 entering the mosque caused clashes in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

A month-long series of Jewish holidays that start with Rosh Hashanah have in the past also caused heightened tensions as many Palestinians object to the increased numbers of Jewish visitors to the Al-Aqsa compound, which is revered by both Muslims and Jews, who know it as the Temple Mount.

Palestinians have in the past accused Israel of altering the status quo, a balance of prayer and visiting rights that reserves the right to worship at the site for Muslims, through its policing of Al-Aqsa and the surrounding area.

The tension caused by restrictions on entry to Al-Aqsa last year were followed by a period of violence that has seen at least 235 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, mostly during clashes or alleged attacks.

"You know that the bad coup, the failed coup in Turkey was aiming to weaken Turkey because Turkey is taking a strong role on Palestine; because they wanted to stop Turkey supporting Palestine," Makri added.

Salah Abdel Maksoud, Egypt's former information minister in Mohamed Morsi's government, said Turkish people defeated a military coup that aimed to marginalize the country.

He claimed that the military coup in Egypt in 2013, which ousted Morsi, had been triggered because he " wanted to break the [Israeli] siege, help Gaza."

Meanwhile, Mohammed Walid, head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, spoke at the forum, addressed the crisis in his country.

He said he brought messages from Syrian opposition forces to Russia: "We did not go to the country to kill you, but you came to our country to kill our children, and our women, and to destroy our houses, history. We know that you are aggressor.

"You have intercontinental rockets, and missiles really effective against the bodies of children. […] We know that you are the most coward people in history," Walid said.

The clerics meet once a year in Turkey to discuss solutions for conflicts that challenge Muslim countries. The two-day forum ends Saturday.

Source: dailysabah.com/mideast/2016/10/08/al-aqsa-in-danger-muslim-leaders-call-for-unity-to-solve-israel-palestine-conflict

Nigeria's Northern Kaduna State Declares Shi'ite Muslim Sect Unlawful

Sat Oct 8, 2016

ABUJA (Reuters) - A northern Nigerian state on Friday said it declared a minority Shi'ite Muslim sect, whose members clashed with the army late last year, an unlawful society.

The Kaduna state government said anyone convicted of being a member of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria could be imprisoned for seven years, fined or both. The size of the fine was not specified.

The sect came to prominence when its members clashed with the army in the northern city of Zaria, Kaduna state, in December. A judicial inquiry in August concluded that the army killed 348 of the sect's members.

The Kaduna state government said the group had "overtly continued with unlawful processions" and "obstruction of public highways" since the clashes.

"These acts, if allowed to go unchecked will constitute danger to the peace, tranquillity, harmonious coexistence and good governance of Kaduna state," it said, declaring the group unlawful with immediate effect.

Members of the sect are among the several thousand Shi'ite Muslims whose movement was inspired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The majority of the tens of millions of Muslims in Africa's most populous nation of 180 million inhabitants are Sunni - including the Boko Haram militants who have killed thousands in bombings and shootings mainly in the northeast since 2009.

Source: af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN12801K

Which Egg Is Hafiz Saeed Laying For Us, Pakistan MP Asks

Oct 7, 2016

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan+ Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker has called for action against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed+ amid a growing chorus for action against terror groups in Pakistan.

Rana Muhammad Afzal, a PML-N lawmaker, on Thursday questioned the government's failure to act against Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the head of its frontal charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

"Which egg is Hafiz Saeed laying for us that we are nurturing him," Afzal said in a meeting of the standing committee on foreign affairs, according to the BBC Urdu.

Afzal, a member of the parliamentary panel, questioned the efficacy of Pakistan's foreign policy+ and said it had become such that "we have not been able to get rid of Hafiz Saeed so far".

Sayeed, one the most wanted terrorists in India, has been blamed for masterminding terror attacks in Kashmir and other parts of India including the 2008 Mumbai carnage+ that killed 166 people.

The lawmaker said New Delhi had created such a worldwide impression about the terrorist leader "that during the meetings on Kashmir, foreign delegates mention Hafiz Saeed as the bone of contention between Pakistan and India".

He said the country needed to be freed of such elements that have "led the world to start isolating us and trying to declare (Pakistan) a terrorist state".

He recalled a trip to France where he had gone on a diplomatic mission to make Paris aware about alleged atrocities committed by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

But Saeed was "brought up time and again" during his meetings in France, Afzal said.

He questioned whether Saeed was good or bad for the Kashmir cause and said that banned terror outfits, like the Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed, were a source of embarrassment for Pakistan.

Opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan told a joint session of Parliament that the country was diplomatically isolated+ because it gives freedom to non-state actors.

"The government has been completely unsuccessful in imposing restrictions on non-state actors according to the National Action Plan (NPA)," the Dawn newspaper quoted Ahsan as saying.

He implied that such elements continued to hold protests and rallies and give speeches in places such as Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi.

"I don't want instability in any country, as the blame of that will then fall on us because of these non-state actors," he said.

He said the failure to curb terrorists would isolate Pakistan. "Then Bangladesh and Afghanistan will not speak to you, and Bhutan and Nepal will begin supporting India."

"You have isolated Pakistan," he said, adding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was responsible for Pakistan's diplomatic isolation as he was also the Foreign Minister.

A report in newspaper Dawn on Thursday suggesting that the Pakistan military has been asked not to "interfere" in action against militant groups considered "off limits" gave rise to heated speculation of a rift between the Nawaz Sharif government and the army brass even though the account was forcefully denied.

In its report, Dawn said a meeting of civilian leaders, including PM Nawaz Sharif and the ISI chief Rizwan Akhtar, on Monday saw foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry bluntly say that Pakistan faced diplomatic isolation and was under pressure to act against Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network, and move forward on the Pathankot investigation.

The development seemed an attempt by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to flex muscles against the army but the denial soon after dampened such expectations. The initial denial referred to "half truth" which was revised to "fabrication", and the addition of a paragraph on the role of the army and ISI working against terrorists of "all hues" made it clear that Sharif had backtracked. The PM's office said the report was misleading and an amalgam of "fiction and fabrication".

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Which-egg-is-Hafiz-Saeed-laying-for-us-Pakistan-MP-Rana-Muhammad-Afzal-asks/articleshow/54729380.cms

Iran Prevents ISIL from Becoming State

October 8, 2016

TEHRAN (FNA)- President Hassan Rouhani blasted the West for supporting the terrorist groups in the region, and underlined that Iran has prevented the ISIL from spreading to other countries and forming a state.

"Iran has stopped the ISIL from turning into a state," President Rouhani said in a meeting with Malaysian intellectuals and media people in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

The Iranian president reiterated that if it hadn't been because of Iran’s assistance and role, the ISIL would have turned into a state instead of a terrorist group.

President Rouhani underlined that Iran has been providing counseling assistance to the Iraqi and Syrian armies in their fight against ISIL on the requests by their governments.

The Iranian president, meantime, voiced his opposition to the disintegration of regional countries, and said, "Dividing the countries into smaller portions is dangerous and can result in regional wars."

President Rouhani also warned against attempts to cause sectarian rifts between Shiites and Sunnis.

In relevant remarks in late June, Iranian Supreme Leader's senior adviser Ali Akbar Velayati underlined that the ISIL has been created by the West and Israel to pursue their interests in the region.

"The injured ISIL terrorists receive medical treatment in the occupied territories by Israel's physicians which shows the nature of Takfiri terrorists," Velayati said in a meeting with members of the General Secretariat of the Arab and Islamic Gathering Forum on Supporting Resistance in Tehran.

"All of us are duty-bound to defend the axis of resistance because resistance is Muslims' standing against aggression and occupation of the Islamic territories by Israel and their supporters,” he added.

Velayati pointed to the different types of resistance, and said, "The Iraqi government, nation and army, which are fighting against the ISIL terrorists and have managed to carry out very important tasks, are examples of resistance against the Zionists.”

Source: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950717000577

Mideast

'Al-Aqsa In Danger': Muslim Leaders Call For Unity To Solve Israel-Palestine Conflict

ANADOLU AGENCY

During last year's Rosh Hashanah holiday, which marks the Jewish new year, restrictions on men under 50 entering the mosque caused clashes in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

Salah Abdel Maksoud, Egypt's former information minister in Mohamed Morsi's government, said Turkish people defeated a military coup that aimed to marginalize the country.

He claimed that the military coup in Egypt in 2013, which ousted Morsi, had been triggered because he " wanted to break the [Israeli] siege, help Gaza."

Meanwhile, Mohammed Walid, head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, spoke at the forum, addressed the crisis in his country.

"You have intercontinental rockets, and missiles really effective against the bodies of children. […] We know that you are the most coward people in history," Walid said.

The clerics meet once a year in Turkey to discuss solutions for conflicts that challenge Muslim countries. The two-day forum ends Saturday.

Source: dailysabah.com/mideast/2016/10/08/al-aqsa-in-danger-muslim-leaders-call-for-unity-to-solve-israel-palestine-conflict

Two car bomb attack planners blow themselves up in Turkey's capital

October 8, 2016

Two suspects blew themselves up in a car early on Oct. 8 after the police called on them to surrender on the outskirts of Ankara, Ankara Gov. Ercan Topaca has told the press. Both suspects died in the incident, the governor said. No one else was killed or hurt.

“Police called on them to surrender. They did not respond in a positive way. They blew themselves up before we could intervene,” Topaca told reporters at the scene.

Harun Arslan, one of the suspects, had bought a car a few days ago to use in a bomb attack and police was tracking the two suspects, he said. The notice of the two attackers’, of whom one was a woman and whose name was Mahide Ataş, arrival in Ankara was given to the police from the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

“What is interesting is that they had a Turkish flag on their car,” Topaca said, adding that “a third person is being sought.”

“We think that they did so to hide themselves,” the governor said, adding that the attackers might be linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“The organization they are connected to is not clear yet but according to information we have received, it is highly likely that (the man) is linked to the PKK. The way the incident was carried out and planned points at the PKK,” he said.

The governor’s office said security forces launched an operation against the militants around 6 a.m. at a stud farm some 30 km from the capital after the tip-off from Diyarbakır.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ also commented on the incident, saying that a “disaster” was prevented from happening. Bozdağ added that all signs “pointed to the PKK.”

“They probably planned to attack in Ankara,” Bozdağ told Turkish broadcaster CNN Türk on Oct. 8.

“...Turkey is in a critical position. There are clashes in Syria and Iraq and sources of terror there,” he also said.

Video footage showed forensic teams in white overalls inspecting the site as police secured the area around a hut in flat countryside on the road to the town of Haymana.

Police seized two pieces of plastic explosives and 200 kg (440 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, the governor’s office said in a statement.

Ammonium nitrate is an ingredient in bomb-making.

An identity card found at the scene, believed to belong to one of the would-be bombers, was of a man from the southeastern province of Bingöl.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to convene a meeting with security officials in Istanbul at 3:30 p.m. without specifying a reason.

On Oct. 6 a bomb attack near a police station in Istanbul wounded 10 people. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), an offshoot of the PKK, claimed responsibility for that blast on Oct. 7. Six people have been detained in connection with the attack.

Turkey has been rocked by a wave of bomb attacks since last summer that have killed hundreds of people and been blamed on either the PKK or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

The deadliest attack took place in Ankara on Oct. 10, 2015, with ISIL killing 103 people attending a peace rally.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/two-car-bomb-attack-planners-blow-themselves-up-in-turkeys-capital.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104744&NewsCatID=509

US assures Turkey of ‘no PKK affiliate’ in Mosul operation

October 8, 2016

The United States has assured Turkey that there will be no units which are affiliated to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the planned operation to take the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a high-ranking Turkish source confirmed to the Hürriyet Daily News on Oct. 7 amid rising tension between the Turkish and Iraqi governments.

The source, who asked not to be named, said, “We [Turkey] take this assurance seriously, but we will see the actual case on the ground.”

It appears that the assurance was given to the Turks by an American delegation that carried out talks in Ankara on Sept. 27.

According to diplomatic sources, the planning of the Mosul operation, rather than Raqqa in Syria, was the main topic of talks between Turkish authorities and the Americans, including U.S. President Barack Obama’s special envoy in the fight against ISIL and Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken. That was a follow-up to the talks between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in New York on Sept. 23.

Erdoğan told the press later on that he asked Biden to drop the PKK-affiliate People’s Protection Units (YPG) as the ground force in Syria against ISIL, so Turkey will give full support to the rebel groups it backs for the operation to take Raqqa from ISIL.

The assurance has two separate meanings for Turkey. The first is physical. PKK is active north of Mosul and uses the region as a corridor between their military headquarters in the Kandil Mountains of Iraq and the YPG-controlled areas in Syria which they call “Rojava.” One of the two reasons why Turkey set up the Bashiqa camp near Mosul – at first with Iraqi consent – to train Sunni and Turkoman militia (mostly the Hashdi al-Vatani) was to establish another armed force against ISIL, the other was to stop the PKK from moving south toward Mosul. The second meaning for Turkey is political; it is an indirect acknowledgement confirming that the Americans knew very well that their collaboration with the YPG, the Syria branch of the PKK (which Turkey also lists as terrorist) is driving Turkey crazy.

In those talks, the Americans asked whether it was possible to “integrate” the Sunni and Turkoman militia who have been receiving military training from Turkish Special Forces at Bashiqa with the CENTCOM coordination under the U.S.-led coalition.

The issues were first discussed later in the day in a security meeting chaired by President Erdoğan and attended by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu, who were in the talks with the U.S. delegation. The Mosul operation was on the agenda of the National Security Board (MGK) meeting on Sept. 28 as well. Before that meeting, Çavuşoğlu met with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, in Ankara and talked about the Iraqi and Syrian situations in detail.

“We have no objection to that integration,” the high-ranking Turkish source said when explaining Ankara’s position on Oct. 7. “We told that to the Americans. But as you know, we have other problems now.”

The problems that the Turkish official was referring to started when Ibrahim Alawi, the Iraqi ambassador to Ankara, said Turkey should leave the Bashiqa camp immediately, after the Turks let the Americans know about their consent to integrate the Bashiqa-trained militia into those set to march on Mosul.

As Turkey protested Alawi, a stronger statement came from Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, who asked Turkey to stop violating the territorial rights of Iraq. Al-Abadi also applied to the United Nations over the Turkish presence in Iraq. That was taken as a bitter joke by Ankara, given that Turkey has been fighting with the PKK based in Iraq for more nearly three decades, while almost a third of Iraq’s territory is under ISIL control. Things got more complicated when a CENTCOM spokesman said Turkey should get Iraqi permission to make its presence legal.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım slammed the Iraqi government and said Turkey would not evacuate Bashiqa. That was not a move quite in international law, but almost everything happening in Iraq and Syria were like that, too. Çavuşoğlu asked al-Abadi to stop using this delicate matter for his domestic political consumption, saying Turkey had no eye on Iraqi soil.

“Al-Abadi’s remarks are not in line with the realities on the ground,” the Turkish source said. “There is a propaganda about Turkish intentions to take the opportunity to take Mosul. At first, we have no such intention. Second, our presence in Bashiqa is only limited to raining and the protection of the camp itself. Iraqis know that, Americans know that, everybody knows that. Al-Abadi is playing for the applause of the audience.”

And according to diplomatic sources in Ankara, the audience is in Tehran. But what about the talks with Zarif? Ankara thinks the influence of Zarif or President Hassan Rouhani’s influence on the Revolutionary Guards and the Shiite militia fighting on behalf of Syria and Iraq regimes are not as strong as that of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei.

Americans, on the other hand, think that if they let Shiite militia go into Sunni-populated Mosul, it could trigger new and perhaps more complicated problems of sectarian origin, with the possibility of empowering ISIL, instead of defeating it.

All those factors are likely to risk the plans of the U.S. administration to take Mosul from ISIL before the presidential elections on Nov. 8.

And the issue of Turkish participation in the Mosul operation is not clear at present.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/us-assures-turkey-of-no-pkk-affiliate-in-mosul-operation.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104740&NewsCatID=409

Turkish Police Foil Terrorist Attack in Ankara, 2 Suicide Bombers Blow Up

October 8, 2016

TEHRAN (FNA)- According to local media reports, Turkish police managed to prevent a terrorist attack in the capital of Ankara on Saturday, which lead to two suicide bombers blowing themselves up when ordered to surrender.

Turkish police managed to prevent a terrorist attack in the capital of Ankara on Saturday, which lead to two suicide bombers blowing themselves up when ordered to surrender, local media reported.

Attackers allegedly planned a car bomb attack, according to the Daily Sabah newspaper. No casualties have been reported so far.

Ankara Governor Ercan Topaca told journalists that the attackers have been identified as Harun Arslan and Mahide Atas while police are investigating if there was a third suspect.

"So far the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] link is not certain but current evidence indicates that Harun Arslan may have PKK links," Topaca said as quoted by the media.

Police seized 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of explosives at the scene.

Source: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950717000599

Three Turkish diplomats seeking asylum in Germany after coup attempt: Report

October 8, 2016

At least three Turkish diplomats, reportedly including one military attache, are seeking asylum in Germany in the wake of the failed military coup in Turkey, believed to have been masterminded by the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), German media cited government sources as saying.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has recalled an unknown number of diplomatic passports since the failed seizure of government.

Representatives of the German Interior Ministry told members of the Bundestag lower house of parliament that three Turkish diplomats in Germany had applied for asylum, Sueddeutsche Zeitung and broadcasters NDR and WDR said.

Sueddeutsche cited government sources as saying the number could be higher by now. It also cited them as saying the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had not yet decided on the applications.

The diplomats are suspected of being followers of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, the report said.

Neither the German Interior Ministry nor the BAMF could be immediately reached for comment. The Turkish Embassy declined to comment on the report.

Around 32,000 people have been jailed pending trial during Turkey's post-coup crackdown, while around 100,000 members of the security and civil services, university professors and others have been fired or suspended from work.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/three-turkish-diplomats-seeking-asylum-in-germany-after-coup-attempt-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104745&NewsCatID=510

I would give my everything for peace in Turkey: Nobel laurate Aziz Sancar

October 8, 2016

Aziz Sancar, the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has said he would “give my everything, all of my scientific successes” for peace in Turkey.

“I would give my everything, all of my scientific successes, including the Nobel Prize, for peace in Turkey. If there was a way to establish peace, I would do it. If I could, then I would give up my Nobel Prize,” Sancar said in his speech via teleconference on the second day of the Crystal Apple Festival in Istanbul, hosted by the Advertisers’ Association.

“I would be ready to give my Nobel Prize back so long as peace comes to my country. It has always been an issue that makes me sad and preoccupies my mind. It saddens me that terrorism in Turkey is not over,” he added, prompting applause and cheers from the crowd.

Sancar was invited to speak at the festival by journalist, writer and television producer Nebil Özgentürk, who has produced a new documentary on the Nobel laureate.

The Nobel laureate said “love for his country” had got him to where he is, adding that all parents “should teach their children to love their countries.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have love for my country. Work hard. Teach your children to work hard and love their countries. Children should be taught that if one is beneficial for their country, he is beneficial for the whole world,” Sancar said.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/i-would-give-my-everything-for-peace-in-turkey-nobel-laurate-aziz-sancar.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104730&NewsCatID=374

Turkish lawyer files complaint for top US soldiers for ‘supporting coup attempt’

October 8, 2016

A Turkish lawyer has filed a complaint against three senior U.S. soldiers, accusing them of making terror propaganda over the failed July 15 coup while claiming that some of the bombs used in the attempt did not belong to the Turkish military.

Lawyer Mert Eryılmaz filed a complaint at the Bakırköy Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul regarding U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel on the grounds that they supported the attempted takeover of July 15, which has been blamed on the Fethullah Gülen movement.

Eryılmaz stated in his complaint that the coup attempt was directed from the İncirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana and that military officers with links to the Gülen movement cooperated with U.S. military personnel at the base.

He said bombs which do not belong to the Turkish military were found inside eight cargo planes which took off from the base and landed in the eastern province of Malatya on the night of July 15.

The base’s commander, Brig. Bekir Ercan Van, had sought asylum in the U.S. when the coup attempt failed but was rejected.

The lawyer also noted the testimony of Specialized Sgt. Muhammet Emrah Kuzu, who said Van called him to duty on July 15, after which he entered a building at the base belonging to U.S. soldiers, staying there around 20 minutes.

The soldiers at the base supported the movement and violated international conventions, the lawyer said, demanding the precautionary closure of the base.

The Bakırköy Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation but said the matter was out of its jurisdiction, sending the file to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office where coup attempt probes are being conducted.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office could either file a lawsuit or drop the complaint.

Following the coup attempt, a report by pro-government daily Yeni Şafak claimed that retired Gen. John Campbell planned the failed coup attempt. It stated that Campbell provided a huge amount of cash flow from the UBA Bank in Nigeria via the CIA in order to support the coup.

Dunford dismissed the allegations, describing them as “absurd.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also lashed out at Votel for appearing to lament the fact that some Turkish officers with whom the U.S. had relations were detained for their role in the attempted overthrow, saying the situation could impair relations between the two militaries.

The Pentagon stated that the general was misunderstood, saying any report suggesting Votel’s support in favor of coup-plotting soldiers was factually inaccurate.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-lawyer-files-complaint-for-top-us-soldiers-for-supporting-coup-attempt.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104707&NewsCatID=509

Ending visa talks with Turkey ‘stupid mistake’

October 8, 2016

Abandoning visa liberalization talks with Turkey, as suggested by some EU governments, would be a stupid mistake, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni has said, advising the re-scheduling of the implementation of visa-free travel for Turkish citizens as an October deadline is no longer realistic.

He also called on Turkey to return to normalcy as soon as possible and end the state of emergency when possible, advising the country to continue with a period of national dialogue by including the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) as well.

Gentiloni made the comments in an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News during a trip to Turkey.

Here are the questions and answers from the interview with Gentiloni.

As far as I understand, this is a visit to show the Italian people and Italian government’s solidarity with the Turkish government and people. But don’t you think it’s a little late?

I think we were, in fact, not late, because, a few hours after the [attempted July 15] coup, the voice of our government – the Italian government – the other European governments and the United States were very clearly supporting the Turkish institutions against the coup. And, personally I called my colleague a few hours after the coup. And what I understand is that in Turkey, the fact that, immediately after the coup, several critiques of the post-coup developments from European governments were perceived as insufficient awareness of the seriousness of the coup attempt, of the danger that the Turkish institutions were [facing] and so on.

I am not saying we were late, but I understand the perception here. And we want to eliminate this perception. We are aware of the seriousness of the danger that was [faced] by Turkish institutions, but at the same time, obviously we are stressing the importance of the fact that the Turkish institutions need to return to normal functioning. The sooner the better. So, we need to end the state of emergency when possible. It is not our decision but obviously the sooner the better. We hope that the dialogue between the government and the political parties, all the political parties, including the HDP go on, in the interest of stability and cohesion.

It was possible to defeat the coup attempt thanks to the people who took to the streets on that night. So, from this perspective, how would you describe Turkish democracy? Do you think it is a kind of a symbol that Turkish democracy is becoming more mature?

Well, the reaction of the people was the demonstration of the fact that there is a strong attachment to democracy and to institutions. It’s a fact that all the parties shared in the mobilization against the coup, even the parties that share almost nothing with President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan. But they were defending the institutions. This, I think, is something we should underline and put in as evidence.

How do you assess the government’s reaction in the aftermath of coup attempt? There are growing concerns over mass dismissals and in some cases, the imprisonment of academics, teachers and journalists although they did not physically take part in the coup attempt.

My opinion is that – I repeated yesterday as well – the goal should be to restore as soon as possible the normal functioning of justice. Turkish authorities underline that what they call the FETÖ [Fethullahist Terror Organization] was very huge and they had a presence in different institutions, from the judiciary to universities, to even the diplomatic [corps], the military and whatever. It is true that our knowledge of this organization was very low in Italy. Especially we only knew something about the existence of Mr. [Fethullah] Gülen but not so much of this. But also we have a more limited diaspora in our country, and I know from my colleagues from other European countries that they have a significant presence of this organization in their countries. So, we understand this description. It is a very huge presence, and we had to face this presence in several sectors of society, but at the same time, the persistence of a state of emergency limiting the rule of law and the normal functioning of the institutions is, I think, something negative that should be overcome. In any case, it will finish in January as far as I understand because the law does not allow one to go further.

No, it can be extended as much as you want.

Ah, you can extend it forever. I hope that will not be the case.

Do you think delaying the process to restore normalcy in the country will also cause problems between Turkey and the European Union?

The problem was already there because, as you mentioned before, there was a significant misunderstanding in the post-coup period. We worked in the last weeks to make two concepts clear. One is that we are not under-evaluating the threats against Turkish institutions and if this was the perception, we are ready to change this perception. I think this is also the reason for so many visits in recent weeks. And second, this does not change the fact that the EU means commitment to the rule of law, commitment to civil rights, commitment to freedom of the press. This is not a matter of discussion. These are our principles. And obviously in the dynamics of the relations between the EU and Turkey, these principles will be kept. So, it is not an easy double message. But I think that our Turkish partners and friends did understand this double message. We are supportive, but this does not mean that we are denouncing our message.

One immediate issue is Turkey-EU visa liberalization and ensuring the continuity of the March 18 migrant deal. There are concerns that the October deadline for the visa liberalization will not be met. Do you think it can be solved?

In the post-coup situation, some political parties and even some governments in the EU asked that the process of visa liberalization be stopped, saying that what happened in Turkey after the coup was a clear demonstration that the visa liberalization perspective was unrealistic. So, some political parties and some governments asked for a termination of this perspective. We are strongly convinced that this would be a stupid mistake and that this goal should be maintained. Then, having said this, we all know that this goal is connected to the European perspective, to the certain number of prescriptions that should be fulfilled before delivering visa liberalization. Will this happen this month? That is very difficult, to be clear. I think everybody is aware in Europe and in Turkey about that.

So, what should we do? Abandon this goal and this perspective? It would be crazy and a mistake. We have to reschedule, but this is a matter of negotiation between Ankara and Brussels.

What would you say on the ongoing Syrian crisis?

Perhaps I could only add one thing because it was discussed yesterday in our meetings. I give some hope to the possibility that the Turkish government could play a role in clarifying to Russia about the necessity of stopping what [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad is doing in Aleppo. I know that President [Vladimir] Putin is coming to visit Istanbul, and I think we have a common interest in this, and I include even potentially Russia’s interest. If we can all together use our influence, including the Turkish influence, to put pressure on Russia to refrain from accepting this kind of behavior from al-Assad, I think this will be a very interesting and important possibility diplomatically.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/ending-visa-talks-with-turkey-stupid-mistake.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104731&NewsCatID=351

Iraqi govt’s remarks on Turkish troops ‘provocative,’ says PM Yıldırım

October 8, 2016

Baghdad’s recent remarks on Turkish soldiers stationed in Iraq are “dangerous and provocative,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on Oct. 7, responding to claims that his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi allegedly said “Turkish soldiers should not think they are having picnic.”

“The soldiers are not having a picnic but carrying out a duty. They are part of a struggle with around 60 different countries. There are soldiers of many countries that do not have physical ties with Iraq and they are also carrying out this struggle in the name of humanity. So I find such statements from Baghdad unusually dangerous and provocative,” Yıldırım told reporters in Ankara.

He also stated that Turkish soldiers have been on Iraqi soil “for a long time” and Ankara does not have any designs on the unity of Iraqi soil.

The row between Baghdad and Ankara comes after Iraq’s parliament passed motion against the presence of Turkish troops at the Bashiqa camp in northern Iraq. The Iraqi parliament sent a diplomatic note to Turkey’s ambassador on Oct. 4, after which Turkey summoned Iraq’s ambassador to Ankara.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/iraqi-govts-remarks-on-turkish-troops-provocative-says-pm-yildirim.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104727&NewsCatID=338

PM to meet opposition on mini constitution changes

October 7, 2016

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said he could separately meet with the leaders of two opposition parties next week to finalize weeks-long work on a small-scale constitutional amendment package.

“The works carried out for the small-scale constitutional amendments have been completed. Now the work is devolved to the leaders of the political parties. In the coming days I will schedule meetings with the leaders of the [main opposition Republican People’s Party] CHP and the [Nationalist Movement Party] MHP to negotiate the subject,” Yıldırım told reporters Oct. 7.

“We have not contacted the leaders yet but we have this thought,” he said, adding that the dates of possible meetings had yet to be specified.

After the failed coup attempt on July 15, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the CHP and the MHP – excluding the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) – agreed to introduce limited changes to some articles of the constitution focusing on the judicial system. The motive behind this move was to clear the judiciary of Gülenists who are widely thought to have infiltrated legal institutions over the past three decades.

The parties agreed on seven articles but failed to complete drafting one on the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), a key legal institution dealing with dismissals and promotions of judges and prosecutors.

In the aftermath of July 15, 3,456 judges and prosecutors were dismissed on the grounds that they took part in the failed coup attempt.

‘CHP ignoring July 15 sufferers’

Meanwhile, Yıldırım also criticized CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for “ignoring the sufferings of July 15,” the night of the coup attempt and prioritizing the victims of the post-coup process.

“Unfortunately, the leader of the main opposition party has ignored July 15 and focused on the sufferings [of the post-coup process]. It is as if people were not victimized on July 15, as if there were no martyrs or veterans. Is the suffering of the people more important than the suffering of the putschists?” he said.

Referring to opposition criticism about the ongoing investigations, Yıldırım stressed that complaints were being investigated “with the utmost importance” but claimed that the Gülen movement is to blame for any misdirection.

Commission holds debut meeting

A commission that was approved by the Turkish parliament to investigate the failed coup attempt of July 15, held its debut meeting on Oct.7.

The commission is made up of deputies from all four of Turkey’s political parties with seats in parliament.

Nine lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), four lawmakers from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), one lawmaker from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and one lawmaker from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) formed the commission.

The selected parliamentarians were announced in the Official Gazette on Oct. 7.

AKP lawmaker Reşat Petek was selected as the chair of the commission, while AKP lawmaker Selçuk Özdağ was selected as the deputy chair, according to the decision which was published in the Official Gazette.

AKP lawmaker Zekeriya Birkan, AKP lawmaker Emine Nur Günay, CHP lawmaker Zeynel Emre, CHP lawmaker Aykut Erdoğdu, AKP lawmaker Ravza Kavakçı Kan, CHP lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu, CHP lawmaker Aytun Çıray, AKP lawmaker Hüseyin Kocabıyık, AKP lawmaker Burhanettin Uysal, MHP lawmaker Mehmet Erdoğan and HDP lawmaker Mithat Sancar were selected as the other members of the commission.

The commission will have the authority to question suspects, including those who are currently under detention, just as public prosecutors are able to do.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/pm-to-meet-opposition-on-mini-constitution-changes-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104729&NewsCatID=338

Coup attempt plan to pound key Turkish state buildings with high-tech device failed, testimony shows

October 7, 2016

A plan to pound key state buildings in Ankara with help from a laser-designating and rangefinder device (LİMÖS) on the night of the July 15 coup attempt failed when an anti-coup soldier shot dead a pro-coup general who was responsible for the plot.

The plan, which was revealed on Sept. 5 during the testimony of Major Fatih Şahin, a pro-coup soldier who was also involved in the plot, was going to be orchestrated by Brigadier General Semih Terzi. Şahin reportedly said Terzi was going to partner with him in order to hit crucial state institutions in Ankara with jets based on categorization using specific colors for their buildings.

Buildings of the Police Special Operations Headquarters, the Ankara Police Department and the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) were designated as the most important buildings to be struck and thus placed in the “red” category. The parliament building, the satellite network TÜRKSAT, the Presidential Palace, the Prime Ministry’s Çankaya Mansion, and a number of other buildings, were all listed as sites of secondary strategic importance in the “orange” category.

The plan was due to be carried out after Terzi’s arrival from Diyarbakır to Ankara with Şahin, who was asked to bring the LİMOS with him to identify the designated buildings to be hit by pro-coup soldiers’ jets.

However, the plan failed after Terzi was shot by Halisdemir and when the soldier who was assigned to use the LİMOS took sides with the anti-coup soldiers.

Meanwhile, 120 more people were detained on Oct. 7 as part of a probe into the movement of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, believed to be behind the July 15 coup attempt. The 120 individuals were detained after it was found that they used the encrypted ByLock messaging application, thought to be used exclusively by the group’s members.

Detention orders were issued for a total of 166 people and anti-smuggling police conducted simultaneous operations in 35 provinces across Turkey, including 26 districts in Istanbul, early on Oct. 7. The targeted security personnel included police chiefs and officers identified as having used the ByLock app, allegedly developed by Gülenists at the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK).

Among the 166 individuals targeted by detention orders were 13 police chiefs, 39 police officers, and 114 high-ranking officers.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com/coup-attempt-plan-to-pound-key-turkish-state-buildings-with-high-tech-device-failed-testimony-shows.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104737&NewsCatID=509

Africa

Nigeria's northern Kaduna state declares Shi'ite Muslim sect unlawful

Sat Oct 8, 2016

ABUJA (Reuters) - A northern Nigerian state on Friday said it declared a minority Shi'ite Muslim sect, whose members clashed with the army late last year, an unlawful society.

The Kaduna state government said anyone convicted of being a member of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria could be imprisoned for seven years, fined or both. The size of the fine was not specified.

The Kaduna state government said the group had "overtly continued with unlawful processions" and "obstruction of public highways" since the clashes.

Members of the sect are among the several thousand Shi'ite Muslims whose movement was inspired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Source: af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN12801K

Niger: Attackers Kill 22 Soldiers Near Refugee Camp

OCT. 7, 2016

NIAMEY, Niger — Niger's government says attackers who killed at least 22 soldiers at a Malian refugee camp likely came from Mali.

The government said Friday it is investigating the attack a day earlier that wounded at least five at a security post for the Tazalit camp, in the Tahoua region of Niger near the border with Mali.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Niger to reinforce security at refugee camps and other vulnerable targets. He also called on authorities to bring perpetrators to justice.

Northern and central Mali remain unstable nearly four years after France led a military intervention to drive out Islamic extremists.

Niger's government has declared Saturday a national day of mourning. The nation is also battling against Nigeria-based Boko Haram extremists in its south.

Source: nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/07/world/africa/ap-af-niger-camp-attacked.html

Amid worries of Islamic militants and jobs, Moroccans vote

October 7, 2016

RABAT, Morocco — Millions of Moroccans headed out to vote Friday, with worries about joblessness and extremism on their minds as they chose which party will lead their next government.

Adultery scandals and thwarted election-day attacks marked the unusually venomous campaign in this North African nation, which is allied with the U.S and seen as a model of stability and relative prosperity in the region.

Top contenders are a moderate Islamist party and an up-and-coming rival party seen as close to the royal palace. The palace pledged to loosen control over Moroccan politics after Arab Spring protests five years ago, but still retains control over major policy decisions.

"It's in God's hands now," Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane told The Associated Press after casting his ballot.

Voter Fatima Ibn Abou, voting in the same polling station as the prime minister, at the Mouad Ibn Jabal middle school in Rabat, said, "We are just hoping for the best" after the harsh campaign.

Since the last legislative elections in 2011, Benkirane's Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) has dominated parliament and led a government coalition comprised of several parties with differing ideologies.

The PJD faces tough competition from the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), widely regarded as close to the palace. It was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, childhood friend of King Mohammed VI and a current royal adviser.

A Moroccan woman walks past electoral paintings representing a political party logos for the upcoming municipal elections in Casablanca, Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016.

ABDELJALIL BOUNHAR/AP

To help illiterate voters, each party is represented by a symbol on the ballot as well as its name — a lamp for the PJD, a tractor for the PAM, and other symbols for the other 26 parties.

Friday's election will determine which party leads the government and the makeup of the Chamber of Representatives, which has the final say in Moroccan legislation. The chamber is comprised of 395 seats, 90 of them reserved for women and youth. Nearly 7,000 candidates are running in 92 voting districts. Definitive results are expected Saturday.

Benkirane has clashed in recent public spats with Ilyas El-Omari, head of the PAM. This week, Benkirane slammed El-Omari for comments he made to The Associated Press suggesting that state-funded associations were among groups involved in radicalizing Moroccan youth.

With high unemployment and relatively low literacy, Morocco has been fertile recruiting ground for extremists. As many as 1,000 Moroccans have joined the ranks of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

On Monday, authorities dismantled a 10-member terror cell comprised entirely of women with alleged ties to IS.

Abdelhak Khiame, head of Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, said the cell planned to carry out attacks on election day, Friday, according to Morocco's state news agency MAP. Seven of the 10 members were underage, he said.

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In addition to security, Morocco's economic ills are a top concern, including youth joblessness and record high foreign debt. Many voters are frustrated with the status quo, especially in rural areas.

Imad Agrili, 31, a painter from the rural town of Skoura, was voting for the first time and opted for the Federation of the Democratic Left. "They seem clean and transparent," he said.

For others, like the banned Islamist Adl wal Ihsan (Justice and Charity) movement, the election in Morocco is futile. The movement, which is boycotting the election, denounces the centralization of power and the decision-making by the monarchy.

"The person who governs is the king and his entourage and they have deeply rooted powers," saids Hassan Bennajeh, spokesman for Adl wal Ihsan.

More than 15.7 million Moroccans have registered to vote but last time voter turnout was only around 5 million, said Abdul-Wahab Kayyali, doctoral candidate in political science at George Washington University.

"These elections, specifically, matter a lot ... and will show whether 2011 was just a blip on the radar screen" in gauging Morocco's path toward reform, he said.

The 2011 Arab Spring uprisings have left a mixed legacy in North Africa — Tunisia built a fragile democracy, Egypt elected Islamists who were then ousted by the military and Libya has descended into deadly chaos.

Some 4,000 Moroccan and international observers are monitoring the elections.

Source: stripes.com/news/middle-east/2.1198/amid-worries-of-islamic-militants-and-jobs-moroccans-vote-1.432914

Islamic body donates to Esther Lungu Trust

October 08, 2016

THE International Islamic Relief Organisation of Southern Africa has donated 10 boreholes, foodstuffs which include 2,500 bags of mealie meal to the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust.

And First Lady Esther Lungu, who is the founder of the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust, has thanked the Islamic community for partnering with her trust in uplifting the welfare of vulnerable communities.

Speaking when she received the donation at State House yesterday, Mrs Lungu said she is humbled by the support rendered to her foundation by various sections of society.

Source: daily-mail.co.zm/?p=81903