The fifth week of the UEFA Europa Conference League promises to deliver riveting moments as Turkish Süper Lig giants will be in action – Fenerbahçe facing Nordsjaelland away, while Beşiktaş hosts Club Brugge on Thursday.

Fenerbahçe will be on a mission to stamp their authority at the pinnacle of Group H as they aim to vanquish Nordsjaelland once and for all.

With nine victories and a single defeat in 10 European matches this season, the Yellow Canaries are well poised to advance into the knockout stages with either a win or a draw.

Ismail Kartal’s men, securing nine points with three wins in four group matches, currently reign supreme at the summit of the group ahead of Nordsjaelland with seven points, Ludogorets with six and Spartak Trnava with a solitary point.

In their previous encounter in Istanbul, Fenerbahçe painted Kadiköy yellow as always as they emerged victorious with a 3-1 score against their Danish rivals.

If Fenerbahçe manage a draw on Thursday, provided Ludogorets drop points against Spartak Trnava, they will secure a spot in the next round with one match to spare.

In the final week of Group H, the Yellow Canaries will host Spartak Trnava, while Ludogorets and Nordsjaelland will face each other in a crucial battle.

Setbacks

Ahead of the Nordsjaelland match, Fenerbahçe will be without the services of seven players due to injuries.

Alexander Djiku, Rodrigo Becao, Mert Hakan Yandaş and Ferdi Kadıoğlu will be forced to watch from the stands, while Serdar Aziz, Fred and Miha Zajc are not expected to feature in the Danish clash.

However, with the Joshua King and Michy Batchuayi fully fit and firing on all cylinders, Fenerbahçe’s gaffer, Ismail Kartal, will be expected to call upon the services of this exciting duo.

This season, the two players have directly contributed to 12 goals in European matches.

Batshuayi, appearing in nine out of 10 matches, scored four goals and provided three assists, while Joshua King, in seven European appearances, netted three goals and provided two assists.

In response to the defensive challenges posed by injuries to Becao, Djiku, and Serdar Aziz, and with Samet Akaydın not listed in the UEFA squad, coach Kartal deployed Oosterwolde-Yusuf Akçiçek in the central defense against Ludogorets.

With Kadıoğlu’s injury, Kartal will have to explore options in this area.

Kartal will have to contemplate fielding Crespo alongside young talent Yusuf Akçiçek in the center of defense, moving Oosterwolde to his natural position as a left-back.

In the right-back position, Osayi-Samuel is expected to secure his spot.

Including Yusuf Akçiçek in the starting XI, Ismail Kartal will complete the squad by reinforcing it with promising players from the youth academy.

Muhammet İmre, Furkan Onur Akyüz, Efekan Karayazı, Ahmet Necat Aydın, and Kaan Akyazı are anticipated to be included in the squad.

Synthetic turf

The Right to Dream Park, hosting Nordsjaelland’s matches with a capacity of 10,300 spectators, stands out with its 100% synthetic surface.

Due to weather conditions in Denmark, Nordsjaelland plays its matches on synthetic turf, prompting Fenerbahçe to tailor their preparations accordingly.

The Yellow Canaries will step onto the field with special cleats for the artificial surface and thermal materials to combat the expected -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature at the match hour.

During the Nordsjaelland tie, Fenerbahçe will mark their 265th appearance on the continental stage.

Having played 264 matches in European tournaments, Fenerbahçe boast 104 victories, 105 defeats and 55 draws.

They have netted 355 goals while conceding 374.

Fenerbahçe suffered their only defeat in European competitions this season in the UEFA Europa Conference League, losing 2-0 to Ludogorets in the group stage.

After showcasing a remarkable performance with nine consecutive victories in qualifiers and group matches, Fenerbahçe seek redemption by securing a positive result in Denmark.

Eagles’ wet wings

Moving on to the struggling Beşiktaş, the Black Eagles will host Belgian side Club Brugge.

Beşiktaş, having secured one draw and suffered three defeats in the four group stage matches, sat at the bottom of the group with a single point, eliminating their chances of progressing after a 2-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the fourth week.

On the other hand, Club Brugge, leading the group with 10 points from three victories and one draw, have already guaranteed their spot in the knockout stage.

The first encounter between the two teams in Belgium ended in a 1-1 draw.

Absences

Beşiktaş face a significant number of absentees ahead of the Club Brugge clash.

Necip Uysal, who received a red card in the last match against Bodo/Glimt, will sit out for this one.

Additionally, due to injuries, Daniel Amartey, Eric Bailly, Jean Onana, Salih Uçan, Milot Rashica, Rachid Ghezzal, Valentin Rosier and Arthur Masuaku are sidelined.

Beşiktaş, entering their 241st match in European competitions against Club Brugge, have a record of 90 victories, 48 draws, and 102 defeats in previous matches.

Familiar foes

The Black Eagles have faced Belgian teams nine times in European competitions.

Despite not quite a satisfactory record, Beşiktaş secured two victories, draw draws, and three defeats.

Notably, the 1996-1997 season saw Beşiktaş drawing 0-0 away and winning 3-0 at home against Molenbeek in the UEFA Cup first round.

Familiar territory

Beşiktaş has reached the quarterfinals in European competitions three times.

In the 1986-1987 season, Beşiktaş advanced to the quarterfinals of the European Cup.

They replicated this feat in the 2002-2003 UEFA Cup and the 2016-2017 UEFA Europa League.

Beşiktaş achieved their largest victory in European competitions during the 2018-2019 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, defeating Faroe Islands representative B36 Torshavn 6-0.

Conversely, they suffered their most humiliating defeat in the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League, losing 8-0 to English side Liverpool.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Türkiye’s foreign trade deficit narrowed by 17.5% year-over-year in October to $6.5 billion (TL 187.93 billion), according to the official data the country’s statistical authority shared on Wednesday.

The gap declined from $7.9 billion in the same month a year earlier, Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data showed.

The country’s exports last month rose by 7.4%, totaling $22.87 billion, TurkStat said. The data showed that imports grew by 0.6% and stood at $29.39 billion.

Excluding energy products and non-monetary gold, Türkiye posted a foreign trade gap of $1.5 billion last month.

The exports-to-imports coverage ratio rose to 77.8% versus 72.9% in October 2022.

The data also showed that the country’s 10-month exports this year surged by 0.2% compared to last year and reached $209.9 billion, while the imports rose by 1.1% to $303.8 billion in the same period.

Türkiye’s shipments to its leading trading partner, Germany, amounted to $1.76 billion last month, the data showed, followed by Iraq with $1.32 billion, the U.S. with $1.25 billion, the United Arab Emirates with $1.115 billion and Italy with $1.11 billion.

In October, Türkiye imported the most from China ($3.76 billion), followed by Russia ($3.23 billion), Germany ($2.6 billion), Italy ($1.34 billion) and the U.S. ($1.24 billion).

Medium-high and high-tech’s share of overall exports in October rose from 37.8% to 39.7% year-on-year, the data showed.

In January-October 2023, the foreign trade deficit widened to $93.9 billion, up 3.2% compared with the first ten months of last year.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Atotal of 589,112 endangered sea turtle hatchlings, including 445,592 loggerheads and 143,520 green turtles, have emerged from their eggs and made their way to the sea on the 20 beaches along Türkiye’s southern coast this year, according to local experts.

Nearly all sea turtle species, which spend almost all of their lives in the sea and only come ashore between May and September to lay eggs, are in danger of extinction.

Conservation efforts are being carried out on 20 Turkish beaches where sea turtle eggs are found. Maintaining known nesting areas is crucial for the species’ survival, as they usually return to the same beach where they hatched to nest every year, using the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate back to the original spot.

Shorelines face many threats, such as environmental pollution, climate change, negative use of beaches, as well as sound and light pollution. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) carries out studies within the scope of the “Conventions on the Protection of Europe’s Wildlife and Habitats” and “Conventions on the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Zones of the Mediterranean,” of which Türkiye is a party. The studies aim to learn more about endangered species and ways to protect them. The efforts of the ministry continue to pay off, ensuring that thousands of baby sea turtles can safely reach the sea every year.

In this context, the ministry has set aside designated nesting areas in 20 regions to protect sea turtles, their nests and the precious hatchlings. Fourteen of these areas are supervised by the DKMP, and the other areas, labeled as “Special Environmental Protection” areas, are protected by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

Within the scope of conservation efforts, tourists, industrialists and local people are informed about how to use the beach and awareness-raising activities are carried out. Wire cages are also set up both under the sand and on the surface near the nests. Restrictions on light, excessive noise and visitors are also in place to ensure the safety of the incubating eggs.

In addition to conservation efforts, sea turtles are monitored via satellite transmitters to determine information such as feeding and migration patterns. Working on research and conservation efforts, several organizations along the Mediterranean coast also help treat sick or injured turtles, including the Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Injured turtles are brought to the centers for medical treatment and rehabilitation and, if possible, released back to the sea once they fully recover.

Last year, about 3,600 loggerhead nests were counted on the beaches in Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya. Some 2,000 nests were found in the Belek district and 1,600 others in the Kızılıot district of Antalya, one of Europe’s largest Caretta caretta nesting areas.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Students at a rural school in South Sudan no longer have to sit on rocks to attend classes thanks to a donation of 150 desks and chairs from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) delivered on Tuesday.

TIKA coordinator in the African country, Abdullah Sari, said the agency had provided 150 desks and chairs to help the learners lacking classroom furniture at the Global Nursery and Primary School in the countryside of the capital, Juba.

At the handover event, Sari said: “I am happy to be here and cooperating with Global Nursery and Primary School. I am also thankful to the Turkish ambassador for supporting the project, and I’m hoping for the best in the future in supporting more children.”

Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan Erdem Mutaf also spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of education.

“The Turkish Embassy’s priority is child care, education and women’s empowerment. We have been supporting various schools and will continue to do so. The delivery of desks is an example of our educational support project, which we hope to increase step-by-step in the period ahead, as we are trying to create a conducive environment for the schools,” he said.

He stressed that education for children is crucial for the future. “When you support women and children, you support society. This project is vital to us and we will do our best to accomplish more.”

The headteacher of the school, William Wol, said most of the students who are enrolled in the school are children of martyrs, and they are in dire need of support.

He expressed his gratitude by saying: “We greatly appreciate the donation of the Turkish government and its people. It has not been easy for us to acquire the necessary educational supplies for the students.

“Since the opening of the school, we have not had any necessary school supplies. The children used stones as chairs, which were too hot for them to sit on, causing concentration problems in most students. We now have desks and chairs and I appreciate the support of the Turkish government and TIKA in providing these necessary classroom furniture and supplies.”

He said that 396 children will benefit from the donation of the Turkish state-run aid agency.

Rita Kiden Benjamin, one of the students, said that it was difficult for the schools to provide them with chairs, so they were sitting on the stones, and others were sitting on the floor.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Turkish government for providing us with these chairs and desks and it has not been easy for us not to have them. We spent years sitting on stones, and finally, we were rescued by the Turkish people, who are good human beings,” she expressed.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Upon returning from an Arab League-OIC summit, President Erdoğan said Türkiye remains a key actor in resolving regional crises, including the Palestine-Israel conflict, as he pushes for more diplomatic and concrete efforts and criticizes support for ‘baby killer’ Israel

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined heads of state at an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisaton for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The summit, focusing on the Palestine-Israel conflict, was a highlight in Türkiye’s tireless efforts for a permanent solution to the conflict and a push for an immediate cease-fire.

Speaking to journalists while returning home, Erdoğan stressed that his country was a key actor in resolving regional crises and criticized “baby killer” Israel.

“Palestine, which fights for its very existence in the face of decades of occupation and pressure, is going through an unspeakable oppression for 36 days. Innocent civilians in Gaza lose their lives through indiscriminating heavy bombardment and are forced to leave their lands. Israel, right before the eyes of the world, commits war crimes by targeting hospitals, schools and places of worship without discrimination. They target ambulances carrying patients and the deceased and refugee camps. Western countries also watch this savagery,” he lamented.

Erdoğan said people with a conscience cannot stand silent. “Since day one, I tried to be the voice of the Palestinian cause and make the world see the massacre in Gaza. I am engaged in phone diplomacy and visit other countries to that extent,” he said.

Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has been engaged in diplomacy and dialogue since the beginning of the new stage of the conflict on Oct. 7 to ensure a humanitarian cease-fire and delivered some 230 tons of humanitarian aid to Egypt for delivery to Gaza. He noted that a large Turkish vessel was also on its way to Egypt for more aid.

The Turkish president said the international community needs to take concrete action in the face of massacres. “But once again, we see the United Nations Security Council is dysfunctional,” he said while hailing 121 countries voting yes at the Oct. 27 session of the U.N. General Assembly for a cease-fire and unconditional humanitarian aid delivery.

“I find it valuable that the majority of the international community adopted this approach. To ensure it, the Islamic world should be one voice. I stressed it at Saturday’s summit. I highlighted that the OIC, whose original purpose of foundation was the Palestinian cause, has a great responsibility. I told the summit and my counterparts I met on the sidelines of the summit that any steps would not be lasting unless the Palestinian issue is fully resolved,” he said. He added that the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestine state with East Jerusalem as its capital was key to permanent peace in the region.

“I noted that everyone should make a contribution to ensure it,” he said.

Erdoğan voiced his appreciation for Egypt under the leadership of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for keeping the Rafah border crossing with Gaza open. He said they confirmed plans to remain in touch.

“As Türkiye, we renewed our commitment to a solution and taking responsibility as a guarantor country,” he said.

“We will do what we can do to stop bloodshed, in coordination with our friends in the OIC,” he stated.

Settlers, nuclear threat

Erdoğan acknowledged that the OIC used to limit its action to condemning such crises in the past and states used to abstain from taking steps for various reasons. “But this time, we had a clear picture, and Türkiye’s proposals made it to the joint declaration of the summit. We now have a declaration containing a myriad of actions and things that have not been said before, such as the recognition of (Israeli illegal) settlers as terrorists, a declaration that generated a geostrategy. For the first time, we proposed a nuclear nonproliferation conference, given Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons,” he said.

The declaration “condemned the hateful, extremist and racist acts and statements made by ministers in the Israeli occupation government, including the threat by one of the ministers to use nuclear weapons against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, being a serious threat to global peace and security, which requires supporting the conference to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, held within the framework of the United Nations and its objectives to confront this threat.”

The issue of denuclearization is very significant in terms of revealing which actors are supporting Israel, Erdoğan told journalists. “Now, it is of great importance that both the OIC and the Arab League came together and took this step (resolution) because this is the first time in the history of the two organizations that such a meeting took place,” he added.

Last Sunday, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, told Israeli media that dropping a “nuclear bomb” on the Gaza Strip was “an option.” Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the statement and, according to media reports, suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings until further notice, Eliyahu’s statement caused an international uproar because it was seen as admitting Tel Aviv possesses nuclear weapons and can use them against any country.

Erdoğan said progress was also made regarding the delivery of aid in the declaration’s final text. “For instance, there was a call for breaking the blockade of Gaza for delivery of aid. Some member states inquired whether all actions mentioned in the declaration would be fulfilled. We told them that we need words to be written first to be followed by action. This declaration will be a reference for any country looking to do something. More importantly, the West will see that our distance from them grows because of their stance on the Palestine issue. (French President Emmanuel) Macron, for instance, has started to change his rhetoric. He visited Israel and voiced his support to them but when he saw that the number of deaths increased and the size of the massacre grew, he started to develop a policy against it,” he said.

“This was not a summit where people convened, talked and went their separate ways. On the contrary, we have a list of actions that will be carried out,” Erdoğan said.

On a question about Türkiye’s road map for a solution to the conflict, Erdoğan said they were working on various aspects, such as convincing the 40 countries that abstained from a vote on an immediate cease-fire at the U.N. General Assembly to vote in favor. “We are planning to concentrate our diplomatic efforts on this matter. For example, Hungary is among the countries that abstained from the vote. We are wondering whether we can persuade them,” he said.

He added that he would be more engaged in phone diplomacy after the summit and would host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Nov. 28. “I believe we can convince countries that supported Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They cannot remain silent about the killings of thousands of people. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we did not discriminate against any side and even mediated grain deals to Africa and Europe. Now it is the turn of those countries supporting Ukraine to raise their voice (for Palestine),” he said.

Erdoğan noted that first lady Emine Erdoğan would also host a meeting of first ladies in Türkiye on Nov. 15 on the issue. He said he would visit Germany on Nov. 17 and convey “messages” to the West. “Germany is the most powerful country in Europe and our messages will definitely be heard,” he said.

Erdoğan said he would also visit Algeria and said Algeria was a country with influence in Africa and could pave the way for convincing more African countries to adopt a stance for the resolution of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

He also pointed out that the European Union has failed in the face of Israel’s massacres and lamented the absence of a clear stance against Israel from EU members. “I wonder where Germany stands and will have a chance to see it in my Germany visit,” he said.

“The EU views Hamas as a terrorist group just like Israel did. We don’t view Hamas as such and will never do so. Hamas is a political party. They (the EU) want us to recognize it as a terrorist group. No, they are not. They are people fighting for their lands,” he said.

“All heads of state, including leaders of Muslim countries, marched together in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo incident. But they don’t raise their voice now despite some 13,000 people being killed in Gaza. This is because those who died in Gaza are Muslims. Those killed in Paris were the French,” he said.

“For us, people dying are people, not people of this religion or that religion. Don’t you see children are dying? You see parents kissing their dead children. You see bodies of children lined on the ground before their burial. You see mothers embracing the bodies of their children. These should move your conscience,” he said.

Erdoğan reiterated that everyone knows Türkiye is a key country in the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean and in the wider region. “Making plans despite Türkiye’s objections in this region is impossible. Everybody knows our clear stand, our principles and our values. We work to protect people’s lives, to ensure peace, end conflicts and wipe the tears of the innocent. We have solutions for every conflict and we offer them to anyone willing to listen. Our door is open to anyone valuing our stand. We always talk to anyone contacting us for a sincere solution, and we will continue working to save the dignity of humankind. Türkiye is the only country offering the most applicable solutions,” he said, noting that Türkiye was the only nation with contacts in every country in the region and could bring warring sides to the table in conflicts.

“We have to hold talks with the Gulf countries, with Egypt to exert pressure on the United States so that it can exert pressure on Israel,” he said, noting Gulf countries’ relations with the West can help press Israel to stop the bloodshed.

On comments on whether this will be a “religious” war, a war of the “crescent and cross,” Erdoğan assured that would not be the case. “Because this is a war of good and evil, lies and truth, oppressor and the oppressed,” he said.

“I believe, in the end, the good, people siding with the truth, the oppressed and their defenders, in other words, Palestinians, will win,” he said.

Referring to his confrontation with then-Israeli President Shimon Peres at a Davos summit years ago over Israel’s atrocities toward Palestinians, Erdoğan said that he was continuing to take steps to raise the voice of ignored Palestinians.

Erdoğan famously accused Israel of killing children during a panel where he was sitting next to Peres. “With its latest Gaza attacks, Israel lost international public support. Though their administrations embrace Israel for their imperialist interests, people of most countries view Israel as a country murdering babies,” he said.

Source: Daily Sabah

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As Egyptian-Turkish ties are about to be fully restored after a decade-long-rift, one question has emerged: what is the fate of Egyptian dissidents who have taken refuge in Turkey following the military coup that overthrew the first democratically-elected president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013?

A large number of Egyptians who have gone into self-exile in Turkey over the past ten years are reportedly Muslim Brotherhood group members, an organisation that was designated illegal in Egypt since 2014, group sympathisers or opposition figures in general, many of them initiated satellite TV channels that have been vocally criticising Egypt’s regime.

While unconfirmed reports indicated that the Turkish authorities intended to hand over those dissidents “as a gesture of goodwill,” a high-level security source stationed in Turkey told The New Arab, on condition of anonymity, that “this is very unlikely to happen.”

“Egypt has already asked Turkey to hand them over, but the Turkish government refused for most of these dissidents had already acquired Turkish citizenship or at least a residency and cannot be legally deported,” the source explained.

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“Security authorities in both countries had earlier agreed to stop exchanging criticism whether through Egyptian media, loyal to the regime, or channels and news outlets in Turkey run by Egyptian opposition, following the recent rapprochement between the two countries,” the source added.

Most recently, TNA learnt that the Turkish authorities detained 12 Egyptians who had reportedly crossed into Turkey illegally through the borders with Syria and held them inside Gaziantep immigration detention, southeast of the country.

“The 12 detainees did not involve any known figures wanted by Egypt,” a source at the Egyptian embassy in Istanbul, who declined to be named, told TNA without elaborating on their fate.

Based on official figures and estimates published in recent years, from nine to 14 million Egyptians live abroad, and tens of thousands have been living in self-exile to avoid repression at home, especially Muslim Brotherhood members or supporters.

Kuwait responds to outcry, deports Egyptian to Turkey

Meanwhile, Turkish news outlets recently said that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to visit Turkey later this month to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in reports not officially confirmed by Egypt.

Egypt-Turkey reconciliation is part of a more extensive recalibration of the region’s political landscape that involved restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran and Cairo’s normalisation of ties with Tehran at a later stage.

Source: The News Arab

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The Committee of Ministers decided on Thursday that “a document setting out the possible options” for sanctions should be prepared for discussion at the committee’s meeting in September.

The measures include the expulsion of Turkey from the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights organisation.

The committee emphasised that the detention of Kavala lacked any reasonable grounds and called for his immediate release, as well as the release of Demirtas and Yuksekdag, former co-chairs of pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, HDP.

“[Kavala’s] detention pursued the ulterior purpose of stifling pluralism and limiting freedom of political debate,” the committee said.

Kavala, Demirtas and Yuksekdag have been in prison for several years despite decisions in their favour at the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey has so far dismissed all the decisions.

A Turkish court sentenced Kavala to life in prison for attempting to overthrow the government by financing the 2013 Gezi Park protests, a series of nationwide demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamist government.

Demirtas and Yuksekdag have been in prison for more than six years due to alleged terrorism ties and has not been released despite various rulings from the European Court of Human Rights and the Turkish Constitutional Court.

President Erdogan and his party won both parliamentary and presidential elections last month.

Experts have expressed concerns that the strongman leader who has already been ruling the country for 21 years will intensify his crackdown on his opponents during his next five years in office.

Source: Balkan Insight

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Source: Bizmedia

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Paris, Brussels (29/7 – 75)

Kazakhstan has started arbitration proceedings against companies developing Kashagan and Karachaganak oilfields, over US$13 billion and $3.5 billion respectively in costs deducted as part of profit-sharing deals, its Energy Minister said on April 11.

“I can only say these lawsuits have been filed in the interest of the people of Kazakhstan,” Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev told reporters, declining to provide any further details about the claims.

The offshore Kashagan field in northern part of the Caspian Sea, one of the biggest discoveries in recent decades, is being developed by Italian Eni, British Shell, French TotalEnergies, United States ExxonMobil, Kazakh KazMunayGas, Japanese Inpex and the China National Petroleum Corporation.

Eni, Shell and KazMunayGaz are also partners in Karachaganak, alongside American Chevron and Russian Lukoil. The Karachaganak onshore field is located in Oral, West Kazakhstan region.

Both projects are covered by production-sharing agreements, in which those companies can deduct certain costs from income before splitting it with the government. The size of the deductions determines how much income there is to be split.

Kashagan and Karachaganak, which pump around 400,000 barrels and 200,000 barrels of oil per day, respectively, are the second and third biggest producers of oil respectively in the Central Asian nation, one whose economy relies heavily on energy exports.

Kashagan is one of the world’s largest offshore fields, with estimated reserves of 13 billion barrels of oil. Discovered in 2000, the oil field has faced endless delays, owing to technical problems.

Kazakhstan filed a claim in March against the field’s operator, incurring environmental protection fines for allegedly violating rules on sulfur storage at the site.

Kazakhstan’s largest oil field is Tengiz in Atyrau region with more than 700 million tons of recoverable reserve.

The Astana government has already had a series of disputes with its partners about the terms of oil deals, which typically ended with settlements.

According to a Bloomberg report published in April, the claims cover the period from 2010 to 2018 for Kashagan and from 2010 to 2019 for Karachaganak.

Kazakhstan and the Karachaganak consortium settled their most recent dispute in 2018 after three years of negotiations, with the group paying Astana $1.1 billion and giving it a greater portion of future profits.

In a separate development, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov told the newly appointed Minister Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev to prioritize tasks in the energy sector in a meeting on April 4.

Smailov said that the ministry needs to focus on developing major oil and gas projects and export transportation corridors, taking measures to increase gas process, strengthening heat and electricity production sector, and continuing the development of renewable energy.

“Recently, some problems that have been accumulating for years have become more acute,” Smailov said as quoted by the government’s website.

“A shortage of diesel fuel, power and gas supply interruptions, accidents at heat supply facilities are all evidence of serious problems in the energy sector. All of them have to be promptly resolved.”

The Prime Minister also pointed out that one of the ministry’s main objectives was to fill the domestic market with oil products and that it was necessary to ensure strict control over their production and turnover.

“The Ministry is facing a lot of complex issues, and not only the future of the fuel and energy sector, but our entire economy directly depends on their effective solution,” Smailov said.

“I am sure that Almasadam Maidanovich will direct his knowledge and experience to the successful development of the energy sector.”

Kazakhstan is among the world’s Top 15 oil producing countries. As of December 2021, the Central Asian country produced 1,488,707 barrels per day, increasing from 1,470,005 bpd in December 2020.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan plans to raise its ceiling on 92/93-octane gasoline prices by 11% and that on diesel by 20% in order to bring them into line with those in neighboring countries, said then acting energy minister Bolat Akchulakov on April 3.

The oil-rich nation has some of the world’s lowest fuel prices and keeping gasoline cheap through price controls has been one of the pillars of state policy for years.

But price disparities with neighboring countries have led to illegal exports and price regulations have made the refining industry unattractive for investors, leaving Kazakhstan’s domestic market with fuel shortages.

The increases will raise the price of gasoline to 205 tenge (45 US cents) per liter, or $1.70 per gallon, while the diesel price will rise to 295 tenge per liter, or $2.50 per gallon.

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European Parliament members have strongly condemned ongoing repression by the authorities of Tajikistan against journalists, activists and protesters in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). A history of violence escalated extending several years, following confrontational events in November 2021 and May 2022 where dozens of civilians were killed.

The European Parliament has since passed a resolution on 7 July 2022. European deputies called on the Tajik government to “put an end to repression against the residents of GBAO”.

“We call on the government of Tajikistan to stop persecuting protesters, independent journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and civil society activists, allowing them to carry out their work freely and without the fear of losing their lives.”

Deputies also called on Tajik authorities to immediately release detained activists and journalists, namely Ulfathonim Mamadshoeva, Daleri Imomali, Abdullo Gurbati, Manuchehr Kholiknazarov, Faromuz Irgashov, Khursand Mamadshoev, Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev and Amriddin Alovatshoev.

The crackdown by Tajik security forces in Rushan on May 18, 2022 turned into a tragedy with numerous casualties among protesters. Local witnesses told of snipers and military helicopters firing live ammunition at civilians, killing at least 40. A violent dispersal in Khorog left many protesters dead and some wounded.

The firm resolution of the European Parliament asserts the collective expression of concern about “deterioration of the human rights situation” in GBAO. May 14, 2022 saw a protest in Khorog, the capital of GBAO, home to the Pamiri people. About 1,000 Pamiri citizens had gathered to peacefully demand the resignation of regional leader Alisher Mirzonabatov, known locally as “The Butcher of the Pamir.” They also demanded an effective investigation into the murder by security forces of Gulbidin Ziyobekov in November 2021.

The authorities rejected these demands and delivered an ultimatum, that if demonstrators did not disperse by 4 p.m. on 16 May 2022, they would be removed by force.

On 16 May 2022, government authorities cut off all internet access and shut down the mobile phone network over GBAO. This halt on the internet continued on until the end of June 2022, resulted in difficulties in obtaining verified information and news out of this region during that period. However, there were posts on social media based on eyewitness reports, describing how security forces arbitrarily broke into homes and ransacked them, seized mobile phones and arbitrarily detaining residents. There are also allegations of torture and extra-judicial executions of Pamiris detained during the crackdown.

Reports said that President Emomali Rahmon’s security forces attacked the civilians with tear gas grenades and this continued till 17 May 2022. On 18 May, the Ministry of the Interior announced that it would carry out an “anti-terrorist operation” in Rushan District, where mobile, landline, and internet communication was subsequently cut, and people were denied the right to enter or leave the area under occupation.

Violence by the regime escalated when residents attempted to block the road to Khorog with their cars, to prevent a military convoy from entering the city. The crackdown in Rushan turned into a tragedy, with numerous casualties among protesters. Local witnesses told of snipers and military helicopters firing live ammunition at civilians, killing at least 40. A violent dispersal in Khorog left many protesters dead and some wounded.

The culmination of the event was the assassination of Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov, an influential local leader and a hero standing against Rahmon’s authoritarian regime. He was shot dead by government security forces on 22 May 2022.

The European Parliament also warned Tajikistan that “the fight against terrorism and violent extremism must not be used as a pretext to suppress the opposition.” It reiterated that “those who were arbitrarily detained be released immediately and all charges against them dropped.”

However, experts are of the opinion that consideration of the issue of the situation in GBAO and the adoption by the European Parliament of a resolution on this issue will in no way have any effect on the actions of Tajik authorities toward this autonomous region. Nearly a year has passed, with no significant response by Tajik authorities to the resolution of the European Parliament. The key question: will the EU act like “a snow leopard” by demanding Tajik authorities comply with the resolutions that have been handed down, or will they be seen as “paper tigers” keeping quiet about the brutal, illegal and inhumane acts by that country?

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