Regional and world powers on Friday welcomed an appeal by Turkey’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan to disarm and disband his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a move that could have radical political and security impacts in the Middle East.
Disarmament could end the PKK’s four-decade insurgency in south-eastern Turkey, which has killed tens of thousands of people. The group, which is banned as a terrorist organisation in the EU, Britain and the US, had sought an independent Kurdish state but in recent years has called for more autonomy within Turkey. It was founded in 1978 by Ocalan.
The PKK leader's call, delivered in a message on Thursday, was greeted with cautious optimism by politicians in Turkey.
“We'll look at the outcome,” said Efkan Ala, a leading member of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party. “If the terrorist organisation takes this call, lays down its arms, gathers together and dissolves itself, Turkey will be freed from its shackles.”
Neighbouring Iraq, which has PKK fighters in its north, said Ocalan’s statement was a “positive and important” step to achieving regional stability.
Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, also praised the militant leader's appeal. “In the Kurdistan region, we fully support the peace process and are prepared to play a facilitating role and provide any assistance necessary to advance the process,” Mr Barzani said.
In Syria, the statement by Ocalan could have far-reaching implications. A PKK-affiliated Kurdish group called the People’s Protection Units (YPG) forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed force that controls the north-east of the country and fought against ISIS.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said Ocalan's appeal would have positive consequences but insisted it applied only to the PKK and was “not related to us in Syria”. “If there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria,” he said.
If the PKK heeds Ocalan's call, an agreement between the Kurds in north-east Syria and the new Turkish-backed central government in Damascus could be easier.
Further afield, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ocalan's move provided an opportunity for peace.
“Ocalan's call offers a chance at last to overcome this violent struggle and reach a lasting peaceful development in the Kurdish question,” a spokesperson for the chancellor said.
But a German foreign ministry spokesperson added that more needed to be done. “An end to violence is an important first step, but more steps are needed to reach a sustainable solution for people in Turkey. That includes respecting and upholding Kurds' cultural and democratic rights.”
Britain also welcomed what it called the first progress towards “peace and security for the people of Turkey, a close Nato ally and long-standing partner in counter-terrorism”.
“We encourage all parties to engage in a peaceful and constructive process that ensures security, stability, and respect for the rule of law,” the Foreign Office said.
Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, said Ocalan's appeal was a significant moment for reconciliation. “The best starting point for a potential political and inclusive process that will peacefully settle the Kurdish issue in Turkey, based in dialogue and reconciliation,” he wrote in a post on X.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
