Turkiye on Tuesday criticized a Swedish far-right politician for burning the Muslim holy book Quran, saying that such "neo-Nazi movements have led to increased Islamophobia."

Urging collaboration against any form of racism and Islamophobic rhetoric, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference in the capital Ankara with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto that attacks on mosques and the burning of the Quran have nothing to do with freedom of expression.

On Thursday, Rasmus Paludan, the leader of Sweden’s far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) group, burned a copy of the holy Quran in the southern city of Linkoping.

Three people were injured Sunday in the eastern city of Norrkoping when police reportedly fired on rioters during protests against the burning of the Quran.

Rise in Islamophobic attacks

Noting that racist and Islamophobic attacks rose during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Cavusoglu said the incident in Sweden took place "under police supervision."

He also cited other racist attacks happening in other parts of the world, saying that a Turkish citizen faced a racist attack in New York on April 15, while a Turkish mosque in Dortmund, Germany got threatening letters with photos of pigs on April 16.

Cavusoglu also decried attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying at least 18 people have died so far and over 400 were injured.

"We think that this rise during Ramadan is no coincidence. Especially in the West, we see that neo-Nazi movements, including political parties, stepped up racist and anti-Islamic attacks," he added.

"Anti-Christianity, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia are crimes against humanity," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday will hold a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog on the ongoing incidents in the West Bank and at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, he said.

On Russia's war on Ukraine, Cavusoglu said: "We believe that a solution can only be achieved through diplomatic means. We believe that there will be no military solution."

Saying that Turkiye continues its high-level dialogues and discussions with Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Cavusoglu said: "We are of course seeing the start of a new cold war ... It may take 10 years for trust to be established, but we think that quick steps on a cease-fire and certain issues need to be taken."

For his part, the Hungarian foreign minister welcomed Turkiye's efforts for peace and an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Szijjarto reaffirmed his country's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, saying that Hungary "cannot pay the price for the war."

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have sought refuge in Hungary.

"We will not support sanctions on Russian oil and gas," he said, adding that Russian gas shipments to Hungary are arriving without any disruptions.

At least 2,072 civilians have been killed and 2,818 injured in Ukraine so far in the war that started on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher.

More than 4.9 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency.  

Bilateral relations, trade

Earlier, Cavusoglu also attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hungarian Embassy building in Ankara.

“The (Turkish) Embassy residence in (Budapest) Hungary, which was built in the first years of our republic, has been serving our relations for nearly a century. Hopefully, the new buildings that we will lay the foundations for will strengthen our relations for the next century,” said Cavusoglu at the ceremony.

Relations between the two countries have strengthened in recent years, said Cavusoglu, adding that 2024 has been declared the Hungarian-Turkish Year of Culture.

Turkiye’s top diplomat also praised Hungary’s contributions to the Organization of Turkic States as an observer.

“Our bilateral trade volume continued to rise in 2021, up 11% to $3 billion,” said Cavusoglu, adding that the target is $6 billion.

Szijjarto, for his part, said that recent developments and the Ukraine war have shown “the value of everything that brings stability and predictability.”

“The cooperation and strategic partnership between Hungary and Turkiye is such a predictable relationship … The development of cooperation is always in the focus of Hungarian foreign policy and I can assure you so it will remain,” he said./aa

In a joint statement, 36 Kuwaiti NGOs expressed on Sunday their support for Al-Aqsa Mosque and called for international intervention to stop the ongoing Israeli attacks.

The Kuwaiti NGOs condemned the ‘Israeli’ raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque and their attacks on worshippers. They praised the "honorable and persistent" stance of the Kuwaiti authorities towards the Palestinian issue.

According to the statement, the NGOs described the ‘Israeli’ attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque as "black terror aimed at scaring the humanity."

"We strongly condemn the ‘Israeli’ raids and desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, attacking the worshipers and arresting hundreds of them during the blessed month of Ramadan in front of the whole world," the statement read.

It also accused the ‘Israeli’ occupation of attempting to "eliminate the Palestinian existence and Islamic identity of the holy city."

The NGOs called for "urgent international action against the barbaric Zionist attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque."/MEM

National Bank of Kuwait (NBKK.KW), the country's biggest lender, reported on Tuesday a first quarter profit of 116.6 million dinars ($381.79 million), a 38% annual rise on lower impairment losses and higher net operating income.

EFG Hermes (HRHO.CA) had estimated 94 million dinars in profit for the quarter.

Total operating revenue in the quarter reached 236.5 million dinars from 221.5 million dinars a year earlier.

S&P Global Ratings said on Monday it expected the operating environment for banks in Kuwait will improve this year on the back of high oil prices and a continued recovery from the impact of the pandemic.

"However, some constraints persist. The Kuwaiti government's fiscal funding strategy remains uncertain, considering that the debt law has yet to be adopted," S&P said, referring to a proposed law that successive parliaments and cabinets have wrangled over for years that would allow Kuwait to raise international debt.

"What's more, the government's key liquidity buffer, the General Reserve Fund (GRF), has diminished substantially."

Still, S&P expected non-perforiming loans and cost of risk to "gradually normalise" and that higher interest rates would boost banks' profits, while high exposure to real estate "continues to be a key risk."/Reuters 

‘Israeli’ warplanes struck a site in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday affiliated with the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian organization Hamas.

Several strikes by ‘Israeli’ warplanes targeted a site west of Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.

No casualties or injuries have been reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said they have retaliated with surface-to-air missiles.

"Our air defense responded to Zionist warplanes in the skies of the Gaza Strip with surface-to-air missiles at exactly 01.35 local time (1035GMT) Tuesday morning," it announced in a statement.

Earlier, the ‘Israeli’ Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Twitter that one rocket fired from Gaza was intercepted by [Israel’s] Iron Dome aerial defense system.

It said the strikes were carried out in response to the launch from Gaza into ‘Israel’, adding: "We just targeted a Hamas weapons manufacturing site in Gaza."

The move comes after ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Hamas was responsible for the rising tensions in ‘Israel’ and Palestine.

Tensions have been running high across the Palestinian territories since the beginning of April amid repeated ‘Israeli’ arrest campaigns in the West Bank.

On Friday, dozens of Palestinians were injured in clashes with ‘Israeli’ forces in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times./aa

South Africa declared a national state of disaster late Monday following devastating floods in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province which have claimed hundreds of lives and left a trail of destruction.

“The Cabinet met in a special session last night and decided to declare a national state of disaster,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation.

Ramaphosa said the government will now coordinate and manage the disaster while working closely with provincial governments and municipalities.

He said the floods which started last week following unusual rains have killed a total of 443 people and approximately 48 others are missing or unaccounted for.

“The floods have caused extensive damage to houses, businesses, roads, bridges and water, electricity, rail and telecommunications infrastructure,” he noted.

The South African leader said nearly 4,000 homes have been completely destroyed and over 8,300 have been partially damaged.

He said it is estimated that more than 40,000 people have been displaced by the floods.

“This is a humanitarian disaster that calls for a massive and urgent relief effort. The lives, health and well-being of thousands of people are still at risk,’’ said Ramaphosa, who visited several flood-affected families last week accompanied by ministers and the provincial premier among other officials.

Ramaphosa said the floods have caused great economic and social damage, especially affecting business, including the Port of Durban -- one of the largest and busiest shipping terminals on the continent which is vital to South Africa’s economy.

“Access to the port has been disrupted by extensive damage to Bayhead Road, which links the Durban port operations to the rest of the country,” he said, adding this route handles 13,000 heavy vehicles per day.

Ramaphosa said it is estimated that over 270,000 learners have also been affected. Over 600 schools have been damaged. ​​​​​​​

He said the government will rebuild damaged homes and provide basic needs to affected victims, including food and accommodation. It is also working to rebuild damaged public infrastructure./aa

A mosque in the US state of Virginia has been vandalized for the second time in the past six months.

The latest crime happened over the weekend. Authorities say the West End Islamic Center in Glen Allen, a northern suburb of the capital of Richmond, was targeted by vandals on Saturday afternoon.

“This attack is incredibly hurtful,” the center said in a statement. “It’s hard to imagine that someone would want to attack our place of worship.”

Police say the damage included a smashed window, overturned tables and chairs, and graffiti.

“Whenever a house of worship is targeted, law enforcement needs to take it seriously and not minimize it to, ‘Oh, it’s just another isolated incident,’” said Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications Director for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

In a phone interview with Anadolu Agency, Hooper emphasized this was the second incident of vandalism at that same mosque in just six months.

The previous incident happened in the fall, which Hooper said included physical damage, including graffiti. He says the more concerning aspect of this latest crime is that it is taking place during the middle of the holy month of Ramadan.

“We don't know the motive now, but especially since it’s Ramadan, it’s only prudent to investigate,” he said.

“Many times when police see something as vandalism, they give it a low priority and don't take the further step to make the investigation a priority,” added Hooper. “But the fact that this is a place of worship, makes this a more serious situation.”

Hooper says there’s also the possibility of state and federal law enforcement agencies getting involved in the investigation.

“Some people may say, ‘oh it’s just kids being kids,’ '' Hooper said, referring to a common belief that teens are usually involved in vandalism incidents. “Well, even teenagers can have bigoted motivations for their actions and need to be held accountable.”

Hooper says police are currently assisting the mosque with adding surveillance cameras to the premises, which he says is a deterrent to criminals and is part of the handbook CAIR issues to places of worship across the US.

https://www.cair.com/mosque-and-community-safety/

While CAIR believes there’s a possible bias motive to this latest incident of vandalism, authorities continue to investigate every aspect of the crime.

“You just don’t know until you can make an arrest,” said Hooper. “It seems that law enforcement is taking this seriously and paying more attention to it.”/agencies

Turkiye’s fight with the terrorist PKK/YPG in Syria and Iraq will continue, but foreign help is needed to cut the group off from all its financial resources, the nation’s president said Monday.

“We are determined to continue this struggle until terrorism ceases to be a threat to our country, our region, and all of humanity,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the capital Ankara after an iftar (fast-breaking) dinner with a group of ambassadors for the holy month of Ramadan.

Turkiye is waging a constant struggle against all forms of terrorism, regardless of who and where the source is, especially the PKK/YPG, Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and Daesh/ISIS, he added.

Addressing his remarks to foreign countries’ ambassadors, he stressed that Turkiye expects strong support from all friendly countries, especially in cutting off terrorist groups’ financial resources.

“Terrorists and neo-Nazi organizations should also be prevented from exploiting the democratic system,” Erdogan stressed.

“In particular, Islamic and xenophobic groups should not be given the opportunity to use freedom of expression and freedom of assembly as a means of insulting and attacking the beliefs or sacred places of worship of Muslims.”

- Al-Aqsa, Eastern Mediterranean

On [Israel's] intervention against Muslim worshipers at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque, which he condemned on Sunday, Erdogan called it “really a source of sadness” for Turkiye.

“We never want to go through this,” he stressed. “I hope that we will not go through this again in the process that follows."

"We support all kinds of normalization steps that will contribute to the formation of a belt of peace and stability in our immediate environment," Erdogan said.

Ankara prioritizes ensuring stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and on the island of Cyprus, and strives for a just, realistic and sustainable solution, he added.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Tension has mounted across the Palestinian territories since Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard on Friday amid clashes with worshippers, injuring hundreds.

On Sunday, more than 700 ‘Israeli’ settlers forced their way into the mosque complex under heavy police protection to celebrate the week-long Jewish Passover holiday, which started on Friday.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

‘Israel’ occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-‘Israeli’ war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.​​​​​​​/aa

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday condemned Russia's latest missile attacks targeting Ukrainian civilians. 

In a statement released on behalf of the bloc, Borrell said the EU "condemns the continued indiscriminate and illegal shelling of civilians and civilian infrastructure by Russian armed forces."

He pointed out that the east and south of Ukraine, including the Luhansk region and the cities of Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Popasna, have faced "particularly heavy attacks" in recent days.

"No part of the country is spared from the Kremlin's senseless onslaught" amid indiscriminate attacks "causing further destruction of civilian lives and infrastructure," Borrell warned.

He repeated the EU's call on Russia to immediately and unconditionally end the war and the bloc's support for the International Criminal Court in investigating war crimes committed in Ukraine.

At least 2,072 civilians have been killed and 2,818 injured in Ukraine so far in the war, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher.

More than 4.9 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency./aa