The CorporateDispatch Week - 12th October 2019 Edition

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IN THIS ISSUE

Cover Story \\ TIMES OF WAR

COVER STORY \\Â

Seasonal workers cut a cotton while Turkish military vehicles carrying tanks as they are on the way to Northern Syria for a military operation in Kurdish areas, near the Syrian border, near Akcakale district in Sanliurfa, Turkey 12 October 2019. Turkey has launched an offensive targeting Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria, days after the US withdrew troops from the area. EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

THE WEEK THAT WAS...

Jesmond Saliba This week the geopolitical scenario took a very particular twist where understanding what happened and how it evolved is paramount to see where this might go. In this week's edition of The CorporateDispatch.com Week, we try to see the Turkish ground and air assault launched on Wednesday and its impact by trying to understand some of the main actors in this drama.

CiConsulta's geopolitical analyst and expert Matthew Bugeja presents the scenario of Turkey's action against a Syrian militia that has been a crucial American ally in the fight against ISIS from Turkey's point of geopolitical standing.

The incursion started days after President Trump agreed to let the operation proceed. The New York Times presents the argument that the Turkish warplanes bombed Syrian towns and troops crossed the border led to chaos in the US foreign policy.

President Trump issued what at best seem to be contradictory policy statements in the face of strident opposition from his Republican allies in Congress.

Trump approved of the Turkish operation in a call with Turkey’s president on Sunday, agreeing to move American troops out of Turkey’s way despite opposition from his own State Department and military. On Wednesday, hours after the operation began, he condemned it, calling it “a bad idea.”

The Kurds, once again were betrayed and abandoned.

Corporatedispatch.com's editor Tonio Galea analyses how the fate of the Kurds was once again abandoned and their faith betrayed.

Elsewhere this week marked an important development in the BREXIT saga as on Thursday. Although its is not clear where this saga will end, among all the disagreement there is one thing that is clear. As The Telegraph reports "It ismanifestly in everyone’s interest if the UK leaves the EU in an orderly, friendly and constructive way." However at this stage though, it seems a distant possibility and in the days ahead the future will be riding on the judgment of the players in the Brexit deal negotiations in the days ahead.

The European Union, while presenting a united front on BREXIT, had a situation within, as the person nominated by Macron as Commissioner didn't make it, thus leading to a delay in the Von Der Leyen Commission set up. CorporateDispatch.Com correspondent in Brussels share here views on the matter.

Have a good viewing and reading.

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WHAT DOES TURKEY WANT?

Matthew Bugeja - Senior GeoPolitics Analyst CiConsulta

Sometimes, when reading about Turkey and its outspoken leader, President Erdogan, I am taken back to a comedy skit by Chris Rock. In one of his performances, Rock jokingly asks: “What do women want? Everything.” Whilst I will not be going into the merits of that statement, as my wife does read my work, Rock’s joke reminds me of Turkey’s Erdogan. What does he want? In short - everything. It wants to be part of NATO, but only in relation to certain

issues. It wants to be close to Russia, but does not want Russia to overly dominate the Middle East. It wants to be seen as the leader of the Muslim world, but it wants to be part of the European Union. It wants to eliminate what it views as the Kurdish threat within Syria’s borders, but it does not want ISIS to re-emerge as a threat in the neighbouring country.

How can it reconcile all these different goals? In truth, it cannot. President Erdogan is one of the most active players in foreign policy anywhere in the world - certainly amongst mid-range global powers. But he suffers from a fundamental problem that not many of his peers have to worry about to such a degree - his country’s economy. Due to US tariffs and sanctions put on the country last year, Turkey’s economy went into a downspin. Its currency hit its weakest level in four months shortly after the incursion into Syria began. Its economy is currently in a weak spot, and inflation has only recently been brought under control. It is not too dissimilar from reentering a house immediately after its been on fire, you might want to give it some time before you try to re-enter the building. Similarly, Turkey is undertaking a military campaign at a time in which it will be under close scrutiny from Washington DC, and facing strong opposition from a highly motivated Kurdish force seeking to make their lives difficult.

WHAT DOES TURKEY WANT?

There is always a chance the military action goes badly, requiring further money and time, at a time in which its economy can ill-afford the expense. This incursion has several aims, all of which are controversial. On the one hand, it is seeking to carve out an enclave in the country in which its military engineers would construct towns and villages for Syrian refugees who are currently in Turkey, to allow them to return.

On the other, it would also provide an opportunity for Ankara to rid what they view is a potential threat of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish armed group who fought the Syrian army and ISIS alike, but are also alleged to be allied to the YPG, a militant Kurdish group who has long waged an insurgency in Turkey against the government to obtain an autonomous region. Erdogan’s ability to convince President Trump to remove his protection from the SDF is a masterstroke from his perspective, but a disaster for Washington’s relationship to the Kurds as a whole.

In addition to its endeavours in the Middle East, Turkey is also handling the fallout from the various wars in the region, not least that of Syria. Millions of Syrians have been displaced, who have sought to cross into Europe. But the path from Syria to Europe can often take the refugees through Turkey, who currently have some 3.6 million refugees in their borders. It had previously reached a deal with the European Union to house and look after these refugees, but that agreement is subject to the whims of both sides.

WHAT DOES TURKEY WANT? Recently, Erdogan threatened to send these refugees into Europe if the EU were to declare the Turkish incursion into Syria as being unlawful. The EU knows that it can ill-afford to receive such a large number of refugees, given its current struggles with the rise of far-right nationalists across the bloc.

Erdogan holds the cards here, and Brussels knows it, which is why they will seek to appease him behind closed doors.

Turkey is currently on the rise, given its pro-active foreign policy - but it also faces a weak economy which is highly dependent on trade with Western powers and access to Western markets. So while it is strong, it is also vulnerable. President Erdogan’s ambitions are certainly... ambitious, but too much ambition may also come at a financial and economic cost which will weaken him domestically, putting any foreign adventures on hold. He will need to balance these elements carefully, although he has long since thrown caution to the wind. The Turkish leader may want everything - but everything has a price, and right now, he’s paying on his credit card. That bill will come due.

Matthew Bugeja.

T HE

KURDS

P E OP L E T O

- T HE

AB ANDONE D

T HE I R

F AT E

Tonio Galea - Editor CorporateDispatch.Com

This week, the White House announced unexpectedly that U.S. troops are pulling out of northern Syria, prompting the Turkish military to go on an imminent long-planned offensive against Kurdish-led forces along the southwestern border with Syria. The Kurds are a long persecuted but often forgotten people living in the Southwest Asia, mainly the Middle East.

Between 25 and 35 million Kurds inhabit a mountainous region straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They make up the fourthlargest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never obtained a permanent nation state and constantly face persecution in the countries they inhabit. Nevertheless, when ISIS raised its head a few years back, it was the Kurdish fighters who proved decisive in the fight against the radical Islamic group, both in Iraq and Syria.

Now, expecting a Turkish assault, Kurds are accusing the U.S. of turning its back on them and risking gains made in the fight against the Islamic State group as American troops began pulling back from positions in north-eastern Syria on Monday.There is deep-seated hostility between the Turkish state and the country's Kurds, who constitute 15% to 20% of the population.Kurds received harsh treatment at the hands of the Turkish authorities for generations especially after the establishment in 1978 of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK, considered a terrorist organisation not only by Turkey but also the European Union and the United States. .

THE PEOPLE ABANDONED TO THEIR FATE

"

This is just a brief summary of what the Kurds have endured through the years

he PKK' s fight for an independent state within Turkey cost the lives of more than 40,000 people and hundreds of thousands were displaced.In 1991, during the first Gulf war, the Kurds had heeded the call of President George H.W. Bush when he famously called on “the Iraqi military and Iraqi people to take matters into their own hands, to force Saddam Hussein, the dictator, to step aside” They did just that. But the U.S. military stood down as Iraqi forces massacred the Kurdish rebels across the country.After harrowing images of the carnage on the international media, the U.S. eventually supported what was started as a British effort to protect Kurds in northern Iraq.

This is just a brief summary of what the Kurds have endured through the years and once more it seems that we are going to witness a tragic repeat.

These recalls and draws parallels with a similar situation some years back in a different era and continent.

The Hmong issue in Southeast Asia, specifically Laos, is one of the longest unsolved crises in the region.After loyal service with the U.S. military, on the withdrawal of the American forces from the region, the Hmong were abandoned to their fate.This ethnic group has been persecuted by the government of Laos since 1975, when they were publicly signalled as traitors due to their support to the American troops during the Vietnam War. As a result, over 17,000 members of the secret Hmong army and 50,000 civilians have been slaughtered by the Laotian government in successive ethnic cleansing campaigns. - Tonio Galea

EUROPE EXPLAINED www.corporatedispatch.eu

B RUS S E L S

VI E W

P OI NT

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS: IS IT TIME FOR A SYSTEM OVERHAUL? Denise Grech

There have been some who questioned whether the European Parliament’s committees are qualified enough to question the Commissioners. Every time the grillings to pick the next batch of 28 Commissioners, which hold a specific portfolio, critics question whether the system is only created to be a show for those in the Brussels bubble.

Politicians cannot be the ones to lead the

highly-anticipated hearings since they risk not being seen as impartial, critics say.

They obviously have their own agendas, especially those that represent the same country as the Commissioner being questioned. Because people are aware that the politicians are pushing their own agenda, this means the Commission also risks not being seen by voters as legitimate. Politicians from both right and centre-right parties across the European Union have insisted the hearings are nothing more than a sham because of the way internal politics work.

But, over the course of this month, we have seen that members of the European Parliament have managed to keep commissioner-designates to account. Romania’s Rovana Plumb and Hungary's László Trócsányi did not manage to be approved for their worrying conflicts of interest.

IS IT A TIME FOR A SYSTEM OVERHAUL? These decisions, made by a clear majority, were well justified and necessary if the next Commission is to be held to the highest standards of ethics and transparency.

Earlier this week, commissioner-designate Sylvie Goulard was rejected. Her hearing was strong on policy, but that didn’t count for much. Back in her country, she is being investigated into possible misuse of EU funds for payments to a parliamentary assistant, and about her highly paid side gig with a U.S think tank. “How many French people earn €13,000 for making phone calls?” Virginie Joron, from the French far-right National Rally, asked.The rejections put a delay on approving Von der Leyen’s commission, but it shows EU institutions can be tough when they want to be.

And yet, as soon as these decisions were made, it was clear they would be interpreted another way. Sure enough, taking a tough stance opened the European Union up to claims of political bias. Still, critics have made the valid point that those in Brussels do not have enough resources, let alone time, to check out crucial information. For instance, members of the Legal Affairs Committee are expected to look into candidates’ declarations of financial interest, but it hasn’t been equipped with the relevant tools to do so.

Crucially, MEPs have not yet been given the necessary investigative powers needed, meaning the necessary checks could be insignificant. The overall system however, does show the European Parliament can hold power to account. To ensure that parliamentarians are able to do so more efficiently, however, they must be granted more oversight and investigative powers.

Denise Grech

CorporateDispatch PRO

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The Story \\ SEEKING REFUGE

T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Kurdish families flee their home towns Ras al-Ein due to the Turkish offensive in northern Syria, 10

October 2019. Turkey has launched an offensive targeting Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria, days after the US withdrew troops from the area. EPA-EFE/

The Story \\ AIRSTRIKES

picture taken from Turkish territory shows smoke rising from targets inside Syria during T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Abombardment

by Turkish forces at Ras al-Ein town, as seen from Ceylanpinar, in Sanliurfa, Turkey 10 October 2019. Turkey has launched an offensive targeting Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria, days after the US withdrew troops from the area. EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

The Story \\ CASUALTIES

carry the coffin of Mohammed Omar, who killed in a mortar attack a day earlier in Akcakale T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â People near northern Syria, during funeral ceremony in Akcakale district in Sanliurfa, Turkey, 11 October 2019. Turkey has launched an offensive targeting Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria, days after the US withdrew troops from the area. EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

The Story \\ PROVOCATION

T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Turkey's players make a military salute during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier Group H soccer match between Turkey and Albania in Istanbul, Turkey, 11 October 2019. EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

The Story \\ DEALINGS

handout photo provided by the Irish Government Information Service press office shows a meeting T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Abetween Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (R) and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Thornton Manor, Cheshire, Britain, 10 October 2019. EPA-EFE/NOEL MULLEN

The Story \\ AFFECTION

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (L) and European Union chief Brexit T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â European negotiator Michel Barnier kiss as they attend the weekly college meeting of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 09 September 2019. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

The Story \\ BLESSING

Francis blesses a sick woman at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Pope the Vatican, 09 October 2019. EPA-EFE/Fabio Frustaci

The Story \\ ARREST

police officers escort suspected neo-Nazi Stephan Balliet (3-R) from a helicopter to his T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Special arraignment at the Federal Supreme Court (BGH) in Karlsruhe, Germany, 10 October 2019. The alleged perpetrator of a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Halle during the celebrations on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur on 10 October 2019 is accused of double murder and attempted murder in nine cases, according to the German Attorney General. EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK

The Story \\ PROTEST Extinction Rebellion protester is arrested by police as they try to blockade London City Airport in T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â An London, Britain, 10 October 2019. Global climate movement Extinction Rebellion announced climate change protests and blockades worldwide for two weeks starting 07 October. EPA-EFE/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

The Story \\ NOBEL

picture of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (front) is displayed togethter with former Nobel T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â APeace Prize winners at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, 11 October 2019. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded with the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced 11 October 2019. EPA-EFE/Stian Lysberg Solum

The Story \\ RECORD Kipchoge, Kenyan marathon world record holder, celebrates after the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Eliud Vienna, Austria, 12 October 2019. Kipchoge attempted on the day to beat his own record becoming the first person to run a marathon distance under two hours, recording a time of 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds at the event. EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA

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The Story \\ COUNTING

THE STORY \\Â

Tunisian electoral officials work at a vote counting center following the parliamentary election in Tunis, Tunisia, 07 October 2019. Preliminary results showed that Islamist Ennahda party in the first place however still short of the needed majority to form a government. Official results are expected by 10 October. EPA-EFE/MOHAMED MESSARA

The Story \\ MIGRATION

coffins with the bodies of migrants boat accident victims lined up on the quay in the port of T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â The Lampedusa, Agrigento region, Sicily, Italy, 07 October 2019. Rescuers have identified two other bodies off Lampedusa and are approaching to recover them. So far, two dead migrants have been brought ashore, after the sinking of a small boat with some 50 people on board, 22 of which were recovered. EPA-EFE/PASQUALE CLAUDIO MONTANA LAMPO

The Story \\ SURGING WAVES

THE STORY \\Â

Surging waves generated by typhoon Hagibis hit the seashore in Mihama, Mie Prefecture, Japan, 12 October 2019. Powerful typhoon Hagibis is on its path to hit central and eastern Japan as well as Tokyo area, bringing torrential rain and strong winds. The Japan Meteorological Agency advised over a million people to evacuate. EPA-EFE/FRANCK ROBICHON

The Story \\ PRESSURE

President Emmanuel Macron wipes his face prior making his speech during a ceremony to pay T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â French tribute to the victims of the 03 October knife attack in Paris' Police headquarters, in Paris, France, 08 October 2019. Four officers were killed in a knife attack by Police employee Mickael Harpon on 03 October. EPA-EFE/IAN LANGSDON

The Story \\ BLURRED

President Donald J. Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House for Minnesota in T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â US Washington, DC, USA, 10 October 2019. The president spoke about the impeachment investigation, the Turkish incursion into Syria, and the Giuliani associates arrested today at Dulles airport on charges of violating campaign finance rules. EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO

The Story \\ BOTCHED

Commissioner-designate in charge of Internal Market from France, Sylvie Goulard, during T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â European her second hearing before the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 10 October 2019. Goulard was rejected by a vote of 82 MEPs against 29. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET

The Story \\ HOME RUN

Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger catches an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Los Washington Nationals batter Anthony Rendon in the bottom of the sixth inning of their MLB National League Divsion Series playoff baseball game four at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, USA, 07 October 2019. The winner of the five game playoff series will go on to face either the Atlanta Braves or the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. EPA-EFE/ERIK S.

The Story \\ MEASURING

official (R) measures the size of a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) carcass on the shore of Teluk T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â An Betung beach in West Sumatra, Indonesia, 08 October 2019. The dead whale shark washed ashore at Teluk Betung beach on 07 October 2019. EPA-EFE/RAJO BATUAH

The Story \\ TRAGEDY

of the elephants that died in Haew Narok Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park, Prachin Buri T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â One Province, Thailand, 09 October 2019. The officials confirm on 08 October 2019 that the herd had thirteen elephants, and that they are expecting that two of them survived and eleven elephants died, after falling into Haew Narok Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park on 05 October 2019, said the national park official. EPA-EFE/NARONG SANGNAK

The Story \\ VOICE

Rebel Brigade activists of global environment movement Extinction Rebellion perform in front of T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Red the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, 09 October 2019. The Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate protests movement has planned a 'spring rebellion' from 07 to 13 October 2019, including marches aimed at blocking traffic. EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

The Story \\ WINNER

manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after the English Premier League match between T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Liverpool Liverpool FC and Leicester City at Anfield, Liverpool, Britain, 05 October 2019. Liverpool won 2-1.

EPA-EFE/PETER POWELL

The Story \\ FOCUS

Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Scuderia Ferrari is seen on the paddock at the T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â German Suzuka circuit ahead of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan, 10 October 2019.The Japanese Formula One Grand Prix will take place on 13 October 2019. EPA-EFE/DIEGO AZUBEL

The Story \\ ENDINGS

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila (C-R), surrounded by her cabinet members, waits for the T H E S T O R Y \ \ Â Romania's end announcement of the no-confidence vote, held at Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania, 10 October 2019. The opposition parties pushed and passed a no-confidence vote against the ruling coalition. The censure motion passed with 238 votes, five more than a minimum of 233 needed. EPAEFE/ROBERT GHEMENT

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