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Istanbul Prosecutors Seek Lengthy Sentences for Suspects in Crocus City Attack

The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has demanded prison sentences ranging from 7.5 to 15 years for five Central Asians accused of involvement in last spring's terrorist attack on the Crocus City concert hall in Moscow. This information was reported by the Anadolu news agency. The detainees - identified as Hafizjon Usmanov, Muteullo Asoyev, Rahmatullo Solikov, Muhammadrahim Faizov, and Hamza Muhammed - are accused of providing instructions and logistical support to the perpetrators of the attack. They allegedly promised 800,000 rubles (approximately $7,240) and new identity documents in exchange for carrying out the attack. According to Anadolu, the suspects were in contact with Shamsiddin Fariduni and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, who are believed to have been directly involved in the attack. One of the detainees reportedly shared an apartment in Istanbul’s Avcılar district with Fariduni. Evidence presented by prosecutors includes correspondence between one of the suspects and a perpetrator. In the messages, the suspect proposed planting a bomb at the Vegas shopping center, promising an advance payment of 100,000 rubles and an additional 700,000 rubles upon completion of the act. The terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in March last year claimed the lives of 144 people and injured 551 others. The main suspects in the case are citizens of Tajikistan, with reports indicating that 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with the attack. The Istanbul investigation sheds further light on the broader network behind the attack, pointing to an international web of operatives and support personnel.

Foreign Affairs Bilateral Cooperation Bilateral Trade Bilateral Relations Turkey

Uzbek Products to Reach Europe and Africa Through Turkish Port

Uzbek diplomats recently visited Turkey’s Kocaeli region to strengthen trade and economic ties, holding discussions with local officials and business leaders. The meetings addressed opportunities for expanding cooperation in trade, economic, cultural, educational, and humanitarian sectors. Uzbek representatives highlighted ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan and the incentives available to foreign investors in its free economic zones. Key figures in the talks included Kocaeli’s Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, Regional Governor Ilhami Aktash, Regional Industrial Chamber Head Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, and Gebze Güzeller Industrial Zone Director Adem Ceylan. Mayor Büyükakın provided an overview of Kocaeli’s economic and social strengths, while Ayhan Zeytinoğlu expressed interest in boosting bilateral economic collaboration. Zeytinoğlu proposed facilitating exchanges between Uzbek and Turkish business delegations to foster stronger partnerships. Adem Ceylan suggested establishing a dedicated logistics center for Uzbek investors within the Gebze Industrial Zone. The center would provide storage facilities for Uzbek-made goods and serve as a gateway for exporting products to Europe and Africa via the Gebze seaport. The visit concluded with an agreement to organize a business forum in the Kocaeli region. The planned forum will feature a delegation of Uzbek entrepreneurs, aimed at enhancing bilateral and regional cooperation.

Aktau Plane Crash Azerbaijan Turkey Russia

With Russia Under Scrutiny, Kazakhstan Promises Thorough Investigation into AZAL Crash

The investigation of the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan after it diverted from Russia is a major international test for Kazakh authorities, who have promised a full and impartial inquiry even as the theory that Russian air defenses had fired on the aircraft gains traction. Kazakhstan, which is in charge of the probe of the crash that killed 38 people near the Caspian Sea city of Aktau on Wednesday, has cautioned against a rush to judgment before all the evidence has been assessed. But it must navigate emerging tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia, which have put forth conflicting narratives about what happened, as well as the possible challenge of collecting evidence from the plane’s original destination of Grozny, the capital of Russian Chechnya. Azerbaijan and Russia say they are collaborating with the investigation by Kazakhstan, which comes amid geopolitical rifts over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the efforts of countries in Central Asia to balance their interests among major trading partners and rival powers. In a sign of the growing international complexity of the crash inquiry, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said Friday that his ministry was dispatching an eight-person team to Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, “to examine all aspects of the incident” at the request of Azerbaijan's civil aviation authorities. Also, a team from the Brazilian company that produced the Embraer 190 plane has arrived in Kazakhstan to help with the investigation. On Friday, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev updated his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on the investigation and and “assured that the Kazakh side will make every effort to ensure a comprehensive and objective clarification of all the circumstances of the air crash,” Tokayev’s office said. The two leaders agreed that their governments will stay in close contact during the investigation. Azerbaijan Airlines, meanwhile, said on Friday that preliminary results of the investigation showed that the Brazil-produced Embraer 190 plane on the Baku-Grozny route had crashed because of “physical and technical external interference,” a possible reference to an attack by the city’s air defenses and alleged communications jamming at a time when Russian authorities said there was a threat from Ukrainian military drones. The airline, also known by the acronym AZAL, said it had suspended flights from Baku to a total of 10 Russian cities because of concerns about flight safety. Also Friday, Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, gave an account of the circumstances surrounding the crash that did not address the airline’s version. Yadrov said the plane was unable to land in Grozny because of a restriction requiring all aircraft to leave the area due to alleged Ukrainian attempts to attack civilian infrastructure there, according to Russia’s state-run news agency RIA Novosti. There was dense fog around the airport and the Azerbaijan Airlines plane tried to land twice before deciding to proceed across the Caspian Sea to Aktau, he said. Some commentators in Azerbaijan have expressed frustration with varying initial accounts from Russian official sources of what caused the crash,...

Turkey passport restrictions Migration Legislation Human rights

Turkmen Authorities Prevent Turkmen-Turkish Family Reunifications

Turkish citizens have reported difficulties faced by their wives, citizens of Turkmenistan, who have been banned from leaving the country after renewing their passports. Women who returned to Turkmenistan to apply for new passports have been denied exit at Ashgabat airport. Authorities cited violations of the “legislation of the country of stay,” referencing paragraph 9 of part 1 of Article 30 of Turkmenistan’s Law On Migration. This law prohibits citizens who have previously violated the laws of the country of stay from leaving Turkmenistan for five years. However, no explanation has been provided for why this regulation applies to the affected women. Turkish spouses insist their wives did not violate any laws abroad and were legally residing in Turkey. Arslan Rustem, a Turkish citizen, shared his experience: “I married a Turkmen citizen in July 2022. My wife was legally living in Turkey, but when her passport expired, she returned to Turkmenistan to replace it. After receiving a new document, she was not allowed to leave.” Rustem emphasized that there were no legal issues with their marriage or residency. Similarly, Mahmut Uchar encountered the same problem. He was advised by the Turkmen Consulate in Istanbul that his wife must travel to Turkmenistan to renew her passport after changing her surname. “We were assured the entire process would take no more than a month. But a year later, my wife is still unable to return to Turkey,” he explained. This predicament has impacted dozens of families. Women have filed complaints with various government agencies in Turkmenistan, including the Presidential Administration, but no resolution has been provided. Appeals from Turkish organizations advocating for family reunification have also gone unanswered. The Migration Service of Turkmenistan has not commented on the legal basis for applying the travel restriction. Husbands of the affected women have expressed confusion and frustration, believing that these actions infringe upon their families’ rights. Turkmenistan frequently restricts its citizens’ travel abroad for a variety of reasons. These measures include travel bans on individuals with outstanding bank loans, parents of minor children, and citizens whose relatives have criminal records spanning three generations. Passports are often confiscated at airports until debts are paid in full. The government has also imposed restrictions following incidents involving Turkmen citizens abroad, citing security concerns. These policies have drawn criticism from human rights activists, who have called on Turkmen authorities to lift unwarranted restrictions on freedom of movement.

Economic Cooperation Foreign trade turnover Export of Natural Gas Bilateral Cooperation Middle Corridor Trade Turkey

Turkmenistan and Turkey Aim to Double Trade Turnover

Turkmenistan and Turkey have announced plans to double their annual trade turnover from $2.5 billion to $5 billion in the coming years. Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat shared the goal during an exhibition in Ashgabat, where more than 70 Turkish companies were represented. He emphasized that the current trade volume is insufficient and that achieving this milestone would significantly strengthen economic ties between the two nations. Roadmap for Economic Cooperation A key step toward this goal will be the 8th meeting of the intergovernmental commission, scheduled for February or March next year in Ankara. According to Bolat, the meeting will approve a new roadmap for trade and economic cooperation. “We will develop our cooperation in various fields, following the vision of the leaders of our brotherly countries,” Bolat stated, highlighting the deep cultural and historical ties between Turkey and Turkmenistan. Priority Sectors The partnership will focus on several priority areas: • Energy: Discussions are underway to facilitate the transportation of Turkmen natural gas to Europe, which could lead to strategically important agreements. • Chemical Industry: Both countries aim to collaborate on projects that enhance the sector's development. • Trade Facilitation: Improvements in customs procedures and visa regime simplifications are expected to ease business interactions for citizens of both nations. Bolat also underscored the importance of Turkish construction projects in Turkmenistan, as well as the role of the Middle Corridor in boosting trade opportunities by improving goods transportation. Strengthening Economic Ties Turkey and Turkmenistan already maintain robust economic relations, with Turkey ranking as one of Turkmenistan’s leading trade partners. More than 600 Turkish companies operate in sectors such as trade, investment, construction, energy, transportation, communications, textiles, and processing industries. This strategic collaboration reflects shared cultural and historical roots, with both countries committed to furthering economic cooperation across various fields. The ambitious $5 billion trade goal demonstrates a mutual effort to deepen ties and expand opportunities in the region.

Russia Astana Talks Mediation Turkey Syria Iran War

New Fighting in Syria Throws Astana Talks Off Track

It’s called the Astana process: a long-running series of talks hosted by Kazakhstan whose stated aim is to deliver peace to conflict-torn Syria. Some Syrian opposition figures and other critics, however, have said the “guarantor” countries of the process – Iran, Russia and Türkiye – use it to promote their own political and military interests in the region. The dialogue named after the Kazakh capital, which marked its 22nd round in Astana on Nov. 11-12, was undercut on Nov. 27 when Syrian rebels launched a surprise attack against government forces and seized most of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, within days. The stunning operation, which reignited the civil war that began in 2011, followed several years of relative quiet during which Syria was divided into areas of factional control and foreign influence. Iran, Russia and Türkiye are talking about the Astana process as a way out of the current chaos. Visiting Türkiye on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the negotiations format must be “preserved” and that the foreign ministers of the guarantor countries would meet soon to discuss Syria, according to Iranian state media. Multiple media reports say the meeting could take place not in Astana, but on the sidelines of a forum in Doha, Qatar on Dec. 7-8. “All agreed: NO ONE benefits from another war in Syria,” Araghchi said on the X platform. Russia, which along with Iran supports Syrian President Bashar Assad and uses its military presence there to project power in the region and beyond, has also referred to the Astana framework as a way to stabilize the situation. At the same time, Russian jets have conducted bombing runs in response to the rebel offensive, and Iran says it would consider any Syrian government request to send troops. Türkiye, on the other hand, has backed some Syrian rebel groups and blames the resurgence of fighting on Assad’s failure to engage with the opposition. Türkiye, which hosts several million Syrian refugees on its territory, has sent its own military into northern Syria and seeks to counter an autonomous Kurdish area in the northeast of the country. The talks in Astana, which is perceived as a neutral venue, started in 2017 and have included the Syrian government and some Syrian opposition groups. There is also United Nations representation. Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq have participated as observers. The United States initially took part as an observer, but dropped out several years ago, favoring a U.N.-backed peace process in Geneva. The Astana track provided for so-called deescalation zones, though the Syrian government violated the agreement and seized some of those areas, squeezing rebels and civilians into a smaller area along the Turkish border. While important to reconciliation efforts, the Astana dialogue “has been heavily influenced by the interests and positions” of the sponsoring countries – Iran, Russia and Türkiye, author Zenonas Tziarras wrote in an analysis published in 2022 by the Peace Research Institute Oslo, a non-profit group. “As the scope of the process became wider, encompassing political and...