MIDEAST MIRROR 30.10.18, SECTION C (TURKEY & IRAN)
From today’s Turkish press
REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS: Can Atakli takes aim at the pro-government press in opposition Korkusuz: "Those papers that are not shy about identifying themselves as foes of the Republic dedicated their front-page headlines to celebrating Republic Day because it was about 'making easy money'. Therefore, those who saw their front pages naturally assumed it was a celebration of the Republic, not an ad. Yesterday, the Republic Day ads of government companies that we have never heard of filled the pro-government papers, whereas they left pages of the opposition newspapers bare of course. The stand of the media that has no principles and displays a common enmity towards the Republic and Ataturk is disgusting."
Kazim Gulecyuz warns of a dire future in pro-Islamist opposition Yeni Asya: "The absolutist regime that was put into effect under the name of the Republic has had a one-party and one-man rule since the very beginning. Today's Turkey has also been dragged towards a one-man regime based on that same model. We are not being ruled by well-attended debates but by the imperial orders of a one-man regime. If the current state of affairs were to continue, the 100th anniversary of the republic would be 'celebrated' with diverse and multi-dimensional crisis and issues. Let us not do the Republic wrong."
Kemal Ozturk explains what the Republic really means in pro-government Yeni Safak: "We believe that the Republic means that we claim the heritage of our forebears with all the good deeds as well as the bad, feel proud of its good deeds and learn lessons from its mistakes. For us, the owners of the Republic are not Turks, Kurds, Laz, Circassians, Albanians, and Bosnians, but everyone who feels attached to these lands. For us, the Republic is the dictatorship of the masses, unless there is democracy."
ISTANBUL SUMMIT: Sedat Ergin examines the photo of the four leaders who meet in Istanbul over the weekend in center-right Hurriyet: "The important point to underline in this photo is the absence of two important actors. One is the U.S., and in that respect, this points at Washington's loss of international grounds under President Trump. Iran is not in the picture, either. However, both President Erdogan and Russian President Putin have defended Iran in their statements and they seemed to make an effort to appease their partner in Astana."
REFUGEES/MIGRANTS: Ibrahim Sirkeci seeks to improve refugee life in leftist opposition Birgun: "One of the quickest ways to ensure that refugees adapt is to lift the obstacles facing their political and economic life. Regulations that leave them in a limbo and drive them towards illegalities, thus leaving them open to exploitation, should be revised. For example, the 5+1 or six-year residency rule that almost all countries apply is not a God-given edict. It is a pretty new rule that is arbitrary and has no objective basis."
Iran media watch
ARBA'EEN: Iran marks a public holiday today on the occasion of Arba'een, the fortieth day after the death of third Shiite Imam Hussein killed in 680 in Karbala, Iraq. No newspapers are published today. Almost two million Iranians have travelled to Iraq, many on foot, to take part in the mourning ceremonies. Iranian broadcast media say almost 500,000 pilgrims are already returning to Iran. Rallies are also to be held across Iran today, including the capital Tehran. Broadcast media have been reporting on the ceremonies both in the country and in Iraq, as well as some European countries. IRINN carried live reports of the rallies being held in Tehran and Qom, as well as Iraq's Karbala.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Many Persian-speaking users are discussing the story of a girl, who reportedly protested alone against compulsory hijab in Tehran yesterday by removing her headscarf in Enghelab Square. Users are using various hashtags to express their opinion. A U.S.-based Iranian journalist published a 32-second video on her Instagram account yesterday showing a girl taking off the headscarf and holding several balloons, standing on the dome-like structure in the middle of Enghelab Square. The video shows a policeman helping her to descend. Publishing another 56-second video of the woman, another user wrote in Persian: "We will win when onlookers support the girls of Enghelab instead of watching and filming." Yet another user wrote: "It is good that the fight against compulsory hijab is alive in Iran". A few months ago, a number of Iranian women held public protests against compulsory hijab. The bareheaded protesting women usually stand on telecom boxes and wave their headscarves on sticks. In March, at least 30 women who publicly defied hijab rules were arrested in Tehran. Back then, Iranian police and judiciary were widely criticized on social media for using force against these protesters.