Overall Crime in New York City Reaches Record Low in 2020

New York City and its Police Department were buffeted by conflicting forces in 2020, as a historic low in overall index crime was accompanied by significant upticks in homicides, shootings, burglaries and car thefts. In calendar 2020, overall crime was lower than in 2019, dropping to a new benchmark of 95,552 reported incidents – representing 681 fewer victims than last year and 11,668 fewer victims than in 2014, the first year of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.

At the same time, the NYPD in 2020 confronted a + 97% (1,531 v. 777) increase in shooting incidents and + 44% increase in the number of murders (462 v. 319) amid the challenges of an ongoing international health pandemic that has strained city residents and the police officers sworn to ensure public safety for everyone. Burglaries increased by 42% (15,463 v. 10,909) and car thefts increased by 67% (9.038 v. 5,422). Through it all, the NYPD has worked to mitigate violence as reflected in a 29% increase (4,253 v. 3,299) in annual gun arrests for 2020 compared with 2019 – including 2,057 gun arrests in the last four months of the year.

Unprecedented events of 2020 presented significant challenges for New York City and its police. From a diminished headcount beginning at the onset of COVID-19 to large-scale protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd in May, the NYPD’s resources were stretched further than at any time in recent memory. Yet the NYPD’s work continued. Investigators focused on concentrated areas of violence and used intelligence-based precision to attain justice for victims. The NYPD made an arrest in 32% of shooting incidents and established probable cause to arrest a suspect in an additional 6% of shooting incidents. On murders, NYPD detectives cleared 54% of homicides that occurred within calendar 2020. The clearance rate for this violent crime reflects the NYPD’s deep commitment to public service and will only continue to improve over time as investigations progress.

More broadly, the NYPD in 2020 continued to engage the people who live, work and serve throughout the city in its ongoing effort to ensure public safety that is fair, responsive and considerate to all New Yorkers. Buoyed by the resiliency of New Yorkers and officers throughout 2020, the NYPD’s undertaking to transform New York City policing to be safer and fairer for all concerned will continue in 2021, building on the fundamental changes and the strengthening of bonds between the police and the community that have developed over the last seven years.

“What New York City and our nation experienced in 2020 will resonate for a long, long time,” said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. “The NYPD recognizes this as a time for asking and answering difficult questions, for reflection and action and for encouraging and serving New Yorkers. This will determine the way forward for all of us. Together, we will ensure the preservation of our collective public safety while also cultivating a culture that upholds the values and dignity of every New Yorker, in every neighborhood.”

* Reference:NYPD Press Release

January 10, 2021
Published in Politics1
Written by Admin TOA

Joe Biden Receives Coronavirus Vaccine on Live Broadcast

President-Elect Biden received the first dose of Coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer at ChristianaCare Hospital in Newark, Delaware.

The President Elect said, "There is nothing to worry about," and called all American citizens to vaccinate. Joe Biden's shot has been administered by Tabe Masa, who is a nurse practitioner at the hospital. After receiving the vaccine, he made a statement related to health care professionals and scientists: "We owe these people a lot. We owe the scientists, the people who developed this vaccine, and also those who implement clinical studies. "

President-Elect Biden also mentioned the Warp Speed Operation, which started to be able to develop a Coronavirus vaccine and to prepare for the vaccination process, and said the Trump administration deserves some credit for those efforts.

Biden noted that country-wide administration of the vaccine is going to take some time and urged Americans to listen to health professionals and, if possible, not to travel during the Holiday season.

Jill Biden also had her shot earlier today.President Elect said" She loves shots, I know," Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is expected to receive her Coronavirus vaccine next week.

First doses of the Moderna vaccine have started to be administered.
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted permission to the Moderna-developed Coronavirus vaccine, the vaccine joined Pfizer's in approved vaccines and its first doses of has started to be administered.

Collaborating with the federal government, Walgreens and CVS aim to vaccinate 7 million people at 70 thousand elderly care centers.Some states wait for access to Moderna's vaccine due to its ease of delivery and storage.

U.S. Secretary of Health, Alex Azar, stated that around 50 million people were expected to receive the first dose of vaccine by the end of January.

Covid-19 Projections by IHME :

561,669 Deaths by April 1, 2021

Current Covid-19 Numbers in the U.S.

Covid-19 Cases: 18,473,716

Death Toll:326,772

Reference: Worldmeter

December 22, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

Tagged under

New York Will Begin Phased Reopening Of Public Schools On December 7th

Public schools will begin to open on December 7 in New York, the biggest city in the U.S.

The Primary schools will open first, but NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said that children whose parents had consented to the test would go to school. The schools in New York had closed around two weeks ago, following the increase in cases throughout the city.

Mayor De Blasio said that this was a new approach and that they had a lot of evidence as to how schools could be safe.

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, said that they would support de Blasio's approach as long as mandatory testing was in place.Approximately 1.1 million students are being taught in public schools in the city of New York.

Some New Yorkers had criticized the fact that gyms remained open while schools were closed. Kindergardens will also open together with primary schools on December 7. The education of special needs children, on the other hand, will begin on December 10. Secondary schools and high schools will open at a later date.

Mayor De Blasio said that students would need to sign a document stating that they would take coronavirus tests in order to be able to attend when schools opened. These tests will be done every week, but it will only be possible to test 1/5th of the students in one week.

In his press conference, Mayor De Blasio said that the governor had the authority to overrule the decision of the city depending on the number of cases. During this new period, the results of the tests at the schools will be monitored, and a class or the whole school will have the possibility of being closed down based on the number of cases.

More than 4 million new cases were reported in the U.S. during November. More than 35,000 people lost their lives during this month.

Despite the increase in the number of cases in New York, it is one of the states with the lowest number of positive test results. The positive test results are currently at 3%.

December 1, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

Tagged under

"NATO2030: United for a New Era”

Secretary General Stoltenberg appointed an independent Reflection Group co-chaired by Thomas de Maizière and A. Wess Mitchell and consisting of John Bew, Greta Bossenmaier, Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, Marta Dassù, Anna Fotyga, Tacan Ildem, Hubert Védrine, and Herna Verhagen.

The Secretary General tasked the Group with providing recommendations in three areas:

1) Reinforcing Allied unity, solidarity, and cohesion, including to cement the centrality of the transatlantic bond;

2) Increasing political consultation and coordination between Allies in NATO; and

3) Strengthening NATO’s political role and relevant instruments to address current and future threats and challenges to Alliance security emanating from all strategic directions

Full Report: https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2020/12/pdf/201201-Reflection-Group-Final-Report-Uni.pdf

Turkish Diplomat Taclan tweeted the following statement "Honour & pleasure for me to take part in this important work.The report entitled “#NATO2030: United for a New Era” is a product of a long but enriching experience. I will cherish our thorough and painstaking deliberations among the members of the Experts Group with each of whom my engagement will remain as a memorable souvenir."

Who is Tacan Ildem?

Former Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy

Ambassador Ildem is a senior Turkish diplomat. Since the start of his career in 1978, he has held positions involving multilateral and bilateral affairs. Before assuming his current responsibilities, Ambassador Ildem served as Permanent Representative of Turkey to the OSCE in Vienna from 2011 until 2016. During his term in Vienna he performed the duties as the Chairperson of the OSCE Security Committee and as the Coordinator for Conflict Cycle for the Helsinki +40 process.
Previously Ambassador Ildem was Director General for International Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Ankara (2009-2011), Turkey’s Permanent Representative to NATO (2006-2009) and Ambassador of Turkey to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2003-2006). His earlier assignments include Chief of Cabinet and Principal Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Turkey (2000-2003) when he also acted as the Presidential Spokesperson; Special Advisor to the Undersecretary of the MFA; Head of the NATO and Western European Union Department; Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Turkish Embassy in Athens; Head of the NATO Military Affairs Department at the MFA; Political Counsellor and Spokesperson at the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C.; and First Secretary at the Permanent Mission to NATO as well as at the Turkish Embassy in New Delhi.

Through these roles Ambassador Ildem has accumulated extensive experience in the international security domain with particular involvement in transatlantic relations. He has taken part in a number of key NATO initiatives, including the development of the 2010 Strategic Concept.

Ambassador Ildem was born in 1956 and is a graduate of Ankara University Political Science Faculty with a specialisation in international relations.

December 3, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

Biden's A Team and Covid-19 Challenge

Joe Biden, President-elect of the United States, is continuing his preparations to take over the federal government following the inauguration ceremony on January 20. Biden came together with his advisors for the transition period within this framework. In his announcement this week, Biden said that he might announce necessary individual appointments before the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26. President-Elect Biden Names Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff. Mr.Klain has worked for Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden in the past. He was also Ebola Response Coordinator during President Obama's term.

Biden said, "The fact that they are not willing to accept that we have won does not affect our plans or the things we need to do by January 20."

New Covid-19 Task Force:

Joe Biden's 13-member COVID Taskforce co-chaired by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. David Kessler, the former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, the associate dean of Yale School of Medicine. There is a seven-stage plan to fight the Coronavirus, as set out on the website established by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the transition period. Biden, who said, "Science should guide the vaccination process," called on Americans to wear masks.

Some Republican Senators Support President-Elect Biden

There is a disagreement between Republicans and President Donald Trump about blocking President-elect Joe Biden's access to the intelligence briefing. Although some Republican senators are unwilling to recognize Joe Biden as the winner of the election yet, they admit that Biden is entitled to access the intelligence briefings.

Congrats Message to Joe Biden: Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Sasse

Who said President-Elect Biden should get Intel Briefings during the transition: Graham, Rubio, Grassley, Lankford, Thune, Portman, Rounds, Hawley, Cornyn

While President Trump alleged that there were widespread election irregularities without providing any evidence, Republican officials and the majority of Congress members, in their public statements, supported Trump's election campaign to challenge the election results by filing lawsuits in some states.

First Statement on Turkey from Biden's Advisor:

Michael Carpenter, the foreign policy advisor to Joe Biden, spoke at a virtual diplomatic conference organized in Greece, and he said, "We are not seeking to drive Turkey into a corner or crumple its economy through sanctions." Carpenter, who reminded that the Turkish Lira is the currency which has lost the most value among the currencies among the developing countries in particular in the last couple of years, said that the fact that Turkey is obligated to the conditions of the free market and free trade is an important "starting point" for the U.S. and the EU. However, the U.S. bureaucrat, who stated that pressuring Turkey with economic sanctions was not the correct method, argued that NATO members needed to establish a "common front."

November 13, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

New York Police Department Vision for Fair and Effective Discipline

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced that the NYPD has now substantially implemented the suggestions of an non-partisan blue-ribbon panel of former prosecutors and judges for improving the NYPD's internal disciplinary system.

NYPD Commissioner Shea "We ask for the public's trust – and the public must know we are worthy of it. Policing is a privilege and demands the community's trust in knowing that NYPD officers are living up to the NYPD's high standards for integrity, fairness, compassion, and effectiveness in keeping the peace, protecting life and property and maintaining order"

What has been done under Commissioner Shea?

-Wielded his authority as the final arbiter of discipline in clear and decisive ways.

-Enacted a new false-statement enforcement policy.

-Overseen the monthly publication of the NYPD's trial-room calendar.

-imposed punishments swiftly and often more punitively than is recommended.

What is "Blue Ribbon"?

An independent panel found an effective and fair NYPD disciplinary system and implementing its recommendations, and the NYPD is improving it every day in every way.

NYC and Obama Foundation Partnership

NY Mayor Bill de Blasio has made a statement that the Obama Foundation is helping the City for police reform. Mayor Blasio has said “We want it to be clear that when certain actions are taken, when certain mistakes are made, there will be accountability,”It is well known that Mayor Blasio criticizes NYPD frequently and his remarks are not welcomed by many NYPD Officers

NYPD also published the Disciplinary System Penalty Guidelines (Draft for public) https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/public_information/nypd-discipline-matrix-draft-for-public-comment-2020-08-31-w-message.pdf

November 13, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

This was an election of firsts

After officially being declared as the President-elect, Joe Biden will be the 2nd Catholic President, the President-elect with the most number of votes cast ever, and the oldest elected president. Kamala Harris, the first woman Vice President, stands exceptional as she is from a migrant family of Jamaican and Indian origins. Voters also have broken a record with 65 million mail-in ballots cast. Additionally, Mark Kelley is the first Democrat Senator elected in Arizona in 70 years.

- The youngest member of the House of Representatives, at 25 years old: Madison Cawthorne

- First Transgender member to be elected to the State Senate: Sarah McBride

- First member of Congress who identifies as gay: Richie Torres

- The first black woman elected by Missouri to the House of Representatives: Cory Bush

The elections in the U.S. were not just at the Presidential and Federal levels; there were also elections for the local administrations, and four Turks ran for election. While Ajlan Kurdoğlu, who was in the running to become the State Senator of Arizona, received 49% of the votes, his opponent received 51%. In New Jersey, Republican Tayfun Selen is running for Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders again, and nothing is official yet. However, he is likely to be elected. On the other hand, in Michigan, Onur Arugaslan, who ran for the Trustee and Member of the Board of Education for Mattawan Consolidated Schools, and John Alpay for San Juan Capistrano City Council, in Orange County in California, lost the elections. Therefore, the number of the members of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans, which was 110 previously, is now below 100 due to members either retiring in 2021–2022 or losing the election.

Why are election results taking so long?

The 2020 U.S. presidential election held on November 3 holds the record for the most votes ever cast in a presidential election, which has resulted in a longer vote-counting process. There have been three different types of voters: those who voted early, those who voted on the election day, and those who voted by mail. Mail-in ballots, in particular, take longer, and most states accept even the ballots mailed in on the election day for a couple more days. Voting on the election day took longer as well due to the COVID-19 measures, where the poll workers had to ensure social distancing. It is important to remind you that there were 91,530 new coronavirus cases in the U.S. on the day of the election.

Biden is close to victory

Leading in North Carolina and Nevada, Joe Biden, the 2020 presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, can be considered close to victory. In fact, seeing President Trump leading in the swing states, including Florida, after people started counting votes on election night, created a feeling that he was going to win. However, claiming victory on election night itself was his biggest mistake. Joe Biden's calm and cautious manner signaling "hope" gained the appreciation of the public. Currently, with the majority of electoral votes in his favor, Joe Biden's campaign has put together a White House transition team and is working on the prospective names to take office with him.

Silence in the White House

Over the last three days, I have been following the election process at the White House for long hours. President Trump seems dispirited, and he will, in every respect, fight before transferring power. When we speak to the officials in the White House from time to time, they say that they are keeping their spirits up and that the election is not over yet. In fact, I keep recalling the moment Trump's family members were entering the room during his victory speech on the night of the election. They were speaking to everyone with the confidence that it was all over. Trump has not made any public appearances since the election night but continues to send out harsh messages through social media. When the pointer suddenly turned toward Biden on November 4, many journalists made their way to Biden's headquarters in Delaware. All of a sudden, the White House fell into silence.

November 6, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

Joe Biden’s Georgia Visit and His Campaign Highlights

The Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Joe Biden, continued his election campaign in Georgia, which has not voted for a Democratic Party candidate for more than 25 years.

Biden, referring to the White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ remarks on not being able to control the pandemic and the focus on vaccines and treatments, stated that, “This situation has revealed the shocking truth about the White House. They haven’t tried to tackle the pandemic.” He criticized the Trump administration by saying that “Trump has turned a crisis into a tragedy.”

Biden underlined the increasing number of cases in the mid-western states of the U.S. and warned that the situation might get worse as we approach the winter months. Biden said, “I will take action to get COVID-19 under control on the first day of my Presidency.”

Biden added, “The tragic reality of the period that we are going through is the fact that COVID-19 left a deep and permanent scar in this country” and accused President Trump of surrendering to the virus, not taking the pandemic seriously, and not paying attention to it.

“If we win Georgia, we win everything.”

Biden said during his campaign speech: "I cannot tell you how important it is for us to change the U.S. Senate. There is no state which is more important than Georgia... If we were to tell everyone there one year ago that Georgia would be this competitive, you would never believe it.”

Biden's Tax Plan:

Biden added: :"If you earn less than $400,000 per year, you do pay even one cent more as tax. However, we will ask the richest and the largest companies, which constitute 91 of the largest companies that pay zero federal income tax, to pay their fair share.We will grant a tax discount for working families and middle-class individuals so that you can buy your first house, pay your health insurance premiums or child care, or care for your elderly loved ones."

44th President Obama Criticized President Trump

Former President Barack Obama also visited the city of Orlando in the state of Florida to support Biden’s election campaign once more.

President Obama has said, “Trump stated that Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un want him to win the election. We know that. This is because you have been giving them whatever they want for the past four years. Naturally, they want you to win.” In addition, he criticized President Trump’s relationship with these leaders.

President Obama also criticized Trump’s immigration policy and said, “I know that there are genuine conservatives here who are also kind-hearted, but there is nothing kind about immigrant children being taken away from the arms of their mothers at the border.”

President Obama criticized President Trump how he handles COVID-19 Furthermore, Trump is jealous of COVID-19’s media coverage. More than 225,000 people died in this country. More than 100,000 small businesses have been shut down. Only in Florida, half a million jobs were lost. Think about this.

President Obama will join Biden on Saturday

44th President Barack Obama is set to join Democratic presidential nominee Biden on the campaign trail in their first joint appearance on Saturday. President Obama and Biden will be in the key battleground state of Michigan on Saturday to "discuss bringing Americans together to address the crises facing the country,"

Biden is leading the Polls:

In the polls conducted across the country, Biden seems to be ahead of his Republican competitor. Biden is also ahead in the polls conducted in states where the race is expected to be competitive.

According to the Real Clear Politics, Biden %50.6, President Trump : %43.5 in general election. Biden holds 3.6 point lead in the top battlegrounds (Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona) Biden 49.2% vs Trump %45.6

The last week of the candidates’ election campaigns coincided with a period where coronavirus-related concerns have started to escalate in the U.S.

October 29, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

NYPD Goes Purple on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

New York Police Headquarters was lit up in purple to show the support for domestic violence awareness and remind the victims of domestic violence that NYP officers in every precinct work hard to bring these suspects to justice. NYPD responds to over 2o0,000 domestic incidents annually, or almost 600 calls a day. DVP police officers face unpredictable, potentially volatile situations, and therefore police officers are trained to help ensure victims' safety and their own. Every NYPD Precinct has a Domestic Violence Team. Over 400 NYPD officers and investigators assist victims of domestic violence in precincts and Housing Bureau Police serving areas in 5 boroughs.

New York City First Lady Chirlane also tweeted the following post" #GoPurpleNYC draws attention to the bravery and strength of survivors of domestic violence, but also the work we all must do to support them and stand by them. I encourage everyone to go to http://NYC.Gov/NYCHope to learn how you can be a better ally to those who need them."

There were 87,512 Domestic Violence Complaints by Precinct, and 1972 Chronic Domestic Violence Complaints by Borough 320 people have been murdered in NYC so far this year.

There are many forms of violence against women, including sexual, physical, or emotional abuse by an intimate partner; physical or sexual abuse by family members or others; sexual harassment and abuse by authority figures (such as teachers, police officers or employers); trafficking for forced labor or sex; and such traditional practices as forced or child marriages, dowry-related violence; and honor killings, when women are murdered in the name of family honor. Systematic sexual abuse in conflict situations is another form of violence against women.

Violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of human rights. A lack of access to education and opportunity,and low social status in communities are linked to violence against women. Violence by an intimate partner is one of the most common forms of violence against women. A wide range of physical, mental, sexual and reproductive, and maternal health problems can result from violence against women. Many women do not seek help or report their experiences when violence occurs.

New York City Domestic Violence Hotline

The City's Domestic Violence Hotline provides safety planning, referrals, and connections to emergency housing for domestic violence victims. This assistance is available to both male and female victims—the hotline assists in over 150 languages.

Call 1-800-621-HOPE for the New York City Domestic Violence Hotline, or call 311 and ask for the Domestic Violence Hotline.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

The Hearing Impaired 24-Hour Hotline is TDD: 1-800-810-7444

311 Online: You can also access information regarding domestic violence services by visiting www.nyc.gov/311. 311 in New York City's primary source of government information and non-emergency services.

October 25, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Admin TOA

Highlights of the Trump-Biden Final Debate

The second and final Trump-Biden debate took place in Nashville, Tennessee. To prevent the candidates from interrupting each other within the framework of the new rules set by the Commission on Presidential Debate , President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden had two minutes of uninterrupted time to speak at the beginning of every 15-minute segment of the debate.

-It was more calm and civilized than the first debate, and it was not overlooked that President Trump went to the discussion in a more careful and prepared way.

-Covid-19 struggle, immigration reform, economy, national security, climate change racism, leadership, and family issues were discussed. Foreign Policy was not addressed, but the names of Russia, China, and North Korea were mentioned in the speeches of the candidates.

-Addressing systemic racism,Moderator Welker asks the President Trump and Biden about ‘The Talk.’ Also, Biden and President Trump spar about their respective histories on criminal justice.

- Moderator Kristen Welker managed the debate successfully.

- President Trump stated that Biden had not acted in his position at the White House in 8 years, while Joe Biden framed the election as a battle over the character of the nation, a reiteration of one of his major campaign themes.

-There was not a winner of the night, but Democrats believe that the winner was Joe Biden, and Republicans believe that the winner was Trump

-President Trump came on stage without a mask, Biden wearing a mask.

-Since nearly 45 million voters vote early by mail or by going to ballot boxes, and the rate of undecided voters is 3%, this final debate would not be directly elected.

In the USA, which has 250 million voters, going to the ballot box did not reach 60 percent in past elections; however, the voting rate is high in the 2020 Presidential elections. It cast 138 million votes in 2016; the number of these elections is estimated to be 170 million.

October 23, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

More...

Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia visit Secretary Pompeo on Friday

On Friday, foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are scheduled to separately meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, DC.

Recently, Secretary Pompeo made a statement on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "We are watching what's taking place there. We have joined our European partners, and frankly, many countries around the world to ask that there be a ceasefire as the beginning of a solution to the conflict. We've watched the reporting of civilian deaths. We've watched Turkey begin to reinforce Azerbaijan. We've asked every international player to stay out of the region, not to continue to reinforce trouble, and we're working to deliver that. We're using our diplomatic toolkit to try and achieve an outcome that gets a stand down, a ceasefire, and an outcome that is a solution based on international law."

As the fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces is continuing close to the region where the natural gas and oil pipelines going from Azerbaijan to Europe are situated, this is also causing fears that it will have a serious negative impact on both a regional and global scale.

Western Media is Ignoring the Armenian Attacks to Azerbaijan

The media, which is described as the "mainstream press" in the US, did not make headlines about many civilians' death, including children, in the ballistic missile attack Armenia organized in Ganja since last week.

Azerbaijan had begun operation on September 27. The Azerbaijan army had started a counter-offensive following attacks by the Armenian army on civilian residential areas.

Having lost its positions, the Armenian army had continued its attack on Azerbaijan's civilian settlements with artillery and missiles.

During the talks in Moscow, Armenia and Azerbaijan had decided on a humanitarian "ceasefire" on October 10 to exchange funerals and prisoners in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, Armenia broke the ceasefire three times the past ten days and continued to attack civilian areas in Azerbaijan.

President Erdogan stated that "The West isn't taking sides with Azerbaijan. A ceasefire was declared tonight, but Armenia has again violated it. The West isn't saying anything. And when Turkey says something, they say 'Look, Turkey never keeps quiet.' We will not stop. We will stand by the right and the righteous."

October 20, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

Biden's "Vote Early" Call

Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden called on voters in North Carolina, where he is located for the election campaign, to vote as soon as possible.

Stating that the momentum they have gained shouldn't be lost, Biden said, "Don't wait, vote today."

Close to 28 million electors in America have already cast their votes, either postally or by the determined voting centers.In North Carolina, where Biden made this call, 20 percent of the voters, 1.4 million people in other words, have already voted.

Biden has criticized what President Trump said about the coronavirus in North Carolina and stated that the number of cases was highest in recent months.

President Trump had stated at the weekend that America had overcome the threat of the virus. President Trump was in Nevada last night and according to official figures, more than 100,000 electors have already cast their votes in Nevada.

Campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said that President Trump would continue his election campaign in Nevada, followed by Arizona and North Carolina, until the televised debate in Tennessee on Thursday.

Democratic candidate Biden will be in North Carolina and Senator Kamala Harris, the Vice-Presidential candidate of Biden, will also be in Florida on Monday.

Despite the Democrat candidate Hilary Clinton getting more votes than Trump throughout the country at the 2016 elections, Trump had become president by defeating Secretary Clinton in the number of delegates.

In the 2016 presidential election in the US, around 153 million voters went to the polls. It is expected that this figure will be more than 160 million at these elections. However, the coronavirus pandemic is causing many people to be worried about going to vote.

What to Expect on the Final Trump-Biden Debate

The final debate between President Trump and Democratic Presidential Candidate Biden is scheduled to take place on October 22 from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET in Tennessee.

Topics to discuss:

-Fighting COVID-19

-American Families

-Race in America

-Climate Change

-National Security

-Leadership

October 20, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

President Trump:”Feeling Great”

President Donald Trump was discharged yesterday from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment for COVID-19.He came back to the White House shortly around 7 p.m. on Sunday , where he took off his mask and gave a thumbs up from the balcony.

President Trump, who has been under treatment at the hospital since Friday evening, posted a series of videos to show that his coronavirus infection treatment was going well and to put the public at ease.

“I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami,” Trump tweeted today and he added. “It will be great!”

Symone Sanders, a senior campaign adviser to Biden spoke to CNN on the upcoming TV Debate. "We are looking forward to the debate on Oct. 15 in Miami," He said that he is hoping that President Trump will be well enough to attend.

The President compared COVID-19 to the flu on Tuesday morning and he said Americans "have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid."

In the video he posted on Twitter earlier President Trump said, “This is an interesting journey. I have learned a lot about COVID.”

President Trump, who is 74 years old, was being treated with dexamethasone, which is a type of cortisone. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid used in the treatment of the most severe coronavirus infection cases. Trump was also intravenously receiving a five-day course of an antiviral drug called remdesivir.

With less than one month before the presidential elections in the U.S., the infection of Trump and some of his close colleagues with COVID-19 makes the reelection of the president more difficult.

October 6, 2020
Published in Politics1
Written by Ali Cinar

11 Key Takeaways from the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly

The 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly was chaired by a Turkish national for the first time. The leaders of the UN member states addressed the world via video conference due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place. The General Assembly, officially started on September 15th, will be adjourned on October 5th, although great importance was placed on the discussions of last week. On the first day, a total of 33 state leaders gave speeches that each lasted between five and 15 minutes. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the world leaders, urged for a global ceasefire to be materialized within 100 days, before the end of 2020.

The theme of this year’s General Assembly was:“The Future We Want, the United Nations We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism - Multilateralism in the Time of COVID-19”

Let’s have a look at 11 significant points to which we should pay attention:

- As the General Assembly Meeting was held virtual for the first time in the history of the UN, both the UN building and New York were empty. During their speeches at the UN General Assembly, country leaders introduced by their Representatives to the United Nations.

- Among all world leaders, the leader with the most impressive video conference recording was President Trump. Trump’s team had used different cameras and features such as zoom in, zoom out, and various frames in the video shooting.

- President Trump urged the UN to hold China accountable for COVID-19, while President Erdogan re-articulated that the UN Security Council must be reformed.

- Brazilian Head of State made an interesting statement and said that they were facing a smear campaign due to the fires which broke out in the Amazon forests and added that they were condemning these attacks.

- The speeches made by the world leaders mainly focused on the combat to tackle COVID-19, and they also provided recommendations on potential areas of collaboration. During his speech, Pope Francis recommended that the vaccine should be given to those living in poverty as a priority.

- Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis offered President Erdogan to come together in order to find a mutually acceptable solution and to give diplomacy a chance while Erdogan suggested organizing a large-scale assembly meeting regarding the Eastern Mediterranean issue, which will also include Turkish Cypriot representatives as participants.

- The German Chancellor, though indirectly, supported Turkey’s “The World is Bigger than 5” discourse by advocating that the UN must be reformed. Russian Head of State argued that the five permanent members of the UN General Assembly should maintain their veto powers. French President Macron said, “United Nations is also facing chaos just as the entire world,” whereas the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the structure of the UN General Assembly.

- The President of Uzbekistan, Mirziyoyev, spoke Uzbek rather than Russian when he addressed the UN General Assembly, which was the first time a President spoke Uzbek at the general assembly meeting since the independence of Uzbekistan.

- For the first time, a media center was not set up for the United Nations General Assembly. Only a very limited number of journalists were permitted to follow the general assembly meeting.

- When Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, started his speech at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly, an Indian diplomat left the room, and Azerbaijan’s Head of State, Aliyev, said: “Armenia should withdraw from Azerbaijan’s territories immediately and unconditionally.” Nigerian Head of State Issoufou Mahamadou spoke both at the UN General Assembly and at the UN Security Council, simultaneously, as a pre-recorded video was broadcast.

- That there were only 21 female heads of state from 193 member countries, a very low representation number, was not to go unnoticed.