Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like…

…AKP’s defeat for the first time after 21 years in power. In the local elections on Sunday 31 March, Turkey’s main opposition party scored a big electoral victory in Istanbul and Ankara. President Erdoğan was dealt a serious blow after this defeat, as these were the cities he had declared he wanted to take back control of. This is a significant development in the country’s political scene, as it underlines that the influence of this party has been on the decline and, more importantly, that the period when only one man was in power is coming to an end. The elections have shown that democracy is recovering in the country.

...Taiwan’s decision to take appropriate measures to protect its citizens after the devastating earthquake. On Wednesday 3 April, a magnitude 7,2 earthquake hit Taiwan’s Hualien province. It is the strongest earthquake in the country in 25 years. In less than two hours, Taiwanese officials had prepared temporary shelters near schools for 150 people. The fact that Taiwan is located near the intersection of two tectonic plates, as well as the frequency of earthquakes, has taught the residents what to do in natural phenomena of this magnitude.

I dislike…

…the fact that the Israeli army struck a truck carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on 3 April. According to the Israeli Army statements, one of the passengers was mistakenly identified as an armed man, resulting in the bombing of the vehicle and the death of 7 activists. The vehicle belonged to the humanitarian organization ‘World Central Kitchen’, which suspended all operations because it considers the army unreliable in upholding international agreements. As a result, an atmosphere of fear has been growing among organizations that provide humanitarian aid, while the UN Human Rights Council calls for Israel to be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

...the news that foreign citizens are being held by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Specifically, the Taliban government in Afghanistan confirmed on Sunday that it had arrested “several foreign citizens, including two Americans” on suspicion of violating the country’s laws. The chief Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, told the country’s state-run radio station that they had informed the U.S. of their detention, but did not give further details about the detainees. “Two Americans are being held at the moment along with other foreign nationals. The reason for their visit to Afghanistan is unknown, but anyone visiting the country, regardless of the reason, must abide by its laws” Mujahid said in a subsequent interview with the local private news channel TOLO. Despite the tragic case, it is the first time the Taliban have publicly acknowledged the detention of American citizens.