Amid an increasingly violent and crisis-ridden region, Turkey has emerged as a significant energy broker – and the partnerships it is seeking will have far-reaching ramifications for the ever-changing tides of diplomacy in the Middle East.
It is no secret that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has bold ambitions for his country’s regional and international standing. Traditional adversaries, like Israel and the Kurds in northern Iraq, are now the backbone of Turkey’s strategic future. But how fragile are these relationships?
A strategically placed but energy-poor country, Turkey wants to create a network of gas and oil pipelines criss-crossing through its territory on the way to lucrative European markets. The only problem is that the energy resources are in regions that Turkey has traditionally had tense relationships with, namely Israel and Iraqi Kurdistan.
Despite this, Turkey has been able to hammer out an initial deal with the autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq for an extensive network of pipelines that will usher in a period of massive oil and gas extraction.
But this could come at the expense of Turkey’s relationship with Baghdad, which is casting a cautious eye on the Kurds enriching themselves with massive oil profits. Given the deteriorating security situation in Iraq as well as the increasingly violent Syrian civil war on Turkey’s doorstep, Mr Erdogan is potentially playing with fire in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Yet that doesn’t seem to deter him. This week Mr Erdogan personally invited Massoud Barzani, Kurdistan’s regional president, to visit Diyarbakır, an overwhelmingly Kurdish city inside Turkey. Unthinkable just a few years ago, the visit was cast as a reflection of Turkey’s self-confidence by Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister.
The specifics of the pipeline deal with Iraqi Kurdistan are astounding. An elaborate infrastructure of pipes will be able to handle up to two million barrels of oil per day and at least 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year. The precious fuels will snake their way along Turkey’s 800-kilometre border with Syria before arriving on the Mediterranean coast and onwards to Europe. The pipeline that is being laid between the two partners is going to bind them together at a time when the Kurdish-Turkey relationship is wrought with challenges. Just last week, Kurdish fighters in Syria drove out Al Qaeda-linked jihadists from 19 towns and villages across the north-eastern part of the country. The fighting intensified a week after fighters associated with the main Kurdish militia succeeded in capturing a key Iraqi border crossing from jihadi factions. Since the Syrian civil war broke out nearly three years ago, the question of how Syrian Kurds would react has been a pressing one for neighbouring countries, especially Turkey. Many feared that Kurds would attempt to use the instability of Syria’s internal chaos to carve out an autonomous region in one of the most energy rich areas of the country. Indeed, Kurds in northern Syria earlier this week declared an interim administration, moving them one step closer to a Kurdish state inside of Syria.
Turkey’s reaction to the events was swift. The country began work on an elaborate fence along the border, which would split the Kurdish populations on both sides.
It is this fence along with Turkey’s on-again, off-again relationship with Israel (and its natural gasfields) that underline why Turkey is ready to become a major energy player.
In another underreported form of energy, food production, Turkey is quietly carving out large chunks of market share in lucrative Arabian Gulf markets that, coupled with the fossil fuels flowing through the country, will boost its economy.
It is a smart policy. Roughly 40 per cent of Turkey’s land mass is arable and ideal for the production of everything from grain to livestock. The food produced is already considered Halal and can be quickly shipped to the Gulf.
In the past decade, agricultural production in Turkey has steadily increased, resulting in roughly $62 billion (Dh227bn) of gross domestic product in 2010. Now private investors are looking to this market as the most value-laden export market for Turkey behind energy exporting.
The government wants to achieve $150bn in gross agricultural domestic product by 2023.
The only problem in this picture is finding farm hands to do the manual labour. Due to restructuring in early 2000, employment pools have moved to major urban centres like Istanbul.
Prominent venture capital firms in Istanbul are quietly pushing the government to allow a handful of Syrian refugees to work the farms. Some of the 600,000 refugees are already working illegally but that has some farm owners worried. But if this pressure from the corporate sector succeeds, Turkey might soon be the most progressive country in the region dealing with the refugee crisis.
Ultimately, Turkey is using a regional crisis to entrench a position of energy power. Its relationship with Israel and Iraqi Kurdistan will soon be physically sealed with pipelines. Can the country have its cake and eat it too? That might depend if the cake is made in Turkey.
Joseph Dana is a journalist based in Istanbul
On Twitter: @ibnezra
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
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Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
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Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
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UAE Tour 2020
Stage 1: The Pointe Palm Jumeirah - Dubai Silicon Oasis, 148km
Stage 2: Hatta - Hatta Dam, 168km
Stage 3: Al Qudra Cycle Track - Jebel Hafeet, 184km
Stage 4: Zabeel Park - Dubai City Walk, 173km
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Stage 6: Al Ruwais - Al Mirfa, 158km
Stage 7: Al Maryah Island - Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 127km
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
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