Turkey 'positive' on changes in Sudan, Algeria: Analyst

<p>By Mohamed Sheikh Yusuf</p> <p>ISTANBUL (AA) – Ankara has adopted a “positive” stance vis-à-vis recent political developments in Sudan and Algeria, according to a prominent Turkish analyst.</p> <p>In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Omer Korkmaz — writer, political analyst and former adviser to the Turkish premiership — said Turkey supports “the will of the people”.</p> <p>“We learned to unambiguously side with the people during the first Arab Spring,” Korkmaz said, referring to the wave of popular uprisings that convulsed the Arab world in 2011.</p> <p>According to the analyst, Turkey's position in this respect came at the expense of its relations with the ruling regimes of at least some of the affected countries.</p> <p>This time around, Korkmaz said, the Turkish political leadership has been “more cautious”.</p> <p>Ankara, he asserted, “is watching affairs [in Sudan and Algeria] closely”, while the Turkish Foreign Ministry is only issuing “positive” statements regarding recent developments in both countries. </p> <p>On April 11, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the army following months of popular demonstrations against his 30-year rule.</p> <p>He was replaced by a Military Transitional Council, which is currently running the country’s affairs for a two-year “transitional period” during which presidential elections will eventually be held.</p> <p>“We may disagree with him [i.e., al-Bashir] over his long-term military rule [from 1989 to 2019], but he didn’t want to run for another term,” Korkmaz said.</p> <p>“Certain circles within the ruling regime, however, wanted him to stay on as president, so he agreed to run,” he added.</p> <p>Korkmaz voiced hope for a “swift” transfer of power to a civilian authority in Sudan, saying: “The will of the people is the basis [for legitimate authority], but this must be achieved in the absence of regional intervention”.</p> <p>As for Algeria, Korkmaz praised the people's insistence on having their voices heard.</p> <p>On April 2, Algeria’s 82-year-old president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, stepped down after two decades in power.</p> <p>As in the case of Sudan, the move followed several weeks of popular protest against the aging leader’s continued rule.</p> <p>“The Algerians benefited from the events of the 1990s,” Kormaz said.</p> <p>During that decade, Algeria suffered a bloody civil war pitting the army against several armed groups following the cancellation of parliamentary polls that an Islamic party had been poised to win.</p> <p>“What we see in Algeria now is respectable,” Kormaz said. “They are cautious not to see the popular movement turn towards other scenarios — such as military action, like what happened in Syria.”</p> <p>“We wish success for the Algerian people and hope they don’t fall into a new trap,” he added. </p> <p>As for recent events in Khartoum, Korkmaz praised the “awareness” of the Sudanese people, voicing hope that the country would steer itself safely through the current critical period.</p> <p>“The will of the youth has triumphed over the political and military will,” he said. “But if their movement continues, there may be unforeseen problems later.”</p> <p>Korkmaz also noted Sudan’s chronic economic woes, which — largely the result U.S. sanctions on Khartoum — were a major factor in the anti-Bashir demonstrations.</p> <p>Despite Khartoum’s support for a Saudi-led coalition against Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, Korkmaz said, the Gulf States, “didn’t deal sufficiently” with Sudan’s weak economy.</p> <p>The Gulf States, he stated, “issued harsh demands for changes in Sudan's [regional] positions”.</p> <p>They “wanted more and more, which al-Bashir did not accept, while the Sudanese people suffered under the blockade” caused by the U.S. sanctions, he added.</p> <p>Korkmaz does not expect any improvements to the Sudanese economy until the blockade is lifted.</p> <p>“I don’t expect Washington to lift the blockade, even though Khartoum made great effort to remove Hassan al-Turabi from power [in 2000],” he said.</p> <p>He added: “The international and regional parties are not satisfied. I’m not sure what they will accept, or what their demands are.”</p> <p>“Do they want to control oil? Do they want the Sudanese people to repeal the Islamic laws they approved?” the analyst wondered aloud. </p> <p>Regarding Algeria, Korkmaz said: “The people haven’t obtained their rights; they only want part of the country's wealth.”</p> <p>“It is an oil-rich country whose people are poor,” he added. “The Algerian people want to run their country in a pluralistic and democratic way.”</p> <p>If Algerians succeed in achieving their goals, Korkmaz concluded, “it will lead to regional peace, especially between Algeria and Morocco, and extend to Tunisia and Libya as well”.</p> <p>*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat</p>