The Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey won a decisive victory in the snap elections on Sunday. The results obviate the need for a coalition government and will undoubtedly strengthen the hand of President Erdogan who made no secret of his desire for single party rule in the run-up to the election. The results were a blow to the Kurdish parties and the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe both raised doubts about the legitimacy of the election, noting the violence encountered in certain election districts. But those doubts will not affect the outcome at all.
The US Department of Defense spent $43 million to build a compressed natural gas station in Sheberghan, Afghanistan making it the world’s most expensive gas station. Similar gas stations in neighboring Pakistan cost about $500,000 to build. The gas station was built in order to prove that such stations were feasible for automobiles, but no one can explain why this particular gas station cost so much. The Task Force in charge of building the gas station was decommissioned last March and apparently there is no one who can answer any questions about the gas station at the Pentagon. The “fog of war” is clearly a source of incredible corruption.
Stephen Kinzer was a reporter for the New York Times and has written extensively on Iran. He has published a rather long essay on life in Iran now that is definitely worth reading. There are so many misconceptions about Iran in the West, fueled by incessant government propaganda, that it is difficult for many in the West to truly understand what is going on in the society. Kinzer gives a very good summary of the major issues dividing the West and Iran but offers a great deal of hope that the nuclear deal can signal the beginning of a better relationship.
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