Turkey's fight against IS, negotiations with Taliban, foreign firms in Iran, Germany and the eurozone, Korea's unemployed youth
A round-up of global commentary for the August 10, 2015 weekly magazine.
Turkish soldiers patrol near the border with Syria, ouside the village of Elbeyli, east of the town of Kilis, southeastern Turkey, Friday, July 24, 2015. Turkish warplanes struck Islamic State group targets across the border in Syria early Friday, government officials said, a day after IS militants fired at a Turkish military outpost, killing a soldier. The bombing is a strong tactical shift for Turkey which had long been reluctant to join the US-led coalition against the extremist group.
AP
Khaleej Times / Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Turkey should choose one enemy
“[Turkey’s] strategy to defeat terror has landed it in a complex situation...,” states an editorial. “[O]pening ... two war fronts simultaneously is bound to land [Turkey] in greater problems. The air strikes on the Kurds [in northern Iraq in July] was an ill-advised move, and could lead to more geopolitical fissures for not only Turkey but also Syria and Iraq. [Turkey] would be better advised to focus its synergies against Daesh [Islamic State].... [Turkey should share] its notes with other regional countries, as well as the Western allies, so that the menace is exterminated in the shortest possible time.... [T]he Kurds ... could be better dealt [with] within the political realms. Turkey’s obsession to kill two birds with one stone could backfire....”
The Hindu / New Delhi
Action, not words, needed in negotiations with Taliban
“Can negotiating with the Taliban result in peace and stability in Afghanistan? Eventually perhaps, but not under the current circumstances...,” writes Jayant Prasad, a former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan. “Indications of the Taliban’s readiness to sit down to talk have been in the air for a few years. The question is, under what conditions and to what purpose? Some Afghan[s] ... feel that the Taliban [have] principally used [their] international exposure to charm foreign interlocutors, instead of committing to abjuring violence and joining the democratic process.... [Negotiations] will be a marathon, not a short race, and will not end so long as the Taliban ... talk peace and pursue violence.
Iran daily / Tehran, Iran
Foreign firms could hurt post-sanctions Iran
“The nuclear agreement ... is not the last stop rather it is just the beginning...,” states an editorial. “[Iran] is ... expecting the arrival of aviation giants Airbus and Boeing and leading auto manufacturers from France, Germany and other countries.... However, their presence is feared to put domestic industries in jeopardy.... [I]f a conscious policy is not formulated, Iran will undoubtedly be turned into an easy prey for European companies.... For many, the prospects of removal of economic sanctions represent a chance to provide people from all walks of life with comfort. This is the bright side of the issue, but the dark side should not be ignored. The presence of [the] West’s major firms suggests that the lifting of restrictions could be harmful if not efficiently managed.”
Today’s Zaman / Istanbul, Turkey
Germany is damaging the eurozone
“The German government’s efforts to crush Greece and force it to abandon the single currency have destabilized the [eurozone’s] monetary union,” writes Philippe Legrain. “As long as German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration continues to abuse its dominant position as creditor-in-chief to advance its narrow interests, the eurozone cannot thrive – and may not survive.... The eurozone’s members may be trapped in a miserable marriage, but they can make it a better one. What has now become more obvious than ever is that, unless all sides work at it, their relationship will ultimately end in acrimony.”
The Korea times / Seoul, South Korea
Time to address youth unemployment
“[Y]outh unemployment is a global issue, and not unique to Korea. What sets this country apart from many others is the speed in which it is going from bad to worse...,” states an editorial. “The youth unemployment rate has risen ... [to] the highest in 16 years.... A more drastic, fundamental policy change is needed to turn around the situation, preceded by a paradigm shift among officials. Nothing reveals better the government and business officials’ ... outdated understanding of youth unemployment than their attempted reinforcement of the ‘peak wage’ system, which calls for reducing old workers’ wages and using the saved money for hiring young workers.... There are few reports that have plausibly proved the relationship between peak wages and increased youth employment.”