El periplo —que incluyó a Turquía, Argelia, Irán, Kuwait, Catar y Azerbaiyán— se registró en momentos en que el país sudamericano busca incrementar sus relaciones comerciales con esos países aliados para intentar sortear los efectos de las sanciones económicas que Estados Unidos ha impuesto al gobierno de Maduro y revitalizar la economía nacional. Texto Completo-> LosAngelesTimes

U.S. President Joe Biden’s lamentable decision to unilaterally withdraw from Afghanistan is paving the way for the emergence of a new sharia-based alliance, including NATO member Turkey — theoretically a Western ally. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Islamist ambitions appear to be seeking an international role in post-U.S. Afghanistan in alliance with the Taliban, Qatar, Pakistan and Malaysia. The trouble is, Turkey, among the new sharia alliance in the making, is the only country with institutional ties to the West.By Burak Bekdil. Full Text -> GatestoneINstitute

Traducción de cortesía -> La lamentable decisión del presidente estadounidense Joe Biden de retirarse unilateralmente de Afganistán está allanando el camino para el surgimiento de una nueva alianza basada en la sharia, que incluye a Turquía, miembro de la OTAN, teóricamente un aliado occidental. Las ambiciones islamistas del presidente turco Recep Tayyip Erdoğan parecen estar buscando un papel internacional en la post-EE. UU. Afganistán en alianza con los talibanes, Qatar, Pakistán y Malasia. El problema es que Turquía, entre la nueva alianza de la sharia en ciernes, es el único país con vínculos institucionales con Occidente

The country on the north coast of South America has become the new playground for the Turkish drug mafia.
For a month, Turkey has been in suspense over videos of mob godfather Sedat Peker. Corruption, assassinations, drug trafficking and small state secrets … his accusations highlight the incestuous relationship between the ruling Islamo-nationalist coalition and organized crime.

What was Erkan Yildirim doing in Caracas on December 4? The son of former prime minister Binali Yildirim, a wealthy 40-year-old shipowner, leading a fleet of some thirty ships and twenty shipping companies nestled in tax havens, has difficulty justifying it. In one of his videos, the godfather of the mafia, Sedat Peker, accuses the man of having visited Venezuela several times in recent months to open a new cocaine route between Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. “The cocaine originally came from Colombia. But 4.9 tons were seized on June 9 last year [aboard a ship en route to Turkey, editor’s note]. After that, who went to Venezuela to establish a new headquarters? Erkan Yildirim! From the port of La Guardia, the main port of the country, container ships must call in the Dominican Republic. But not bulk cargo ships, which can go directly to Turkey, says Peker. “Once the cocaine reaches Turkey, 30-35 meter yachts, capable of carrying one to two tons, will distribute it. This is especially the case in the port of Latakia, in Syria, “said the mobster. This port is under the control of people close to Bashar al-Assad. By OnVenezuela

Original text –> Le Point

The son of Turkey’s former prime minister, accused of establishing a new cocaine route from Venezuela to Turkey, took part in an official parliamentary delegation’s visit to a Turkish government-funded school in Venezuela to hide the real purpose of his visit, archived photos have revealed. By Levent Kenez. Full Text -> NordicMonitor

They chose Venezuela because the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has no control over the country and it’s easy to transfer cocaine from Colombia, which shares an 800-kilometer long border with it, according to Peker. “Dry cargo vessels can come from the Caracas Port to Turkey without stopping but container vessels can continue after stopping by Dominica,” he said and predicted that many more loads of cocaine will be seized in the Dominican Republic. He later corrected his words on Twitter, saying that he had confused the Dominican Republic with Panama. Bianet

The three floating thermal generating units are berthed in the northern port of Mariel, 40km (24.8mi) west of Havana, and are using heavy fuel oil to supply state-owned utility UNE. By Canute James and Patricia Garip. Full Text -> ArgusMedia

The Maduro regime would not be in power today were it not for the support it receives from its five key allies: Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Turkey. These states provide varying degrees of financial, diplomatic, and intelligence support to the Venezuelan regime. Some of these states have maintained close ties with Venezuela since the early years of the Hugo Chávez presidency. Others have emerged as new lifelines amid mounting international pressure. Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Turkey each have distinct financial and geopolitical motivations for propping up the Maduro regime and thus merit specific and nuanced policy approaches. CSIS Briefs. Full Text -> CSIS

Two high-profile Venezuelan opposition leaders are in talks with the government of President Nicolas Maduro to participate in the upcoming legislative elections despite a planned boycott, a Turkish official involved in the talks said on Tuesday. By Humeyra Pamuk, Brian Ellsworth. Full Text-> Reuters

Mulberry Proje Yatirim, established in Istanbul in 2017 by Saab’s partners, has allegedly become the intermediary in food imports by purchasing goods from Turkey on behalf of Venezuelan clients and selling them in Venezuela.In July 2019, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Mulberry for its involvement in Saab’s sophisticated network that allegedly laundered millions of dollars in profits from overvalued contracts linked to Venezuela’s food subsidy program. Saab seems to be ultimately behind the joint ventures, which were established in 2018 between Venezuela and Turkey. By İmdat Öner. Full Text -> Ahval

What also unites these regimes is a track record of using crises to accelerate the erosion of institutional checks on their power. With a global pandemic now raging, all three are signaling that they plan to exploit the current emergency. A number of other countries are poised to do so as well — most alarmingly. By Michael Abramowitz and Arch Puddington. Ful text -> Los Angeles Times