CNN Arabic names Erdogan Man of the YearJanuary 7, 2011 - 14:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was voted Man of the Year for 2010 by readers of CNN's Arabic language website. Erdogan won the honor by a large margin, receiving 74% of the vote. His nearest competitor was Syrian President Bashar Assad, who received 20% of the vote. CNN Arabic, based in Dubai, stated that the results of the poll represent the "general mood of the Arab street," which has seen a rise in Erdogan's popularity since the events surrounding the Israeli raid of the Mavi Marmara and the diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Israel that followed. The website added that Erdogan was hailed in the Arab world for returning Turkey's allegiance to the East after decades of trying to "join the European club." Erdogan's position as a mediator between Iran and the West was also cited as a key reason for the Turkish prime minister's popularity in the Arab world. He was also seen as important in combating Syria's isolation in the region that arose in the aftermath of the Rafik Hariri assassination, The Jerusalem Post reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |