Iran

Escalating violence hit investments and the tourism sector in Turkey?s eastern and southeastern regions. Hotel occupancy rates have decreased from 85 percent to 30 percent and it has become impossible for exporters to find any truck drivers willing to transport goods, according to businesspeople in the regions. 

The speaker of Iran's parliament hinted in a US radio interview on Sept.3 at the possibility of a prisoner swap to free detained Iranian-American journalist Jason Rezaian.

Iran?s Supreme Leader said on Sept. 3 that he backed a parliamentary vote on a historic nuclear deal reached with six major powers and said sanctions against his country should be lifted completely rather than suspended, state television reported. 

Saudi authorities put to death a convicted murderer on Sept. 3, bringing to 130 the number of executions in the kingdom so far this year, according to an AFP tally.

One soldier was killed in an ambush staged by outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) militants in Turkey?s southeastern province of Hakkari on Sept. 1, a day after a police officer was killed in a PKK attack in the eastern province of Batman. 

The Turkish military reported Sept. 2 a Turkish troop was killed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in an ambush that occurred in Hakkari, a southeastern Anatolian town bordering Iraq and Iran. 

In democratic countries, election campaigns probably start with rallies, an inauguration of some local administration or central government achievements. In semi democracies, the situation might be different. In pseudo or peculiar democracies like Turkey, often the "political campaign" might turn rather dirty. Many people might recall the "tape wars" of Turkey's recent political history.

On Peace Day, the Iranian mother who pardoned the killer of her son at the last minute tells daily Hürriyet that although ?qisas? ? the principle of equal retribution ? is permitted in Islam, forgiving feels better than revenge According to the Quran, equal retribution ? ?qisas? ? is permissible for crimes such as murder.

Bulgaria plans to initiate a discussion within the EU on the need to add new elements to the bloc's strategy for combatting the Islamic State (IS) group, the country's Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has said.

Would-be foreign investors in Iran should be prepared to share the benefits of their deals, the country's president said, indicating Tehran will impose tough terms that could clash with U.S. regulations even after sanctions are lifted.