Logo of the Syrian Electronic Army, as shown on the group’s website.

The Syrian Electronic Army, an online group that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was behind the incident which followed a phishing attack on the company’s email accounts, FT reported on its website.

The attack is the latest in which hackers commandeered the Twitter account of a prominent news organization to push their agenda. Twitter’s 200 million users worldwide send out more than 400 million tweets a day, making it a potent distributor of news.

“Twitter has become a big enough media outlet that they should provide better security for high-value accounts like the Associated Press, the FT and others,” said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with security software maker F-Secure.

Several attempts to reach Twitter for comment were unsuccessful. The company’s media relations team made no mention of the attack on its own Twitter feed.

Last month, the Syrian Electronic Army took control of the Associated Press’ official Twitter feed and sent out a bogus message that two explosions at the While House injured President Obama. The false tweet triggered a brief but steep sell-off in the U.S. financial markets.

That followed a spate of attacks in the past year by the group on Twitter accounts of other media organizations, including the BBC, National Public Radio, CBS, Reuters News and the satirical news website The Onion.

Over the past few years security experts have become increasingly vocal in calling for Twitter to introduce an additional safety measure, a two-step process to log in, that would help reduce breaches.

This type of authentication has long been used by governments and big corporations and in recent years some consumer Internet companies like Facebook Inc, Google Inc and Microsoft Corp have embraced it.

“You can get two-factor authentication for World of Warcraft, but you can’t get it for Twitter. Go figure,” Hypponen said, referring to the popular video game.

EXECUTION VIDEOS

In Friday’s hacking of the FT, the Syrian Electronic Army – which regularly targets media organizations it sees as sympathetic to Syria’s rebels – posted links on the newspaper’s Twitter feed to YouTube.

The video purports to show members of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front Syrian rebel group executing blindfolded and kneeling members of the Syrian army.

The video could not be independently verified.

“Today various FT Twitter accounts and one FT blog (not more as previously stated) were compromised by hackers. We have now secured those accounts are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” the FT, owned by Pearson Plc, said in an updated statement.

Stories on the FT’s website had their headlines replaced by “Hacked By Syrian Electronic Army” and messages on its Twitter feed read: “Do you want to know the reality of the Syrian ‘Rebels?’” followed by a link to the video.

The FT’s feeds dedicated to technology and commodities were among those affected.

Also on Friday, the Kyodo news agency reported that Yahoo Japan suspects up to 22 million of its 200 million user IDs may have been leaked. Kyodo said Yahoo Japan also detected an unauthorized attempt to access the administrative systems of its web portal.

Sky News Arabia logo. (AAA file photo)

Sky News Arabia’s management team say that they recognize—but are not fazed by—competition from older, more established Arabic news networks like Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera. They admit that they have a long way to go before reaching the coveted third-place position, but are wagering on the strength of the Sky News brand.

Two things catch one’s attention when visiting the headquarters of the station in Abu Dhabi. The first that is the average age of the 400 editors and reporters is 33; they were hired out of 30,000 applicants, according to one of station’s managers. The second is the sophistication of the equipment and the technology, fitting for a station that was only built a year ago.

Another, unseen, thing that can be read between the lines in conversations with station executives is the strong confidence in news gathering involved in this joint project. BSkyB has bureaux all over the world, and Sky News Arabia provides it with a strong geographic base that opens to Middle East markets.

Why was Sky News Arabia established among the existing large pool of Arabic news satellite channels? This question was raised when the station was launched and continues to be asked in view of the strong competition one year after going live. Sultan Al-Jabir, the chairman of the station’s board of directors, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his company “felt that the Arabic media scene needed a channel that offers fast breaking, accurate, and impartial news.”

“In the past year, we have made big strides to accomplish this goal, and we have put the channel on the right course,” he added.

Jabir went on to say that “viewers began to quickly turn to Sky News Arabia to watch current events and to listen to balanced analysis. It was obvious that the available satellite channels did not address this need and did not close this gap. The information that we have about the response of our viewers tells us that our products offer what viewers in the Arab world want in a news service.

“We have also sensed a clear response from our target audience: the younger generation. This is in addition to platforms that provide news services electronically, such as the Internet, smart phones and tablets. This is a very important part of our work. We have noticed that the masses are greatly interested and follow on these modern platforms. Naturally, the important question is not related to the competition with other satellite channels, whether present ones and future ones. The principal challenge for us lies in our ability to develop constantly within the framework of our commitments from the start to broadcast our media with full professionalism.”

Jabir said that the partnership between his company and BSkyB is beneficial for both sides, especially because the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Company benefits from Sky’s name and trademark in the Middle East, as well as from the editorial independence of the channel. In return, the group that offers Sky News in Britain benefits from a window into the Arab world. However, Sky News Arabia’s media products are its own and the executives enjoy full editorial independence.

In terms of economic feasibility, Jabir told Asharq Al-Awsat that there is definitely a benefit derived from sharing the cost of news production, particularly in regions where there is only one partner. From this partnership, the Arabic Sky News benefits from the news resources of Sky News in areas where it is present. Moreover, the station’s network of correspondents in the region feed Sky in London with breaking news stories as they occur. Sky viewers often watch Sky News Arabia’s correspondents on their screens as they present breaking news in English from the site of the event.

In the same context, Nart Bouran, the station’s director-general, said that the cooperation between Sky News Arabia and Sky in London happens in all areas of news production: they share pictures, archives and analysts, as well as coverage. “We may have a correspondent in a location like Damascus where they do not have a correspondent. Our correspondent sends his report and it is translated. The opposite is also true, as in the case of the rape in India or the exclusive interview that Sky conducted with British foreign affairs minister William Hague. The translated version was made available to Arabic Sky News after only three minutes.”

Bouran went on to say that “naturally, our priorities differ. Fast-breaking news in Britain is not fast-breaking in the Arab region. However, news is often fast-breaking for both the Arabic and English channels. At any rate, all this is determined by news developments. For instance, at the beginning of the day, we do not say that ‘we are going to take 20% of the news on the English Sky, because each channel has its own priorities. Moreover, we benefit from certain products—for instance in the medical or health fields that they do well due to the experience they have gained over the years. We take such products from them because we bear the same name.”

Regarding Sky News Arabia’s first year of experience and its goals of the second year, Bouran told Asharq Al-Awsat, “Yes, we have more than accomplished the goals we have set for ourselves. The idea is that we had felt that there was a vacuum in the news market and we decided to enter it. At first, we had doubts that the Arab viewers would accept the style of fast-breaking news. However, we discovered that our viewership liked our balanced style in presenting the news and found out that viewership rose during our coverage of fast-breaking news.”

The station’s director-general also emphasized that “despite the differences in news priorities, we follow the 24-hour coverage style adopted by Sky, but we steer away from lengthy programs. We have allocated more time to programs that suit the taste of Arab viewers, such as the weekly Cairo dialogue that we launched recently and that is presented every week by the artist Hisham Salih Salim. However, this does not mean that we are steering away from the general policy of focusing on fast-breaking news—even in the middle of a program.”

Regarding plans for expansion, Bouran told Asharq Al-Awsat: “When we say we want to expand, we want that to be done correctly and soundly. This depends on news coverage, management and on financial and commercial matters. We have a plan for the next three or four years, and we know exactly where we want to reach both in economic expansion or in the number of correspondents.”

On whether the location of the station in Abu-Dhabi has an effect, Bouran said: “Of course the location has an impact, particularly from the commercial aspect. The biggest markets for advertisements and television commercials are in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and Sky News Arabia is interested in lucrative locations for advertisements and commercials as well as from the news aspect. We have to first cover our region. The question that is always raised is, ‘Should we give issues in the UAE more attention and coverage?’ The answer is that I should give these issues more time and cover them better than other stations. In my opinion, satellite news stations have not given the Gulf region the amount of coverage it deserves. The station is operates a program to train UAE university students, including on-the-job training.”

Regarding the station’s editorial policy, the acting director for news and programming, Arar Al-Sharie, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “What we have that others do not is the speed of the news. Newscasts are repeated, but in a different format. However, about three or four months ago, we turned into a Sky channel with an Arabic flavor and using Arabic spices, after we had been a copy of the English version of Sky. How did that happen? The Arabic viewer has a mood somewhat different from that of the British viewer. We opened up the space allocated to dialogue, but without undermining the importance that the channel attaches to fast-breaking news. We also expanded our presence on social media—perhaps even more than the English Sky. Our target audience is the young generations. If we want to work correctly with the young, we should focus on social media.”

Moreover, Sharie revealed that in two or three weeks, Sky News Arabia will launch a daily 30-minute program called “Signal” that will focus on social media. “There is a new generation that we wish to reach, just as the BBC and CNN and other satellite channels, like Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, did with our older generations,” he added.

Regarding seeking to transmit in locations where there are no other Arabic satellite channels, Sharie said, “My job is to pounce on locations where there are no others for various reasons, like in Damascus. My job is to convey viewpoints quickly, accurately and objectively, and in a way that does not ignore that other viewpoint, namely, the opposition. We were the first to use the term ‘war’ in Syria after the features of the armed conflict became apparent”

“Gaza Burial,” which won first prize in the 2012 World Press Photo awards. The 2013 World Press Photo of the year by Paul Hansen of Sweden, for Dagens Nyheter, shows 2-year-old Suhaib Hijazi and her 3-year-old brother Muhammad, who were killed when their house was destroyed by an Israeli missile strike. (AP Photo/Paul Hansen, Dagens Nyheter)

The controversy over the photo, entitled ‘Gaza Burial,’ erupted after the prize was awarded in April, when analysts suggested that Hansen had made extensive use of editing software to alter the lighting in the original photo to such a degree as to breach the rules of the competition.

The picture, taken on November 20 last year, shows a funeral procession for a Palestinian man and his two young children killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza.

Blogger Dr. Neal Krawertz went further on Sunday, when he suggested it was possible the award-winning picture was in fact a composite image, perhaps constructed from three other pictures.

However, an analysis conducted on behalf of the World Press Photo foundation dismissed most of these claims, and found that the placement of pixels in the original file did not differ from those in the image file Hansen submitted for the prize.

In a statement released by the foundation yesterday, two experts who examined both of the computer image files of the photo said: “We have reviewed the RAW image, as supplied by World Press Photo, and the resulting published JPEG image. It is clear that the published photo was retouched with respect to both global and local color and tone.

“Beyond this, however, we find no evidence of significant photo manipulation or compositing.”

According to the rules of the World Press Photo prize, “only retouching which conforms to currently accepted standards in the industry is allowed.”

However, while the prize has been confirmed, the debate about where the line between the acceptable retouching and forgery of photos intended for the news media is drawn is likely to continue.

Quoted in an article on the controversy over Hansen’s photo in Der Spiegel, the American photographer Micah Albert, who won first place in the foundation’s ‘contemporary issues’ category this year, said: “The discussion on enhancement in photojournalism is overdue … As a communicator, I want to know where the boundaries are.”

Al-Za’im presenter Dalia Ahmad appears in promotional advert for the Lebanese program. (AAA)

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Maya Terro won the opportunity to run for a Beirut parliamentary seat on Tuesday after winning Lebanese reality television show Al-Za’im (The Leader). The program was launched on Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed television channel more than two months ago and enjoyed sweeping popularity across the country, with the show’s launch even being attended by President Michel Suleiman.

Terro won the competition after receiving 65% of the votes from both a panel of judges and a public phone-in, defeating rival Nicola Al-Harouni. Terro was presented with a medal during the show’s finale by former prime minister Najib Mikati; Harouni was presented with a commemorative shield by Al-Jadeed president Tahseen Khayat.

The finale’s greatest surprise was Al-Jadeed president Tahseen Khayat announcing that the voting would be largely inconsequential, as Al Za’im would finance the candidacies of both Terro and Harouni in a parliamentary constituency of their choice. In addition to this, both competitors will enjoy the title of “Al-Za’im.”

The finale, which also included performances from singer Carol Samah and the Chi NN comedy team, showcased footage of the contenders across the 8-week show run. The competition ended with a political debate between the two candidates hosted by Al-Za’im presenter Dalia Ahmad. During the debate, members of the panel of judges asked the competitors questions about typical political issues and problems facing the Lebanese people.

Al Za’im dealt with a number of political hot buttons, including issues such as corruption, workers’ rights and the controversial decision to privatize Lebanon’s beachfront.

Its tasks also included developing a campaign slogan. Terro chose the popular “Change, Change” as her electoral slogan, winning plaudits from the judges. She printed flyers displaying this slogan and distributed them around the campus of her alma mater, the American University of Beirut, and elsewhere.

Nicola Al-Hourani’s campaign slogan was “Balance and Equality to Build the Country and the Citizen.” She conducted her campaign in her home town of Ajaltoun.

Before announcing the results, the program broadcast a short film showing the contestants meeting with Lebanese president Michel Suleiman at the presidential palace. Following this, Prime Minister Mikati delivered a speech encouraging Lebanese youth to get involved in politics. He expressed his appreciation of the way that Al-Za’im candidates expressed themselves during the course of the show.

However, it should be noted that Lebanon’s new parliamentary election law has yet to be decided, and may be further postponed until consensus can be reached between all political parties.

The objective of the program was to provide an opportunity for Lebanese youth to get involved in the country’s often-restrictive political scene. It should allow Lebanese youth to compete for parliament based on their own views and opinions, away from the external influence or political affiliation that usually steer Lebanese politics.

However, the program has not been without its controversies, particularly revolving around the involvement of Lebanese model/singer Myriam Klink. The controversial star ultimately announced her withdrawal from the show one month ago in response to criticism from judges Raghida Dergham and Ibrahim Al-Amin.

The judging panel described Nicola Al-Harouni as being self-assured and charismatic, adding that she had demonstrated great progress across Al Za’im’s two-month run. They described winner Maya Terro as being the epitome of brave Lebanese women, adding that she had developed a successful electoral strategy focusing on secularism and the need for change.

Other Al-Za’im contestants announced that they would also be launching independent parliamentary candidacies, in news that will certainly ensure that Lebanon’s forthcoming parliamentary elections are worth watching.

Feedback on the program has been diverse. Most viewers supported the idea behind the show, namely getting Lebanon’s youths involved with politics, as well as diversifying the country’s political scene. On the other hand, some others viewed Al-Za’im as being nothing more than a publicity stunt.

Well-known Lebanese media figure Tony Azouri told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I watched the Al-Za’im program since it was first broadcast. I am a Lebanese living in London and it is important for me to feel involved in Lebanese politics, even from afar. Politics is the daily diet for the Lebanese of all ages. I think this program is unique…and this is beautiful because it opens the scene for ordinary people, like myself, to express themselves and participate and even reach parliament.”

“What is important is that those taking part in this program are youth and they have constructive ideas and they are not members of political families, as is usually the case in Lebanon,” he added.

Lebanese viewer Bassem A. was more critical, telling Asharq Al-Awsat: “I believe that there is a form of replicating foreign programs like Britain’s The Apprentice, albeit with the focus on politics.”

He acknowledged that the concept behind Al-Za’im was good, but stressed that it must move away from focusing on publicity and marketing.

“The only beautiful thing in the idea behind the program is that it opens the arena to ordinary people to take part, and perhaps reach parliament. The Lebanese, by their nature, like to talk about politics, and so the program appeals to a large segment of the Lebanese people,” he noted.

Lebanon’s Al Za’im has served as a template for other television programs in the Middle East. In Palestine, for example, Maan TV has launched a program entitled Al-Ra’is (The President).

Similar programs have previously appeared around the world as well. In France, Marc Olivier had a similar idea for a show, entitled Qui veut devenir président? (Who Wants to Become President?) but it met with critical failure, being taken off the air after a short time. In 2006, Canada launched a similar show called Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister, which was a critical success.

Today, Al-Jadeed is collaborating with an Egyptian television channel to transfer the show to Egypt, and the chaotic post-revolutionary scene may see the addition of reality television stars running for parliamentary seats.

Robert Wright. (Asharq Al-Awsat Photo)

Throughout his career, Wright has also written for some of the US’s most popular magazines and journals, such as the New Yorker, the New Republic and the New York Times, in addition to a number of other publications, although lately his writing has been largely absent from the media. In this interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Wright revealed the reasons behind his furlough from journalism. He also spoke about his position regarding the Obama administration’s reticence to intervene in Syria, as well as his view of critics of organized religion, and a host of other issues.

Asharq Al-Awsat: Your latest book focuses on the capacity of monotheistic religions to coexist and evolve over many centuries. In other words, these religions are capable of adapting to change, and this is what has enabled them to survive and coexist with one another. I know that the idea is more complicated and complex than that, but could you explain it for those who have not read your book yet?

Robert Wright: Firstly, in America one often hears others repeat the notion that religion breeds conflict. But in truth, even when you see religious sects fighting each other, the true source of the dispute is not religion. The true underlying causes for these disputes are often less obvious. For example, the Palestinian–Israeli conflict may seem as if it is a conflict between Muslims and Jews, but the true cause has nothing to do with religion. The source of the conflict can be traced back to the conflict over territory.

What I want to say is that religion is not the underlying cause of conflict, but it can play an important role in solving these conflicts. If certain circumstances create the impression that coexistence would benefit the conflicting parties, then religious justifications that call for tolerance and coexistence would emerge in its wake. It would also promote mutual understanding. We can see this clearly in the beginnings of Islam, which contributed to the unification of warring tribes, and we see something of this in modern history.

Q: Sectarian radicalism in the Middle East, which can often lead to violent conflict, is a very important issue that troubles many people. How does your book approach this issue? Is there another reason, aside from hatred, that makes them unable to coexist?

I am not a Middle East expert, but I do know that when the minority feels that the ruling majority does not respect their rights, problems begin and are quickly given a religious or nationalistic wrapping. We see this happening in Iraq and other places in the world. Religious differences can be exploited, but it is not the fundamental source of the conflict. Reconciling people caught up in conflict and persuading them to cooperate and live together remains a major challenge, but religious differences are usually not among the underlying causes of disputes.

Q: What about religious reform? For example, every year many books are published in the Arab world that center around the importance of implementing religious reform that would integrate Muslims into modernity and help them embrace modern values.

In general, whenever societies evolve, their values evolve. We see this clearly in America, for example, where many values have changed over the past sixty years, especially with respect to rights of women or black people. I think that the Islamic societies which have recently been exposed to modernity will also undergo this modernizing change. This is a new thing, but the true challenge lies in how they will do it. This is the important question. How can the Islamic societies or non-Islamic societies that have been exposed to the effects of modernization in past decades change? I think, to a certain extent, that the Western insistence on changing the Islamic world sometimes leads to adverse reactions.

Q: What is your position on criticism of religion itself, such as that by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris?

This movement claims that religions are anachronistic and will not last, and this is not true. There are many scientists who believe in the theory of evolution, for example, and still maintain their religious faith. Religions have also demonstrated a great ability to survive. The main point of contention is that they want science to prevail, but they scare people away from it with their attacks on religion. People feel threatened by this movement’s claim which categorically states, “If there were no religions, the problems would disappear.” This is not true. Imagine, for example, that the Palestinians and Israelis had the same religion; would their conflict over land end?

By the way, I spoke with Dawkins recently, and he seemed to understand this. If the sharpness of this movement’s tone were toned down, then it would be beneficial for everyone. They are defeating their own purpose.

Q: You have published many articles on the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. What is your take on it at the present time?

Frankly, I am not optimistic about this conflict. We in America frequently talk about the two-state solution, but with the increase in the number of settlements, it appears that this solution is no longer feasible. It is hard for Israel to force the settlers to leave, and the Israeli government is not enthusiastic about doing this. I think that the one-state solution is the only possible solution, but it will be a difficult challenge for everyone.

Q: That brings to mind your other book, The Logic of Human Destiny, in which you argued at length that people will accept solutions and compromises to end conflicts if they feel that they stand to benefit. But this principle appears not to apply to this particular example….

I think that there will be a long-term solution. If the two parties felt that they will profit from the solution, then they will agree to this solution, and vice-versa. Every time one side thinks that it needs to make gains at the other’s expense, the situation worsens. Unfortunately there are those, on both sides, that start from basic principle of ‘my gain is your loss.’

Q: In your book, you claim that this theory expresses the driving force of history. The world has now become more open and convergent, there is a wider exchange of ideas, and there are few limits to travel. All of this occurs because all parties feel that they profit and benefit from these transformations….

I think that history has proved that more people are joining the trend explained in the book, which says that people flock to globalization and convergence because in the end they benefit. For example, many of the US’s relationships around the world are based on this notion. However, this is not to say that people necessarily comprehend this underlying theory, and behave rationally based on their understanding of it.

Since ancient times, I think this force has been the fundamental driving force of history, and still is in the world in which we live today. This does not mean that zero-sum thinking does not exist. When this is the case, crises and conflicts ensue, as is the case with the Palestinians and Israelis.

Q: In your book, you make the important point that humans are, by nature competitive, but at the same time they can also be cooperative….

This is true, and these characteristics shaped human history. We see this in the most ancient societies which competed, for example, in hunting, but were also forced to cooperate to survive. Competition is not necessarily bad if it takes place under peaceful and fair conditions. In reality, it will lead to a lot of development in many fields. There is an aspect of human nature that drives us to compete, but if it is acted upon outside of a framework shaped by civility and a concern for justice, violence can ensue, and therein lies the danger.

Q: You recently announced that you will stop writing for the Atlantic. One of the reasons you cited was that you have become tired of waking up every day and trying to think of a topic on which to write. Do you think that this is the right time to stop?

The basic reason is that I want to finish my new book, and me stopping is in some ways related to the book’s subject, in that the book is about how humans sometimes deceive themselves, and make incorrect judgments. The book also deals with the idea of how humans convince themselves that they are right and the other party is wrong. The book addresses many of the issues that we talked about, and the importance of how mankind’s capacity for self-deception prevents us from coexisting and cooperating with others, or comprehending the idea of gain and loss, which we discussed. I stopped because I want finish this book, and because I felt, as I mentioned in my last article, tired of repeating the same ideas. But I am sure that I will come back to writing again, and maybe focus more on politics.

Currently, we can see that those spouting polarizing and provocative ideas enjoy much popularity on television and social networking sites. They can influence a larger number of people, while those who hold important ideas are ignored.

This problem has always existed, even before social networking sites. Simple messages spread quickly. It is easy to sow fear in people’s hearts for a certain cause. It is difficult for the voice of reason to be heard. This is how the situation has been for a long time, and this is the battle we are fighting.

Q: What is your opinion about the Obama administration’s reticence to intervene in Syria?

I think that Obama became president with the intention of not entering another war. With relation to Syria, he was afraid that arming the rebels would draw America into yet another war. Obama preferred the Libyan approach that quickly toppled Gaddafi. But in Syria, the situation is much more complex. We know that the American position partially changed in recent months, and it is clear that the Obama administration will end up supplying the rebels with arms.

Q: Your last book was on the Buddhist mindset. What drew you to this topic?

One of the reasons is that the meditative aspect of Buddhism is widespread in America, and I personally am interested in this topic. I meditate every morning. I also think that meditation is a good way to give the voice of reason precedence in the mind over the other competing voices, such as the voices of fear, hate and jealousy. I think that it is also a spiritual exercise that is not confined to any particular religion.

Q: Former president Bill Clinton really seemed to have enjoyed your books. I remember that he praised you a lot in his speeches….

He’s generous with his compliments for my books and he increased their readership. This was especially the case for my book, The Logic of Human Destiny. It is consistent with his vision that promotes cooperation, coexistence and integration.

Q: Have you had the chance to meet him?

Yes, I met him years ago, and we talked for some time.

Hurriyet Daily News editor-in-chief Murat Yetkin. (Asharq Al-Awsat Photo)

The newspaper is not considered to be in support of or opposition to the government, even though Aydın Doğan—who owns the publication, among several others—is generally known to have a poor relationship with the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to Murat Yetkin, the editor-in-chief of Hurriyet Daily News and author of four books on Turkish politics, in an exclusive interview.

Q: When did you become a journalist?

Murat Yetkin: My career in journalism began in 1980—right after the 1980 military coup in Turkey—when I studying mechanical engineering at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. I worked in almost all parts of the media, such as magazines, newspapers, radios, TV and agencies, for more than 30 years.

Q: Why did you choose to write in English?

Because I can write in English, and that is what my work requires. I still write articles in Turkish for Radikal. The Turkish audience recognizes me as a political commentator who has published four books on internal political affairs, all of which are in Turkish.

Q: Who reads the Hurriyet Daily News?

We have two types of readers, and they have minor differences. The first reads our print edition, which is only distributed in Turkey. The second follows the newspaper on its website. Most of those who read our print edition are diplomats, businessmen and expatriates who speak English and live in Turkey. As for the digital version, its prime readership consists of those who work with Turkey and neighboring countries, such as diplomats, investors, academics and journalists. This is an influential audience that has historical and geographical ties with Turkey and its surrounding countries. We are happy with our readers and we value them.

Q: How do you account for the “bad relationship” between Turks and foreign languages? Is there any progress in this field?

If you mean that not many Turks speak another language, you are probably right. One of the reasons for this is that not enough attention is being paid to the teaching of second and third languages. Also, Turkish grammar differs completely from Western and Middle Eastern languages. We tend to adopt any noun, verb and expression that we like and make it part of the Turkish language, as the grammar lets this happen.

Q: What does it mean to be an English writer in Turkey?

I do not see any reason that should make us different from any other country in the world. There are both advantages and disadvantages.

Q: What are the difficulties faced by Turkish newspapers, like yours, which are published in a foreign language?

We do not use English, or any other [foreign] language, in our daily lives in Turkey; Turkish is the dominant language. As such, there is a lively national media. The Turkish public can get its news in Turkish from television, newspapers, websites and social media. Newspapers that are published in foreign languages, such as Hurriyet Daily News, are generally aimed at readers who use English in their daily lives.

Q: What is your evaluation of the Turkish journalistic experience? Has it been improving or declining since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power?

There were definitely certain areas that the media used to refrain from delving into before the AKP assumed power; now there are different areas. The fact is all governments thus far would like to to see the media on their side, or, at the least, not in opposition to them. That said, journalists must do their job within legal boundaries. Within this legal framework, you must try to keep your readers and audiences informed about what is really going.

Q: What standards do you have at your newspaper? Do they differ from those that use the Turkish languages?

The Turkish language allows for implicit expressions, idioms and abbreviations in journalism. In Hurriyet News Daily, we are committed to international principles of news writing and reporting, since it is published in a global language and addresses a global audience.

Demonstrators calling for the passing of a legislation barring former aides to deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi from senior government posts stage a protest in Martyrs’ Square in Tripoli on April 30, 2013. (REUTERS)

Earlier this week, Mahmoud Al-Farjani, a correspondent for the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Arabiya, was kidnapped by armed men following numerous threats.

On April 28, the kidnappers seized Farjani in his Saudi-owned office building, which is situated across the street from the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Tripoli. On the day of the kidnapping, Farjani was covering a demonstration in favor of legislation to ban peoples linked to the late dictator Muammar Qaddafi from involvement in politics.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RWB), he was held for seven hours and was repeatedly beaten and threatened with execution.

This is only that latest of a series of attacks on journalists in the North African state. On the same day, members of an armed militia took over the headquarters of national television network Al-Wataniya.

According RWB, another kidnapping took place on April 22, when Yousef Bargoum, a former journalist and current director of public information for the civil registry of Benghazi, was kidnapped, beaten and tortured by armed militia. This followed a radio broadcast in which he reported the publication of official documents allegedly containing obvious falsehoods. He was released three days later and immediately hospitalized.

Aside from violent assaults, some Libyan reporters have also run afoul of the legal system. Amara Hassan Al-Khitabi, editor of the newspaper Al-Umma, was released on bail on April 21, after being detained by authorities. His arrest followed the publication of a list of 87 judges and prosecutors allegedly involved in corruption and embezzlement.

As well as the RWB, the Free Press Organization has also sought to raise the profile of this issue, and called on Ali Zeidan’s transitional government “to do everything in its power to guarantee the security of local and foreign media workers.”

A man walks past a satellite dish station in this October 28, 2008 file photo. (AP Photo/Howard Yanes, File)

The suspensions, which take effect immediately, appeared to target mainly Sunni channels known for criticizing Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s government.

“The Iraqi Communication and Media Commission decided to suspend the licenses of 10 satellite television channels for adopting sectarian language during the events of Hawija,” the Iraqi state-run television station Al-Iraqiya said, quoting the commission’s statement.

The action by the Iraqi media watchdog comes as Baghdad tries to quell rising unrest in the country, which escalated last week after Iraqi security forces launched the deadly Hawija crackdown that resulted in the deaths of 23 people including three soldiers.

Since then, over 180 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, among other attacks. The recent wave of violence follows more than four months of largely peaceful protests against Maliki’s government by Iraq’s Sunni Muslim minority.

Although the channels can still be viewed in Iraq, the suspension prevents news crews affiliated with the channels from reporting on activities in Iraq.

Salem Mashkour, a member of the Iraqi Communication and Media Commission’s board of trustees, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the work of these channels—in terms of their using sectarian language—is nothing new; we can confirm that we have observed it for nearly four months with some and six months with others. But recently, particularly since the events of Hawija, [sectarian discourse] has increased to the point where it has begun to publicly incite violence and sectarianism. Some of the channels even broadcasted direct calls for murder.”

“The board of trustees had previously contacted them to ask them to change their tone, but nothing came of our requests. This is why we made the decision to suspend their licenses. The decision is subject to appeal before the board of appeals and the Supreme Court,” Mashkour added.

Regarding the appeals process, Mashkour clarified that “these channels have one month to appeal. Should the board of appeals invalidate our decision to suspend their activity, the channels can resume their work. In the event that our decision is approved, the suspension remains in effect until they have amended their [content] and provided a written commitment [to maintain these standards]. However, in the event of a breach of that commitment, the channel will be shut down permanently.”

The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera said it was “astonished” by the move.

“We cover all sides of the stories in Iraq, and have done so for many years. The fact that so many channels have been hit all at once, though, suggests this is an indiscriminate decision,” it said in a statement to the Associated Press. “We urge the authorities to uphold freedom for the media to report the important stories taking place in Iraq.”

Apart from Al-Jazeera, the suspension affected one Shi’ite and eight Sunni channels.

The Egypt Independent’s old logo (Egypt Independent)

London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Cairo-based Egypt Independent newspaper delivered its final issue on Thursday, April 25. After four years of operation, Egypt’s leading independent English newspaper has officially terminated publication.

While the paper’s owners said that financial problems prompted the closure, the editorial team and supporters of the left-wing newspaper claimed there was a political motive, given the paper’s frequent criticism of Muslim-Brotherhood backed President Mursi.

The Egypt Independent was established in 2009 as a weekly English counterpart to the existing Al-Masry Al-Youm daily. It covered news daily both online and in print from the last days of the rule of President Mubarak, to the outbreak of the “Arab Spring” in Egypt and across the region, up until this week.

The editorial team was composed largely of young journalists, editors and translators that aimed to “provide proactive and propositional coverage, challenge stereotypes and offer new possibilities to understanding the news,” according to its website. Like other newspaper, the opinion pages included works from various academics, activists, researchers, and think tank members.

The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Lina Attalah announced the end of the newspaper’s four year run on Twitter on Thursday. Employing a large number of young women in leading roles, for many young Egyptian liberals it was a symbol of progressive values and freedom of speech, while the paper’s own “vision” emphasized professionalism and the promotion of a civil rights in a country emerging from the shadows of dictatorship.

As the second independent English-language publication to shut down in Egypt in the last year, the first being the Daily News Egypt, the termination of the Egypt Independent was not well-received. In a report published on the Tahrir Squared website, activist/blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah deemed the newspaper as “revolutionary” and claimed that its closure represented a political tactic to silence disagreement.

Some responses to the closure on Twitter read “a sad day for journalism in the Middle East: @Egypt Independent 2009-2013” and “The investors of @EgyIndependent failed to realize that some things are more important than profit. Especially now. #Egypt.”

The final issue, available in full online, contained an article by Hiba Afify titled “Beyond Ambition: How poor managerial skills destroyed a leading independent voice” in which the author claimed that the managerial troubles it experienced eventually prevented it from achieving a sound financial footing.

Afify wrote: “Even though the paper broke even in 20 months, [Al-Masry Al-Youm Publisher Hisham Kassem] says a series of poor decisions failed to capitalize on this success and dragged it into a financial crisis.”

Despite the demise of the newspaper, many of its former employees vowed to continue its mission in new ventures. The front page of the final issue read “to be continued” and in her final editor’s letter, Ms. Attalah announced that she and her team will “strive to continue and reincarnate in a new configuration.”

She also added that her readers should expect more from them: “We leave you with the hope of coming back soon, stronger and unbeaten, ready to incessantly travel to uncharted territories of storytelling.”

Logo of the Syrian Electronic Army, as shown on the group’s website today.

Earlier this week, the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) succeeded in hacking into the Associated Press’s Twitter account, sending out a fake tweet about a terrorist attack on the White House that injured President Barack Obama.

The fake White House tweet caused the US stock market to drop by 1% in a matter of seconds.

The pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army has yet to be linked to the Syrian government, although its now-obsolete website was registered by the Syrian Computer Society, which was previously led by President Bashar Al-Assad himself.

In response to the cyber-attack by the SEA, Twitter has been banning SEA user accounts; however, the pro-Assad hackers continue to create new ones.

Besides the AP Twitter account, other alleged targets have included Harvard University, the BBC, and Qatar’s pro-Syrian-opposition news channel Al-Jazeera.

In an interview via Twitter with London’s Financial Times newspaper, an SEA member claimed that the group is targeting all countries that support “terrorist groups” in Syria. He also demanded that Twitter officials refrain from suspending the group’s accounts and domain, so they could enjoy “American freedom of speech.”

Graham Cluley, a technology consultant for computer security firm Sophos, told the BBC that the SEA probably used “phishing,” a process by which emails that appear to be from Twitter compel users to enter their passwords. Another method may be infecting computers with key-logging software that allows everything typed to be monitored by hackers.

The mystery of the SEA’s identity continues, with the only indication on their now-obsolete website being a brief description by the group defining themselves as “enthusiastic Syrian youths who could not stay passive towards the massive distortion of facts about the recent uprising in Syria.”

According to CNN, the group’s modus operands shares some similarities with that of Anonymous, the hacker collective known for its distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which take websites offline; however, the SEA domain name and registration indicate clear connections with Syria.

Today, the SEA’s twitter feed read, “President Bashar Al-Assad commends the Syrian Electronic Army,” with a link to a YouTube video.