The Kurultay of the Alkharyan Republic, which consists of 126 seats, votes as follows:
For the Office of Premier Commissioner
For the Office of Internal Affairs Commissioner
I refuse to remove the carbon tax from this agreement. We need to hold companies accountable for how much CO2 they release to the atmosphere. I'm not sure where this research comes from but a carbon tax is one of the crucial steps regarding climate change. There are a dozen countries here that, if they sign the agreement, will also impose a carbon tax to comply with the agreement, not only Spain. Not cooperating only damages the European unity in the fight against climate change.
Regarding the transportation article, I have edited it like this, which I hope clears any confusion:
Signatory states shall promote the use of public transport over individual transport where possible.
I also have amended the first chapter of the third article in accordance:
Signatory states shall ban the construction of non-renewable and non-green plants at least by 2030.
Alright. Time extension is given.
(OOC: Time extension will last until the 13th)
4x
2021, 7 June, 17:38 AKT
President Tülay Elçi announced that Alkharya will not participate in the next commission elections in the European Union with an election. She stressed that the country is still in a state of distress after the civil conflict, and is incapable of running a nationwide election currently. Elçi says that the country will vote in the upcoming commission elections by Kurultay. In the previous commission election, a nationwide election was held, with Francois Le Berre, Münevver Birdane and John Mitchell am Lind winning. Münevver Birdane, who was elected as the Internal Affairs Commissioner announced that she would not seek a second consecutive term. She sighed that the job had damaged her mental health, especially due to the conflict coming just on the time for her term. She claimed that it was exhausting. and "damaging to her potential as a Commissioner". Birdane also claimed that she would not seek another commission term in the near future.
The months-long conflict is finally over.
Image: A couple of pedestrians walking by a war-torn street in Leylekhan on April 25, 2021.
Dörtköşe
Erin Karagül
2021, 5 June
After a long and exhausting fight between the Alkharyan military and the so-called Northern Militia, the militia has surrendered. The notice came after the last offense in Alderik City when the remaining militiamen were trapped in the city's northern suburbs. The military's forced offenses, as the dwindling support for the militia in occupied areas, added salt to the already worsening injury for the insurgents. The insurgence was notorious for its repeated human rights violations, extensively recorded by independent media. All visual and audio media was banned, Strict curfews were enforced, and mass murders by the rogue state were commonplace. It is yet to be known how many people died at the hands of these terrorists, however.
After the late former councilor, Aylin Gökçen was withdrawn from the position on charges yet to be known, she went on a rampage from Europolis, effectively starting the protests back in February. Millions attended in the North, most notably in the Alfur region. Things got worse very quickly when protests got increasingly violent, and, at the time, a significant amount of the Alkharyan military escaping with their guns. This was when the civil conflict officially began when the Northern militia declared the state of "The Alkharyan Realm". Things went quite south (pun unintended) very quickly, though. For one, nobody was sure who lead this movement throughout the civil conflict. The leaders of the militia had concealed their identity effectively. To this day, who actually lead the council of militiamen is unknown. The conflict's worst moments came after the fraudulent independence referendum initiated by the rogue state, followed by the mysterious death of the former councilor Aylin Gökçen. The Alkharyan military fully initiated an offense on Atlıkarınca and Geyikli right after, which resulted in thousands of deaths, civilian and military, with exact numbers yet to be disclosed.
Throughout March and April, a significant number of the militia forces switched sides, with numbers undisclosed again, though some argue it's around 100,000. It is said that most were excused during the conflict, though whether they'll be judged for their crimes is still left unanswered. The conflict came to an end in late May, thanks to inner conflict within the militia and its occupied areas, most of Alderik and the northern part of Alfur at the time. According to bystanders, just before the final liberation from the Alkharyan military, rebel citizens inside the occupied territory fired at the remaining militia. Thanks to the confusion, the military had an easy job cleaning out the remaining of the so-called Realm.
After the conflict, it is reported that thousands have been arrested, accused of supporting or aiding militiamen. It is possible that they may be charged with terrorism, treason, and other high crimes. The situation remains bleak as of current, however.
While the armed conflict has come to an end technically, the societal conflict may go on for decades to come. This conflict was a not-so-gentle reminder that our union is fragile. The reason why this conflict ended so short was because of how incompetent the militia was. Their iron fist governance style was so unpopular it came crashing down at the same speed as it rose. The politicians who held divisive beliefs and expressed them shall be held accountable, including President Tülay Elçi. We cannot have a place for trash talking and corruption anymore. Else, the next conflict may be just around the corner.
Nation name: Alkharya
Artist & song: Can Bonomo - "Tastamam"
Vote deliverer: Karsu Dönmez
Mr. Key and Mrs. Mouri-Kudo, thank you for your statements. I definitely understand why this bill would be quite harsh regarding vehicles and fuels, and I detailed that section more. You can check the updated version.
Mr. Ikomar, member state governments are responsible for handling which areas to reforest. As of now, there isn’t an exact bar that the countries need to reach regarding forestation in the agreement, nor areas specified in the agreement for reforestation. It just says that signatory states shall actively engage in reforestation.
Now, with the new changes, is there anything anyone would like to add?
(OOC: Check the document again to see the new changes, highlighted in italic. This conference will end on June 10th, and then Bergen Agreement will go into effect.)
After Juncker's wise words, Birdane took the podium once again.
Thank you, Mr. Juncker. We can now start the negotiation progress of the Bergen Agreement. Representatives may now speak on this podium and suggest amendments. Do not start empty arguments. I will not hesitate to intervene.
(OOC: You have until June 1st to discuss the agreement and suggest amendments. During this time, you are free to interact with any person as you please.)
After a short meet and greet with all officials, Birdane lead them all to the venue where the conference would be taking place. The venue was a room that was intricately designed, with flags of nations indicating where the officials would sit. After all the officials had settled, she came to the lectern and gave the opening speech:
Good afternoon, leaders of Europe. I am the Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union, Münevver Birdane. I am organizing this conference for an agreement that will tackle one of the greatest issues we are experiencing in the twenty-first century: Climate change. The extensive industrialization that has started in the 17th century is now actively dangering human life on Earth as we know it. Our coastal cities, water supplies, animal species... Life, as we know it, is in danger.
Before the elections, I wanted to do this conference because this is a big issue for me, but an even bigger issue for the youth. Now, I have always tried to do the most in my office, but the conflict in my homeland has prevented me from doing so. I have been trying to receive news and contact with Alkharyan officials, none of which could come to Mennrimiak today, so I am carrying two roles, as I've always done since I took this Commission position. Thankfully, it has calmed down since I came into the office, but I regret to inform you that I will not be seeking another term in the next elections. I will probably run again in the future, just not now. I will be helping my country with the peace talks and such. Thank you to all who have helped me while I was here.
Before the negotiations, I would like to pass the microphone to the guest that we have today, who has also prepared a similar plan in their time, Former Internal Affairs Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker. I invited him here because I think his insight on the Bergen Agreement would be helpful for all of us. Please welcome him.
It was a lukewarm day. Mrs. Birdane already arrived at the city of Bergen a couple of weeks prior to help with the organization. She was also the representative of Alkharya as the president gave her full permission. She knew she could not run for a second term, as she had to return to her country to help with the peace talks, as well as the reconstruction of Northern Alkharya. Her country needed her.
Just before she leaves, she decided that she would finish another unfinished job of Juncker's: The Green New Deal. She had already negotiated where the conference would take place months prior: Mennrimiak. After all, where would one see climate change's effects better than a country where icebergs are melting? All she had to do was wait for others to come.
Background photo taken from here
The Bergen Climate Change Conference (Norwegian: Bergen klimaendringskonferanse) is a conference for the negotiation and discussion of the Bergen Agreement. The conference will be held in Bergen, Mennrimiak. The conference is hosted by Internal Affairs Commissioner Münevver Birdane of Alkharya. All member states of the European Union are invited. Former Internal Affairs Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker of Spain will be present as a special guest.
(OOC: You can make your arrivals until May 25th, 2021. Please try to be on time as much as possible. Thank you.)
Press Statement - April 16th, 2021
Dear Europeans,
I express the strongest of my condemnations against the nation of Istkalen and its hostility against Reitzmag, Vayinaod and the European Union. The coup d'etat happening there is nothing but radical extremism that aims to bring the nation back to primitivism. Due to the turmoil, I fully support Istkalen being expelled from the Union until this mess is resolved and Reitzmag and Vayinaod defending themselves against this craze by any means. I hope that other nations in the Union support Reitzmag and Vayinaod so both nations can avoid further tragedies. My heart goes out to those who are the victims of these events they did not ask for.
Take care,
Münevver Birdane
Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union
On behalf of the Alkharyan Republic, I vote AGAINST this act.
Metin Fazlı
European Councillor of the Alkharyan Republic
On behalf of the Alkharyan Republic, I vote AGAINST the repeal.
Metin Fazlı
European Councillor of the Alkharyan Republic
Press Statement - April 2nd, 2021
Dear Europeans,
I am happy to announce that negotiations between Caspian states, organized by me, have been successful. We have agreed on The Caspian Treaty, which will establish a council of states, hopefully resolving all conflicts in the future. The treaty is as follows:
PREAMBLE
We, the Caspian nations and the European Commission, wishing to achieve our aim to restore the Caspian political situation to its previous peaceful and friendly one, agree with the following terms:
SECTION I – THE CASPIAN SEA AUTHORITY
I. The founding members of the Caspian Sea Authority will be the Kingdom of Reitzmag, the United Duchies, the Kingdom of Pravoslaviya, and the Confederacy of North Diessen.
a. The Autonomous Territory of Copala City will be admitted to the Caspian Sea Authority as an observer state.
b. The Caspian Sea Authority’s activities shall be funded by annual contributions from its members, set proportional to their Gross Domestic Product.
c. The Caspian Sea Authority’s budget shall be set annually by a majority vote of the Caspian Council.
d. The Caspian Sea Authority shall have a secretariat, to be located in a city to be determined by a majority vote of the Caspian Council.
II. Any other sovereign state with a coastline on the Caspian Sea is entitled to become a member of the Caspian Sea Authority.
III. Every member of the Caspian Sea Authority is entitled to one vote on the Caspian Council, which shall be the governing body of the Caspian Sea Authority.
IV. The Caspian Sea Authority recognises that each member is entitled to 24 nautical miles of territorial waters from their contiguous coastline, and 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
a. Each member has within its EEZ exclusive economic rights over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources, including, but not limited to, fisheries, mining, drilling for oil or gas, and renewable energy sources.
b. Each member may sell some or all of its economic rights in its EEZ to other entities.
c. EEZs are not part of the member’s territory, and no member has the right to construct artificial islands, or conduct any business outside their proper economic rights, in their EEZ without the unanimous prior approval of the Caspian Council.
V. In the event of overlapping claims to territorial waters or EEZs according to Section I, Clause IV of this agreement, the equidistance principle and the natural prolongation principle shall apply.
a. Members may decide by bilateral or multilateral treaty to amend the maritime boundaries between them.
b. In the event of any disputes between members over their maritime boundaries that cannot be resolved bilaterally, the Caspian Council shall by majority vote adjudicate on the dispute.
c. The Caspian Council will have respect to the equidistance principle and the natural prolongation principle in its adjudications on maritime boundaries.
VI. The Caspian Sea Authority is responsible for oversight of the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.
a. The Caspian Sea Authority shall not hinder the following activities of its members in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea:
i. Trade, shipping, and commerce
ii. Public transport
iii. Border security
iv. Search and rescue
v. Routine naval exercises
b. The Caspian Sea Authority shall, by a majority vote of the Caspian Council, set policies relating to fishing, mining, drilling for oil and gas, renewable energy generation, and other forms of economic activity in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea that do not belong to a member’s EEZ.
c. The Caspian Sea Authority shall be responsible for air and sea traffic management in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.
VII. No country may construct artificial islands beyond their territorial waters without the unanimous prior approval of the Caspian Council.
a. No offshore naval bases or permanent military installations shall be constructed in the non-territorial waters of the Caspian Sea.
VIII. The Caspian Sea Authority shall, where appropriate, commission environmental impact reports to assist it in its responsibilities.
IX. Military vessels belonging to countries without a coastline on the Caspian Sea that enter the Caspian Sea may not travel outside the territorial waters of the United Duchies, or any country whose coastline on the Caspian Sea borders that of the United Duchies, except for humanitarian purposes.
The Caspian Sea Authority may, by a unanimous vote of the Caspian Council, choose to grant certain countries or specific vessels further naval access to the Caspian Sea.
X. The United Duchies will guarantee access to the Baltic Canal to civilian vessels from, or carrying goods to or from, all countries with a coastline on the Caspian Sea, subject to tolls.
The United Duchies may restrict certain goods from being transported through the Baltic Canal for the following reasons only:
Reason to believe the goods will be used for military purposes;
Reason to believe the goods will be used for criminal activity;
Biosecurity;
Health and safety.
The United Duchies reserves the right to regulate the size of vessels transiting through the Baltic Canal and to deny entry to vessels that it deems to be overloaded or not seaworthy.
The United Duchies reserves the right to police the Baltic Canal to prevent illegal or unauthorised military activity or to deny access to the Baltic Canal for civilian trade involving countries that have been subject to sanctions by a vote of the European Council or involving countries that do not have a coastline on the Caspian Sea and have been subject to sanctions by the United Duchies.
If a member of the Caspian Sea Authority believes that the United Duchies is restricting trade beyond what is permitted in subclauses (a), (b), and (c), and is unable to resolve this dispute with the United Duchies bilaterally, then the Caspian Council may adjudicate by a majority vote.
SECTION II – ISLANDS
I. The islands constructed by the Kingdom of Reitzmag in the Caspian Sea beyond its territorial waters as determined in Section I, Clause IV of this agreement (hereafter, ‘the islands’) will be destroyed by the European Commission in an environmentally friendly manner, aimed at restoring as much as possible the biosphere before construction of the islands commenced.
II. When the islands are destroyed, any sand or other building material that is reclaimed shall be returned to the Kingdom of Reitzmag.
The Kingdom of Reitzmag may identify and prepare an area along its coastline for any such materials to be deposited. If it does not do this before demolition work commences, then the party responsible for destroying the islands shall proceed regardless, and deposit the materials at a location of its choosing.
III. After the islands are destroyed, the Caspian Sea Authority shall periodically review the ecological situation in the area for the next five years.
I would like to thank John Peter Key of the United Duchies, Metodi Pravoslav of Pravoslaviya, Victoria Romanov of Copala City, İnge Pekcan of North Diessen and Simon Bridges of Reitzmag for their cooperation.
Münevver Birdane
Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union
Does anyone have any objections to amendments from Pravoslaviya?
(This meeting will end in March 27, 2021 if there are no objections, and the Caspian Treaty will be finalized.
On behalf of the Alkharyan Republic, I vote FOR this revocation.
Metin Fazlı
European Councillor of the Alkharyan Republic
It is quite contradictory indeed that Ozbilen argues freedom of expression and religion should not be excluded unless in case of conflicting with other human rights under the law and then sues the Alkharyan Government, whose main goal with this law is to ensure that freedom of religion does not conflict with other freedoms of a human being. Biased religion teaching affects one's freedom of choosing religion, which, again, is the thing Alkharya is trying to prevent right now. The ICS Church's beliefs and views are completely irrelevant as every religious institution gets the same treatment at the gates of Alkharya. The Alkharyan Government does not care about the religious institution's views in any way whatsoever, and it shouldn't because then it is biased towards an institution itself. The only thing the Government is biased for is the beliefs and the well-being of its own citizens.
Laçin Kayıhan
(OOC: Wait, we had Cold War in this universe?)
Full Nation Name: Alkharyan Republic
Artist: Demet Sağıroğlu
Song: Arnavut Kaldırımı
Vote deliverer with their image linked: Korhan Abay (right) and Meltem Cumbul (left)
Flag (as of 1996)
After writing the last amendments and touches, Birdane was certain the treaty was finalized this time. She then showed the final text one more time.
"Does anyone have an objection to this version of the treaty?"
(OOC: You have until 22nd of March, 6 PM GMT / 1 PM EST to object. This has already taken long enough. @Pravoslaviya @BrumBrum @Kingdom-of-Reitzmag @North-Diessen)
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