See also The Latest from Iran (22 June): Supreme Leader "More Talks, Please"
1915 GMT: Economy Watch (Zionist Edition). Looks like Iran's problems with domestic production and rising prices have opened up unexpected imports --- the head of the Tehran Association of Fruit and Vegetable Sellers says cherries from Israel sre available in Iran for $3 per kilogramme.
See also Bahrain Snap Analysis: When Police Attack Marchers Who Carry Flowers...
Friday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Nothing Certain but Death & Protests
2135 GMT: Egypt. Supporters of Presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq and the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces have gathered today at the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Nasr City, raising Egyptian flags and banners such as "Egypt Above All" while chanting "Long live Egypt," "The people and the military are one hand", and "The people want Ahmed Shafiq."
Egypt Independent reports hundreds of demonstrators but images indicate a far larger crowd.
Friday, June 22, 2012 at 16:30 | James Miller in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2210 GMT: Syria. By the end of the day, more than 75 people have been killed today in Syria. Large protests, and reports of violence, continue well into the night.
One look at out interactive map (created with help from EA intern Josh Moss), and we can see that the reports of both large protests and violence were not isolated to a few locations, but were very widespread. This provides more evidence that the violence, as well as the opposition to Assad, are intensifying and spreading in every corner of the country:
2200 GMT: Bahrain. Was the head of AlWefaq specically targeted by police? Activists claim that this is the case, and they provide this photo as evidence:
See also Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Trapped in Homs...and Hama...and Douma...and...
1700 GMT: Following EU members' authorization of the European Commission to launch talks about an action plan and Turkey's acceptance of an initial readmission agreement that is considered critical for the union in combating irregular migration, Turkish citizens can travel across EU countries without visa requirements. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said:
The first synchronized move will be made and the process will start. I believe this is a very historic step.
We will sign the readmission agreement when the EU presents the action plan. And we will ratify the readmission agreement when the EU starts implementing the action plan. We will begin implementing the readmission agreement when the action plan finally produces visa exemption.
Meanwhile, Cyprus (southern administration) managed to convince all member countries to include the statement of "cooperation with all EU countries" in the readmission agreement.
1545 GMT: Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) co-chair Selahatin Demirtas responded to PKK leader Murat Karayilan's "there were 11 people including people from BDP in the Oslo meetings" statement:
To be honest, we, as BDP co-chairs, have never been involved in any of those Oslo meetings. We had information regarding neither the content of meetings in Imrali [where PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is kept in prison] nor that in Oslo. However, we were receiving signals that these meetings were held indirectly. We did not know who was meeting with whom, where and where there were meeting.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 12:30 | Ali Yenidunya in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
1700 GMT: During a recent speech at the Washington Institute, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz said that Israel needs to come to terms with Turkey's superpower status in the Middle East.
1615 GMT: BDP's deputy Altan Tan underlined the equally important matter of halting military operations and responded to calls for PKK to lay down its arms. Altan said:
Every time, they ar calling on PKK lay down its arms. OK, let it do so but how, to whom and where shall it leave its arms?
1520 GMT: Barzani spoke to Turkey's TRT:
The period of armed struggle is over now. This gives harm to Kurdish people. Our position is clear and obvious. We are asking our brothers in Turkey to continue their activities in the Parliament. The recent steps taken are very important ones for Turkey. I am condemning this incident.
BDP, Bulent Arinc, CHP, Ismet Yildiz, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Mexico, PKK, Turkey, undefined 2145 GMT: Egypt. Rumours have circulated for hours that former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak suffered a stroke today. Now a Ministry of Interior spokesman has confirmed the report, while State news agency MENA says Mubarak is "clinically dead" after he was moved from prison to a military hospital.
MENA said Mubarak's heart stopped and a defibrillator was used to restart it.
1925 GMT: Egypt. The massive crowd in Cairo's Tahrir Square tonight, protesting military rule:
Last week, Leyla Zana, an MP of the pro-Kurdish opposition Peace and Democracy Party, expressed hope in an interview that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would solve the Kurdish issue:
There is a solid fact here. Let’s say this openly and accept this fact. If he wanted, the strongest can solve this [Kurdish] issue. Who is the strongest one? It’s the government and its head, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The person who is the head of the strongest government in [our] history is able to show the willpower and has the power to sort out this issue. I believe that he will be able to solve this issue. I have never lost my faith in him solving this issue. And I don’t want to lose my faith in him. If I had lost [my faith], I wouldn’t be here.
1720 GMT: US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs José Fernandez has said that there is still room to expand the bilateral commercial ties even after a record 34 percent jump in bilateral trade volume last year. According to Fernandez:
The question is whether ties will be good or really good. Currently there are a number of areas where we cooperate very well, but now we’re thinking about how we can help expand and improve bilateral ties.
One of our chief projects has been helping İstanbul achieve its ambitions to become a major financial center. We’re getting them in touch with members of the Securities and Exchange Commission, showing them the regulations, so they can see how it works.
1640 GMT: Four members of PKK were killed by security forces in the district Idil of the eastern province of Sirnak after they had been spotted crossing the Turkish border from Syria.
AKP, Afghanistan, Ahmet Davutoğlu, CHP, Huseyin Celik, TUSIAD, Turkey, UUmit Boyner Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 10:12 | Ali Yenidunya in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
2200 GMT: The first reaction to Israel's recently declared report on the Mavi Marmara flotilla tragedy came from Turkey. According to Haaretz, one official from the Foreign Ministry underlined the importance of an official apology and added:
The State Comptroller [Micha Lindenstrauss]'s report regarding the decision making process is not in Turkey's interest. If the reports we received are correct, it shows that the attack on the Mavi Marmara and the killing of the Turkish nationals could have been prevented.
1930 GMT: The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu writes about the Kurdish problem on his Twitter account:
CHP aims at solving every problem in a legitimate platform. The legitimate platform of this problem is the Parliament. Politicians shall discuss problems with every dimensions. There are terror, psychologic, economic and social dimensions of this problem.
If we do not solve this problem, external actors come into play. Without solution, emotional breaks emerge. If this problem can be discussed everywhere, why not under the roof of the Parliament?
See also Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A Regime on Its Last Legs?
2000 GMT: It is claimed by Today's Zaman that the Obama administration will anoounce seven countries including Turkey that will be exempt from sanctions since they have significantly cut oil purchases from Iran.
1835 GMT: Turkish deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc said that no revision is planned to abolish specially authorized prosecutors and courts as part of a government plan to overhaul the Turkish criminal code.
1505 GMT: It is claimed that the arrestment of BDP members including Van Mayor Bekir Kaya had been known in advance. According to this assertion, some prison cells had been emptied and readied even before they were detained.
1500 GMT: Firat News Agency known by its close ties with the outlawed PKK, says 'KCK Executive Council member Cemil Bayık' evaluated the meeting between AKP and CHP as 'the usual policy of “trying to strain Kurds and making them surrender”'.
Besides, in response to the government's new initiative, KCK political committee reportedly declared that "any discussion or decision taken on the struggle of freedom without the will of our movement and our people is void!"
AKP, BBurhan Kuzu, BDP, Besir Atalay, Iraq, Jalal Talabani, KCK, PKK, Turkey, undefined 
