Balkan Developments

published on 10/25/24 12:40 PM

Abdullah Öcalan proposes peace talks with the PKK from prison

The leader of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, who is serving a life sentence, was visited by a relative for the first time in 4.5 years and conveyed a message that he was ready for peace talks with Ankara, NTV Haber reported.

Ömer Öcalan, the rebel leader's nephew and an MP from the opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, said he visited his uncle in prison on İmralı Island and asked him to deliver the message to the community. "If the conditions are created, I have the theoretical and practical power to move this process from the soil of conflict and violence to legal and political soil," the rebel said.

The news comes a day after the attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters, in which 5 people died and 20 were injured. The attack was attributed to the PKK.‎

In 30 years, the population of Serbia is expected to shrink by over 22%

The National Statistical Institute of Serbia expects that by 2025 the population will drop by 1.5 million people to 5.2 million inhabitants compared to 2022, BGNES reports. In the most optimistic version of a high birth rate without migration, the population will be 5.5 million. In the most pessimistic scenario, it will drop to 4.75 million.

The forecast is that almost half of Serbs will live in 5 cities - Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac and Novi Pazar. The population will decrease the most in the Bor region by 55%, in Zaichar by 50%, in the other regions by 30%.

The population of the richest Serbian province of Vojvodina is expected to drop by a quarter. Bosilegrad, populated with a Bulgarian ethnic population, is among the 7 demographically most endangered municipalities in Serbia. The forecast is for the population of the municipality from 6,065 in 2022 to decrease to ‎‎1,100 people in 2052. During the same period, the citizens of Tsaribrod will ‎melt down to 2,111 people, and in Surdulica - to 4,300.‎

Slovenian Parliament refuses to call referendum on new nuclear power plant

The Slovenian Parliament has rejected a proposal to organize a referendum on whether to build a new nuclear power plant next to the existing Krško nuclear power plant, rtvslo.si reported.

Krško nuclear power plant is owned by Slovenia and Croatia and has been operating since 1983. In January 2023, it received a permit to extend the period of operation by 20 years until 2043. 69 deputies voted "against" the proposed referendum and only one "for". Parliamentary groups agreed that holding a consultative referendum would be irresponsible under the "current circumstances", and the ruling coalition and the opposition accused each other of covert calculations surrounding the poll.

According to the plans, the new JEK 2 nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2,400 megawatts should be built next to the old one, which covers about 20% of the country's energy needs and about 16% of Croatia's needs. ‎

National Geographic readers choose Sarajevo as best travel destination

The National Geographic magazine has published the best destinations in the world, and the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, was declared the best destination according to the readers' choice.

"With centuries of history woven into its natural beauty, it's no wonder this cosmopolitan capital is so loved. Plan your visit to sample the offerings at the local markets, stroll along the Milyatska River and soak up the amazing views that this city has to offer," the publication wrote on its Instagram profile.

Among the finalists for the best destination of the National Geographic were also cities such as Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, New Orleans in the United States, Bodrum in Turkey and Cusco in Peru, notes the Balkan edition of Al Jazeera based in Sarajevo.

Photos: aa.com.tr, danas.rs, rtvslo.si, nationalgeographic.com

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov