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Monday, October 31, 2011

Turkish monetary policy: Madness or Isparta

Turkish monetary policy: Madness or Isparta

Author: Emre Deliveli · October 31st, 2011

Below is my Hurriyet Daily News column for this week, which you can also read at the Daily News website. I continue with my cheesy titles, and this week’s is yet another movie homage. There is a long addendum with plenty of humor in the making, but here’s how my nightmare looks like:

More:EconoMonitor : EconoMonitor » Turkish monetary policy: Madness or Isparta

Where is Turkey’s key to the EU door?

Where is Turkey’s key to the EU door?
M N Hebbar (View from Europe)

1 November 2011
Time was when the mention of the word Turkey in the populous democracies of Europe conjured up exotic visions of foreign nationals living in their midst as perfectly legitimate law-abiding citizens.

Their significant numbers in post-war Germany, for instance, reflected the pressing needs of a manpower-starved nation struggling to rebuild its shattered economy from its bootstraps. Turkey was a valued member in the comity of nations. But Turkey’s 40-year bid for membership of the European Union (EU) has surprisingly been a long saga of theatrics, charade, disdain and continuing jilting of a nation that has transformed itself well beyond its initial image of a pliant supplicant state.

More:Where is Turkey’s key to the EU door?

The EU's Culture War With Turkey

The EU's Culture War With Turkey

Daniel Bender in Global, Europe 3 hours ago

Turkish forces have once-again assaulted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq in retaliation for a recent attack that killed 24 Turkish soldiers and left more than 100 wounded. The renewed military operations represent the first real Turkish offensive against Kurdish rebels since 2005, when Turkey and the European Union began negotiating Turkey’s accession to the EU Such a conflict has undoubtedly raised eyebrows across Europe, whose leaders would like to see their populous Muslim neighbor kowtow to European demands, but never be fully included.

More:The EU's Culture War With Turkey @PolicyMic | Daniel Bender

Turkey to Invite Third-Placed Bidder for Istanbul Grid Sale - Businessweek

Turkey to Invite Third-Placed Bidder for Istanbul Grid Sale
October 31, 2011, 12:46 PM EDT

By Ali Berat Meric

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s asset sales agency said it will invite Park Holding AS to discuss buying the power grid on the European side of Istanbul after the second-placed bidder didn’t deposit collateral in time.

Aksa Elektrik Perakende Satis AS didn’t post the money required to secure the right to buy, the agency said in an e- mailed statement from Ankara today. Aksa bid $2.75 billion for the network in an auction in August last year. Park’s offer was $2.5 billion in the auction.

More:Turkey to Invite Third-Placed Bidder for Istanbul Grid Sale - Businessweek

A Turkish Puzzle: Grey Wolves, Ergenekon, and the 'Deep State' - International Business Times

A Turkish Puzzle: Grey Wolves, Ergenekon, and the 'Deep State'

By Palash R. Ghosh | October 31, 2011 11:31 AM EDT

Although ignored and overlooked by the mainstream media in Europe, reports are emerging that the escalation of violence between the Turkish military and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) near Turkey’s southeastern border has prompted clashes among their brethren thousands of miles away -- among the immigrant communities in western Europe.

More:A Turkish Puzzle: Grey Wolves, Ergenekon, and the 'Deep State' - International Business Times

Ankara frustrated with PKK efforts - UPI.com

Ankara frustrated with PKK efforts
Published: Oct. 31, 2011 at 12:14 PM

ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Germany's tolerance for the activity of Kurdish separatists makes it a key recruitment ground for terrorist funding, a Turkish analyst said.

More:Ankara frustrated with PKK efforts - UPI.com

Afghans, Pakistan may use talks to ease tensions: Turks | Reuters

Afghans, Pakistan may use talks to ease tensions: Turks

By Simon Cameron-Moore

ISTANBUL | Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:23pm EDT

(Reuters) - Afghanistan and Pakistan have a chance at talks in Istanbul to end a blame game over a series of militant attacks that have deepened their mutual mistrust, officials from the Turkish host government said on Monday.

More:Afghans, Pakistan may use talks to ease tensions: Turks | Reuters

Turkey Tremor Strikes at Poorest

Turkey Tremor Strikes at Poorest
Written by David Rosenberg
Published Monday, October 31, 2011

Devastation accentuates widening economic gap between country’s east and west

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Turkey points up the great economic divide between the country’s thriving west and an east in long-term decline.
More:The Media Line

My first day in 'Almanya'

My first day in 'Almanya'

Bahaeddin Güngör

Baha Güngör heads Deutsche Welle's Turkish Program
DW's Baha Güngör came to Germany from Turkey - where everyone told him the Germans would be good to him - when he was a child. He remembers the long journey 50 years ago, and recounts how his life unfolded in Almanya.

"You're going to Germany" - time and again, my teacher, my neighbors in Istanbul's Üsküdar district, our local grocer "Bakkal" Ahmet told me: "Germany is good, the Germans are our friends, Germans are good people." They all spoke well of the Germans and Germany: Germans are "friends", "brothers in arms", "industrious" and "disciplined." There were days when I could hardly wait to go to "Almanya" - to be reunited with my parents who had left for Germany three years earlier.

More:My first day in 'Almanya' | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 31.10.2011

Rezidor announces the Radisson Blu Hotel Mersin in Turkey | Reuters

Rezidor announces the Radisson Blu Hotel Mersin in Turkey
* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:00am EDT

The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces the Radisson Blu Hotel Mersin in Turkey. The former "Taksim" hotel featuring 246 guest rooms will be rebranded in Q4 2011.

More:Rezidor announces the Radisson Blu Hotel Mersin in Turkey | Reuters

Turkey Stocks: Albaraka, Emlak Konut, Park Elektrik, TAV Move - Businessweek

Turkey Stocks: Albaraka, Emlak Konut, Park Elektrik, TAV Move
October 31, 2011, 12:36 PM EDT

By Benjamin Harvey

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s benchmark ISE National 100 Index fell 1.7 percent to 56,061.47 at the close in Istanbul, extending this month’s decline to 6.1 percent.

The following stocks were active.

Albaraka Turk Katilim Bankasi AS (ALBRK TI), an Islamic bank, fell 1.6 percent to 1.87 liras. Third-quarter profit rose to 39 million liras, the bank said in a statement to the exchange today, missing estimates.

More:Turkey Stocks: Albaraka, Emlak Konut, Park Elektrik, TAV Move - Businessweek

Lira Weakens First Day in Eight as Central Bank Raises Funding - Businessweek

Lira Weakens First Day in Eight as Central Bank Raises Funding
October 31, 2011, 11:55 AM EDT

By Selcuk Gokoluk

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- The Turkish lira weakened for the first day in eight, snapping its longest streak of appreciations in fifteen months, after the central bank provided record high funding to banks at policy rates.

The lira declined 1 percent to 1.7630 per dollar at 5:14 a.m. in Istanbul, paring this month’s advance to 5.6 percent. Yields on two-year benchmark debt fell 2 basis points, or 0.02 percentage points, to 9.74 percent, falling for a third day, a Turk Ekonomi Bankasi index of the securities showed.

More:Lira Weakens First Day in Eight as Central Bank Raises Funding - Businessweek

Fifty Years of Turkish Immigration: 'Guest Workers' Relive Their Journey to Germany - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

Fifty Years of Turkish Immigration
'Guest Workers' Relive Their Journey to Germany

Some 50 years after Germany and Turkey signed a labor agreement, a group of 35 so-called Turkish 'guest workers' embarked on an anniversary train trip to relive their original journey. Following her father's path, writer Yasemin Ergin rode along last week, recording their memories in the first two parts of her series.

More:Fifty Years of Turkish Immigration: "Guest Workers" Relive Their Journey to Germany - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

Turkey’s Never-Ending Kurdish Question

Turkey’s Never-Ending Kurdish Question

AKP’s success has been based on its domination of the Turkish centre ground, and if that centre ground is against making concessions to the Kurds, it will be hard for the party to move any further than it has, even if it wants to.

More:Turkey’s Never-Ending Kurdish Question

Turkish ministry suggesting year-long summer time

Turkish ministry suggesting year-long summer time

Sunday, October 30, 2011
ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry is conducting a study to determine how much energy could be saved if daylight-saving time, or summer time, were extended to the whole year.

More:Turkish ministry suggesting year-long summer time - Hurriyet Daily News

Tunisian runner-up also taking Turkey as model

Tunisian runner-up also taking Turkey as model

Sunday, October 30, 2011
TUNIS / ANKARA – Anatolia News Agency

Turkey has become an inspiration for more than just the winners of Tunisia’s first free elections, as the runner-up in the North African country’s polls last week has also pointed to Ankara as a model.

More:Tunisian runner-up also taking Turkey as model - Hurriyet Daily News

Turks Recall German Guest Worker Program - NYTimes.com

A 50-Year Journey for Turkey and Germany
By SOUAD MEKHENNET
Published: October 30, 2011

ISTANBUL — It was cold and wintry in Istanbul, that day in 1961, when Mehmet Ali Zaimoglu boarded a train to Germany carrying a small bag with a few items of clothing, his only pair of shoes and some beans and bread to eat on what he knew would be a days-long trip to a strange country.

More:Turks Recall German Guest Worker Program - NYTimes.com

US$ 40 million to Turkey's Isbank for on-lending to private sector investments

US$ 40 million to Turkey's Isbank for on-lending to private sector investments

Balkans.com Business news correspondent - 31.10.2011

The EBRD is boosting its support to energy efficiency projects in Turkey with a new US$ 40 million loan to Isbank for on-lending to local companies and households.
The loan is part of the EBRD’s US$ 240 million Turkey Private Sector Sustainable Energy Financing Facility, or TurSEFF, with Isbank, one of the leading banks in Turkey, becoming the fifth bank participating in the programme.

More:Balkans.com Business News : US$ 40 million to Turkey's Isbank for on-lending to private sector investments

Turkish cultural union of Sweden presents “Friend of the Year” Award to an Armenian

Turkish cultural union of Sweden presents “Friend of the Year” Award to an Armenian

October 31, 2011 | 00:04

Turkish Cultural and Studies Union of Sweden presented its “Friend of the Year” Award to Kadim Akcha, an Armenian businessman born in Turkey.

Akcha was presented the “Friend of the Year” Award for his book entitled To Think Like a Turk In Order to Reach Success. The award was presented together with a small concert, the Turkish Haber 3 news agency informed.

More:Turkish cultural union of Sweden presents “Friend of the Year” Award to an Armenian | Armenia News - NEWS.am

Rescue work halts in eastern Turkey seven days after deadly quake

Rescue work halts in eastern Turkey seven days after deadly quake
English.news.cn 2011-10-31 03:14:39

ANKARA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Turkey's deadly earthquake last Sunday rose to 601 on Sunday, while officials said the search for survivors stopped in the disaster-struck eastern province of Van province and they would then focus on removing the wreckage and helping disaster victims left homeless.

More:Rescue work halts in eastern Turkey seven days after deadly quake

Latest Cyprus Talks Positive and Vigorous « VOA Breaking News

Latest Cyprus Talks Positive and Vigorous
Posted Sunday, October 30th, 2011 at 9:05 pm

The United Nations says the latest round of talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders aimed at finding a settlement for the divided island have been “positive, productive, and vigorous.”

More:Latest Cyprus Talks Positive and Vigorous « VOA Breaking News

Kurdish thorn in Turkish-Syrian relations in a photo

Kurdish thorn in Turkish-Syrian relations in a photo

Sunday, October 30, 2011
AFP photo

AFP photo
MURAT YETKİN

This AFP photo from yesterday shows demonstrators in front of the Syrian Embassy in Beirut.

More:Kurdish thorn in Turkish-Syrian relations in a photo - Hurriyet Daily News

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Netherlands supports earthquake victims in Turkey

The Netherlands supports earthquake victims in Turkey

European affairs and international cooperation minister Ben Knapen has decided to give €500,000 to assist earthquake victims in Turkey, in response to the Turkish government’s international call for help.

More:The Netherlands supports earthquake victims in Turkey

Two arrested after Dutch pro-Turkish demo < Dutch news | Expatica The Netherlands

Two arrested after Dutch pro-Turkish demo

Two people were arrested after police intervened Sunday to keep pro-Turkish demonstrators and members of the Kurdish community apart after a demonstration in The Hague, a spokeswoman said.

More:Two arrested after Dutch pro-Turkish demo < Dutch news | Expatica The Netherlands

Turkey Earthquake Results in Insult to Affected Kurds - TIME

An Earthquake Exposes Turkish-Kurd Faultlines, But Can It Heal Them?
By Pelin Turgut / Istanbul Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011

A window for peace is often more of a slight crack, fleeting and ephemeral, here one minute, gone the next. If there was any solace following Sunday's devastating 7.2 earthquake in Van, a desperately poor region in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, it appeared — for a moment — to offer just that. The quake, in which more than 500 people have been confirmed dead and tens of thousands left homeless, came as Turkish-Kurdish tensions flared in the wake of an attack that killed 24 Turkish soldiers last week. Turkey subsequently launched its biggest cross-border operation in a decade in pursuit of Kurdish separatist guerrillas based in the mountains of north Iraq.

More:Turkey Earthquake Results in Insult to Affected Kurds - TIME

UN's Ban seeks lifeline to flagging Cyprus talks | World | Reuters

UN's Ban seeks lifeline to flagging Cyprus talks
Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:55pm GMT

By Michele Kambas

MANHASSET, New York (Reuters) - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will attempt to revive flagging Cyprus peace talks on Sunday, convening a two-day meeting with rival leaders to resolve a dispute harming Turkey's EU entry bid and energy projects in the eastern Mediterranean.

More:UN's Ban seeks lifeline to flagging Cyprus talks | World | Reuters

Turkish quake victims shiver as toll passes 600 | The Jakarta Globe

Turkish quake victims shiver as toll passes 600
October 31, 2011

Bulldozers replaced sniffer dogs on Sunday as search efforts wound down in quake-hit eastern Turkey and the death toll rose to over 600.

More:Turkish quake victims shiver as toll passes 600 | The Jakarta Globe

Controversial paragraph condemning Turkey dropped on Pakistan’s intervention

Controversial paragraph condemning Turkey dropped on Pakistan’s intervention

PERTH (Australia), Oct 30 (APP): The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Sunday dropped a controversial paragraph from its final communique condemning Turkey over its stance on the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, following a strng stance adopted by Pakistan.The original paragraph named and condemned Turkey for allegedly violating the UN resolution on controlling the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus.Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said it was against the spirit of the 54-member grouping to name any particular country.

More:Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Controversial paragraph condemning Turkey dropped on Pakistan’s intervention

Turkey's Erdogan holds Assad's fate in his hands

Turkey's Erdogan holds Assad's fate in his hands
Syrian protesters and army defectors can only dent Assad's iron hold on the country, unless, that is, Turkey continues to silently sponsor his opponents.
By Anshel Pfeffer

It's been eight months of bloody crackdowns, and Bashar Assad is still standing. NATO, the Arab League, and the United Nations would never confront him, whether his men continue to slaughter dozens of civilians every day, or not. He is flanked by Iran and Hezbollah, with Russia and China continuing to back him up diplomatically.

More:Turkey's Erdogan holds Assad's fate in his hands - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Zombies dance the night away in Istanbul

Zombies dance the night away in Istanbul

Sunday, October 30, 2011
ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency (DHA)

More than 250 people in zombie costumes showed up last night in Ortaköy Square in Istanbul to commemorate the late famous pop singer Michael Jackson for a worldwide event called "Thrill the World."

More:Zombies dance the night away in Istanbul - Hurriyet Daily News

Korea, Turkey cement ties through adversity

Korea, Turkey cement ties through adversity

2011-10-30 18:41

About a week ago, Koreans heard the tragic news that one of their closest friends, Turkey, had been struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake near the eastern city of Van, killing over 530 people.

“It was a very tragic event, unfortunately we lost many people,” said Turkish Ambassador Naci Saribas to The Korea Herald.

More: Korea, Turkey cement ties through adversity

Beset by crises, Erdogan has time on his s... JPost - Middle East

Beset by crises, Erdogan has time on his side
By DAVID ROSENBERG / THE MEDIA LINE
10/30/2011 14:17

Recent earthquake and its mishandling along side Kurdish unrest affect Turkish president's popularity, but elections are far away.

More:Beset by crises, Erdogan has time on his s... JPost - Middle East

AFP: Turkey quake toll nears 600 as search winds down

Turkey quake toll nears 600 as search winds down

(AFP) – 7 hours ago

ISTANBUL — The death toll from eastern Turkey's devastating earthquake rose to 596 on Sunday while bulldozers were replacing sniffer dogs as search efforts wound down.

More than 4,150 people were injured in the 7.2 magnitude quake that shook the eastern Van province near the Iranian border a week ago, the prime ministry's emergency unit said in a statement on its website.

More:AFP: Turkey quake toll nears 600 as search winds down

Meet Mustafa, one of Germany’s first Turkish ‘guest workers’

Meet Mustafa, one of Germany’s first Turkish ‘guest workers’

Sunday, 30 October 2011

By AFP
STUTTGART

Half a century ago, Mustafa Akci arrived here as one of the very first Turkish Gastarbeiter, or “guest workers,” following the signing of an agreement that was to change the face of Germany.

Today, some three million Turks or Germans of Turkish origin are settled in this 80-million-strong country, representing its largest ethnic minority.

More:Meet Mustafa, one of Germany’s first Turkish ‘guest workers’

Aiming low at Istanbul meeting on Afghanistan security | Reuters

Aiming low at Istanbul meeting on Afghanistan security

By Daniel Magnowski

KABUL | Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:55pm IST

(Reuters) - Western officials are not setting the bar very high for Afghan diplomats who will meet regional counterparts in Istanbul this week, the first of two conferences that will go a long way to shaping the future of international involvement in Afghanistan.

More:Aiming low at Istanbul meeting on Afghanistan security | Reuters

Piri Reis to wrap up hydrocarbons exploration - Cyprus Mail

Piri Reis to wrap up hydrocarbons exploration
Published on October 30, 2011

THE TURKISH vessel Piri Reis should complete its exploration for gas and oil by tomorrow, Turkish press said yesterday.

The Piri Reis has explored about 3,300km and needs at least two more days to explore a further 350km, the Turkish Cypriot press said yesterday.

More:Piri Reis to wrap up hydrocarbons exploration - Cyprus Mail

Denktash released from hospital

Denktash released from hospital

Denktash has been the key figure in the Turkish community of Cyprus for more than 50 years.
CEM BARBER / FG ONLINE
• Sun, Oct 30, 2011
The former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash is expected to be discharged from hospital this morning. Doctors said that 87-year-old politician, who has been undergoing treatment for several months, was now in a stable condition.

Denktash had a partial paralysis caused by an embolism on May 24. After his first surgery in northern Cyprus, he underwent another operation at Ankara's GATA on August 25.

More:Denktash released from hospital

Play helps children heal from Turkish quake trauma | Reuters

Play helps children heal from Turkish quake trauma

By Ece Toksabay and Ibon Villelabeitia

ERCIS, Turkey | Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:58am EDT

(Reuters) - Eleven-year-old Rumeysa Kalkan's world was shattered on a sunny Sunday afternoon at 1.41 p.m.

That day, on October 23, a powerful earthquake killed nearly 600 people in eastern Turkey, devastating towns and villages and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

More:Play helps children heal from Turkish quake trauma | Reuters

Iran, Syria Plotting to Blunt Turkey

Iran, Syria Plotting to Blunt Turkey
By Reza Kahlili

Two of the Middle East's dictators, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, want to form a united front against NATO ally Turkey for what they see as dangerous meddling in regional affairs.

More:Articles: Iran, Syria Plotting to Blunt Turkey

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Many teachers among victims in Turkish quake | Reuters

Many teachers among victims in Turkish quake

By Ece Toksabay and Ibon Villelabeitia

ERCIS, Turkey | Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:30pm EDT

(Reuters) - They had gathered in a cafe to celebrate the engagement of two of their colleagues when the earthquake struck, killing tens of Turkey's young teachers.

More:Many teachers among victims in Turkish quake | Reuters

Kurds in Turkey Rended by War That Haunts Country - NYTimes.com

For Kurds in Turkey, a Country’s Conflict Rends Families
Ed Ou for The New York Times

SIRNAK, Turkey — Portraits of Mevlude Gungen’s two eldest children hang just above the television, the only piece of furniture in her spare living room. On a recent day, the set was tuned to the station run by a Kurdish militant group, bringing her news of the conflict that has haunted her country — and her family — for years.

More:Kurds in Turkey Rended by War That Haunts Country - NYTimes.com

Turkey to End Effort to Find Quake Survivors - WSJ.com

Turkey to End Effort to Find Quake Survivors

By MARC CHAMPION

ISTANBUL—Turkey's government said on Saturday it would call off efforts to find survivors in the wreckage of last weekend's powerful earthquake by the end of the day, as the official death toll from the 7.2 magnitude tremor rose to 582.

More:Turkey to End Effort to Find Quake Survivors - WSJ.com

Mobility scooter made Istanbul trip possible

Mobility scooter made Istanbul trip possible

By Tex Enemark, For Postmedia News October 29, 2011

As we get on in years, most of us find getting around increasingly difficult. When considering holiday choices to unknown climes the issue of personal mobility becomes a greater concern. One alternative to consider is a battery-powered mobility scooter.

More:Mobility scooter made Istanbul trip possible

Women Parliamentarians Says Steps of Turkish Women Can Be an Example for Them, 29 October 2011 Saturday 13:19

Women Parliamentarians Says Steps of Turkish Women Can Be an Example for Them

Saturday, 29 October 2011

TUNIS (A.A) - Tunisian women parliamentarians said on Saturday that steps of Turkish women could be an example for themselves.

More:Women Parliamentarians Says Steps of Turkish Women Can Be an Example for Them, 29 October 2011 Saturday 13:19

Turkey Celebrates 88th Anniversary of Foundation of Republic

Turkey Celebrates 88th Anniversary of Foundation of Republic
29 October, 2011 | 12:31
The first ceremony to mark the 88th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey took place at Anitkabir, Mausoleum of Great Leader Ataturk, in Ankara on Saturday.

More:Turkey Celebrates 88th Anniversary of Foundation of Republic

Turkey explosion kills 1, wounds 10

Turkey explosion kills 1, wounds 10

(AP) – 13 minutes ago

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An explosion believed to have been caused by a suicide bomber killed one person and wounded 10 others in southeast Turkey on Saturday, the country's interior minister said.

Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said the explosion occurred in the center of the mainly-Kurdish city of Bingol. He said the blast was near the local branch of the ruling party, but the building was not the intended target.

More:The Associated Press: Turkey explosion kills 1, wounds 10

U.S. moves to sell attack helicopters to Turkey | Reuters

U.S. moves to sell attack helicopters to Turkey

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON | Fri Oct 28, 2011 5:56pm EDT

(Reuters) - The Obama administration formally notified the Congress on Friday of an unusual proposal to take three AH-1W attack helicopters from the U.S. Marine Corps inventory and sell them to Turkey.

More:U.S. moves to sell attack helicopters to Turkey | Reuters

Arab wave sweeps Iran model out, Turkey ‘in’

Arab wave sweeps Iran model out, Turkey ‘in’

Friday, October 28, 2011
BARÇIN YİNANÇ
BEIRUT - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call for secularism has calmed the fears of those concerned Turkey was about to create a network of Muslim Brotherhood-led governments to control the Arab world, said a regional expert. His statement also relieved the secularists who feared the Islamists, said Paul Salem, the director of Carnegie Middle East Center. Turkey stands as the most attractive model, since other models like Iran have failed, Salem told the Daily News in a recent interview in Beirut.

More:Arab wave sweeps Iran model out, Turkey ‘in’ - Hurriyet Daily News

Nawaz praises progress made by Istanbul | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Nawaz praises progress made by Istanbul
Published: October 29, 2011

LAHORE - PML-N President Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Turkey attended a luncheon hosted in his honour by Governor Istanbul Hussain Owani Motlu on Friday. Both the leaders also exchanged views on matter of mutual interest and others affairs. Mian Nawaz Sharif was warmly welcomed by Turkish high-ups on his arrival.

More:Nawaz praises progress made by Istanbul | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Turkey and Israel need ‘earthquake diplomacy’

Turkey and Israel need ‘earthquake diplomacy’

Friday, October 28, 2011
SONER ÇAĞAPTAY - AMOS YADLIN

When a massive earthquake hit Turkey in 1999, it set the stage for Greece and Turkey to improve their downward-spiraling ties. This process, later dubbed “earthquake diplomacy,” ushered in a lasting, positive era in Turkish-Greek ties.

More:Turkey and Israel need ‘earthquake diplomacy’ - Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey Harboring Rebel 'Free Syrian Army' - Group claims to have 10,000 fighters, more than 18 battalions

Turkey Harboring Rebel 'Free Syrian Army'
Group claims to have 10,000 fighters, more than 18 battalions
By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

(Newser) – Turkey isn’t just playing host to camps of Syrian refugees, it’s also harboring an armed opposition group calling itself the Free Syrian Army, the New York Times reports. The group claims to have more than 10,000 fighters across at least 18 battalions, and claims responsibility for the deaths of nine Syrian soldiers in an attack on Wednesday. “If the international community provides us weapons, we can topple the regime in a very, very short time,” says their commander, Colonel Riad al-As’aad, a Syrian military defector.

More:Turkey Harboring Rebel 'Free Syrian Army' - Group claims to have 10,000 fighters, more than 18 battalions

The Turkish bully

The Turkish bully
By DAVID PARSONS
10/29/2011 04:06

Scholar Raphael Israeli explains why Turkey has decided to ratchet up its confrontation with Israel.

Under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP party, the nation of Turkey has made a dramatic shift in recent years away from its flirtation with the West and back toward Islam and its Ottoman past. This change of direction can be seen most dramatically in Ankara’s deliberate severance of its regional strategic alliance with Israel. In recent weeks Erdogan has taken this diplomatic divorce from verbal abuse to threats of domestic violence.

More:The Turkish bully - JPost - Features - Magazine Features

Painful lessons for Turkey, Thailand

Painful lessons for Turkey, Thailand

Nations caught on the back foot while providing relief or rehabilitating victims

Once the ability to prepare for a natural disaster has been lost all that is left in people's hands is the ability to cope. The governments of Turkey and Thailand have learnt a lesson albeit at the cost of human life.

More:gulfnews : Painful lessons for Turkey, Thailand

Turkey earthquake 2011: Boy, 13, pulled alive from rubble 100 HOURS after quake | Mail Online

Boy, 13, pulled alive from rubble 100 hours after Turkish quake used a ROCK to dig himself out

By Lee Moran

Last updated at 7:19 PM on 28th October 2011

This is the incredible moment a 13-year-old boy trapped under rubble from the Turkish earthquake - for a staggering 100 hours - miraculously managed to dig himself out using a rock.

It came moments after his father had been told to go home and get some rest because 'there was no hope of finding him alive' in the ruins of the multi-storey building.

More:Turkey earthquake 2011: Boy, 13, pulled alive from rubble 100 HOURS after quake | Mail Online

Friday, October 28, 2011

World Bank Supports Turkey-Built 56.4 MW Wind Project in Pakistan | Green Prophet

World Bank Supports Turkey-Built 56.4 MW Wind Project in Pakistan
Karin Kloosterman | October 28th, 2011

boy flying kite pakistanWith crippling floods every year and regular power outages, a new internationally financed wind project in Pakistan is breezy green news to us.

Iran, finding itself increasingly isolated due to US-backed sanctions, has been pressing energy-deficient Pakistan to connect with Iran’s natural gas “peace pipeline“. Natural gas is better than coal (which is killing miners) and dirty fuel that Pakistanis use in their households, but it is not the greenest. We laud a new announcement by the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group, which is investing $38.1 million in the company Zorlu Enerji Pakistan Limited, a Turkish energy firm to build what it is calling a landmark wind energy project in Pakistan, the Associated Press Pakistan reports.

More:World Bank Supports Turkey-Built 56.4 MW Wind Project in Pakistan | Green Prophet

U.S. preparing to transfer aircraft to Turkey, says official - CNN.com

U.S. preparing to transfer aircraft to Turkey, says official
By Jamie Crawford, CNN
October 28, 2011 -- Updated 1747 GMT (0147 HKT)

Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration is preparing to transfer military aircraft from existing Marine inventory to Turkey for their use in their efforts against the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, a State Department official tells CNN.

More:U.S. preparing to transfer aircraft to Turkey, says official - CNN.com

European Commission urges Cyprus settlement ahead of UN talks - Monsters and Critics

European Commission urges Cyprus settlement ahead of UN talks

Oct 28, 2011, 16:13 GMT

New York - The European Commission on Friday urged the United Nations and Cypriot leaders to bring to a close talks on settling the sovereignty dispute on Cyprus.

More:European Commission urges Cyprus settlement ahead of UN talks - Monsters and Critics

Off the Road - The travel adventures of a nomad on the cheap

Rose Hips and Hard Times

There’s something I must address: On this so-called “adventure,” I’m carrying a laptop computer. I’m not particularly proud of this fact. I keep the thing hidden deep in my rear left pannier, and I don’t usually turn it on in camp. But, hey, many travelers are carrying electronics now. Wi-fi zones have become ubiquitous—if not always safe—in virtually every tourist-savvy spot in Turkey, and even in the villages, the technology is arriving as locals get rigged up for the Internet age.

More:Off the Road - The travel adventures of a nomad on the cheap

Hungry Germans happily adopt Turkish döner - The Local

Hungry Germans happily adopt Turkish döner

Published: 28 Oct 11 15:26 CET

Discussions of integration generally focus on how well immigrants have adapted to their new country – but half a century after Turks started moving to Germany, few things underscore their broad societal impact here more than the ubiquitous döner kebab.

More:Hungry Germans happily adopt Turkish döner - The Local

Turkey and Iran 'unlikely' to unite to fight rebels - The National

Turkey and Iran 'unlikely' to unite to fight rebels

Thomas Seibert
Oct 29, 2011

ISTANBUL // Turkey and Iran were not likely to mount joint military operations against Kurdish rebels despite the two countries' agreement to do so, analysts have said.

Tehran was more concerned about Turkey's policy choices in key regional issues than about the rebels, they claimed.

More:Turkey and Iran 'unlikely' to unite to fight rebels - The National

Lessons from Turkey’s new ‘soft power’ - Newspaper - Mail & Guardian Online

Lessons from Turkey’s new ‘soft power’
DAVID MONYAE: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Oct 28 2011 16:21

While Nato was bombing its way to the Libyan oilfields, Turkey has been using “soft power” to assert its new-found foreign policy. Denied full membership of the European Union, largely by Germany and France, on flimsy grounds of “culture and identity”, Ankara’s foreign policy is increasingly drifting away from a Western orientation towards being Eastern-orientated, moving from the Global North to the Global South.

More:Lessons from Turkey’s new ‘soft power’ - Newspaper - Mail & Guardian Online

Analysis - Turkey central bank action may aid lira | Reuters

Analysis - Turkey central bank action may aid lira

By Seltem Iyigun

ISTANBUL | Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:09pm BST

(Reuters) - The Turkish lira may rise more on the central bank's five-pronged monetary policy action plan unveiled this week, analysts said, but there is a risk of market confusion over the complex policy mix.

More:Analysis - Turkey central bank action may aid lira | Reuters

US tells Turkey to protect pipelines | openDemocracy

US tells Turkey to protect pipelines

One of Turkey’s energy polices is to turn the country into a major transit hub for energy transshipments.

Fine, says Washington – just so long as you don’t deal with those naughty Iranians.

More:US tells Turkey to protect pipelines | openDemocracy

Turkey, Greece, Chile, Mexico and US rank lowest in Bertelman Foundation social justice report

A central concern for those in the Occupy movement -- that the economic system in the U.S. is rigged in favor of the well-off -- has been corroborated by a major new survey of developed nations.

When it comes to social justice -- defined here as the ability each individual has to participate in the market society, regardless of their social status -- the United States ranks near the bottom of 31 developed countries, the Thursday report from Bertelsmann Foundation found.

It's one thing if you live in a market economy where everyone has the same shot at success. It's quite another if fortune favors the fortunate. And the new survey found that when it comes to "equal opportunities for self-realization," the U.S. ranks 27 out of 31 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member states, well behind not just Northern European countries like Norway and Denmark, but even countries like Hungary, Poland, Italy and France. The only countries whose citizens fare even worse are Greece, Chile, Mexico and Turkey.

For more: New Social Justice Index Places U.S. Near Bottom

Bank Audi Gets First Turkish Banking Permit in 12 Years - Businessweek

Bank Audi Gets First Turkish Banking Permit in 12 Years
October 28, 2011, 5:12 AM EDT

By Ali Berat Meric and Steve Bryant

(Updates with comments from regulator in fourth paragraph.)

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s banking regulator gave a license to Lebanon’s Bank Audi Sal-Audi Saradar Group to set up a bank, the first such permission in more than a decade.

More:Bank Audi Gets First Turkish Banking Permit in 12 Years - Businessweek

Zobel wants Turkish ambassador ejected

Zobel wants Turkish ambassador ejected
AYALA heir Iñigo Zobel has embarked on a campaign to eject the Turkish ambassador out of her Forbes Park residence, claiming that he is now the new owner of the Forbes Park property that the Turkish embassy has long been leasing from the Silverio family.

More:Manila Standard Today -- -- 2011/october/28

The Istanbul conference: Washington’s vision for the region – The Express Tribune

The Istanbul conference: Washington’s vision for the region
By Shahbaz Rana
Published: October 28, 2011

Pakistan is now left with the choice of either aligning themselves more closely with China, or preferring to work with the New Silk Roads
ISLAMABAD:

As key world and regional players gear up to meet in Istanbul to push forward a Washington-backed regional integration plan for an ‘economically stable Afghanistan’, Pakistan stands at a crossroads. The question Islamabad is grappling with is whether it’s time to become a partner, or whether it should maintain its historical position – keep India away from resource-rich Central Asia.

More:The Istanbul conference: Washington’s vision for the region – The Express Tribune

Turkey and Islamism

Turkey and Islamism - The Start of a Beautiful Friendship?

Darlene Casella

At the end of Casablanca, when Rick and Louis walk off into the fog, Renault says: “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Something similar is happening with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. Except he is walking off into the sunset with many Islamist Middle Eastern leaders saying “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

When President Barak Obama announced the decision to withdraw military forces from Iraq, circumstances in the Middle East immediately changed.

More:Turkey and Islamism - The Start of a Beautiful Friendship? » Publications » Family Security Matters

Norayr Kasper, CSC, Wins the Golden Orange Award for Best Cinematography for the Feature Film Zenne Dancer at the Antalya International Film Festival | Hetq online

Norayr Kasper, CSC, Wins the Golden Orange Award for Best Cinematography for the Feature Film Zenne Dancer at the Antalya International Film Festival

12:01, October 28, 2011

Zenne Dancer, a groundbreaking Turkish indie feature film, won five awards at the largest film festival in Turkey. Norayr Kasper, a Canadian cinematographer of Armenian descent, was awarded Best Cinematography. The film also received the Best Film Award by the Turkish Cinema Critics Guild, Best First Film, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.

More:Norayr Kasper, CSC, Wins the Golden Orange Award for Best Cinematography for the Feature Film Zenne Dancer at the Antalya International Film Festival | Hetq online

Turkey Lenders Surge After Central Bank Cuts Reserve Rates - Businessweek

Turkey Lenders Surge After Central Bank Cuts Reserve Rates
October 27, 2011, 12:01 PM EDT

By Benjamin Harvey

(Updates with closing share prices in second paragraph.)

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Turkish banking shares surged, snapping a three-day losing streak, after the central bank cut reserve requirements on lira liabilities, freeing up capital for increased lending.

More:Turkey Lenders Surge After Central Bank Cuts Reserve Rates - Businessweek

Turkey looks at co-operation potential

Turkey looks at co-operation potential
Viet Nam News spoke to Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Akif Oktay on the occasion of his country's National Day tomorrow.

We welcome you as the new Ambassador of Turkey to Viet Nam. What are your priorities during your term?

One of the urgent tasks I will focus on is the signing of agreements on the promotion of investments and avoidance of double taxation. Negotiations on both documents are almost complete. Furthermore, we have just begun to explore the possibility of signing a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. There are also other agreements in the pipeline in diverse fields ranging from sister city relations to scientific and technological co-operation. Finalising such documents will naturally be one of my priorities.

More:Opinion

Istanbul moot to express support for Afghanistan: FO

Istanbul moot to express support for Afghanistan: FO

Mariana Baabar
Friday, October 28, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday spelt out clearly its expectations from the Istanbul conference on Afghanistan saying the draft which is accepted to be adopted is still being finalised, should ‘manifest in tangible terms its support for Afghanistan on the basis of established principles of inter-state conduct enshrined in the UN Charter and the international law as well as material, financial and technical support for socio-economic development.’ It also called for the process to emerge through “consensus decision-making”.

More:Istanbul moot to express support for Afghanistan: FO

Exclusive: U.S. considers unusual arms deal for Turkey | Reuters

Exclusive: U.S. considers unusual arms deal for Turkey

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON | Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:55pm EDT

(Reuters) - The Obama administration is consulting Congress on an unusual proposal to transfer U.S. Marine Corps attack helicopters to Turkey, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as Ankara tries to exact revenge for a major attack by Kurdish separatists.

More:Exclusive: U.S. considers unusual arms deal for Turkey | Reuters

Turkey accepted Armenian assistance: 40 tons load will be sent to Turkey | Times.am

Turkey accepted Armenian assistance: 40 tons load will be sent to Turkey

By Times.am at 27 October, 2011, 5:38 pm

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations offered Turkish Government to assist to overcome the consequences of the terrible earthquake which took place on Sunday, at Western Armenian city Van (currently Turkish territory).

More:Turkey accepted Armenian assistance: 40 tons load will be sent to Turkey | Times.am

Turkey earthquake: 2-week-old baby, mother reunited at hospital; harsh weather slows aid efforts

Turkey earthquake: 2-week-old baby, mother reunited at hospital; harsh weather slows aid efforts

BY Philip Caulfield
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A 2-week-old baby girl pulled from the rubble of a devastating earthquake in eastern Turkey was reunited with her mother at a hospital in the capital of Ankara.

More:Turkey earthquake: 2-week-old baby, mother reunited at hospital; harsh weather slows aid efforts

Earthquake Adds Even More Pressure to Relations Between Turks, Kurds | News | English

Earthquake Adds Even More Pressure to Relations Between Turks, Kurds

Dorian Jones | Istanbul

Sunday's powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast has put the spotlight on relations between Turks and Kurds.

Tragedy and grief

The quake happened a few days after the killing of 24 Turkish soldiers by the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. The response to the quake, which killed more than 500 people, injured at least 1,600 and left thousands homeless, has seen both a humanitarian outpouring of support but also ugly nationalism by some Turks toward the survivors.

More:Earthquake Adds Even More Pressure to Relations Between Turks, Kurds | News | English

Jewish groups rush aid to Turkey

Jewish groups rush aid to Turkey.

A Jewish relief group has partnered with the Jewish community of Turkey to help victims of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake which struck the eastern part of the country earlier this week killing hundreds.

More:Jewish groups rush aid to Turkey

Fertility rate in Turkey on the decline

Fertility rate in Turkey on the decline

Thursday, October 27, 2011
ISTANBUL

Turkey’s fertility rate has been steadily falling since the 1990s due to the proliferation of birth control methods, women’s level of education and the rise in household incomes, according to a professor at Ankara’s Hacettepe University.

More:Fertility rate in Turkey on the decline - Hurriyet Daily News

Earthquake brings out best and the worst

Earthquake brings out best and the worst

Thursday, October 27, 2011
SEMİH İDİZ

The Van earthquake gave us a mirror and what we saw in the first instance was nothing for Turks to be proud off. Fortunately, better instincts kicked in quickly so we got to see the other side of the country too.

More:Earthquake brings out best and the worst - Hurriyet Daily News

Women directors share experiences

Women directors share experiences

Speaking out about stereotypical portrayals of the fairer sex, women who have made it big as movie directors and producers shared the secrets of their success with an audience at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival’s Doha Talks yesterday.

More:Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - Qatar

Ankara will not tolerate Syrian repression, FM says

Ankara will not tolerate Syrian repression, FM says

Thursday, October 27, 2011
AMMAN / JERUSALEM

Turkey has no intention of permitting any chaos or oppression in Syria, Turkey’s foreign minister has said, adding that Ankara would do everything to ensure that the Syrian people realize their rightful demands.

More:Ankara will not tolerate Syrian repression, FM says - Hurriyet Daily News

Nawaz Sharif seeks Turkish lessons on control army - Hindustan Times

Nawaz Sharif seeks Turkish lessons on control army
Imtiaz Ahmad, Hindustan Times
Lahore, October 28, 2011

Pakistani politicians are now seeking "international help" in dealing with the country's military leadership. Former Prime Minister and leader of PML-N party, Nawaz Sharif, is on a tour of Turkey to learn first hand how that country political leadership dealt with their generals, media reports said.

More:Nawaz Sharif seeks Turkish lessons on control army - Hindustan Times

HDN marks 50 years as Turkey’s English-language newspaper

HDN marks 50 years as Turkey’s English-language newspaper

Thursday, October 27, 2011
ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
Fulfilling its mission of telling Turkey’s story to the world for the past half century, the Hürriyet Daily News marks its anniversary with a reception in Ankara. Honored by President Abdullah Gül, the reception welcomed many dignitaries, including top Cabinet ministers and the diplomatic community in the capital
More:HDN marks 50 years as Turkey’s English-language newspaper - Hurriyet Daily News

Arınç defends release of Lighthouse suspects

Arınç defends release of Lighthouse suspects

Thursday, October 27, 2011
ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The court decision to release three suspects taken into custody in connection with the Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse) charity embezzlement scandal was entirely appropriate, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said yesterday.

More:Arınç defends release of Lighthouse suspects - Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey Shelters Anti-Assad Group, the Free Syrian Army - NYTimes.com

In Slap at Syria, Turkey Shelters Anti-Assad Fighters
By LIAM STACK
Published: October 27, 2011

ANTAKYA, Turkey — Once one of Syria’s closest allies, Turkey is hosting an armed opposition group waging an insurgency against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, providing shelter to the commander and dozens of members of the group, the Free Syrian Army, and allowing them to orchestrate attacks across the border from inside a camp guarded by the Turkish military.

More:Turkey Shelters Anti-Assad Group, the Free Syrian Army - NYTimes.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Armenia To Send Relief Aid To Turkey

Armenia To Send Relief Aid To Turkey
Turkey -- Earthquake survivors stand in front of a damaged building in Ercis, 26Oct2011
27.10.2011

Armenia said on Thursday that it will send a planeload of humanitarian aid to survivors of a powerful earthquake in southeastern Turkey that killed more than 500 people and left thousands of others homeless.

The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced that a transport plane hired by it will deliver 40 tons of tents, sleeping bags, blankets and other aid to the western Turkish city of Izmir on Friday.

A ministry statement said that the Turkish government requested such assistance through the Turkish Red Crescent Society and NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center.

More:Armenia To Send Relief Aid To Turkey

A tribute to Turkey | The News Tribe

A tribute to Turkey

By Fahad Parvez - Oct 27th, 2011 (No Comment)

Turks celebrate Republic Day on October 29 by attending performances and participating in traditional processions with flags and musical bands. The Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed Republic Day as Turkey’s most important holiday.

“Turkiye”, as the locals say, is the real name for Turkey. It’s a land of dreams, colors, happiness and spectacular sights and sounds. It is only Turkey where you will find a highly unique blend of the traditional Eastern culture blended with the glitz and glam of the Western society.

Besides Turkey’s enthralling places of touristic interest, fantastic food, fun and frolic, interesting and inspiring cultural diversity, the most important thing about the Turks is their peace-loving, warm-hearted, hospitable, friendly and cheerful personalities that reflect of an enlightened nation.

More:A tribute to Turkey | The News Tribe

Two survivors hauled from Turkish quake rubble - Monsters and Critics

Two survivors hauled from Turkish quake rubble

By Jasper Mortimer Oct 27, 2011, 18:29 GMT

Ercis, Turkey - Rescue workers in Ercis hauled two young men aged 18 and 19 from the rubble of the wrecked eastern Turkish city on the fifth day after an earthquake devastated the region, national television reported.

More:Two survivors hauled from Turkish quake rubble - Monsters and Critics

Turkey, Israel moves hike East Med tension - UPI.com

Turkey, Israel moves hike East Med tension
Published: Oct. 27, 2011 at 12:51 PM

LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Tension over disputed natural gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean has sharpened in recent days with Turkey sending a second exploration ship to Cyprus while Israel, feuding with Turkey, has air force exercises.

More:Turkey, Israel moves hike East Med tension - UPI.com

Turkey appeals for EU’s help

Turkey appeals for EU’s help

October 27 2011 at 07:19pm

Earthquake survivors carry bottles of water back to their tent after receiving food aid in Ercis, near the eastern Turkish city of Van.

Turkey has called for EU help in the relief effort after Sunday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake that killed at least 530 people, the European Commission said on Thursday.

More:Turkey appeals for EU’s help - World News | IOL News | IOL.co.za

AFP: Top of the world Wozniacki crashes out in Istanbul

Top of the world Wozniacki crashes out in Istanbul

By Richard Eaton (AFP) – 2 hours ago

ISTANBUL — Caroline Wozniacki, who celebrated becoming year-end world number one for the second successive year on Wednesday, marked the occasion by crashing out of the WTA Championships on Thursday.

More:AFP: Top of the world Wozniacki crashes out in Istanbul

UN sends thousands of tents to aid Turkey quake victims

UN sends thousands of tents to aid Turkey quake victims

GENEVA (AFP) - The United Nations (UN) said on Thursday that it has sent thousands of tents to Turkey for those made homeless by the deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake, after an appeal from Ankara for relief.

More:UN sends thousands of tents to aid Turkey quake victims

Turkish foreign minister says Iraq should stop Kurdish rebel attacks on Turkey from Iraqi soil - The Washington Post

Turkish foreign minister says Iraq should stop Kurdish rebel attacks on Turkey from Iraqi soil

By Associated Press, Published: October 13

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s foreign minister said Thursday that Iraq should move to prevent Kurdish attacks on his country from Iraqi soil as the two countries renewed their commitment to fight the rebels.

More:Turkish foreign minister says Iraq should stop Kurdish rebel attacks on Turkey from Iraqi soil - The Washington Post

Terrorist attack prevented in Turkey - Trend

Terrorist attack prevented in Turkey
27 October 2011, 18:04 (GMT+05:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 27 / Trend T.Konyayeva/

Sixty kilograms of a remote-controlled explosive have been found on the Mush-Bingöl railroad,Turkey, today, The Vatan newspaper reported.

The explosive has been reportedly defused.

In early October, the Turkish security forces launched an operation to arrest members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), suspected of committing terrorist attacks.

More:Terrorist attack prevented in Turkey - Trend

Turkey and the Kurds: Deadly tremors | The Economist

Turkey and the Kurds
Deadly tremors
Some solidarity after a destructive earthquake, but the fighting continues

Oct 29th 2011 | ISTANBUL | from the print edition

SOMETIMES it takes a tragedy. The earthquake that struck Turkey’s mainly Kurdish province of Van on October 23rd, killing at least 481 people, triggered an outpouring of solidarity. Millions of Turks donated to relief campaigns. Convoys of volunteers drove thousands of miles from Istanbul to help dig for survivors in Van, an impoverished and mountainous province that borders Iran. Mustafa Sarigul, the mayor of a posh borough in Istanbul, offered free housing and education to 1,000 children left homeless by the quake.

More:Turkey and the Kurds: Deadly tremors | The Economist

After the earthquake in Van, Turks and Kurds could work to reach peace | Elif Shafak | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

After the earthquake in Van, Turks and Kurds could work to reach peace

Thunderous applause broke out among the mournful onlookers when a 13-year-old boy was pulled out of the rubble. He had been in an internet café, surfing the web or playing an online game, when an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude hit the historic city of Van in eastern Turkey.

More:After the earthquake in Van, Turks and Kurds could work to reach peace | Elif Shafak | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Report: Turkish man freed from quake debris - KansasCity.com

Report: Turkish man freed from quake debris
By SELCAN HACAOGLU and SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

Turkey's state-run news agency says rescuers have pulled out a man alive from the rubble of a collapsed building four days after a powerful earthquake hit eastern Turkey, killing 532 people.

More:Report: Turkish man freed from quake debris - KansasCity.com

Israeli Earthquake Aid Arrives in Turkey - NYTimes.com

Israeli Earthquake Aid Arrives in Turkey
By SEBNEM ARSU
Published: October 27, 2011

ISTANBUL — As the death toll in the deadly earthquake in eastern Turkey rose on Thursday, an Israeli cargo plane landed in Ankara, carrying humanitarian aid that Turkish officials at first had declined to accept.

More:Israeli Earthquake Aid Arrives in Turkey - NYTimes.com

Turkey-Armenia normalization to be discussed in Istanbul

Turkey-Armenia normalization to be discussed in Istanbul

Thu 27 October 2011 08:10 GMT | 10:10 Local Time

Normalization process of relations between Turkey and Armenia will be discussed in Istanbul.

An international workshop on “Normalization process of Turkey-Armenia relations: revival perspective” organized by Middle East Technical University (ODTU) and TOBB University of Economics and Technology and supported by the Center for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey will be held in Istanbul, on 29-30 October 2011, News.Az reports with reference to the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM).

More:News.Az - Turkey-Armenia normalization to be discussed in Istanbul

Verheugen :Turkey is becoming more important for the EU

Verheugen :Turkey is becoming more important for the EU
“My experience is that at the end of the day you can have very successful presidencies lead by small countries"
FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE
• Thu, Oct 27, 2011
Former European Commissioner Günter Verheugen, who spent 10-years at the highest level of Brussels politics, talks to the FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE about EU-Turkey relations, the looming Cyprus Presidency and the EU economy.

More:Verheugen :Turkey is becoming more important for the EU

Shelter shortage forces Turkey to accept foreign aid - The National

Shelter shortage forces Turkey to accept foreign aid

Thomas Seibert
Oct 27, 2011
People wait for tents to be distributed yesterday in Ercis, one of the towns most severely affected by Sunday's earthquake.

ISTANBUL // In a turnaround triggered by a drastic shortage of shelter for victims of last weekend's earthquake in eastern Anatolia, Turkey has decided to call for international support and has even asked Israel and Armenia, two countries whose ties with Turkey have been strained, for help, diplomats said yesterday.

More:Shelter shortage forces Turkey to accept foreign aid - The National

Istanbul giants eye Chelsea forward

Istanbul giants eye Chelsea forward
10:00 AM 27 October, 2011
Didier Drogba has been targeted by Galatasaray.

The Ivory Coast international is out of contract at Chelsea in the summer, although Andre Villas-Boas hopes to agree fresh terms with the forward.

More:Istanbul giants eye Chelsea forward - Fansfc

Basci Eases Funding Squeeze as Turkish Banks Juggle Changes - Businessweek

Basci Eases Funding Squeeze as Turkish Banks Juggle Changes
October 27, 2011, 6:22 AM EDT

By Ali Berat Meric and Steve Bryant

(Updates bank index in seventh paragraph, lira in ninth.)

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s central bank provided banks more liquidity and cheaper funding, a day after scrapping any low-cost lending, as Governor Erdem Basci tweaks policy on a day-by-day basis to curb inflation and support the lira.

More:Basci Eases Funding Squeeze as Turkish Banks Juggle Changes - Businessweek

No discrimination on foreign quake aid: Gül

No discrimination on foreign quake aid: Gül

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
SEVİL KÜÇÜKKOŞUM
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkish President Abdullah Gül says Turkey is now accepting quake aid from any foreign country willing to offer it as the country reverses its earlier decision.

More:No discrimination on foreign quake aid: Gül - Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey quake death toll rises to 534 - seattlepi.com

Turkey quake death toll rises to 534
SELCAN HACAOGLU, Associated Press, SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press

ERCIS, Turkey (AP) — Rain and snow on Thursday compounded difficulties for thousands rendered homeless in the powerful earthquake that hit eastern Turkey, and the government said the death toll has gone up to 534.

More:Turkey quake death toll rises to 534 - seattlepi.com

Turkish Pine Nuts Sold In Wegmans Linked To New Salmonella Outbreak

Turkish Pine Nuts Sold In Wegmans Linked To New Salmonella Outbreak
Wegman-Turkishpinenuts-102711.jpg
10/26/2011 11:14 PM ET

(RTTNews) - The multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to Pine nuts imported from Turkey and sold in Wegmans supermarkets has infected a total of 42 individuals in six U.S. states, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More:Turkish Pine Nuts Sold In Wegmans Linked To New Salmonella Outbreak

Turkish forces target PKK Iraq camp: sources - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Turkish forces target PKK Iraq camp: sources

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes struck Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq overnight and some 500 soldiers have crossed the border with armored vehicles, military and security sources told Reuters on Tuesday, in an escalation of hostilities.

More:Turkish forces target PKK Iraq camp: sources - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

What made Erdogan change his mind about aid from Israel? - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

What made Erdogan change his mind about aid from Israel?

The media's focus on the earthquake has distracted attention from the fighting in Iraq, but Erdogan understands that while he is sending the army to kill Iraqi Kurdish fighters, he cannot allow thousands of Turkish Kurds to freeze.

More:What made Erdogan change his mind about aid from Israel? - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Despair and hope among Turkish quake survivors - ABC Newcastle NSW - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Despair and hope among Turkish quake survivors

David Darg, the director of international disaster relief with non-profit organisation Operation Blessing, is viewing the aftermath of Turkey’s deadly earthquake first-hand.

More:Despair and hope among Turkish quake survivors - ABC Newcastle NSW - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Turkish quake survivors clamour for tents | theSundaily

Turkish quake survivors clamour for tents
Posted on 27 October 2011 - 09:55am

ERCIS, Turkey (Oct 27, 2011): Sheltering thousands of families left homeless by a deadly earthquake became Turkey's priority as chances dwindled of finding more survivors four days after disaster struck the mainly Kurdish southeast province of Van.

More:Turkish quake survivors clamour for tents | theSundaily

After Turkey’s quake, social media saves lives and airs public tension - The Globe and Mail

After Turkey’s quake, social media saves lives and airs public tension
graeme smith
ISTANBUL— From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Trapped under the rubble after an earthquake in eastern Turkey, two teenagers called for help in a way that reflects how modernity has transformed even the furthest reaches of this country: they tweeted.

More:After Turkey’s quake, social media saves lives and airs public tension - The Globe and Mail

Sharif to learn Turkish strategy to rein in the military – The Express Tribune

Sharif to learn Turkish strategy to rein in the military
By Abdul Manan
Published: October 27, 2011

Nawaz Sharif, the chief of his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League, is touring Turkey, apparently to sympathise with the Turkish leaders over the devastation caused by Sunday’s massive earthquake in the country. But the underlying objective, sources said, is to learn from the Turkish leaders the art of reining in the powerful military.

More:Sharif to learn Turkish strategy to rein in the military – The Express Tribune

Turkey Scrambles to Help Quake Survivors « VOA Breaking News

Turkey Scrambles to Help Quake Survivors
Posted Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 at 5:30 pm

The International Federation of the Red Cross says its Turkish chapter is working to assist survivors and reach those trapped in the rubble. The Red Cross says more than 7,500 tents and 22,000 blankets have been distributed, as well as stoves, food and clean water.

More:Turkey Scrambles to Help Quake Survivors « VOA Breaking News

Siddiqui: From Turkey to Tunisia and beyond - thestar.com

Siddiqui: From Turkey to Tunisia and beyond
Published On Wed Oct 26 2011

ANKARA

Turkey has become a place of pilgrimage for Arab Spring reformers. They come here to learn about the “Turkish model” — democratic, secular, modern and economically successful, attributes not normally associated with Muslim nations.

More:Siddiqui: From Turkey to Tunisia and beyond - thestar.com

Ölüdeniz Air Games gets off to flying start

Ölüdeniz Air Games gets off to flying start

Thursday, 27 October 2011 00:00

The 12th Air Games was officially opened on Wednesday afternoon by the Governor of Muğla, and this year alongside the usual paragliders and microlites the Turkish Air Force have lent their hot air balloon to the occasion.

More:Fethiye Times.com | Ölüdeniz Air Games gets off to flying start

US and Turkey mull post-pullout for Iraq

US and Turkey mull post-pullout for Iraq

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ
ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

With only two months left before the U.S. troops pull out of Iraq, Ankara and Washington are set to launch talks to discuss security conditions and potential regional complications in the post-withdrawal period.

More:US and Turkey mull post-pullout for Iraq - Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Yields, Lira Surge as Central Bank Doubles Funding Cost - Businessweek

Turkish Yields, Lira Surge as Central Bank Doubles Funding Cost
October 26, 2011, 11:37 AM EDT

By Benjamin Harvey

Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Turkish bond yields and the lira surged after Central Bank Governor Erdem Basci moved to tighten liquidity by effectively doubling interest rates as he sought to support the currency and fight off accelerating inflation.

More:Turkish Yields, Lira Surge as Central Bank Doubles Funding Cost - Businessweek

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Amsterdam readies for possible Turkish Kurdish clashes

Amsterdam readies for possible Turkish Kurdish clashes

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Rumours that Turkish and Kurdish youths are planning a confrontation on Amsterdam's Museumplein on Wednesday have led to heightened security in the area, with riot police on standby, the Parool reports.

Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan has invoked emergency powers to ban gatherings in the area and enable the police to order people to leave. A council spokesman told news agency ANP the decision is focuses on maintaining public safety.

More:DutchNews.nl - Amsterdam readies for possible Turkish Kurdish clashes

Turkey earthquake: Ethnic tensions cloud rescue efforts | Alaska Dispatch

Turkey earthquake: Ethnic tensions cloud rescue efforts
Alexander Christie-Miller | The Christian Science Monitor | Oct 26, 2011

Meticulous with his woolen tie, cashmere scarf, and waistcoat, Ahmet Misbah Demircan cut an incongruous figure in the eastern Turkey village of Gedik Bulak, which was reduced to rubble by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake Sunday.

More:Turkey earthquake: Ethnic tensions cloud rescue efforts | Alaska Dispatch

Pentagon helps Ankara's terrorism fight - UPI.com

Pentagon helps Ankara's terrorism fight
Published: Oct. 26, 2011 at 10:41 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- A delegation from the U.S. Defense Department is on its way to Turkey to help with counter-terrorism efforts, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said.

More:Pentagon helps Ankara's terrorism fight - UPI.com

Turkey More Than Doubles Banks’ Overnight Borrowing Cost to Curb Inflation - Bloomberg

Turkey More Than Doubles Banks’ Overnight Borrowing Cost to Curb Inflation

By Ali Berat Meric and Steve Bryant - Oct 26, 2011 3:59 PM GMT+0200

Traffic passes the headquarters of Turkey's central bank. Photographer: Kerem Uzel/Bloomberg

Turkey’s central bank more than doubled borrowing costs for banks, effectively raising interest rates to tackle the threat of inflation. Bond yields and the lira surged.

More:Turkey More Than Doubles Banks’ Overnight Borrowing Cost to Curb Inflation - Bloomberg

Man Loses Mother, Wife, 4 Children in Turkey Quake - ABC News

Man Loses Mother, Wife, 4 Children in Turkey Quake
VIDEO: 18-year-old college student was buried under a collapsed apartment building.

By SELCAN HACAOGLU and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press
ERCIS, Turkey October 26, 2011 (AP)

Murat Sonmez's mother, wife and four daughters were crushed to death in their home by Turkey's 7.2-magnitude earthquake, leaving him so distraught he found it difficult to speak.

More:Man Loses Mother, Wife, 4 Children in Turkey Quake - ABC News

Toshiba to Donate to Turkish Earthquake Relief Efforts

Toshiba to Donate to Turkish Earthquake Relief Efforts

Toshiba Corporation will make a donation equivalent to 10 million yen to assist relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

More:Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

Turkey's Rising Mideast Role

Turkey's Rising Mideast Role
Authors:
Steven A. Cook, Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Bernard Gwertzman, Consulting Editor, CFR.org

October 26, 2011

Despite tensions between Turkey and Israel, and Turkish efforts to mediate a deal with Iran, relations between Turkey and the United States seem on the upswing, says Steven A. Cook, CFR senior fellow for Middle East Studies. Cook says the Obama administration has worked hard to overcome diplomatic problems and sees Turkey, "not just as a geostrategic asset, but as a potential partner" in a region undergoing tremendous change because of the Arab uprisings. Cook says "the Turkish star is rising," and Turkey has positioned itself as a political leader of a region "presently lacking that kind of leadership, whether it's in North Africa or in the Gulf." He says Turkey's agreement to accept a NATO deployment of early-warning radars aimed at Iran is an attempt to demonstrate that "it remains committed to being integrated with the West through NATO." In addition, Cook says the United States has been supplying Turkey with real-time intelligence on the Kurdish separatist terrorist group, the PKK, which operates out of bases in Iraq. However, Cook says questions remain about whether Turkey can be a constructive player in the region.

More:Turkey's Rising Mideast Role - Council on Foreign Relations

PKK Violence Impacts Ankara Policymaking

PKK Violence Impacts Ankara Policymaking
By Soner Cagaptay
Policy Alert, October 26, 2011

On October 22, a group of armed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members crossed into Turkey from Iraq and killed twenty-four Turkish soldiers, the group's most devastating attack since 1993. In the early 1990s, when the PKK inflicted heavy damage on Turkey, Ankara focused its energies on combating the group, with all domestic and foreign policy debates becoming a subset of the government's PKK policy.

More:Article or Op-Ed

Sadness tinges Turkish independence events - Times Union

Sadness tinges Turkish independence events
Quake comes as nation, groups prepare to mark milestone of 1923
By CATHLEEN F. CROWLEY Staff writer
Published 10:50 p.m., Tuesday, October 25, 2011

ALBANY -- Local Turkish groups plan to celebrate their homeland's independence this week, but a cloud will hang over the events as the death toll rises from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Turkey.

More:Sadness tinges Turkish independence events - Times Union

Turkish earthquake death toll rises to 4... JPost - International

Turkish earthquake death toll rises to 459
By REUTERS
10/25/2011 21:24

Hope of finding people alive under rubble fading; residents express anger at gov't response: "The prime minister runs for help when it's Palestine."

More:Turkish earthquake death toll rises to 4... JPost - International

Tennis - Why Istanbul is the right home - ESPN

Why Istanbul is the right home
October, 26, 2011

By Stephen Tignor, TENNIS.com

It's not often that you hear professional athletes tell the press how surprised and impressed they are that so many people have come out to watch them. But you could kind of understand why Vera Zvonareva and Maria Sharapova did just that Tuesday after losing their opening round-robin matches at the WTA Championships in Istanbul. Although this is one of the most lucrative tennis events in history, and a season-ending championship with a long pedigree, the tournament has been a tough sell to local fans in recent years.

More:Tennis - Why Istanbul is the right home - ESPN

Desperate survivors of Turkey's quake grab aid supplies | The New Age Online

Desperate survivors of Turkey's quake grab aid supplies

Dozens of survivors furious at not receiving aid supplies after Turkey's devastating earthquake raided trucks carrying food and blankets in the city of Van Wednesday, local officials said.

Five trucks were stopped on their way to a centre in Van where the supplies were due to be distributed. Food, blankets and clothing were taken, the authorities said.

More:Desperate survivors of Turkey's quake grab aid supplies | The New Age Online

Chechens shot in Turkey linked to Moscow bomb inquiry

Chechens shot in Turkey linked to Moscow bomb inquiry
Veiled protesters brandish a poster of the late Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev at a protest outside the Russian consulate in Istanbul, 24 September 2011 A pro-Chechen rally was held in Istanbul after the three men were shot

Russian prosecutors have confirmed two Chechens shot dead in Turkey last month were being linked to the bombing of Moscow's busiest airport in January.

More:BBC News - Chechens shot in Turkey linked to Moscow bomb inquiry

Armenian Church Re-Opened in Turkey

Armenian Church Re-Opened in Turkey
Wednesday, 26 October 2011 14:06

Largest Armenian church in Middle East re-opened in Turkey.

Once one of the largest churches in the Middle East, Surp Giragos Church in Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakır was reopened for public worship.

More:Armenian Church Re-Opened in Turkey

Turkish Forces surround Iraq village in Dahuk | Iraq News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Turkish Forces surround Iraq village in Dahuk
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 17:04 GMT
Hundreds of Turkish soldiers sieged a village in Al Imadiya District, northern Dahuk, eye witnesses reported on Tuesday. Citizens called upon authorities to intervene in fear of turning the village into a battlefield.

More:Turkish Forces surround Iraq village in Dahuk | Iraq News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Turkish TV host derides Kurdish quake victims - The National

Turkish TV host derides Kurdish quake victims

Thomas Seibert
Oct 26, 2011

ISTANBUL // Derogatory comments by a Turkish television host about Kurdish victims of last Sunday's earthquake in eastern Turkey have fanned ethnic and political tensions.

"First they throw stones [at police] and kill [soldiers] in the mountains. But when they are in trouble, they call for the army and the police to come to their aid," Muge Anli, a presenter for ATV, a private Turkish channel, said in comments during a live broadcast this week and posted on the internet by various groups. Her remarks referred to the clashes between rebels and security forces in predominantly Kurdish eastern Anatolia that preceded Sunday's earthquake there.

More:Turkish TV host derides Kurdish quake victims - The National

Germany looks back at 50 years of Turkish immigration - The Local

Germany looks back at 50 years of Turkish immigration

Published: 26 Oct 11 07:45 CET

On October 30, 1961, booming West Germany signed a recruitment agreement with Turkey to supplement its workforce. The mostly unskilled labourers were promised minimum wages and accommodation for the duration of their temporary contracts.

More:Germany looks back at 50 years of Turkish immigration - The Local

3 people pulled out of Turkish quake rubble - Boston.com

3 people pulled out of Turkish quake rubble

By Selcan Hacaoglu and Suzan Fraser
Associated Press / October 26, 2011

ERCIS, Turkey—Two teachers and a university student were rescued from ruined buildings in eastern Turkey on Wednesday, three days after a devastating earthquake, but searchers said hopes of finding anyone else alive were rapidly fading.

More:3 people pulled out of Turkish quake rubble - Boston.com

World News: Turkish Canadians call for more quake aid - thestar.com

Turkish Canadians call for more quake aid
Published On Tue Oct 25 2011

Josh Tapper Staff Reporter

It was late Sunday night and Davut Temur was stricken with panic.

Earlier in the afternoon, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake had wreaked havoc across eastern Turkey, collapsing nearly 3,000 buildings and leaving more than 450 dead beneath piles of debris.

Temur’s father and sister were in Van, a mostly Kurdish city near the Iranian border and the heart of the earthquake. With phone lines down there, the Toronto man was unable to connect with his family. Scrolling through Internet news reports, he started to cry.

“I thought maybe they all had died,” said the 25-year-old Kurd.

More:World News: Turkish Canadians call for more quake aid - thestar.com

Condemn PKK terror - Washington Times

Condemn PKK terror

By
The Washington Times

On the night of Oct. 19, militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) staged a terrorist attack against the Turkish armed forces, killing 24 and wounding 18 servicemen. The four-hour assault took place in eight remote locations in the Yuksekova and Cukurca districts of the Hakkari province of Turkey, near its border with Iraq.

More:Condemn PKK terror - Washington Times

Doctor: Turkish baby's survival not surprising - phillyBurbs.com : Courier Times: turkey, earthquake, baby, survival, capital health system

Doctor: Turkish baby's survival not surprising

Posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 8:00 am, Wed Oct 26, 2011.

By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments

Rescuers are calling her a miracle baby. At only 2 weeks old, the child was pulled alive from the rubble of an apartment building flattened two days earlier by an earthquake.

More:Doctor: Turkish baby's survival not surprising - phillyBurbs.com : Courier Times: turkey, earthquake, baby, survival, capital health system

Turkish government admits caught off guard by tent demand

Turkish government admits caught off guard by tent demand
Font Size: Larger|Smaller
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
ANKARA
Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay tell Parliament that ‘there is a certain shortage of tents’ in quake-hit Van while the Peace and Democracy Party, Turkey’s main Kurdish political movement, calls on the governor of Van to step down.

More:Turkish government admits caught off guard by tent demand - Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey Strikes Militant Kurds in Iraq - WSJ.com

Turkey Hits Group of Militants Inside Iraq

By MARC CHAMPION

VAN, Turkey—Turkey's military engaged in full combat with militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party inside Iraq on Tuesday, said the PKK, as the group is known.

More:Turkey Strikes Militant Kurds in Iraq - WSJ.com

Fundraiser at Clifton restaurant to aid victims of Turkey quake - NorthJersey.com

Fundraiser at Clifton restaurant to aid victims of Turkey quake
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER

CLIFTON — A fundraiser will be held Thursday at Toros Restaurant to raise money for victims of the recent earthquake in eastern Turkey that killed more than 400 people.

Members of about a dozen Turkish-American cultural and business groups from North Jersey and New York will attend show their support, said organizer Derya Taskin, of Paterson. The public also is invited to the fundraiser, which includes food donated by the restaurant and desserts from Taskin Bakery.

More:Fundraiser at Clifton restaurant to aid victims of Turkey quake - NorthJersey.com

Turkish court sentences general for insulting Erdogan | Reuters

Turkish court sentences general for insulting Erdogan

ISTANBUL | Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:17pm EDT

(Reuters) - A retired general was given a suspended sentence of almost a year in jail on Tuesday for insulting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, state run Anatolian news agency reported.

More:Turkish court sentences general for insulting Erdogan | Reuters

Turkey's Hand in the Syrian Opposition - Michael Weiss - International - The Atlantic

Turkey's Hand in the Syrian Opposition
By Michael Weiss

Oct 26 2011, 7:00 AM ET

Syrian opposition demonstrators living in Jordan hold a poster of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan during a rally in front of the Turkish embassy in Amman / Reuters
After seven months of wrangling to form a cohesive opposition movement, Syrian activists finally pulled it off with the formal announcement in Istanbul of the Syrian National Council (SNC), a body that mirrors the Libyan opposition's National Transitional Council in seeking international recognition. But the opposition group, which formed in Istanbul and is headquartered there, appears to be increasingly influenced by the Turkish government, which has so far played a significant role in helping to usher Syria toward a post-Assad era.

More:Turkey's Hand in the Syrian Opposition - Michael Weiss - International - The Atlantic

Woman rescued three days after Turkey quake

Woman rescued three days after Turkey quake
By REUTERS
10/26/2011 13:04

Turkish rescue workers cease efforts in center of city of Van; Erdogan requests aid, prefabricated homes from 30 countries, including Israel.

ERCIS Turkey - Emergency workers rescued a 27-year-old woman alive from a collapsed building on Wednesday, three days after an earthquake killed more than 400 people in eastern Turkey, but hopes of finding more survivors faded and some teams were suspending searches.

More:Woman rescued three days after Turkey qu... JPost - International

Turkish Truck Carrying Aid For Earthquake Victims Looted On Live TV | Fox News

Turkish Truck Carrying Aid for Earthquake Victims Looted on Live TV

Published October 26, 2011

VAN, Turkey – An aid truck carrying items donated by people across Turkey to help victims of the recent earthquake was stopped and looted during a live broadcast Wednesday.

Looters, including women and children, stopped the truck en route to Van, eastern Turkey, and were seen filling their own cars with the supplies, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

More:Turkish Truck Carrying Aid For Earthquake Victims Looted On Live TV | Fox News

Energy Corridors And The Turkish Zeybek Dance | EarthTechling

Energy Corridors And The Turkish Zeybek Dance

by Nino Marchetti, October 25th, 2011

By Serkan Oral for National Geographic Society

In the past, people appreciated the importance of the sun only when they were drying tomatoes and eggplants. Vegetables were hung on strings and left to dry under the sun.

More:Energy Corridors And The Turkish Zeybek Dance | EarthTechling

Turks weep as survivors, bodies pulled from rubble | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com

Turks weep as survivors, bodies pulled from rubble
5:11 PM, Oct. 24, 2011 |

Written by
SELCAN HACAOGLU and SUZAN FRASER

ERCIS, Turkey (AP) — Distraught Turkish families mourned outside a mosque or sought to identify loved ones among rows of bodies Monday as rescue workers scoured debris for survivors after a 7.2-magnitude quake that killed at least 279 people.

More:Turks weep as survivors, bodies pulled from rubble | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com

Survivors fight over tents in Turkish quake zone | Reuters

Survivors fight over tents in Turkish quake zone

By Seda Sezer and Humeyra Pamuk

VAN, Turkey | Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:28pm EDT

(Reuters) - Fighting broke out among Turkish earthquake survivors on Tuesday as homeless families scrambled for tents after enduring two nights of biting cold under whatever shelter they can find.

More:Survivors fight over tents in Turkish quake zone | Reuters

Why did Turkish economy prosper while the Middle East fell behind?

Why did Turkish economy prosper while the Middle East fell behind?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The special meeting on “Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World” of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Dead Sea, Jordan that I attended over the weekend showed me once more how Turkey was shining like a “star” in the region.

More:Why did Turkish economy prosper while the Middle East fell behind? - Hurriyet Daily News

Ankara Accepts International Aid As Quake Crisis Grows

Ankara Accepts International Aid As Quake Crisis Grows
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 25.10.2011 11:00
By Dorian Jones

ISTANBUL -- The Turkish government has agreed to accept offers of international aid to help it cope with the aftermath of the devastating October 23 earthquake in the southeast of the country.

In Ankara, a Foreign Ministry official told Reuters that Turkey had requested prefabricated housing and tents from more than 30 countries, including Israel, with whom it has been in a diplomatic crisis.

More:Ankara Accepts International Aid As Quake Crisis Grows

Turkish commandos hunt down PKK in northern Iraq

Turkish commandos hunt down PKK in northern Iraq
Arab News - 21 October, 2011

Hundreds of Turkish commandos backed by helicopter gunships were attacking Kurdish militants in Iraq on Thursday, officials said as Ankara weighed a wider cross-border offensive after PKK fighters killed 24 of its soldiers.

More:Home Page - Gulf in the Media

New Turkish, Azeri deal boosts Nabucco hopes

New Turkish, Azeri deal boosts Nabucco hopes

Tuesday, October 25, 2011
SEVİL KÜÇÜKKOŞUM
IZMIR

Turkey signed an agreement with Azerbaijan yesterday to supply natural gas to the much-discussed Nabucco pipeline project, which will transport Caspian gas across Turkey to Eastern European.

More:New Turkish, Azeri deal boosts Nabucco hopes - Hurriyet Daily News

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Turkey: Betting on Wind Power, One Village at a Time at Oil Price

Turkey: Betting on Wind Power, One Village at a Time

Akbiyik, a village with 365 residents in Turkey’s western Bursa province, has a head start on the country’s plans to increase domestic energy production. The reason is simple -- it has a wind turbine and villagers eager to capitalize on a government push toward alternative energies.

More:Turkey: Betting on Wind Power, One Village at a Time at Oil Price

Help for earthquake victims in Turkey - CNN.com

Help for earthquake victims in Turkey
By Natalie Angley, CNN
October 25, 2011 -- Updated 1819 GMT (0219 HKT)

(CNN) -- Two days after a deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey, a 2-week-old girl and her mother were rescued, giving hope to the numerous rescue workers sifting through the rubble.

Sunday's devastating quake was the most powerful to hit Turkey in more than a decade. At least 432 people have died, and more than 1,300 are injured, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Relief Agency. More than 2,000 buildings are in ruins.

More:Help for earthquake victims in Turkey - CNN.com

Baby, mom rescued from Turkish earthquake rubble - NYPOST.com

Baby, mom rescued from Turkish earthquake rubble

Last Updated: 3:16 PM, October 25, 2011

Posted: 8:17 AM, October 25, 2011

ERCIS, Turkey -- Rescue workers battling against time managed a series of "miracle" recoveries from earthquake debris Tuesday, pulling a 10-year-old boy from the rubble of his house, where he was trapped more than 54 hours, and rescuing an infant, her mother and grandmother after hours of digging elsewhere.

More:Baby, mom rescued from Turkish earthquake rubble - NYPOST.com

The Political Consequences of Turkey's Earthquake

The Political Consequences of Turkey's Earthquake
By Soner Cagaptay
CNN Global Public Square, October 24, 2011

In 1999, two massive earthquakes struck Western Turkey just outside of Istanbul, killing thousands of people. The quakes shook not only the Anatolian tectonic plate but also the Turks' confidence in their much-respected secular elites who, soon after the quakes, were voted out of power for failing to respond in time to the devastating tremors.

More:Article or Op-Ed

BBC News - Turkish media call for unity following quake

Turkish media call for unity following quake

Turkish men collect their belongings from a collapsed building after an earthquake in Ercis, in the eastern Turkish province of Van The earthquake devastated many people's livelihoods in Van province

Sunday's earthquake in south-eastern Turkey has prompted some newspaper commentators to urge the nation to seize the moment to embrace reconciliation between ethnic Turks and Kurds.

More:BBC News - Turkish media call for unity following quake

Global Insights: Turkey's Transnational PKK Problem

Global Insights: Turkey's Transnational PKK Problem
By Richard Weitz | 25 Oct 2011

Turkey’s ongoing military operation on both sides of its border with Iraq highlights the recurring problem confronting the Turkish government and military in their fight against Kurdish terrorists: The insurgents’ area of operations, like the Kurdish population itself, straddles Turkey’s borders with Iraq, Iran and Syria. The governments of all four countries share an interest in suppressing Kurdish separatism and violence, but each has at times also found Kurdish terrorism to be a useful tool to pressure the others.

More:WPR Article | Global Insights: Turkey's Transnational PKK Problem