Turkish Digest Advertising Rates

Annual Advertising options

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Turkey struggles to balance competing ideas - Asian Review - Globaltimes.cn

Turkey struggles to balance competing ideas
Global Times | 2013-7-31 20:48:01
By Ding Gang

A trip to Istanbul last week sent me to the well-known Taksim Square, which is located in the European part of Turkey's capital city. The square and its surrounding business streets are the best embodiment of Turkey's European charisma.

More:Turkey struggles to balance competing ideas - Asian Review - Globaltimes.cn

24 dead as boat carrying illegal immigrants sinks off Turkey | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

24 dead as boat carrying illegal immigrants sinks off Turkey
July 31, 2013 03:46 PM

ANKARA: At least 24 people drowned early Wednesday after a boat carrying illegal immigrants trying to reach Europe capsized off western Turkey, local media reported.

More:24 dead as boat carrying illegal immigrants sinks off Turkey | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

Şişli Mayor Sarıgül hints at CHP candidacy in 2014

Şişli Mayor Sarıgül hints at CHP candidacy in 2014

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Mustafa Sarıgül, the current mayor of Istanbul’s Şişli district, has hinted at running as a candidate for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the Istanbul Metropolitan mayoral election in 2014.

More:POLITICS - Şişli Mayor Sarıgül hints at CHP candidacy in 2014

Turkey minimum wage increases by 4.4%

TURKEY: Minimum wage increases by 4.4%

By Stuart Todd | 31 July 2013

Turkey has increased its mimimum wage by 4.4%, effective earlier this month, with the hourly rate rising to EUR2.10 (US$2.7).

More:Turkey minimum wage increases by 4.4%

Alevi groups eschew iftar with President Gül, opt for Anti-Capitalist Muslims

Alevi groups eschew iftar with President Gül, opt for Anti-Capitalist Muslims

ISTANBUL

An Alevi association has announced plans to reject an offer from President Abdullah Gül to attend an iftar at Istanbul’s five-star Polat Renaissance Hotel in favor of breaking the fast with the Anti-Capitalist Muslims group.

More:RIGHTS - Alevi groups eschew iftar with President Gül, opt for Anti-Capitalist Muslims

Turkey’s media watchdog absolves Turkish lawyer for ‘pregnant women’ remarks

Turkey’s media watchdog absolves Turkish lawyer for ‘pregnant women’ remarks

ISTANBUL

Lawyer and Sufi thinker Ömer Tuğrul İnançer’s contentious comments that pregnant women’s presence in public is “disgraceful” fall within the remit of freedom of expression, meaning they warrant no penalty, Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) ruled today.

More:LOCAL - Turkey’s media watchdog absolves Turkish lawyer for ‘pregnant women’ remarks

Is Turkey Heading For Another Missed Target? - MoneyBeat - WSJ

Is Turkey Heading For Another Missed Target?

By Yeliz Candemir and Emre Peker

Turkey’s central bank has a reliable record on inflation: it consistently misses targets.

Since Governor Erdem Basci took the helm in 2011, he has struggled to tame price increases while also deploying loose monetary policies that support the government’s economic growth targets.

More:Is Turkey Heading For Another Missed Target? - MoneyBeat - WSJ

Turkey Transgender Woman, Gaye, Reportedly Murdered In Her Home

Turkey Transgender Woman, Gaye, Reportedly Murdered In Her Home

The Huffington Post | By James Nichols Posted: 07/31/2013 1:18 pm EDT

Following suit of a disturbing trend of anti-trans violence in Turkey, authorities discovered a transgender woman dead in her Istanbul apartment Monday night.

More:Turkey Transgender Woman, Gaye, Reportedly Murdered In Her Home

The $1.65bn Turkish Conglomerate Run By 4 Sisters | The Next Women - Business Magazine

The $1.65bn Turkish Conglomerate Run By 4 Sisters
31 July 2013 by Beth Pitts

Begümhan Doğan Faralyalı is the Chairwoman of Doğan Holding, one of Turkey’s top industrial conglomerates.

More:The $1.65bn Turkish Conglomerate Run By 4 Sisters | The Next Women - Business Magazine

Turkish police prevent injured child's parents from speaking - CNN.com

Turkish police prevent injured child's parents from speaking
By Ivan Watson and Gul Tuysuz, CNN
July 31, 2013 -- Updated 2049 GMT (0449 HKT)

Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish riot police used batons, water cannons and chemical sprays to prevent the parents of a wounded 14-year-boy from making a public statement about their comatose child.

More:Turkish police prevent injured child's parents from speaking - CNN.com

Turkish militants held in Greece for weapons: minister - vagazette.com

Turkish militants held in Greece for weapons: minister

11:47 a.m. EDT, July 31, 2013

ANKARA/ATHENS (Reuters) - Two members of a Turkish militant group have been arrested in Greek waters with a boatload of weapons heading for Turkey, Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said in Ankara on Wednesday.

More:Turkish militants held in Greece for weapons: minister - vagazette.com

Intimidation and self-censorship rising in Turkey | Europe | DW.DE | 30.07.2013

Intimidation and self-censorship rising in Turkey

Turkey currently holds 64 journalists in its prisons, according to the opposition. Since the begin of the Gezi Park protests, working as journalist critical of Premier Erdogan has become increasingly difficult.

More:Intimidation and self-censorship rising in Turkey | Europe | DW.DE | 30.07.2013

Inbound Turkey and Outbound Turkey travel and tourism Turkey tourism statistics indicate the ...

Turkey tourism statistics indicate the industry is booming

Jul 31, 2013

Despite recent protests, the travel and tourism industry in Turkey, both inbound and outbound is recording record numbers.

More:Inbound Turkey and Outbound Turkey travel and tourism Turkey tourism statistics indicate the ...

Cepyol.com aims to fly high in the online Turkish travel market - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

Cepyol.com aims to fly high in the online Turkish travel market
By Cepyol.com
Published: Tuesday, Jul. 30, 2013 - 2:07 pm

ISTANBUL, July 30, 2013 -- /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Cepyol.com (pronounced Jep Yol and meaning pocket travel) is a turkish online startup focused on the Turkish travel market, and with a population of 75 million and an estimated market size of over 20 billion USD of which currently only 5% is booked online, there is alot to be excited about.

More:Cepyol.com aims to fly high in the online Turkish travel market - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

Can the Kurds Redeem Erdogan’s Faltering Image? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Can the Kurds Redeem Erdogan’s Faltering Image?

By: Semih Idiz for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on July 30.

Ever since the Gezi Park demonstrations and the coup in Egypt that toppled his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been laboring under a siege mentality which is forcing him to see domestic and foreign enemies all around. His international reputation has plummeted as a result. History, however, has provided him with a unique opportunity to redeem himself both in Turkey and the region in the shape of the Kurds.

More:Can the Kurds Redeem Erdogan’s Faltering Image? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

From the Potomac to the Euphrates » Turkish Double Speak: Realism Trumps Idealism in The AKP Era

Turkish Double Speak: Realism Trumps Idealism in The AKP Era

by Guest Blogger for Steven A. Cook
July 30, 2013
The article below, about the AKP’s foreign policy in the Middle East, was written by my friend and colleague, Aaron Stein. I hope you find it interesting. 
In September 2011, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was being hailed from Marrakesh to Bangladesh for his country’s handling of the Arab revolts. Ankara was an adamant supporter of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and, after being presented with the equivalent of a diplomatic fait accompli from its Western allies, supported the military intervention in Libya. On the whole, Turkey’s rhetorical embrace of Arab democracy positioned Ankara as the natural “face” of the new Middle East and as a potential model for the three countries in transition. Yet, after a brief moment of Pax-Turkana in the region, Turkey’s transcendent foreign policy began a rapid decline. While Turkey’s democratic and economic progress were often cited as the reasons for Turkey’s growing regional role, Ankara has never included democracy promotion as a key pillar of its regional strategy.

More:From the Potomac to the Euphrates » Turkish Double Speak: Realism Trumps Idealism in The AKP Era

Turkey: Uprising’s Currents Run Deep - OpEd Eurasia Review

Turkey: Uprising’s Currents Run Deep – OpEd

By FPIF

July 31, 2013

The unrest gripping Turkey has less to do with Islam than with the AKP’s policies of privatization, its push to centralize authority in the hands of the country’s executive branch, and its silencing of the media.

More:Turkey: Uprising’s Currents Run Deep - OpEd Eurasia Review

Have a taste of Turkey at World Food Expo 2013 | Community Bulletin Board | GMA News Online

Have a taste of Turkey at World Food Expo 2013
July 31, 2013 11:14am

Food lovers are in for a unique gastronomic experience of Turkish delicacies and gourmet creations with the participation of the Turkish Flour Yeast and Ingredients (TFYI) Promotion Group at the upcoming World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2013, the Philippines’ biggest & most anticipated food show.

More:Have a taste of Turkey at World Food Expo 2013 | Community Bulletin Board | GMA News Online

Turkey’s trade gap widens, EU market picks up

Turkey’s trade gap widens, EU market picks up

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey’s foreign trade deficit expanded by 19 percent to $8.6 billion in June compared to a year ago, due to a remarkable fall in exports.

More:ECONOMICS - Turkey’s trade gap widens, EU market picks up

Turkey: Critics of Erdogan Claim Familiar Pattern of Reprisal | TIME.com

In Turkey, Critics of Erdogan’s Government Claim Familiar Pattern of Reprisal
By Piotr Zalewski / Istanbul @p_zalewskiJuly 30, 201334 Comments

The fallout from the June protests in Turkey is settling into a growing pattern of reprisal against those dissenting against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, critics of his government say. But that pattern may be backfiring, as it is fueling further discontent among Erdogan’s opponents and bolstering their ranks with some of his former supporters.

More:Turkey: Critics of Erdogan Claim Familiar Pattern of Reprisal | TIME.com

Turks harbour mixed feelings about Erdogan in wake of Gezi protests - European News | Latest News from Across Europe | The Irish Times - Wed, Jul 31, 2013

Turks harbour mixed feelings about Erdogan in wake of Gezi protests
The big rallies may be over but unease at the PM’s growing power still lingers

Mary Fitzgerald

Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 01:00

As the sun sets over Istanbul, hundreds sit cross-legged along Istiklal Caddesi, its busiest pedestrian street, preparing for iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast.

It is a rather incongruous picnic: plates of food are laid on the ground as curious tourists walk past. Just a few metres away, scores of riot police stand watching.

More:Turks harbour mixed feelings about Erdogan in wake of Gezi protests - European News | Latest News from Across Europe | The Irish Times - Wed, Jul 31, 2013

Turkey freezes number of agreements with Egypt - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkey freezes number of agreements with Egypt
31 July 2013 | 00:57 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / World
Ankara. Turkey has decided to freeze a number of agreements with Egypt, Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday.
According to the newspaper, bilateral agreements in the fields of transport, education and health care were frozen. In addition, Turkey has suspended deliveries of Turkey-made ANKA unmanned aerial vehicles to Egypt.

More:Turkey freezes number of agreements with Egypt - FOCUS Information Agency

KBS 'Music Bank' to be Held in Instanbul this September with Top K-Pop Artists | KpopStarz

KBS 'Music Bank' to be Held in Instanbul this September with Top K-Pop Artists

KBS "Music Bank" will be visiting Turkey this fall and spread the word of K-Pop.

Recently, an official stated that "Music Bank" will be performing at the Ulker Sports Arena in Istanbul on September 7.

More:KBS 'Music Bank' to be Held in Instanbul this September with Top K-Pop Artists | KpopStarz

No loans for students who engage in protests, chant slogans: Loan board

No loans for students who engage in protests, chant slogans: Loan board

ANKARA

No education loans will be granted to students who engage in resistance, stage boycotts, chant slogans or become involved in similar activities, according to newly announced conditions by the Higher Education Loans and Dormitories Institution (KYK), Turkey’s official student loan institution.

More:LOCAL - No loans for students who engage in protests, chant slogans: Loan board

Milliyet appoints Ankara representative Fikret Bila as new editor-in-chief

Milliyet appoints Ankara representative Fikret Bila as new editor-in-chief

ISTANBUL

One of Turkey’s most prominent mainstream newspapers, Milliyet, has appointed its veteran Ankara representative, Fikret Bila, as the new editor-in-chief, replacing Derya Sazak who held the post for only nine months.

More:LOCAL - Milliyet appoints Ankara representative Fikret Bila as new editor-in-chief

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

"Bright future" beckons for Turkish basketball as under-18's win men's European Championships - insidethegames.biz - Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games News

"Bright future" beckons for Turkish basketball as under-18's win men's European Championships
Sunday, 28 July 2013

By James Crook

TurkeyU18ChampsJuly 28 - Turkey have continued their fine recent run of success in basketball with a gold medal at the men's European under-18 Championships in Riga, defeating Croatia 81-74 in the final to win the tournament for the first time in their history.

More:"Bright future" beckons for Turkish basketball as under-18's win men's European Championships - insidethegames.biz - Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games News

Kurdish Leader Threatens to Quit Peace Process in Turkey

Kurdish Leader Threatens to Quit Peace Process in Turkey

Imagen activaAnkara, Jul 30 (Prensa Latina) The founder of the Workers Party of Kurdistan (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, warned today about the possible withdrawal of the peace process, if it continues without progress by the Turkish government.

More:Prensa Latina News Agency - Kurdish Leader Threatens to Quit Peace Process in Turkey

Turkey : Turkish exhibitors flock to Domotex Middle East - Textile News Turkey

Turkish exhibitors flock to Domotex Middle East
July 30, 2013 (Turkey)

DOMOTEX Middle East doesn’t open its gates for another four months, but the fair’s organizers are already recording solid bookings for exhibition space from Turkish and international companies.

More:Turkey : Turkish exhibitors flock to Domotex Middle East - Textile News Turkey

Turkish PM Erdoğan favors ‘city park’ over ‘Central Park’ in Istanbul

Turkish PM Erdoğan favors ‘city park’ over ‘Central Park’ in Istanbul

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said a planned park to be built in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul should be a “city park,” in response to earlier remarks about the plan referring to the park as the city’s “Central Park.”

More:POLITICS - Turkish PM Erdoğan favors ‘city park’ over ‘Central Park’ in Istanbul

AFP: Turkish central bank raises inflation forecast

Turkish central bank raises inflation forecast

(AFP) – 3 hours ago

ANKARA — Turkey's central bank raised its year-end inflation forecast of 5.3 percent to 6.2 percent in a sharp adjustment on Tuesday.

"We have updated our 2013 year-end inflation estimate 0.9 points up considering the exchange rate and developments in oil prices," the bank's governor Erdem Basci said in remarks broadcast live.

More:AFP: Turkish central bank raises inflation forecast

Turkish Q2 tourism revenues rise 22.8 pct -stats office | Reuters

Turkish Q2 tourism revenues rise 22.8 pct -stats office

ISTANBUL, July 30 | Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:06am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkey's tourism revenues rose 22.8 percent in the second quarter to $8.7 billion, the statistics office said on Tuesday, despite weeks of anti-government protests which shook major cities in June.

More:Turkish Q2 tourism revenues rise 22.8 pct -stats office | Reuters

Kurds could help shift course of war in Syria - By Ayla Jean Yackley

Kurds could help shift course of war in Syria - By Ayla Jean Yackley
Tuesday, 30 July 2013 11:29

ISTANBUL, July 29 (Reuters) - The head of Turkey's main Kurdish party has welcomed contacts between the Ankara
government and Syria's Kurds, saying it could step up pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and help change the course of the civil war, Turkish intelligence officers met in Istanbul last week with Saleh Muslim, head of Syria's Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Kurdish group whose militias have been fighting for control of parts of Syria's north near the Turkish border. The meeting followed Muslim's declaration that Kurdish groups would set up an independent council to run Kurdish areas of Syria until the war ends. Ankara fears that kind of autonomy could rekindle separatist sentiment among its own, much larger Kurdish population as it seeks to end a 30-year-old insurgency.

More:Kurds could help shift course of war in Syria - By Ayla Jean Yackley

Houston Methodist, Istanbul University Hospitals to collaborate on educational projects

Houston Methodist, Istanbul University Hospitals to collaborate on educational projects
Published on July 30, 2013 at 12:44 AM

Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services, the global subsidiary of Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, USA, and Istanbul University Hospitals - General Directorate in Istanbul, Turkey, have signed a collaboration agreement in the areas of education and training.

More:Houston Methodist, Istanbul University Hospitals to collaborate on educational projects

Turkey loses its Egyptian ally - Opinion - Ahram Online

Turkey loses its Egyptian ally

Ankara is the foreign capital that has expressed the angriest reaction to what it called a 'military coup' against a democratically elected president

More:Turkey loses its Egyptian ally - Opinion - Ahram Online

OpEdNews - Article: Turkey: Unrest's Currents Run Deep

Turkey: Unrest's Currents Run Deep

For the time being, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyio Erdogan -- with the liberal use of brutal police tactics and massive amounts of tear gas that killed four people and injured more than 8,000 -- appears to have successfully crushed demonstrations aimed at blocking the demolition of Gezi Park in central Istanbul and has weathered a similar outbreak in the country's capital, Ankara.

More:OpEdNews - Article: Turkey: Unrest's Currents Run Deep

Turkey not to jeopardize ties with Egypt - WORLD - Globaltimes.cn

Turkey not to jeopardize ties with Egypt
Xinhua | 2013-7-30 8:39:10
By Agencies

Turkey and Egypt are likely to maintain their relations free from any major damage despite the harsh rhetoric over the recent Egyptian turmoil displayed by some Turkish leaders, analysts said.

Turkey initially reacted very strongly to the oust of Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected president in Egypt, as Western powers and Gulf monarchies supported the change.

More:Turkey not to jeopardize ties with Egypt - WORLD - Globaltimes.cn

Turkish judges wear political glasses: Euro court judge

Turkish judges wear political glasses: Euro court judge

CANSU ÇAMLIBEL ISTANBUL / Hürriyet
ECHR judge Işıl Karakar says her Turkish colleagues let ideologies affect their judgments and think of their 'fundamental job' as being to 'protect the state'

More:EUROPE - Turkish judges wear political glasses: Euro court judge

My sacking is an attack not just on journalism, but on Turkish democracy | Yavuz Baydar | Comment is free | The Guardian

My sacking is an attack not just on journalism, but on Turkish democracy

Turkey needs freedom of expression more than ever. Erdoğan's clampdown could stop dead our transition to a liberal democracy

Yavuz Baydar
The Guardian, Monday 29 July 2013 20.30 BST

Last week I was fired from my job as independent ombudsman for the Turkish daily newspaper Sabah, following the censoring of my column.

More:My sacking is an attack not just on journalism, but on Turkish democracy | Yavuz Baydar | Comment is free | The Guardian

Turkey’s U-Turn on Syria’s Kurds? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey’s U-Turn on Syria’s Kurds?

By: Cengiz Çandar for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on July 29.

The visit to Istanbul last week Thursday and Friday of Salih Muslim, the co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party, PYD, identified as the Syrian twin of Turkey’s notorious armed Kurdish organization, the PKK, came as a surprise. If you listen to what Salih Muslim said the results of the visit were equally surprising. From his remarks, we understand that Turkey is on the verge of radical and crucial changes in its approach to Syrian Kurds and especially to the PYD itself.

More:Turkey’s U-Turn on Syria’s Kurds? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Malaysia Sovereign Fund Pays $252M For Turkish Insurer - Law360

Malaysia Sovereign Fund Pays $252M For Turkish Insurer

Share us on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn By Jake Simpson 0 Comments
Law360, New York (July 29, 2013, 1:35 PM ET) -- Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd. has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Turkish health insurance company Acibadem Sigorta for $252 million from its founder and Dutch private equity Abraaj Group, Khazanah announced Monday.

More:Malaysia Sovereign Fund Pays $252M For Turkish Insurer - Law360

Light Reading - Onebip Intros IP Billing in Turkey

Onebip Intros IP Billing in Turkey
July 29, 2013 | Post a Comment

LONDON -- Onebip, the global mobile payments service, has today announced the launch of IP billing technology in Turkey to enable its partners to further monetize their goods and services via carrier billing. Through its partnership with TTNET, the largest broadband provider in Turkey, 17 million broadband users can now pay for their purchases through their broadband bill.

More:Light Reading - Onebip Intros IP Billing in Turkey

Cardiff City appoint Turkish chairman - Soccer News - Turkish Football

Cardiff City appoint Turkish chairman

Turkish Cypriot investment banker Mehmet Dalman has been appointed chairman of Cardiff City Football Club.

"I am honoured to take up the role of Club Chairman at Cardiff City Football Club," said Dalman.

"I have enjoyed my time at the club since joining the board of directors and now relish the opportunity to contribute further in my additional role as chairman with Cardiff City in the Barclays Premier League."

More:Cardiff City appoint Turkish chairman - Soccer News - Turkish Football

YUSUF KANLI - Winners and losers in Northern Cyprus vote

Winners and losers in Northern Cyprus vote

The biggest loser of July 28’s vote in northern Cyprus was former Prime Minister İrsen Küçük and his National Unity Party (UBP). With the preference votes, supporters of the UBP “buried” the political aspirations of Küçük in the ballot box and refused to elect the former premier. The UBP, on the other hand, saw a sharp decrease in its votes and parliamentary strength. It received only 27.3 percent of the vote and produced 14 deputies. In the 2009 elections UBP had received 44.07 percent of the vote and won 26 seats in the 50-member single-house Parliament.

More:YUSUF KANLI - Winners and losers in Northern Cyprus vote

Barzani to meet with Turkish FM Davutoğlu in Ankara - Trend.Az

Barzani to meet with Turkish FM Davutoğlu in Ankara

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Necirvan Barzani will make a surprise visit to Turkey and will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to review recent developments regarding the clashes between Kurdish groups and al-Qaeda linked radical groups in northern Syria Today`s Zaman reported.

More:Barzani to meet with Turkish FM Davutoğlu in Ankara - Trend.Az

Erdogan Threatens to Settle Score With The Times - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Erdogan Threatens to Settle Score With The Times


Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening legal action against one of Britain's oldest and most influential newspapers, The Times. The newspaper published an open letter, in the form of an advertisement, signed by 30 prominent names, ranging from Ataturk's biographer Andrew Mango to Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon. The letter addressed Erdogan directly, harshly criticizing the brutal use of police force to clamp down on the Gezi Park protesters in June, as well as his dictatorial instincts. Erdogan's unflinching outburst against the ad is a typical act of intimidation, targeting a domestic audience rather than actually filing a case against The Times or the letter's signees.


More:Erdogan Threatens to Settle Score With The Times - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Monday, July 29, 2013

Delays could push Turkey's first nuclear power plant past 2019 start - UPI.com

Rejected environmental report could delay Turkey's first nuke plant

Published: July 29, 2013 at 3:59 PM

ISTANBUL, Turkey, July 29 (UPI) -- A rejected environmental impact analysis report could delay construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant, the company behind the project says.

More:Delays could push Turkey's first nuclear power plant past 2019 start - UPI.com

London-based Turkish tourism appoints two new directors

London-based Turkish tourism appoints two new directors

The London-based Turkish Culture & Tourism Office has appointed two new directors as it claims to be entering a 'new and dynamic phase in Turkish tourism'.

More:London-based Turkish tourism appoints two new directors

Resignations a shadow over Turkish military meeting

Resignations a shadow over Turkish military meeting

ANKARA
Reports of resignations of top commanders shake the army ranks ahead of the upcoming four-day Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting, which is scheduled to start on the first day of August

More:LOCAL - Resignations a shadow over Turkish military meeting

Pregnant protest in Turkey | Europe | DW.DE | 29.07.2013

Pregnant protest in Turkey

A new round appears to have opened in the fight between religious and secular interests in Turkey. Turkish citizens took to the streets after an Islamic pundit described appearing heavily pregnant in public as immoral.

More:Pregnant protest in Turkey | Europe | DW.DE | 29.07.2013

Turkey: Syrian shells and bullets hit dozens of houses and offices in Ceylanpinar - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkey: Syrian shells and bullets hit dozens of houses and offices in Ceylanpinar
29 July 2013 | 12:40

Dozens of houses and offices in the border district of Ceylanpinar, province of Sanliurfa, have repeatedly been hit by shells and bullets fired from Syria during the ongoing violent fighting in the region of the Syrian province of Resulayn, CNN Turk reported.

More:Turkey: Syrian shells and bullets hit dozens of houses and offices in Ceylanpinar - FOCUS Information Agency

Abraaj announces sale of Turkish health insurance company | GulfNews.com

Abraaj announces sale of Turkish health insurance company

Published: 16:57 July 29, 2013

Istanbul: The Abraaj Group, a private equity firm operating in growth markets, announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to divest its 50 per cent shareholding in Acıbadem Sigorta to Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the Government of Malaysia’s strategic investment fund.

More:Abraaj announces sale of Turkish health insurance company | GulfNews.com

Turkey: Great Kurdistan, a potential nightmare for Erdogan - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: Great Kurdistan, a potential nightmare for Erdogan
Syrian Kurds toward autonomous entity, border heating up

29 July, 13:44

(by Francesco Cerri).

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JULY 29 - Over two years since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the situation developing in the warn-torn country is looking increasingly like a nightmare for Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is behind Ankara's regional 'neo-Ottoman' strategy.

More:Turkey: Great Kurdistan, a potential nightmare for Erdogan - Politics - ANSAMed.it

What privatizations are left in Turkey?

What privatizations are left in Turkey?

Balkans.com Business News Correspondent - 29.07.2013

Many Turkish assets were privatized in May and June in a very quiet way. In the first half of 2013, $8 billion worth of privatizations were held in Turkey. Seyitömer Thermic Plant was sold for $2.2 billion, BEDAŞ, which is responsible for power distribution for the Anatolian side in Istanbul, for $2 billion, and Başkent Gas in the capital Ankara for around $1.2 billion, among others.

More:What privatizations are left in Turkey?

Istanbul’s major medicine faculty buildings to be renovated

Istanbul’s major medicine faculty buildings to be renovated

ISTANBUL – Radikal

The buildings belonging to Istanbul’s two major medicine faculties Cerrahpaşa and Çapa will be renovated in their current location by way of a five-year long project costing $1billion.

More:LOCAL - Istanbul’s major medicine faculty buildings to be renovated

Turkish lira firms ahead of central bank inflation report

Turkish lira firms ahead of central bank inflation report
Monday, 29 July 2013 16:53
Posted by Imaduddin

ISTANBUL: The Turkish lira edged up in quiet trade on Monday as investors awaited the central bank's quarterly inflation report on Tuesday and a US Federal Reserve rate decision later in the week.

More:Turkish lira firms ahead of central bank inflation report

Health tourism expanding in Turkey - General news - ANSAMed.it

Health tourism expanding in Turkey

29 July, 12:56

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, July 29 - Turkey is attracting large numbers of patients from all over the world, seeking medical care in private hospitals, with thousands of health tourists visiting the country each year. Dr Ilker Erdogan who works in a private hospital in Istanbul, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday that many foreigners prefer to be treated in Turkey in different departments like orthopedic, urology, heart surgery, ophthalmology, back and neck surgery, hair transplant, cosmetic surgery, dental care, gynecology, and nose, ear, and throat surgery, along with other medical departments.

More:Health tourism expanding in Turkey - General news - ANSAMed.it

Why is Turkey obsessed with Egypt? - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

Why is Turkey obsessed with Egypt?
Monday, 29 July 2013
Mahir Zeynalov

Since the Egyptian army removed the country’s elected President Mohammed Mursi on July 3, Turkey has been fully preoccupied with every development in the largest Arab nation, thrusting Turkey into the center of Egypt’s contentious politics.

More:Why is Turkey obsessed with Egypt? - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

Turkey And Albania: Strategic Partnership In A Globalized World - OpEd Eurasia Review

Turkey And Albania: Strategic Partnership In A Globalized World – OpEd

By Peter Tase

July 28, 2013

Rapid national economic growth and integration in the European Union are among the top priorities in the current strategy of Albanian Government. Albania’s aspirations in international trade would be incomplete if Turkish markets and investors are not part of this process and strategy.

More:Turkey And Albania: Strategic Partnership In A Globalized World - OpEd Eurasia Review

Mismatch of fantastic and comedy in Turkish cinema

Mismatch of fantastic and comedy in Turkish cinema

Emrah Güler ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkish cinema does not seem to tire of using fantastic elements for the sake of a few laughs. This week’s ‘Süper İncir’ (Super Fig) sees a mummy come to life. Here is a look at mummies, vampires and witches, and how they are never the backbone of the story, but added elements for mediocre comedy

More:CINEMA-TV - Mismatch of fantastic and comedy in Turkish cinema

Three Lessons Morocco Can Learn From Egypt, Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Three Lessons Morocco Can Learn
From Egypt, Turkey

By: Souleïman Bencheikh Translated from TelQuel (Morocco).

The deposing of former President Mohammed Morsi by the Egyptian army is not the only event from recent weeks that Morocco should draw lessons from. From Sao Paulo to Istanbul, the world has turned into a large sounding board where populations express themselves in a more vivid and demanding way than ever. Here are three lessons that Morocco must ponder, which are not necessarily reassuring.

More:Three Lessons Morocco Can Learn From Egypt, Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey's TAV qualifies to bid for LaGuardia airport tender | Reuters

Turkey's TAV qualifies to bid for LaGuardia airport tender

ISTANBUL, July 29 | Mon Jul 29, 2013 2:58am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkish airports operator TAV said on Monday it had qualified to bid for rights to operate and reconstruct New York's LaGuardia airport, as part of a consortium.

More:Turkey's TAV qualifies to bid for LaGuardia airport tender | Reuters

Turkish police detain 7 protesters in and around Istanbul park | Reuters

Turkish police detain 7 protesters in and around Istanbul park

ISTANBUL, July 28 | Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:56pm EDT

(Reuters) - Turkish police detained three people on Sunday after a group of protesters tried to hold an Islamic fast-breaking meal in a park in central Istanbul that has been the flashpoint for anti-government demonstrations.

More:Turkish police detain 7 protesters in and around Istanbul park | Reuters

Catch Of The Day, Grilled The Turkish Way | KCCU

Catch Of The Day, Grilled The Turkish Way

Each morning as dawn breaks over the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, a small drama repeats itself: Massive oil tankers and cargo ships slide past tiny fishing boats bobbing on the surface like bathtub toys.

More:Catch Of The Day, Grilled The Turkish Way | KCCU

Opposition wins Turkish Cyprus elections, Denktaş earns key role

Opposition wins Turkish Cyprus elections, Denktaş earns key role

The opposition Turkish Party-United Front (CTP-BG) emerged as the largest party in the Turkish Cypriot elections on July 28 but will need to find a coalition partner on the right to command a majority.

More:EUROPE - Opposition wins Turkish Cyprus elections, Denktaş earns key role

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Police seal off Gezi Park ahead of alternative iftar event

Police seal off Gezi Park ahead of alternative iftar event

ISTANBUL

Police forces once again blocked entry to Istanbul's Gezi Park on July 28, hours before an alternative iftar event planned by the Anti-Capitalist Muslims, a small religious group that has supported the Gezi protests from the beginning.

More:LOCAL - Police seal off Gezi Park ahead of alternative iftar event

Somalia PM: Turkish official died in car blast

Somalia PM: Turkish official died in car blast
July 28, 2013 15:17 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Somalia's prime minister says a Turkish security official and a Somali student were killed in a terrorist attack on the Turkish consulate and relief mission.

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said Sunday that three suicide bombers also died in the attack Saturday, which he condemned. He said acts of terrorism will not affect Somalia's relationship with Turkey.

More:KTVL CBS Channel 10 :: News - International News

Six things you must do in Istanbul: Bustling markets, ferries on the Bosphorus and tingle-factor buildings | Mail Online

Ferries on the Bosphorus and tingle-factor sights: Six things you must do in Istanbul

By Gareth Huw Davies

Long before Daniel Craig's double roared over its ancient rooftops on a motorbike in Skyfall, Istanbul was a glory of world travel. Bridging two continents, this splendid collision of civilisations mixes the mystique, power and glitter of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Gareth Huw Davies lists the highlights of this splendid city, now bidding to host the 2020 Olympics.

More:Six things you must do in Istanbul: Bustling markets, ferries on the Bosphorus and tingle-factor buildings | Mail Online

Australian actor Russell Crowe in Turkey for his new feature film

Australian actor Russell Crowe in Turkey for his new feature film

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Australian Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe arrived at Atatürk Airport about his private plane and waved to journalists as he landed.

More:CINEMA-TV - Australian actor Russell Crowe in Turkey for his new feature film

Turkey's Sat-Launcher Plans Raise Concerns | Defense News | defensenews.com

Turkey's Sat-Launcher Plans Raise Concerns
Jul. 28, 2013 - 09:56AM
By BURAK EGE BEKDIL

ANKARA — Turkey has approved construction of its first satellite launching center to cater for the country’s mushrooming satellite programs.

More:Turkey's Sat-Launcher Plans Raise Concerns | Defense News | defensenews.com

Syrian Kurd leader says Turkey vows aid | Fox News

Syrian Kurd leader says Turkey vows aid
Published July 28, 2013

ISTANBUL (AFP) – The head of the main Syrian Kurdish party said Sunday that Turkey had changed its position and would provide the Kurds in the war-ravaged country with humanitarian aid.

More:Syrian Kurd leader says Turkey vows aid | Fox News

Left Tipped to Win Snap Turkish Cypriot Vote — Naharnet

Left Tipped to Win Snap Turkish Cypriot Vote
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours ago

Turkish Cypriots went to the polls on Sunday for a snap election expected to be won by the left after the collapse of the conservative administration of the breakaway north.

Opinion polls predicted that the leftwing Republican Turkish Party (CTP) would comfortably beat the nationalist National Unity Party (UBP) amid public anger over its austerity policies when in power.

More:Left Tipped to Win Snap Turkish Cypriot Vote — Naharnet

Leader of Syrian Kurds meets with representatives of Turkey’s intelligence, foreign ministry - FOCUS Information Agency

Leader of Syrian Kurds meets with representatives of Turkey’s intelligence, foreign ministry
28 July 2013 | 13:02 | FOCUS News Agency

Istanbul. Leader of the main Kurdish group in northern Syria, Salih Muslim, held several meetings with high-ranking representatives of the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Istanbul, online edition of Turkish Milliyet informed.

More:Leader of Syrian Kurds meets with representatives of Turkey’s intelligence, foreign ministry - FOCUS Information Agency

Al-Shabaab claims attack on Turkish embassy building in Somalia | EUROPE ONLINE

Al-Shabaab claims attack on Turkish embassy building in Somalia
Europe
28.07.2013
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Mogadishu (dpa) - The Islamist militia al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for an attack on a residential compound belonging to the Turkish embassy in Somalia‘s capital.

More:Al-Shabaab claims attack on Turkish embassy building in Somalia | EUROPE ONLINE

Turkey: Eight killed over Land dispute in Ankara

Turkey: Eight killed over Land dispute in Ankara

Published by: Nilofar Raqeem
Published on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 at 21:23 IST

Ankara: Reportedly eight people were killed and four wounded on Saturday in Turkey's Diyarbakir province during an armed clash erupted over a land dispute between two families.

It all happened as a gunfight broke out between the Ustun family from Baskoy village and the Ek family from Karatepe village in Bismil town.

More:Turkey: Eight killed over Land dispute in Ankara

Analysis: Who's backing who as Syria's civil war threatens to spread - World News

Analysis: Who's backing who as Syria's civil war threatens to spread
Slideshow: Syria uprising

By Mandy Clark and Paul Nassar, NBC News

News analysis

Syria’s two-year civil war has claimed more than 100,000 lives and sent at least 1.7 million refugees spilling across its borders.

It has already affected neighboring countries, and now threatens to drag in the United States.

What began as a popular movement, demanding the removal of autocratic President Bashar Assad, has become an increasingly sectarian conflict.

More:Analysis: Who's backing who as Syria's civil war threatens to spread - World News

Turkish Airlines attracts GCC with ‘Ramadan in Istanbul’ drive - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

Turkish Airlines attracts GCC with ‘Ramadan in Istanbul’ drive
Sunday, 28 July 2013

Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Turkey, is promoting the Turkish capital to GCC residents as a Ramadan destination with its “Ramadan in Istanbul” campaign, The Saudi Gazette reported on Saturday.

More:Turkish Airlines attracts GCC with ‘Ramadan in Istanbul’ drive - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

Leader of Syrian Kurds meets with representatives of Turkey’s intelligence, foreign ministry - FOCUS Information Agency

Leader of Syrian Kurds meets with representatives of Turkey’s intelligence, foreign ministry
28 July 2013 | 13:02 | FOCUS News Agency

Istanbul. Leader of the main Kurdish group in northern Syria, Salih Muslim, held several meetings with high-ranking representatives of the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Istanbul, online edition of Turkish Milliyet informed.

More:Leader of Syrian Kurds meets with representatives of Turkey’s intelligence, foreign ministry - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkish Cypriots go to the polls in an early Parliamentary election - WORLD - Globaltimes.cn

Turkish Cypriots go to the polls in an early Parliamentary election
Xinhua | 2013-7-28 16:16:08
By Agencies

Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) went to the polls on Sunday in an early Parliamentary election caused by internal party rivalries.

More:Turkish Cypriots go to the polls in an early Parliamentary election - WORLD - Globaltimes.cn

NATO's two frigates drop anchor in Istanbul shores -- Shanghai Daily | 上海日报 -- English Window to China New

NATO's two frigates drop anchor in Istanbul shores

Source: XINHUA | 2013-7-27

ISTANBUL, July 27 (Xinhua) -- NATO's two frigates arrived in Istanbul on Saturday and will be anchored in Sarayburnu Dock until Sunday, according to a report here on Saturday.

More:NATO's two frigates drop anchor in Istanbul shores -- Shanghai Daily | 上海日报 -- English Window to China New

Alstom Strengthens Its Leading Position in the Hydro Market in Turkey - WSJ.com

Alstom Strengthens Its Leading Position in the Hydro Market in Turkey

Three major hydro orders worth around EUR100 million

Turkey's leading hydropower equipment provider Alstom (Paris:ALO) has recently signed three major contracts for Alpaslan II (292 MW), Upper Kaleköy(1) (636 MW) and Tepekı la(2) (72MW) hydro power plant projects, totalling around EUR100 million.

More:Alstom Strengthens Its Leading Position in the Hydro Market in Turkey - WSJ.com

Turkish bars call on TV watchdog to sanction public broadcaster over pregnancy remarks

Turkish bars call on TV watchdog to sanction public broadcaster over pregnancy remarks

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has called on Turkey's TV watchdog to sanction the public broadcast station over the controversial remarks of a Sufi thinker on pregnancy during a special show on religion before iftar.

More:LOCAL - Turkish bars call on TV watchdog to sanction public broadcaster over pregnancy remarks

Turkey's Erdogan slams EU for stance on Egypt bloodshed | Reuters

Turkey's Erdogan slams EU for stance on Egypt bloodshed

(Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, an outspoken supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohamed Mursi, lashed out at the European Union and others for failing to condemn strongly enough the killing of dozens in Cairo earlier on Saturday.

More:Turkey's Erdogan slams EU for stance on Egypt bloodshed | Reuters

Saturday, July 27, 2013

'Walking woman' ends in Ankara her 500 km solo journey against 10 percent election threshold

'Walking woman' ends in Ankara her 500 km solo journey against 10 percent election threshold

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Aylin Kotil who hit the road to protest the 10 percent election threshold has arrived today to her destination at Ankara’s Kuğulu Park July 27 after a 19 day-long journey from Istanbul.

MoreŞRIGHTS - 'Walking woman' ends in Ankara her 500 km solo journey against 10 percent election threshold

.:Middle East Online::Turkey’s Ocalan clings to hope from his prison cell :.

Turkey’s Ocalan clings to hope from his prison cell

Abdullah Ocalan demands his retrial under legal reforms that took effect in April, one of his lawyers says.

ISTANBUL - Jailed Turkish Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan has demanded his retrial under legal reforms that took effect in April, one of his lawyers said Saturday.

MoreŞ.:Middle East Online::Turkey’s Ocalan clings to hope from his prison cell :.

SFCPressPoint: RECONSTRUCTION OF KEY ISTANBUL 2020 VENUE TO START AFTER FAREWELL CONCERT

RECONSTRUCTION OF KEY ISTANBUL 2020 VENUE TO START AFTER FAREWELL CONCERT

Istanbul 2020 to benefit from new state-of-the-art ?nönü Stadium

Istanbul; 27 July 2013: Iron Maiden performed in front of tens of thousands of fans at the BJK İnönü Stadium last night in the last concert before construction begins on a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium which will provide a spectacular venue for rugby sevens if Istanbul is awarded the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.

MoreŞSFCPressPoint: RECONSTRUCTION OF KEY ISTANBUL 2020 VENUE TO START AFTER FAREWELL CONCERT

KUNA : Health tourism expands in Turkey - Health - 27/07/2013

Health tourism expands in Turkey
27/07/2013 | 02:57 PM | World News

(With photos) ISTANBUL, July 27 (KUNA) -- Turkey is attracting large numbers of patients from all over the world, seeking medical care in private hospitals, with thousands of health tourists visiting the country each year.
Dr Ilker Erdogan who works in a private hospital in Istanbul, told KUNA on Saturday that many foreigners prefer to be treated in Turkey in different departments like orthopedic, urology, heart surgery, ophthalmology, back and neck surgery, hair transplant, cosmetic surgery, dental care, gynecology, and nose, ear, and throat surgery, along with other medical departments.

MoreŞKUNA : Health tourism expands in Turkey - Health - 27/07/2013

Turkish Cypriots seek EU help on peace process

Turkish Cypriots seek EU help on peace process

Today @ 11:54

By Nikolaj Nielsen

BRUSSELS - Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu is urging the EU to give his people a greater role in upcoming talks on the 45-year-old Cypriot conflict.

More:EUobserver.com / Foreign Affairs / Turkish Cypriots seek EU help on peace process

New Turkish sites on UNESCO temporary list

New Turkish sites on UNESCO temporary list
Saturday, 27 July 2013
ANKARA: Istanbul Galata Tower, Yoros Castle, Izmir Foca, Candarli Castles, Bartin Amasra Castle, Duzce Akcakoca Castle and Sinop Castle in Turkey were reported to have been taken into UNESCO's temporary list of world heritage.

More:New Turkish sites on UNESCO temporary list

End of UK Transit as Ford closes its doors | UK | News | Daily Express

End of UK Transit as Ford closes its doors
ANGER erupted yesterday as Ford closed its last British van factory.
Published: Sat, July 27, 2013

Six decades of UK van-making ended as the last Transit rolled off the production line in Southampton.

Some 2,200,173 Transits have been made at the plant since it opened in 1972. With production switching to Turkey due to an £80million EU loan, 315 staff have lost their jobs – although 175 are taking up other positions in the company.

More:End of UK Transit as Ford closes its doors | UK | News | Daily Express

Turkey criticized for failing to protect media freedom after prominent journalist is fired - The Washington Post

Turkey criticized for failing to protect media freedom after prominent journalist is fired

By Associated Press, Published: July 26

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey drew renewed international criticism Friday over its stance on media freedom after a prominent journalist who had criticized the government was fired this week.

More:Turkey criticized for failing to protect media freedom after prominent journalist is fired - The Washington Post

Turkey: 2 workers die in huge fire at mattress factory in Istanbul - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkey: 2 workers die in huge fire at mattress factory in Istanbul

27 July 2013 | 09:05 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / Southeast Europe and Balkans
Istanbul. Two workers died in a huge fire that started at a mattress factory in Istanbul. A fireman, on the other hand, was intoxicated by the smoke during the rescue operation, Turkish NTV reported.

More:Turkey: 2 workers die in huge fire at mattress factory in Istanbul - FOCUS Information Agency

Friday, July 26, 2013

Turkey warns of possible series of terror attacks throughout country - UPI.com

Turkey prepares for possible series of terror attacks

Published: July 26, 2013 at 5:43 PM

ANKARA, Turkey, July 26 (UPI) -- Turkish government officials say terror groups may be planning a series of suicide attacks across Turkey, including in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

More:Turkey warns of possible series of terror attacks throughout country - UPI.com

Erdogan’s Egypt Policy In Disarray - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Erdogan’s Egypt Policy In Disarray

By: Tulin Daloglu for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on July 26.

While Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan argues that his objection to the Egyptian military ending President Mohammed Morsi's term is all about standing strong in the name of democracy and therefore against military coups, Egyptian Ambassador to Ankara Abderahman Salaheldin has raised a different issue. Salaheldin asked whether Erdogan's position on the issue is principled, comparing Egypt's two separate popular rallies since 2011, which both led to changes in governance.

More:Erdogan’s Egypt Policy In Disarray - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

In Turkey, a Strange Dance Between Government and Entrepreneurs | Entrepreneur.com

In Turkey, a Strange Dance Between Government and Entrepreneurs

BY Michael Goldberg

In transitioning economies around the world, the private sector alone cannot develop dynamic and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. Governments can act as partners in this process and go a long way to help new businesses.

More:In Turkey, a Strange Dance Between Government and Entrepreneurs | Entrepreneur.com

400,000 Syrian Refugees in Turkey Cannot Be Ignored by the U.S.

400,000 Syrian Refugees in Turkey Cannot Be Ignored by the U.S.

Eric Tillberg

The Turkish government is not very popular these days. Certainly not in the West. However, they are doing a great service by letting so many Syrian refugees into their country and the West needs to recognize that. Not only should they recognize the service that Turkey is doing, but they should help out with relief funding.

More:400,000 Syrian Refugees in Turkey Cannot Be Ignored by the U.S.

Successive fires erupt in Ankara woodland, Çanakkale memorial park

Successive fires erupt in Ankara woodland, Çanakkale memorial park

ANKARA / ÇANAKKALE

Successive fires broke out across Turkey on July 26, threatening residential areas and national heritage sites.

The largest of the fires erupted in a forested area belonging to the Middle Eastern Technical University (ODTÜ), near Ankara's city center, on the afternoon of July 26.

More:LOCAL - Successive fires erupt in Ankara woodland, Çanakkale memorial park

Lawyers in Turkey seek retrial for Kurdish rebel leader Ocalan | Reuters

Lawyers in Turkey seek retrial for Kurdish rebel leader Ocalan

By Ayla Jean Yackley

ISTANBUL | Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:44am EDT

(Reuters) - Lawyers for Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, serving a life sentence in Turkey for treason, on Friday filed a request for his retrial, arguing recent legislative changes pave the way for new legal proceedings and a fairer trial.

More:Lawyers in Turkey seek retrial for Kurdish rebel leader Ocalan | Reuters

Turkey's Erdogan threatens to sue Times for publishing critical letter | Reuters

Turkey's Erdogan threatens to sue Times for publishing critical letter

ISTANBUL | Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:08pm EDT

(Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Friday threatened to sue the Times of London for publishing an open letter by a group of celebrities, academics and others criticizing his handling of anti-government protests.

More:Turkey's Erdogan threatens to sue Times for publishing critical letter | Reuters

Foreign policy implications of the Kurdish peace for Turkey - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Foreign policy implications of the Kurdish peace for Turkey
The process enables a less-securitised political climate and the opportunity to create a more liberal justice system.

More:Foreign policy implications of the Kurdish peace for Turkey - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Turkey Criticized as Leading Journalist Fired - ABC News

Turkey Criticized as Leading Journalist Fired
Associated Press

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey July 26, 2013 (AP)

Turkey drew renewed international criticism Friday over its stance on media freedom after a prominent journalist who had criticized the government was fired this week.

More:Turkey Criticized as Leading Journalist Fired - ABC News

Berlin Turks carry on long march for democracy | Scene in Berlin | DW.DE | 26.07.2013

Berlin Turks carry on long march for democracy

As the protests in Istanbul reverberated in Berlin, DW's Stuart Braun discovers an alternative side of the capital's Turkish community.

When I saw the red flags and a large crowd gathering on my local square earlier this month, it made sense the people were marching in solidarity with the protesters in Istanbul. Hundreds of thousands had just massed peaceably in Istanbul's Taksim square to oppose the government's unilateral decision to build a shopping mall in a local park. When police, unprovoked, hit protesters with tear gas, water canons and plastic bullets, it sent immediate shock into my neighborhood, the core of Europe's largest Turkish Diaspora.

More:Berlin Turks carry on long march for democracy | Scene in Berlin | DW.DE | 26.07.2013

Turkish lira steady after high-volume repo auctions | Reuters

Turkish lira steady after high-volume repo auctions
By Seda Sezer

ISTANBUL, July 26 | Fri Jul 26, 2013 6:30am EDT

(Reuters) - The Turkish lira was broadly steady on Friday after the central bank tried to push up the cost of lira funding and investors hoped for a forex auction to help bolster the currency further.

More:Turkish lira steady after high-volume repo auctions | Reuters

Turkey clears bird of spying for Israel - Telegraph

Turkey clears bird of spying for Israel

By Justin Vela, Istanbul

10:45AM BST 26 Jul 2013

The kestrel was discovered by residents of Altinavya, a village in Elazig province, wearing a metallic ring stamped with the words “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel”. Suspicious that the bird may have been on a spying mission for the Jewish state, villagers turned the bird over to local authorities, according to Turkish media.

More:Turkey clears bird of spying for Israel - Telegraph

Unilever sells Turkish B2B bakery and oils assets

TURKEY: Unilever sells B2B bakery and oils business

By Katy Askew | 26 July 2013

Unilver has agreed to sell its Turkish industrial bakery and oils business, Unipro, to speciality fats group AAK.

More:Unilever sells Turkish B2B bakery and oils assets

Scripps dishes up Turkish Food Network / TBI Vision

Scripps dishes up Turkish Food Network
by TBI reporter
July 26, 2013

Scripps Networks Interactive’s Food Network has launched in Turkey.

The SD and HD service has launched on the D-Smart platform and will reach 700,000 of the pay TV operator’s subscribers.

The channel is DSmart’s Extended Basic tier and the HD version will be carried on an exclusive basis. The carriage deal follows an exclusive agreement inked late last year for Scripps’ Travel Channel HD.

More:Scripps dishes up Turkish Food Network / TBI Vision

Opinion: Turkish hero set precedent for secular rule | The Daily Beacon

Opinion: Turkish hero set precedent for secular rule
by Melodi Erdogan, Arts & Culture Editor
Fri Jul 26, 2013

For any new reader of my column, you should know that this series details the current conflict in Turkey.

The key word there is 'current.'

Instead of scouring out the most 'current' news on media websites, I have instead dusted off some Encyclopedias to look at the country's most influential political leader who created the foundation for modern Turkey after World War I.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

More:Opinion: Turkish hero set precedent for secular rule | The Daily Beacon

Erdogan’s Assad Problem - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Erdogan’s Assad Problem

By: Tulin Daloglu for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on July 25.

On Wednesday [July 24] Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan led a critical meeting of Necdet Ozel, chief of the General Staff; Besir Atalay, deputy prime minister; Sadullah Ergin, minister of justice; Ahmet Davutoglu, minister of foreign affairs; Muammer Guler, minister of interior; Ismet Yilmaz, minister of defense; Efkan Ala, counselor at the prime ministry; and Hakan Fidan, head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to discuss the latest developments regarding the Kurdish movements at the Turkey-Syria border. Turkish media speculated that they also discussed enforcing a no-fly zone at that segment of the 951-km [591-mile] border line with Syria where Kurds are in the majority.

More:Erdogan’s Assad Problem - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Nepal for signing Economic Framework Agreement with Turkey | National | Business

Nepal for signing Economic Framework Agreement with Turkey

KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Nepal has responded to Turkey’s offer to sign a trade and economic cooperation agreement by proposing to conclude a broader Economic Framework Agreement (EFA).

More:Nepal for signing Economic Framework Agreement with Turkey | National | Business

Does Hezbollah Seek Cold Peace With EU? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Does Hezbollah Seek Cold Peace With EU?

By: Ali Hashem for Al-Monitor Lebanon Pulse Posted on July 25.

The "live and let live" doctrine seems to be ruling relations between Hezbollah and Europe. Less than 48 hours after listing the group's "military wing" on the EU terror list, EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst visited Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburb and met the group's international-relations officer, Ammar Mousawi. According to well-informed sources, the meeting was "cold" and was held mainly to discuss the EU decision.

More:Does Hezbollah Seek Cold Peace With EU? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Shooting the Arbiter in Turkey: How Sabah Fired Its Ombudsman - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Shooting the Arbiter in Turkey:
How Sabah Fired Its Ombudsman

By: Yavuz Baydar for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on July 25.

It was early May. I published an important correction in my ombudsman’s column, I guess it was on the first Monday of the month (I could not check the precise date, because the newspaper deleted the ombudsman’s digital archive the day [July 24] after it fired me).

More:Shooting the Arbiter in Turkey: How Sabah Fired Its Ombudsman - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Several journalists fired, forced to resign in Turkey - Committee to Protect Journalists

Several journalists fired, forced to resign in Turkey

New York, July 25, 2013--The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that numerous Turkish journalists, including the leading columnist Yavuz Baydar, have been fired or forced to resign from news outlets in apparent retaliation for their independent coverage of anti-government demonstrations that swept the country.

More:Several journalists fired, forced to resign in Turkey - Committee to Protect Journalists

European Court Presses Erdogan on Free Speech - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

European Court Presses Erdogan on Free Speech

By: Orhan Kemal Cengiz for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on July 25.

It takes only 24 hours for any writing on press-freedom restrictions in Turkey to go stale. Hardly a day passes without a fresh blow to media freedoms.

More:European Court Presses Erdogan on Free Speech - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Istanbul art scene and artists in focus in Switzerland

Istanbul art scene and artists in focus in Switzerland

ISTANBUL
Swiss Museum Haus Konstruktiv displays Turkish art and the first comprehensive exhibition of Turkish abstract, concrete and conceptual art in Switzerland, with works from over 60 years

More:EXHIBITIONS - Istanbul art scene and artists in focus in Switzerland

Tourist arrival numbers up in Istanbul despite protests

Tourist arrival numbers up in Istanbul despite protests

Eren Güler Hürriyet / ISTANBUL
While foreign tourist numbers reached 4 million last month in Turkey, in a 5 percent rise on the same month last year, Istanbul also showed a 2 percent rise despite Gezi Park protests. However, transfer passengers who came through Istanbul to travel to other cities might raise the number

More:TOURISM - Tourist arrival numbers up in Istanbul despite protests

Croatia sees significant drop in tourists from Turkey

Croatia sees significant drop in tourists from Turkey

The new visa procedure of Croatia, which is the youngest member of the EU, has been allowing tourists from non-EU countries on a visa since April, which has automatically decreased the number of Turkish tourists in the country.Following the new procedures on visas started on April 1st, Turkish tourists as well as Russian tourists going on a holiday to Croatia were affected adversely while Italians, Germans, and Austrians still preferred travelling to the country for vacation.The amount Turkish visitors to the country decreased by 21 per cent when compared to last year, according to data released by the Croatian Culture Ministry.

More:Croatia sees significant drop in tourists from Turkey

Ankara - Turkey Refuses To Accept Israel's Flotilla Compensation Payment -- VosIzNeias.com

Ankara - Turkey Refuses To Accept Israel's Flotilla Compensation Payment
Published on: Yesterday 08:21 AM
By: AP

Ankara - Turkey’s deputy prime minister says talks between Israel and Turkey on compensation for the victims of a deadly Israel raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have stalled over disagreement on the legal definition of the damages.

More:Ankara - Turkey Refuses To Accept Israel's Flotilla Compensation Payment -- VosIzNeias.com

A Design Lover's Guide to Istanbul Apartment Therapy's Design Destination Guide | Apartment Therapy

A Design Lover's Guide to Istanbul Apartment Therapy's Design Destination Guide

Istanbul is a city teeming with history in every corner, an amazing place where various cultures collide and mix, and a destination where no stay seems quite long enough. I was fortunate enough during my trip abroad to meet up with an old friend and an Istanbul native to help me to explore this magnificent city, meet new friends, and discover some of the city's hidden offerings...

More:A Design Lover's Guide to Istanbul Apartment Therapy's Design Destination Guide | Apartment Therapy

Zoë Ryan appointed curator of 2nd edition | e-flux

Istanbul Design Biennial

18 October–14 December 2014

Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
Nejat Eczacıbaşı Binası
Sadi Konuralp Caddesi No: 5
Şişhane 34433 Istanbul

T +90 212 334 0766
ist.designbiennial@iksv.org

istanbuldesignbiennial.iksv.org

Zoë Ryan have been appointed as the curator of the second Istanbul Design Biennial, to be held from 18 October to 14 December 2014 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). British curator and writer Zoë Ryan is the John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago.

More:Zoë Ryan appointed curator of 2nd edition | e-flux

Turkey Increases Key Interest Rate for the First Time in Two Years

Turkey Increases Key Interest Rate for the First Time in Two Years

ANKARA--July 26, 2013--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Central Bank of Turkey (CBT) (Ankara, Turkey) raised its overnight lending rate by 75 basis points to 7.25% in order to tighten monetary conditions and stabilise the lira. In line with expectations, the CBT kept its policy rate and borrowing rate unchanged at 4.5% and 3.5%, respectively. The bank's management also said that "additional monetary tightening will be implemented when necessary."

More:Turkey Increases Key Interest Rate for the First Time in Two Years

Pregnant women gather to protest Sufi thinker who urged them not to 'stroll in public'

Pregnant women gather to protest Sufi thinker who urged them not to 'stroll in public'

ISTANBUL

Pregnant women gathered in Istanbul July 25 to protest the statements of a lawyer and Sufi thinker who said on state television that it was "disgraceful" for expectant women to show themselves in public.

More:LOCAL - Pregnant women gather to protest Sufi thinker who urged them not to 'stroll in public'

Virus attack strikes at both Istanbul airports

Virus attack strikes at both Istanbul airports

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

The passport control system was locked at Istanbul Atatürk Airport’s International departure terminal due to an alleged cyber-attack on July 26. Passengers stood in lines for hours and plane departures were delayed, Doğan news agency reported.

More:LOCAL - Virus attack strikes at both Istanbul airports

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The Best Way to Help Syria? Help Turkey

The Best Way to Help Syria? Help Turkey

Eric Tillberg

The Turkish government is not very popular these days. Certainly not in the West. However, they are doing a great service by letting so many Syrian refugees into their country and the West needs to recognize that. Not only should they recognize the service that Turkey is doing, but they should help out with relief funding.

More:The Best Way to Help Syria? Help Turkey

Turkish government furious over The Times’ celeb ad condemning Gezi crackdown

Turkish government furious over The Times’ celeb ad condemning Gezi crackdown

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Government officials gave a quick response to the letter recently published in The Times targeting the ruling party’s treatment of Gezi Park protesters, accusing the celebrities who penned the lines of “insincerity,” as well as of working with anti-government figures in the country.

More:POLITICS - Turkish government furious over The Times’ celeb ad condemning Gezi crackdown

Investors skittish on Turkey’s outlook - FTSE Global Markets

Investors skittish on Turkey’s outlook
Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Borsa Istanbul unveiled a technology deal with NASDAQ OMX in July that involves the NASDAQ OMX upgrading the Turkish exchange’s trading, clearing, risk management and market surveillance operations. The announcement, either deliberately or otherwise, was timely, as it provided some reassurance to international investors who had been discombobulated by several weeks of political unrest that upended (to a degree) some of the ‘feel-good’ sentiment that had built up around the country’s overall economic story. What now?

More:Investors skittish on Turkey’s outlook - FTSE Global Markets

Denmark bans Kurdish TV station and fines it £1.2m | Media | guardian.co.uk

Denmark bans Kurdish TV station and fines it £1.2m

A Kurdish TV station based in Denmark has appealed to the country's supreme court after a lower court revoked its licence and ordered it to pay a fine of £1.2m.

More:Denmark bans Kurdish TV station and fines it £1.2m | Media | guardian.co.uk

Dispatches: European Court Slams Turkey on Policing | Human Rights Watch

Dispatches: European Court Slams Turkey on Policing
July 24, 2013
Emma Sinclair-Webb

Yesterday's damning ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in İzci v Turkey has thrown the spotlight on Turkey's persistent policing problem, which sees police move in quick and heavy with violent force and tear gas to disperse peaceful demonstrators.

More:Dispatches: European Court Slams Turkey on Policing | Human Rights Watch

Pregnant women’s presence in public is ‘disgraceful,’ says Turkish lawyer

Pregnant women’s presence in public is ‘disgraceful,’ says Turkish lawyer

ISTANBUL

Turkish lawyer and Sufi thinker Ömer Tuğrul İnançer has raised eyebrows after telling state television station TRT 1 that it was immoral for pregnant women with huge bellies to reveal themselves in public.

More:LOCAL - Pregnant women’s presence in public is ‘disgraceful,’ says Turkish lawyer

Turkish lira eases in absence of central bank forex auction

Turkish lira eases in absence of central bank forex auction
Thursday, 25 July 2013 15:01
Posted by Imaduddin

ISTANBUL: The Turkish lira weakened on Thursday in the absence of a central bank foreign exchange auction to support the currency.

More:Turkish lira eases in absence of central bank forex auction

Turkish June foreign arrivals rise 4.93 pct yr/yr | Reuters

Turkish June foreign arrivals rise 4.93 pct yr/yr

ISTANBUL, July 25 | Thu Jul 25, 2013 4:06am EDT

(Reuters) - The number of foreign visitors to Turkey rose 4.93 percent year-on-year in June to 4.07 million people, Tourism Ministry data showed on Thursday.

More:Turkish June foreign arrivals rise 4.93 pct yr/yr | Reuters

Syrian refugee crisis raises tensions in Turkish border towns | World news | guardian.co.uk

Syrian refugee crisis raises tensions in Turkish border towns

Influx of people fleeing civil war leaves resources stretched and many local people angry at lack of international response

More:Syrian refugee crisis raises tensions in Turkish border towns | World news | guardian.co.uk

MURAT YETKİN - Erdoğan and his 10 percent

Erdoğan and his 10 percent

The Turkish government is working on a set of legal measures as a part of the initiative by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan to pursue peace with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in order to resolve the painful Kurdish issue without further bloodshed. The outline of the “democratization package,” as labelled by Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, was discussed in a meeting chaired by Erdoğan on July 23 in Ankara, and partly revealed to the media during a fast-breaking dinner the same evening.

More:MURAT YETKİN - Erdoğan and his 10 percent

Istanbul Archaeological Site Destroyed by Construction Equipment - Archaeology Magazine

Istanbul Archaeological Site Destroyed by Construction Equipment

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

ISTANBUL, TURKEY—Archaeologists from the Istanbul Archaeology Museum report that archaeological features, including a vaulted ceiling, were illegally destroyed when the old Ïnönü Stadium, where the popular Beşiktaş soccer club played, was demolished. Construction workers had been instructed to stop if any artifacts were found. A new stadium will be built in the area.

More:Istanbul Archaeological Site Destroyed by Construction Equipment - Archaeology Magazine

Some 21 Turkish provinces’ power distribution networks to be managed by private sector - Trend.Az

Some 21 Turkish provinces’ power distribution networks to be managed by private sector

Azerbaijan, Baku, July 24 / Trend, A. Taghiyeva /

The power distribution networks of 21 Turkish provinces will be transferred to the private sector before September 2013, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said on Wednesday, Anadolu reported.

More:Some 21 Turkish provinces’ power distribution networks to be managed by private sector - Trend.Az

KUNA : Turkish national the oldest in world - Society - 24/07/2013

Turkish national the oldest in world
24/07/2013 | 11:09 PM

ISTANBUL, July 24 (KUNA) -- The oldest man in the world is a Turkish national named Hasan Qazar living in southern eastern city of Sirt, according to Turkey's local media reports.

More:KUNA : Turkish national the oldest in world - Society - 24/07/2013

Turkey: Erdogan calls protesters 'pathetic rodents' - Turkey - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: Erdogan calls protesters 'pathetic rodents'

24 July, 13:59

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JULY 24 - Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday lashed out at anti-government protesters calling for a boycott of Turkish products with a colorful new epithet, local media reported. ''Those who want to get even with the government by targeting the economy are pathetic rodents trying to sink the ship that is carrying 76 million Turks'', the premier reportedly said.

More:Turkey: Erdogan calls protesters 'pathetic rodents' - Turkey - ANSAMed.it

Penn, Sarandon and intellectuals condemn Gezi crackdown in letter to Turkish PM

Penn, Sarandon and intellectuals condemn Gezi crackdown in letter to Turkish PM

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet

A group of internationally renowned artists and scholars condemned the Turkish authorities’ heavy-handed crackdown on the Gezi Park protests in a full-page letter published July 24 in the British broadsheet The Times, addressed to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

More:POLITICS - Penn, Sarandon and intellectuals condemn Gezi crackdown in letter to Turkish PM

Boeing, Turkish Airlines finalize order for 5 additional 777-300ERs - eTurboNews.com

Boeing, Turkish Airlines finalize order for 5 additional 777-300ERs


Jul 24, 2013

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Boeing and Turkish Airlines have announced a order for five 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes, valued at $1.6 billion at list prices. The Turkish flag-carrier has exercised options on five 777-300ERs that were first announced in December 2012 as part of a previous firm order for 15 777-300ERs. Turkish Airlines now has 20 777-300ERs currently an order from Boeing.

More:Boeing, Turkish Airlines finalize order for 5 additional 777-300ERs - eTurboNews.com

Jazz fans celebrate Jazz in Ramadan

Jazz fans celebrate Jazz in Ramadan

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

The Istanbul tradition of Jazz in Ramadan has returned with concerts to delight music fans throughout the holy month of fasting.

More:MUSIC - Jazz fans celebrate Jazz in Ramadan

Turkey vows military measures on borders with Syria -- Shanghai Daily | 上海日报 -- English Window to China New

Turkey vows military measures on borders with Syria

Source: XINHUA | 2013-7-24

ANKARA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will take military measures to ensure security on its borders with Syria after clashes between armed Kurdish groups and Syrian rebels killed a Turkish citizen, said Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday.

More:Turkey vows military measures on borders with Syria -- Shanghai Daily | 上海日报 -- English Window to China New

‘Walking woman’ arrives in Ankara to hand in manifesto against election threshold

‘Walking woman’ arrives in Ankara to hand in manifesto against election threshold

ANKARA
Aylin Kotil, “the walking woman” who has been on a solitary march from Istanbul to Ankara to protest the 10 percent election threshold, arrived in the Kazan district of the capital city of Ankara on July 25.

More:POLITICS - ‘Walking woman’ arrives in Ankara to hand in manifesto against election threshold

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Turkish Airlines takes the world by storm

Turkish Airlines takes the world by storm

Saleh Fareed
Saudi Gazette

ISTANBUL – Turkish Airlines is further strengthening its focus on the Saudi market, one of the airline’s largest growing markets in the world, with a 41 percent increase in passenger traffic in the last two years, Dr. Temel Kotil, President and CEO of Turkish Airlines, said.

More:Saudi Gazette - Turkish Airlines takes the world by storm

Turkish government cracking down on media critics, groups say - CNN.com

Turkish government cracking down on media critics, groups say
By Gul Tuysuz and Ivan Watson
July 24, 2013 -- Updated 1537 GMT (2337 HKT)

Istanbul (CNN) -- A pro-government newspaper in Turkey fired its ombudsman this week. The dismissal came as a prominent journalists' union and the main opposition party warned of a broad government crackdown against the Turkish press.

More:Turkish government cracking down on media critics, groups say - CNN.com

4.9 tonnes of cannabis seized in Turkey

4.9 tonnes of cannabis seized in Turkey
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 24, 2013, 21:35 A- A A+

Ankara: A major haul of cannabis weighing 4.9 tonnes and with an estimated worth of $742 million was seized in Turkey, Xinhua reported Wednesday.

More:4.9 tonnes of cannabis seized in Turkey

Turkey’s Complex Egypt Problem (and Problematic Egypt Complex) | EurasiaNet.org

Turkey’s Complex Egypt Problem (and Problematic Egypt Complex)
July 24, 2013 - 10:37am, by Yigal Schleifer

In the early days of the 2011 Tahrir revolution in Egypt, a then status quo-oriented Turkey was criticized by some for at first having little to say about the unfolding events in Cairo (it was only once it became fairly clear that Mubarak would fall that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan started vocally calling on the Egyptian leader to step down). Following the recent ouster by the Egyptian military of democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi, Turkey’s problem seems to be reversed: keeping Erdogan from saying too much about what’s happening in Egypt.

More:Turkey’s Complex Egypt Problem (and Problematic Egypt Complex) | EurasiaNet.org

Turkey rated 154th in world press freedom index | Vestnik Kavkaza

Turkey rated 154th in world press freedom index
24 July 2013 - 6:28pm

Turkey has been rated the 154th country in the Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom index, which was topped by Finland, Hürriyet Daily News reports on Wednesday.

More:Turkey rated 154th in world press freedom index | Vestnik Kavkaza

US designates Turkish activist as terrorist

US designates Turkish activist as terrorist
July 24, 2013 17:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department is designating as a terrorist a left-wing operative linked to the group that orchestrated the Feb. 1 suicide bombing on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, the capital of Turkey.

More:KTVL CBS Channel 10 :: News - National News

Ankara stages fresh ‘tree’ protest

Ankara stages fresh ‘tree’ protest

ANKARA

Residents of the Yenimahalle district of Ankara protested the removal of trees by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality to install a station for an upcoming cableway project, soon culminating in a police intervention on the night of July 23.

More:GREEN - Ankara stages fresh ‘tree’ protest

Turkish paper fires readers' editor after refusing to publish his columns | Media | guardian.co.uk

Turkish paper fires readers' editor after refusing to publish his columns

The veteran Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar has been fired from the daily newspaper Sabah, where he was its readers' editor, after two of his columns were rejected for publication.

More:Turkish paper fires readers' editor after refusing to publish his columns | Media | guardian.co.uk

Turkey to ask US for exclusion from steel pipe antidumping case

Turkey to ask US for exclusion from steel pipe antidumping case

Wednesday, 24 Jul 2013

Todays Zaman reported that Turkish steel pipe makers will demand their exclusion from investigations at a hearing at the US Trade Department over an antidumping case against imports before it hurts sales.

More:Turkey to ask US for exclusion from steel pipe antidumping case

Istanbul mayor says new candidate decision up to ruling AKP

Istanbul mayor says new candidate decision up to ruling AKP

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş told reporters July 24 that the ultimate decision on who would run for his position next term is up to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), while adding that he “is here.”

More:POLITICS - Istanbul mayor says new candidate decision up to ruling AKP

Article: Ramadan in Istanbul

Ramadan in Istanbul
Tridwip K Das, July 25, 2013

Five years ago, Istanbul saw just over 500 tourists from the GCC states. Last year, it welcomed close to 2.5mn guests from these countries. Now, in an effort to push those numbers further, Turkish Airlines conducted a familiarisation tour earlier this month to showcase what the city has to offer the faithful during Ramadan. Another factor probably prompting the exercise is the antigovernment protests in Gezi Park that have been in international headlines in recent times but not expressly stated.

More:Article: Ramadan in Istanbul

Turkish lira firms after central bank hikes rates, signals tighter policy | Reuters

Turkish lira firms after central bank hikes rates, signals tighter policy

ISTANBUL, July 24 | Wed Jul 24, 2013 4:13am EDT

(Reuters) - The Turkish lira firmed on Wednesday, a day after the central bank raised its overnight lending rate by 75 basis points and signalled a period of further tightening ahead.

More:Turkish lira firms after central bank hikes rates, signals tighter policy | Reuters

Fugitive on Istanbul-New York flight caught after being unable to find vacant seat

Fugitive on Istanbul-New York flight caught after being unable to find vacant seat

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

A fugitive in Turkey was caught in a jam-packed flight from Istanbul to New York, trying to illegally enter the United States, Doğan News Agency reported July 23.

More:LOCAL - Fugitive on Istanbul-New York flight caught after being unable to find vacant seat

Turkish Protesters Take to Country's Parks

Turkish Protesters Take to Country's Parks

Dorian Jones

July 23, 2013
ISTANBUL — Anti-government protesters have turned to local parks to continue their struggle. On a nightly basis, hundreds and sometimes thousands of people attend so-called "park forums" to discuss politics and the country's future.

More:Turkish Protesters Take to Country's Parks

Turkish journalists lose jobs for coverage of protest - UPI.com

Protest coverage leaves 59 Turkish journalists without jobs

Published: July 23, 2013 at 11:31 AM

ISTANBUL, Turkey, July 23 (UPI) -- Twenty-two Turkish journalists were fired and 37 others resigned in connection with coverage of a May protest in Istanbul's Gezi Park, their union said.

More:Turkish journalists lose jobs for coverage of protest - UPI.com

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

European Court of Human Rights asks Turkey to protect protesters - UPI.com

EU court condemns Turkish police abuses

Published: July 23, 2013 at 10:10 AM

STRASBOURG, France, July 23 (UPI) -- Turkey is called on to ensure police aren't using disproportionate force against protesters, the European Court of Human Rights said.

More:European Court of Human Rights asks Turkey to protect protesters - UPI.com

Turkey raises rates, but leaves markets asking for more - BUSINESS NEW EUROPE

Turkey raises rates, but leaves markets asking for more

July 23, 2013

Having hinted a week before that it would hike interest rates at its next meeting on July 23, it came as little surprise when Turkey's central bank raised the overnight lending rate by 75 basis points (bp). Whether that will prove enough to help the wobbling economy is another question.

More:Turkey raises rates, but leaves markets asking for more - BUSINESS NEW EUROPE

The Sorry State of Turkish Media - Why Nations Fail - Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

The Sorry State of Turkish Media
AuthorDaron Acemoglu and James Robinson

We are still optimistic that what started as peaceful protests in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in Taksim Square and then turned into widespread protests against the Justice and Development Party’s increasingly authoritarian rule can strengthen Turkish democracy. But before this part protest part political movement can achieve this, it has to overcome a huge barrier: the Turkish media.

More:The Sorry State of Turkish Media - Why Nations Fail - Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

Turkish PM denounces 'barbarian' calls to damage economy and harm the gov't

Turkish PM denounces 'barbarian' calls to damage economy and harm the gov't

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has praised the attitude taken by shopkeepers during the Gezi Park protest wave, slamming as "barbarian" a suggestion made by some to stop consuming in order to harm the government. He lashed out against those who made such calls by comparing them to "pitiful rodents" who wanted to harm the whole nation.

More:POLITICS - Turkish PM denounces 'barbarian' calls to damage economy and harm the gov't

Turkish athlete dies after collapsing while working on construction


Turkish athlete dies after collapsing while working on construction

BODRUM – Doğan News Agency
Turkish  athlete Murat Karabaş has died after being trapped under rubble while working at a construction site in Bodrum, in the Aegean province of Muğla.

More:OTHERS - Turkish athlete dies after collapsing while working on construction

Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar fired from Sabah daily

Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar fired from Sabah daily

[ 24 July 2013 02:23 ]

Baku-APA. Turkish veteran journalist Yavuz Baydar was fired from the Sabah daily where he had been working for a long time, after the editorial board of the newspaper imposed cencorship on his two columns over Gezi Park protests and media-government relationsç APA reports quoting Todays Zaman.

More:APA - Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar fired from Sabah daily

Turkey media is 'cowed'

Turkey media is 'cowed'
23 July 2013 19:37

ANKARA- Turkey's main opposition leader accused Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday of cowing local media into self-censorship after a journalist group said dozens of reporters were fired for their coverage of anti-government protests.

More:Turkey media is 'cowed'

Erdogan Retaliates against Protesters in Turkey - SPIEGEL ONLINE

'Retaliation Campaign': Erdogan Punishes Protesters in Turkey

By Oezlem Gezer and Maximilian Popp

Following mass anti-government protests in Turkey, Ankara is now taking revenge on its critics. Activists and demonstrators are being investigated and intimidated, while journalists are getting fired and insubordinate civil servants transferred far afield.

Tayfun Kahraman met the prime minister five weeks ago, but now he is sitting in a hotel in Gaziantep in southeast Turkey, feeling distraught. The city is 1,150 kilometers (715 miles) from Istanbul, but less than 100 kilometers from the Syrian border. Kahraman is an urban planner and an official with the historic preservation division of the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Until recently, the 32-year-old was in Istanbul, where he led the protests against a development project in Gezi Park, which grew into mass demonstrations against the government in early June. Now he has been transferred to this provincial city as a punishment, he says. The official explanation is that there is a personnel shortage in the southeast.

More:Erdogan Retaliates against Protesters in Turkey - SPIEGEL ONLINE