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Monday, September 30, 2013

At schools in Turkey, Syrian children learn lessons in tears - News - Stripes

At schools in Turkey, Syrian children learn lessons in tears

Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes

ANTAKYA, Turkey — Math, science and tears marked the first day of school for Syrian refugee children in Turkey’s southernmost Hatay province.

More:At schools in Turkey, Syrian children learn lessons in tears - News - Stripes

Turkey: Protests and US policy shape events - FT.com

Turkey: Protests and US policy shape events

By Daniel Dombey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister who towers over his country’s politics, was on barnstorming form. “The sleeping giant has awoken,” he declared before a meeting of business executives in Istanbul in September. “Our economy is no longer fragile ... We have carried our country to a new level.”

More:Turkey: Protests and US policy shape events - FT.com

First Ever Direct Flight From Turkey to Cyprus, in My Lifetime | Alparslan Akkuş

First Ever Direct Flight From Turkey to Cyprus, in My Lifetime
Posted: 09/30/2013 2:13 pm

Two weeks ago I visited Trabzon, a northern coastal city along the Black Sea shore, with Turkey's European Union (EU) Minister Egemen Bağış, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin and British Ambassador to Ankara David Reddaway for a joint regional EU project. During the dinner time, the streets were deserted and downtown was extraordinarily quiet. Only a football match could be able to lock people indoor in such a beautiful autumn evening in Trabzon. There's nothing more important than a Trabzonspor match here. Yes, it was a football match and not an ordinary one though. The professional Turkish football club, Trabzonspor, dubbed The Black Sea Storm, was playing against Greek Cypriot team Apollon Limassol for the Europa League.

More:First Ever Direct Flight From Turkey to Cyprus, in My Lifetime | Alparslan Akkuş

Taiwan interested in attracting Turkish brands to its market

Taiwan interested in attracting Turkish brands to its market

Managers of Taiwanese department stores and shopping malls came together with representatives of Turkish textile brands in Istanbul on Sept. 24 as part of an attempt by the East Asian territory to attract Turkish brands to its market.
Chen Wen Long, the deputy general of Tonlin department store, told the Hürriyet Daily News that the price-quality ratio of the Turkish brands was reasonable and that they could be sold in Taiwan.

More:Taiwan interested in attracting Turkish brands to its market

Kurds and women top Turkish PM reform plans - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Kurds and women top Turkish PM reform plans

Turkish Prime Minister has announced a package of proposals that include lifting of some restrictions on the use of the Kurdish language, as well as further steps to liberalise the wearing of Islamic headscarves.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said rules preventing pro-Kurdish and other smaller parties from entering parliament would be changed, while Kurdish-language education would be permitted in private schools.

More:Kurds and women top Turkish PM reform plans - Europe - Al Jazeera English

EXTRA: Erdogan's reforms receive cautious welcome in Brussels | EUROPE ONLINE

EXTRA: Erdogan's reforms receive cautious welcome in Brussels
Europe
30.09.2013

Brussels (dpa) - Turkey‘s reform package has received a cautious welcome in Brussels, with the European Union saying it would track the implementation in the country aspiring to become one of its members.

More:EXTRA: Erdogan's reforms receive cautious welcome in Brussels | EUROPE ONLINE

Ankara takes slow road to rapprochement with Israel - FT.com

Ankara takes slow road to rapprochement with Israel

By John Reed in Jerusalem

New trade route: a ship docks in Haifa. Turkish trucks now frequently arrive at the Israeli port on ships and then head overland into the Middle East

Yosef Levi Safari, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Ankara, was invited to attend a state reception in August at the Cankaya presidential palace.

More:Ankara takes slow road to rapprochement with Israel - FT.com

Erdogan’s call to increase birth rate draws sceptical response from women - FT.com

Erdogan’s call to increase birth rate draws sceptical response from women

By Norma Cohen in London and Funja Guler in Ankara

For all the success of his economic policies, and an unprecedented three terms as Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is aiming for what appears a quixotic goal: persuading Turkish women to have at least three children each.

More:Erdogan’s call to increase birth rate draws sceptical response from women - FT.com

Democratic themes underpin Istanbul festival - FT.com

Democratic themes underpin Istanbul festival

By Andrew Finkel

Was it just the latest run-in between citizen-activists and the authorities, an installation questioning the nature of public art, graffiti vandalism, or – as Istanbul wags would have it – the city’s answer to Fifty Shades of Grey?

More:Democratic themes underpin Istanbul festival - FT.com

Turkey's Kurds say reforms do not go far enough | Reuters

Turkey's Kurds say reforms do not go far enough

ANKARA | Mon Sep 30, 2013 1:06pm BST

(Reuters) - Turkey's proposed reforms aimed at addressing some Kurdish grievances do not go far enough to advance the peace process with militants, the head of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) said on Monday.

More:Turkey's Kurds say reforms do not go far enough | Reuters

BBC News - Turkey's Erdogan announces Kurdish reforms

Turkey's Erdogan announces Kurdish reforms

Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced major political reforms, including new Kurdish rights and a reversal of the headscarf ban.

He has proposed lowering the 10% electoral threshold, which currently prevents Kurdish and other smaller parties from entering parliament.

More:BBC News - Turkey's Erdogan announces Kurdish reforms

Turkey may cut vote threshold, expand language rights | Reuters

Turkey may cut vote threshold, expand language rights

By Jonathon Burch

ANKARA | Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:30am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkey may reduce the threshold for a political party to enter parliament to 5 percent of the national vote, or even eliminate the barrier completely, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

More:Turkey may cut vote threshold, expand language rights | Reuters

Turkey: PM lifts ban on headscarf in public institutions - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: PM lifts ban on headscarf in public institutions
Rights for ethnic minorities were also announced

30 September, 12:16

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 30 - Turkey will lift the ban on the wearing of headscarves in public institutions and will introduce education in Kurdish in private schools as part of a series of democratic reforms revealed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan today as reported by daily Hurriyet online.

More:Turkey: PM lifts ban on headscarf in public institutions - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Turkey PM announces reforms key to Kurdish peace process | Fox News

Turkey PM announces reforms key to Kurdish peace process
Published September 30, 2013

Ankara (AFP) – Turkey's prime minister on Monday announced democratic reforms seen as key to the stalled peace process with the country's Kurdish minority.

More:Turkey PM announces reforms key to Kurdish peace process | Fox News

Police launch operations in Istanbul's Gülsuyu after leftist protester killed in clashes

Police launch operations in Istanbul's Gülsuyu after leftist protester killed in clashes

ISTANBUL

One person was killed yesterday amid a fight between leftist groups and drug dealers in the Asian-side Istanbul neighborhood of Gülsuyu, prompting the police to detain at least 17 people regarding the incidents.

More:LOCAL - Police launch operations in Istanbul's Gülsuyu after leftist protester killed in clashes

Go Turkey in five languages

Go Turkey in five languages

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s official tourism portal “Go Turkey” has begun broadcasting in five languages. The portal, which was previously publishing in English for foreign tourists only, is now available in Turkish, French, German and Russian.

More:TRAVEL - Go Turkey in five languages

OKC Thunder: Despite ongoing violence in Turkey, Thunder will make trip to Istanbul | News OK

OKC Thunder: Despite ongoing violence in Turkey, Thunder will make trip to Istanbul
Concerns over the safety of players, coaches and team and league personnel raised questions recently about whether the first leg of the Thunder's two-game European tour would be canceled.

More:OKC Thunder: Despite ongoing violence in Turkey, Thunder will make trip to Istanbul | News OK

Turkish And Egyptian Ultras Fight For Their Existence - Analysis

Turkish And Egyptian Ultras Fight For Their Existence – Analysis

By James M. Dorsey -- (September 29, 2013)

Much like the Muslim Brotherhood, militant soccer fans in Egypt and Turkey are fighting for their existence.

More:Turkish And Egyptian Ultras Fight For Their Existence - Analysis

Ancient city of Iasos rises out of the ashes

Ancient city of Iasos rises out of the ashes

MUĞLA - Doğan News Agency
Muğla’s ancient city of Iasos is effectively rising from the ashes of the Thera volcano thanks to new discoveries. Italian archaeologists, who have been working in the area for half a century, have found crucial data about the region’s history

More:ARCHAEOLOGY - Ancient city of Iasos rises out of the ashes

Turkey Frustrated Over Stalled EU Membership Bid

Turkey Frustrated Over Stalled EU Membership Bid

The Turkish government is voicing increasing frustration over its stalled bid to join the European Union. Ankara is now warning that the country's future does not necessarily lie with the EU. What is driving Ankara's growing concern -- and does it have a viable alternative to the EU?

More:The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Turkey Frustrated Over Stalled EU Membership Bid

Mancini arrives in Istanbul to finalise Galatasaray deal - Goal.com

Mancini arrives in Istanbul to finalise Galatasaray deal

30/09/2013 9:00:00 AM

The former Inter and Manchester City coach is set to sign a three-year contract with the Istanbul giants worth in excess of an annual €5 million

More:Mancini arrives in Istanbul to finalise Galatasaray deal - Goal.com

Turkey’s China deal on missile system not finalized, says President Gül

Turkey’s China deal on missile system not finalized, says President Gül

ANKARA / WASHINGTON
Turkey’s choice of a Chinese firm for the construction of a long-range air and anti-missile system isn’t final, President Gül says. Earlier the US had expressed its concerns over the decision to choose a firm under US sanctions

More:BUSINESS - Turkey’s China deal on missile system not finalized, says President Gül

Turkey to lift ban on headscarf, introduce Kurdish education with democracy package

Turkey to lift ban on headscarf, introduce Kurdish education with democracy package

ANKARA

Turkey will lift the ban on the wearing of headscarves in public institutions and will introduce education in Kurdish in private schools as part of a series of democratic reforms revealed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today.

More:POLITICS - Turkey to lift ban on headscarf, introduce Kurdish education with democracy package

Taiwanese, Turkish textile brands meet

Taiwanese, Turkish textile brands meet

Deniz Çiyan ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Managers of Taiwanese department stores and shopping malls came together with representatives of Turkish textile brands in Istanbul on Sept. 24 as part of an attempt by the East Asian territory to attract Turkish brands to its market.

More:BUSINESS - Taiwanese, Turkish textile brands meet

Turkish Parliament opens for painful term

Turkish Parliament opens for painful term

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Göksel Bozkurt Göksel Bozkurt goksel.bozkurt@hurriyet.com.tr

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will announce the democratization package today, which he has said will contain “surprises.” On the other hand, Parliament’s 24th term starts tomorrow. Parliament, which has quite a busy agenda, will hold intense and heated sessions filled with debates until it recesses for the local elections to be held in March 2014. The expectation is not groundless, because even though it has been in a recess for about two and a half months, the high pulse rate of politics is likely to push the blood pressure even higher in light of this busy agenda.

More:ANKARA WHISPERS - Turkish Parliament opens for painful term

Erdogan announces political reform package for Turkey | EUROPE ONLINE

Erdogan announces political reform package for Turkey
Europe
30.09.2013
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Istanbul (dpa) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayipp Erdogan on Monday announced a political reform package he said was aimed at strengthening freedoms and independence.

More:Erdogan announces political reform package for Turkey | EUROPE ONLINE

Istanbul office next for Khazanah

Istanbul office next for Khazanah
Published: 2013/09/30

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's state investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, will open an office in Istanbul next month to facilitate its growth in the Middle East and the North African region.

More:Istanbul office next for Khazanah

Sunday, September 29, 2013

US concerned about Turkey's choice of Chinese missile system

US concerned about Turkey's choice of Chinese missile system

WASHINGTON - Reuters

The United States said Sept.28 it had expressed serious concerns to Turkey over its decision to co-produce a long-range air and missile defense system with a Chinese firm under U.S. sanctions.

More:POLITICS - US concerned about Turkey's choice of Chinese missile system

Turkey to produce local tear gas out of fears of international embargo

Turkey to produce local tear gas out of fears of international embargo

ANKARA - Hürriyet

International calls to suspend tear gas shipments to Turkey following police brutality during the Gezi Park protests could soon prod the country into producing its own tear gas domestically, according to officials.

More:LOCAL - Turkey to produce local tear gas out of fears of international embargo

Turkey to Renew Competition for $2.5 Billion Corvette Deal | Defense News | defensenews.com

Turkey to Renew Competition for $2.5 Billion Corvette Deal
Sep. 29, 2013 - 11:29AM |
By BURAK EGE BEKDI

ANKARA — The Turkish government on Sept. 26 scrapped a $2.5 billion corvette deal with a local shipyard and pledged to renew competition.

More:Turkey to Renew Competition for $2.5 Billion Corvette Deal | Defense News | defensenews.com

8 Things Not to Miss in Istanbul | The GypsyNesters

8 Things Not to Miss in Istanbul
Posted: 09/29/2013 9:17 am

Rome may be The Eternal City, but Istanbul can make a pretty good case for immortality too. The cities are about the same age, both over two-and-a-half millennia, and for much of that time the larger, wealthier, and more influential of the two was not the one in Italy. In fact Istanbul, known as Constantinople at the time, spent hundreds of years ruling over Rome as the capital of the Roman Empire.

More:8 Things Not to Miss in Istanbul | The GypsyNesters

Turkey’s Gul Says Syria Strike Must Be ‘Last Resort’ After Talks - Bloomberg

Turkey’s Gul Says Syria Strike Must Be ‘Last Resort’ After Talks
By Jeff Kearns - Sep 28, 2013 10:47 PM GMT+0300

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said military action against neighboring Syria should be an option only if diplomatic efforts fail to spur President Bashar al-Assad to surrender chemical weapons he used on civilians.

More:Turkey’s Gul Says Syria Strike Must Be ‘Last Resort’ After Talks - Bloomberg

GE invests $515 million in Turkish energy and other projects - Economic Times

GE invests $515 million in Turkish energy and other projects
Reuters Sep 27, 2013, 01.15AM IST

ISTANBUL: General Electric has already invested more than half of the $900 million it has earmarked for Turkey on projects ranging from energy to healthcare to locomotive production, Chief Executive Jeff Immelt said on Thursday.

More:GE invests $515 million in Turkish energy and other projects - Economic Times

Syrian refugees in Turkish camps ask 'are we wild animals?' | JPost | Israel News

Syrian refugees in Turkish camps ask 'are we wild animals?'
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT
09/29/2013 06:47

JARABULUS, Syria – Cars, weighted down with vital supplies, make their way in the opposite direction of streams of refugees, who are desperate to escape the Syrian conflict.

More:Syrian refugees in Turkish camps ask 'are we wild animals?' | JPost | Israel News

The Indepenedent: How Turkey blew its chance to lead this troubled region - FOCUS Information Agency

The Indepenedent: How Turkey blew its chance to lead this troubled region
29 September 2013 | 03:32 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / World
Ankara. An analysis on Turkey's development in the region - as published by The Independent:
Whatever happened to the idea that Turkey was the coming power in the Middle East, with its surging economy and stable democracy under a mildly Islamic government which might be the model for Arab states as they ended decades of police state rule in 2011?

More:The Indepenedent: How Turkey blew its chance to lead this troubled region - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkish Cypriot Eroglu Derides Varosha Proposal as Diversion from Bail-In

Turkish Cypriot Eroglu Derides Varosha Proposal as Diversion from Bail-In

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 28 -- After meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday afternoon, Dervis Eroglu spoke at the UN stakeout, then across the street at the Turkish Center.

More:Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Turgut Özakman, author of ‘Those Crazy Turks,’ dies following heart failure

Turgut Özakman, author of ‘Those Crazy Turks,’ dies following heart failure

ISTANBUL

Turgut Özakman, a veteran producer with multiple facets who was popularly known for his bestselling book “Şu Çılgın Türkler” (Those Crazy Turks), passed away today after heart failure at a hospital in Ankara in which he was receiving treatment.

More:BOOKS - Turgut Özakman, author of ‘Those Crazy Turks,’ dies following heart failure

Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the Turkish president - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the Turkish president
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Ceylan Ozbudak

New Yorkers got to see Turkish President’s Cadillac on many corners this week up and down Park Avenue and the U.N. complex in Manhattan. One of the guests in New York, which has had exceptionally spry times due to the 68th Session of the U.N. General Assembly held last week, was Abdullah Gül.

More:Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the Turkish president - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

After Gezi: Turkish-Kurdish fault lines | openDemocracy

After Gezi: Turkish-Kurdish fault lines
William Gourlay 27 September 2013

Turkey’s political landscape may be shifting in the wake of the Gezi protests, but the Kurdish peace process is flagging and distrust lingers between Turkish and Kurdish camps

More:After Gezi: Turkish-Kurdish fault lines | openDemocracy

Egyptian goddess statue unveiled in İzmir’s Red Basilica

Egyptian goddess statue unveiled in İzmir’s Red Basilica

IZMIR - Doğan News Agency

An almost nine-meter long lion-headed Egyptian goddess Sekhmet has been revived in the Red Basilica (Kızıl Avlu) in the largest structure of the ancient city of Pergamon in İzmir’s Bergama district, and opened to visits on Sept. 26. The statue has already drawn great interest from tourists in the area.

More:ARCHAEOLOGY - Egyptian goddess statue unveiled in İzmir’s Red Basilica

GÜVEN SAK - There is something fundamentally wrong in Turkey

There is something fundamentally wrong in Turkey

Turkey’s transformation is a success story no more. In 1980, Turkey was an economy exporting only $3 billion worth of goods, 90 percent of which were agricultural products. In 2012, we had an export level of 150 billion, 90 percent of which was made up of industrial products. This means that from 1980 until today, Turkey has switched from low-tech to mid-tech products. But we seem to be stuck there at the moment, and there is no sign yet of moving toward the hi-tech. Turkey is now a country where its own electronics giant, instead of pursuing innovation-based growth, is moving into the construction business. It is simply easier to earn money that way. Is there something fundamentally wrong in Turkey? I am afraid so.

More:GÜVEN SAK - There is something fundamentally wrong in Turkey

Police stage raids on Turkey’s top football supporter groups

Police stage raids on Turkey’s top football supporter groups

ISTANBUL

A police operation has been carried out against the supporter groups of Turkey’s top three football teams, resulting in the detention of 72 people in the early hours of Sept. 27.

More:LOCAL - Police stage raids on Turkey’s top football supporter groups

Turkey is an important partner. Why do we treat it like an outsider? - The Globe and Mail

Turkey is an important partner. Why do we treat it like an outsider?

Barbara McDougall

Given its strategic value over many decades, and in current times its long border with Syria and its swelling refugee camps, it is a great puzzle why Turkey is frequently overlooked or even deliberately ignored by western countries that are supposed to be friendly.

More:Turkey is an important partner. Why do we treat it like an outsider? - The Globe and Mail

Turkey: Four injured in explosion in military plant close to Ankara - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkey: Four injured in explosion in military plant close to Ankara
28 September 2013 | 14:45 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / Southeast Europe and Balkans
Ankara. Four people have been injured in an explosion that occurred while ammunition was being destroyed in a plant of Roketsan close to Ankara, CNN Turk reported.

More:Turkey: Four injured in explosion in military plant close to Ankara - FOCUS Information Agency

Where is Turkey in the Kurdish Peace Process?

Where is Turkey in the Kurdish Peace Process?

Galip Dalay
Saturday, 28 September 2013 10:52

Galip Dalay

'It is important to highlight how, in 2013, there has so far not been a single death on either side, thanks to the peace process'
Despite the roiling protests of the past summer, the Kurdish peace process still remains the most important political initiative in recent decades for Turkey. Initiated in the closing days of 2012 by the dialogue between the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) incarcerated leader, Abdullah Ocalan, and the chief of Turkey's national intelligence service, Hakan Fidan, the process has been the most audacious political step towards settling the Kurdish issue in Turkey's history. Of course, this is not the first attempt in trying to politically solve the Kurdish issue. In fact, there have been other attempts - both before and during the AK Party's rule - in bringing this conflict to an end through peaceful means. Yet, this new approach represents a novelty in two respects:

More:Where is Turkey in the Kurdish Peace Process?

Turkey issues security alert on PKK militants' jailbreak - WORLD - Globaltimes.cn

Turkey issues security alert on PKK militants' jailbreak
Xinhua | 2013-9-28 8:58:42
By Agencies

Turkey has issued a security alert for prisons nationwide with members of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) detained after 18 PKK militants broke out of a prison on Wednesday, an official statement said Friday.

More:Turkey issues security alert on PKK militants' jailbreak - WORLD - Globaltimes.cn

Somalia: PM Shirdon meets Turkish PM in Ankara

Somalia: PM Shirdon meets Turkish PM in Ankara
27 Sep 27, 2013 - 10:47:57 PM

ANKARA, Turkey Sep. 27, 2013 (Garowe Online) - Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Dayyib Ergogan on Thursday in Ankara, the Prime Minister’s office reported.

More:Garowe Online -

CBS - Statistics Netherlands : Trade with Turkey expanding

CBS - Statistics Netherlands : Trade with Turkey expanding
09/27/2013 | 06:44pm US/Eastern

Over the past five years, the value of Dutch exports of goods to Turkey has risen by 24 percentto 4.7 billioneuros in 2012. Dutch investments in Turkey in fact outstripped the value of exports to Turkey in 2012. Dutch tourist spending in Turkey also increased. Yet, economic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey remain fairly limited.

More:CBS - Statistics Netherlands : Trade with Turkey expanding

Museum hosts Getty Institute director

Museum hosts Getty Institute director

ISTANBUL

Istanbul Modern continues its lecture series that enables prominent museum professionals from the U.S. to meet with Istanbul audiences. As part of the project Prof. Thomas W. Gaehtgens, Director of the Getty Research Institute will be at the museum on Oct. 2. The Getty Research Institute (GRI) is dedicated to a global approach in art-historical research and scholarship. This mission is reflected in all GRI departments, programs, and initiatives, which work in unison to support and advance the “global turn” in art history.

More:EXHIBITIONS - Museum hosts Getty Institute director

Two exhibitions open at Rampa in Istanbul

Two exhibitions open at Rampa in Istanbul

ISTANBUL.- Rampa opened in September with two exhibitions. The main gallery space hosts Cengiz Çekil’s With a Cleaning Cloth while Nilbar Güreş’s Open Phone Booth is being exhibited at the storefront space upstairs. The exhibitions can be seen between September 14-October 26, 2013.

More:Two exhibitions open at Rampa in Istanbul

Veteran Turkish actor Tuncel Kurtiz passes away | General | World Bulletin

Veteran Turkish actor Tuncel Kurtiz passes away
Turkish actor Tuncel Kurtiz died at the age of 77.

Veteran Turkish actor Tuncel Kurtiz, who acted in over 70 productions in a career spanning four decades, died at the age of 77 on Friday.

Kurtiz was born in 1936 in İzmit. He graduated from İstanbul University's English language and literature department and started acting in 1956 with the Dormen Theatre. With the 1979 movie “Sürü,” he reached the peak of his acting career. Kurtiz was the recipient of many awards in Turkey and also abroad. He was also known for being a director, producer and scenarist.

More:Veteran Turkish actor Tuncel Kurtiz passes away | General | World Bulletin

Friday, September 27, 2013

Contemporary Istanbul announces its 8th edition - eTurboNews.com

Contemporary Istanbul announces its 8th edition

Sep 26, 2013

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Contemporary Istanbul the leading international art fair in Turkey has announced the details of the 8th edition. Featuring 92 galleries from 21 countries with outstanding works by over 650 artists, CI brings both local and international focus to the dynamic art scene in Turkey's vibrant metropolis.

More:Contemporary Istanbul announces its 8th edition - eTurboNews.com

Turkey 2013 auto sales may rise to as much as 860,000 units-assn | Reuters

Turkey 2013 auto sales may rise to as much as 860,000 units-assn

ISTANBUL, Sept 27 | Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:48pm IST

(Reuters) - Automotive sales in Turkey are expected to rise to 820,000-860,000 units this year, but a contraction is possible in 2014, Automotive Distributors' Association general secretary Hayri Erce told Reuters on Friday.

More:Turkey 2013 auto sales may rise to as much as 860,000 units-assn | Reuters

GE invests $515 million in Turkish energy and other projects - chicagotribune.com

GE invests $515 million in Turkish energy and other projects

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - General Electric has already invested more than half of the $900 million it has earmarked for Turkey on projects ranging from energy to healthcare to locomotive production, Chief Executive Jeff Immelt said on Thursday.

More:GE invests $515 million in Turkish energy and other projects - chicagotribune.com

Book review: Sailing through Byzantium, By Maureen Freely - Reviews - Books - The Independent

Book review: Sailing through Byzantium, By Maureen Freely

Orient excess: high times and deep waters by the Bosphorus

At the hottest moment of the Cold War, as the Cuban missile crisis reaches its climax on 27 October 1962, a group of hedonistic artists, aristocrats, American expatriates, international spies and shady local hangers-on gather for a glamorous End of the World Party in Istanbul's old bohemian quarter on the shores of the Bosphorus. Fifty years later, Mimi, who was ten at the time and spent the evening cowering tearfully under the piano, returns to try to make sense of her tangled memories.

More:Book review: Sailing through Byzantium, By Maureen Freely - Reviews - Books - The Independent

EU Awaits Turkey’s Reform Plan - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

EU Awaits Turkey’s Reform Plan

By: Yavuz Baydar for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on September 27.

“Turkey at a crossroads.” This expression has been used for so many years that it's now cliché. Yet, for Western observers of Turkey’s exciting — and troubling — European Union venture, this “chronic” state remains the order of the day, reinforced further with a sentiment of fatigue.

More:EU Awaits Turkey’s Reform Plan - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

What is Turkey’s Role In Syria’s Islamic Opposition? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

What is Turkey’s Role
In Syria’s Islamic Opposition?

By: Tulin Daloglu for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on September 27.

The Reuters story on Sept. 25 headlined “Syria rebels reject opposition coalition, call for Islamic leadership,” solidly confirms once again what a complicated mess it has become in Syria.

More:What is Turkey’s Role In Syria’s Islamic Opposition? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Council of Europe urges Turkey to implement ECHR judgments on excessive police force

Council of Europe urges Turkey to implement ECHR judgments on excessive police force

ISTANBUL

The Council of Europe has urged Turkish authorities to quickly implement European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments regarding police’s use of excessive force against demonstrators, noting the flood of new applications on such violence.

More:RIGHTS - Council of Europe urges Turkey to implement ECHR judgments on excessive police force

Turkish authority cancels Koç Holding’s national warship contract

Turkish authority cancels Koç Holding’s national warship contract

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s top defense procurement body has announced it canceled a contract which was won by Koç Holding earlier to build a number of corvettes as part of the national warship project, or MİLGEM in its Turkish acronym, for around $1.5 billion, in a written statement.

More:BUSINESS - Turkish authority cancels Koç Holding’s national warship contract

Germany’s Christian Democratic Union Party Gains First Muslim Parlimentarian | FrontPage Magazine

Germany’s Christian Democratic Union Party Gains First Muslim Parlimentarian

Cemile Giousouf

Why should the CDU be any different than the Tories or the Republican Party?

For the first time in their history, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats have put forward a Turkish-Muslim candidate, Cemile Giousouf, to run for the federal election.

More:Germany’s Christian Democratic Union Party Gains First Muslim Parlimentarian | FrontPage Magazine

Hyundai begins i10 production; expands Turkish plant

Hyundai begins i10 production; expands Turkish plant

27/09/2013
Hyundai Motor Company has completed expansion of its Turkey plant, Hyundai Assan Otomotiv Sanayi (HAOS), doubling its annual capacity to 200,000 units with an investment of US$634 million.

More:Hyundai begins i10 production; expands Turkish plant

Turkey: Ankara to lift ban on alphabetic letters Q, W and X - General news - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: Ankara to lift ban on alphabetic letters Q, W and X
After being banned from official usage for 85 years

27 September, 11:57

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 27 - The long awaited 'democracy packet', which is due to be revealed on 30th September, is expected to contain new innovative and revolutionary reforms to Turkey. According to Turkish daily Radikal, the lifting of the ban on alphabetic letters will be one of the most serious of these reforms. Due to the fact that the letters 'q, w and x' do not find any place in the modern Turkish language, their usage has been outlawed for 85 years.

More:Turkey: Ankara to lift ban on alphabetic letters Q, W and X - General news - ANSAMed.it

Expat teacher arrested in Istanbul on child porn accusations

Expat teacher arrested in Istanbul on child porn accusations

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

An expat teacher working for a private college in Istanbul was arrested today on accusations of owning and distributing child pornography.

More:LOCAL - Expat teacher arrested in Istanbul on child porn accusations

Turkish Prime Minister’s security police shot at in Istanbul

Turkish Prime Minister’s security police shot at in Istanbul

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Police forces overseeing the security on roads that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was expected to use have been fired on, according to claims.

More:LOCAL - Turkish Prime Minister’s security police shot at in Istanbul

Bill Clinton pays emotional tribute to staffer Elif Yavuz killed in Kenya mall siege, 26 September 2013

Bill Clinton pays emotional tribute to staffer Elif Yavuz killed in Kenya mall siege

26 September 2013

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton paid an emotional tribute Sept. 24 to mother-to-be Elif Yavuz, a staffer of his foundation working in Kenya who was killed during the bloody siege of a mall in the capital Nairobi over the week-end.

More:Bill Clinton pays emotional tribute to staffer Elif Yavuz killed in Kenya mall siege, 26 September 2013

United Nations News Centre - UN to convene first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016

UN to convene first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016

26 September 2013 – The first World Humanitarian Summit will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2016, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today, as he appealed to Member States to support this effort to better assist some 100 million people in need each year.

More:United Nations News Centre - UN to convene first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016

BURAK BEKDİL - The shrewd conqueror

The shrewd conqueror

Take this, for example, “Marriage certificates should be issued by Imams, not by municipal officials,” (Jan. 8, 1995). Or this, “The system we want to establish cannot contradict with God’s orders. Our reference is Islam,” (Sept. 23, 1996). And some historic longing too: “We need [Ottoman Sultan] Abdulhamid Khan’s mindset,” (Feb. 3, 1996).

More:BURAK BEKDİL - The shrewd conqueror

Fitch director warns Turkey of perfect storm

Fitch director warns Turkey of perfect storm

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency
The Turkish economy now appears to be out of an immediate danger from any balance of payments crisis, but a perfect storm remains a possible if distant prospect, warns Senior Director of Fitch Ratings Rawkins

More:ECONOMICS - Fitch director warns Turkey of perfect storm

All will be surprised by democracy package: Turkish PM Erdoğan

All will be surprised by democracy package: Turkish PM Erdoğan

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says different segments of the society will be surprised by the democratization package’s content which is set to be aired on Sept 30 by the prime minister himself

More:POLITICS - All will be surprised by democracy package: Turkish PM Erdoğan

Ara Güler photo exhibition: A reflection on the Istanbul he got to know

Ara Güler photo exhibition: A reflection on the Istanbul he got to know

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Organized within the scope of ‘Turkish-European Association Intercultural Art Dialogues’ and the ‘Art and Life,’ Ara Güler’s exhibition opens in Brussels

More:EXHIBITIONS - Ara Güler photo exhibition: A reflection on the Istanbul he got to know

Turkey picks Chinese firm for missile system | GlobalPost

Turkey picks Chinese firm for missile system

Turkey said on Thursday it has chosen a Chinese company to build its first long-range air defence and anti-missile system.

More:Turkey picks Chinese firm for missile system | GlobalPost

Turkish security forces capture most Kurds who tunnelled out of jail - swissinfo.ch

Turkish security forces capture most Kurds who tunnelled out of jail
Print this story [Recommend (you need to be logged in)]

September 26, 2013 - 15:35

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - All but one of the 18 Kurds who broke out of a prison by digging a 70-metre tunnel in southeastern Turkey have been caught, officials said.

More:Turkish security forces capture most Kurds who tunnelled out of jail - swissinfo.ch

Syria: Kurds battle al-Qaeda along Turkish border - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Syria: Kurds battle al-Qaeda along Turkish border

26 September, 19:50

(by Francesco Cerri) (ANSAmed) - ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 26 - A war within a war is being waged at the Turkey border between Kurdish militias and al-Qaeda groups vying for control of northern Syria.

More:Syria: Kurds battle al-Qaeda along Turkish border - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Besiktas banned for 4 matches Anadolu Agency

Besiktas banned for 4 matches

26 September 2013 21:37

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Football Federation (TFF) Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) on Thursday banned Besiktas for 4 matches to be played without spectators.

Besiktas received a four-match ban to play their home games in an empty stadium.

More:Besiktas banned for 4 matches Anadolu Agency

New Forms of Participation

New Forms of Participation

The Gezi Park protests have led to the emergence of local grassroots committees or "Open Forums" in many Turkish towns and cities. Their goal: To preserve quality of life in residential areas and foster political dialogue and development. A commentary by Ceyda Nurtsch from the "Open Forum" in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Beyoğlu

More:New Forms of Participation

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Is Turkey Turning Away From the West?

Is Turkey Turning Away From the West?

Jamie Dettmer

September 26, 2013
ISTANBUL — A top adviser to Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan argued publicly that Turkey should stop aspiring to join the European Union and focus instead on carving out a leadership role of its own in the Middle East without paying heed to the West.

More:Is Turkey Turning Away From the West?

Arab upheaval and European introversion leave Turkey in limbo - FT.com

Arab upheaval and European introversion leave Turkey in limbo

By Daniel Dombey in Istanbul

For years, the overarching question about Turkey was whether the country would become more at home in the Middle East or instead continue its decades-long journey towards European standards.

More:Arab upheaval and European introversion leave Turkey in limbo - FT.com

Not the Real Deal: Ankara’s Take on the Syria Agreement - Carnegie Europe

Not the Real Deal: Ankara’s Take on the Syria Agreement
Sinan Ülgen, Aaron Stein Article September 26, 2013

An agreement is in place to consolidate and destroy Syria’s chemical arsenal—the international community’s response to the use of the weapons by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. If implemented, the deal, which was brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 14, could bring significant benefits because war will be averted. But as the country most exposed to the consequences of the conflict in Syria, Turkey remains unconvinced of the deal’s efficacy.

More:Not the Real Deal: Ankara’s Take on the Syria Agreement - Carnegie Europe

Turkey's Crumbling Domestic and Foreign Policies Risk Downward Economic Spiral - The Tower - The Tower

Turkey’s Crumbling Domestic and Foreign Policies Risk Downward Economic Spiral

by TheTower.org Staff | 09.26.13 10:17 am

A few months after Ankara violently put down a wave of anti-government protests, Turkey now risks entering a downward spiral where political authoritarianism fuels economic instability, and economic instability fuels more political protests have to be put down through authoritarian measures.

More:Turkey's Crumbling Domestic and Foreign Policies Risk Downward Economic Spiral - The Tower - The Tower

Istanbul's Kadıköy offers free Wi-Fi on streets

Istanbul's Kadıköy offers free Wi-Fi on streets

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Istanbul’s Asian side district of Kadıköy will be hosting free, limitless Wi-Fi for internet users as of today, Kadıköy Municipality has announced.

More:LOCAL - Istanbul's Kadıköy offers free Wi-Fi on streets

Turkey to close Izmit Bay for bridge building on Friday | Reuters

Turkey to close Izmit Bay for bridge building on Friday

ISTANBUL, Sept 26 | Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:58am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkey will close the Izmit Bay, a main industrial region, to all shipping traffic on Friday due to work on a bridge project, the GAC shipping agency said on Thursday.

More:Turkey to close Izmit Bay for bridge building on Friday | Reuters

Turkish Protesters Are Still Said to Be Ailing From Tear Gas - NYTimes.com

Turkish Protesters Are Still Said to Be Ailing From Tear Gas
By SEBNEM ARSU
Published: September 25, 2013

ISTANBUL — Almost 40 percent of protesters surveyed by a Turkish medical group complained of continuing repercussions from their exposure to the tear gas that security forces used to quell last spring’s antigovernment demonstrations, the group says.

More:Turkish Protesters Are Still Said to Be Ailing From Tear Gas - NYTimes.com

Turkey questioned group of students returning from studying in Iran - UPI.com

Turkey suspects students used to spy

Published: Sept. 25, 2013 at 7:48 AM

ANKARA, Turkey, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Turkey detained 25 students who returned from Iran for questioning over suspicions they had been used for spying and propaganda activities, an official said.

More:Turkey questioned group of students returning from studying in Iran - UPI.com

Soap Boycott Adds to Trade Slump as Egypt Punishes Turkey - Bloomberg

Soap Boycott Adds to Trade Slump as Egypt Punishes Turkey
By Salma El Wardany & Caroline Alexander - Sep 24, 2013 11:00 PM GMT+0300

Laila Said loved Turkish soap operas so much she named her baby boy Mohannad after the main character in her favorite program. For the past two months, she’s stopped watching.

“I was addicted to Turkish television series and was so emotionally involved with the characters, the scenes and the culture that I wouldn’t miss a single episode,” Said, 31, said in a central Cairo salon where she works as a hair stylist. “Now, I just hate everything related to Turkey.”

More:Soap Boycott Adds to Trade Slump as Egypt Punishes Turkey - Bloomberg

Turkey tops central banks’ gold buying in August: IMF

Turkey tops central banks’ gold buying in August: IMF

Reuters/Singapore

Turkey raised its gold reserves by the most in five months in August and topped the list of countries that bought more bullion, according to the International Monetary Fund, showing that gold’s appeal remains intact despite falling prices.

Russia, which has the world’s seventh largest reserves of gold, increased its holdings last month by the biggest amount since December, according to the IMF data yesterday.

More:Turkey tops central banks’ gold buying in August: IMF

MURAT YETKİN - What has happened to Turkey in the last five years?

What has happened to Turkey in the last five years?

A Columbia University initiative, the Columbia Global Centers to be more specific, held a workshop in Istanbul on Sept. 25 under the title “Geopolitical Developments and Press Freedoms in the Middle East and Turkey.”

An international collection of scholars, academics and journalists focused on the title in three sessions: What is happening in Syria and Egypt, what is happening in Turkey and what is happening in the field of press freedom in global terms?

More:MURAT YETKİN - What has happened to Turkey in the last five years?

E-commerce on rise in Turkey

E-commerce on rise in Turkey

ISTANBUL

Doğan Online’s hepsiburada.com, a leading local e-trade portal, sells over 1 million goods a month and the company is expected to reach 1 billion Turkish Liras ($500 million) next year, said chairwoman, Hanzade Doğan Boyner, who also chairs Doğan Gazetecilik.

More:BUSINESS - E-commerce on rise in Turkey

Parks in Ankara to be named after Gezi protest victims

Parks in Ankara to be named after Gezi protest victims

ANKARA - Doğan News Agency

Names of the six people killed during the Gezi Park protests will be given to parks in Ankara.
The parks, which are named after the five killed protesters – Ethem Sarısülük, Abdullah Cömert, Ali İsmail Korkmaz, Ahmet Atakan, Mehmet Ayvalıtaş – and Mustafa Sarı, the police officer who died after a fall during the protests, will be opened on Sept. 27 by Ankara’s Çankaya Municipality.

More:LOCAL - Parks in Ankara to be named after Gezi protest victims

Al Qaeda, Kurdish militia clash on Syrian border with Turkey | Reuters

Al Qaeda, Kurdish militia clash on Syrian border with Turkey

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN | Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:07pm EDT

(Reuters) - Seven al Qaeda-affiliated rebels were killed in a battle with a Syrian Kurdish militia on Wednesday, as violence between Syria's Arabs and Kurds increased, opposition activists said.

More:Al Qaeda, Kurdish militia clash on Syrian border with Turkey | Reuters

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Lira falls again, central bank remains adamant

Lira falls again, central bank remains adamant
Wednesday, 25 September 2013

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s lira weakened for a third day yesterday after its central bank governor sounded sanguine on the outlook for the hard-pressed currency and reiterated his commitment not to raise rates to support it.

Governor Erdem Basci also said on Tuesday he expected the lira to recover and that markets had already priced in a tapering of the US Federal Reserve’s bond buying programme — suggesting he believed pressure from an associated shift in capital out of emerging markets should now ease.

More:Lira falls again, central bank remains adamant

Bridge maintenance to be started in Istanbul

Bridge maintenance to be started in Istanbul

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s Makyol and Japan’s IHI yesterday won the contract to repair and structurally maintain the two bridges over the Bosphorus by offering the lowest bid, 246.5 million liras, beating the Hyundai-Gülermak consortium, which bid 387.6 million liras.

More:ECONOMICS - Bridge maintenance to be started in Istanbul

Turkey Medical Tourism Market to Gain Momentum | Sep 25, 2013

Turkey Medical Tourism Market to Gain Momentum

Turkey’s medical tourism market is expected to post a CAGR of around 5.7% during 2013-2017, says RNCOS.

Noida, UP -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/25/2013 -- According to the new research report by RNCOS, “Turkey Medical Tourism Outlook 2017”, the medical tourism market of Turkey is expected to post strong growth in the coming years. The lower healthcare cost of Turkey in comparison to the western countries and superior healthcare services are the prime factors for the industry’s growth.

More:Turkey Medical Tourism Market to Gain Momentum | Sep 25, 2013

Touch-screen panels attract more visitors at Istanbul Modern

Touch-screen panels attract more visitors at Istanbul Modern

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Istanbul Modern Museum is installing touch-screen panels around Istanbul in an effort to make art more visible throughout society as part of a wider project titled “Istanbul Tourism’s New Attraction: Contemporary Art.”

More:EXHIBITIONS - Touch-screen panels attract more visitors at Istanbul Modern

APA - Over 30,000 Syrians granted residence permit in Turkey

Over 30,000 Syrians granted residence permit in Turkey

[ 26 September 2013 00:22 ]

Baku-APA. Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said Wednesday that 30,016 Syrians have been granted permit to live in his country, responding to a question asked by the opposition in the parliament, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

More:APA - Over 30,000 Syrians granted residence permit in Turkey

AFP: Arrests made after fan rampage in Istanbul derby

Arrests made after fan rampage in Istanbul derby

(AFP) – 1 hour ago

Ankara — Turkish police have made 20 arrests and are looking for another 20 people following the pitch invasion that caused the abandonment of Sunday's Istanbul football derby between bitter rivals Galatasaray and Besiktas.

More:AFP: Arrests made after fan rampage in Istanbul derby

Turkey's pipe dreams - ArabianBusiness.com

Turkey's pipe dreams

By Lionel Mok

Wednesday, 25 September 2013 4:06 PM

Turkey has continued to make the headlines in the Middle East’s oil and gas industry over the last several months due to a number of factors which include the growing divide between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq (FGI); and the recent signing of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeiline (TAP) and Trans-Anatolian Pipelines (TANAP).

More:Turkey's pipe dreams - ArabianBusiness.com

Turkey, Germany, Netherlands to launch project on media-judiciary relations, 25 September 2013

Turkey, Germany, Netherlands to launch project on media-judiciary relations

25 September 2013

Turkish Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said Wednesday the EU supported a project on media-judiciary relations which would help improve relations between the mass media and judiciary, while accurately informing the public through media.

More:Turkey, Germany, Netherlands to launch project on media-judiciary relations, 25 September 2013

Turkey-UAE bilateral tourism workshop kicks off | Travel Daily ME

Turkey-UAE bilateral tourism workshop kicks off

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey recently held its first bilateral travel and tourism workshop in Dubai. The event was held at The Palace Hotel and attended by a number of senior officials such as Nihat Gul, deputy undersecretary and from within the UAE, Her Excellency the Turkish consul general in Dubai, Elif Comoglu Ulgen.

More:Turkey-UAE bilateral tourism workshop kicks off | Travel Daily ME

Turkey questioned group of students returning from studying in Iran - UPI.com

Turkey suspects students used to spy

Published: Sept. 25, 2013 at 7:48 AM

ANKARA, Turkey, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Turkey detained 25 students who returned from Iran for questioning over suspicions they had been used for spying and propaganda activities, an official said.

More:Turkey questioned group of students returning from studying in Iran - UPI.com

Kurdish militants tunnel out of Turkish prison | Reuters

Kurdish militants tunnel out of Turkish prison

BINGOL, Turkey | Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:41am EDT

(Reuters) - Security forces were hunting for 18 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who escaped from prison in Turkey's southeast by digging a 70-metre-long tunnel, police said on Wednesday.

More:Kurdish militants tunnel out of Turkish prison | Reuters

Turkish FM attends NFT meeting and meets Asthon - Trend.Az

Turkish FM attends NFT meeting and meets Asthon

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday attended the ministers meeting of the initiative of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Saud al-Faisal and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton separately, Anadolu Agency reported.

More:Turkish FM attends NFT meeting and meets Asthon - Trend.Az

Turkey’s 'Zero Problems' Syria Dilemma | Sharnoff's Global Views

Turkey’s ‘Zero Problems’ Syria Dilemma

September 24, 2013 7:14 pm

In the first decade of the 21st century, Turkey carried out a multilateral and pro-active foreign policy strategy, known as “zero problems with neighbors,” towards the Middle East. The strategy of “zero problem” based on political and economic cooperation succeeded to create a peace and stability zone in the periphery of Turkey. It was realistic, pragmatic and result-oriented in practice.

More:Turkey’s 'Zero Problems' Syria Dilemma | Sharnoff's Global Views

Istanbul leading Wembley in 2020 European Championships bid - Sports Mole

Istanbul leading Wembley in 2020 European Championships bid

Last Updated: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 13:23 UK
The FA have hinted that Istanbul are the "front runners" to host the semi-finals and final of the 2020 European Championships.

More:Istanbul leading Wembley in 2020 European Championships bid - Sports Mole

Courthouse News Service

Another Hit to Turkey's Bid for EU Membership
By WILLIAM DOTINGA

(CN) - A 50-year-old economic treaty does not entitle Turkish nationals to enter the EU without a visa, the European high court ruled Tuesday.
In 1963, Turkey and the European Union signed a trade and economic agreement aimed at both improving living standards and easing Turkey's accession into the EU. The parties signed an amendment known as the "standstill clause" - which prevents member states from enacting further restrictions against Turkish nationals - in 1970.

More:Courthouse News Service

With global influence, Turkey matters | Committee to Protect Journalists

With global influence, Turkey matters
Posted: 09/24/2013 5:48 pm

Joel Simon/CPJ Executive Director

Turkey is hardly a press freedom paradise, but what makes the country so exciting for journalists is the amount of news it generates on any given day. The domestic story is huge, with near-daily street protests, the booming economy beginning to sag, and the prospect of regional conflict looming with Syria. And Istanbul is a base for the international press covering not only Turkey but also Syria, Iraq and Egypt.

More:With global influence, Turkey matters | Committee to Protect Journalists

Turkey : Turkey’s textile exports grow 7.1% in Jan-August’13 - Textile News Turkey

Turkey’s textile exports grow 7.1% in Jan-August’13
September 24, 2013 (Turkey)

The exports of textiles, excluding apparel, from Turkey grew by 7.1 percent year-on-year to US$ 5.458 million during the first eight months of the current year, according to the figures released by the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters' Association (ITKIB).

More:Turkey : Turkey’s textile exports grow 7.1% in Jan-August’13 - Textile News Turkey

Istanbul’s oldest high school draws visitors

Istanbul’s oldest high school draws visitors

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Istanbul Lycée, which was known as Istanbul Erkek Lisesi, is attracting visitors, researchers and academics thanks to its historical architectural features

More:EXHIBITIONS - Istanbul’s oldest high school draws visitors

Increase in cases of measles in Turkey sparks questions over cause

Increase in cases of measles in Turkey sparks questions over cause

ANKARA
The health minister says immigration movements caused the ascent of measles cases in Turkey, while another official says Europe is the source of virus

More:LOCAL - Increase in cases of measles in Turkey sparks questions over cause

Male students wear skirts to protest ban in Turkey's Antalya

Male students wear skirts to protest ban in Turkey's Antalya

ANTALYA - Doğan News Agency

A small group of male high school students wore skirts in protest at a ban on girls wearing skirts yesterday at a high school in the southern province of Antalya.

More:LOCAL - Male students wear skirts to protest ban in Turkey's Antalya

Golden Orange to be low-cost this year

Golden Orange to be low-cost this year

ANTALYA - Anadolu Agency
The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will begin on Oct 4 with a low-cost ceremony due to financial troubles at AKSAV and the municipality

More:CINEMA-TV - Golden Orange to be low-cost this year

Turkish Coca Cola bond initial price guidance UST +370 bps | Reuters

Turkish Coca Cola bond initial price guidance UST +370 bps

ISTANBUL, Sept 24 | Tue Sep 24, 2013 4:54am EDT

(Reuters) - The initial price guidance on the five-year, dollar-denominated eurobond of Turkey's Coca-Cola Icecek was around 370 basis points over U.S. Treasuries, bankers said on Tuesday. (Writing by Daren Butler)

More:Turkish Coca Cola bond initial price guidance UST +370 bps | Reuters

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Galatasaray terminate coach Terim's contract - Orlando Sentinel

Galatasaray terminate coach Terim's contract

Reuters

3:16 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2013

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Galatasaray have terminated coach Fatih Terim's contract after he declined to accept a proposed two-year extension to his term, the Istanbul club said on Tuesday.

More:Galatasaray terminate coach Terim's contract - Orlando Sentinel

Greatest Treasure

Greatest Treasure
By: Arpit Jain on Sep 24, 2013 | 52 Views | Post Response

Long ago lived a young man in Istanbul, Turkey. Because he was poor, he had only a single room, spasely furnished with a few books and a small cot for a bed. One night the young man had a dream — a vision, really.

More:Greatest Treasure | Self Improvement Blog on Speakingtree.in

KUNA : Min. Al-Saleh heads to Ankara for Arab-Turkish economy, trade meet - Economics - 24/09/2013

Min. Al-Saleh heads to Ankara for Arab-Turkish economy, trade meet
24/09/2013 | 08:48 PM

KUWAIT, Sept 24 (KUNA) -- Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh headed to Ankara on Tuesday to attend the first Arab-Turkish economy, trade and investment minister meeting due a day later at the southern coastal city of Mersin.

More:KUNA : Min. Al-Saleh heads to Ankara for Arab-Turkish economy, trade meet - Economics - 24/09/2013

Turkey must be the part of the EU - expert - News - Politics - The Voice of Russia: News, Breaking news, Politics, Economics, Business, Russia, International current events, Expert opinion, podcasts, Video

Turkey must be the part of the EU - expert

The European Union is an economic and political union founded in 1952 by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Currently, it has 28 member states. Turkey became an associate of the EU bloc in the 1960s but the talks on its bid were launched in 2005 and got stalled amid a dispute over the divided island of Cyprus, an EU member. Ankara believes that it has suffered from prejudice in both its EU membership expectations and its recent lost bid to host the 2020 Olympics. Turkey is a mainly Muslim country, and the EU founding states have always had concerns on the issue, fearing that its cultural differences would hinder its integration. Voice of Russia talked to Arzu Geybulla, a freelance journalist and social media trainer.

More:Turkey must be the part of the EU - expert - News - Politics - The Voice of Russia: News, Breaking news, Politics, Economics, Business, Russia, International current events, Expert opinion, podcasts, Video

Relatives of Lebanese Abducted Pilgrims Hold Sit-in near Turkish Embassy

Relatives of Lebanese Abducted Pilgrims Hold Sit-in near Turkish Embassy
Local Editor

The families of nine Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped by mercenaries in Syria staged on Tuesday a sit-in near the Turkish embassy in Rabieh, north of capital Beirut, vowing to forbid Turkish nationals from setting their feet on Lebanese soil.

More:Relatives of Lebanese Abducted Pilgrims Hold Sit-in near Turkish Embassy

Four Turkish police to go on trial for protester death | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

Four Turkish police to go on trial for protester death
September 24, 2013 07:59 PM

ISTANBUL: A Turkish court will try four police officers for the murder of a protester during anti-government clashes in June who was beaten so savagely he had a brain haemorrhage, local media said Tuesday.

More:Four Turkish police to go on trial for protester death | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

Basci Says Interest Rates No Response to Fed-Battered Lira - Bloomberg

Basci Says Interest Rates No Response to Fed-Battered Lira
By Onur Ant - Sep 24, 2013

Turkey’s central bank will only increase interest rates if it sees two-year inflation expectations worsening, Governor Erdem Basci said.

More:Basci Says Interest Rates No Response to Fed-Battered Lira - Bloomberg

Pregnant Turkish woman killed in Kenyan mall massacre

Pregnant Turkish woman killed in Kenyan mall massacre

ISTANBUL

A Turkish-Dutch woman who was eight months pregnant has been identified as one of those killed in a deadly attack on an upscale Kenyan shopping mall by an al-Qaeda-linked group.

More:AFRICA - Pregnant Turkish woman killed in Kenyan mall massacre

ECHR fines Turkey 184,000 euros in expropriation case

ECHR fines Turkey 184,000 euros in expropriation case

STRASBOURG – Hürriyet Daily News

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) fined Turkey 184,000 euros today following a family’s complaint that they were not paid compensation for their land on which a primary school was built without a formal expropriation order in Ankara’s İncesu neighborhood.

More:EUROPE - ECHR fines Turkey 184,000 euros in expropriation case

Turkish prosecutor investigates ‘Gezi Phenomenon’ book

Turkish prosecutor investigates ‘Gezi Phenomenon’ book

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Istanbul Public Prosecutor has kicked off an investigation into a book featuring sociological and political analysis of the Gezi Park Protests titled “Individualization and Democracy: The Gezi Phenomenon” on charges of insulting public officials.

More:LOCAL - Turkish prosecutor investigates ‘Gezi Phenomenon’ book

Transport: Turkey; new cable car lines for Istanbul - Transport - ANSAMed.it

Transport: Turkey; new cable car lines for Istanbul

24 September, 13:48

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 24 - Among many other projects, the Municipality of Istanbul has made plans to drastically revolutionize the city's transport system ahead of the next local elections. According to Milliyet newspaper, as World Bulletin website reports, the head of the Istanbul Municipality Kadir Topbas has already made plans to build a second cable car line between Rumelihisari and Otagtepe despite ongoing opposition to the one planned between Camlica and Zincirlikuyu. The two kilometer long line is due to be completed by the year 2023. More lines have also been planned across Istanbul including one at the Sabiha Gokce airport in Pendik, which will be nine kilometers long, and another 3.5 kilometer line at the Ataturk airport. Both lines are planned to be open for service by 2017. In addition to this, a tramway line connecting Edirnekapi to Vezneciler is due for the following year in 2018. (ANSAmed).

More:Transport: Turkey; new cable car lines for Istanbul - Transport - ANSAMed.it

Pegasus Airlines will be launching flights to Moscow - eTurboNews.com

Pegasus Airlines will be launching flights to Moscow

Sep 23, 2013

Moscow will be the latest addition to Pegasus’ Russian network following the recent addition of new routes to Omsk, Krasnodar and Sochi, with flights to Moscow from London starting from just £112.65 inclusive of taxes and charges as from October 8. Moscow flights will be operating three times weekly via Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

More:Pegasus Airlines will be launching flights to Moscow - eTurboNews.com

ECO rules out visa free travel for Turkish citizens in EU countries

ECO rules out visa free travel for Turkish citizens in EU countries

The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECOJ) has refused to grant Turkish citizens the right to visa-free travel in European Union countries.
“Turkish nationals do not have the right to enter the territory of an EU Member State without a visa in order to obtain services,” the court said in a landmark decision today in the case of Turkish citizen Leyla Ecem Demirkan vs. Germany.

More:ECO rules out visa free travel for Turkish citizens in EU countries

Albaraka Turk secures murabaha loan | Reuters

Albaraka Turk secures murabaha loan

ISTANBUL, Sept 24 | Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:12am EDT

(Reuters) - Bahraini lender Al Baraka Bank's Turkish unit Albaraka Turk has secured an Islamic murabaha syndicated loan of $196 million and 175.5 million euros ($237 million), it said on Tuesday.

More:Albaraka Turk secures murabaha loan | Reuters

Turkish students recount experiences at summer protests | Pipe Dream

Turkish students recount experiences at summer protests

Jessie Heller

The protests in Turkey came close to home on Friday night.

Two Turkish Binghamton University students spoke to an audience gathered in Hillside Community to explain that the people of Turkey have three demands: free media, an open democratic dialogue and an end to police brutality.

More:Turkish students recount experiences at summer protests | Pipe Dream

Loans Risk Fueling Debt Tinderbox Under Economy: Turkey Credit - Bloomberg

Loans Risk Fueling Debt Tinderbox Under Economy: Turkey Credit
By Benjamin Harvey & Taylan Bilgic - Sep 24, 2013 8:42 AM GMT+0200

The Turkish central bank’s pledge to keep interest rates low is fueling a credit boom, perpetuating a debt-driven economic-growth model that Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan says is undesirable.

More:Loans Risk Fueling Debt Tinderbox Under Economy: Turkey Credit - Bloomberg

Turkey to build 207 prisons over 5 years

Turkey to build 207 prisons over 5 years

ANKARA

Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin has announced plans for construction of 207 new prisons over the next five years. Ergin said that 75 of these were at the construction stage, 53 at the project stage, 50 of them at the planning stage, and 29 of them were at the bidding stage.

More:LOCAL - Turkey to build 207 prisons over 5 years

BARÇIN YİNANÇ - Yet another move to keep Turkish women at home

Yet another move to keep Turkish women at home

How come your wife is not working, I asked him; surprised to hear that his wife was unemployed. He explained that as a high school graduate, the wage that his wife could earn would barely cover the daycare of their two kids. “It wouldn’t be worth the trouble,” he said.

More:BARÇIN YİNANÇ - Yet another move to keep Turkish women at home

Official: Istanbul front-runner for Euro2020 final - SFGate

Official: Istanbul front-runner for Euro2020 final
Published 3:08 pm, Monday, September 23, 2013

LONDON (AP) — A European football official says Istanbul is the front-runner to host the 2020 European Championship semifinals and final.

More:Official: Istanbul front-runner for Euro2020 final - SFGate

EU Commission acknowledges the emergency situation with the refugees in Bulgaria, which is important for financial aid: minister - FOCUS Information Agency

EU Commission acknowledges the emergency situation with the refugees in Bulgaria, which is important for financial aid: minister
23 September 2013 | 16:38 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / Bulgaria
Sofia. The European Commission officially acknowledged that Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus have an extraordinary situation in terms of refugees, which is an important step for financial aid for the country. That is what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Tsvetlin Yovchev said in an interview for Radio FOCUS .

More:EU Commission acknowledges the emergency situation with the refugees in Bulgaria, which is important for financial aid: minister - FOCUS Information Agency

Plenty Of Shale Gas In Turkey: US Gas Boom Could Help Turkey Meet Energy Needs By Using New Methods Of Fracking And Drilling Horizontally

Plenty Of Shale Gas In Turkey: US Gas Boom Could Help Turkey Meet Energy Needs By Using New Methods Of Fracking And Drilling Horizontally
By David Kashi
on September 23 2013 10:41 AM

Turkey is looking west to North America for help in extracting large shale gas reserves in southeastern Anatolia using hydraulic fracturing, the technology that has spawned an oil and gas boom in the U.S. but is heavily criticized by environmentalists for allegedly contaminating groundwater.

More:Plenty Of Shale Gas In Turkey: US Gas Boom Could Help Turkey Meet Energy Needs By Using New Methods Of Fracking And Drilling Horizontally

Greek and Turkish musicians give historic concert at Halki

Greek and Turkish musicians give historic concert at Halki

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Halki Greek Orthodox Seminary becomes the stage for Greek and Turkish musicians amid growing expectations over the school’s opening as part of the much-awaited democratization package

More:RIGHTS - Greek and Turkish musicians give historic concert at Halki

[Column] Standing Up in Turkey : Editorial : Home

Standing Up in Turkey

Posted on : Sep.24,2013 07:34 KST

By John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus 

I arrived in Istanbul earlier this month just as protests were flaring up throughout Turkey. An activist had died at a protest in a southern city, one of several victims of the confrontations with riot police over the last year. By the time I got to Taksim Square in the heart of the city, the riot police had broken up the peaceful demonstration and chased protesters to all points of the compass. I managed to loop around behind the police barricade on the famous pedestrian thoroughfare Istiklal Caddesi. There I discovered a cadre of very well-prepared activists Tweeting updates on their location and the activities of the police. The protestors wore hard hats and sophisticated gas masks. I was considerably less prepared, and the tear gas that hung in the air stung my eyes as I snapped photos of the confrontation.

MoreŞ[Column] Standing Up in Turkey : Editorial : Home

Monday, September 23, 2013

Besiktas face action over riot in abandoned Istanbul derby with Galatasaray | Football News | Sky Sports

Besiktas face action over riot in abandoned Istanbul derby with Galatasaray

Last Updated: September 23, 2013 12:34pm

Turkish government officials have promised strong action after the Istanbul derby between Besiktas and Galatasaray was abandoned due to rioting.

More:Besiktas face action over riot in abandoned Istanbul derby with Galatasaray | Football News | Sky Sports

Turkey: Soccer Fans Give New Meaning to Political Football | EurasiaNet.org

Turkey: Soccer Fans Give New Meaning to Political Football
September 23, 2013 - 3:48pm, by Dorian Jones

Turkish soccer fans are taking the lead in İstanbul’s anti-government protests, effectively turning the country’s most popular sport into a potential political battleground.

The politicization of soccer fans poses a quandary for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A former semi-professional soccer player himself, who is known to don the scarf of a local club when addressing public rallies across the country, Erdoğan long considered soccer to be his own political domain. But no longer.

More:Turkey: Soccer Fans Give New Meaning to Political Football | EurasiaNet.org

Al Qaeda-Linked Group In Syria Denounces Pro-Democracy Rebels | KUTV.com

Al Qaeda-Linked Group In Syria Denounces Pro-Democracy Rebels

ISTANBUL (CNN) -- Al Qaeda-linked militants justified their takeover of a strategic opposition-held town near the Syrian border with Turkey by accusing the Syrian rebels who held it of being pro-democracy traitors who cooperated with Western officials like U.S. Sen. John McCain.

More:Al Qaeda-Linked Group In Syria Denounces Pro-Democracy Rebels | KUTV.com

Alevi Anger Boils Over in Ankara - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Alevi Anger Boils Over in Ankara

By: Sibel Utku Bila for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse Posted on September 23.

ANKARA — It is a bizarre sight. On a sealed-off street on Ankara’s outskirts, riot police equipped with a tear-gas-firing vehicle watch over the construction of a religious shrine, guarding the site from the very people for whom it is intended.

More:Alevi Anger Boils Over in Ankara - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Market turmoil tests the mettle of Turkey’s banks /Euromoney magazine

Market turmoil tests the mettle of Turkey’s banks

by Duncan Kerr
For all their strengths, the ferocity of this summer’s market sell-off has amplified some vulnerabilities that could be the first true test in a decade of the resilience of banks and the economy as a whole.

More:Market turmoil tests the mettle of Turkey’s banks /Euromoney magazine

Saruhan Dogan on Turkey’s capital markets | Finansinvest | Video | World Finance

Saruhan Dogan on Turkey’s capital markets | Finansinvest | Video
Investment Banking | Videos
Monday, September 23rd, 2013

World Finance interviews Saruhan Dogan, board member at Finansinvest, on the latest changes in Turkey’s capital markets

Finansinvest was incorporated in 1996, and remains a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finansbank, with its headquarters in Istanbul. One of its board members, Saruhan Dogan, discusses the recent changes in Turkey’s capital markets, the ways that Finansinvest is responding, and the future for investments in Turkey.

More:Saruhan Dogan on Turkey’s capital markets | Finansinvest | Video | World Finance

Turkey's Tourist Arrivals Rise Notably In August

Turkey's Tourist Arrivals Rise Notably In August
9/23/2013 7:22 AM ET

Turkey's tourist arrivals logged a double-digit expansion in August, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday.

More:Turkey's Tourist Arrivals Rise Notably In August

In Istanbul, art tries to imitate life - and fails - Culture Israel News | Haaretz

In Istanbul, art tries to imitate life - and fails

Against the backdrop of the demonstrations at Gezi Park and Taksim Square, the city’s biennial retreated indoors.

More:In Istanbul, art tries to imitate life - and fails - Culture Israel News | Haaretz

Finance: Islamic bank looks to Turkey's sukuk, IDB head says - Economy - ANSAMed.it

Finance: Islamic bank looks to Turkey's sukuk, IDB head says

23 September, 12:50

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 23 - The President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Ahmad Mohamed Al-Madani has urged Turkey to mobilize "sukuk" (Islamic bonds) to facilitate the flow of capital from Arab countries, while also suggesting that Turkey could arrange an investment conference in order to attract Arab capital. Al-Madani, in an exclusive interview with daily Radikal held on the occasion of the opening of Ankara's branch of the (IDB) in the presence of of President Abdullah Gul, highlighted the full confidence that they had in Turkey, as he noted that he didn't have any direct or unconfirmed information about claims that the Arab capital has been inclined to leave Turkish markets. "It is very natural to have an office for IDB in Ankara to enhance this relationship," Al-Madani said in Ankara, while pointing to Turkey's "very constructive" cooperation with the IDB for the last 39 years as one of the "major founding members.

More:Finance: Islamic bank looks to Turkey's sukuk, IDB head says - Economy - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: Istanbul's 3rd airport construction to begin in May - Transport - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: Istanbul's 3rd airport construction to begin in May

23 September, 12:41

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 23 - The project regarding the construction of a third airport in Istanbul has been completed and the construction will begin in May, Turkish Cihan news agency reported quoting Chairman of Limak Holding, Nihat Ozdemir, as saying.

More:Turkey: Istanbul's 3rd airport construction to begin in May - Transport - ANSAMed.it

50,000 complaints filed against Turkey in European human rights court

50,000 complaints filed against Turkey in European human rights court

Published: Sept. 23, 2013 at 5:59 AM

ANKARA, Turkey, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Turkish Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said more than 50,000 complaints were filed against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights from 2002 to 2012.

More:Justice Minister Sadulla Ergin tells of human rights complaints - UPI.com

Off The Beaten Track: Ski Turkey | A.J. Higginson

Off The Beaten Track: Ski Turkey
Posted: 20/09/2013 15:11

Uludag, Turkey's premier ski resort, nestles at the base of Mount Olympus, a four hour drive from Istanbul. The resort is a charming village set in the forest of a national park in the heart of the ancient Ottoman Empire. It looks like any other alpine village apart, that is, from the odd snow-clad mosque and the strange wailing sounds drifting across the mountain as the faithful are called to prayer.

More:Off The Beaten Track: Ski Turkey | A.J. Higginson

Transport: Turkey; traffic at Sabiha Gokcen Airport up 20% - Transport - ANSAMed.it

Transport: Turkey; traffic at Sabiha Gokcen Airport up 20%

23 September, 11:52

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 23 - A record-breaking number of passengers passed through Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport last month, as Anadolu Agency reports. The airport handled a total of 11,957,704 travellers in the first 8 months of 2013, up 20% on the same period last year. The airport also recorded its busiest-ever August, handling 2,038,912 domestic and international passengers, up 35% on the same month last year.

More:Transport: Turkey; traffic at Sabiha Gokcen Airport up 20% - Transport - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: 12 civilian, 9 military men arrested over corruption - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkey: 12 civilian, 9 military men arrested over corruption
23 September 2013 | 12:45 | FOCUS News Agency

Istanbul. Total of 21 suspected – 12 civilian and 9 military men have been arrested and jailed after busted schemes of enormous corruption and misappropriation during tenders and deliveries of food stuffs for military forces, dislocated in the Asian part of Istanbul, television channel CNN Turk reported.

More:Turkey: 12 civilian, 9 military men arrested over corruption - FOCUS Information Agency

Turkey's democratization package to be announced at month's end

Turkey's democratization package to be announced at month's end

ISTANBUL, September 23. (AA). Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Monday he would announce the democratization package on September 30 as "a new step of the AK Party's promises during its 11-year rule."

More:BSANNA News - BSANNA NEWS

Istanbul police seize 20,000 pirated CDs

Istanbul police seize 20,000 pirated CDs

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Some 40 people were detained and 20,000 counterfeit CDs were seized in a police crackdown on pirated CDs in Istanbul Sept.23.

More:LOCAL - Istanbul police seize 20,000 pirated CDs

Archaeologists seek Suleiman the Magnificent's 'lost heart' - Culture - ANSAMed.it

Archaeologists seek Suleiman the Magnificent's 'lost heart'
Possibly buried under church; died in Hungary in 1566

23 September, 18:29

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 22 - Despite efforts by Turkish and Hungarian archaeologists, the 'lost heart' of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent has not yet been found, but is believed to be buried under a church in the Hungarian city Szigetvar.

More:Archaeologists seek Suleiman the Magnificent's 'lost heart' - Culture - ANSAMed.it

NURAY MERT - Recognizing Kurdish Nationhood

Recognizing Kurdish Nationhood

“It was difficult not to be moved. It was difficult not to be admiring,” says journalist Michela Wrong, in the opening of her book on the political struggle for independence in Eritrea (“I Did’t Do It For You,” London: Harper Parennial, 2005), but her book has more emphasis on the shortcomings of long and painful political struggles. Despite Wrong’s warning that observers of freedom fights should think twice before being an admirer, I could never manage “not to be moved and not to be admiring” of the Kurds’ struggle for freedom.

More:NURAY MERT - Recognizing Kurdish Nationhood

Appeals Court Confirms Jail Sentence for Musician Who Insulted Islam

Appeals Court Confirms Jail Sentence for Musician Who Insulted Islam

Turkey’s Court of Appeals has endorsed the ruling against famous musician and pianist Fazil Say.

Appeals Court Confirms Jail Sentence for Musician Who Insulted Islam
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Appeals Court in Istanbul confirmed a 10-month suspended jail term to Say over social media posts deemed religiously offensive, arcinfo website reported.

More:Appeals Court Confirms Jail Sentence for Musician Who Insulted Islam

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Rich Greek graffiti found in İzmir agora

Rich Greek graffiti found in İzmir agora

İZMİR - Doğan News Agency

A rich Greek graffiti collection has been found in the İzmir agora during excavation work in the area. The graffiti shows daily life in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

More:ARCHAEOLOGY - Rich Greek graffiti found in İzmir agora

Turkish government mulls changes to electoral system

Turkish government mulls changes to electoral system

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

A change in the electoral system and a lowering of the election threshold have been cited among possible surprising elements of the upcoming “democratization package,” which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will personally announce on Sept. 30. However, at the moment the former seems more likely than the latter.

More:ANKARA WHISPERS - Turkish government mulls changes to electoral system

Fan rampage stops Galatasaray, Besiktas derby - FRANCE 24

Fan rampage stops Galatasaray, Besiktas derby

AFP - The high-profile Istanbul derby between bitter rivals Galatasaray and Besiktas was abandoned on Sunday when fans invaded the pitch, throwing seats at tear gas-firing police.

More:Fan rampage stops Galatasaray, Besiktas derby - FRANCE 24

Turkey Could Face Huge Fighter Bill | Defense News | defensenews.com

Turkey Could Face Huge Fighter Bill
Sep. 22, 2013 - 10:17AM
By BURAK EGE BEKDIL

ANKARA — Turkish ambitions to develop and build the first ever made-in-Turkey fighter aircraft and at the same time buy a new generation, multinational combat jet may go beyond Turkey’s financing capacity, industry sources and experts said.

More:Turkey Could Face Huge Fighter Bill | Defense News | defensenews.com

Advocacy group cites Turkey press freedom crisis - Las Vegas Sun News

Advocacy group cites Turkey press freedom crisis

The Associated Press

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 | 12:23 a.m.

A prominent press freedom advocacy group is asking Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to take steps to end what it calls a crisis for journalists in Turkey.

More:Advocacy group cites Turkey press freedom crisis - Las Vegas Sun News

Israel’s plan to bring Cyprus and Turkey together | Cyprus Mail

Israel’s plan to bring Cyprus and Turkey together
Israel’s plan to bring Cyprus and Turkey together signing an memorandum of understanding on an LNG plant in Cyprus with Cyprus, Noble, Delek and Avner earlier this summer

By Hugh Pope

ISRAEL IS quietly challenging Turkey and Cyprus to make a choice: move together to develop Israel’s share of the East Mediterranean’s natural gas riches, or stay on the sidelines and perpetuate their decades-old stalemate over Cyprus.
Israel has stated its preference for export pipelines to both Turkey and Cyprus, and is in a strong position to elicit both countries’ cooperation. Only Israel has big proven reserves, while test drillings are still trying to establish whether Cyprus has major exportable quantities. Both fields are being developed by the same US and Israeli operating companies, who will make the main export decisions – subject, in the case of Israeli gas, to Israeli government permission.

More:Israel’s plan to bring Cyprus and Turkey together | Cyprus Mail

Turkish assets pull back after best session in three years | Business Recorder

Turkish assets pull back after best session in three years
September 22, 2013

Turkey's financial markets lost momentum on Friday after the US Federal Reserve prompted the biggest daily gains for the lira and Istanbul stocks in more than three years in the previous session. The Fed's decision to postpone the scaling back of its economic stimulus gave Turkey some breathing space after months when investors have worried about how the country will finance its large current account deficit once the cheap Fed money which has bolstered its capital markets is withdrawn.

More:Turkish assets pull back after best session in three years | Business Recorder

Turkey using its veto power to stop all NATO interaction with Israel | World Tribune

Turkey using its veto power to stop all NATO interaction with Israel

Special to WorldTribune.com

JERUSALEM — Despite a U.S.-arranged reconciliation, Turkey continues to block NATO programs with Israel.

Greece’s ambassador to Israel asserted that Ankara has not lifted its ban on military cooperation with Israel.

More:Turkey using its veto power to stop all NATO interaction with Israel | World Tribune

Travel deal: Don't chicken out, go to Turkey | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Travel deal: Don't chicken out, go to Turkey
September 22, 2013 |
By Ellen Creager

Now is the time to go to Turkey. The nation had 36.7 million visitors last year, making it the most popular country to visit in the world after France, the U.S., China, Spain and Italy.

More:Travel deal: Don't chicken out, go to Turkey | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Turkey 'will probably never be EU member' - Telegraph

Turkey 'will probably never be EU member'

Turkey will probably never become a member of the European Union because of stiff opposition and "prejudiced" attitudes from current members, a senior Turkish minister has admitted.

More:Turkey 'will probably never be EU member' - Telegraph

Head of Goddess Aphrodite Statue Unearthed in Turkey | LiveScience

Head of Goddess Aphrodite Statue Unearthed in Turkey
By Megan Gannon, News Editor | September 20, 2013 12:42pm ET

A group of archaeologists has discovered a life-sized marble head of Aphrodite while uncovering an ancient pool-side mosaic in southern Turkey.

More:Head of Goddess Aphrodite Statue Unearthed in Turkey | LiveScience

Top 10 things to do in Istanbul | Travel | Life & Style | Daily Express

Top 10 things to do in Istanbul
TEN great things to see in Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural capital.
By: Anne Gorringe
Published: Fri, September 20, 2013

1. Go underground and walk the fascinating ancient 6th century water-storage system with its tunnels and tanks. Look out for the statue of Medusa hidden in a corner.

More:Top 10 things to do in Istanbul | Travel | Life & Style | Daily Express

Abstracting Turkey - Taipei Times

Abstracting Turkey
By Ho Yi / Staff reporter

Istanbul Red With Grey Bird (2013).

Rhythm, lines and Turkish tradition are among the words used to describe the art of Devrim Erbil, a key figure in the development of modern Turkish painting whose artistic career has spanned more than half a century.

More:Abstracting Turkey - Taipei Times