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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Turkish women struggle with Erdogan legacy | Al Jazeera America

Turkish women struggle with Erdogan legacy

The former prime minister and current president has left Turkey’s women with a mixed bag of challenges and rights
September 30, 2014 12:34PM ET
by Halima Kazem @HalimaKazem

ISTANBUL — As Recep Tayyip Erdogan takes the reins as Turkey’s first elected president, women’s rights activists say that his increasingly sexist views are perpetuating and leading to more violence against women.

More:Turkish women struggle with Erdogan legacy | Al Jazeera America

What was Obama’s ‘seating’ message? - MEHMET Y. YILMAZ

What was Obama’s ‘seating’ message?

“World leader” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not attend the banquet held by U.S. President Barack Obama for the heads of states and governments in New York, because he protested where he was seated.

More:What was Obama’s ‘seating’ message? - MEHMET Y. YILMAZ

ISTANBUL: Australia, Spain, Turkey, US reach quarters | Other Sports | The State

Australia, Spain, Turkey, US reach quarters

The Associated PressSeptember 30, 2014 Updated 1 hour ago
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ISTANBUL — The United States, Australia, Spain and Turkey all have won their groups at the women's world championship and earned byes to the quarterfinals, which begin Friday.

More:ISTANBUL: Australia, Spain, Turkey, US reach quarters | Other Sports | The State

Trapped Turks make it from Ghat to Istanbul |

Trapped Turks make it from Ghat to Istanbul

Tripoli, 30 September 2014:

A privately-chartered aircraft landed 360 Turkish workers in Istanbul late last night, after evacuating them from Ghat airport, where they had been trapped for six days in increasingly difficult conditions.

More:Trapped Turks make it from Ghat to Istanbul |

Turkish Billionaire Donates $24M for Public Health | News | The Harvard Crimson

Turkish Billionaire Donates $24M for Public Health
By Steven H. Tenzer, CRIMSON STAFF WRITERa day ago

UPDATED: Septemebr 30, 2014, at 1:20 a.m.

Turkish entrepreneur Murat Ülker donated $24 million to the School of Public Health to create the Sabri Ülker Center for Nutrient, Genetic, and Metabolic Research, the school announced this week.

More:Turkish Billionaire Donates $24M for Public Health | News | The Harvard Crimson

Rotana announces hotel project in Istanbul | The National

Rotana announces hotel project in Istanbul

Lucy Barnard

September 30, 2014 Updated: September 30, 2014 07:27 PM

Hoping to cash in on growing interest among GCC investors in Turkey, Rotana yesterday announced a venture to build a 30-storey hotel, apartment and office tower on the outskirts of Istanbul.

More:Rotana announces hotel project in Istanbul | The National

Turkey builds massive pipeline to send drinking water to thirsty Cyprus - Washington Times

Turkey builds massive pipeline to send drinking water to thirsty Cyprus

By David R. Sands - The Washington Times - Tuesday, September 30, 2014

An ambitious pipeline project linking reservoirs in Turkey to the parched, isolated Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is on track to bring much needed drinking water to the island by year’s end.

More:Turkey builds massive pipeline to send drinking water to thirsty Cyprus - Washington Times

How Turkey Will Escape the Middle-Income Trap - WSJ - WSJ

How Turkey Will Escape the Middle-Income Trap

Turkey's finance minister on Vision 2023, his country's plan to reach high-income status in less than 10 years.

More:How Turkey Will Escape the Middle-Income Trap - WSJ - WSJ

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey mulls permit for incursions in Syria, Iraq | World | NewsObserver.com

Turkey mulls permit for incursions in Syria, Iraq

The Associated PressSeptember 30, 2014 Updated 2 hours ago

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's parliament will vote on a motion that would allow foreign forces as well as Turkish soldiers to make incursions into Syria and Iraq from its territory, Turkey's deputy prime minister said Tuesday.

More:ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey mulls permit for incursions in Syria, Iraq | World | NewsObserver.com

'We are journalists': Delegation in Turkey to discuss press freedom - Committee to Protect Journalists

'We are journalists': Delegation in Turkey to discuss press freedom

By Joel Simon/CPJ Executive Director

Reuters editor-at-large Harry Evans had a question for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Would he be willing to meet with a delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Press Institute (IPI) when it visited Turkey?

More:'We are journalists': Delegation in Turkey to discuss press freedom - Committee to Protect Journalists

Ankara water contaminated, ministry report shows - LOCAL

Ankara water contaminated, ministry report shows

ANKARA

Both worries and a row over tap water in Ankara is growing, with a Health Ministry body submitting a report to the governor’s office showing that the water had been contaminated by various poisons, including arsenic.

More:Ankara water contaminated, ministry report shows - LOCAL

Clothes distributed to Syrian refugees in Turkey | GulfNews.com

Clothes distributed to Syrian refugees in Turkey

Ankara: The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Dress One Million Needy Children campaign has handed over children’s clothing to Turkish charity Deniz Feneri for distribution among Syrian refugee children in Turkey ahead of Eid Al Adha.

More:Clothes distributed to Syrian refugees in Turkey | GulfNews.com

Are Turkish troops trapped at Syrian tomb? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Are Turkish troops trapped at Syrian tomb?

At the moment, a critical debate is raging in Turkey about a Turkish Special Forces (TSF) detachment posted about 20 miles inside Syria to guard the Tomb of Suleiman Shah, an extraterritorial Turkish enclave. The debate has been fanned by the approaching parliamentary debate to authorize sending Turkish troops to Iraq and Syria.

More:Are Turkish troops trapped at Syrian tomb? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Will Turkey put 'boots on the ground' in Syria? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Will Turkey put 'boots on the ground' in Syria?

When the Turkish parliament reconvenes Sept. 30 after a summer recess, the Turkish government is expected to submit authorization requests detailing Turkey's potential role in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. On Oct. 2, the parliament is expected to vote on the requests, which are likely to ask for authority to engage Turkish ground forces outside Turkey's borders. Separate authorization requests are expected for the Iraqi and Syrian theaters.

More:Will Turkey put 'boots on the ground' in Syria? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

The Battle of Kobane: ISIS and Kurds Fight Along Turkey-Syria Border - ABC News

The Battle of Kobane
On the Turkey-Syria Border — Sep 29, 2014, 3:23 PM ET
By TERRY MORAN

It was another surreal day on the hills overlooking the Syrian border, watching the battle for the city of Kobane, located inside Syria.

More:The Battle of Kobane: ISIS and Kurds Fight Along Turkey-Syria Border - ABC News

Turkey’s task: Fighting against Assad? - Al Arabiya News

Turkey’s task: Fighting against Assad?
Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Mahir Zeynalov

The U.S.-led coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the Islamic State of Iraq and Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group has been widening in the past weeks. However, Ankara’s role in the anti-ISIS coalition has yet to be announced in detail.

More:Turkey’s task: Fighting against Assad? - Al Arabiya News

Thousands more refugees flee Syria for the safety of Turkey Kurds continue to defend their homeland from ISIS - daily.bhaskar.com

Thousands more refugees flee Syria for the safety of Turkey, Kurds continue to defend their homeland from ISIS
Dailybhaskar.com | Sep 30, 2014, 14:14PM IST

Thousands more refugees flee Syria for the safety of Turkey, Kurds continue to defend their homeland from ISIS
Istanbul: They may have fled to safety, but these Syrian Kurds can't help but look back over the border they just crossed to watch their brothers-in-arms fight for the land they left behind.

In the last week alone, more than 150,000 Kurdish men, women and children have crossed into Sanlinurfa, Turkey, to escape the Islamic State fighters laying siege to their hometown, Kobani, some 15 miles to the south. But while they are now safe, the war rages on as Kurdish Peshmerga warriors - backed by U.S. airstrikes - fight to hold their murderous enemy at bay.

More:Thousands more refugees flee Syria for the safety of Turkey Kurds continue to defend their homeland from ISIS - daily.bhaskar.com

A piece of China for a piece of Turkey | Opinion | Daily Sabah

A PIECE OF CHINA FOR A PIECE OF TURKEY

Tal Buenos
Published : 29.09.2014 02:21:42

A piece of China for a piece of Turkey
World historiography and politics have yet to catch up with post-colonial times. However, the following discovery may push further toward international recognition of political realities that are strongly linked with a history of Western imperialism: there is documentation to show that the ones who sought to tear up the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century are the same people who spoke freely of carving up China.

More:A piece of China for a piece of Turkey | Opinion | Daily Sabah

World economics and tourism Europe, Eurasia and Middle East: Global Growth Companies - ...

Europe, Eurasia and Middle East: Global Growth Companies

Sep 29, 2014
Europe, Eurasia and Middle East: Global Growth Companies

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Twenty-eight companies from Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East have been recognized as fast-growing companies, representing a broad cross-section of industry sectors. These companies have been selected for exceeding industry standards in revenue growth, promoting innovative business practices and their leadership in corporate citizenship.

More:World economics and tourism Europe, Eurasia and Middle East: Global Growth Companies - ...

‘One Hundred Years of Love’ in Turkish cinema - CINEMA-TV

‘One Hundred Years of Love’ in Turkish cinema

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Istanbul Modern’s new exhibition curates the love affair between the Turkish audience and the film industry

More:‘One Hundred Years of Love’ in Turkish cinema - CINEMA-TV

Drugs to spread if religious courses abolished, President Erdoğan says - POLITICS

Drugs to spread if religious courses abolished, President Erdoğan says

Mustafa Küçük ISTANBUL

Drugs, violence and racism would spread among the youth if Turkey’s compulsory religion course is abolished by the government, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed Sept. 29.

More:Drugs to spread if religious courses abolished, President Erdoğan says - POLITICS

Egyptians call for boycott of Turkish products | Middle East Eye

Egyptians call for boycott of Turkish products

Relations between Egypt and Turkey have taken a turn for the worse since Morsi's ouster by the military

More:Egyptians call for boycott of Turkish products | Middle East Eye

ANTAKYA, Turkey: Islamic State closes in on Kurdish area of Syria | World | The State

Islamic State closes in on Kurdish area of Syria

By DESMOND BUTLER and DIAA HADID

The Associated PressSeptember 29, 2014 Updated 3 hours ago

ANTAKYA, Turkey — Militants of the Islamic State group were closing in Monday on a Kurdish area of Syria on the border with Turkey — an advance unhindered so far by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, including one that struck a grain silo, killing two civilians, according to activists.

More:ANTAKYA, Turkey: Islamic State closes in on Kurdish area of Syria | World | The State

TTIP: An economic NATO in formation - CONTRIBUTOR

TTIP: An economic NATO in formation

ASLI AY

Trade liberalization continues to be the lowest-hanging fruit that can boost global economic expansion. The United States, having committed to finalizing two major trade agreements in parallel – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) with 12 Pacific nations – sits squarely in the center of this opportunity.

More:TTIP: An economic NATO in formation - CONTRIBUTOR

Monday, September 29, 2014

'Dracula's Dungeon' Discovered by Archaeologists at Tokat Castle in Turkey

'Dracula's Dungeon' Discovered by Archaeologists at Tokat Castle in Turkey

Lydia Smith
By Lydia Smith
September 29, 2014 10:40 BST
1,084 38

Archaeologists believe they have discovered dungeons, tunnels and a military shelter at Tokat Castle in northern Turkey where Vlad the Impaler – who served as the inspiration for Bram Stoker's character Dracula – is believed to have been held hostage in the early 15th century.

More:'Dracula's Dungeon' Discovered by Archaeologists at Tokat Castle in Turkey

Is Turkey Drifting Between ISIS & Putin? | Andreas Akaras

Is Turkey Drifting Between ISIS & Putin?
Posted: 09/29/2014 1:33 pm EDT Updated: 2 hours ago

Today, liberty is threatened by a pernicious Islamic extremism and by a resurgent Russian nationalism. NATO member Turkey is at the front lines of both of these conflicts. While Turkey's allies expect it to stand sentinel over these threats they are ever more concerned that it is moving away from the West. Yet, Turkey is where it has always been, a country with a defined set of political values that are apart and distinct from those of the West.

More:Is Turkey Drifting Between ISIS & Putin? | Andreas Akaras

Free internet: the Turkish riddle

Free internet: the Turkish riddle

Fazıla Mat | Istanbul

29 September 2014

In early September, international debate on Internet freedom focused on Turkey, a country experiencing growing restrictions and censorship

More:Free internet: the Turkish riddle

Turkey’s New Migration Policy: Control Through Bureaucratization

Turkey’s New Migration Policy: Control Through Bureaucratization
Sep 29 2014 by Kelsey P. Norman

Images of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing from IS across the Turkish border last week thrust the issue of migration to Turkey into the international spotlight. But the influx of refugees to Turkey is only one aspect of the country’s complex migration situation. While characterizations of Turkey as “between East and West” are overstated, this description in terms of Turkey’s migration dynamics is actually quite apt.

More:Turkey’s New Migration Policy: Control Through Bureaucratization

Obama says underestimated IS; al Qaeda says West will be attacked | Cyprus Mail

Obama says underestimated IS; al Qaeda says West will be attacked

By Mariam Karouny and Jonny Hogg

The head of Syria’s al Qaeda branch said militants will attack the West in retaliation for US-led air strikes in Syria and Iraq, and President Barack Obama acknowledged US intelligence had underestimated the rise of Islamic State fighters.

More:Obama says underestimated IS; al Qaeda says West will be attacked | Cyprus Mail

Kilford: Anti-terror fight should benefit Turkey | Ottawa Citizen

Kilford: Anti-terror fight should benefit Turkey
Chris Kilford More from Chris Kilford

Today in Iraq and Syria we are witnessing a massive terrorist clean-up operation that will hopefully repair a decade’s worth of well-intentioned but nonetheless irresponsible meddling by the international community in the region.

More:Kilford: Anti-terror fight should benefit Turkey | Ottawa Citizen

Turkey's clumsy politics and the Kurdish question - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Turkey's clumsy politics and the Kurdish question

Inconsistent Turkish policies and fear of the birth of a Kurdish nation-state are bungling regional relationships.

More:Turkey's clumsy politics and the Kurdish question - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

In Pictures: Kurdish refugees flood Turkey - In Pictures - Al Jazeera English

In Pictures: Kurdish refugees flood Turkey
Thousands of Syrian Kurdish refugees have poured into the country amid an ISIL offensive in Kobani.
Ahmed Deeb Last updated: 29 Sep 2014 12:09

At least 138,000 Syrian Kurdish refugees have poured into Turkey over the past few days, escaping an offensive by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Kobani, one of Syria's major Kurdish cities. They continued to cross into Turkey which opened its border to allow refugees to enter Suruc, in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa.

More:In Pictures: Kurdish refugees flood Turkey - In Pictures - Al Jazeera English

Turkey gearing up fight against ‘barbaric’ ISIL - POLITICS

Turkey gearing up fight against ‘barbaric’ ISIL

ANKARA

Turkey’s top leaders have begun deploying sharper rhetoric against extremist jihadists in Iraq and Syria, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu calling them “barbaric” and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underlining “the obligation to fight” against them.

More:Turkey gearing up fight against ‘barbaric’ ISIL - POLITICS

Opinion: Turkey’s Inferiority Complex « ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

Opinion: Turkey’s Inferiority Complex

For more than a year now, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been breaking all diplomatic customs and political protocols with his extreme enmity towards all that is Egyptian and his clear support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which was booted out of power by the Egyptian people. This came to a head with the fierce attack Erdoğan launched on Egypt and its president, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, during his speech at the UN General Assembly last week.

More:Opinion: Turkey’s Inferiority Complex « ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

‘We will fight until death or victory': U.S. air strikes fail to stop ISIS onslaught in Syrian border town | National Post

‘We will fight until death or victory': U.S. air strikes fail to stop ISIS onslaught in Syrian border town

Robert Tait, The Telegraph | September 28, 2014 10:04 PM ET

The bullet on the front of Idris Kobane’s battle fatigues was a chilling reminder of the stakes at play as he and his fellow fighters prepared to make their last stand.
‘We will turn Kobane into ISIS’ graveyard': Why jihadists want to seize Kurdish border town in Syria

The brass 7.62mm cartridge was intended not for use against the enemy but on Mr. Kobane himself, as a final shot to take his own life if the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham jihadists currently surrounding his town finally overrun it.

More:‘We will fight until death or victory': U.S. air strikes fail to stop ISIS onslaught in Syrian border town | National Post

Erdogan’s behaviour must not be tolerated - Al Arabiya News

Erdogan’s behaviour must not be tolerated
Monday, 29 September 2014

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s visit to New York to speak before the United Nations General Assembly was not only what I believe to be a PR coup, he and his team did some furious networking with heads of state, politicians, and the American business community. During his stay, he met with the Clintons, foreign policy veterans Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright, Prime Minister David Cameron, as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

mORE:Erdogan’s behaviour must not be tolerated - Al Arabiya News

12th Turkish Festival draws thousands in the US capital - CİHAN

12th Turkish Festival draws thousands in the US capital
WASHINGTON - 29.09.2014 11:27:29

Thousands of American and Turkish people came together at 12th Turkish Festival held in Washington, D.C.on Sunday.

Every year, the festival, which is held by the American Turkish Association of Washington, D.C. (ATA-DC), draws tens of thousands of Washingtonians to the streets to enjoy delicious Turkish food and traditional Turkish coffee, to browse and shop at the Turkish Bazaar, and to watch mesmerizing stage performances.

mORE:12th Turkish Festival draws thousands in the US capital - CİHAN

1 Injured in Istanbul Subway Accident - ABC News

1 Injured in Istanbul Subway Accident
ISTANBUL — Sep 29, 2014, 5:01 AM ET
Associated Press

Turkish media reports say 33-year-old man was seriously injured when a metal rod pierced a car on Istanbul's subway system.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said the rod speared the hips of the 33-year-old man. He was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery.

mORE:1 Injured in Istanbul Subway Accident - ABC News

Turkey: Authoritarian Drift Threatens Rights | Human Rights Watch

Turkey: Authoritarian Drift Threatens Rights
Protect Free Speech, Right to Protest, Rule of Law
September 29, 2014

(Istanbul) – Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is taking far-reaching steps to weaken the rule of law, control the media and Internet, and clamp down on critics and protestors, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

mORE:Turkey: Authoritarian Drift Threatens Rights | Human Rights Watch

Turkey Vows to Help Erbil in the War Against ISIS

Turkey Vows to Help Erbil in the War Against ISIS
By RÛDAW 12 hours ago

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkey has promised to provide greater assistance to Erbil in its war with the Islamic State and to help with the humanitarian crisis brought on by the huge influx of refugees into the Kurdistan Region.

mORE:Turkey Vows to Help Erbil in the War Against ISIS

Islamic State Jihadist Activity in Northern Syria Forces Turkey Hand - SPIEGEL ONLINE

The Caliphate Next Door: Turkey Faces Up to its Islamic State Problem

By Katrin Elger, Hasnain Kazim, Christoph Reuter and Holger Stark

For years, Ankara has been tolerating the rise of the extremist Islamic State. But now that the jihadists are conquering regions just across the border in northern Syria, concern is growing that Islamist terror could threaten Turkey too.

Islim Ali is dragging a torn trash bag behind her, clothes spilling out of the growing holes. Twenty-two years old and in her sixth month of pregnancy, she heaves the sack into her arms and crosses the border, followed by her husband, himself overloaded with possessions, and their two daughters, Esma, 6, and Rodin, 2. A Turkish disaster management agent notes down the Kurdish family's personal details and they then sit down on the ground behind the metal barricade. A gust of wind kicks up a cloud of dust, covering everything with a fine layer. But the Alis don't seem to care. They are in Turkey -- in safety.

More:Islamic State Jihadist Activity in Northern Syria Forces Turkey Hand - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Turkey suffering 'rights rollback' under Erdogan: Human Rights Watch - The Economic Times

Turkey suffering 'rights rollback' under Erdogan: Human Rights Watch
By AFP | 29 Sep, 2014, 11.50AM IST

ISTANBUL: Turkey is undergoing a "worrying rollback" on human rights under the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with curbs on judicial independence and media freedom, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

More:Turkey suffering 'rights rollback' under Erdogan: Human Rights Watch - The Economic Times

A place for refugees | The Miami Herald

A place for refugees

09/28/2014 3:00 PM

Before America bombed the Syrian-Turkish border recently, around 100,000 Syrian refugees crossed into southern Turkey. Over the past months, border crossings between Syria and Turkey have been limited. As horrible as the attacks are, one may say that there is some good developing out of it since now innocent Syrians are acquiring the chance to leave.

More:A place for refugees | The Miami Herald

A piece of China for a piece of Turkey | Opinion | Daily Sabah

A PIECE OF CHINA FOR A PIECE OF TURKEY

Tal Buenos
Published : 29.09.2014 02:21:42

A piece of China for a piece of Turkey
World historiography and politics have yet to catch up with post-colonial times. However, the following discovery may push further toward international recognition of political realities that are strongly linked with a history of Western imperialism: there is documentation to show that the ones who sought to tear up the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century are the same people who spoke freely of carving up China.

More:A piece of China for a piece of Turkey | Opinion | Daily Sabah

EU and Turkey are bound to succeed together, says Barroso - DIPLOMACY

EU and Turkey are bound to succeed together, says Barroso

Cansu Çamlıbel

The new head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, might be skeptical of Turkey’s accession to the European Union, but the process is tied to institutions and not individuals, outgoing head Manuel Barroso has indicated, suggesting Ankara and Brussels “are bound to succeed together.”

More:EU and Turkey are bound to succeed together, says Barroso - DIPLOMACY

The cost of making a profit in Turkey - MURAT YETKİN

The cost of making a profit in Turkey

The World Economic Forum (WEF) started its two-day Istanbul conference on Sept. 28 in order to seek new investment opportunities in Turkey.

More:The cost of making a profit in Turkey - MURAT YETKİN

Turkey gearing up fight against ‘barbaric’ ISIL - POLITICS

Turkey gearing up fight against ‘barbaric’ ISIL

ANKARA

Turkey’s top leaders have begun deploying sharper rhetoric against extremist jihadists in Iraq and Syria, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu calling them “barbaric” and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underlining “the obligation to fight” against them.

More:Turkey gearing up fight against ‘barbaric’ ISIL - POLITICS

Acclaimed Turkish movie director Pirselimoğlu returns with a ‘doppelgänger’ story - ARTS

Acclaimed Turkish movie director Pirselimoğlu returns with a ‘doppelgänger’ story

Emrah Güler
Director and writer Tayfun Pirselimoğlu returns with yet another lonely male protagonist, lost in an existential crisis in this week’s ‘Ben O Değilim’ (I’m not Him)

More:Acclaimed Turkish movie director Pirselimoğlu returns with a ‘doppelgänger’ story - ARTS

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Big hopes for peace between Turks and Kurds – but what happens when IS comes knocking? - Your Middle East

Big hopes for peace between Turks and Kurds – but what happens when IS comes knocking?

The advance of Islamic State (IS) jihadists through Syria's Kurdish areas has thrown a serious obstacle in the way of efforts to make peace between Turkey and Kurdish militants, just when an end was in sight to a 30-year insurgency.

More:Big hopes for peace between Turks and Kurds – but what happens when IS comes knocking? - Your Middle East

Turkey Wants Secure Zone in Syria as Militants Strike Kurds - Bloomberg

Turkey Wants Secure Zone in Syria as Militants Strike Kurds
By Onur Ant and Selcan Hacaoglu Sep 28, 2014 6:58 PM GMT+0200

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said setting up a “secure zone” inside Syria is necessary to help refugees return after they fled Islamic State’s onslaught against Kurdish areas into Turkey.

More:Turkey Wants Secure Zone in Syria as Militants Strike Kurds - Bloomberg

Heavy rain and storms pummel Turkey

Heavy rain and storms pummel Turkey

Many locations in Turkey were hit by heavy rains and storms on Saturday, including the province of Adana, where the tents of Syrian refugees were flooded, and İstanbul's Beykoz district, where trees collapsed on a playground and a number of bus stops.

More:Heavy rain and storms pummel Turkey

World Economic Forum convenes with focus on Turkey - ECONOMICS

World Economic Forum convenes with focus on Turkey

ISTANBUL

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) two-day special meeting in Istanbul kicked off Sept. 29 with the aim of shining light on Turkey’s transition against the backdrop of regional challenges.

More:World Economic Forum convenes with focus on Turkey - ECONOMICS

İstanbul fears ‘Arabization' with Syrian refugee influx

İstanbul fears ‘Arabization' with Syrian refugee influx

Walking in the streets of İstanbul, one may think it is an Arab city as they encounter many Syrian men, women and children, some of whom enjoy the most beautiful places in the city while others live on the streets in misery.

More:İstanbul fears ‘Arabization' with Syrian refugee influx

Qatar and Turkey as supporters of terrorism

Qatar and Turkey as supporters of terrorism

An interview with Jonathan Schanzer, vice-president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert on terrorist financing.

More:Qatar and Turkey as supporters of terrorism

World leaders call for end of United Nations veto power

World leaders call for end of United Nations veto power

“The world is bigger than five,” says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan

NEW YORK – World leaders demanded Security Council reform during their addresses to the UN General Assembly over the past few days, calling for the addition of more permanent and non-permanent seats on the council and the elimination of the veto.

More:World leaders call for end of United Nations veto power

Security and health risks increase in Turkey with Syrian refugees

Security and health risks increase in Turkey with Syrian refugees

September 28, 2014, Sunday/ 03:10:09/ ONUR KAFALI / ANKARA

Safety and health are becoming major issues for Turkey with an influx of Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war in their country.

More:Security and health risks increase in Turkey with Syrian refugees

An occupied success for Moda

An occupied success for Moda

Residents of the Moda neighborhood of İstanbul's Kadıköy district have successfully and peacefully occupied their streets in protest of citizens who have used and abused the sidewalks. In the past two weeks, new banners have been hung in the streets in Moda's Caferağa quarter, indicating that patience has worn thin among the local residents and business owners.

More:An occupied success for Moda

Autonomy a matter of time, Kurds say | TribLIVE

Autonomy a matter of time, Kurds say

By Betsy Hiel
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, 10:30 p.m.

IRBIL, Iraq — Narrow alleys snake around Qaysari Bazaar in the shadow of an ancient citadel. People shop here for everything, from traditional Kurdish clothing — baggy pants, tunics, wide leather belts — to books and electronics.

More:Autonomy a matter of time, Kurds say | TribLIVE

UNSG Special Adviser meets Turkish FM | Cyprus Mail

UNSG Special Adviser meets Turkish FM

UNSG Special Adviser Epsen Barth Eide met on Saturday with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and in statements following the meeting pointed out that when he returns to Cyprus, he will come with “some bridging proposals”.

Eide recalled that the UNSG said this is the time to move ahead, adding that “Mr Eroglu and Mr Anastiades agreed that we are now going into a new phase of genuine negotiations”.

More:UNSG Special Adviser meets Turkish FM | Cyprus Mail

Advocates for News Media to Meet Turkish Officials - NYTimes.com

Advocates for News Media to Meet Turkish Officials

An international delegation representing two leading press-freedom advocacy groups left Saturday for a weeklong visit to Turkey, where they plan to talk with Turkish officials, possibly including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about harassment and persecution of foreign and domestic journalists whose reporting is deemed hostile or unfair by the government.

More:Advocates for News Media to Meet Turkish Officials - NYTimes.com

ekathimerini.com | In the danger zone

In the danger zone

By Alexis Papachelas

The geopolitical landscape surrounding Greece is undergoing major changes. Are any serious politicians, diplomats, military personnel or academics analyzing current developments to see what it means in terms of the country’s national interests?

More:ekathimerini.com | In the danger zone

Shells land in Turkey as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town - Yahoo News Canada

Shells land in Turkey as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town
ReutersBy By Jonny Hogg | Reuters – Fri, 26 Sep, 2014

By Jonny Hogg

KARACA Turkey (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters edged towards a strategic town on northern Syria's border with Turkey on Friday, battling Kurdish forces and sending at least two shells into Turkish territory, witnesses said.

More:Shells land in Turkey as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town - Yahoo News Canada

Turkey ready for ISIS | News24

Turkey ready for ISIS
2014-09-26 22:56

Ankara - Turkey said on Friday it was prepared to take any measure that ensures its own security in the fight against Islamic State militants, keeping Ankara's options open amid growing pressure from its Western allies for concrete action.

More:Turkey ready for ISIS | News24

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Turkey's Erdogan Set to Deploy Troops to Syria | News | teleSUR

Turkey's Erdogan Set to Deploy Troops to Syria

Kurdish forces battling the Islamic State continue to assert that Turkey is supporting IS militia's.

If an international agreement is reached to secure a safe zone for those fleeing the Islamic State (I.S.) violence in Syria, Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that his country could help, including militarily.

More:Turkey's Erdogan Set to Deploy Troops to Syria | News | teleSUR

Kurdish militants claim deadly ambush in Turkey's southeast | GlobalPost

Kurdish militants claim deadly ambush in Turkey's southeast

Three Turkish police were killed after an ambush in Turkey's overwhelmingly Kurdish southeast, in an attack claimed Saturday by armed Kurdish militants despite a one-and-a-half-year ceasefire.

More:Kurdish militants claim deadly ambush in Turkey's southeast | GlobalPost

Toll proposal to limit traffic in Istanbul spurs debate | Nation | Daily Sabah

TOLL PROPOSAL TO LIMIT TRAFFIC IN ISTANBUL SPURS DEBATE

AA
Published : 27.09.2014 01:38:26

Toll proposal to limit traffic in Istanbul spurs debate
ISTANBUL — A recent official report on possible transportation policies, made public last August, has suggested the implementation of an entrance fee to enter central areas of the city in order to reduce traffic. The measure has sparked debate among city residents and in the media, with numerous articles on the subject being written in several Turkish dailies. The prospect of paying an entrance fee has been disquieting to car owners who don't want to pay any additional fees.

More:Toll proposal to limit traffic in Istanbul spurs debate | Nation | Daily Sabah

Talking With: Elif Shafak

Talking With: Elif Shafak

Dilshad Aliyarli

September 26, 2014 4:36 PM

Elif Shafak is an outspoken Turkish author, columnist, speaker and academic. Her writing blends East and West, feminism and tradition, and the local and the global, creating one of today's most unique voices in literature. Shafak spoke from London with VOA's Dilshad Aliyarli about art and politics in Turkey, the power of literature, the need for tolerance and coexistence, and the responsibilities of writers in society.

More:Talking With: Elif Shafak

Tolerance.ca® - Turkey's Kurds Warn Ankara's Syria Policy Threatens Peace Process

Turkey's Kurds Warn Ankara's Syria Policy Threatens Peace Process

The head of the military wing of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party has warned the peace process with Ankara is finished due to its policy towards the Syrian-Kurdish enclave. The enclave is on the verge of being over run by Islamic State forces and the Syrian city of Kobani is surrounded.

More:Tolerance.ca® - Turkey's Kurds Warn Ankara's Syria Policy Threatens Peace Process

Friday, September 26, 2014

Egyptians spam Erdogan's Facebook page with 'Viva Sisi' - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

Egyptians spam Erdogan's Facebook page with 'Viva Sisi'

Some Egyptian Facebook users reacted with rage to the Turkish president's criticism of El-Sisi

More:Egyptians spam Erdogan's Facebook page with 'Viva Sisi' - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

VIDEO: Islamists attack students protesting ISIL at Istanbul University - LOCAL

VIDEO: Islamists attack students protesting ISIL at Istanbul University

ISTANBUL

One person was injured on Sept. 26 after a group of jihadist sympathizers attacked students who had opened a stand at Istanbul University to denounce the brutality of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

More:VIDEO: Islamists attack students protesting ISIL at Istanbul University - LOCAL

Novel weapon in the fight for freedom of expression

The "Museum of Crimes of Thought"
Novel weapon in the fight for freedom of expression

The people behind the recently launched online "Museum of Thought Crimes" hope to raise awareness of the suppression of freedom of speech and the persecution of intellectuals in Turkey and beyond. Ceyda Nurtsch talked to one of the project's initiators, Sanar Yurdatapan

More:Novel weapon in the fight for freedom of expression

Obama, Biden try to win over Turkish president on IS

Obama, Biden try to win over Turkish president on IS
The Oval

WASHINGTON — Aboard Air Force One on Thursday, President Obama picked up the secure phone and talked to perhaps his most fickle international ally: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Obama, Biden try to win over Turkish president on IS

Airbus A350 opens its door to visitors in İstanbul - CİHAN

Airbus A350 opens its door to visitors in İstanbul
ISTANBUL - 26.09.2014 14:17:39

Airbus, one of the world’s leading plane manufacturers, put its new plane Airbus A350 XWB on display at İstanbul Atatürk Airport.

More:Airbus A350 opens its door to visitors in İstanbul - CİHAN

US, UK diplomats insist solution lies in Cyprus, not Ankara | Cyprus Mail

US, UK diplomats insist solution lies in Cyprus, not Ankara

By Stefanos Evripidou

THE US and the UK both believe the key to a peace solution lies in Cyprus, as opposed to the Cypriot government’s argument that Ankara holds the key to progress.

More:US, UK diplomats insist solution lies in Cyprus, not Ankara | Cyprus Mail

Land plot accommodating Istanbul stadium handed over to Armenian fund

Land plot accommodating Istanbul stadium handed over to Armenian fund
26 September 2014, 12:52 (GMT+05:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 26

By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:

The land plot accommodating Zeytinburnu Stadium in the Turkish city of Istanbul was handed over to the Armenian fund Surp Pırgic, Milliyet newspaper reported Sept. 26.

More:Land plot accommodating Istanbul stadium handed over to Armenian fund

What Did Turkey Give IS in Exchange for Hostages? - US News

What Did Turkey Give IS in Exchange for Hostages?

Turkey admitted to an exchange with the Islamic State for their hostages, but questions remain on what Turkey promised in return.

More:What Did Turkey Give IS in Exchange for Hostages? - US News

An alternative view of Istanbul | Features | Daily Sabah

AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF ISTANBUL

As Istanbul witnesses a considerable increase in the number of tourists each year, the number of ways to entertain them continues to grow

More:An alternative view of Istanbul | Features | Daily Sabah

Turkey prepares to produce regional passenger planes | Shanghai Daily

Turkey prepares to produce regional passenger planes
Sep 26,2014

ISTANBUL, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's project to produce regional passenger planes comes to its final stages as the talks with international plane companies have been continuing, said Turkey's transportation minister at an Istanbul Air Show on Thursday.

More:Turkey prepares to produce regional passenger planes | Shanghai Daily

Islamic State Would Tighten Its Rule by Capturing Kobane - Businessweek

Why Islamic State Wants to Conquer a Kurdish Border Town
By Piotr Zalewski September 25, 2014

On Thursday morning, the shelling around the Syrian city of Ayn al-Arab could be heard from the Turkish side of the border. For a week, the forces of Islamic State, the radical fundamentalist Sunni Muslim army, had swept through the northern edge of Syria, pushing more than a hundred thousand refugees into neighboring Turkey. By late Wednesday, they were within a few miles of Ayn al-Arab, besieging it from the east, west, and south. In an attempt to relieve the city’s defenders, the U.S. and its allies have been staging airstrikes on Islamic State installations 20 miles outside the town.

More:Islamic State Would Tighten Its Rule by Capturing Kobane - Businessweek

UNHCR Airlifts Aid Into Turkey For Syrian Refugees

UNHCR Airlifts Aid Into Turkey For Syrian Refugees
9/25/2014 8:02 PM ET

The United Nations refugee agency announced Thursday it has begun airlifting aid into Turkey for thousands of Syrians who have sought refuge there after fleeing the violence in their home nation. The agency added that the first aircraft carrying aid landed in the southern Turkish city of Adana earlier in the day.

More:UNHCR Airlifts Aid Into Turkey For Syrian Refugees

U.N. Security Council Passes Anti-Terrorism Resolution | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

U.N. Security Council Passes Anti-Terrorism Resolution

by Michele Kelemen | September 25, 2014 — 3:00 AM

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to call on countries to do more to stop the flow of money and volunteer fighters going to terrorist groups. President Obama chaired the meeting. He's trying to rally the world to help in the fight against militants in Syria and Iraq calling themselves the Islamic State, or ISIS. The president says the problem goes well beyond that region and requires a global response, as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

More:U.N. Security Council Passes Anti-Terrorism Resolution | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

Powerful Photo of a Young Syrian Refugee - ABC News

Powerful Photo of a Young Syrian Refugee
Sep 25, 2014, 5:28 PM ET
By RHEANA MURRAY

The photo alone will break your heart.

A powerful image taken this week shows a young Syrian Kurdish child crying as Turkish police search the bags of people crossing the border, fleeing unrest in Syria.

More:Powerful Photo of a Young Syrian Refugee - ABC News

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Exclusive: PKK commander threatens to resume war - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Exclusive: PKK commander threatens to resume war

On Sept. 24, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) issued a highly critical statement. In a nutshell, it said that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had “eliminated” the conditions of a mutually observed 18-month cease-fire between the PKK and the Turkish army. It said that, in response to “the AKP’s war against our people, our leadership council has decided to step up its struggle in every area and by all possible means.” I had heard similar words on Sept. 21 from Cemil Bayik, the top PKK commander in the field, during a three-hour meeting I had with him in a tent in the Kandil mountains.

More:Exclusive: PKK commander threatens to resume war - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

IS interrupts Kurdish peace process - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

IS interrupts Kurdish peace process

Just as I was thinking of writing out the difficulties facing the solution process with the Kurds, the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK, the umbrella organization that includes the Kurdistan Workers Party [PKK]) declared the cease-fire with Turkey over.

More:IS interrupts Kurdish peace process - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Erdogan: Turkey Will Provide 'Military or Logistics' to Fight ISIS

Erdogan: Turkey Will Provide 'Military or Logistics' to Fight ISIS

by Frances Martel 25 Sep 2014, 10:04 AM PDT 3 post a comment
After months in which the Turkish government has received substantial criticism for not participating fully in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group, President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed that his nation will contribute either "military or logistics" to the U.S.-led coalition currently conducting airstrikes in Syria against the group.

More:Erdogan: Turkey Will Provide 'Military or Logistics' to Fight ISIS

How Turkey Plans to "Combat Anti-Semitism"

How Turkey Plans to "Combat Anti-Semitism"

by Burak Bekdil
September 25, 2014 at 5:00 am

In Turkey, hate speech is a crime only if it is committed against Muslim Turks.

The penalty for failing to pay the tax [only for Jews] should be the revocation of the Jew's business and the seizure of his property. — Faruk Kose, columnist for Yeni Akit, honored with a permanent seat aboard Turkish President Erdogan's private jet.

More:How Turkey Plans to "Combat Anti-Semitism"

Welcoming the Flood

Welcoming the Flood

Thousands of Kurdish refugees have fled the besieged Syrian city of Kobani across the border into Turkey. But the warm reception may not last long.

More:Welcoming the Flood

Foreign Minister says Turkey’s intentions not clear | Cyprus Mail

Foreign Minister says Turkey’s intentions not clear

Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides has said that it was still unclear whether Turkey was willing to accept a solution to the Cyprus problem which would also be acceptable by the Greek Cypriot side, noting however that it was clear that efforts would be made.

More:Foreign Minister says Turkey’s intentions not clear | Cyprus Mail

Why didn't they listen to Erdoğan?

Why didn't they listen to Erdoğan?

September 25, 2014, Thursday/ 17:10:29/ AYDOĞAN VATANDAŞ

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has become an international figure; it is probably the first time so many people outside Turkey know the name of the country's president since the presidency of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey.

More:Why didn't they listen to Erdoğan?

Erdoğan to discuss Turkish involvement in ISIS strikes with cabinet « ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

Erdoğan to discuss Turkish involvement in ISIS strikes with cabinet
Still unclear what kind of support Ankara will offer anti-ISIS coalition if aid is approved by parliament

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Turkey is to discuss providing support to the US-led coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday, at the same time that official sources have told Asharq Al-Awsat that any involvement by Turkey would be dependent on the alliance clarifying its position on the Assad regime.

More:Erdoğan to discuss Turkish involvement in ISIS strikes with cabinet « ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

AK Party turns eyes to simit profits in İstanbul

AK Party turns eyes to simit profits in İstanbul

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which has been accused of taking crony capitalism to the next level by both domestic and international observers, appears to be taking steps to consolidate profits from Turkey's most popular bread product and share them with its allies.

More:AK Party turns eyes to simit profits in İstanbul

5 reasons why Turkey should join military coalition - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

5 reasons why Turkey should join military coalition

Is it enough for Turkey to contribute symbolically against the IS [Islamic State] threat?

Or is it time for the country that faces the most threats to take action?

The negligence during the hostage-taking, the background of the hostages' release and the parameters of the alleged bargaining will be discussed in days to come and the details will emerge. Now it is time to look further ahead.

More:5 reasons why Turkey should join military coalition - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey tourism continues growth trajectory - Zawya

Turkey tourism continues growth trajectory

Dubai Sept 25, 2014

Turkey's tourism industry showed a strong first half performance in 2014 with its tourism revenue reaching $13.783 billion, a 6% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

More:Turkey tourism continues growth trajectory - Zawya

Turkish writer convicted for 'insulting' Erdogan

Turkish writer convicted for 'insulting' Erdogan

Erol Ozkoray was convicted of 'publicly insulting a civil servant' and damaging 'Erdogan's dignity and honor in the eyes of the public'

More:Turkish writer convicted for 'insulting' Erdogan

The day that Turkey hit ISIL - MURAT YETKİN

The day that Turkey hit ISIL

It came at about the same time as Ankara had pushed the button for the last move to free 49 hostages from the hands of the notorious Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

More:The day that Turkey hit ISIL - MURAT YETKİN

BBC News - France blames Turkey for 'jihadi' arrest fiasco

France blames Turkey for 'jihadi' arrest fiasco

A senior French minister has criticised Turkey after plans to arrest suspected jihadis returning from Syria collapsed when they were put on the wrong flight.

More:BBC News - France blames Turkey for 'jihadi' arrest fiasco

ANKARA, Turkey: US issues terror warning to citizens in Turkey | World | News Democrat

US issues terror warning to citizens in Turkey

The Associated PressSeptember 25, 2014

ANKARA, Turkey — The U.S. Embassy in Turkey has issued a security warning, urging U.S. citizens to be vigilant against possible terrorist attacks in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State group.

More:ANKARA, Turkey: US issues terror warning to citizens in Turkey | World | News Democrat

How Ira Hirschmann and the future Pope John XXIII ushered Jewish refugees through Turkey to Palestine during World War II.

Refugees of the Bosphorus

Istanbul, 1944: A Bloomingdale’s executive and a future Pope teamed with Jewish intelligence agents to save hundreds of Eastern European Jews.

More:How Ira Hirschmann and the future Pope John XXIII ushered Jewish refugees through Turkey to Palestine during World War II.

Egypt condemns Erdogan's speech at UNGA | Business Standard News

Egypt condemns Erdogan's speech at UNGA
Press Trust of India | Cairo
September 25, 2014 Last Updated at 08:30 IST

Egypt today condemned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks at the UN General Assembly in which he accused Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi of conducting a coup in the country.

More:Egypt condemns Erdogan's speech at UNGA | Business Standard News

Todd: Turkey wants solution in Cyprus

Todd: Turkey wants solution in Cyprus

FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE
• Thursday, 25 September, 2014
The key to the Cyprus solution lies with the Cypriots, who need to reach agreement on what a settlement looks like, British High Commissioner in Nicosia Damian Roderic Todd has said.

More:Todd: Turkey wants solution in Cyprus

EU warns of risk of attacks by upstaged Al Qaeda | Reuters

EU warns of risk of attacks by upstaged Al Qaeda

By Adrian Croft

BRUSSELS Wed Sep 24, 2014 8:04pm BST

(Reuters) - Al Qaeda, wary of being upstaged by even more ruthless Islamic State fighters, may try to show its relevance by carrying out attacks in Europe, the United States or Israel, the European Union's counter-terrorism coordinator said on Wednesday.

More:EU warns of risk of attacks by upstaged Al Qaeda | Reuters

Sound memorial of Istanbul demonstrations | All media content | DW.DE | 25.09.2014

Sound memorial of Istanbul demonstrations

At the Beethoven festival in Bonn,Turkish composer Tolga Yayalar presented "Tableaux vivant of a resistance," his musical composition portraying last summer's demonstrations against the government in Istanbul. The piece was commissioned by Deutsche Welle.

More:Sound memorial of Istanbul demonstrations | All media content | DW.DE | 25.09.2014

President Erdoğan is obviously very confused - MEHMET Y. YILMAZ

President Erdoğan is obviously very confused

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talked to reporters in New York. He has assessed the joint operation carried out by the United States and some Arab countries against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

More:President Erdoğan is obviously very confused - MEHMET Y. YILMAZ

Handmade Copper Pots in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar | Culinary Backstreets

Pot Dealer: Reviving a Turkish Coppersmithing Tradition
September 25, 2014, by Roxanne Darrow, Comments 0

Soy Türkiye's handmade copper pots, photo by Monique Jaques

When we pick up a hefty, shiny copper pan in his workshop, Emir Ali Enç unhesitatingly claims, “You are now holding the best saucepan in the world.” Wait, he says, actually the best one is his fully silver version. Enç is the gregarious founder, owner and CEO of Soy Türkiye, whose copper cookware is made by hand in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. His gorgeous pots are used around the world in Michelin-starred kitchens and in discerning households. Soy’s cezves, traditional Turkish coffee pots, are standard equipment in international Turkish coffee-making competitions. However, Enç does not come from a long line of coppersmiths. His story, it turns out, has a few twists.

More:Handmade Copper Pots in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar | Culinary Backstreets

Facing new threats, Turkey weighs longtime resistance to attacking neighbouring states - Times Colonist

Facing new threats, Turkey weighs longtime resistance to attacking neighbouring states

Lara Jakes / The Associated Press
September 24, 2014 09:09 PM

WASHINGTON - Moving from reluctance to refusal and finally to acceptance, Turkey is joining its NATO allies and fellow Sunni Muslim nations in a coalition to destroy the Islamic State militant group. But the U.S. is still waiting for details of any new, specific aid and is warily watching to make sure Ankara keeps its commitments.

More:Facing new threats, Turkey weighs longtime resistance to attacking neighbouring states - Times Colonist

Turkish electric car travels 2,500 kilometers for only $17 - BUSINESS

Turkish electric car travels 2,500 kilometers for only $17

KAYSERİ – Anadolu Agency

A Turkish-made electric car has traveled across 2,500 kilometers to six cities for just 37.5 Turkish Liras ($17), in a journey that began on Sept. 15.

The car named “T-1” has been developed by academics and students from Istanbul University and is capable of travelling 500 kilometers on only four hours’ charge.

More:Turkish electric car travels 2,500 kilometers for only $17 - BUSINESS

US raids kill Al-Qaeda's Turkish sniper in Syria - MIDEAST

US raids kill Al-Qaeda's Turkish sniper in Syria

BEIRUT - Agence France-Presse

US strikes have killed a senior operative from Al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch in the war-torn country’s northern province of Aleppo, activists said on Sept. 24.

More:US raids kill Al-Qaeda's Turkish sniper in Syria - MIDEAST

From the 71st Venice Film Festival to Filmekimi - CINEMA-TV

From the 71st Venice Film Festival to Filmekimi

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Five films that premiered at the Venice Film Festival will be screened at Filmekimi, held between Oct 11 and 17

More:From the 71st Venice Film Festival to Filmekimi - CINEMA-TV

Amid a Maze of Alliances, Syrian Kurds Find a Thorny Refuge at the Border - NYTimes.com

Amid a Maze of Alliances, Syrian Kurds Find a Thorny Refuge at the Border

SURUC, Turkey — Turkish tanks dot the hills here, guarding against Islamic State militants advancing just across the Syrian border. Lines of police officers fan out across fields, brandishing shields to stem the flow of Syrian Kurds fleeing the militants.

More:Amid a Maze of Alliances, Syrian Kurds Find a Thorny Refuge at the Border - NYTimes.com

Turkish leader presses Europe on Syria refugees - Yahoo News

Turkish leader presses Europe on Syria refugees

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday urged European governments to provide greater support to Syrian refugees after the launch of Western airstrikes in the country.

More:Turkish leader presses Europe on Syria refugees - Yahoo News

Erdogan promises Salam to help secure hostages’ release | News , Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR

Erdogan promises Salam to help secure hostages’ release

BEIRUT: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised Prime Minister Tammam Salam Wednesday to help in securing the release of Lebanese servicemen captured by extremist militants, said ministerial sources accompanying Salam on his visit to New York.

More:Erdogan promises Salam to help secure hostages’ release | News , Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR

Kurdish refugees in Turkey adjust to harsh new reality

Kurdish refugees in Turkey adjust to harsh new reality
By Agence France-Presse, 1:38 pm Wednesday, 24th September 2014

By Philippe Alfroy

SURUC (AFP) – When he finally managed to cross the Turkish border to find sanctuary from ISIS attacks in Syria, Abdelaziz Temo looked for shade to find refuge from the sun and water to refresh himself.

More:Kurdish refugees in Turkey adjust to harsh new reality

Turkey shifts tone on IS but action awaited - The West Australian

Turkey shifts tone on IS but action awaited
AFP

September 25, 2014, 6:38 am

Turkey shifts tone on IS but action awaited AFP Turkey shifts tone on IS but action awaited

Ankara (AFP) - Turkey has toughened its rhetoric against Islamic State jihadists but the West is still waiting for action from Ankara after months of frustration with its lukewarm cooperation.

More:Turkey shifts tone on IS but action awaited - The West Australian

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Coming to SFO: Turkish Airlines' Istanbul nonstops - San Jose Mercury News

Coming to SFO: Turkish Airlines' Istanbul nonstops

By Linda Zavoral

lzavoral@mercurynews.com
Posted: 09/24/2014 02:57:20 PM PDT0 Comments | Updated: about 10 hours ago

With an eye toward courting Silicon Valley business travelers, Turkish Airlines will launch its first Bay Area to Istanbul service next spring.

More:Coming to SFO: Turkish Airlines' Istanbul nonstops - San Jose Mercury News

Turkish Leader Slams UN Security Council - ABC News

Turkish Leader Slams UN Security Council
UNITED NATIONS — Sep 24, 2014, 5:20 PM ET
By ZEINA KARAM Associated Press

The president of Turkey slammed the U.N. Security Council's inaction on some of the world's most pressing issues, accusing its members of rendering the world body ineffective.

More:Turkish Leader Slams UN Security Council - ABC News

With Qatar on the retreat, Turkey will face more pressure over ISIL - BARÇIN YİNANÇ

With Qatar on the retreat, Turkey will face more pressure over ISIL

“With Qatar slowly backing down, Turkey will be left alone in its ambivalent stance about joining the international efforts to fight ISIL [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], and it will be easier to exert pressure on Turkey,” a European diplomat said during a coffee break in the Chatham House meeting in Istanbul on Sept. 13 and 14.

More:With Qatar on the retreat, Turkey will face more pressure over ISIL - BARÇIN YİNANÇ

What Role Is Turkey Playing in the War Against ISIS?

What Role Is Turkey Playing in the War Against ISIS?
Wednesday, 24 September 2014 12:12 By Anton Woronczuk, The Real News Network | Video Interview

The U.S. has begun its bombing campaign in Syria, ostensibly against the Islamic State, only a year after a failed effort by President Obama to initiate a bombing campaign against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Fighting between IS and various armed groups has brought about 140,000 Syrian Kurdish refugees across the border into Turkey. A member of NATO, Turkey has been playing a major role for the past couple of years in facilitating aid, armaments, transportation to Syrian rebel groups that had been fighting Assad. Though the Turkish government has said it will not be joining the broad coalition in the war against the Islamic State, being on the border with Syria, it is without question a major player here.

More:What Role Is Turkey Playing in the War Against ISIS?

Erdoğan Fails to Conquer New York City :: Daniel Pipes

Erdoğan Fails to Conquer New York City

by Daniel Pipes
Sep 23, 2014

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appeared at an hour-long on-the-record event at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York yesterday afternoon. The complete – if not entirely coherent – transcript of the English-language simultaneous translation can be found at "A Conversation With Recep Tayyip Erdoğan." I attended the meeting along with many other members (so many attended that an overflow room was needed) and I offer some responses and reflections about him:

More:Erdoğan Fails to Conquer New York City :: Daniel Pipes

Turkey's opportunity market - Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production

Turkey's opportunity market
23/09/2014

Turkey's cogeneration and trigeneration sector is characterised by relatively small projects. The sector is dominated by reciprocating engines which generally display a higher efficiency at lower power ratings than the alternative gas turbine setup.

More:Turkey's opportunity market - Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The imprisoned leader of a Kurdish...

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The imprisoned leader of a Kurdish...

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The imprisoned leader of a Kurdish rebel group fighting Turkey has called for a mass mobilization of all Kurds against the Islamic State militant group which is fighting Kurdish forces in Syria.

More:ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The imprisoned leader of a Kurdish... - BREAKİNG NEWS - fchornet

World Bank urges Turkey, EU to integrate further, 24 September 2014

World Bank urges Turkey, EU to integrate further

24 September 2014

World Bank Turkey Director Martin Raiser on Tuesday addressed design flaws in the EU-Turkey Customs Union agreement which is seen as the biggest obstacle for Turkey on EU economic integration.

More:World Bank urges Turkey, EU to integrate further, 24 September 2014

Syrian Kurds Call for More Targeted Strikes - WSJ

Syrian Kurds Call for More Targeted Strikes
Leaders Want Role in Coordinating Fight Against Islamic State, Say Group Is
By
Joe Parkinson and
Ayla Albayrak
connect
Updated Sept. 23, 2014 6:57 p.m. ET

SURUC, Turkey—The chaos in a town near Turkey's Syrian border intensified after U.S.-led airstrikes against Islamic State targets Tuesday, prompting Kurdish leaders to call on Washington to give them a role in coordinating the fight against the jihadists.

More:Syrian Kurds Call for More Targeted Strikes - WSJ

Turkey: True Oil and Natural Gas Potential to Be Unleashed | Wall Street Daily

Turkey’s True Potential Set to Be Unleashed
Published Wed, Sep 24, 2014 | Karim Rahemtulla, Chief Resource Analyst

It’s located just miles away from some of the richest oil and gas fields in the world.

Just off this country’s southern border, a 27-billion-barrel oil field is in production. And further south, a 30-trillion-cubic-foot reserve is pumping out natural gas.

More:Turkey: True Oil and Natural Gas Potential to Be Unleashed | Wall Street Daily

ISTANBUL: Turks leave for "family-friendly" IS group | World | Modesto Bee

Turks leave for "family-friendly" IS group

By BERZA SIMSEK and RAPHAEL SATTER

ISTANBUL — Asiya Ummi Abdullah doesn't share the view that the Islamic State group rules over a terrorist dystopia and she isn't scared by the American bombs falling on Raqqa, its power center in Syria.
More:ISTANBUL: Turks leave for "family-friendly" IS group | World | Modesto Bee

Syrian rebels freed ISIL militants for the release of Turkish hostages - DIPLOMACY

Syrian rebels freed ISIL militants for the release of Turkish hostages

Deniz Zeyrek ANKARA

Syrian rebel group Liwa al-Tawhid released 50 members of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including the family of a late leader, in a swap deal that ended with the release of 49 hostages abducted from Turkey’s consulate in Mosul.

More:Syrian rebels freed ISIL militants for the release of Turkish hostages - DIPLOMACY

Looking for ISIL: How jihadists operate among Turks - MIDEAST

Looking for ISIL: How jihadists operate among Turks

İpek İzci-Burak Kuru-Fevzi Kızılkoyun-Faruk Balıkçı-Arzu Çakır Morin-Deniz Yücel-Savaş Özbey-Selçuk Şamiloğlu-Muhsin Akgün-Mert Gökhan-Murat Şaka Gaziantep - Kocaeli - Ankara - Diyarbakır - Paris - Berlin - Istanbul
With seven reporters and four photographers, daily Hürriyet traces the path to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in five Turkish cities, as well as in France and Germany. A new breed of Islamic associations that has popped up across the country seems to be one of the sources of the problem

More:Looking for ISIL: How jihadists operate among Turks - MIDEAST

Turkey to build ‘camp’ for Syrian refugees’ cattle - LOCAL

Turkey to build ‘camp’ for Syrian refugees’ cattle

ŞANLIURFA - Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) is planning to build a “camp” for cattle that were left on the Syrian side of the border by refugees fleeing jihadi militants.

More:Turkey to build ‘camp’ for Syrian refugees’ cattle - LOCAL

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Turkish First Lady Caught Plagiarizing Michelle Obama’s Twitter Account | Washington Free Beacon

Turkish First Lady Caught Plagiarizing Michelle Obama’s Twitter Account
Turkish First Lady Accused by Scholar of Ripping Off MO

BY: Adam Kredo
September 23, 2014 1:50 pm

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan is in damage control mode after a U.S. think tank alleged late last week that she had plagiarized the Twitter feed of another famous first lady: Michelle Obama.

More:Turkish First Lady Caught Plagiarizing Michelle Obama’s Twitter Account | Washington Free Beacon

Pope unlikely to visit Iraq border on upcoming trip to Turkey | EUROPE ONLINE

Pope unlikely to visit Iraq border on upcoming trip to Turkey
Europe
23.09.2014
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Vatican City (dpa) - Pope Francis is unlikely to go as far as the Iraqi border when he visits Turkey next month, a Vatican spokesman said Tuesday.

More:Pope unlikely to visit Iraq border on upcoming trip to Turkey | EUROPE ONLINE

Erdoğan signals Turkey could give military support against ISIL

Erdoğan signals Turkey could give military support against ISIL

Turkey could give military or logistical support to US-led air strikes against so-called Islamic State (ISIL) militants in Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

More:Erdoğan signals Turkey could give military support against ISIL

Turkish PM: '6,000 Foreign Fighters Have Entered Turkey' | CNS News

Turkish PM: '6,000 Foreign Fighters Have Entered Turkey'
September 23, 2014 - 5:40 AM
By Susan Jones

(CNSNews.com) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a gathering in Washington on Monday that "six thousand foreign fighters have entered Turkey," even though "they have been banned." But, he added, "They are under control."

More:Turkish PM: '6,000 Foreign Fighters Have Entered Turkey' | CNS News

Turkish parents say 'no' to religious schools | The FRANCE 24 Observers

Turkish parents say 'no' to religious schools

Is your child struggling academically in school? If you lived in Turkey, the state would likely place your child in an Islamic religious school for their secondary education.

Turkey introduced the new measure this semester and many parents are furious. Some families view this as forced religious education that frequently differs from their own values, and are vocally protesting.

More:Turkish parents say 'no' to religious schools | The FRANCE 24 Observers

Public feels Erdoğan won't be impartial as president, survey shows

Public feels Erdoğan won't be impartial as president, survey shows

A majority of Turkish voters, including those who generally support the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), believe that Turkey's new president, Recep Tayyip Erodğan, will not remain politically neutral, a recent survey has found.

More:Public feels Erdoğan won't be impartial as president, survey shows

Erdoğan's discrimination against media outlets continues in New York

Erdoğan's discrimination against media outlets continues in New York

Continuing the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) practice of discrimination against the Zaman media group, an effort led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Washington, D.C., representative of the Zaman daily, Ali Aslan, was excluded from covering the president during his visit to New York on Monday.

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Turkey is ready to do its part in the fight against global warming: President Erdoğan | Politics | Daily Sabah

TURKEY IS READY TO DO ITS PART IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING: PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN

Published : 23.09.2014 20:46:22

Turkey is ready to do its part in the fight against global warming: President Erdoğan
NEW YORK — Economic realities must be taken into account in any global agreement on tackling ever-threatening climate change, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

More:Turkey is ready to do its part in the fight against global warming: President Erdoğan | Politics | Daily Sabah

How will Turkey react to stream of Kurdish refugees? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

How will Turkey react to stream of Kurdish refugees?

On Sept.19, Islamic State (IS) militants started to attack dozens of Kurdish villages in northern Syria across the Turkish border, triggering a new wave of refugees. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Sept. 22 that more than 130,000 Syrian Kurds have crossed the border into Turkey since IS laid siege to the border town of Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab. “We are prepared for the worst-case scenario, which is an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees,” Kurtulmus said.

More:How will Turkey react to stream of Kurdish refugees? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

What will Turkey do if Russia turns off gas? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

What will Turkey do if Russia turns off gas?

As the European Union toughens sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, uneasiness is growing over the possibility of Russia retaliating by cutting natural gas supplies.

More:What will Turkey do if Russia turns off gas? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Meet mosque architect breaking the mold | National News - WPTZ Home

Meet mosque architect breaking the mold
Published 6:33 AM EDT Sep 23, 2014

(CNN) —When it comes to buildings, they don't come much different than a mosque and a nightclub.

More:Meet mosque architect breaking the mold | National News - WPTZ Home

Turkey's complicated role against Islamic State - Chicago Tribune

Turkey's complicated role against Islamic State
By Marc Champion, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the release of 46 citizens held hostage by Islamic State has freed him to cooperate more substantially with the U.S.-led coalition to destroy the group. It might not be that straightforward.

More:Turkey's complicated role against Islamic State - Chicago Tribune

Russia trades grain for Egyptian and Turkish fruit and vegetables

Russia trades grain for Egyptian and Turkish fruit and vegetables

Moldova is facing big problems. The country saw the export increase in the first months of this year, mainly to Russia, but is now being hit hard by the Russian boycott. Because the country isn't an EU member, it's on its own. Moldova is working hard to meet Russian demands, and reports say that the sanctions could be lifted if Moldova meets the Russian demands. On the other hand, the Russians are threatening to boycott Ukraine if Moldovan produce enters Russia through that country. In several regions, large investments are made to increase production, in order to become self-sufficient. And to promote import, import duties for Turkey have been lowered, Egypt is trading fruit and vegetables for grain, and Pakistan is visited to look at the possibilities.

More:Russia trades grain for Egyptian and Turkish fruit and vegetables

Turkish historian’s TV show fined for insulting Kardashian, audience - LOCAL

Turkish historian’s TV show fined for insulting Kardashian, audience

ISTANBUL

A Turkish TV show has been fined 600,000 Turkish Liras by the country’s media watchdog after a popular historian used insulting words against the audience and Hollywood celebrity Kim Kardashian, according to daily Milliyet.

More:Turkish historian’s TV show fined for insulting Kardashian, audience - LOCAL

Islamic State, Turkey and Syria’s Kurds: Murky relations | The Economist

Islamic State, Turkey and Syria’s Kurds
Murky relations
Sep 22nd 2014, 18:44 by S.B. and A.Z. | CAIRO AND ERBIL

Timekeeper

AS JIHADISTS calling themselves the "Islamic State" (IS) have swept across Iraq and Syria, they have come up against one unusually tough opponent. Syria's ethnic Kurds have stubbornly clung onto three separate enclaves along Syria's border with Turkey and even pushed back into lands captured by IS. Since September 18th IS has turned the tables, concentrating its forces for an all-out offensive to take the central enclave around the Syrian Kurdish-majority town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobane in Kurdish, on the border with Turkey. IS sees the territory as strategic because it lies close to the edges of its "caliphate" and to a supply route used by foreign fighters joining the group. IS has grabbed scores of villages, pushing more than 100,000 Kurdish refugees into Turkey.

More:Islamic State, Turkey and Syria’s Kurds: Murky relations | The Economist

Turkish gov’t allows headscarf for fifth graders, causing uproar - POLITICS

Turkish gov’t allows headscarf for fifth graders, causing uproar

ANKARA

The Turkish government has announced the lift of a ban on the headscarf in schools, allowing girls from the fifth grade and up to cover their hair in the public schools, drawing criticism from opposition parties.

More:Turkish gov’t allows headscarf for fifth graders, causing uproar - POLITICS

Russia suggests reconstructing Crimea together with Turkey - INTERNATIONAL

Russia suggests reconstructing Crimea together with Turkey

Serkan Demirtaş ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
Turkish companies could play an important role in Russia’s plans to reconstruct Crimea and invest in the fields of agriculture and tourism, the Russian ambassador to Turkey has said

More:Russia suggests reconstructing Crimea together with Turkey - INTERNATIONAL

Forging a new ‘EU-Turkey gas initiative’ in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis? - CONTRIBUTOR

Forging a new ‘EU-Turkey gas initiative’ in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis?

MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ / SIMONE TAGLIAPIETRA

The ongoing game-changers in energy and geopolitics will likely force Ankara and Brussels to consider a joint strategy over how to achieve gas supply security, particularly in view of what’s happening in the Black Sea region, the Western sanctions against Russia and the re-opening of the Pandora’s Box in the Middle East.

More:Forging a new ‘EU-Turkey gas initiative’ in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis? - CONTRIBUTOR

PKK urges Kurds to combat IS as 130,000 flee to Turkey - Yahoo News

PKK urges Kurds to combat IS as 130,000 flee to Turkey
AFP
September 22, 2014 6:11 AM

Ankara (AFP) - More than 130,000 Syrian Kurds have fled across the border into Turkey, escaping an advance by Islamic State jihadists, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday.

More:PKK urges Kurds to combat IS as 130,000 flee to Turkey - Yahoo News

Morning Mail: security and freedom, climate protests, Isis nearing Turkey | World news | theguardian.com

Guardian Australia's Morning Mail

Good morning folks, and welcome to the Morning Mail – sign up here to get it straight to your inbox before 8am every weekday.

More:Morning Mail: security and freedom, climate protests, Isis nearing Turkey | World news | theguardian.com

Turkey's new Internet law contradicts its EU ambitions - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey's new Internet law contradicts its EU ambitions

The Turkish state has equipped itself with even more authority to monitor its Internet users, contradicting its new government's re-energized EU drive in a potential blow to democratic rights of free speech and privacy.

More:Turkey's new Internet law contradicts its EU ambitions - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Syria crisis: Turkey 'ready for the worst' as more than 130,000 seek refuge from Islamic State advances - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Syria crisis: Turkey 'ready for the worst' as more than 130,000 seek refuge from Islamic State advances

Posted Mon at 8:55pmMon 22 Sep 2014, 8:55pm

More than 130,000 Syrian Kurds have fled across the border into Turkey escaping an advance by Islamic State (IS) jihadists, Turkey's deputy prime minister says.

More:Syria crisis: Turkey 'ready for the worst' as more than 130,000 seek refuge from Islamic State advances - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

'Enemies within’: Journalists on the frontline in Erdogan's 'New’ Turkey - Opinion Israel News | Haaretz

'Enemies within’: Journalists on the frontline in Erdogan's 'New’ Turkey

An orchestrated personal attack, including death threats, faces journalists raising critical voices against Turkey’s new president. The intimidation, cheerleadered by Erdogan’s pet media outlets, subjects women reporters to particular contempt.

More:'Enemies within’: Journalists on the frontline in Erdogan's 'New’ Turkey - Opinion Israel News | Haaretz

Turkish president vows to keep the secret behind release of 49 hostages held by Islamic State | CP24.com

Turkish president vows to keep the secret behind release of 49 hostages held by Islamic State

Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press
Published Sunday, September 21, 2014 8:29PM EDT

ANKARA, Turkey -- The Turkish government won't reveal details of a covert operation that ensured the release of 49 people held hostage by the Islamic State group, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday.

More:Turkish president vows to keep the secret behind release of 49 hostages held by Islamic State | CP24.com

Turkey’s top thug: president v. press freedoms | New York Post

Turkey’s top thug: president v. press freedoms

By Elisha Maldonado

September 22, 2014 | 7:52pm

It must feel terrible to be the leader of roughly 75 million people yet as hypersensitive as an adolescent girl, but that touchiness has always been the personal trademark of Turkey’s new president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Turkey’s top thug: president v. press freedoms | New York Post

Istanbul becomes triumphant in its battle for clean air | Life | Daily Sabah

ISTANBUL BECOMES TRIUMPHANT IN ITS BATTLE FOR CLEAN AIR

Meteorologists speaking to Anadolu Agency describe the three-decade battle fought to give Turkey's megacity room to breathe

More:Istanbul becomes triumphant in its battle for clean air | Life | Daily Sabah

Western media wakes up to Turkey's IS links - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Western media wakes up to Turkey's IS links

His office has changed, but not his habits. Following a series of international media reports linking Turkey to the Islamic State (IS), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of a conspiracy. Blasting The New York Times story about residents of Ankara’s Hacibayram neighborhood joining IS, he used the now-familiar “shameless” and “vile” epithets. His target this time was Ceylan Yeginsu, the reporter from the Times’ Istanbul bureau whose byline appeared on the story. According to the president, Yeginsu aimed to smear Turkey rather than to do objective journalism.

More:Western media wakes up to Turkey's IS links - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Monday, September 22, 2014

How will Turkey react to stream of Kurdish refugees? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

How will Turkey react to stream of Kurdish refugees?

On Sept.19, Islamic State (IS) militants started to attack dozens of Kurdish villages in northern Syria across the Turkish border, triggering a new wave of refugees. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Sept. 22 that more than 130,000 Syrian Kurds have crossed the border into Turkey since IS laid siege to the border town of Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab. “We are prepared for the worst-case scenario, which is an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees,” Kurtulmus said.

More:How will Turkey react to stream of Kurdish refugees? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Alleged ISIL member treated at Turkish hospital

Alleged ISIL member treated at Turkish hospital

A man who is suspected of being a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which calls itself the Islamic State, was allegedly admitted to the intensive care unit of Mehmet Akif İnan State Hospital in southeastern Şanlıurfa province.

More:Alleged ISIL member treated at Turkish hospital

You don’t mess with Erdoğan - EMRE DELİVELİ

You don’t mess with Erdoğan

If this past week taught us anything, it is that you don’t mess with Erdoğan – if you didn’t know that already. Because if you do, he will mess with you back – big time.

The New York Times’ Ceylan Yeğinsu found out the hard way. After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the former Hürriyet Daily News reporter’s story on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL) recruitment efforts in Ankara, pro-government media targeted her, publishing her picture on their front page.

More:You don’t mess with Erdoğan - EMRE DELİVELİ

UN to decide on no-fly zone on Turkish-Syrian border: Russian envoy - INTERNATIONAL

UN to decide on no-fly zone on Turkish-Syrian border: Russian envoy

Serkan Demirtaş ANKARA
Russia’s envoy to Turkey says establishing a buffer zone inside Syria and imposing a no-fly zone requires a UN Security Council resolution

More:UN to decide on no-fly zone on Turkish-Syrian border: Russian envoy - INTERNATIONAL

Turkey: What Ally?

Turkey: What Ally?

by Burak Bekdil

The Turkish government "frankly worked" with the al-Nusrah Front, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, along with other terrorist groups.

The Financial Task Force, an international body setting the standards for combating terrorist financing, ruled that Turkey should remain in its "gray list."

More:Turkey: What Ally?

Erdogan confesses: Turkey held ‘diplomatic negotiations’ with Islamic State

Erdogan confesses: Turkey held ‘diplomatic negotiations’ with Islamic State

Will Turkey reconsider its position?

ANKARA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday dozens of Turkish hostages held by Islamic State militants in Iraq had been freed as a result of negotiations and no ransom had been paid for their release.

More:.:Middle East Online:::.

Turkish sailors stuck in Sorel-Tracy finally heading home - Montreal - CBC News

Turkish sailors stuck in Sorel-Tracy finally heading home
Twelve sailors said they were without pay and food for two months, a situation union called 'barbaric'

Twelve Turkish sailors stuck in the port of Sorel-Tracy since April are heading home today.

The 12 men had been flown to the port city between Montreal and Trois-Rivières by the Ontario-based company Menpas Shipping to repair the ship and sail it overseas for dismantling.

More:Turkish sailors stuck in Sorel-Tracy finally heading home - Montreal - CBC News

Couple returning from Syria 'were plotting assault on EU Brussels office' | World news | The Guardian

Couple returning from Syria 'were plotting assault on EU Brussels office'

Dutch broadcaster says investigators have proof man and woman had planned attack on Berlaymont building

More:Couple returning from Syria 'were plotting assault on EU Brussels office' | World news | The Guardian

Spanish Air Defense Troops To Replace Dutch In Turkey | EurasiaNet.org

Spanish Air Defense Troops To Replace Dutch In Turkey
September 21, 2014 - 7:09pm, by Joshua Kucera

The Netherlands is pulling out its air defense troops from Turkey but Spain will take its place, ensuring that the NATO deployment of Patriot systems will remain on the Turkey-Syria border.

More:Spanish Air Defense Troops To Replace Dutch In Turkey | EurasiaNet.org

Vanishing Istanbul: Time called on bohemian backstreets - CNN.com

Vanishing Istanbul: Developers call time on bohemian backstreets
By Ryan Powell for CNN
September 22, 2014 -- Updated 0206 GMT (1006 HKT)

(CNN) -- On a warm evening in Istanbul, a bar called Kooperatif announced its last call.

Friends old and new gathered in the art and performance hall, located in the heart of the city's Beyoglu district, for a smoke-filled goodbye accompanied by live music and doses of nostalgia.

More:Vanishing Istanbul: Time called on bohemian backstreets - CNN.com

Turkey’s President Erdogan Will Meet With Jewish Leaders in NY - JP Updates | JP Updates

Turkey’s President Erdogan Will Meet With Jewish Leaders in NY
Yesterday 7:19 PM by Sol Rieger Leave a comment (0) Go to comments

With the 69th United Nations annual General Assembly session kicking off, officials from many countries are set to participate in this years meetings which will take place in New York City between September 22 and October 1.

More:Turkey’s President Erdogan Will Meet With Jewish Leaders in NY - JP Updates | JP Updates

AOL.com Article - Syria refugee flood to Turkey hits 100,000

Syria refugee flood to Turkey hits 100,000
Sep 21st 2014 12:23PM 242 Comments

By DESMOND BUTLER and SUZAN FRASER

KUCUK KENDIRCILER, Turkey (AP) - The number of refugees seeking shelter in Turkey from the Islamic State group's advance across northern Syria has hit 100,000 in less than a week, an official said Sunday.

More:AOL.com Article - Syria refugee flood to Turkey hits 100,000

How and why were 46 Turkish hostages freed? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

How and why were 46 Turkish hostages freed?

Forty-nine staff members of the Turkish Consulate in Mosul (three of whom are Iraqi nationals) who were taken hostage June 11 by the Islamic State (IS) were freed at 6:30 a.m. Sept. 20. Details of the operation are slowly emerging.

More:How and why were 46 Turkish hostages freed? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Turkey accused of colluding with Isis to oppose Syrian Kurds and Assad following surprise release of 49 hostages - Middle East - World - The Independent

Turkey accused of colluding with Isis to oppose Syrian Kurds and Assad following surprise release of 49 hostages

With President Erdogan refusing to explain why Isis decided to release 49 of the country’s diplomats, suspicions are growing about Ankara’s murky relationship with the self-styled caliphate
Patrick Cockburn Author Biography

Sunday 21 September 2014

Mystery surrounds the surprise release of 49 Turkish diplomats and their families held captive for three months by Isis. The Turkish government is denying any deal with the hostage-takers, making it unclear why Isis, notorious for its cruelty and ruthlessness, should hand over its Turkish prisoners on Saturday without a quid pro quo.

More:Turkey accused of colluding with Isis to oppose Syrian Kurds and Assad following surprise release of 49 hostages - Middle East - World - The Independent

Questions remain about release of Turkish hostages - FT.com

Questions remain about release of Turkish hostages

By Piotr Zalewski in Istanbul
Airport in Ankara. Fighters from the Islamic State (IS) kidnapped 49 Turks including diplomats,©AFP

As Turkey celebrated the return over the weekend of 49 hostages held captive by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, questions continued to mount about the operation that helped free them.

More:Questions remain about release of Turkish hostages - FT.com

Locals march to protest constructions on Istanbul coastal area - GREEN

Locals march to protest constructions on Istanbul coastal area

ISTANBUL

A large group marched on Sept. 20 to protest constructions in Istanbul’s Ataköy neighborhood, which are ongoing despite a court ruling that cancelled the sale of the land on the grounds that it was against the Coastal Law.

More:Locals march to protest constructions on Istanbul coastal area - GREEN