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Monday, July 31, 2017

Istanbul hotels’ revenue loss hits 1 billion euros in 2017 despite ease in security concerns: Association - TOURISM

Istanbul hotels’ revenue loss hits 1 billion euros in 2017 despite ease in security concerns: Association

ISTANBUL

Istanbul hotels’ loss in revenue exceeded 1 billion euros in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period of 2015, despite a recent ease in security concerns, a leading sector association stated on July 31.

More:Istanbul hotels’ revenue loss hits 1 billion euros in 2017 despite ease in security concerns: Association - TOURISM

Tourism cannot exist without Germany - GİLA BENMAYOR

Tourism cannot exist without Germany

The very important statement in the title belongs to Hüseyin Baraner, the overseas representative of the Association of Turkish Travel Agents (TÜRSAB), who has been working in Germany in the tourism sector for the last 40 years. I have spoken recently with Baraner about the stroke the tourism industry received following the crisis between Turkey and Germany and how the damage can be averted.

More:Tourism cannot exist without Germany - GİLA BENMAYOR

Turkey plans religious marriages

Turkey plans religious marriages
By NEOnline | TB

The Turkish government on July 30 defended a controversial plan to allow state-approved clerics to conduct marriage ceremonies.

More:Turkey plans religious marriages

Turkish man barred from donating blood after US official cites Chernobyl disaster - HEALTH

Turkish man barred from donating blood after US official cites Chernobyl disaster

ISTANBUL

A Turkish man living in the U.S. state of Florida was disqualified from donating blood after an official cited him as living in Turkey, which shares the Black Sea with Ukraine, at the time of the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, daily Habertürk reported on July 31.

More:Turkish man barred from donating blood after US official cites Chernobyl disaster - HEALTH

i24NEWS - 'It's really like a kind of death, not to be able to practice what you believe’

'It's really like a kind of death, not to be able to practice what you believe’

BERLIN - Seyran Ateş arrives at the interview in an armored car, accompanied by five bodyguards. An essential measure for her protection, deemed the Berlin authorities, after she received over a hundred death threats over the past month. Religious bodies in Egypt and Turkey issued fatwas against her, social media posts condemned her, and men on the street blocked her path while shouting “you will die.”

More:i24NEWS - 'It's really like a kind of death, not to be able to practice what you believe’

Democracy in Turkey teeters on brink of extinction - Mission Network News

Democracy in Turkey teeters on brink of extinction
PUBLISHED ON 31 July, 2017 BY Reagan Hoezee

Turkey (MNN) — One year after the Turkish military’s failed coup that killed nearly 250 people, democracy in Turkey is on the brink of extinction.

More:Democracy in Turkey teeters on brink of extinction - Mission Network News

Sunday, July 30, 2017

How to Thaw a Frozen Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve EU-Turkey Ties | EuBulletin.Com

How to Thaw a Frozen Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve EU-Turkey Ties
Written by @Eubulletin | Thursday, July 27th, 2017

The EU-Turkey relationship has gone through many ups and downs during the last 50 years. While Turkey has become a strategic partner for the EU who is still formally engaged in its accession talks, the developments in the last four years have caused numerous cracks and frictions in the relationship. Since further degradation would, however, be undesirable, both sides should contemplate four ways to improve their relationship both in a short and medium run: revamp the EU-Turkey Customs Union; deepen the partnership on asylum and refugees; materialize key EU programs to support Turkey’s modernization; and pursue dialogues in areas of mutual interest.

More:How to Thaw a Frozen Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve EU-Turkey Ties | EuBulletin.Com

Turkish economic confidence index hits 4-year high - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkish economic confidence index hits 4-year high
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-28 22:05:07|Editor: Zhou Xin

ANKARA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish economic confidence index hits the highest level since November 2013, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data released Friday.

More:Turkish economic confidence index hits 4-year high - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkish women take to the street against violence

Turkish women take to the street against violence

World
Sunday 30 July 2017 - 9:08am

JOHANNESBURG – Hundreds of Turkish women took to the streets of Istanbul to protest against violence and animosity from men.

The protesters say men in the majority Muslim nation carry out violent attacks against them over their clothing choices.

More:Turkish women take to the street against violence

Turkish Court Frees 7 Newspaper Staff, Keeps 6 in Jail

Turkish Court Frees 7 Newspaper Staff, Keeps 6 in Jail

Friday, 28 Jul 2017 01:39 PM

ISTANBUL (AP) — A court in Istanbul has decided to release seven journalists and staff of an opposition newspaper pending the outcome of their trial.

More:Turkish Court Frees 7 Newspaper Staff, Keeps 6 in Jail

Friday, July 28, 2017

How to Thaw a Frozen Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve EU-Turkey Ties | EuBulletin.Com

How to Thaw a Frozen Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve EU-Turkey Ties
Written by @Eubulletin | Thursday, July 27th, 2017

The EU-Turkey relationship has gone through many ups and downs during the last 50 years. While Turkey has become a strategic partner for the EU who is still formally engaged in its accession talks, the developments in the last four years have caused numerous cracks and frictions in the relationship. Since further degradation would, however, be undesirable, both sides should contemplate four ways to improve their relationship both in a short and medium run: revamp the EU-Turkey Customs Union; deepen the partnership on asylum and refugees; materialize key EU programs to support Turkey’s modernization; and pursue dialogues in areas of mutual interest.

More:How to Thaw a Frozen Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve EU-Turkey Ties | EuBulletin.Com

Thursday, July 27, 2017

The Brussels Times - Political dialogue between EU and Turkey ends in disagreement

Political dialogue between EU and Turkey ends in disagreement
Thursday, 27 July 2017 16:07

A high-level political dialogue between EU top officials and Turkish ministers took place this week (25 July) in Brussels in the framework of dialogue and cooperation between the two sides. It was described as open, frank and even constructive but did not result in any common statement on the outstanding issues besides an understanding that the dialogue should continue.

More:The Brussels Times - Political dialogue between EU and Turkey ends in disagreement

In court, a Turkish journalist delivers a searing attack on the government  - The Washington Post

In court, a Turkish journalist delivers a searing attack on the government

ISTANBUL — After spending more than seven months in prison on terrorism charges that could keep him there for years to come, Ahmet Sik, a Turkish journalist, appeared in an Istanbul court this week with a fleeting opportunity to publicly rebut his powerful accusers.

More:In court, a Turkish journalist delivers a searing attack on the government  - The Washington Post

Turkey’s latest trial of journalists is surreal even by its own standards

Turkey’s latest trial of journalists is surreal even by its own standards

Ahmet Sik and 16 others are accused of aiding the subversive movement they helped to expose

More:Turkey’s latest trial of journalists is surreal even by its own standards

Thomas Cook says demand for Turkish holidays picks up

Thomas Cook says demand for Turkish holidays picks up

Thursday, 27 July 2017 21:16

The tour operator Thomas Cook says that Turkey is back on the tourist map for both UK and German visitors. Despite growing tensions between Turkish and German government, Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser told that Turkey remained attractive for German tourists.

More:Thomas Cook says demand for Turkish holidays picks up

Globe editorial: Under Erdogan, Turkey descends into dictatorship - The Globe and Mail

Globe editorial: Under Erdogan, Turkey descends into dictatorship

Turkey’s presidency is a ceremonial role, or it was until Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the country’s first directly-elected head of state in August of 2014.

More:Globe editorial: Under Erdogan, Turkey descends into dictatorship - The Globe and Mail

Turkish parliament passes new bylaws; critics fear muzzling

Turkish parliament passes new bylaws; critics fear muzzling
By SUZAN FRASER -
7/27/17 2:12 PM

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s parliament on Thursday approved a series of contentious changes to its bylaws, which critics say aim to further curtail opposition voices.

More:Turkish parliament passes new bylaws; critics fear muzzling

Severing Ties with Erdogan – Handelsblatt Global

Severing Ties with Erdogan

Germany should demand Turkey’s suspension from NATO and cancel the refugee pact with President Erdogan, to deprive him of any leverage, the Left Party’s former leader writes.

More:Severing Ties with Erdogan – Handelsblatt Global

The Turkification of Poland: Kaczynski Vs. Duda - The Globalist

The Turkification of Poland: Kaczynski Vs. Duda

Why is Kaczynski, a staunch Catholic, leading his rightfully proud nation toward its own Turkification?

More:The Turkification of Poland: Kaczynski Vs. Duda - The Globalist

Israel-Turkey fallout deepens over Al-Aqsa mosque

Israel-Turkey fallout deepens over Al-Aqsa mosque

JERUSALEM - A fallout between Turkey and Israel deepened on Wednesday as the Jewish state hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s criticism of its constraints on Muslims visiting a sensitive holy site in annexed east Jerusalem.

More:Israel-Turkey fallout deepens over Al-Aqsa mosque

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Erdogan's Anti-Westernism Picks Up Speed - The Atlantic

Erdogan's Anti-Westernism Picks Up Speed

Turkey’s proclivity for detaining foreigners bespeaks an ominous path ahead for the increasingly repressive nation.

More:Erdogan's Anti-Westernism Picks Up Speed - The Atlantic

Thousands of families hit by wrong urban transformation policies across Turkey - BUSINESS

Thousands of families hit by wrong urban transformation policies across Turkey

Gülistan Alagöz - ISTANBUL

Many Turkish people, who live in unstable buildings at high risk of collapsing during an earthquake have said “yes” to urban transformation projects with the hope of renewing their houses but thousands of them have been disappointed due to several wrong policies, which has paved the way for the appearance of hundreds of contractors who have not kept their promise to build.

More:Thousands of families hit by wrong urban transformation policies across Turkey - BUSINESS

Turks savor small doses of heartwarming news

Turks savor small doses of heartwarming news

Good news is hard to come by in Turkey these days. From further arrests of journalists to endless diplomatic spats, things seem to be going from bad to worse. But that's not to say there isn’t any. An attentive reader can unearth some happy stories. Take today’s news, for instance:

Though Turkey's various crises continue to bubble, the recent news wasn't all bad. Author Amberin Zaman Posted July 26, 2017

The pro-government daily Yeni Akit reported that a pair of creative surgeons at a state-run hospital in the central Anatolian city of Nevsehir treated burn injuries on a four-year-old boy’s foot by grafting foreskin from a circumcised penis onto the affected area. The patient has been discharged and is recovering.

More:Turks savor small doses of heartwarming news

Germany Bans Arms Shipments to Turkey

Germany Bans Arms Shipments to Turkey

The freeze sets an important precedent of linking arms exports to human rights, says TRNN's Shir Hever

More:Germany Bans Arms Shipments to Turkey

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Earth to Erdogan – Handelsblatt Global

Earth to Erdogan

Recent arrests of human rights activists, including Amnesty International's Turkey director and a German citizen, have set Turkey on a collision course with the EU.

More:Earth to Erdogan – Handelsblatt Global

Turkey Backs Down to Germany – Handelsblatt Global

Turkey Backs Down to Germany

The interior minister withdraws allegations that German companies were funding terrorism, but arrests of Germans may prevent a quick remedy.

More:Turkey Backs Down to Germany – Handelsblatt Global

Passengers claim airline pilot was ′afraid′ to fly to Turkey | News | DW | 25.07.2017

Passengers claim airline pilot was 'afraid' to fly to Turkey

Angry customers stranded in southern Germany say that a flight from Stuttgart to Ankara was canceled because of political fears. The airline denies this, but some people are calling for a customer boycott.

More:Passengers claim airline pilot was ′afraid′ to fly to Turkey | News | DW | 25.07.2017

Monday, July 24, 2017

Recep Erdoğan’s Arabian tightrope – POLITICO

Recep Erdoğan’s Arabian tightrope

Ankara looks to support Qatar without alienating Riyadh.

By Zia Weise

7/23/17, 10:01 PM CET

ISTANBUL — Diplomatic nuance may not be Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest suit, but Turkey’s combative leader is trying to tread carefully in his current voyage through the Arabian Peninsula.

More:Recep Erdoğan’s Arabian tightrope – POLITICO

View from abroad: Turkey’s increasing isolation - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

View from abroad: Turkey’s increasing isolation
Irfan HusainUpdated July 24, 2017

AS Turkey’s President Erdogan extends his purge, thousands have been locked up and await trial for their alleged role in last year’s attempted coup. Ten of them are German citizens who face terrorism charges. In today’s Turkey, any suspected links to the Gulenist movement are equated with terrorism. Thus, schoolteachers, university professors, civil servants, judges and prosecutors — apart from tens of thousands of police and military personnel — have been suspended, sacked or jailed.

More:View from abroad: Turkey’s increasing isolation - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

Turkey withdraws blacklist of German firms accused of financing terrorism – POLITICO

Turkey withdraws blacklist of German firms accused of financing terrorism

By Connor Murphy

7/24/17, 5:02 PM CET

Updated 7/24/17, 5:25 PM CET

Turkey formally withdrew a list of nearly 700 German businesses it had accused of having ties to terrorism, attributing the charges to a misunderstanding, a German government spokesman said on Monday.

More:Turkey withdraws blacklist of German firms accused of financing terrorism – POLITICO

Europe’s Turkey woes – POLITICO

Europe’s Turkey woes

By Saim Saeed

7/24/17, 9:20 AM CET

The ongoing diplomatic row between Berlin and Ankara continues, and much of the German press devoted front pages to the matter. Frankfurter Allgemeine quoted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier saying, “To stop [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan is a question of self-respect.” Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on its front page that Erdoğan rebuffed German criticism and said Turkey is a “country of laws.” Right-leaning Die Welt led with: “The federal government should set a deadline for Turkey.” Leftist paper Die Tageszeitung led with an opinion piece on Turkish-Germans being made to feel unwelcome.

More:Europe’s Turkey woes – POLITICO

Turkey’s eastward shift can be halted

Turkey’s eastward shift can be halted

Western re-engagement with Ankara brings benefits for Europe and the Middle East

More:Turkey’s eastward shift can be halted

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Turkish Parliamentarians forbidden from bringing up the “Kurdistan” and the “Armenian Genocide”

Turkish Parliamentarians forbidden from bringing up the “Kurdistan” and the “Armenian Genocide”

On 20 July 2017, Turkey’s Great Assembly has adopted a new law, prohibiting its parliamentarians from insulting Turkey’s glorious history by using the words, “Armenian Genocide”, “Kurdistan” and “Kurdish regions”.

<a href="">Turkish Parliamentarians forbidden from bringing up the “Kurdistan” and and the “Armenian Genocide”</a>

How blunt can Turkish caricaturists be?

How blunt can Turkish caricaturists be?

Would Erdogan rather be compared to Hitler or an animal? An exhibition of Turkish caricatures in Germany shows where the boundaries of free speech are in Turkey a year after the failed coup attempt.

<a href="http://m.dw.com/en/how-blunt-can-turkish-caricaturists-be/a-39754228">How blunt can Turkish caricaturists be?</a>

Turkey's emboldened opposition

Turkey's emboldened opposition

In Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government has been working to centralise political power, opposition parties have lately had few reasons to be optimistic. This month's massive rally in Istanbul was a rare exception. By Sinan Ülgen

<a href="http://en.qantara.de/content/kemal-kilicdaroglus-justice-march-turkeys-emboldened-opposition">Turkey's emboldened opposition</a>

'Hero' T-shirt prompts wave of arrests

'Hero' T-shirt prompts wave of arrests in Turkey

ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish police have over the last week detained at least 15 people for wearing a T-shirt with a slogan the authorities
argue is a veiled message backing the alleged mastermind of last year's failed coup.

<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/hero-t-shirt-prompts-wave-of-arrests-in-turkey">'Hero' T-shirt prompts wave of arrests in Turkey</a>

Turkey reissues warrant for 4 activists after release

Turkey reissues warrant for 4 activists after release

Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2017 by Orlando Rodriquez
Reuters

The statement came after Germany told all citizens traveling to Turkey to exercise caution following the jailing of a human rights activist.

More: <a href="http://leicesterpost.com/2017/07/22/turkey-reissues-warrant-for-4-activists-after-release/">Turkey reissues warrant for 4 activists after release</a>

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Totally Wasn’t Us: Turkey Denies Role in Map Outlining US Presence in Syria

Totally Wasn’t Us: Turkey Denies Role in Map Outlining US Presence in Syria

A spokesman from the offices of the Turkish president has stated that Ankara was not involved in the publication of a map that showed, among other things, the location of US military positions in Syria. The map was published by a Turkish state-run news agency.

<a href="https://sptnkne.ws/eXvM">Totally Wasn’t Us: Turkey Denies Role in Map Outlining US Presence in Syria</a>

Reuters says Turkey blacklisted 680 German companies, not 68

Reuters says Turkey blacklisted 680 German companies, not 68

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday also condemned comments by Germany's economy minister warning companies off investing in Turkey and said the country should "pull itself together" as a dispute between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies escalates.

<a href="http://newburghgazette.com/2017/07/22/reuters-says-turkey-blacklisted-680-german-companies-not-68/">Reuters says Turkey blacklisted 680 German companies, not 68</a>

Goodbye Past, Hello Future: Turkey 'Drifting' From NATO to Eurasia

Goodbye Past, Hello Future: Turkey 'Drifting' From NATO to Eurasia

Germany deliberately provoked a crisis in Berlin-Ankara ties which may have added significantly to Turkey further distancing itself from NATO, Turkish military expert Soner Polat told Sputnik.

More:<a href="https://sputniknews.com/world/201707221055785107-germany-turkey-relations-nato-policy/">Goodbye Past, Hello Future: Turkey 'Drifting' From NATO to Eurasia</a>

Friday, July 21, 2017

Turkey Is Undergoing A Radical Shift, From Pluralism To Islamic Populism

Turkey Is Undergoing A Radical Shift, From Pluralism To Islamic Populism

For reformists like me, the disappointment runs deep.

<a href="http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_596fcfcfe4b062ea5f8efa0f">Turkey Is Undergoing A Radical Shift, From Pluralism To Islamic Populism</a>

Turkey’s growing repression leads to a showdown with Germany

Turkey’s growing repression leads to a showdown with Germany

A human-rights activist’s arrest is more than Angela Merkel can tolerate
Europe
Jul 21st 2017

AFTER months of diplomatic tiptoeing, Germany’s patience has run out. On July 18th a Turkish court ordered that six human rights activists, including a German trainer who had been detained during a training workshop with Amnesty International, a human-rights group, should be officially arrested. Two days later Germany’s foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, cut loose.

<a href="https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21725457-human-rights-activists-arrest-more-angela-merkel-can-tolerate-turkeys-growing-repression">Turkey’s growing repression leads to a showdown with Germany</a>

Erdogan will regret alienating Angela Merkel

Erdogan will regret alienating Angela Merkel

(CNN)Over the past few months, relations between Turkey and Germany have become increasingly fraught.

<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/21/opinions/turkey-germany-hakura-opinion/index.html">Erdogan will regret alienating Angela Merkel</a>

The stripping of Turkish citizenship by the state

The stripping of Turkish citizenship by the state

Imagine your day being interrupted by a call from an old friend from home. You are delighted to hear his voice, and inquiries about mutual friends come gushing to the forefront of your mind. But he interrupts your happy inner conversation. "You and your wife are on a list," he says. "You have been accused of serious crimes. If you don’t return, you will be stripped of your nationality." What happens next is a blur. You feel lightheaded. You hang up. But the words keep playing on your mind. Over and over again. "Stripped of your nationality." "No longer a citizen." "Stateless."

More:<a href="http://news.trust.org/item/20170721123142-hbx0v/?source=gep">The stripping of Turkish citizenship by the state</a>

Germany warns citizens of Turkey risks amid arrests

Germany warns citizens of Turkey risks amid arrests

The German government has warned its citizens and firms they face the risk of "arbitrary" arrest in Turkey.

More: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40667592#">Germany warns citizens of Turkey risks amid arrests</a>

Germany steps up economic pressure on Turkey in rights row

UPDATE 4-Germany steps up economic pressure on Turkey in rights row (BAS)
Reuters
Jul. 20, 2017, 12:44 PM

(Adds Turkish foreign minister)

By Madeline Chambers

BERLIN, July 20 (Reuters) - Germany told its citizens on Thursday to exercise caution if travelling to Turkey and threatened measures that could hinder German investment there, in a sign of growing impatience with a NATO ally after the detention of rights activists.

More: <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/r-update-4-germany-steps-up-economic-pressure-on-turkey-in-rights-row-2017-7-1002192302">Germany steps up economic pressure on Turkey in rights row</a>

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Turkey’s democracy | Jordan Times

Turkey’s democracy

Jul 19,2017 - Last updated at Jul 19,2017 0 0 googleplus0 0 0 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the first anniversary of last year's failed July 15 coup by sacking 7,563 soldiers and police officers.

More:Turkey’s democracy | Jordan Times

Turkey’s Year of Turmoil by Carl Bildt - Project Syndicate

Turkey’s Year of Turmoil

STOCKHOLM – It has been one year since the failed coup in Turkey, and questions about the country’s future still abound.

More:Turkey’s Year of Turmoil by Carl Bildt - Project Syndicate

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Negotiating Missile Defense in the Turkish Bazar | Defense Update:

Negotiating Missile Defense in the Turkish Bazar
By
Tamir Eshel -
Jul 19, 2017

Turkey is negotiating a mega deal worth billions of dollars in a ‘Turkish Bazar’ style, where the European Eurosam consortium faces a competing offer from the Russians, through their largest missile exporter Rostec, as Ankara opens its missile defense program to foreign bidders.

More:Negotiating Missile Defense in the Turkish Bazar | Defense Update:

How US-Turkey relations have gone from bad to worse | TheHill

How US-Turkey relations have gone from bad to worse
By Edward Stafford, opinion contributor - 07/19/17 03:00 PM EDT

One year after the failed coup attempt of July 15, Turkish relations with the U.S. have gone from uneasy and challenging to difficult and strained; a return to the halcyon days of warm relations soon is unlikely, in part because such days rarely if ever existed.

More:How US-Turkey relations have gone from bad to worse | TheHill

Turkey Can Ally With Syria's Kurds Someday - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Turkey Can Ally with Syria's Kurds Someday

David Pollock

July 2017

Most Kurds are now seeking rights in their respective countries, while downplaying the pan-Kurdish dream, giving Turkey more room to separate the PYD from the PKK instead of lumping them together.

More:Turkey Can Ally With Syria's Kurds Someday - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Eight suspects arrested for planning attack on main opposition’s ‘justice march’ - CRIME

Eight suspects arrested for planning attack on main opposition’s ‘justice march’

KAYSERİ – Anadolu Agency

Eight suspects were arrested on July 19 for planning an attack on the “justice march,” a 450-km walk led by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

More:Eight suspects arrested for planning attack on main opposition’s ‘justice march’ - CRIME

Turkey publishes over-upbeat growth forecasts: IMF - MarketWatch

Turkey publishes over-upbeat growth forecasts: IMF

Published: July 19, 2017 2:17 a.m. ET By Yeliz Candemir

ISTANBUL--The Turkish government has published overly optimistic forecasts of the country's economic performance for years, a sign that Ankara has to further improve the clarity and reliability of reporting on the country's finances, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.

More:Turkey publishes over-upbeat growth forecasts: IMF - MarketWatch

Turkey and the Kurds are on the brink of war -- and the Pentagon is right in the middle of it

Turkey and the Kurds are on the brink of war -- and the Pentagon is right in the middle of it

Turkey and the US-backed YPG forces -- which have been helping the coalition fight ISIS in Syria -- have been clashing off and on since at least April.

At the end of that month, the two sides exchanged rocket fire, which Turkey says killed 11 YPG fighters. In early July, Turkey deployed troops to the Kurdish-held border in northwest Syria, which the YPG commander called "a declaration of war."

More:Turkey and the Kurds are on the brink of war -- and the Pentagon is right in the middle of it

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Torrential rain leaves Istanbul awash - BBC News

Torrential rain leaves Istanbul awash

By BBC

Commuters could only stand and watch as fast flowing water flooded metro tracks Commuters in Istanbul faced quite a major challenge getting to work after torrential rainfall caused major flooding in the city and turning roads into rivers.

More:Torrential rain leaves Istanbul awash - BBC News

CHP leader challenges President Erdoğan to discuss July 15 coup attempt in TV debate - POLITICS

CHP leader challenges President Erdoğan to discuss July 15 coup attempt in TV debate

ANKARA

The leader of the main opposition party has reiterated his challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a televised debate over the July 15 coup attempt, after he was harshly accused of supporting coup plotters for calling the putsch a “controlled coup.”

More:CHP leader challenges President Erdoğan to discuss July 15 coup attempt in TV debate - POLITICS

Monday, July 17, 2017

Even through all his bluster, Erdogan's fear is obvious

Even through all his bluster, Erdogan's fear is obvious

Turkey is commemorating the first anniversary of the July 15 failed coup — the official Martyrs and Democracy Day. The list of state-sponsored celebrations is quite impressive, with nonstop TV shows rewriting that night. A webpage titled “July 15 activities” presents a documentary, songs about the attempt, the names of those killed, and the images of monuments built in Ankara and Istanbul for the victims. It also displays posters designed to capture the key moments of the coup attempt. Since July 11, these images have decorated cities throughout Turkey. Most of them are quite problematic, however.

More:Even through all his bluster, Erdogan's fear is obvious

Was Turkey's Coup For Real? | HuffPost

Was Turkey’s Coup For Real?
07/17/2017 09:33 am ET

Much speculation exists about the coup in Turkey on July 15, 2016. Some even call it a “false-coup,” which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan organized in order to justify a crackdown against oppositionists. There are many other instances when a military tried to remove the civilian head of government. Case studies suggest a pattern, which can be used to evaluate the events in Turkey one year ago.

More:Was Turkey's Coup For Real? | HuffPost

Turkey extends state of emergency after coup anniversary - France 24

Turkey extends state of emergency after coup anniversary

Latest update : 2017-07-17
Turkey on Monday extended emergency rule for another three months, almost a year after it was imposed in the wake of last July's failed military coup.

More:Turkey extends state of emergency after coup anniversary - France 24

Turkey’s Erdogan turned a failed coup into his path to greater power - The Washington Post

Turkey’s Erdogan turned a failed coup into his path to greater power
By Ishaan Tharoor July 17 at 1:00 AM

Over the weekend, Turkey marked the one-year anniversary of a deadly coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his elected government. You probably know the story: On July 15, 2016, a mutinous faction of soldiers staged a short-lived insurrection that was confronted by mass protests in Istanbul and elsewhere. More than 250 people were killed, including many civilians, and thousands injured before order was restored.

More:Turkey’s Erdogan turned a failed coup into his path to greater power - The Washington Post

‘Who will stop Erdoğan?’ – POLITICO

‘Who will stop Erdoğan?’

Divisions over Macron’s housing tax in France. May’s fractious cabinet gets top billing in London.

More:‘Who will stop Erdoğan?’ – POLITICO

Turkey’s emboldened opposition | Inquirer Opinion

Turkey’s emboldened opposition
By: Sinan Ülgen - @inquirerdotnet
05:05 AM July 17, 2017

ISTANBUL — In Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been working to centralize political power, opposition parties have lately had few reasons to be optimistic. This month’s massive rally in Istanbul was a rare exception.

More:Turkey’s emboldened opposition | Inquirer Opinion

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Juncker: EU's hand remains outstretched to Turkey - StarTribune.com

Juncker: EU's hand remains outstretched to Turkey
Associated Press
July 16, 2017

BERLIN — The head of the European Union's executive body says the EU's hand remains outstretched to Turkey but is renewing warnings that Ankara will not get EU membership if reinstates the death penalty.

More:Juncker: EU's hand remains outstretched to Turkey - StarTribune.com

The Loneliness of Recep Tayyip Erdogan - The Atlantic

The Loneliness of Recep Tayyip Erdogan

His lifelong resentment of secularists has decimated Turkish democracy.

More:The Loneliness of Recep Tayyip Erdogan - The Atlantic

‘An Embarrassment’: Posters Celebrating Defeat of Turkey Coup Backfire | Al Bawaba

‘An Embarrassment’: Posters Celebrating Defeat of Turkey Coup Backfire

Giant billboards with paintings representing the defeat of last year's failed coup have sparked controversy in Turkey, with critics saying they are defaming the once-powerful military.

More:‘An Embarrassment’: Posters Celebrating Defeat of Turkey Coup Backfire | Al Bawaba

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Making the Most of a Coup - Stratfor Worldview

Making the Most of a Coup

No state leader likes the thought of putschists plotting to bring him or her down. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan certainly knows how to make the most out of a coup attempt. In the year since a faction of the military tried to overthrow his administration, the Turkish president has neutralized a large swath of his political opposition, undertaken major reforms to enhance his powers and stayed the course with his expansionist foreign policy. And though his agenda still faces several obstacles ahead, Erdogan will keep invoking the victimhood narrative to maintain a tight grip on power at home while balancing an increasingly complex set of relationships abroad.

More:Making the Most of a Coup - Stratfor Worldview

The Latest: Erdogan: Coup-plotters should wear Gitmo outfits

The Latest: Erdogan: Coup-plotters should wear Gitmo outfits

7/15/17 4:23 PM

ISTANBUL — The Latest on the first anniversary since Turkey quashed last summer’s coup attempt (all times local):

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he wants hundreds of people who are on trial for plotting last year’s failed coup to appear in court wearing the same type of outfit — similar to those that were worn by detainees at Guantanamo.

More:The Latest: Erdogan: Coup-plotters should wear Gitmo outfits

Turks commemorate 1 year since coup try with massive march

Turks commemorate 1 year since coup try with massive march
By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY and SUZAN FRASER -

ISTANBUL — Waving large red Turkish flags, tens of thousands joined a national unity march in Istanbul on Saturday, converging at the iconic July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge to mark the anniversary of the failed military coup attempt that 250 people died resisting.

More:Turks commemorate 1 year since coup try with massive march

The Latest: Erdogan to marchers: You saved Turkey's future | Depend On WOKV - Jacksonville's News, Weather, and Traffic | www.wokv.com

The Latest: Erdogan to marchers: You saved Turkey's future

July 15, 2017 6:04

ISTANBUL - The Latest on the first anniversary since Turkey quashed last summer's coup attempt (all times local): 10:45 p.m. Turkey's president has likened the defeat of last year's July 15 military coup attempt to Turkey's independence war nearly a hundred years ago.

More:The Latest: Erdogan to marchers: You saved Turkey's future | Depend On WOKV - Jacksonville's News, Weather, and Traffic | www.wokv.com

In shadow of crackdown, Turkey commemorates failed coup

In shadow of crackdown, Turkey commemorates failed coup

Tuvan Gumrukcu and David Dolan

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Turks rallied to mark the anniversary of last year's failed coup on Saturday, in an outpouring of mass support for President Tayyip Erdogan that lay bare the divisions of a society riven by widespread purges.

More:In shadow of crackdown, Turkey commemorates failed coup

Inside Erdogan’s Prisons - The New York Times

Inside Erdogan’s Prisons

Safak Pavey

ISTANBUL — I have been a member of Turkish Parliament representing Istanbul for the opposition Republican People’s Party for the past six years. It has forced me to become a specialist in the Turkish prison system as President

More:Inside Erdogan’s Prisons - The New York Times

In the year since Turkey’s failed coup, democracy has become near dictatorship | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Opinion | The Guardian

In the year since Turkey’s failed coup, democracy has become near dictatorship
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan exploited the crisis to lead a purge against all oppositional voices to rule by decree. It could have all been handled so differently

More:In the year since Turkey’s failed coup, democracy has become near dictatorship | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Opinion | The Guardian

Hunger-striking pair become symbols of Turkey purge

Hunger-striking pair become symbols of Turkey purge
Posted on 14 July 2017 - 12:13pm

ANKARA: An Ankara academic and teacher who have been on hunger strike for over four months after being sacked in the wake of Turkey's failed coup have emerged as symbols of the biggest purge in the country's history.

More:Hunger-striking pair become symbols of Turkey purge

Turkey Economy Rebounds | Financial Tribune

Turkey Economy Rebounds

It was a very difficult time for Turkey. A few months after a failed coup on July 15, 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was asking people to sell their dollar-denominated savings and instead buy the local currency–lira.

More:Turkey Economy Rebounds | Financial Tribune

Meral Aksener, Turkey's Iron Lady and Challenger of Erdogan | Time.com

Turkey's 'Iron Lady' Meral Aksener Is Getting Ready to Challenge Erdogan

Jared Malsin / Istanbul Jul 14, 2017

Meral Aksener doesn’t run from fights. Turkey’s former interior minister is known informally as asena, or she-wolf. When the country's military took steps in 1997 to remove the government from power, she took a stand against its leaders. A general threatened to have the young lawmaker impaled “on an oily spike that we’ll put in front of the ministry.” Testifying about the conversation in court in 2013, she brushed the comment off. “I did what I was supposed to do,” she said.

More:Meral Aksener, Turkey's Iron Lady and Challenger of Erdogan | Time.com

Friday, July 14, 2017

Support from five continents for detained human rights advocates in Turkey - IFEX

Support from five continents for detained human rights advocates in Turkey

IPS Communication Foundation - Bianet , Canadian Journalists for Free Expression , International Federation of Journalists , PEN American Center , Index on Censorship 14 July 2017

As a reaction against human rights advocates being taken into custody in Turkey, 41 rights organizations and defenders from five different continents have made a statement demanding the release of the detained advocates and made a call to the Government and ministries.

More:Support from five continents for detained human rights advocates in Turkey - IFEX

'I can't forget it': Turkey's failed coup one year on - CNN.com

'I can't forget that night'
Fear and optimism in Turkey one year after failed coup

By Gul Tuysuz and Alper Tugra Cakici, CNN

Updated 1142 GMT (1942 HKT) July 14, 2017

Ankara, Turkey (CNN) -- On the night of July 15 last year, tanks rolled into the streets of Turkey's two largest cities. Soldiers blocked the famous Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, bombs struck the parliament building in the capital Ankara, and a helicopter stolen by rogue pilots was shot down by an F-16 jet.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hundreds of miles away at a seaside resort when the coup, mounted by a faction of the military, got underway. By the time Erdogan emerged to address the nation via FaceTime hours later, it had already begun to fizzle.

More:'I can't forget it': Turkey's failed coup one year on - CNN.com

After the coup: Turkey’s lira one year on

After the coup: Turkey’s lira one year on

It’s been a humbling 12 months for the Turkish lira. On the one-year anniversary of the country’s failed coup, the lira ranks as the world’s worst performing currency outside the frontier markets since July 15 last year.

More:After the coup: Turkey’s lira one year on

A year after the coup attempt, Turkey wrestles with the truth

A year after the coup attempt, Turkey wrestles with the truth
Erdogan still blames elusive Islamic cleric but few allies share his conviction

by: Mehul Srivastava in Ankara

Standing outside Istanbul’s Ataturk airport a year ago, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed across the ocean to the man he blamed for an attempted coup that had almost wrenched Turkey out of his grasp.

More:A year after the coup attempt, Turkey wrestles with the truth

One year after the failed coup in Turkey, the crackdown continues | World news | The Guardian

One year after the failed coup in Turkey, the crackdown continues

Mass jailings and sackings and the suspension of the rule of law by President Erdoğan have deepened Turkey’s divisions

More:One year after the failed coup in Turkey, the crackdown continues | World news | The Guardian

Year after Turkish coup, thousands feel wrongfully punished | Fox News

Year after Turkish coup, thousands feel wrongfully punished
By MEHMET GUZEL and AYSE WIETING
Published July 13, 2017

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – Abdullah Korkmaz worked as a teacher and elementary school principal in Turkey for 18 years before he was caught up, like more than 100,000 other public sector workers, in the expansive crackdown on civil servants that followed an attempted military coup a year ago.

More:Year after Turkish coup, thousands feel wrongfully punished | Fox News

Coup bid 'martyrs' become new heroes of Erdogan's Turkey

Coup bid 'martyrs' become new heroes of Erdogan's Turkey
[AFP News]
Gokan GUNES
AFP News14 July 2017

People have come from far and wide to this sleepy Anatolian village in central Turkey to recite prayers, take selfies or just think quietly.

More:Coup bid 'martyrs' become new heroes of Erdogan's Turkey

Anniversary of Turkish coup | Euronews

Anniversary of Turkish coup

It began with a distant rumble. A rumour, the dull roar of unauthorised military jets flying low over the Turkish capital. When the first tanks began to roll through the streets of Ankara and Istanbul at around 10pm, members of the public rushed out to prevent what they feared might occur: a coup d’etat. They were met with gunfire, as rogue soldiers used their element of surprise and blocked off Istanbul’s Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Bosphorus bridges.

More:Anniversary of Turkish coup | Euronews

Turkey's trauma after night of the tanks - BBC News

Turkey's trauma after night of the tanks
By Mark Lowen BBC Turkey correspondent

Sabri Unal bears the scars of Turkey's failed coup - quite literally.

On the night of 15 July last year, he joined thousands on the streets to resist the rogue soldiers attempting to seize control.

More:Turkey's trauma after night of the tanks - BBC News

Thursday, July 13, 2017

'I was offered $250,000 for Erdogan coup phone' | Euronews

Turkey 'I was offered $250,000 for Erdogan coup phone'

The Turkish journalist at the centre of the intervention that changed the course of a coup attempt last year has told Euronews that she was offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for the phone on which she broadcast a live message from president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:'I was offered $250,000 for Erdogan coup phone' | Euronews

Had the Ottoman Empire been saved rather than sunk

Had the Ottoman Empire been saved rather than sunk
Imagine the mayhem that might have been avoided

If Jul 13th 2017 WHEN a Serb gunman shot an Austrian archduke in the summer of 1914, the nations of Europe tumbled into war with all the grace of bowling pins. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, whose ally Russia declared war on Austria, whose ally Germany declared war on Russia, whose allies France and Britain declared war on Germany and Austria. By early August the continent was in flames.

More:Had the Ottoman Empire been saved rather than sunk

Turkey’s Post-Coup Purge and Erdogan’s Private Army | Foreign Policy

Turkey’s Post-Coup Purge and Erdogan’s Private Army

The Turkish president has brutally cleansed ranks and is building a new army with some strange bedfellows.

More:Turkey’s Post-Coup Purge and Erdogan’s Private Army | Foreign Policy

Turks in Germany divided over Erdogan | All media content | DW | 12.07.2017

Turks in Germany divided over Erdogan

Berlin's Kreuzberg district is home to a large Turkish population - earning it the title of 'Little Istanbul.' While residents there are divided about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, they are determined not to let politics interfere with friendships.

More:Turks in Germany divided over Erdogan | All media content | DW | 12.07.2017

Turkey detains director of film on July 15 coup attempt - The Washington Post

Turkey detains director of film on July 15 coup attempt
By Associated Press July 13 at 5:33 AM

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s official news agency says a film director has been detained on suspicion of links to a U.S.-based cleric who Turkey blames for last summer’s failed coup.

More:Turkey detains director of film on July 15 coup attempt - The Washington Post

In a mental state of emergency

Turkey one year after the attempted coup

In a mental state of emergency
The recent ″March for Justice″ organised by CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu proved a wake-up call, even for secular, politically reticent Turks. Finally people have realised that, without a voice in politics, they will slowly but surely forfeit their identity. By Yavuz Baydar

More:In a mental state of emergency

Is Turkey’s main opposition starting to act like one? - International - Jerusalem Post

Is Turkey’s main opposition starting to act like one?
ByFerhat Gurini
July 12, 2017 21:44
Even under heavy government censorship and alleged election fraud Turkish opposition might surge forward, unless a total crackdown by the government is commenced.

More:Is Turkey’s main opposition starting to act like one? - International - Jerusalem Post

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

A year later, Turkey is a divided society | Arab News

A year later, Turkey is a divided society

As the first anniversary of the coup attempt in Turkey approaches, the country has entered a week of commemoration activities. Despite the trauma, the immediate post-coup period revealed a glimpse of possibility for a new Turkey. It was an opportunity to purge the ever-present deep state, an institutionalized threat to national sovereignty, and serve as a wakeup call for the country’s unapologetic leaders.

More:A year later, Turkey is a divided society | Arab News

Legacy of Turkey coup attempt likely to have ramifications for decades to come - The National

Legacy of Turkey coup attempt likely to have ramifications for decades to come

A year on from the failed coup, the country remains under a state of emergency as president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has embarked on one of the most far-reaching purges in Turkey's modern history

More:Legacy of Turkey coup attempt likely to have ramifications for decades to come - The National

Ankara may be counting on US-Russian rivalry in Syria

Ankara may be counting on US-Russian rivalry in Syria

The Syrian crisis has taken many unexpected turns since 2011. The involvement of local and global powers has not only complicated matters but also produced unwanted results for neighboring countries such as Turkey and Iraq.

More:Ankara may be counting on US-Russian rivalry in Syria

Turkey's Erdogan says lifting emergency rule out of question - France 24

Turkey's Erdogan says lifting emergency rule out of question

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday ruled out an immediate end to the year-old state of emergency imposed after a failed coup, saying it could only be lifted once the fight against terrorism was finished.

More:Turkey's Erdogan says lifting emergency rule out of question - France 24

Turkish academics flee abroad to an uncertain life incognito

Turkish academics flee abroad to an uncertain life incognito
12.07.2017

Ayse Yildirim set out to attend an academic conference in Germany in October last year, little suspecting that she would not be permitted to return to Turkey.

Yildirim – not her real name – is a professor of law and a member of the "Academics for Freedom" network.

More than 1,100 academics have signed the network's petition calling for an end to military deployments in Turkey's Kurdish regions.

More:Turkish academics flee abroad to an uncertain life incognito

Doyen of Turkish cinema dies at 83 - Daily Sabah

Doyen of Turkish cinema dies at 83

Turkish film and theater actor Fikret Hakan passed away while undergoing treatment for lung cancer at the age of 83.

His real name was Bumin Gaffar Çıtanak, yet he was known as Fikret Hakan in the theater and film world. He was born on April 23, 1934 in the province of Balıkesir to a nurse mother and a literature teacher father. When Hakan's father was transferred to Galatasaray High School in Istanbul, the family moved to the city When he was at high school, he was interested in journalism and worked with the Istanbul Express newspaper, for which veteran journalists Abdi İpekçi and Halit Kıvanç also worked and was owned by Mithat Perin. He started earning money when his stories began to be published, which caused him to drift away from school. He first performed at Ses Theater as a clown in the "Three Doves" operetta in 1950. Then, he changed his name and acted in "Leblebici Horhor" and "Afrodit."

More:Doyen of Turkish cinema dies at 83 - Daily Sabah

Turkey's coup: questions linger one year on

Turkey's coup: questions linger one year on
[AFP News]
Fulya OZERKAN

Just before midnight on July 15, 2016, a tear-stained anchorwoman, clearly under duress, appeared on Turkish state television to announce the purported seizure of power by the army.

Shortly after she read the statement -- said to be in the name of the armed forces -- war planes bombed Ankara and tanks surged into the streets of Istanbul in a night of violence that left 249 people dead.

More:Turkey's coup: questions linger one year on

Turkey: Dissents on hunger strike | All media content | DW | 11.07.2017

Turkey: Dissents on hunger strike

Turkish artists and intellectuals petitioned the government to release two teachers who have been on a hunger strike for 111 days. The two went on hunger strike in Ankara in March to protest the loss of their jobs after Turkey sacked a raft of public sector workers following a failed coup in July last year.

More:Turkey: Dissents on hunger strike | All media content | DW | 11.07.2017

It will be ‘comforting’ if EU says Turkey cannot be accepted as member: Erdoğan tells BBC - DIPLOMACY

It will be ‘comforting’ if EU says Turkey cannot be accepted as member: Erdoğan tells BBC

It will be “comforting” for Turkey if the EU says frankly that it cannot accept the country as a member, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

More:It will be ‘comforting’ if EU says Turkey cannot be accepted as member: Erdoğan tells BBC - DIPLOMACY

A very difficult period for Turkey in international relations - Emre Gönen - Daily Sabah

A very difficult period for Turkey in international relations

Turkey and its Western allies must find a way to mend their frozen relations and prevent things from getting totally out of hand

More:A very difficult period for Turkey in international relations - Emre Gönen - Daily Sabah

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "They Should Look Up What Dictator Means!" | ZEIT ONLINE

"They Should Look Up What Dictator Means!"

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his image in Germany, his troubled relationship with politicians and journalists in the country and his view of the case of imprisoned journalist Deniz Yücel

Interview: Giovanni di Lorenzo

More:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "They Should Look Up What Dictator Means!" | ZEIT ONLINE

Monday, July 10, 2017

In search of a Turkish Macron - James in Turkey

In search of a Turkish Macron

Monday 10 July 2017 0

In search of a Turkish Macron Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is not the man who can defeat President Erdoğan, but he’s laying the ground for someone who could The statistics, oft-repeated, are very impressive. The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party walked, rain or shine, along the 432-kilometre road connecting the country’s capital to its largest city. It took 24 days for him and his followers, often numbering in tens of thousands, to complete the route.

More:In search of a Turkish Macron - James in Turkey

Tillerson Marks Failed Turkish Coup Anniversary

Tillerson Marks Failed Turkish Coup Anniversary

July 09, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has marked the anniversary this week of last year's failed coup coup in Turkey, praising the courage of the Turkish people in defending democracy but failing to mention the widespread government crackdown that has followed since.

More:Tillerson Marks Failed Turkish Coup Anniversary

Sunday, July 09, 2017

Turkey’s main opposition prepares ‘world’s biggest petition’ for jailed journalists, academics - POLITICS

Turkey’s main opposition prepares ‘world’s biggest petition’ for jailed journalists, academics

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been preparing what it claims to be the “world’s biggest petition” for jailed journalists and academics in Turkey.

More:Turkey’s main opposition prepares ‘world’s biggest petition’ for jailed journalists, academics - POLITICS

One year on from the failed coup, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is more autocratic than ever | Opinion | The Guardian

One year on from the failed coup, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is more autocratic than ever

This week is the first anniversary of the failed coup against Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a coup he has used since to further alienate his opponents. Most recently, on 16 April, he won a referendum to become head of state and head of government simultaneously, emerging as the most unassailable Turkish politician since Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established the secular republic in 1923.

More:One year on from the failed coup, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is more autocratic than ever | Opinion | The Guardian

Saturday, July 08, 2017

The American AKP

The American AKP

Djene Bajalan Michael Brooks

The Republican Party has more in common with Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian AKP than GOP leaders would like to admit.

In May, the American public was treated to an extraordinary spectacle: a violent confrontation between Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s security detail and a crowd of predominantly Kurdish protesters.

More:The American AKP

Lawmakers propose halting F-35 sale, visas after Turkish embassy fight | TheHill

Lawmakers propose halting F-35 sale, visas after Turkish embassy fight
By Ellen Mitchell - 07/07/17 05:27 PM EDT

Several lawmakers are looking to withhold military equipment and visas from Turkey in an attempt to force its government to comply with U.S. law after the May attacks on protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington.

More:Lawmakers propose halting F-35 sale, visas after Turkish embassy fight | TheHill

Turkey Detains 29 Suspected Islamic State Militants in Istanbul: Anadolu | World News | US News

Turkey Detains 29 Suspected Islamic State Militants in Istanbul: Anadolu

July 7, 2017, at 6:45 a.m.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish police have detained 29 suspected Islamic State militants in Istanbul, 22 of them foreign nationals, believed to be preparing to travel to Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Friday.

More:Turkey Detains 29 Suspected Islamic State Militants in Istanbul: Anadolu | World News | US News

Turkey’s justice march: Democracy bouncing back? - MURAT YETKİN

Turkey’s justice march: Democracy bouncing back?

A couple of hours after main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu entered the provincial borders of Istanbul on July 7, with 40 kilometers left to go to reach his target, I was having lunch with a diverse group of people.

More:Turkey’s justice march: Democracy bouncing back? - MURAT YETKİN

Nuclear Awareness In Turkey – OpEd – Eurasia Review

Nuclear Awareness In Turkey – OpEd
July 8, 2017 Haluk Direskeneli 0 Comment Energy, Nuclear, Politics, Turkey

By Haluk Direskeneli

Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) management in Ankara closed 30 years of Nuclear education in 1999. More than 2000 M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis on nuclear technology are standing idle in the library shelves since then. METU has decided to educate the environment and renewable energy. Metu Management has no intention of re-opening the nuclear issue.

More:Nuclear Awareness In Turkey – OpEd – Eurasia Review

Friday, July 07, 2017

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics - Stratfor Worldview

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics

By John VanPool for the European Geopolitical Forum

President Erdogan goes to Washington

Turkey watchers observed with anticipation the meeting between two of the world’s most outspoken leaders when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Donald Trump met in Washington D.C. on May 16. For all that was at stake – the U.S. plans to arm Kurdish militias in Syria, the extradition request for Fethullah Gulen, Turkey’s payments to Trump’s former National Security Advisor – the meeting flew under the radar for its lack of significant announcements. This was due in part to the American leader’s domestic troubles, as he attempted to navigate a growing scandal concerning his campaign’s ties to Russia and the firing of the head of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

More:Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics - Stratfor Worldview

The end of the road: Turkish opposition march finishes in Istanbul | Euronews

The end of the road: Turkish opposition march finishes in Istanbul

‘Casting off a shirt of fear’. That’s how Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu described a three-week ‘justice march’ from Ankara to Istanbul.

More:The end of the road: Turkish opposition march finishes in Istanbul | Euronews

Beyond a binary identity

Beyond a binary identity

The German-speaking author Deniz Utlu writes about migration and identity in a way that is at once to the point and poetical. In interview with Canan Topcu, he explains why his Turkish roots seem more important to others than they do to him and how he himself defines his identity

More:Beyond a binary identity

'We were so close,' says diplomat as another Cyprus reunification bid flops | Reuters

'We were so close,' says diplomat as another Cyprus reunification bid flops

By Michele Kambas | ATHENS

The best chance in generations to broker a deal over ethnically-split Cyprus collapsed in acrimony early on Friday, throwing the prospect of any reunification into disarray.

More:'We were so close,' says diplomat as another Cyprus reunification bid flops | Reuters

We are marching to halt Turkey’s slide into authoritarianism | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Opinion | The Guardian

We are marching to halt Turkey’s slide into authoritarianism

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
The only way to fight the rise of illiberal populism is to stand united in defence of democratic values. This is the message of our justice march

More:We are marching to halt Turkey’s slide into authoritarianism | Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Opinion | The Guardian

Trump, Putin and Erdogan: the three men upending global diplomacy - CNN.com

Trump, Putin and Erdogan: the three men upending global diplomacy
Nic Robertson-Profile-Image

By Nic Robertson, CNN

Updated 0707 GMT (1507 HKT) July 7, 2017

(CNN)Ever heard the one about the three world leaders who walked into a meeting room?
The first says: "I'm the most powerful man in the room -- 33 million people follow me on Twitter."
The second says: "I'm the most powerful man in the room -- I've banned Twitter."

And the third says: "No, I'm the most powerful man in the room -- I've got all the passwords."
The punch line, of course, is that no one can tell any of them that they are wrong.

More:Trump, Putin and Erdogan: the three men upending global diplomacy - CNN.com

Merkel meets Erdogan, Trump ahead of tense G20 summit | Euronews

Merkel meets Erdogan, Trump ahead of tense G20 summit
Today's Top Stories

Leaders of the world’s richest countries arrived in Hamburg on Thursday (July 6) for the G20 summit. Among them was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the two-day event.

More:Merkel meets Erdogan, Trump ahead of tense G20 summit | Euronews

Turkey detains 10 at human rights meeting, EU, US concerned – EURACTIV.com

Turkey detains 10 at human rights meeting, EU, US concerned

EURACTIV.com with Reuters

Turkish police have detained 10 people, including the local director of Amnesty International and other rights activists, on suspicion of membership in a terrorist organization, Amnesty said yesterday (6 July) in what it called a “grotesque abuse of power”.

More:Turkey detains 10 at human rights meeting, EU, US concerned – EURACTIV.com

How Erdoganism Is Killing Turkish Democracy | Foreign Affairs

How Erdoganism Is Killing Turkish Democracy
The End of Political Opposition
By Soner Cagaptay and Oya Rose Aktas

Turkey was undeniably transformed by last July’s failed coup. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having barely survived an attempt on this life, has become a Turkish Muslim messiah in the eyes of his supporters: he is the unchallenged leader of the nation, charged with reinvigorating the Muslim umma, the global Muslim community. Opposition has become blasphemous. Those who refuse to support him are anti-Turkish and anti-Muslim and therefore enemies of the state. This is terrible news for Turkey’s democracy, which requires a healthy opposition to survive.

More:How Erdoganism Is Killing Turkish Democracy | Foreign Affairs

Thursday, July 06, 2017

On 250-Mile March, Turkey Opposition Starts to Find Its Way - Bloomberg

On 250-Mile March, Turkey Opposition Starts to Find Its Way
By Firat Kozok
, Taylan Bilgic
, and Benjamin Harvey
July 5, 2017, 11:00 PM GMT+2 July 6, 2017, 2:27 PM GMT+2

After walking for hours in the rain with a more than mile-long column of protesters trekking west toward Istanbul, Turkey’s main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu swapped his wet sneakers for a pair of sandals to give his feet a rest.

More:On 250-Mile March, Turkey Opposition Starts to Find Its Way - Bloomberg

EU parliament calls for Turkey accession talks to be suspended | Reuters

EU parliament calls for Turkey accession talks to be suspended

By Ece Toksabay and Tulay Karadeniz | ANKARA

The European Parliament called on Thursday for Turkey's European Union accession talks to be suspended if Ankara fully implements plans to expand President Tayyip Erdogan's powers, in a vote which Turkey dismissed as flawed and wrong.

More:EU parliament calls for Turkey accession talks to be suspended | Reuters

Qatar becoming another diplomatic debacle for Turkey

Qatar becoming another diplomatic debacle for Turkey

The Qatar crisis may be shaping up as another instance of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “jump before you look” approach to foreign policy. Rowing against the current seems to have become a feature of Ankara’s relations with the Middle East since the start of the now all but dead Arab Spring.

More:Qatar becoming another diplomatic debacle for Turkey

Wednesday, July 05, 2017

The terrible twilight of Turkish democracy - The Boston Globe

The terrible twilight of Turkish democracy

By Stephen Kinzer July 05, 2017

Last week I received a bizarre invitation. A bureaucrat in Istanbul asked me to help the Turkish government celebrate its commitment to democracy. I was invited to be one of about 30 journalists who will contribute articles to a special magazine that is to be distributed in Istanbul and six foreign cities on July 15.

More:The terrible twilight of Turkish democracy - The Boston Globe

Raising Awareness: Food Labelling in Turkey - Lexology

Raising Awareness: Food Labelling in Turkey

Increasing concern about healthy nutrition in recent years has brought with it legislative amendments.

Turkey has also raised its regulative standards in this regard by issuing the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex Food Labelling and the Provision of Food Information to Consumers (“Regulation”), which entered into force on 26 January 2017.

More:Raising Awareness: Food Labelling in Turkey - Lexology

We all walk alone - AHU ÖZYURT

We all walk alone

Turkey is talking about justice thanks to the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) 480-km march from the capital Ankara to Istanbul. But it is not the only high-profile political case that prompted the march.

More:We all walk alone - AHU ÖZYURT

Turkey adds 7.8 percent tax to alcoholic beverages, further price hikes expected - BUSINESS

Turkey adds 7.8 percent tax to alcoholic beverages, further price hikes expected

An additional 7.8 percent special consumption tax has been added for alcoholic beverages in July, automatically in line with Turkey’s producer price index in the first half of the year.

More:Turkey adds 7.8 percent tax to alcoholic beverages, further price hikes expected - BUSINESS

Interpol removes Turkey from database after Ankara uploads 60,000 ‘wanted’ Gülenist names: Report - DIPLOMACY

Interpol removes Turkey from database after Ankara uploads 60,000 ‘wanted’ Gülenist names: Report

Interpol removes Turkey from database after Ankara uploads 60,000 ‘wanted’ Gülenist names: Report] Interpol has removed Turkey from its database after Ankara uploaded a list of 60,000 people sought over suspected links to what Turkish prosecutors call the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), daily Karar has reported.

More:Interpol removes Turkey from database after Ankara uploads 60,000 ‘wanted’ Gülenist names: Report - DIPLOMACY

Tuesday, July 04, 2017

Turkish Party Takes Contested Referendum to European Court

Turkish Party Takes Contested Referendum to European Court
July 04, 2017 3:47 AM

ANKARA —

Turkey's main opposition party is filing a petition to the European Court of Human Rights challenging Turkey's April referendum that increases the powers of the president.

More:Turkish Party Takes Contested Referendum to European Court

Turkey’s ‘Justice March’ leaves Erdogan with difficult options - France 24

Turkey’s ‘Justice March’ leaves Erdogan with difficult options

Thousands of protesters hold a 1,100 meters-long national flag at the CHP Justice March on July 1, 2017. Text by Leela JACINTO Latest update : 2017-07-04 When the leader of Turkey’s main secular opposition party began a march for justice from Ankara to Istanbul, it caught everyone by surprise. But as the protest nears its endpoint, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces tough options.

More:Turkey’s ‘Justice March’ leaves Erdogan with difficult options - France 24

Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi says electronics ban on US flights to be lifted on July 5 - The Financial Express

Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi says electronics ban on US flights to be lifted on July 5
The chief executive of Turkish Airlines expects the ban on electronic devices on flights the United States to be lifted on July 5, he said on Twitter on Monday.

More:Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi says electronics ban on US flights to be lifted on July 5 - The Financial Express

A courageous investment in tourism - GİLA BENMAYOR

A courageous investment in tourism

Bank loans in Turkey’s tourism industry have increased 70 percent in the past two-and-a-half years, despite undergoing a deep crisis. According to official data, average room prices have gone down 35 percent while one million people have lost their jobs. Amid this atmosphere, I met a brave Don Quixote investing in this industry.

More:A courageous investment in tourism - GİLA BENMAYOR

Monday, July 03, 2017

War and peace in Turkey - NURAY MERT

War and peace in Turkey

Turkey’s rulers sound like the country is on the verge of a formal declaration of war against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The YPG is already listed as a terrorist organization, as a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and recognized as one of the major threats against Turkey’s security. However, it is only after U.S. policy culminated in openly providing weapons and political support to the YPG under the pretext of the Raqqa operation that Turkey’s ruling powers started to voice an extreme reaction.

More:War and peace in Turkey - NURAY MERT

Turkey's increasing reliance on drone systems

Turkey's increasing reliance on drone systems

By: Burak Ege Bekdil, July 3, 2017

ANKARA — Turkey’s military and procurement officials are increasingly relying on various drone systems, most notably to boost the country’s asymmetrical fight against Kurdish insurgents and hostile Islamist groups fighting in the Syrian civil war.

More:Turkey's increasing reliance on drone systems

Dispute About Teaching Evolution in Turkish Schools Escalates

Dispute About Teaching Evolution in Turkish Schools Escalates
July 03, 2017 11:16 AM

Dorian Jones

ISTANBUL, TURKEY —

A dispute in Turkey over the removal of the theory of evolution from schools is set to escalate further.

Turkey’s main teachers' union, Egitim Sen announced it is turning to the courts.

More:Dispute About Teaching Evolution in Turkish Schools Escalates

This Mild-Mannered Accountant Is Challenging Turkey’s Erdogan

This Mild-Mannered Accountant Is Challenging Turkey’s Erdogan

“Turkey has to find an exit from this authoritarianism,” said the country's main opposition leader, who has been leading a march for justice from Ankara to Istanbul.

More:This Mild-Mannered Accountant Is Challenging Turkey’s Erdogan

Spotlight: Tensions rise as Turkish opposition march nears Istanbul - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Spotlight: Tensions rise as Turkish opposition march nears Istanbul
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 22:10:24|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Political tensions are high in Turkey as a massive protest march launched by the opposition nears its final destination, Istanbul, amid severe criticism from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Spotlight: Tensions rise as Turkish opposition march nears Istanbul - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkey: U.S. could lift laptop ban on flights from Istanbul - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkey: U.S. could lift laptop ban on flights from Istanbul

ANKARA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. laptop ban on flights from Istanbul will be lifted after security examinations carried out by U.S. delegation at Istanbul Ataturk Airport could be passed this week, local Hurriyet Daily News reported on Monday.

More:Turkey: U.S. could lift laptop ban on flights from Istanbul - Xinhua | English.news.cn

The Aspiring Sultan

The Aspiring Sultan

July 03, 2017

For the world he may seem an autocrat in the guise of democratically elected presidency; for western media he might be a tyrant who oppresses dissent and critique; through the lens of left wingers he might be an ultra-conservative Islamist leader; and from the bastions of human rights’ perspective he might be a ruthless politician; but for the majority of his citizens he is the flamboyant president who steered his country out of the tides of financial ordeal to the shores of prosperity hence regaining international respect. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is a versatile character.

More:The Aspiring Sultan

Sunday, July 02, 2017

APA - Turkey: We will respond to any kind of terrorist threat

Turkey: We will respond to any kind of terrorist threat

A A+ A- Turkey said Saturday that it will respond to any kind of terror threat coming from the soil of Syria or any other country, APA reports quoting Anadolu.

More:APA - Turkey: We will respond to any kind of terrorist threat

Saturday, July 01, 2017

Erdogan slams opposition as 'justice march' nears Istanbul - The Express Tribune

Erdogan slams opposition as 'justice march' nears Istanbul

ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused Turkey’s main opposition party of siding with terrorism, as a three-week “march for justice” led by its chief neared its ending point of Istanbul.

More:Erdogan slams opposition as 'justice march' nears Istanbul - The Express Tribune

Evolution vs. Erdogan: Turkey Struggles with Basic Science

Evolution vs. Erdogan: Turkey Struggles with Basic Science
July 01, 2017 4:14 AM

The separation of church and state was enshrined in Turkey's constitution by constitutional amendment in 1928. But the current government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has received some criticism for eroding the country's historic commitment to secularism. The latest move by the government is to ban the teaching of evolution in high school. VOA's Kevin Enochs reports.

More:Evolution vs. Erdogan: Turkey Struggles with Basic Science

‘The lone cry of millions of Turkish democrats’: Interview with Kader Sevinç - Independent Turkey

‘The lone cry of millions of Turkish democrats’: Interview with Kader Sevinç
July 1, 2017

By Piero Castellano

“The goal of the march is to galvanize the public in support of the high value of justice and to alert the government that the political price of manipulating the judiciary will be high and will not be tolerated by the people.”

More:‘The lone cry of millions of Turkish democrats’: Interview with Kader Sevinç - Independent Turkey

Unpredictable Trump: Not so unpredictable on Turkey - CANSU ÇAMLIBEL

Unpredictable Trump: Not so unpredictable on Turkey

A few days ago we heard from one of the top diplomats of the United States that the “unpredictability” of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy has been serving her well in her negotiations with other countries. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, in a hearing before the Congress, implied that Trump’s doctrine of diplomatic chaos was a kind of planned strategy.

More:Unpredictable Trump: Not so unpredictable on Turkey - CANSU ÇAMLIBEL