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Friday, May 31, 2019

Turkish economy emerges from recession after three quarters  | Financial Times

Turkish economy emerges from recession after three quarters 
Growth boosted by politically motivated lending in run-up to elections, analysts say

More:Turkish economy emerges from recession after three quarters  | Financial Times

Turkey’s Economic Pain Casts Blow to Erdogan Ahead of Istanbul Rerun - WSJ

Turkey’s Economic Pain Casts Blow to Erdogan Ahead of Istanbul Rerun

The country is also caught in a high-stakes feud with the U.S., its main military ally
By David Gauthier-Villars
Updated May 31, 2019 8:54 a.m. ET
ISTANBUL—Turkey’s economy returned to growth in the first three months of 2019 but remained smaller than it was a year earlier, in a stain on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s record ahead of a rerun of the Istanbul mayoral race.

more:Turkey’s Economic Pain Casts Blow to Erdogan Ahead of Istanbul Rerun - WSJ

Cherry-picking through Turkey's gloom: The funds staying put while others flee - Reuters

Cherry-picking through Turkey's gloom: The funds staying put while others flee
Tom Arnold

LONDON (Reuters) - While Turkey’s economy flounders, some foreign funds are buying into everything from fizzy drinks firms to automakers to banks as they winnow out likely survivors in the country’s beaten down corporate bond and equity markets.

More:Cherry-picking through Turkey's gloom: The funds staying put while others flee - Reuters

Turkish economy shrinks again as currency crisis bites - Reuters

Turkish economy shrinks again as currency crisis bites
Behiye Selin Taner, Daren Butler
4 MIN READ

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Turkish economy shrank sharply year on year for the second straight quarter in early 2019, laying bare the impact of a punishing currency crisis and soaring inflation and interest rates against a tense political backdrop.

More:Turkish economy shrinks again as currency crisis bites - Reuters

: The last nomads of Anatolia - Qantara.de

The last nomads of Anatolia

Half a century ago about one thousand families moved through the Anatolian steppe, today there are only 86, including the Gobut family of the Yoruk nomadic tribe. Osman Orsal accompanied them.

More:
: The last nomads of Anatolia - Qantara.de

Pentagon calls Turkey plan to buy Russian missile 'devastating'

Pentagon calls Turkey plan to buy Russian missile 'devastating'

Date created : 30/05/2019 - 23:45

A top Pentagon official said on Thursday the consequences would be "devastating" for Turkey's joint F-35 fighter program and its cooperation with NATO if the country bought a Russian missile defense system.

More:Pentagon calls Turkey plan to buy Russian missile 'devastating'

How U.S. sanctions over a Russian weapon could rattle Turkey | One America News Network

How U.S. Sanctions Over A Russian Weapon Could Rattle Turkey

Turkey and U.S. flags are seen in this picture illustration taken August 25, 2018. Picture taken August 25, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
May 30, 2019

By Jonathan Spicer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey is on the cusp of facing U.S. sanctions over its decision to buy a Russian S-400 missile defense system, leaving its already soft currency and economy vulnerable and raising questions over its position within NATO and the region.

More:How U.S. sanctions over a Russian weapon could rattle Turkey | One America News Network

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Opinion polls show ousted Istanbul mayor leading ahead of re-run vote - Reuters

Opinion polls show ousted Istanbul mayor leading ahead of re-run vote
Orhan Coskun, Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) - Istanbul’s ousted opposition mayor is leading President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party candidate by three percentage points ahead of next month’s re-run mayoral election, according to an opinion poll conducted for the AKP campaign.

more:Opinion polls show ousted Istanbul mayor leading ahead of re-run vote - Reuters

Turkish warplanes strike targets in Iraq ~ WIC News

Turkish warplanes strike targets in Iraq
By WIC News Reporter - 30 May 2019, at 8:19 am
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Turkish warplanes and attack helicopters struck targets in the mountains of northern Iraq, Turkey’s defense ministry said on Thursday, adding that the military had “neutralized” 19 Kurdish militants as its operation there entered a fourth day.

more;Turkish warplanes strike targets in Iraq ~ WIC News

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Turkey breaks up Europe's biggest human smuggling ring

Turkey breaks up Europe's biggest human smuggling ring

Twenty people, including ringleader Akbar Omar Tawfeeq, detained in operations in four Turkish provinces after a year-long investigation into the organisation, Istanbul police say.

More:Turkey breaks up Europe's biggest human smuggling ring

False Dawn Looms Over Turkish Economy After Likely Recession End - Bloomberg

False Dawn Looms Over Turkish Economy After Likely Recession End
By Cagan Koc
May 29, 2019, 5:40 PM GMT+3

A long slog awaits Turkey even if its first recession in a decade ended last quart

More:False Dawn Looms Over Turkish Economy After Likely Recession End - Bloomberg

European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Key findings of the 2019 Report on Turkey

European Commission - Countries insights
Key findings of the 2019 Report on Turkey
Brussels, 29 May 2019

Political criteria

The state of emergency introduced on 15 July 2016 in the aftermath of the attempted coup ended on 18 July 2018, when its last extension expired, but was immediately followed by the adoption by the Turkish parliament of a law that retained many elements of the emergency rule for further three years. The law limits certain fundamental freedoms, allowing in particular to dismiss public servants (including judges) and to prolong detentions, to restrict freedom of movement and public assembly, and extending powers for Government-appointed provincial governors.

more:European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Key findings of the 2019 Report on Turkey

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Stake in World's Biggest Airport Said on Sale Weeks After Open - Bloomberg

Stake in World's Biggest Airport on Sale Weeks After Open
By Ercan Ersoy and Kerim Karakaya
May 23, 2019, 5:11 PM GMT+3 Updated on May 23, 2019, 5:58 PM GMT+3
Vinci, ADP and its Turkish unit are among interested parties
Hub is one of world’s largest; footprint larger than Manhattan

Some of the owners of the joint venture that operates Istanbul’s giant new airport hired Lazard Ltd. to sell their stake in the $11 billion hub, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The U.S. investment bank is working with some members of the IGA consortium to provide a valuation of the airport and manage discussions with potential buyers, the people said, asking not to be identified because the process is confidential.

More:Stake in World's Biggest Airport Said on Sale Weeks After Open - Bloomberg

Vanishing profits: Lira rout hits Turkey’s top firms | News | Al Jazeera

Vanishing profits: Lira rout hits Turkey’s top firms

Turkey’s leading industrial firms wrestle with mounting financing costs triggered by the depreciation of the lira.

More:Vanishing profits: Lira rout hits Turkey’s top firms | News | Al Jazeera

Turkey's ruling AKP shares altered video of opposition's Istanbul candidate, mars campaign -Cumhuriyet | Ahval

Turkey's ruling AKP shares altered video of opposition's Istanbul candidate, mars campaign -Cumhuriyet

Turkey's ruling party officials have used modified footage from the televised speech of the main opposition party Istanbul mayoral candidate, misleading the audience and marring his campaign ahead of city's election rerun on June 23, opposition daily Cumhuriyet said on Tuesday.

More:Turkey's ruling AKP shares altered video of opposition's Istanbul candidate, mars campaign -Cumhuriyet | Ahval

Constitutional Court Rules Blocking Access To Content On Social Media Violates Freedoms Of Speech And The Press - Government, Public Sector - Turkey

Turkey: Constitutional Court Rules Blocking Access To Content On Social Media Violates Freedoms Of Speech And The Press
Last Updated: 28 May 2019
Article by İlay Yılmaz and Can Sozer
Baker & McKenzie / Esin Attorney Partnership

Recent Development
In its decision dated April 17, 2019 with number 2015/4821 ("Decision"), the Constitutional Court ruled that the Criminal Judicature of Peace's decision to block access to content on social media violates freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The decision was published on the Official Gazette on May 15, 2019.

More:Constitutional Court Rules Blocking Access To Content On Social Media Violates Freedoms Of Speech And The Press - Government, Public Sector - Turkey

Turkish professor receives Council of Europe award - Turkey News

Turkish professor receives Council of Europe award
Ä°STANBUL

Professor Feride Acar, one of Turkey’s most prominent academics who has worked to promote women’s rights, was awarded the Council of Europe Pro Merito Medal on May 23.

More:Turkish professor receives Council of Europe award - Turkey News

Monday, May 27, 2019

Who is Europe punishing in Turkey? The rulers or ordinary citizens?

Who is Europe punishing in Turkey? The rulers or ordinary citizens?

It took years for Galatasaray University to partner with University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne to introduce a program that would enable students going to the former to also have a diploma from the latter.

More:Who is Europe punishing in Turkey? The rulers or ordinary citizens?

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Airplanes Against Istanbul Airport, Pilots Worry - RayHaber

Airplanes Against Istanbul Airport, Pilots Worry
26/05/2019 Levent ElmastaÅŸ 34 Istanbul, GENERAL, Airports, HIGHWAYS, HEADLINE, Marmara Region, TURKEY 0

Due to the severe downpour in Istanbul yesterday, flights were also affected negatively. Planes to fly to the newly opened Istanbul Airport, had to take a long tour of the air before landing. As it is known, a short time ago, the airplanes did not land at the airport because of the wind and had a long tour in the air. Some airplanes were directed to Corlu Airport. The pilot of the airport, where the plane of the day was hit by a lightning pole

More:Airplanes Against Istanbul Airport, Pilots Worry - RayHaber

Desperate to reclaim Istanbul, Erdogan does the unthinkable - Turkey - Haaretz.com

Desperate to Reclaim Istanbul, Erdogan Does the Unthinkable

Erdogan, who is trying to stick a wedge between the Kurdish voters and the Republican People’s Party, is taking advantage of Kurdish anger over Ekrem Imamoglu’s neglect to demand the release of 'arch-terrorist' Abdullah Ocalan

More:Desperate to reclaim Istanbul, Erdogan does the unthinkable - Turkey - Haaretz.com

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Turkey: Opposition breaks through, Erdogan's bloc “resists” - International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

Turkey: Opposition breaks through, Erdogan’s bloc “resists”
Saturday 25 May 2019, by Uraz Aydin

Presented as a “matter of survival” by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the municipal elections of March 31, 2019 ended in an undeniable failure for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) with the loss of the most important cities, including Istanbul and Ankara held for 25 years by Islamists, to the benefit of the opposition. However, by challenging the results and calling a recount of spoiled ballots, the AKP “resists”.

More:Turkey: Opposition breaks through, Erdogan's bloc “resists” - International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

The Ankara Ultimatum

The Ankara Ultimatum
Subtlety and nuance are not a priority in Trump’s dealing with Turkey

James Gorrie
May 24, 2019 Updated: May 24, 2019 Share
   
Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy is less than subtle. It has been said that wherever he—the bull—goes, he brings his own China shop with him. But in some cases, like Turkey, it has an advantage: Everybody knows where they stand.

More:The Ankara Ultimatum

Friday, May 24, 2019

Turkey's communist mayor sparks national controversy with city name-change | Middle East Eye

Turkey's communist mayor sparks national controversy with city name-change

Fatih Mehmet Macoglu has been accused of reopening old wounds by agreeing to switch Tunceli to Dersim on municipal buildings

More:Turkey's communist mayor sparks national controversy with city name-change | Middle East Eye

CNN Türk betrays journalistic principles - Financial Times | Ahval

CNN Türk betrays journalistic principles - Financial Times

CNN's Turkish sister channel, CNN Türk, is under fire over accusations of bias favouring Turkey's ruling party ahead of March 31 local polls, while CNN casts itself as a defender of press freedom, Financial Times reported on Friday.

More:CNN Türk betrays journalistic principles - Financial Times | Ahval

Thursday, May 23, 2019

No more tariff-free modules from Turkey – pv magazine USA

No more tariff-free modules from Turkey

U.S. President Donald Trump has removed Turkey from the list of developing nations not subject to Section 201 tariffs on PV cells and modules.

More:No more tariff-free modules from Turkey – pv magazine USA

Top Turkish Electoral Judges Split Over Istanbul Vote Rerun Call - Bloomberg

Top Turkish Electoral Judges Split Over Istanbul Vote Rerun Call
By Selcan Hacaoglu
May 23, 2019, 2:50 PM GMT+3

Ekrem Imamoglu on May 22. Photographer: Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images
Turkey’s top electoral body was split in deciding to order a rerun of mayoral elections in Istanbul, with its chief arguing that poll irregularities were limited and linked to several parties, including the ruling AKP.

More:Top Turkish Electoral Judges Split Over Istanbul Vote Rerun Call - Bloomberg

Why Turkey’s Debt Crisis Is A Bigger Risk To The Eurozone Than The PIGS – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Why Turkey’s Debt Crisis Is A Bigger Risk To The Eurozone Than The PIGS – Analysis
May 23, 2019 Claudio Grass
By Claudio Grass

Turkey has been almost constantly in the news over the past year, as troubling headlines about its economy and political situation continue to pile up. In a currency meltdown that escalated last summer, the Turkish lira has plunged by nearly 40%, threatening the Turkish economy as a whole. In January, inflation topped 20%, with skyrocketing food prices having an especially severe impact on the population. At the same time, unemployment hit 14.7%, its highest level in a decade, and a figure that’s only expected to rise further, as the Turkish economy is projected to contract by 2% in 2019.

More:Why Turkey’s Debt Crisis Is A Bigger Risk To The Eurozone Than The PIGS – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Deposed Istanbul mayor blasts ‘lies’ used to annul election | World | Malay Mail

Deposed Istanbul mayor blasts ‘lies’ used to annul election
Published 2 hours ago on 22 May 2019

Ekrem Imamoglu called on voters to 'correct this great shame' in next month's re-run.. — Reuters pic
ISTANBUL, May 22 — Istanbul’s deposed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said today that no one believed the “lies” used to overturn his recent election and called on voters to “correct this great shame” in next month’s re-run.

More:Deposed Istanbul mayor blasts ‘lies’ used to annul election | World | Malay Mail

Shell's first solar-powered retailer opens in Ankara - Daily Sabah

Shell's first solar-powered retailer opens in Ankara
DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL
Published
22.05.2019
Shell & Turcas, which commenced operations in 2006 following a joint venture agreement inked between Turcas and Shell Turkey in 2005 for retail and commercial sales, has opened its first solar-powered fuel station in Ankara.

More:Shell's first solar-powered retailer opens in Ankara - Daily Sabah

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Fog Flaw Found With New Istanbul Airport - Simple Flying

Fog Flaw Found With New Istanbul Airport
by
Joanna Bailey
May 20, 2019

Istanbul’s new ‘megahub’ airport has had to divert numerous flights due to bad weather. Last week, several flights were sent to Çorlu, 60 miles to the west of the new airport, as fog engulfed the facility. Experts say that they warned about this issue, and that it will only continue to re-occur as the site was wholly unsuitable for aviation.

More:Fog Flaw Found With New Istanbul Airport - Simple Flying

How Turkish Food Turned Sexy - Transitions Online

How Turkish Food Turned Sexy
Turkish chefs are experimenting with new ways of “sharing” food – increasingly through social media.
by Emel Altay
20 May 2019

Long queues of excited people form every day outside Ahmet Cicek’s restaurant in Besiktas, one of Istanbul’s busiest neighborhoods, as locals and tourists alike flock to try his specialty dish of mussels stuffed with lemon-spiked rice.

More:How Turkish Food Turned Sexy - Transitions Online

Turkey groans under economic pressure from Saudis

Turkey groans under economic pressure from Saudis
Amberin Zaman May 20, 2019

ARTICLE SUMMARY
Once Turkey's biggest foreign buyers of real estate, Saudis are increasingly boycotting the country as the kingdom's chamber of commerce warns citizens away.

Tensions between Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are spilling over into the economic realm with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry warning Saudis against investing in Turkey.

More:Turkey groans under economic pressure from Saudis

Monday, May 20, 2019

Turkey starts new civil service purge | World | The Times

Turkey starts new civil service purge
Hannah Lucinda Smith, Istanbul
May 20 2019

Turkey has issued warrants for the arrest of 249 foreign ministry officials in another purge nearly three years after a failed coup.

Ninety-one staff have already been detained in police operations across 42 provinces. The chief prosecutor’s office in Ankara said yesterday that it initiated the operations as a result of investigations into irregularities in the foreign service entrance exams.

More:Turkey starts new civil service purge | World | The Times

Is New Istanbul Airport Already In Danger Of Failing? - Live and Let's Fly

IS NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT ALREADY IN DANGER OF FAILING?
MATTHEW MAY 20, 2019

Will Istanbul’s beautiful new airport fail on account of clouds and fog? Some experts fear the answer is yes.

More:Is New Istanbul Airport Already In Danger Of Failing? - Live and Let's Fly

Spotlight: Turkey's ruling party changes strategy for Istanbul election do-over - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Spotlight: Turkey's ruling party changes strategy for Istanbul election do-over
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-20 20:08:23|Editor: ZX
ANKARA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The two blocs of Turkish political landscape are getting ready for their strategies to appeal voters of Istanbul, the biggest city of the country, for the re-run of mayoral election on June 23.

More:Spotlight: Turkey's ruling party changes strategy for Istanbul election do-over - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkey world’s second largest beekeeping country

Turkey world’s second largest beekeeping country

Turkey is one of few self-sufficient countries on beekeeping, head of Ankara Beekeepers Association says

More:Turkey world’s second largest beekeeping country

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Turkey and the New Scramble for Africa: Ottoman Designs or Unfounded Fears? - Lawfare

Turkey and the New Scramble for Africa: Ottoman Designs or Unfounded Fears?
By Zach Vertin Sunday, May 19, 2019, 10:00 AM

Editor’s Note: Turkey has emerged as an important, but confusing, actor in the greater Middle East and beyond. Its policies have oscillated as its role has expanded, and it now plays an important role in the Horn of Africa as well as with its neighbors. Zach Vertin, a colleague in the Brookings Foreign Policy program, assesses the changes in Turkey's foreign policy and explains how the country's domestic politics and the ambitions of the Erdogan regime interact with the broader strategic realities the country faces.

Daniel Byman

More:Turkey and the New Scramble for Africa: Ottoman Designs or Unfounded Fears? - Lawfare

Turkey ranks 95th among 155 countries worldwide in Islamic values | Ahval

Turkey ranks 95th among 155 countries worldwide in Islamic values

Turkey placed 95th among 153 countries in Islamic values, with non-Muslim countries nabbing the top 40 spots, according to an annual study by two academics at George Washington University.

New Zealand topped the list of the 2018 index of Islamicity  while no Muslim-majority country made it into the top 40, the survey conducted by Hossein Askari, an Iranian-born professor of International Business and International Affairs, and Scheherazade Rehman, director of the EU Research Center at the university, found.

More:Turkey ranks 95th among 155 countries worldwide in Islamic values | Ahval

Centenary of Atatürk’s landing on Samsun marked across Turkey - Turkey News

Centenary of Atatürk’s landing on Samsun marked across Turkey
SAMSUN

Turkish people celebrated the Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day on May 19, marking the centenary of the starting point of the Turkish War of Independence and the emergence of modern Turkey.

More:Centenary of Atatürk’s landing on Samsun marked across Turkey - Turkey News

Erdogan Finds Himself in a Geopolitical Cul-de-Sac

Erdogan Finds Himself in a Geopolitical Cul-de-Sac

The concrete “cracks” reportedly found at the construction site of what will be Turkey’s first nuclear power plant may be nothing compared to the cracks starting to re-emerge in the country’s relationship with Russia.
More:
Erdogan Finds Himself in a Geopolitical Cul-de-Sac

Islamist coups helped Erdogan

Islamist coups helped Erdogan
Sunday, 19 May 2019 | Anwar Alam

The possible death of democracy in Turkey will have wide ranging ramifications in the region too. Already low in democratic indicators of governance, the failure of democracy in Turkey would convince many in the region that democracy is alien to Muslim/Islamic culture and tradition. Second a ‘democratic vacuum’ in the region would continue to provide a conducive condition for the development of ISIS and other kind of Islamist terrorist forces globally and regionally.

More:Islamist coups helped Erdogan

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Ataturk’s landing 100 years ago celebrated Sunday in New Haven - New Haven Register

Ataturk’s landing 100 years ago celebrated Sunday in New Haven
By Ed Stannard Published 7:37 pm EDT, Friday, May 17, 2019

NEW HAVEN — On May 19, 1919, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk stepped off a ship at Samsun, Turkey, on the Black Sea, after a three-day trip from Istanbul, and launched the Turkish War of Independence against the allies who had divided up the territory that had been ruled by the Ottoman Empire before it collapsed in World War I.

More:Ataturk’s landing 100 years ago celebrated Sunday in New Haven - New Haven Register

Friday, May 17, 2019

Religion and media in Turkey: Reviving Sufism with Yunus Emre - Qantara.de

Reviving Sufism with Yunus Emre

The TV series "Yunus Emre: The journey of love" was a massive hit in Turkey when it was first aired four years ago. But this popular television spectacle is not the only evidence of a renewed interest in Sufi spirituality in Turkey. Marian Brehmer reports from Istanbul

More:Religion and media in Turkey: Reviving Sufism with Yunus Emre - Qantara.de

Erdogan Slams Turkish Tycoon Who Dared to Criticize Policies - Bloomberg

Erdogan Slams Turkish Tycoon Who Dared to Criticize Policies
By Taylan Bilgic and Ugur Yilmaz
May 17, 2019, 9:26 AM GMT+3 Updated on May 17, 2019, 11:49 AM GMT+3
Bosses’ club Tusiad, top businessman Tuncay Ozilhan targeted
Comments follow Ozilhan’s criticism on economy and governance

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Photographer: ADEM ALTAN/AFP
The tension between Turkey’s top businesses and its president spiked as Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the Turkish Industry & Business Association, specifically targeting Tuncay Ozilhan, one of the country’s richest individuals.

More:Erdogan Slams Turkish Tycoon Who Dared to Criticize Policies - Bloomberg

Turkey Protests U.S. After Trump Ends Key Trade Preferences

Turkey Protests U.S. After Trump Ends Key Trade Preferences

Cagan Koc
BloombergMay 17, 2019

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to end the nation’s preferential trade treatment, after the move weighed on the Turkish currency.

More:Turkey Protests U.S. After Trump Ends Key Trade Preferences

Despite Everything, the People of Turkey are Determined to Choose Democracy

Despite everything, the people of Turkey are determined to choose democracy

Oya Ozarslan
May 16

There was once a time when Turkey’s electoral system was considered a strength in promoting political integrity in the country. Now it has become one of the biggest contributing factors to the rapid erosion of Turkish democracy. The aftermath of the local elections of March 2019 has made the situation even worse.

More:Despite Everything, the People of Turkey are Determined to Choose Democracy

Turkish-Cypriot poised to make history in Cyprus EU vote

Turkish-Cypriot poised to make history in Cyprus EU vote

Date created : 17/05/2019 - 05:43

European elections are often drab, overlooked affairs, but in Cyprus a Turkish Cypriot professor is breaking taboos and is poised to be elected as an MEP in a first for the ethnically divided island.

More:Turkish-Cypriot poised to make history in Cyprus EU vote

Thursday, May 16, 2019

US cuts Turkish steel tariffs by half  | Financial Times

US cuts Turkish steel tariffs by half 

Decision brings duties in line with other countries as diplomatic tensions ease

More:US cuts Turkish steel tariffs by half  | Financial Times

Turkey’s slow-motion earthquake - Geographical

Turkey’s slow-motion earthquake
Written by  Katie Burton Published in Tectonics

Rescue workers search a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Istanbul 16May
2019
The discovery of a slow-motion earthquake near Istanbul, which took place in 2016, raises the question of how these lesser-known events interact with more deadly natural disasters
In the summer of 2016, a large earthquake took place beneath the Sea of Marmara, a body of water enclosed by Turkey. But it was so slow that nobody without specialist monitors detected it. Occurring south of Istanbul, in the zone of the Earth known as the mid-crustal depth, the event went on for more than 50 days, emitting energy that, had it been released in one go, would have resulted in a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.

More:Turkey’s slow-motion earthquake - Geographical

Turkish opposition’s Ä°mamoÄŸlu to file legal complaint over efforts to link him to Gülenists | Ahval

Turkish opposition’s Ä°mamoÄŸlu to file legal complaint over efforts to link him to Gülenists

Ekrem Ä°mamoÄŸlu, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)’s Istanbul mayoral candidate, said on Thursday that he would file a legal complaint against reported attempts to link him to the outlawed Gülen religious movement, Diken news site reported.

More:Turkish opposition’s Ä°mamoÄŸlu to file legal complaint over efforts to link him to Gülenists | Ahval

President vs mayor in Istanbul rerun - analyst | Ahval

President vs mayor in Istanbul rerun - analyst

The upcoming rerun of the Istanbul mayoral vote will be an unprecedented clash between the country's most powerful politician and a local candidate, and could be a glimpse of Turkey's political future, said an analysis for The Guardian.

More:President vs mayor in Istanbul rerun - analyst | Ahval

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Turkey's main opposition calls for lawyers to monitor fresh mayoral election in Istanbul - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkey's main opposition calls for lawyers to monitor fresh mayoral election in Istanbul

Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-15 20:05:57|Editor: xuxin
ISTANBUL, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's main opposition party on Wednesday called for lawyers in the country to monitor the ballot boxes during the re-run of the mayoral election in Istanbul on June 23.

More:Turkey's main opposition calls for lawyers to monitor fresh mayoral election in Istanbul - Xinhua | English.news.cn

The Turkish Lira Outlook Deteriorates With A 70% Probability Of A Currency Crisis » Exchange Rates UK

The Turkish Lira Outlook Deteriorates With A 70% Probability Of A Currency Crisis
Posted by Elaine Housten in GBP to TRY, - 15 May 2019 08:13

The Turkish Lira remained choppy into Wednesday's session with early losses (0.6% versus the USD) more than ofsetting Tuesday's 0.49% recovery as market's with the release of Turkey's latest industrial production (down 2.2% annually) adding to the abundance of risk-factors already weighing on th Lira.

More:The Turkish Lira Outlook Deteriorates With A 70% Probability Of A Currency Crisis » Exchange Rates UK

Erdogan's expanding dictatorship is steering Turkey toward dead end - StamfordAdvocate

Erdogan's expanding dictatorship is steering Turkey toward dead end
The Washington Post Published 10:14 pm EDT, Monday, May 13, 2019

After appearing on a television talk show Friday, Yavuz Selim Demirag, a columnist for a Turkish newspaper who has been critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, was approached outside his home in Ankara, the capital. He heard shouts of "Hit him, kill him!" before he was pummeled with baseball bats. The attackers fled in a vehicle. He was hospitalized with a broken nose and brain trauma. This is what has become of Turkey's once-vibrant democracy, now reduced to hit squads and fear.

More:Erdogan's expanding dictatorship is steering Turkey toward dead end - StamfordAdvocate

Can social media change the course of Turkish politics? | The Independent

Can social media change the course of Turkish politics?

With Istanbul’s mayoral election due to rerun in June, opposition candidates who receive little mainstream media coverage are taking to Twitter and YouTube to mobilise support

More:Can social media change the course of Turkish politics? | The Independent

Washington Post: Erdogan's expanding dictatorship is steering Turkey toward dead end | Opinion | omaha.com

Washington Post: Erdogan's expanding dictatorship is steering Turkey toward dead end

After appearing on a television talk show Friday, Yavuz Selim Demirag, a columnist for a Turkish newspaper who has been critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, was approached outside his home in Ankara, the capital. He heard shouts of “Hit him, kill him!” before he was pummeled with baseball bats. The attackers fled in a vehicle. He was hospitalized with a broken nose and brain trauma. This is what has become of Turkey’s once-vibrant democracy, now reduced to hit squads and fear.

More:Washington Post: Erdogan's expanding dictatorship is steering Turkey toward dead end | Opinion | omaha.com

How Istanbul’s mayoral elections are shaping the future of ErdoÄŸan’s Turkey | Sinan Ulgen | Opinion | The Guardian

How Istanbul’s mayoral elections are shaping the future of ErdoÄŸan’s Turkey
Sinan Ãœlgen

A controversial overturning of the result has laid the way for a rematch the president’s party cannot afford to lose

More:How Istanbul’s mayoral elections are shaping the future of ErdoÄŸan’s Turkey | Sinan Ulgen | Opinion | The Guardian

Turkey Detains Two over Attack on Parliament Guard — Naharnet

Turkey Detains Two over Attack on Parliament Guard

Turkish authorities detained two alleged left-wing militants who attacked a parliament security officer with a razor-like object in Ankara, the prosecutor's office said.

The suspects had already been charged before the attack with membership of the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C).

More:Turkey Detains Two over Attack on Parliament Guard — Naharnet

Voters mysteriously added, subtracted for Istanbul election re-run

Voters mysteriously added, subtracted for Istanbul election re-run
Jasper Mortimer May 14, 2019
0 1 3 5 6

ARTICLE SUMMARY
While Ankara lawyers express their disappointment that the government rescinded the results of the Istanbul mayoral election, voters are mysteriously added to and subtracted from the electoral roll for the June 23 do-over, even though the roll is supposed to remain the same as for the March 31 election.

More:Voters mysteriously added, subtracted for Istanbul election re-run

Turkey’s once-venerable news source mired in election controversy - Coda Story

Turkey’s once-venerable news source mired in election controversy
Turkey’s state-backed news agency says it’s fighting fake news. Independent journalists says it’s created the problem

TEXT BY GÃœLTEN SARI VISUALS BY INGE SNIP 15 MAY, 2019 
Earlier in April luminaries from some of Europe’s most trusted state-funded news agencies gathered for their annual meeting to discuss what they all agreed was a singular threat to their countries’ way of life: disinformation. The president of news media at Axel Springer spoke of the noble role of journalism delivering “reliable information.” The global news director for Agence France Presse spoke about reinforcing a culture of verified data, especially during elections.

More:Turkey’s once-venerable news source mired in election controversy - Coda Story

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Istanbul election rerun leaves Erdogan lonely at the top - Opinion - Jerusalem Post

ISTANBUL ELECTION LEAVES ERDOGAN LONELY AT THE TOP
One sound-bite explains the drama surrounding Turkey’s voting
BY PINAR TREMBLAY MAY 14, 2019 21:25

As Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan grabbed more power over the years, he simply dismissed colleagues he did not like. Imprisoning opposition leaders, including Selahattin Demirtas, and ostracizing the top echelons of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) have become routine. Erdogan also replaced elected mayors in the last two years with state appointees.

More:Istanbul election rerun leaves Erdogan lonely at the top - Opinion - Jerusalem Post

Dutch issue scathing travel advise for Turkey over phone privacy | NL Times

DUTCH ISSUE SCATHING TRAVEL ADVISE FOR TURKEY OVER PHONE PRIVACY
By Janene Pieters on May 14, 2019 - 12:30

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its travel advice for Turkey on Monday to warn Dutch travelers to the country that phone privacy is not something that is respected in Turkey. Phones and other electronic devices can be searched at Turkish airports, and statements made on social media may be punishable in the country, the Ministry warns, NU.nl reports.

More:Dutch issue scathing travel advise for Turkey over phone privacy | NL Times

Monday, May 13, 2019

Turkish Democracy Can’t Die, Because It Never Lived – Foreign Policy

Turkish Democracy Can’t Die, Because It Never Lived

The country’s political system doesn't deserve the laments it’s recently received.

More:Turkish Democracy Can’t Die, Because It Never Lived – Foreign Policy

The Battle for Istanbul - Sigma Turkey

The Battle for Istanbul
Posted by Robert Ellis | May 13, 2019 | Insights | 0

The battle for Istanbul, the rerun of the mayoral election which will take place on June 23, will be as decisive for the future of Turkey as the battle of Stalingrad in 1943 was for the Second World War, or the siege of Kobani in 2014 was for the war against the Islamic State.

More:The Battle for Istanbul - Sigma Turkey

Turkish opposition candidate collects 5 mln lira for Istanbul campaign in a day | Ahval

Turkish opposition candidate collects 5 mln lira for Istanbul campaign in a day

The main Turkish opposition party candidate in the rerun of the election for mayor of Istanbul received 5 million lira ($820,00) in donations for his campaign in one day, opposition newspaper Sözcü said on Monday.

More:Turkish opposition candidate collects 5 mln lira for Istanbul campaign in a day | Ahval

The battle of Istanbul will shape Turkey’s future | European Council on Foreign Relations

The battle of Istanbul will shape Turkey’s future
Commentary
Asli Aydıntaşbaş
13th May, 2019

Mstyslav Chernov (cropped) - CC BY 4.0

It came as a surprise to many international observers when, on 31 March, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost local elections in many of Turkey’s major cities, including Istanbul and Ankara. A city of 16 million people, Istanbul has been the centrepiece of AKP’s financial system and social networks since 1994 – when a young Erdogan became mayor and started his march to power. Few suspected that Erdogan could lose an election there. Yet the vote not only took Istanbul from Turkey’s ruling party but also challenged the notion that Erdogan was invincible and would remain president for life.

More:The battle of Istanbul will shape Turkey’s future | European Council on Foreign Relations

Exclusive: Turkey presses banks to agree high-stakes bailout of bad energy loans | One America News Network

Exclusive: Turkey Presses Banks To Agree High-Stakes Bailout Of Bad Energy Loans

FILE PHOTO: Skyscrapers in the business and financial district of Levent, which comprises of leading banks' and companies' headquarters, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
May 13, 2019

By Ebru Tuncay, Can Sezer and Jonathan Spicer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s plan to clean up some $13 billion in bad energy loans, one of the worst hangovers from last year’s currency crisis, is taking shape even as some banks hold out for the government to agree to safeguards and higher electricity prices.

More:Exclusive: Turkey presses banks to agree high-stakes bailout of bad energy loans | One America News Network

How This Airport Is Planning To Dominate The$35B Airline Industry

How This Airport Is Planning To Dominate The$35B Airline Industry

Lauren deLisa Coleman

Once the four phases are completed the total cost is projected to be $12 billion dollars.

Istanbul ,Turkey - May 3 2019: New Istanbul Airport Terminal. , interior view.It is the main international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. In the future, it is the latest airport available to 200 million people. GETTY
Travel and technology are deeply intertwined. Demands and pace are increasing as the ecosystem of air travel expands daily creating dizzying challenges and nearly insurmountable hurdles.  Such was the situation with Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Considered as one of the world's busiest airports given its nearly 70 million annual passengers, the location had essentially reached its limit. But what has recently developed is not only a new, larger location but also that which is state-of-the-art in its technology offerings now making Ataturk Airport not only the largest but one of the first truly Smart Airports in the world.

More:How This Airport Is Planning To Dominate The$35B Airline Industry

Turkey’s love affair with Erdogan is ending | Ireland | The Times

Turkey’s love affair with Erdogan is ending
vincent boland

The president lifted millions out of poverty, but faced with a faltering economy he has become the autocrat he reviled

More:Turkey’s love affair with Erdogan is ending | Ireland | The Times

Republicanism Compared: Turkey and the US - The Globalist

Republicanism Compared: Turkey and the US

Why is standing up to one-man rule and presidential family nepotism actively pursued among AK Party grandees in Turkey, but not by Republicans in the U.S.?


More:Republicanism Compared: Turkey and the US - The Globalist

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Main opposition party to establish news centre for Istanbul election | Ahval

Main opposition party to establish news centre for Istanbul election

Turkey's main opposition Istanbul mayoral candidate said his party would establish a news centre for the upcoming election that would be alternative to state-run Anadolu Agency, Cumhuriyet reported on Saturday.

More:Main opposition party to establish news centre for Istanbul election | Ahval

Spotlight: No plain sailing ahead for Turkey as thorny foreign policy issues may take critica - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Spotlight: No plain sailing ahead for Turkey as thorny foreign policy issues may take critica

Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-12 21:00:27|Editor: Shi Yinglun
ISTANBUL, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Tough times lie ahead for Turkey unless policies are readjusted as the country faces increasingly hot foreign policy issues amid an ailing economy and sharp divergences at home, analysts told Xinhua.

More:Spotlight: No plain sailing ahead for Turkey as thorny foreign policy issues may take critica - Xinhua | English.news.cn

AKP targets blighted suburb in second battle for Istanbul | Financial Times

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AKP targets blighted suburb in second battle for Istanbul
District hit by construction crash a key target for Erdogan’s party in mayoral rerun

More:AKP targets blighted suburb in second battle for Istanbul | Financial Times

Turkish Democratic Left Party candidate withdraws from Istanbul poll - Reuters

Turkish Democratic Left Party candidate withdraws from Istanbul poll
2 MIN READ

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An opposition candidate announced on Sunday he was withdrawing from next month’s rerun of mayoral elections in Istanbul, in a move likely to aid the man who was declared the winner when the vote was initially held in March.

More:Turkish Democratic Left Party candidate withdraws from Istanbul poll - Reuters

China's Uyghurs practice their culture 'freely' in Turkey - CNN

China's persecuted Uyghurs live 'freely' in Turkey
By Jomana Karadsheh and Isil Sariyuce, CNN

Updated 12:01 AM ET, Sun May 12, 2019

Istanbul (CNN)The call to prayer at Emine Inanc mosque brings together immigrants who have found sanctuary in Istanbul's working-class Zeytinburnu neighborhood.

With no room inside the overcrowded mosque, dozens of worshippers spill onto the street. For some, like Ishqiyar Abudureyimu, praying openly would have been unimaginable just a few years ago when he was living in China.

More:China's Uyghurs practice their culture 'freely' in Turkey - CNN

Turkish pro-govt media falsely accuses opposition of electoral fraud | Ahval

Turkish pro-govt media falsely accuses opposition of electoral fraud

Another week, another coup in Turkey. The Supreme Election Council (YSK) ruled on Monday to cancel and rerun the mayoral election in Istanbul; the opposition called it a coup against Turkish democracy and the voters’ will, while supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have said the decision reversed an “attempted coup” against Istanbul and the nation.

More:Turkish pro-govt media falsely accuses opposition of electoral fraud | Ahval

Saturday, May 11, 2019

'Everything will be fine': Hashtag campaign seeks to buoy opposition ahead of Istanbul repeat vote | Middle East Eye

Everything will be fine': Hashtag campaign seeks to buoy opposition ahead of Istanbul repeat vote

Although brimming with optimism at the outset, supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu face a gruelling month-long campaign

More:'Everything will be fine': Hashtag campaign seeks to buoy opposition ahead of Istanbul repeat vote | Middle East Eye

Turkey's current account deficit seen at $984 million in March: Reuters Poll - Reuters

Turkey's current account deficit seen at $984 million in March: Reuters Poll
Ali Kucukgocmen

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey’s current account is expected to show a deficit of $984 million in March, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, as the trade deficit remains low due to high import prices and economic activity remains weak.

More:Turkey's current account deficit seen at $984 million in March: Reuters Poll - Reuters

Turkish opposition journalist hospitalized following attack

Turkish opposition journalist hospitalized following attack

Associated Press•May 11, 2019
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A journalist critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government and its nationalist allies has been hospitalized after being attacked outside his home.

More:Turkish opposition journalist hospitalized following attack

Friday, May 10, 2019

Turkey’s Lira Has Lessons for Global Democracies: Respect Institutions or Else

Lira Lessons for Democracies: Respect Institutions or Else

Turkish currency Lira fell nearly 40 percent in 2018. The currency has been in free fall yet again, following the announcement of results of municipal elections in Turkey last month.

More:Turkey’s Lira Has Lessons for Global Democracies: Respect Institutions or Else

Cars, contracts and debt: what Istanbul’s mayor found in 17 days

Cars, contracts and debt: what Istanbul’s mayor found in 17 days
Ekrem Imamoglu says his brief time in office made him resolve to end wasteful spending
about 12 hours ago
Carlotta Gall in Istanbul

Ekrem Imamoglu spent just 17 days as the mayor of Istanbul before the election council of Turkey annulled the vote and forced him from office. But the short peek he gained into the dealings of the mayor’s office – revealing dozens of cars at his disposal, millions budgeted for officials’ homes and a city sinking into debt – gave him ammunition in the political battle ahead. He fully intends to use it before the new election on June 23rd.

More:Cars, contracts and debt: what Istanbul’s mayor found in 17 days

Erdogan Just Committed Political Suicide – Foreign Policy

Erdogan Just Committed Political Suicide
By overturning an election in Istanbul, he may have triggered a Turkish Spring.
BY HENRI J. BARKEY | MAY 10, 2019, 2:20 PM

On March 31, Turkey’s Supreme Election Council annulled the Istanbul municipal elections in which the opposition had defeated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The decision was not a surprise. For more than a month, AKP stalwarts as well as the Turkish press, which is almost completely dominated by Erdogan, had been laying the groundwork for this reversal by claiming irregularities and alleging all kinds of mischief by ballot handlers. And this is not the first time that the AKP has resorted to chicanery to get the electoral results it wanted. In the 2017 constitutional referendum, which replaced a parliamentary system with the current presidential one, Erdogan managed to reverse a defeat at the polls through last-minute ballot stuffing and other means of cheating.

More:Erdogan Just Committed Political Suicide – Foreign Policy

Re-run of Istanbul election: same candidates, different strategies – EURACTIV.com

Re-run of Istanbul election: same candidates, different strategies

Istanbul is getting ready for a re-run of the mayoral election that has laid bare Turkey’s deep political divisions and raised concerns about its democracy. People are canceling vacations, and holiday resorts published spoofs about heavy snows expected on 23 June.

More:Re-run of Istanbul election: same candidates, different strategies – EURACTIV.com

Istanbul rerun will be a race between opposition candidate and Turkish President - Foreign Policy  | Ahval

Istanbul rerun will be a race between opposition candidate and Turkish Presiden

The rerun of local elections in Istanbul on June 23 will be a contest between the opposition candidate and President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, Foreign Policy said on Thursday.

ErdoÄŸan put his credibility on the line by campaigning hard in Istanbul and after the results were announced, he publicly urged electoral authorities to annul the results and decide for a rerun.

More:Istanbul rerun will be a race between opposition candidate and Turkish President - Foreign Policy  | Ahval

Re-run of Istanbul election: same candidates, different strategies – EURACTIV.com

Re-run of Istanbul election: same candidates, different strategies
By Zeynep Atilgan | EURACTIV with Reuters  2:51

Supporters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu cheer as they wait for him during a protest against the rerun of Istanbul elections in Istanbul, Turkey, 06 May 2019. [EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN]

Istanbul is getting ready for a re-run of the mayoral election that has laid bare Turkey’s deep political divisions and raised concerns about its democracy. People are canceling vacations, and holiday resorts published spoofs about heavy snows expected on 23 June.

More:Re-run of Istanbul election: same candidates, different strategies – EURACTIV.com

Erdogan could lose more than Istanbul in high-stakes electoral gamble

Erdogan could lose more than Istanbul in high-stakes electoral gamble
Author Cengiz Candar May 10, 2019

ARTICLE SUMMARY
With many Turks outraged over the nullification of Istanbul's election results, the oppression of dissent and violence expected going into the rerun could backfire on the increasingly authoritarian president.

More:Erdogan could lose more than Istanbul in high-stakes electoral gamble

Asia Times | Turkish capitalism’s ‘original sin’ | Article

Turkish capitalism’s ‘original sin’

By ÖMER TAŞPINAR

When it comes to Turkey’s problem with democracy today, what happened to the Armenian and Greek populations of Anatolia a century ago might seem irrelevant. Yet the very opposite is true. Turkey will never become a true liberal democracy – one dedicated to the proposition that every citizen deserves equal protection – unless it comes fully to terms with the tragic history of the Anatolian Christians.

More:Asia Times | Turkish capitalism’s ‘original sin’ | Article

Dollar Frenzy That Jolted Lira Starts to Dissipate Among Turks - Bloomberg

Dollar Frenzy That Jolted Lira Starts to Dissipate Among Turks
By Constantine Courcoulas
May 9, 2019, 10:27 AM EDT Updated on May 10, 2019, 1:50 AM EDT

At least one thing in Turkey is moving in the right direction: locals have stopped hoarding dollars and euros.

Households and companies sold a net $1.2 billion of hard currency in the week ended May 3, the latest central bank data show. That’s the fourth straight week of sales and takes a retreat in their foreign-currency holdings over the past month to just under $3 billion.

More:Dollar Frenzy That Jolted Lira Starts to Dissipate Among Turks - Bloomberg

Deposed Istanbul mayor vows ‘revolution’ for democracy - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

Deposed Istanbul mayor vows ‘revolution’ for democracy
AFPMay 10, 2019

ISTANBUL: Istanbul’s deposed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was stripped of his election win this week, said he would lead a “revolution” for democracy ahead of next month’s re-run of the vote.

More:Deposed Istanbul mayor vows ‘revolution’ for democracy - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

How low could the Turkish lira go? - CGTN

How low could the Turkish lira go?
Updated 21:14, 10-May-2019
Louise Greenwood

The value of the lira is set to plummet further after the announcement of a new mayoral election in Istanbul, currency experts are warning.

More:How low could the Turkish lira go? - CGTN

Turkish artists stand by Istanbul's ousted mayor - Reuters

Turkish artists stand by Istanbul's ousted mayor
Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) - Dozens of Turkey’s most prominent artists have taken to social media to support Istanbul’s ousted mayor, responding to his call for them to speak out against a decision to annul his election victory over President Tayyip Erdogan’s party.

More:Turkish artists stand by Istanbul's ousted mayor - Reuters

Opinion | Has Erdogan Created His Perfect Opponent? - The New York Times

Has Erdogan Created His Perfect Opponent?

Turkey’s president is undermining the political system that carried him from the streets to the presidency.

More:Opinion | Has Erdogan Created His Perfect Opponent? - The New York Times

Attack on opposition leader Kilicdaroglu: Return of the lynch mob in Turkey? - Qantara.de

Return of the lynch mob in Turkey?

Turkish opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu was attacked by an angry mob in public and nearly killed – the latest in a spate of such violence. What does the incident say about the political culture in the country? By Burcu Karakas

More:Attack on opposition leader Kilicdaroglu: Return of the lynch mob in Turkey? - Qantara.de

Only 17 Days in Office, Opposition Candidate Saw Spending to ‘Spoil a Mayor’ - The New York Times

Only 17 Days in Office, Opposition Candidate Saw Spending to ‘Spoil a Mayor’
Ekrem Imamoglu of the opposition Republican People’s Party addressing supporters during a protest against the rerun of Istanbul’s elections.

By Carlotta Gall
May 9, 2019

ISTANBUL — Ekrem Imamoglu spent just 17 days as the mayor of Istanbul before the election council of Turkey annulled the vote and forced him from office.

More:Only 17 Days in Office, Opposition Candidate Saw Spending to ‘Spoil a Mayor’ - The New York Times

Thursday, May 09, 2019

Has Turkey been pasting headscarves onto women in school textbooks? | Euronews

Has Turkey been pasting headscarves onto women in school textbooks?

A school textbook distributed by the Turkish government has received criticism after it was revealed that several photos of women in it had been photoshopped to show them wearing a headscarf.

More:Has Turkey been pasting headscarves onto women in school textbooks? | Euronews

Turkish Lira Continues to Fall Despite Backdoor Tightening - WSJ

Turkish Lira Continues to Fall Despite Backdoor Tightening

Central bank suspends one-week repo auctions, announces new reserve-requirement ratios
By Avantika Chilkoti
May 9, 2019 4:45 p.m. ET
The Turkish lira continued to slide Thursday after the country’s central bank temporarily tightened monetary policy in an attempt to make it more difficult for investors to bet against the currency.

More:Turkish Lira Continues to Fall Despite Backdoor Tightening - WSJ

The Istanbul Rerun Isn’t About the Mayor. It’s About Turkey’s Future. – Foreign Policy

The Istanbul Rerun Isn’t About the Mayor. It’s About Turkey’s Future.

The controversial decision to hold a new mayoral election after Erdogan’s party narrowly lost has divided the ruling AKP and further imperiled Turkey’s democratic credentials.

More:The Istanbul Rerun Isn’t About the Mayor. It’s About Turkey’s Future. – Foreign Policy

Asia Times | Turkish capitalism’s ‘original sin’ | Article

Turkish capitalism’s ‘original sin’

By ÖMER TAŞPINAR

When it comes to Turkey’s problem with democracy today, what happened to the Armenian and Greek populations of Anatolia a century ago might seem irrelevant. Yet the very opposite is true. Turkey will never become a true liberal democracy – one dedicated to the proposition that every citizen deserves equal protection – unless it comes fully to terms with the tragic history of the Anatolian Christians.

More:Asia Times | Turkish capitalism’s ‘original sin’ | Article

Turkey's central bank steps in after the lira nosedives to an eight-month low

Turkey's central bank steps in after the lira nosedives to an eight-month low

Natasha Turak | @NatashaTurak

Turkey's beleaguered currency breached 6.24 against the dollar in Thursday trade, its lowest level in eight months amid deep market uncertainty worsened by the recent announcement of new elections for the city of Istanbul

More:Turkey's central bank steps in after the lira nosedives to an eight-month low

Ousted Istanbul mayor says election re-run a battle for democracy - Reuters

Ousted Istanbul mayor says election re-run a battle for democracy
Daren Butler, Birsen Altayli

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Istanbul’s ousted mayor says he will go into battle for Turkish democracy next month when he stands in a re-run of an election he thought had granted him the city to govern for five years.

More:Ousted Istanbul mayor says election re-run a battle for democracy - Reuters

The new depths of Erdogan’s autocracy - The Istanbul election

The new depths of Erdogan’s autocracy

Turkey’s president can no longer bear to lose at the ballot box

More:The new depths of Erdogan’s autocracy - The Istanbul election

Turkey’s ErdoÄŸan changes campaign team for Istanbul rerun | Ahval

Turkey’s ErdoÄŸan changes campaign team for Istanbul rerun

Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan has changed his party’s campaign team for the rerun of the Istanbul mayoral election on June 23 to try to reach voters who were undecided or did not to vote the first time round, Hürriyet newspaper said on Thursday.

More:Turkey’s ErdoÄŸan changes campaign team for Istanbul rerun | Ahval

ErdoÄŸan shows how to mismanage a currency crisis: ex-IMF official | Ahval

ErdoÄŸan shows how to mismanage a currency crisis: ex-IMF official

A former International Monetary Fund official is joining a chorus of economists, analysts and ratings agencies in calling on Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan to urgently deal with Turkey's economic problems.

More:ErdoÄŸan shows how to mismanage a currency crisis: ex-IMF official | Ahval

'Everything will be fine': opposition rallies for Istanbul vote re-run

'Everything will be fine': opposition rallies for Istanbul vote re-run

by Fulya OZERKAN
Agence-France Presse8 May 2019

Their slogan -- #herseycokguzelolacak, meaning "everything will be fine" -- has gone viral on social media
More
Free refunds on flights, crowdfunded bus tickets for students and crazy weather warnings -- it's all designed to keep Istanbul residents in the city and ensure the opposition wins a controversial replay of the mayoral election.

More:'Everything will be fine': opposition rallies for Istanbul vote re-run

Wednesday, May 08, 2019

Can Dundar: Turkish democracy will continue despite Erdogan | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 08.05.2019

Can Dundar: Turkish democracy will continue despite Erdogan

Istanbul's mayoral election will be re-run, following an appeal from the strongman president's party. Exiled journalist Can Dundar gave DW his appraisal of the complex situation leading up to the June 23 election.

More:Can Dundar: Turkish democracy will continue despite Erdogan | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 08.05.2019

Turkish opposition - Erdogan's mandate must also be revoked if Istanbul poll annulled - Reuters

Turkish opposition - Erdogan's mandate must also be revoked if Istanbul poll annulled
Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s main opposition party said on Wednesday it had formally requested the annulment of President Tayyip Erdogan’s mandate because the same flaws his AK Party alleged in the city’s March 31 mayoral vote occurred in last year’s national elections.

More:Turkish opposition - Erdogan's mandate must also be revoked if Istanbul poll annulled - Reuters

TURKEY'S MAIN OPPOSITION SUBMITS REQUEST TO ELECTION BOARD TO CANCEL LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL ELECTION AS WELL AS MARCH 31 VOTE ACROSS ISTANBUL DISTRICTS - CNNTURK

TURKEY'S MAIN OPPOSITION SUBMITS REQUEST TO ELECTION BOARD TO CANCEL LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL ELECTION AS WELL AS MARCH 31 VOTE ACROSS ISTANBUL DISTRICTS - CNNTURK
Reuters•May 8, 2019
TURKEY'S MAIN OPPOSITION SUBMITS REQUEST TO ELECTION BOARD TO CANCEL LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL ELECTION AS WELL AS MARCH 31 VOTE ACROSS ISTANBUL DISTRICTS - CNNTURK

More:TURKEY'S MAIN OPPOSITION SUBMITS REQUEST TO ELECTION BOARD TO CANCEL LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL ELECTION AS WELL AS MARCH 31 VOTE ACROSS ISTANBUL DISTRICTS - CNNTURK

The Bad News Keeps on Coming for Turkey's Already Battered Banks - Bloomberg

The Bad News Keeps on Coming for Turkey's Already Battered Banks
By Asli Kandemir
May 8, 2019, 1:59 AM EDT
Lenders already burdened with about $28 billion restructurings
Weaker lira is making foreign-debt repayments more expensive

The Lira slumped to a seven-month low on Tuesday.

Drawn-out elections and a rout in the lira mean more bad news for Turkey’s banks.

mORE:The Bad News Keeps on Coming for Turkey's Already Battered Banks - Bloomberg

Turkey cities urge Istanbul residents to scrap June holidays and vote in mayoral election re-run | Euronews

Turkey cities urge Istanbul residents to scrap June holidays and vote in mayoral election re-run

After officials on Monday ordered a re-run of elections in Istanbul, several municipalities took to Twitter urging people from the city not to come on holiday in June, but to stay and vote.

mORE:Turkey cities urge Istanbul residents to scrap June holidays and vote in mayoral election re-run | Euronews

Erdogan’s deathblow to Turkish democracy

Erdogan’s deathblow to Turkish democracy
By Elisha Maldonado May 7, 2019 | 7:53pm | Updated
Enlarge Image

ISTANBUL — The people of Istanbul are flaming mad, and with good reason: On Monday, the country’s national election board canceled the results of the March 31 mayoral election and ordered a do-over.

More:Erdogan’s deathblow to Turkish democracy

Turkey's president didn't like an election outcome so he's "fixing" it

Turkey’s President Didn’t Like An Election Outcome So He’s “Fixing” It
JAZZ SHAWPosted at 2:31 pm on May 7, 2019

Our “ally” in Turkey continues to blaze a trail toward a future for his country that looks less and less democratic by the day. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s PK party didn’t fare all that well in the country’s recent round of parliamentary elections. They didn’t lose power, but there was definitely a shift in the electorate and opposition parties fared better than in previous years. One place where Erdogan’s candidates did especially poorly was in the major city of Istanbul. Erdogan’s party’s candidate for mayor was defeated there by Ekrem Imamoglu of the CHP party. That apparently didn’t sit well with the President, so he’s decided to take an unusual course of action. He’s having the election run again. (Reuters)

More:Turkey's president didn't like an election outcome so he's "fixing" it

RIP, Turkish Democracy

RIP, Turkish Democracy
With his iron fist, President Erdogan has crushed a decades-long period of free and fair elections in Turkey
BY: Aaron Kliegman

May 7, 2019 6:36 pm

In May 1950, the ruling political party in Turkey, which had governed for 27 straight years, held a free and fair election and lost—badly. Rather than contest—or worse, ignore—the results, the Republican People's Party handed over power to the victorious opposition. There was no bloodshed, no attempt to hold onto power. A deeply entrenched, somewhat authoritarian government that had dominated a one-party state for years allowed the democratic process to work. It was certainly a first in Turkish history, and one would be hard-pressed to find a previous, comparable example in all of Middle Eastern history. Sure, Turkey experienced volatile politics over the next several decades, but it continued to hold free and fair elections under the principle of one person, one vote. And 1950 was the hinge point. Sixty-nine years after that milestone, however, the period of Turkish democracy has effectively ended.

More:RIP, Turkish Democracy

Istanbul might again reject Erdogan’s authoritarianism - The Washington Post

Istanbul might again reject Erdogan’s authoritarianism

By Editorial Board May 7 at 7:18 PM
LOCAL ELECTIONS in Turkey about five weeks ago offered encouraging signs that the country’s democracy was still alive. Opposition candidates won mayoral races in several of the most important cities, including Ankara, the capital, and Istanbul, which is Turkey’s largest city and the political base of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The results suggested that pluralism was reemerging in Turkish politics and that Mr. Erdogan, who has ruthlessly consolidated power in recent years, would be obliged to allow more space for it

More:Istanbul might again reject Erdogan’s authoritarianism - The Washington Post

Turkish opposition confident of winning Istanbul poll re-run, lira sinks again - Reuters

Turkish opposition confident of winning Istanbul poll re-run, lira sinks again
Tuvan Gumrukcu, Nevzat Devranoglu

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s main opposition party said on Tuesday its candidate for Istanbul mayor would again contest and win the post, after the election board ordered a re-run of the city election in a ruling that has spooked investors and drawn European criticism.

More:Turkish opposition confident of winning Istanbul poll re-run, lira sinks again - Reuters

Why Erdogan Will Win in Istanbul, and What This Means for Turkish Democracy - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Why Erdogan Will Win in Istanbul, and What This Means for Turkish Democracy
Soner Cagaptay

May 7, 2019

Despite the opposition’s resilience, the president can use any number of legal, political, or foreign policy tools to ensure his candidate wins this time around, no matter the reputational costs.

On May 6, Turkey’s election board canceled the outcome of Istanbul’s March 31 mayoral race, in which opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate Ekrem Imamoglu defeated Binali Yildirim of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) by less than 1 percent of the vote. The ruling came shortly after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan alleged that the race was “stained” and demanded that it be re-run. Signaling the strength of his hold on the country’s institutions, Turkey’s election monitoring body has announced that a new Istanbul election will in fact be held on June 23. Imamoglu faces a seemingly unwinnable battle in his quest to win again, since Erdogan will pull out all the legal, political, and diplomatic stops to bring his candidate (perhaps Yildirim again) to victory.

More:Why Erdogan Will Win in Istanbul, and What This Means for Turkish Democracy - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Tuesday, May 07, 2019

‘We will never give up’ - BBC News

Turkey’s opposition candidate pledges to 'never give up’

In a speech broadcast on social media, Turkey's opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu has pledged to not “give up” despite his election victory in Istanbul’s mayoral election being overturned.

More:‘We will never give up’ - BBC News

Tensions Rise Between EU & Turkey Over Drilling, Election

Tensions Rise Between EU & Turkey Over Drilling, Election
May 7, 2019 CAIN BURDEAU FacebookTwitterEmail

(CN) — Relations between the European Union and Turkey are becoming more bitter after Turkey sent a ship to drill for natural gas and oil in disputed waters off the island of Cyprus, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan declared that the election for mayor of Istanbul, which his party lost, needs to be done over.

The moves by Turkey further eroded relations with the EU.

In 2005, Turkey and the EU began formal talks about Turkey’s entry into the EU bloc, but those talks have broken down and are on hold.

More:Tensions Rise Between EU & Turkey Over Drilling, Election

Rerunning the Istanbul election will hurt Turkey | Financial Times

Rerunning the Istanbul election will hurt Turkey

The decision to cancel an opposition victory undermines democracy

More:Rerunning the Istanbul election will hurt Turkey | Financial Times

Rerunning the Istanbul election will hurt Turkey | Financial Times

Rerunning the Istanbul election will hurt Turkey

The decision to cancel an opposition victory undermines democracy

More:Rerunning the Istanbul election will hurt Turkey | Financial Times

Erdogan’s Long Arm in Europe – Foreign Policy

Erdogan’s Long Arm in Europe

Turkey is seeking influence and votes throughout the EU and spreading ideas that imperil efforts to integrate the Turkish diaspora.

More:Erdogan’s Long Arm in Europe – Foreign Policy

International outcry over Istanbul election re-run - BBC News

International outcry over Istanbul election re-run

Protests have erupted across Istanbul over the decision to re-run the election
The EU and leading member states have sharply criticised a decision in Turkey to re-run Istanbul's mayoral election, after a shock opposition win.

More:International outcry over Istanbul election re-run - BBC News

EU Requests International Observation in Repeated Elections in Turkey

EU Requests International Observation in Repeated Elections in Turkey

Brussels, May 7 ( Prensa Latina) The European Union (EU) has advocated Tuesday the presence of international observers at the repeated elections in Istanbul, amid criticism of the recent decision of the Superior Electoral Council (YSK).

More:EU Requests International Observation in Repeated Elections in Turkey

Turkish opposition’s Ä°mamoÄŸlu could win more votes in new poll | Ahval

Turkish opposition’s Ä°mamoÄŸlu could win more votes in new poll

Although Turkish opposition candidate Ekrem Ä°mamoÄŸlu was officially confirmed as mayor of Istanbul after the March 31 election, he now faces a rerun following an appeal by President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan’s ruling party.

But in the month since the polls, Ä°mamoÄŸlu’s popularity has if anything grown, and he could get more votes than last time round.

More:Turkish opposition’s Ä°mamoÄŸlu could win more votes in new poll | Ahval

bne IntelliNews - TURKEY INSIGHT: Democracy? That died long ago. Economic recovery? Don’t bet the farm on it

TURKEY INSIGHT: Democracy? That died long ago. Economic recovery? Don’t bet the farm on it.

Annulling of Istanbul election result that put a chink in Erdogan’s armour knocks an already ensnared economy and ushers in some dark political scenarios.

More:bne IntelliNews - TURKEY INSIGHT: Democracy? That died long ago. Economic recovery? Don’t bet the farm on it

ErdoÄŸan’s Istanbul election gamble – POLITICO

ErdoÄŸan’s Istanbul election gamble
Annulling mayoral election threatens to undermine his legitimacy as Turkey’s leader.

By ZIA WEISE 5/7/19, 6:33 PM CET

If, as Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan is fond of saying, "whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey," then his country's future now hangs in the balance.

On Monday, Turkey's Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) announced that March's Istanbul mayoral election, which ended in a narrow opposition victory, would be annulled and re-run in June. The decision, after weeks of government pressure, is a watershed moment for Turkey — and a monumental gamble for ErdoÄŸan.

More:ErdoÄŸan’s Istanbul election gamble – POLITICO

Turkey cancels the opposition’s victory in the Istanbul election - A rerun for Recep

Turkey cancels the opposition’s victory in the Istanbul election

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems ready to win back the city by hook or by crook

More:Turkey cancels the opposition’s victory in the Istanbul election - A rerun for Recep

As Turkey slips into an Erdogan dictatorship, the economy is falling apart - Axios

Turkey's economy is getting worse

Data: Factset; Chart: Axios Visuals
Turkey's outlook got worse on Monday as the country continues slipping into dictatorship, under a dictator who doesn't seem to care much for laws or macroeconomics.

More:As Turkey slips into an Erdogan dictatorship, the economy is falling apart - Axios

Turkey’s Uncertain Path

Turkey’s Uncertain Path
MAY 7, 2019 | INTEL BRIEF
The Newsletter
Get exclusive analysis delivered to your inbox daily.

Turkish President Erdogan has always sought to outwardly present himself as a strong leader, especially in matters of foreign and security policy, as he continues to edge Turkey further away from the West. Domestically, however, his image has been increasingly sullied over the past year. Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have consolidated power, especially over the last decade, centralizing authority to a degree previously unseen in modern Turkey. Restrictions on the press, and the widespread jailing of journalists, political opponents, and academics—especially in the years since the failed 2015 coup—are now a quotidian tool of Erdogan and the AKP. Criticizing Erdogan comes with considerable risk, which was a tradeoff some seemed willing to accept with a booming Turkish economy. But a deeply struggling economy has fueled the credible political opposition to Erdogan that had been stifled for years.

More:Turkey’s Uncertain Path

‘We Will Win Again,’ Opposition Vows in Istanbul Election Do-Over - The New York Times

‘We Will Win Again,’ Opposition Vows in Istanbul Election Do-Over
Ekrem Imamoglu entered office as mayor of Istanbul last month. Then, on Monday, the election result was annulled.
Credit
Murad Sezer/Reuters

The decision by Turkish authorities to wipe away a stinging defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and rerun the election for mayor of Istanbul left the opposition angered but determined on Tuesday to win the race a second time.

More:‘We Will Win Again,’ Opposition Vows in Istanbul Election Do-Over - The New York Times

Erdogan Makes Mockery of Elections - The Globalist

Erdogan Makes Mockery of Elections

Ultimately, Erdogan might end up losing Istanbul again. And botch yet another opportunity to normalize relations with the Kurds.

More:Erdogan Makes Mockery of Elections - The Globalist

Istanbul in turmoil after mayor’s removal | World | The Times

Istanbul in turmoil after mayor’s removal

Hannah Lucinda Smith, Istanbul
May 7 2019
The Times

President Erdogan’s opponents face a bitter seven-week election battle to try to retake control of Istanbul after the mayor of Turkey’s biggest city was stripped of office last night in a move seen as a major blow to democracy in the country.

More:Istanbul in turmoil after mayor’s removal | World | The Times

Istanbul vote re-run means 'extra uncertainty' -Fitch official - Reuters

Istanbul vote re-run means 'extra uncertainty' -Fitch official
1 MIN READ

ISTANBUL, May 7 (Reuters) - Turkey’s decision to re-run Istanbul elections on June 23 adds nearly two months of uncertainty over its plan to rebalance and stabilize the economy, Edward Parker, managing director at Fitch Ratings who heads the group that covers Turkey, said on Tuesday.

More:Istanbul vote re-run means 'extra uncertainty' -Fitch official - Reuters

Erdogan Crossed a Line on Turkey’s Democracy: Balance of Power - Bloomberg

Erdogan Crossed a Line on Turkey’s Democracy: Balance of Power
By Benjamin Harvey
May 7, 2019, 6:00 AM EDT

Has the Middle East lost its biggest democracy?

Turkey's election board canceled the result of a March 31 mayoral vote in Istanbul and will hold a new ballot next month. That tilts the balance toward an outcome favorable to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his candidate lost the nation's biggest city.

More:Erdogan Crossed a Line on Turkey’s Democracy: Balance of Power - Bloomberg

UPDATE 2-Turkish lira, markets fall after vote results scrapped - Reuters

Turkish lira, markets fall after vote results scrapped

By Ali Kucukgocmen and Jonathan Spicer

ISTANBUL, May 7 (Reuters) - Turkish financial markets tumbled on Tuesday after the elections board ruled to scrap and re-run Istanbul elections, with the lira down 1.3 percent to its weakest level since last year’s currency crisis was waning in October.

More:UPDATE 2-Turkish lira, markets fall after vote results scrapped - Reuters

Turkey's Erdogan defends Istanbul election re-run amid protests - BBC News

Turkey's Erdogan defends Istanbul election re-run amid protests

Protests have erupted across Istanbul over the decision to re-run the election
Istanbul's mayoral election was affected by "organised crime and serious corruption", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.

Mr Erdogan was defending the decision to re-run the 31 March vote, which returned a slim win for the opposition.

Opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been stripped of his duties, described the move as "treacherous"

More:Turkey's Erdogan defends Istanbul election re-run amid protests - BBC News

Turkey election fiasco hits at 'heart' of EU relations

Turkey election fiasco hits at 'heart' of EU relations

Istanbul, home to 15m people, accounts for almost a third of Turkey's GDP. Now the election victory of the opposition CHP party in the city has been overturned (Photo: Remon Rijper)
By ANDREW RETTMAN

BRUSSELS, TODAY, 09:27
The way Turkey handles the Istanbul election controversy could shape future EU relations, top officials have warned.

But for some leading MEPs, Turkish democracy just breathed its last gasp.

More:Turkey election fiasco hits at 'heart' of EU relations

Monday, May 06, 2019

Turkish opposition says re-run of Istanbul election sign of ...

Turkish opposition says re-run of Istanbul election sign of "dictatorship"
by Reuters
Monday, 6 May 2019 17:04 GMT

ANKARA, May 6 (Reuters) - Turkey's main opposition said on Monday it was a "plain dictatorship" that had decided on a re-run of local elections in Istanbul, after the election board decided to annul vote results showing a painful defeat for President Tayyip Erdogan's party.

More:Turkish opposition says re-run of Istanbul election sign of ...

Why Turkey just became a more difficult ally

Why Turkey just became a more difficult ally
by Erin Dunne
 | May 06, 2019 03:00 PM

It’s no secret that democracy is slipping in Turkey. But the latest indicator — an announcement from the country’s election commission that voided the results of opposition victory in Istanbul, should leave no illusions on where Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan stands.

More:Why Turkey just became a more difficult ally

Why did Turkey allow jailed Kurdish leader to meet lawyers after long pause?

Why did Turkey allow jailed Kurdish leader to meet lawyers after long pause?
Amberin Zaman May 6, 2019

ARTICLE SUMMARY
In his first meeting with lawyers in eight years, imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan called for "democratic negotiation" between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds and for hunger strikers protesting his treatment not to endanger their health.


More:Why did Turkey allow jailed Kurdish leader to meet lawyers after long pause?

Turkey – the world’s largest prison for journalists Ç€ View | Euronews

Turkey – the world’s largest prison for journalists Ç€ View

As usual during the first days of spring, the weather was sunny when I stepped inside the cold walls of Bakırköy women’s prison in Istanbul. Inside I met Nazlı Ilıcak, a 75-year-old journalist who was sentenced to life imprisonment for having “attempted to destroy the constitutional order.” She has been in prison for almost three years now and was still surprised at how a notebook in which she kept friends’ phone numbers could be taken as evidence to support accusations of “terrorism.”

More:Turkey – the world’s largest prison for journalists Ç€ View | Euronews

Sunday, May 05, 2019

Spotlight: Analysts not expecting Turkey to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran despite rhetoric - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Spotlight: Analysts not expecting Turkey to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran despite rhetoric

ISTANBUL, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkey would observe the U.S. sanctions against Iran despite its sharp criticism of Washington's unilateral moves as Ankara would not risk yet another confrontation with its NATO ally amid economic woes, analysts told Xinhua.

More:Spotlight: Analysts not expecting Turkey to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran despite rhetoric - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Turkey's Innovation Week Tackles the Importance of Building "Conscious Smart Cities"

Turkey's Innovation Week Tackles the Importance of Building "Conscious Smart Cities"

Canay Atalay breaks down how to create a conscious smart city and the role it will play in the future during Turkey's Innovation Week.

More:Turkey's Innovation Week Tackles the Importance of Building "Conscious Smart Cities"

Isolation Strangles Turkey | Asharq AL-awsat

Isolation Strangles Turkey
Opinion

Salman Al-dossary
Salman Aldosary is the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper
A quick review over Turkey's foreign relations throughout the past decade would clearly show how some countries lose their alliances, special relations and friends to suddenly find themselves alone.

More:Isolation Strangles Turkey | Asharq AL-awsat

Turkey to rule on Istanbul election re-run appeal on Monday: AKP candidate - Reuters

Turkey to rule on Istanbul election re-run appeal on Monday: AKP candidate
Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s High Election Board will rule on Monday on an appeal by President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party (AKP) calling for a re-run of the Istanbul local elections that the party narrowly lost, the AKP’s mayoral candidate in the city said.

More:Turkey to rule on Istanbul election re-run appeal on Monday: AKP candidate - Reuters

Israel hits offices of Turkish state news agency in Gaza | News | DW | 04.05.2019

Israel hits offices of Turkish state news agency in Gaza

Israeli forces have hit a Gaza City building housing Turkey's state-run news agency. Turkish President Erdogan has fiercely denounced the attack, which is likely to increase tensions between Israel and Turkey.

More:Israel hits offices of Turkish state news agency in Gaza | News | DW | 04.05.2019

Saturday, May 04, 2019

Turkey’s Inevitable Recession (Part II) – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Turkey’s Inevitable Recession (Part II) – Analysis
May 4, 2019 Claudio Grass 0 Comments
By Claudio Grass

Spillover effects
Turkey’s debt problem, coupled with the plummeting lira, is arguably the most important risk factor for the nation’s economy. To make matters worse, far from it posing a threat just to Turkey itself, it also has the potential to inflict significant damage elsewhere too, starting with key economies in the Eurozone.

More:Turkey’s Inevitable Recession (Part II) – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Turkey is waiting for a new party

Turkey is waiting for a new party

Rumors of a “new political party” have been heard among conservative circles for more than a year (most of it them coming from the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) electorate), and have increased dramatically after the appearance of website in February that seems to indicate a new political formation. Although discussions about who is behind this site, and whether these people represent a new political movement that will become an alternative to the AKP have been going on for two months, it is quite clear that no matter what this topic will take an important place on the domestic political agenda in Turkey.

More:Turkey is waiting for a new party

Turkish universities shut down cafeterias for Ramadan - Birgün | Ahval

Turkish universities shut down cafeterias for Ramadan - Birgün

Turkish students are protesting universities on social media after they announced closing cafeterias during Ramadan, left-wing Birgün daily reported on Friday.

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will run from May 6th to June 4th this year. More and more universities in Turkey in recent years announce before Ramadan that they will close cafeterias during the holy month.

More:Turkish universities shut down cafeterias for Ramadan - Birgün | Ahval

Turkish lira crisis a boon for tourism, curse for other sectors

Turkish lira crisis a boon for tourism, curse for other sectors

Until there is greater clarity, experts foresee foreign investors remaining cautious

More:Turkish lira crisis a boon for tourism, curse for other sectors

Turkey's largest mosque formally opens in Istanbul

Turkey's largest mosque formally opens in Istanbul

"Attacks in the name of religion on places of worship or innocent civilians constitute terrorism, not jihad," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the inauguration of Camlica Mosque.

More:Turkey's largest mosque formally opens in Istanbul

Erdogan’s Turkey at a crossroads | Comment | ekathimerini.com

Erdogan’s Turkey at a crossroads

ISTANBUL – “Our country is finally blessed with a period of four-and-a-half years without electoral disputes,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan trumpeted some two weeks ago, addressing a crowd of public servants in Ankara. “It is now time to leave all tensions behind, embrace our opponents and focus on the challenges for the economy, security and stability of our country,” he added, before the assembled crowd broke out in ceremonial applause.


More:Erdogan’s Turkey at a crossroads | Comment | ekathimerini.com

A Summer of Discontent Awaits Turkey

A Summer of Discontent Awaits Turkey
By Sinan Ciddi
Board of Contributors

There are signs of divisions within Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party as it debates how to react to the defeats it suffered in municipal elections on March 31 and whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should soften his authoritarian tactics.


More:A Summer of Discontent Awaits Turkey

Thursday, May 02, 2019

Inflation Going the Wrong Way for Turkey's Dreams of Rate Cuts - Bloomberg

Inflation Going the Wrong Way for Turkey's Dreams of Rate Cuts

By Cagan Koc May 2, 2019,

Turkey’s inflation is reversing course at just the wrong time for a central bank waiting to undo its crisis-level monetary policy.

More:Inflation Going the Wrong Way for Turkey's Dreams of Rate Cuts - Bloomberg

Boys' rescue from forest provides bright spot for Turks

Boys' rescue from forest provides bright spot for Turks
Jasper Mortimer May 2, 2019

Article Summary
The rescue of two boys, ages 4 and 5, from a forest brought a modicum of hope the day after May Day to Turkish union members and others who have seen their buying power dwindle and are still seeing the nation's governing party trying to reverse the results of the March 31 Istanbul mayor election.

More:Boys' rescue from forest provides bright spot for Turks

Turkey's Local Elections and the Future of ErdoÄŸan's Leadership

Turkey’s Local Elections and the Future of ErdoÄŸan’s Leadership
By Ibrahim Taha On May 2, 2019

Turkey held its first elections since the country formally transitioned to a presidential system on March 31st, 2019. The elections were held amidst warnings of an economic recession, as analysts described the vote as a referendum on Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan. Since sweeping into power in 2002, ErdoÄŸan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has maintained a majority of public support. Consecutive electoral victories of the AKP and President ErdoÄŸan enabled economic growth which, in turn, has been credited to social, political, and economic reforms.

More:Turkey's Local Elections and the Future of ErdoÄŸan's Leadership

Turkey opens criminal probes into disputed Istanbul election | Financial Times

Turkey opens criminal probes into disputed Istanbul election

Erdogan’s ruling AKP party lodged in battle to regain control of city after high-profile defeat

More:Turkey opens criminal probes into disputed Istanbul election | Financial Times

Erdogan looks to banks as Turkey teeters into recession -

Erdogan looks to banks as Turkey teeters into recession
Tom Stevenson | 1/05/2019 9:00 am

With Turkey's economy in a downturn, the interventionist Erdogan government is keen for state and private banks to provide cheaper credit. Tom Stevenson reports.

More:Erdogan looks to banks as Turkey teeters into recession -

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

Istanbul police detains dozens as Turkey marks May 1

Istanbul police detains dozens as Turkey marks May 1

Istanbul police detained dozens of people who were trying to hold a May day rally at city centre square on Wednesday in defiance of a protest ban.

More:Istanbul police detains dozens as Turkey marks May 1

Opinion: Strongmen with weak economies | Opinion | DW | 01.05.2019

Opinion: Strongmen with weak economies

Trump, Putin, Erdogan, Orban — are all "strong leaders" who boast that they are fostering economic dominance. The truth, says Alexander Görlach, is that their countries are in decline.

More:Opinion: Strongmen with weak economies | Opinion | DW | 01.05.2019

Why Erdogan is terrified of Istanbul’s new mayor - The Washington Post

Why Erdogan is terrified of Istanbul’s new mayor

By Asli Aydintasbas
May 1 at 3:05 PM

The Istanbul city hall building is a huge modern structure at the heart of the city’s historic peninsula, which is otherwise replete with Ottoman-era mosques and remnants of Byzantine churches. The building’s mid-century modernism reflects the yearnings of the young republic in the early 1950s, when Turkey was about to join NATO, eager to claim its place in the West.

More:Why Erdogan is terrified of Istanbul’s new mayor - The Washington Post

US says religious freedoms in Turkey remained deeply troubling in 2018 | Turkey Purge

US says religious freedoms in Turkey remained deeply troubling in 2018
by TurkeyPurge | May 1, 2019 |

Int'l Reactions US says religious freedoms in Turkey remained deeply troubling in 2018 In 2018, the state of religious freedom in Turkey remained deeply troubling, raising serious concerns that the country’s current trajectory will lead to the further deterioration of conditions in the year ahead, the US State Department said in its annual International Religious Freedom Report for 2019, released on Apr 29.

More:US says religious freedoms in Turkey remained deeply troubling in 2018 | Turkey Purge