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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Freeing Kurdish activists would help Turkey peace moves: watchdog | Reuters

Freeing Kurdish activists would help Turkey peace moves: watchdog

ISTANBUL | Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:17pm EST

(Reuters) - Freeing thousands of Kurdish activists from Turkish prisons could help a fledgling peace initiative to end a three-decade-old insurgency, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

More:Freeing Kurdish activists would help Turkey peace moves: watchdog | Reuters

POLITICS - Ankara highlights complicacy of Syria crisis upon Israel’s strike

Ankara highlights complicacy of Syria crisis upon Israel’s strike

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey has no official information on the alleged Israeli attack, which is said to have targeted a Syrian military center near Damascus, a Turkish official said while underlining that the incident displays how the situation in Syria influences the region in a negative way.

More:POLITICS - Ankara highlights complicacy of Syria crisis upon Israel’s strike

Turkish Architects Reveal Plans for Renewable Energy-Generating Mosque | Green Prophet

Julia Harte
Turkish Architects Reveal Plans for Renewable Energy-Generating Mosque
Julia Harte | January 31st, 2013

Surrounded by mountains, Turkey’s fourth largest city, Bursa, is already one of the country’s most verdant metropolises — and it’s about to get a little bit greener.

A mosque slated to be built in the western city of Bursa will produce 120 kilowatts of electricity from solar and wind energy, according to Turkish paper Hürriyet Daily News. But the building will consume just 50 kW of that, selling the rest to the national power grid.

More:Turkish Architects Reveal Plans for Renewable Energy-Generating Mosque | Green Prophet

Kurdish PKK Dismisses Reports of Retreat from Turkey as Lies - IBTimes UK

Kurdish PKK Dismisses Reports of Retreat from Turkey as Lies

By Gianluca Mezzofiore: Subscribe to Gianluca's RSS feed

January 31, 2013 1:12 PM GMT

Kurdish militants have denied media reports that they are poised to pull out from Turkey under a peace deal agreed with the government in Ankara and labelled the rumours "psychological war lies".

More:Kurdish PKK Dismisses Reports of Retreat from Turkey as Lies - IBTimes UK

Kurdish militants dismiss Turkey withdrawal reports | Reuters

Kurdish militants dismiss Turkey withdrawal reports

ISTANBUL | Thu Jan 31, 2013 5:05pm IST

(Reuters) - The PKK Kurdish militant group said on Thursday media reports that its fighters would withdraw from Turkey under a peace process to end a 28-year-old insurgency were "lies" and part of a "psychological war".

More:Kurdish militants dismiss Turkey withdrawal reports | Reuters

Exhibits: Genoa 'enchants' Istanbul with 21 photos - Economy - ANSAMed.it

Exhibits: Genoa 'enchants' Istanbul with 21 photos
City's mission to Beyoglu, ahead of summer city twinning

31 January, 14:25

(ANSAmed) - GENOA - Genoa city authorities yesterday inaugurated a show made up of 21 photographs of the city's port and palaces, squares and shipyards in Beyoglu, the Istanbul municipality built on the remains of a community founded by Genoese seafarers centuries ago.

More:Exhibits: Genoa 'enchants' Istanbul with 21 photos - Economy - ANSAMed.it

Istanbul Biennial’s public program begins with talks

Istanbul Biennial’s public program begins with talks

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
The first event of the Istanbul Biennial’s public program, ‘Making the City Public,’ will take place between Feb 8 and 10 at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Maçka Campus

More:EXHIBITIONS - Istanbul Biennial’s public program begins with talks

Tourism: Capsule Hotel Opens in Moscow

Moscow's first "Sleepbox" hotel has opened on 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa, conveniently located next to the Belorussky train station, the city's committee on tourism and hospitality announced Thursday.

The hotel, founded by Arch Group Architectural Bureau, is made up of 2-meter by 1.5-meter soundproof capsules — or sleepboxes — made from wood and plastic. One night in a sleepbox with a bunk bed for two costs 2,600 rubles each ($86), while a single bed will run you 2,900 rubles, Interfax reported.

The sleepboxes differ from ordinary hotel rooms in their minimalism: The only things in the "box" apart from a bed is a shelf and a few electrical outlets — the bare necessities for a traveler.

The first hotel of sleepboxes opened in Russia in 2009 at Sheremetyevo Airport, although that hotel offers showers and bathrooms in the capsules.

Read more: Capsule Hotel Opens in Moscow | News | The Moscow Times

Turkey: Islamist Kurds enter politics to divide AKP, BDP electorate in the Southeast | Foreign Policy Journal

Turkey: Islamist Kurds enter politics to divide AKP, BDP electorate in the Southeast
by Alakbar Raufoglu
January 31, 2013

Based largely in southeastern Turkey, a new Islamic Kurdish party has announced its foray into politics to “protect peace, justice, and brotherhood,” which for many analysts, targets to trim the votes of the ruling AKP and pro-Kurdish BDP.

More:Turkey: Islamist Kurds enter politics to divide AKP, BDP electorate in the Southeast | Foreign Policy Journal

Kurdish rebels to withdraw from Turkey in March: report | World | DAWN.COM

Kurdish rebels to withdraw from Turkey in March: report

ISTANBUL: Kurdish militants will withdraw from Turkish territory by the Kurdish new year on March 21 under a peace process to end a conflict in which 40,000 people have been killed, a newspaper close to the government said on Thursday.

More:Kurdish rebels to withdraw from Turkey in March: report | World | DAWN.COM

France vows to rekindle Turkey’s frozen EU bid

France vows to rekindle Turkey’s frozen EU bid

ANKARA
Turkey may soon come in from the cold in terms of its EU bid as its biggest skeptic, France, vows to lift blocks on its accession chapters

More:POLITICS - France vows to rekindle Turkey’s frozen EU bid

Erdogan Hints at Alternative Federation for Turkey

Erdogan Hints at Alternative Federation for Turkey

Dorian Jones

January 30, 2013
ISTANBUL — Several European Union countries recently reiterated their opposition to Ankara’s efforts to join the European Union, once again bringing its membership bid to a virtual halt. Then, last Friday in a TV interview, Prime Minister Erdoğan dropped what one commentary described as a diplomatic bomb.

More:Erdogan Hints at Alternative Federation for Turkey

Are The Kurds And Turks On The Brink Of Peace After Three Decades Of War?

Are The Kurds And Turks On The Brink Of Peace After Three Decades Of War?

BY Palash R. Ghosh | January 30 2013 6:07 AM

About 100 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said they will lay down their arms and withdraw from Turkish soil in February as a concession to the ongoing “peace process” between PKK and the Turkish state.

More:Are The Kurds And Turks On The Brink Of Peace After Three Decades Of War?

CHP Raises 'Turkish Question' In Dealing With Kurds - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

CHP Raises 'Turkish Question' In Dealing With Kurds

It has become evident once again that Turkey’s efforts to find a solution to its Kurdish issue through negotiations or to its consequence, “the terror question,’’ will be confronted by serious psychological and political resistance stemming from republican Turkish identity.

More:CHP Raises 'Turkish Question' In Dealing With Kurds - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Sarai Sierra: Turkish police search for 'Dutch tour guide' who corresponded with New York mother over the internet before she vanished in Istanbul | Mail Online

Turkish police search for 'Dutch tour guide' who chatted online with New York mother before she vanished in Istanbul

Sarai Sierra, 33, a photographer, took trip to Turkey on her own
She was supposed to travel with a friend who dropped out at the last minute
Failed to board flight from Istanbul to Newark International on January 22

By Lydia Warren

PUBLISHED: 13:27 EST, 30 January 2013 | UPDATED: 13:27 EST, 30 January 2013

Turkish police are looking for a person who chatted with a New York City mother-of-two on social networking sites before she vanished while travelling alone in the country.

More:Sarai Sierra: Turkish police search for 'Dutch tour guide' who corresponded with New York mother over the internet before she vanished in Istanbul | Mail Online

Turkcell Retreats After Split U.K. Court Ruling: Istanbul Mover - Bloomberg

Turkcell Retreats After Split U.K. Court Ruling: Istanbul Mover
By Taylan Bilgic - Jan 30, 2013 11:26 AM ET

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS (TCELL), Turkey’s largest mobile phone company, plunged after a U.K. court reached a split decision in a case concerning the company’s long-running shareholder dispute.

More:Turkcell Retreats After Split U.K. Court Ruling: Istanbul Mover - Bloomberg

Turkey’s KRG Energy Partnership - By Gonul Tol | The Middle East Channel

Turkey’s KRG energy partnership
Posted By Gonul Tol Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - 3:07 PM Share

Only a few years back, the idea of an independent Kurdistan bordering Turkey would have had Ankara up in arms. Not anymore. Past tensions have been supplanted by a new energy partnership and Turkey seems far less worried about the prospect of an independent Kurdistan. In May 2012, Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cut a deal to build one gas and two oil pipelines directly from Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq to Turkey without the approval of Baghdad, taking the rapprochement started between the two in 2009 one step further. If realized, the Kurdish pipelines will for the first time provide the Kurds direct access to world markets, bypassing the Baghdad controlled Kirkuk-Ceyhan (Turkey) pipeline bringing the KRG one step closer to the long-held dream of Kurdish independence.

More:Turkey’s KRG Energy Partnership - By Gonul Tol | The Middle East Channel

Turkish Cypriot honey to cross Green Line - Cyprus Mail

Turkish Cypriot honey to cross Green Line
Published on January 30, 2013

HONEY made by Turkish Cypriot beekeepers will soon be included on the list of products traded across the buffer zone, according to a statement by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KKTO).

More:Turkish Cypriot honey to cross Green Line - Cyprus Mail

Turkish Opposition Party Criticizes Kurdish Initiative - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

By: Tulin Daloglu for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. Posted on January 29.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay told reporters in Ankara on Jan. 23 that the new peace process with Kurdish nationalists “is being handled as transparent as possible.” According to Turkey’s main opposition, however, there is nothing at all “transparent” about this process.

More:Turkish Opposition Party Criticizes Kurdish Initiative - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

In Istanbul, tourists seek their dream moustache - FRANCE 24

In Istanbul, tourists seek their dream moustache

AFP - Already known the world over for its baths, coffee and sweet Turkish delights, Turkey is on the road to adding another item to its roster of specialities: the moustache.

More:In Istanbul, tourists seek their dream moustache - FRANCE 24

Assyrian Monastery in Turkey Becomes Shelter for Syrian Refugees

Assyrian Monastery in Turkey Becomes Shelter for Syrian Refugees
Posted GMT 1-30-2013 7:11:40

Syriac [Assyrian] refugees escaping clashes in Syria are temporarily taking shelter in Mardin's Deyrülzafaran Monastery before finding a way to a third country, the metropolitan bishop for Diyabakır and Mardin, Saliba Özmen, has told the Daily News.

Deyrülzafaran Monastery is the first Syriac foundation in Turkey to welcome the Syriac refugees, who have been avoiding refugee camps over security concerns.

More:Assyrian Monastery in Turkey Becomes Shelter for Syrian Refugees

Turkey may look East as EU stalemate continues - The National

Turkey may look East as EU stalemate continues

Thomas Seibert
Jan 30, 2013

ISTANBUL // Frustrated with resistance within the European Union to Turkey's accession, the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has asked the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for help in getting the country admitted to the Shanghai Five, an organisation of Asian powers that includes China and Russia.

More:Turkey may look East as EU stalemate continues - The National

Turkey's tourism income keeps rising | Economy | World Bulletin

Turkey's tourism income keeps rising

Turkey's tourism income rose 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 (October-November-December) when compared to the same term of last year.

According to tourism statistics of fourth quarter 2012 released by Turkey's statistics authority, TurkStat, on Wednesday, Turkey's tourism income in 2012 was calculated as $23.4 billion.

More:Turkey's tourism income keeps rising | Economy | World Bulletin

Yavuz Baydar: Turkey, Weary of the EU, Tiptoes Towards the Shanghai Five

Turkey, Weary of the EU, Tiptoes Towards the Shanghai Five
Posted: 01/29/2013 2:02 pm

Turkey's popular, charismatic and impulsive prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, never ceases to surprise. His recent bombshell was about Turky's flirtation with the "Shanghai Five," The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

More:Yavuz Baydar: Turkey, Weary of the EU, Tiptoes Towards the Shanghai Five

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Istanbul police dismantle a human trafficking ring in a joint operation

Istanbul police dismantle a human trafficking ring in a joint operation

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

The Istanbul Police Directorate dismantled an international human-trafficking ring in a joint operation with six EU countries early today. In simultaneous early morning raids organized Jan. 29 in Istanbul, Antalya and Balıkesir 35 suspects were taken into custody while 20 people being held hostage by the organization were rescued.

More:LOCAL - Istanbul police dismantle a human trafficking ring in a joint operation

Istanbul Police Install Security Cameras in Samatya | Hetq

Istanbul Police Install Security Cameras in Samatya

12:56, January 29, 2013

Istanbul police have installed high definition camera throughout the neighbourhood of Samatya, in response to a number of attacks against elderly Armenian women of late.

More:Istanbul Police Install Security Cameras in Samatya | Hetq

Kurds to Truck Crude to Turkey Again in a Week, Minister Says - Bloomberg

Kurds to Truck Crude to Turkey Again in a Week, Minister Says
By Grant Smith - Jan 29, 2013 12:04 PM ET

Iraq’s Kurdish region will resume sending crude to Turkey by truck in about a week and is in talks with international companies to develop oil fields, even as the country’s central government branded such deals illegal.

More:Kurds to Truck Crude to Turkey Again in a Week, Minister Says - Bloomberg

Kurdish militants set for Turkey ceasefire in February: paper - Yahoo! News

Kurdish militants set for Turkey ceasefire in February: paper
By Daren Butler | Reuters – 11 hrs ago

Reuters/Reuters - Demonstrators hold flags with portraits of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a protest in Strasbourg February 18, 2012. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Kurdish militants will halt hostilities with Turkey in February according to the timetable of a fledgling peace process aimed at ending 28 years of insurgency, a report in a mainstream newspaper said on Tuesday.

More:Kurdish militants set for Turkey ceasefire in February: paper - Yahoo! News

Turkish Cypriot Republic to Open Tender for Water Works - Bloomberg

Turkish Cypriot Republic to Open Tender for Water Works
By Selcan Hacaoglu - Jan 29, 2013 8:32 AM ET

The breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in northern Cyprus will soon open bids for the distribution of water through a 480-kilometer (300-mile) network, Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency said today, citing officials.

More:Turkish Cypriot Republic to Open Tender for Water Works - Bloomberg

Turkey's Armenians: The ghosts of 1915 | The Economist

Turkey's Armenians
The ghosts of 1915
Jan 29th 2013, 13:54 by A.Z. | ISTANBUL

MARISSA Kucuk was a little old Armenian lady who lived on her own in Samatya (pictured above), a picturesque neighbourhood of Istanbul where Christians and Muslims used to rub along peacefully. On December 28th Ms Kucuk, 85, was found dead in her apartment. She had been stabbed, repeatedly. Relatives said a crucifix was carved onto her naked corpse.

More:Turkey's Armenians: The ghosts of 1915 | The Economist

Turkish businesswomen make a difference | World | DW.DE | 29.01.2013

Turkish businesswomen make a difference

Turkey’s largest companies are increasingly assigning women to key positions and corporate boards. Of the top executives in these companies, 26 percent are women - well above the EU average.

More:Turkish businesswomen make a difference | World | DW.DE | 29.01.2013

Turkish businesswomen make a difference - 26 percent corporate top executives are women - well above the EU average

Turkey’s largest companies are increasingly assigning women to key positions and corporate boards. Of the top executives in these companies, 26 percent are women - well above the EU average.

Just last week, Siemens, the German engineering giant, elected renowned Turkish business women Güler Sabanci to its supervisory board. She is a member of the Sabanci family, one of the wealthiest in Turkey, but it is her individual efforts and achievements as the head of the family conglomerate which have earned her international acclaim. She was named by Forbes in 2012 to its list of the world's most powerful 100 women.

The selection of Sabanci, however, came as a surprise to many in Europe. Turkey  is more famous in Western media for unpleasant headlines, such as the rise of political Islam, the headscarf debate, violence against women, or her comments on extrajudicial killings.

But now, Sabanci has prompted fresh interest in the West on the role of women in Turkey's business world.

While the European Union is busy discussing ways to increase the number of women in top position with a gender quota, Turkey's largest companies have already set the pace with an impressive number of successful women executives in top corporations.

Read more: Turkish businesswomen make a difference | World | DW.DE | 29.01.2013

Istanbul’s Natural Oases: The Atatürk Arboretum and Belgrade Forest | Green Prophet

Istanbul’s Natural Oases: The Atatürk Arboretum and Belgrade Forest
Julia Harte | January 29th, 2013

Atatürk Arboretum natural eco touring in TurkeyA natural retreat from the traffic and crowds of Istanbul, the 296-hectare Atatürk Arboretum, above, receives few visitors. But it contains more than 2,000 foreign and native plant species, including some species that can’t be found anywhere else in Turkey. Situated within the city’s Belgrade Forest, the arboretum is a research site for Turkish and foreign scientists, an educational experience for local schoolchildren, university students of forestry, and a haven for nature-lovers in Istanbul.

More:Istanbul’s Natural Oases: The Atatürk Arboretum and Belgrade Forest | Green Prophet

Monday, January 28, 2013

TV - China, Turkey to coproduce films to celebrate ‘Turkey Year’ in China

China, Turkey to coproduce films to celebrate ‘Turkey Year’ in China

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency
China celebrates the “Turkish Cultural Year” in 2013 with festivities set to begin with a screening of a Jackie Chan movie in Ankara, as the two countries aim to cooperate in the filmmaking industry

More:CINEMA-TV - China, Turkey to coproduce films to celebrate ‘Turkey Year’ in China

Commentary: Erdogan's Kurdish Issues | The National Interest

Erdogan's Kurdish Issues

Morton Abramowitz, Jessica Sims
|
January 28, 2013

Turkey’s political discussion changes quickly. Yesterday it was mostly Syria. Today it is making peace with Kurds. That has been a boon to prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political standing—at least for the moment.

More:Commentary: Erdogan's Kurdish Issues | The National Interest

Istanbul police try to trace missing US woman - Watertown Public Opinion: Europe

Istanbul police try to trace missing US woman

Police in Istanbul were scanning security camera footage Monday to try to trace a New York City woman who went missing while vacationing alone in the city, an official said.

More:Istanbul police try to trace missing US woman - Watertown Public Opinion: Europe

Turkey: Erdogan threatens to give up on EU adhesion

Turkey: Erdogan threatens to give up on EU adhesion
'Better go with Shanghai Cooperation Organization,' Erdogan says

28 January, 19:13

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JANUARY 28 - If the EU can't make up its mind then Turkey will seriously consider seeking membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan told local media recently.

More:Turkey: Erdogan threatens to give up on EU adhesion - Europe - ANSAMed.it

D-8 Water Meeting in Istanbul | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

D-8 Water Meeting in Istanbul

Projects on water resources, resolving the international water issues and effective use of water will form the main agenda of the meeting according to a statement by the Turkish Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs.

More:D-8 Water Meeting in Istanbul | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

F.Vodka Luxury Collection Hits Istanbul Party Scene - fashiontv

F.Vodka Luxury Collection Hits Istanbul Party Scene

Ever wondered what's the best recipe for achieving a sizzling hot party? FashionTV have the secret ingredients!

Fill a room with the world’s most beautiful women, put on a top-class fashion show, invite some sexy DJs, make sure your guests are never without an F.Vodka cocktail in hand... And VOILA, you’ve just made the party of a lifetime!

More:Fashion News - FashionTV News - F.Vodka Luxury Collection Hits Istanbul Party Scene - fashiontv

Turkish bourse’s star shines as Cyprus hits a wall

Turkish bourse’s star shines as Cyprus hits a wall

Michelle Price
28 Jan 2013

The capitalisation of the Turkish stock market ballooned 60% to reach $315.2bn during 2012, according to data published last week by the World Federation of Exchanges.

More:Turkish bourse’s star shines as Cyprus hits a wall

Kurds Welcome Change of Turkish Interior Minister - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Kurds Welcome Change of Turkish Interior Minister

By: Kadri Gursel for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. Posted on January 27.
Read in Turkish

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Thursday made four important changes in his Cabinet and replaced the ministers of culture, health national education and interior with new names.

More:Kurds Welcome Change of Turkish Interior Minister - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Istanbul viewed as safe, but has its dangers

Istanbul viewed as safe, but has its dangers
Victor Kotsev, Special for USA TODAY4p.m. EST January 27, 2013
The city where an American woman went missing in Turkey has a relatively low rate of street crime, according to the U.S. State Department.

ISTANBUL -- With its gleaming domes and elegant spires, Istanbul has beckoned travelers for centuries, but the modern city is a bustling hub with all the trappings that come with a major metropolis, including crime.

More:Istanbul viewed as safe, but has its dangers

Family to search for missing N.Y. woman in Turkey

Family to search for missing N.Y. woman in Turkey

Staten Island resident was scheduled to arrive home Tuesday afternoon
She had called, texted or e-mailed every day of her trip
Her passport, phone charger and clothes were found in her room

The husband and brother of a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Turkey are heading to Istanbul to search for her.

More:Family to search for missing N.Y. woman in Turkey

An ambitious project unearths memories of Turkey’s Kurdish youth | Egypt Independent

An ambitious project unearths memories of Turkey’s Kurdish youth
Jenna Krajeski
Sun, 27/01/2013 - 15:55

Remzi, a 26-year-old Kurd from southeast Turkey, has a pretty typical life story for someone like him. A child during the brutal 1990s, when paranoia and military violence ravaged Turkey, Remzi and his family were forced to leave their village for urban shantytowns. Their village was later burned to the ground.

Unable to afford to raise their children in the city, Remzi’s parents shipped him and his siblings to the nearest state-run boarding school, a cluster of drab buildings surrounded by barbed wire and military guards, where Remzi would live until his high school graduation. The harsh discipline and daily violence inside the school, coupled with the shadowy decade that catapulted him into its walls, form the core of Remzi’s identity as a young Kurd in Turkey.

More:An ambitious project unearths memories of Turkey’s Kurdish youth | Egypt Independent

Turkey warns against Israel-Cyprus gas deal - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper

Turkey warns against Israel-Cyprus gas deal

At Eurasian Economic Summit in Istanbul, Turkish envoy tells his Israeli counterpart that a potential Israel-Turkey gas pipeline could be squandered by Israeli partnership with Cyprus on natural gas.

More:Turkey warns against Israel-Cyprus gas deal - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper

The Istanbul derby preview: Galatasaray - Besiktas - Soccer News - Turkish Football

The Istanbul derby preview: Galatasaray - Besiktas
2013-01-27 04:57:57

Galatasaray's shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Kasımpaşa would have been the talk of the town under normal circumstances, however, all that has been long forgotten as a Dutch fellow known as Wesley Sneijder arrived on the shores of the Bosphorus.

More:The Istanbul derby preview: Galatasaray - Besiktas - Soccer News - Turkish Football

Saturday, January 26, 2013

First NATO Patriot battery goes operational in Turkey — RT

First NATO Patriot battery goes operational in Turkey

Published: 27 January, 2013, 00:44

NATO has declared operational the first Patriot anti-missile battery deployed in southern Turkey, set to intercept possible rockets fired from Syria. The other five units are expected to be in place and operational over the next few days.

More:First NATO Patriot battery goes operational in Turkey — RT

Turkey Cannot Solve PKK Terror Without Solving Kurdish Issue - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey Cannot Solve PKK Terror Without Solving Kurdish Issue

By: Kadri Gursel for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. Posted on January 25.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been negotiating with Abdullah Ocalan, the founding head of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who is serving a life sentence in prison. Turkey's mainstream media has labeled these negotiations “the Imrali process.” This so-called "process" has yet to pave the way for peace negotiations with the PKK.

More:Turkey Cannot Solve PKK Terror Without Solving Kurdish Issue - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Ex minister wins ‘Turkish slur’ case - Cyprus Mail

Ex minister wins ‘Turkish slur’ case
By George Psyllides Published on January 26, 2013

THE Nicosia district court has ordered an MP to pay a former minister around €35,000 in compensation for suggesting live on air that he had been bribed by a company to promote Turkish views on the Cyprus problem.

More:Ex minister wins ‘Turkish slur’ case - Cyprus Mail

Turkey training anti-Iraq Ba’athi militants: Turkish media

Turkey training anti-Iraq Ba’athi militants: Turkish media

The Turkish military is reportedly training the members of a Ba'athi group called "Free Iraqi Army" to pave the ground for taking down the government of Iraqi Premier Nuri al-Maliki.

More:PressTV - Turkey training anti-Iraq Ba’athi militants: Turkish media

Erdogan: Turkey considers Shanghai organization an alternative to EU - Trend.Az

Erdogan: Turkey considers Shanghai organization an alternative to EU

Turkey and the European Union have failed to make substantial progress in their accession talks, pushing Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to once again say that Turkey is seriously considering seeking membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an alternative at a time when the EU's future looks increasingly dim, Today's Zaman reported.

More:Erdogan: Turkey considers Shanghai organization an alternative to EU - Trend.Az

US delegation visits Syrian refugee camp in Turkey - Trend.Az

US delegation visits Syrian refugee camp in Turkey
inShare
US delegation visits Syrian refugee camp in Turkey
26 January 2013, 09:37 (GMT+04:00)

A delegation from the US State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) visited a refugee camp in İslahiye, a town in the southern province of Gaziantep, where Syrians who have fled the violence in their country are being sheltered Today`s ZAman reproted.

More:US delegation visits Syrian refugee camp in Turkey - Trend.Az

Friday, January 25, 2013

Gallery Stroll: Istanbul - NYTimes.com

Gallery Stroll: Istanbul
By SUSANNE FOWLER
Hale Tenger's Susanne Fowler Hale Tenger’s “I Know People Like This III,” at the Arter exhibition space in Istanbul.

ISTANBUL — Unpredictable weather means winter isn’t the most popular season for visiting Istanbul, but it is a great time for gallery-hopping: Many of the best museums and art spaces in the Beyoglu district have just opened compelling new exhibitions.

More:Gallery Stroll: Istanbul - NYTimes.com

Turkey Cabinet Shuffle Supports Kurdish Peace Talks - Emerging Europe Real Time - WSJ

Turkey Cabinet Shuffle Supports Kurdish Peace Talks

By Emre Peker and Yeliz Candemir

ISTANBUL–Turkey sent yet another strong signal of its desire to end a three-decade Kurdish insurgency on Thursday when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan picked a moderate interior minister to replace a hawkish predecessor in a cabinet shuffle.

More:Turkey Cabinet Shuffle Supports Kurdish Peace Talks - Emerging Europe Real Time - WSJ

Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Ankara on Jan 24th 2013, smoke in cabin

Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Ankara on Jan 24th 2013, smoke in cabin
By Simon Hradecky, created Friday, Jan 25th 2013 14:15Z, last updated Friday, Jan 25th 2013 14:15Z

A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AIDU performing flight LH-1785 from Ankara (Turkey) to Munich (Germany), was climbing out of Ankara's runway 21L when the crew stopped the climb at about 9000 feet reporting smoke in the cabin and decided to return to Ankara. The aircraft burned off fuel and landed safely back in Ankara one hour after departure.

More:Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Ankara on Jan 24th 2013, smoke in cabin

Turkish PM Erdogan to visit Czech Republic next month | Prague Monitor

Turkish PM Erdogan to visit Czech Republic next month
ČTK |
25 January 2013

Prague, Jan 24 (CTK) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a visit to the Czech Republic in early February, the Czech Government Office told CTK Thursday, adding that the programme of the visit is being prepared.

More:Turkish PM Erdogan to visit Czech Republic next month | Prague Monitor

Surprise Cabinet Reshuffle Announced After PM Meets with Gül - Good Morning Turkey | News About Turkey

Surprise Cabinet Reshuffle Announced After PM Meets with Gül
Posted date: January 25, 2013 In: Headlines, Politics, Turkey

In a surprise move, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reshuffled his Cabinet and named four new ministers, following a meeting with President Abdullah Gül.
Former İstanbul Governor and Turkey’s first undersecretary of public security and order Muammer Güler replaced İdris Naim Şahin as interior minister, while Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Ömer Çelik was appointed as new minister of culture and tourism. Nabi Avcı, who heads the parliamentary Education Commission, was named as new education minister and AK Party Edirne deputy Mehmet Müezzinoğlu replaced Recep Akdağ as health minister.

More:Surprise Cabinet Reshuffle Announced After PM Meets with Gül - Good Morning Turkey | News About Turkey

Pinar Selek Receives Life Sentence, Again - Bianet

Pinar Selek Receives Life Sentence, Again

An Istanbul court ordered life sentence for sociologist Pinar Selek for her involvement in the 1998 Spice Bazaar explosion, a case that has reopened three times in 14 years.

More:English :: Pinar Selek Receives Life Sentence, Again - Bianet

Murders in Paris but, Perhaps, Peace in Turkey : The New Yorker

Murders in Paris but, Perhaps, Peace in Turkey
Posted by Jenna Krajeski

The Kurdish movement in Turkey works in isolation. Guerillas with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (P.K.K.)—which has, for decades, fought the Turkish Army for constitutional rights and autonomy—leave their families for remote posts in the Qandil mountains, on the border between Turkey and Iraq. Hundreds of miles stretch between Istanbul and the politically charged, majority-Kurdish southeast, where economic opportunities are scant compared to western Turkey.

More:Murders in Paris but, Perhaps, Peace in Turkey : The New Yorker

Turkey eyes role in Iraq’s oil and gas shares

Turkey eyes role in Iraq’s oil and gas shares

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey should secure a place for itself in both the northern and southern oil and gas fields of Iraq since its energy future is inextricably linked with its southern neighbor, despite frequent recent friction, sector representatives have said.

More:ENERGY - Turkey eyes role in Iraq’s oil and gas shares

Journalists to discuss Islamophobia in İstanbul - Trend.Az

Journalists to discuss Islamophobia in İstanbul

The Ministry of Youth and Sports will bring young people and well-known journalists together in İstanbul to discuss Islamophobia over the weekend of Jan. 26-27 Today`s Zaman reported.

The event, hosted by Maltepe University at the Marma Congress Center, will include journalists from the BBC, the Guardian, The Huffington Post, the Daily Telegraph and The Independent as well as journalists and academics from Turkey.

More:Journalists to discuss Islamophobia in İstanbul - Trend.Az

History revived with female labor

History revived with female labor

MUĞLA - Anatolia News Agency
Women employed by the Muğla Handicrafts Company in cooperation with the governor’s office produce various products on weaving looms using the city’s unique fabrics. The sales revenue from these products are spent on the restoration of historical structures in the city and surrounding region

More:LABOR - History revived with female labor

Thursday, January 24, 2013

By 2014 76.9 billion Apps: two sides of the same coin - by Nerea Rial

Due to the increasing number of smartphone and tablets in the market, predictions say that in 2014 more than 76.9 billion mobile applications will be downloaded. These tools can make users' lives easier, but not everything is positive and people is starting to worry about their privacy.

To gain users' trust, the European Commission is working on its Data Protection Regulation, which regulates the processing of personal data regardless of whether such processing is automated or not.

During a conference celebrated at the “Reloading Data Protection” event in Brussels, Commission's representative explained that a useful regulation is needed, as well as transparency and users' control over their personal information in order to ensure a safe and fair system.

Over 92% of European users are worried about apps, and both policymaers and businesses have to create trust in an age of complexity, explained Pat Walshe, Director of Privacy at GSMA UK. He added that this complexity is composed, among others, by applications, search browsers, OS and social networks, where people is facilitating their personal data.

Read more: Apps, two sides of the same coin | New Europe

Istanbul hosts Dom Pérignon launch

Istanbul hosts Dom Pérignon launch
24th January, 2013 by Patrick Schmitt
Dom Pérignon launched its 2002 rosé in Istanbul last night – a city selected for its energy as well as combination of eastern and western cultures – while the brand will unveil its 2004 blanc later this year.

More:Istanbul hosts Dom Pérignon launch

Turkey allows Kurdish language in court | The Australian

Turkey allows Kurdish language in court

From: AAP
January 25, 2013 1:12PM


TURKEY'S parliament has passed a law giving Kurds the right to use their own language in court, the state-run Anatolia news agency reports.

The right to give testimony in their mother tongue was one of the key demands raised by hundreds of prison inmates who went on a 68-day hunger strike that ended in November.

More:Turkey allows Kurdish language in court | The Australian

Humanity's presence reflected in 'hans of Istanbul'

Humanity's presence reflected in 'hans of Istanbul'

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Photographer Athina Kazolea focuses on life in Istanbul’s historical Ottoman inns. Her story of visiting hans is on view at Sismanoglio Megaro

More:EXHIBITIONS - Humanity's presence reflected in 'hans of Istanbul'

Majority of Turkish people against EU membership bid: Poll

Majority of Turkish people against EU membership bid: Poll

The survey, conducted by the Turkish Bosforo University on December 15-17, 2012, was based on interviews with 2,023 Turkish adults and its results were released on January 3, 2013.

More:PressTV - Majority of Turkish people against EU membership bid: Poll

Turkey Seeks 'Interdependence' With Iraqi Kurdistan - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey Seeks 'Interdependence'
With Iraqi Kurdistan

By: Tulin Daloglu for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. posted on January 23.
“Turkey’s policy is to strengthen economic interdependence with Iraqi Kurds, not to leverage them to independence,” a prominent Turkish official told Al-Monitor.

As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to bring a closure to Turkey’s Kurdish issue once and for all, his policy also comes under the scrutiny of the neighboring countries.


More:Turkey Seeks 'Interdependence' With Iraqi Kurdistan - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey-PKK Peace Talks Hit New Snag

Turkey-PKK Peace Talks Hit New Snag

Dorian Jones

January 23, 2013
ISTANBUL — Four leading members of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish political movement on Wednesday were denied a visit with Abdullah Ocala, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) movement.

More:Turkey-PKK Peace Talks Hit New Snag

Kurds point finger at Turkey as Paris murder plot thickens - Channel NewsAsia

Kurds point finger at Turkey as Paris murder plot thickens
Posted: 24 January 2013 0501 hrs

ANKARA: Kurdish organisations in France and Iraq on Wednesday claimed that the alleged killer of three female activists shot dead in Paris must have been a shadowy double agent working for Turkey.

More:Kurds point finger at Turkey as Paris murder plot thickens - Channel NewsAsia

Lego Accused Of Racism Amid Claims Jabba's Palace Resembles Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Mosque

Lego Accused Of Racism Amid Claims Jabba's Palace Resembles Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Mosque

Huffington Post UK | By Sara C Nelson Posted: 24/01/2013 11:10 GMT | Updated: 24/01/2013 11:55 GMT

A Turkish community in Austria has accused Lego of racism amid claims a model from its Star Wars range resembles a renowned mosque.

More:Lego Accused Of Racism Amid Claims Jabba's Palace Resembles Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Mosque

Saxo Bank Opens Office in Istanbul | PRNewswire | Rock Hill Herald Online

Saxo Bank Opens Office in Istanbul

By Saxo Bank

ISTANBUL, January 24, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ --

Saxo Bank, the online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, today announced the opening of its newest branch in Istanbul, Saxo Capital Markets Menkul Değerler A.Ş.

In May 2012, Saxo Bank acquired 89.54% of Değer Menkul Değerler, a local broker with a securities license. The new branch will support and grow Saxo Bank's existing institutional client base, offering access to Turkish markets as well as providing Turkish investors with access to international financial markets.

More:ISTANBUL, January 24, 2013: Saxo Bank Opens Office in Istanbul | PRNewswire | Rock Hill Herald Online

Armenian, Turkish students to initiate partnership | Public Radio of Armenia

Armenian, Turkish students to initiate partnership
12:31 24.01.2013

Turkey and Armenia’s student councils signed a protocol to initiate a student exchange program and promote other academic activities between the two countries. Signed by Turkey’s Student Council and Armenia’s National Students Association at a forum organized at Istanbul’s Galatasaray University, the protocol is considered a significant step toward breaking the ice between the countries.

More:Armenian, Turkish students to initiate partnership | Public Radio of Armenia

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Turkey’s largest tourism fair to hosts 70 countries

Turkey’s largest tourism fair to hosts 70 countries

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (EMITT), one of the world’s largest tourism fairs, is opening its doors to visitors in Istanbul today and will remain open until Jan. 27.

More:TOURISM - Turkey’s largest tourism fair to hosts 70 countries

Assassination of Los Angeles Turkish Consul General Marks 40th Anniversary of Modern Armenian Terrorism

Assassination of Los Angeles Turkish Consul General
Marks 40th Anniversary of Modern Armenian Terrorism

On Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 12:30 pm, Washingtonians will gather at the Turkish Embassy, 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008 to remember Mehmet Baydar and Bahadir Demir, the first victims of modern Armenian terrorism.

More:Assassination of Los Angeles Turkish Consul General Marks 40th Anniversary of Modern Armenian Terrorism

US delegation in Turkey for Syria mission

US delegation in Turkey for Syria mission

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development has sent a delegation of senior U.S. officials to Turkey, which will then also travel on to Jordan.

More:INTERNATIONAL - US delegation in Turkey for Syria mission

Is Turkey Finally Ready to Make Peace with the Kurds? - Soner Cagaptay - The Atlantic

Is Turkey Finally Ready to Make Peace with the Kurds?
By Soner Cagaptay

Jan 23 2013, 7:26 AM ET 3

Last week's massive funeral in Turkey of three Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) activists killed in Paris last week speaks volumes about the PKK's appeal among the Turkish Kurds in Turkey's southeast.

Turkey recently entered peace talks with the PKK, and if these talks succeed, they could bring an end to the bitterest aspects of the four-decade-old conflict between Ankara and the group. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems determined to achieve a settlement with the PKK, if for no other reason than that brokering a peace deal will effectively eliminate the last hurdle to achieve his goal of getting elected as the country's next president in 2014.

More:Is Turkey Finally Ready to Make Peace with the Kurds? - Soner Cagaptay - The Atlantic

Turkey says new airport in Istanbul will be the world's largest - UPI.com

Istanbul airport will be world's largest

Published: Jan. 23, 2013 at 8:37 AM

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The new airport set to be built in Istanbul will be the world's largest, Turkey's minister of transportation told a Wednesday press conference.

More:Turkey says new airport in Istanbul will be the world's largest - UPI.com

EU-Digest "Piggyback Advertising Services" opens new market opportunities for low budget advertisers

EU-Digest has just entered its 14th year as an Internet publication, bringing news focusing on Europe's vast market place of more than half a billion people and other related issues selected from a wide variety of news resources.

With online marketing and advertising today being recognized as one of the best marketing options available to companies, institutions, and other organizations, EU-Digest can be instrumental in boosting your marketing and sales efforts as a low budget advertising platform.

EU-Digest's ever expanding readership base around the world provides a unique opportunity for business and institutional advertisers to "piggyback" the EU-Digest network with a clickable logo linked advertisement, and reach a large number of potential international and local customers.

Whether you sell a service or a product, be it tourism or development, trade promotion, tangible or intangible - your advertisement will be seen by the thousands of people who read EU-Digest every day.

Best of all, EU-Digest logo linked advertising rates, in comparison,  are at least 80% lower in cost  to those in the printed press, and competitive with other Internet driven publications.

EU-Digest also makes advertising simple, without any small print or hidden costs. Order and pay for your advertisement directly on EU-Digest, by pointing your cursor to the listing "Advertise on EU-Digest", and following the instructions which follow.

EU-Digest  Piggy Back Advertising Services

Turkish Media Won't Report Good News About The Kurds - NYTimes.com

The News They Carried
By ANDREW FINKEL

ISTANBUL — Last Thursday was a major news day in Turkey, and part of the story was that the Turkish media failed to report a major event in the Kurdish southeast of the country.

More:Turkish Media Won't Report Good News About The Kurds - NYTimes.com

Turkey Tourist Arrival Growth Highest In 15 Months

Turkey Tourist Arrival Growth Highest In 15 Months
1/23/2013 7:40 AM ET

Tourists arrivals in Turkey rose at the fastest pace in fifteen months during December, data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed on Wednesday.

More:Turkey Tourist Arrival Growth Highest In 15 Months

Athens hopes to attract tourists from Ankara- Capital.gr

Athens hopes to attract tourists from Ankara

About 50 tour operators and travel agents from Greece will participate in business meetings with Turkish counterparts in Ankara, aiming to attract a greater volume of tourists from neighboring Turkey.

More:Athens hopes to attract tourists from Ankara- Capital.gr

Turkey to Build World's Largest Airport in Istanbul - Minister | Fox Business

Turkey to Build World's Largest Airport in Istanbul - Minister

By Emre Peker and Yeliz Candemir

Published January 23, 2013

Turkey plans to build the world's largest airport in Istanbul as the government seeks to transform the country's biggest city into an international flight hub, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday.

More:Turkey to Build World's Largest Airport in Istanbul - Minister | Fox Business

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Sneijder signs deal with Galatasaray in Istanbul - Globaltimes.cn

Sneijder signs deal with Galatasaray in Istanbul
Xinhua | 2013-1-23 9:59:37
By Agencies

Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Turkey's Galatasaray in a ceremony held at the club in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press at the ceremony, the Dutch player said that he was very happy to join Galatasaray and could not wait to play for the team, adding that he is ready to play in the Besiktas derby this weekend if coach agrees.

More:Sneijder signs deal with Galatasaray in Istanbul - Globaltimes.cn

Press freedom: Barometer of the Turkish model - Blog - Committee to Protect Journalists

Press freedom: Barometer of the Turkish model
By Jean-Paul Marthoz/CPJ Senior Adviser

With Turkey recently in the spotlight because of its press freedom record--including dishonorable distinction as the world's worst jailer of journalists--many international observers wonder how Ankara will overcome its image crisis and whether it will choose to resolutely base its broad strategic ambitions on the respect of global standards of press freedom. A new report to be officially launched in Brussels tomorrow by Marc Pierini, a former EU ambassador to Ankara and senior Turkey scholar at Carnegie Europe and the Open Society Foundation, "Press freedom in Turkey," underscores the importance of the issue. As Pierini recently told CPJ, "What kind of state and of society does Turkey want to be? To what league of nations does it want to belong?"

More:Press freedom: Barometer of the Turkish model - Blog - Committee to Protect Journalists

Ankara’s Mali Problem - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Ankara’s Mali Problem

By: Semih Idiz. Translated from Taraf (Turkey).

Ankara is not happy with the French military intervention in Mali. We don’t know whether this is related to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh criticism of the former colonial ruler in Niger, without giving names. The colonial ruler of Niger was France, just like in neighboring Mali.

More:Ankara’s Mali Problem - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Indian rhythm in Ankara

Indian rhythm in Ankara

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The “Ticket to Bollywood” dance performance took place at the MEB Sura auditorium in Ankara on Jan. 21, in an attempt to blend Turkish and Indian cultures.

More:STAGE - Indian rhythm in Ankara

ISTANBUL: Fire rages through historic Istanbul building - World Wires - MiamiHerald.com

Fire rages through historic Istanbul building

The Associated Press

ISTANBUL -- A fire tore through a former Ottoman mansion along the Bosporus for hours on Tuesday, badly damaging the historic building before firefighters brought it under control. No one was injured in the blaze at the building, which has been used by a Turkish university.

More:ISTANBUL: Fire rages through historic Istanbul building - World Wires - MiamiHerald.com

Get transported to musical world of Istanbul at Weston concert - Wayland, MA - Wicked Local Wayland

Get transported to musical world of Istanbul at Weston concert

Six expert performers from Dünya, an adventurous early music ensemble, will transport us to the kaleidoscopic musical world of Istanbul in the 16th to 18th centuries, where currents from the East and West met and mingled.

More:Get transported to musical world of Istanbul at Weston concert - Wayland, MA - Wicked Local Wayland

Deutsche Bank Warrants Will Start Trading on Istanbul Exchange - Bloomberg

Deutsche Bank Warrants Will Start Trading on Istanbul Exchange
By Sibel Akbay - Jan 22, 2013 9:44 AM ET


Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) said 36 of its new warrants and nine discount certificates will start trading on the Istanbul Stock Exchange tomorrow.

Deutsche Bank will have a total of 142 warrants and 24 discount certificates trading on the exchange with the new additions, Albert Krespin, chief executive officer of the lender’s Istanbul-based brokerage unit, said by e-mail today. Some of the discount certificates will be based on the shares of Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi TAO (VAKBN), Turkey’s third-largest state lender, he said.

More:Deutsche Bank Warrants Will Start Trading on Istanbul Exchange - Bloomberg

Turkey has 'crucial' role to play in resolving Cypriot conflict: theparliament.com

Turkey has 'crucial' role to play in resolving Cypriot conflict

By Martin Banks - 22nd January 2013

Sotos Zackheos

A conference in Brussels has been told that Turkey has a "crucial" role in resolving the long-running Cyprus problem.

Speaking on Tuesday, former Cypriot official Sotos Zackheos also said the EU had a "substantial" part to play in finding a resolution to the protracted efforts to reunify the island.

More:Turkey has 'crucial' role to play in resolving Cypriot conflict: theparliament.com

Sneijder mobbed by fans on Istanbul arrival - sportsnet.ca

Sneijder mobbed by fans on Istanbul arrival

January 21, 2013, 2:40 pm

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Thousands of fans have gathered Istanbul's main airport to greet Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder who has agreed to join Turkish club Galatasaray.

More:Sneijder mobbed by fans on Istanbul arrival - sportsnet.ca

Turkey To Launch Tender for Third Istanbul Airport Thursday -Prime Minister | Fox Business

Turkey To Launch Tender for Third Istanbul Airport Thursday -Prime Minister

Published January 22, 2013

Dow Jones Newswires
Turkey will begin the tender process for a third airport in Istanbul on Thursday as the government seeks to turn the country's biggest city into an international transportation hub, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

More:Turkey To Launch Tender for Third Istanbul Airport Thursday -Prime Minister | Fox Business

EU may open two chapters in Turkey talks | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

EU may open two chapters in Turkey talks

Dutch Christian Democrat rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten penned "European Parliament resolution on the 2012 progress report on Turkey" was discussed at the EP Foreign Affairs Committee.

More:EU may open two chapters in Turkey talks | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

Ghana opens embassy in Ankara | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

Ghana opens embassy in Ankara
Davutoglu said that Ghana was a strategic partner for Turkey.

Ghana's embassy in Ankara was opened on Monday.

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, National Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, Ghana's Foreign Minister Muhammed Mumuni, Defense Minister J.H. Smith, Trade Minister Hanna Tetteh, and Ghana's Ambassador to Turkey Ibrahim Abass attended the inauguration ceremony.

More:Ghana opens embassy in Ankara | Diplomacy | World Bulletin

German, Dutch Patriot missiles arrive in Turkey: NATO - FRANCE 24

German, Dutch Patriot missiles arrive in Turkey: NATO

AFP - Four batteries of Patriot missiles arrived in Turkey on Monday as part of a NATO mission to protect the Turkish border from any spillover of the conflict in neighbouring Syria, a NATO source told AFP.

More:German, Dutch Patriot missiles arrive in Turkey: NATO - FRANCE 24

Monday, January 21, 2013

Turkey Angered by Petition On White House Website - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey Angered by Petition
On White House Website

By: Tulin Daloglu for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. posted on January 21.

On Jan. 5, a petition appeared on the White House website calling on the government of Turkey to open its border with Armenia for refugees from Syria.

More:Turkey Angered by Petition On White House Website - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

French: Turkish Suspect Probed in Kurd Killings - ABC News

French: Turkish Suspect Probed in Kurd Killings

By GREG KELLER Associated Press
PARIS January 21, 2013 (AP)

French prosecutors have filed preliminary murder and terrorism charges against a Turkish citizen who worked as a driver for one of three Kurdish activists who were gunned down this month in Paris, an official said Monday.

More:French: Turkish Suspect Probed in Kurd Killings - ABC News

Patriot missile equipment arrive in Turkey - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Patriot missile equipment arrive in Turkey

German vessel follows Dutch ship carrying missile kits as part of NATO effort to defend ally amid conflict in Syria.

More:Patriot missile equipment arrive in Turkey - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Turkish People Rally against Patriot Missile Deployment in Ankara, Istanbul

Turkish People Rally against Patriot Missile Deployment in Ankara, Istanbul

TEHRAN (FNA)- Thousands of residents in Turkey's two main cities of Ankara and Istanbul staged protest rallies against the Patriot missiles stationed at the country's border with Syria.

More:Fars News Agency :: Turkish People Rally against Patriot Missile Deployment in Ankara, Istanbul

Istanbul lines up $20 million in sponsorship deals with 7 companies for 2020 Olympic bid - The Washington Post

Istanbul lines up $20 million in sponsorship deals with 7 companies for 2020 Olympic bid

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, January 21, 8:56 AM

LONDON — Istanbul signed up seven leading Turkish companies on Monday to sponsor the city’s bid for the 2020 Olympics, a $20 million deal that organizers said underlines the country’s economic muscle at a time of global financial uncertainty.

More:Istanbul lines up $20 million in sponsorship deals with 7 companies for 2020 Olympic bid - The Washington Post

Syrian National Coalition Convenes in Istanbul, 21 January 2013 Monday 12:2

Syrian National Coalition Convenes in Istanbul

All Syrians in and out of Syria are under protection of Syrian National Coalition, said coalition's deputy chairman.

ISTANBUL -- Deputy Chairman of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces and Chairman of the Syrian National Assembly, George Sabra on Sunday said that all Syrians in and out of Syria were under the protection of the Syrian National Coalition.

More:Syrian National Coalition Convenes in Istanbul, 21 January 2013 Monday 12:2

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Wesley Senijder to arrive in Istanbul to sign for Galatasaray tomorrow - Soccer News - Turkish Football

Wesley Senijder to arrive in Istanbul to sign for Galatasaray tomorrow
2013-01-20 14:57:12
Sneijder will arrive in Istanbul tomorrow to officially sign for Galatasaray

Internazionale star Wesley Sneijder will arrive in Istanbul tomorrow to officially sign for Galatasaray according to club CEO Lutfi Arıboğan.

"We welcome Wesley Sneijder to our family," said Arıboğan in a statement released on GS TV.

"God willing he will be successful, these types of transfers take a long time to complete, we conducted our negotiations in a proper manner.

More:Wesley Senijder to arrive in Istanbul to sign for Galatasaray tomorrow - Soccer News - Turkish Football

Is Turkey using jihadists to fight Kurds in Syria?:.

Is Turkey using jihadists to fight Kurds in Syria?

Syrian Kurds urge opposition to halt siege against them by Islamist rebels, as UN condemns killing of dozens of children across country.

DAMASCUS - Syrian Kurds urged the opposition on Saturday to halt a siege against them by Islamist rebels, as the UN condemned the killing of dozens of children across the country over the past week.

More:.:Middle East Online::Is Turkey using jihadists to fight Kurds in Syria?:.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Starting today all new standardized driving licences issued across the EU

Starting today, January 19th 2013, all new driving licences issued across the EU will be in the form of a plastic "credit card," with a standard European format and tougher security protection.
New unified EU drivers license

The new European licence will progressively replace the more than 100 different paper and plastic models currently in use by more than 300 million drivers across the EU.

It is part of a broader package of measures (3rd EU Driving Licence Directive) coming into force designed to enhance free movement, tackle driving licence fraud and improve road safety across the EU.

"Traffic police across Europe are currently expected to recognise more than 100 different types of paper and plastic driving licence. ID photos may be long out of date, the categories for which the driver is  licensed unclear and the document may be easy to forge.

"Fake driving licences are a licence to kill, that is why we need licences which are easy to read, easy to understand and very difficult to falsify", the European Commission said.

Read more: New European driving licence comes into effect - The Portugal News

Turkish politics: A challenge to peace talks | The Economist

Turkish politics
A challenge to peace talks
Jan 18th 2013, 16:24 by A.Z. | DIYARBAKIR

TURKEY faced the first big challenge to a new a round of peace talks with Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Diyarbakir on January 17th for the funeral of three PKK women activists who were gunned down by unknown assailants in the centre of Paris last week.

More:Turkish politics: A challenge to peace talks | The Economist

Somalia Core Group gathers in Ankara

Somalia Core Group gathers in Ankara

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Sevil Küçükkoşum Sevil Küçükkoşum sevil.kucukkosum@hdn.com.tr

The Somalia Core Group meeting, co-chaired by the U.S. and U.K. in Ankara yesterday, focused on the latest developments in the country and the rebuilding of the security forces.

More:INTERNATIONAL - Somalia Core Group gathers in Ankara

Russia and Turkey face 5 year EU tariffs on steel tube fittings

Russia and Turkey face 5 year EU tariffs on steel tube fittings
130 times viewed.
Saturday, 19 Jan 2013

The European Union imposed five-year tariffs on steel tube fittings from Russia and Turkey to curb competition for EU producers including Italy’s Virgilio Cena & Figli SpA.

The duties as high as 23.8% punish Russian and Turkish exporters of the fittings, which are used to join tubes or pipes mainly in the petrochemical, energy, construction and shipbuilding industries, for selling in the 27 nation EU below cost. That practice is known as dumping.

More:Russia and Turkey face 5 year EU tariffs on steel tube fittings

Friday, January 18, 2013

Gold laden ‘mystery plane’ takes off from Istanbul

Gold laden ‘mystery plane’ takes off from Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

An A300 plane, one of two cargo planes in the fleet of Turkey’s ULS firm that was allegedly carrying 1.5 tons of unregistered gold worth $65 million, departed from Istanbul Atatürk Airport on Jan. 18.

More:ECONOMICS - Gold laden ‘mystery plane’ takes off from Istanbul

Noam Chomsky urges Turkey to pursue Kurdish peace | Reuters

Noam Chomsky urges Turkey to pursue Kurdish peace

(Reuters) - The American left-wing philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky urged Turkey on Friday to end its "malignant" war with Kurdish rebels, saying recent peace efforts offered a real chance of a settlement.

More:Noam Chomsky urges Turkey to pursue Kurdish peace | Reuters

Turkish Coffee goes on tour with a team

Turkish Coffee goes on tour with a team

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The volunteers of the bus will promote Turkish coffee in Turkey and Europe.
The Mobile Turkish Coffee House team has started the first leg of its European tour to promote Turkish coffee culture in Istanbul. The project is the work of volunteers from the Turkayfe.org website.

More:EATERY - Turkish Coffee goes on tour with a team

Knives Out: Turkey's and Armenia's War Over Food - Coilin O'Connor - The Atlantic

Knives Out: Turkey's and Armenia's War Over Food
By Coilin O'Connor

Jan 18 2013, 10:35 AM ET

There is perhaps nothing more closely bound up with one's national identity than food. Specific local dishes are often seen as the embodiment of various cultures and many nations promote their food as a celebration of national identity. Sometimes, however, a country's cuisine can also be used to highlight national rivalries.

More:Knives Out: Turkey's and Armenia's War Over Food - Coilin O'Connor - The Atlantic

Istanbul's Top Five Bean Joints | Culinary Backstreets

Istanbul’s Top Five Beaneries
January 18, 2013, by Istanbul Eats, Comments 0

Until we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can beside railroad tracks. But Turkey takes this humble food, known as kuru fasulye, seriously; that means chefs in tall toques carefully ladling out golden beans in a rich red gravy onto monogrammed flatware, served by waiters wearing bowties and vests. Even in the least formal of Istanbul’s beaneries, the guy manning the pot has the air of a high priest who knows that his incantations alone conjure something unusually delicious out of a simple dry white legume. This is no hobo fare.

More:Istanbul's Top Five Bean Joints | Culinary Backstreets

Istanbul's Lucky Commuters Enjoy The Bosphorus By Ferry (PHOTOS)

Istanbul's Lucky Commuters Enjoy The Bosphorus By Ferry (PHOTOS)

Posted: 01/18/2013 8:12 am EST | Updated: 01/18/2013 9:29 am EST

A little after eight o'clock in the morning, crowds of young professionals and older men in knit hats bundle down the docks at the edge of Istanbul's Kadıköy district and watch similar herds of busy gulls swirling across the Bosphorus, obscuring the panoramic view of the Byzantine city walls and the Hagia Sophia. Istanbulis don't queue, but they don't jostle either. When the gates finally open, they board the commuter ferries with amiable efficiency, holding their briefcases to their chests and casually minding the expanding and contracting gap between hull and dock.

More:Istanbul's Lucky Commuters Enjoy The Bosphorus By Ferry (PHOTOS)

'Turkey can contribute to EU’s foreign and security policies'

'Turkey can contribute to EU’s foreign and security policies'

Fri 18 January 2013 06:44 GMT | 1:44 Local Time

Bagıs gave a lecture titled “The Future of Turkey-EU relations”.

Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bagıs said that if the political blockade before Turkey in the EU negotiation process is lifted, it can open, in the technical sense, 10 chapters in 12 months and 15 chapters in 18 months for negotiations.

More:News.Az - 'Turkey can contribute to EU’s foreign and security policies'

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Turkey: Ankara's "Peace Talks" with PKK Facing a Critical Test | EurasiaNet.org

Turkey: Ankara's "Peace Talks" with PKK Facing a Critical Test
January 17, 2013 - 2:37pm, by Yigal Schleifer

The Turko-file

Following today's burial in Turkey of the three Kurdish women activists murdered last week in Paris, Ankara's renewed peace talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, are facing a critical test.

More:Turkey: Ankara's "Peace Talks" with PKK Facing a Critical Test | EurasiaNet.org

Turkey: EU anti-torture committee visits Ocalan in prison - General news - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: EU anti-torture committee visits Ocalan in prison
To verify conditions of detention of PKK leader
17 January, 17:52

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JANUARY 17 - A delegation from the European Council's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (ECPT) on Thursday afternoon reached the Turkish island prison of Imrali to check on incarcerated Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) founding member Abdullah Ocalan, Hurriyet daily online reported.

More:Turkey: EU anti-torture committee visits Ocalan in prison - General news - ANSAMed.it

PKK shooting: Kurds mass for women's funerals

PKK shooting: Kurds mass for women's funerals

Tens of thousands of Kurds have attended the funerals in Diyarbakir, Turkey, of three female Kurdish activists shot dead in Paris last week.

More:BBC News - PKK shooting: Kurds mass for women's funerals

Prominent Turkish journalist, HDN columnist Birand passes away

Prominent Turkish journalist, HDN columnist Birand passes away

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Mehmet Ali Birand, a well-known Turkish journalist, Hürriyet Daily News columnist and chief news editor of private channel Kanal D, passed away late today in hospital after undergoing surgery.

More:LOCAL - Prominent Turkish journalist, HDN columnist Birand passes away

Istanbul or Constantinople? Thinking About Names in Geography | GeekMom | Wired.com

Istanbul or Constantinople? Thinking About Names in Geography

By Patricia Vollmer

This past week I did some Air Force Reserve duty. As a weather officer, one of the things I do is prepare an assortment of weather “briefings” for an assortment of military decisionmakers. We look around the world and highlight the global “big ticket” weather features. We also point out other earth-science items of interest, from solar flares to earthquakes to volcano eruptions. For example, if there’s a tropical storm heading towards the Korean peninsula, we would bring that to the military decisionmakers’ attention, since we have a military interest there.

More:Istanbul or Constantinople? Thinking About Names in Geography | GeekMom | Wired.com

Crytek opens Istanbul office - GameSpot.com

Crytek opens Istanbul office
January 17, 2013 7:25AM PST
Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Crysis company opens eighth worldwide studio in Turkish capital city; will support free-to-play endeavors.

Crytek has expanded its operations. The Crysis company today announced the opening of Crytek Istanbul, the developer's eighth outfit worldwide.

More:Crytek opens Istanbul office - GameSpot.com

TAV Rises to Five-Year High on Airport Prospects: Istanbul Mover - Bloomberg

TAV Rises to Five-Year High on Airport Prospects: Istanbul Mover
By Taylan Bilgic - Jan 17, 2013 9:20 AM ET

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (TAVHL), Turkey’s biggest airport operator, rose to the highest level since 2007 after a Cabinet minister said details of a tender for the construction of Istanbul’s third airport will be announced in a week.

More:TAV Rises to Five-Year High on Airport Prospects: Istanbul Mover - Bloomberg

Turkey to Start Third Istanbul Airport Tender Next Week | Fox Business

Turkey to Start Third Istanbul Airport Tender Next Week

By Emre Peker

Published January 17, 2013

Dow Jones Newswires

Turkey will start the tender process to build a third airport in Istanbul as the government seeks to transform the country's biggest city into a regional hub and aid its flagship carrier in its efforts to join the top airlines of the world.

More:Turkey to Start Third Istanbul Airport Tender Next Week | Fox Business

Turkey not keen on opening Armenia border

Turkey not keen on opening Armenia border

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey is not positive about opening its land border with Armenia to facilitate Syrian-Armenians’ entrance to the country, as suggested by a petition on the White House’s official website.

More:POLITICS - Turkey not keen on opening Armenia border

Mourners in Turkey protest killings of Kurdish activists - CNN.com

Mourners in Turkey protest killings of Kurdish activists
By Ivan Watson and Gul Tuysuz, CNN
January 17, 2013 -- Updated 1206 GMT (2006 HKT)

Diyarbakir, Turkey (CNN) -- Thousands took to the streets Thursday in the predominantly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, to mourn three political activists killed last week in execution-style shootings in France.

More:Mourners in Turkey protest killings of Kurdish activists - CNN.com

Between Syria and Turkey: the Kurdish factor

Between Syria and Turkey: the Kurdish factor ita eng

Alberto Tetta | Ceylanpinar

17 January 2013

In north-eastern Syria, a region with a Kurdish majority, the civil war becomes a clash between the Free Syrian Army and the Kurdish-Syrian separatists of the Democratic Union Party (PYD). A report by our correspondent from the Turkish-Syrian border

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Kurdish Conflict Threatens Erdogan's Legacy - Qantara.de

Peace Negotiations between Turkey and the PKKKurdish Conflict Threatens Erdogan's Legacy

Turkey's head of government Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led his nation into the modern age. He could bask in his success, but while skyscrapers shoot up in Istanbul, other parts of Turkey still languish at levels comparable to those of developing countries. The Kurdish conflict is partly to blame, and if Erdogan is to avoid squandering his achievements, he must at last secure peace. Commentary by Christiane Schlötzer

More:Kurdish Conflict Threatens Erdogan's Legacy - Qantara.de

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Mud may have preserved Turkish city 700 years ago, archaeologists say - The Denver Post

Mud may have preserved Turkish city 700 years ago, archaeologists say

By Jennifer Pinkowski

DEMRE, Turkey — In the fourth century A.D., a bishop named Nicholas transformed the city of Myra, on the Mediterranean coast of what is now Turkey, into a Christian capital.

Nicholas was later canonized, becoming the St. Nicholas of Christmas fame. Myra had a much unhappier fate.

More:Mud may have preserved Turkish city 700 years ago, archaeologists say - The Denver Post

Turkish painter Burhan Dogancay, whose contemporary art was exhibited worldwide, dies at 83 - The Washington Post

Turkish painter Burhan Dogancay, whose contemporary art was exhibited worldwide, dies at 83

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, January 16, 8:51 AM

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish painter Burhan Dogancay, whose work has been exhibited in some 70 museums worldwide, including New York’s Metropolitan Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, has died. He was 83.

More:Turkish painter Burhan Dogancay, whose contemporary art was exhibited worldwide, dies at 83 - The Washington Post

ISTANBUL NAMED A TOP 10 MUST-SEE DESTINATION FOR 2013

ISTANBUL NAMED A TOP 10 MUST-SEE DESTINATION FOR 2013

1/16/2013
Istanbul; 15 January 2013: Istanbul has been ranked as one of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations for 2013 in a New York Times report issued this week (http://nyti.ms/WPpICx), underlining the city’s pledge to provide an incomparable backdrop for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

More:ISTANBUL NAMED A TOP 10 MUST-SEE DESTINATION FOR 2013

Turkey Blocks Admission of Israel to Renewable Energy Organization | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Turkey Blocks Admission of Israel to Renewable Energy Organization
January 16, 2013 11:16 am 0 comments

Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey blocked Israel and Cyprus from affiliating themselves with the International Agency for Renewable Energies (IRENA) during a voting session on new members in Abu Dhabi Tuesday.

More:Turkey Blocks Admission of Israel to Renewable Energy Organization | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Foreign Investments in Turkey in 2012 - Good Morning Turkey | News About Turkey

Foreign Investments in Turkey in 2012
Posted date: January 16, 2013 In: Economy, Headlines, Turkey
Foreign Investments in Turkey in 2012

ANKARA- Turkey receives 11 billion USD foreign investment inflow in 11 months

The flow of the net foreign direct investments in Turkey recorded 11 billion USD in the first 11 months of 2012.

According to the Ministry of Economy data, the flow of the net foreign direct investments in Turkey decreased by 9.7 percent and recorded 11,336 million USD, in the term of January-November 2012 compared to the same period of the previous year.

More:Foreign Investments in Turkey in 2012 - Good Morning Turkey | News About Turkey

Resurrecting the Ottoman Glory of Istanbul? - Bianet

Resurrecting the Ottoman Glory of Istanbul?

All current historical renovation-restoration efforts account to the reinvention of a neo-Ottoman eclectic style," said Edhem Eldem, history professor at Boğaziçi University.

More:English :: Resurrecting the Ottoman Glory of Istanbul? - Bianet

United Nations News Centre - On visit to region, UN official praises Turkey for support to Syrian refugees

On visit to region, UN official praises Turkey for support to Syrian refugees

15 January 2013 – The head of the United Nations food relief agency today expressed her gratitude to the people and Government of Turkey for their support of Syrians seeking refuge from the continuing violence affecting their country.

More:United Nations News Centre - On visit to region, UN official praises Turkey for support to Syrian refugees

Turkish planes attack Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq

Turkish planes attack Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq

16 January 2013

Agence France-Presse

ANKARA, 16 JAN: Turkish military planes struck rebel targets in northern Iraq in a bid to rout separatists from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), security sources said.

“A total of 18 targets were fired at on Monday in the northern Iraqi regions of Zap and Metina” in Iraqi Kurdistan, said a source in southeastern Turkey, on the border with Iraq.

A separate source in Ankara said F-16 fighter planes had continued to pound the region on yesterday. It was not made clear whether there were any victims.

Turkey says around 2,000 Kurdish rebels are hiding in the mountainous region on the Iraqi side the region.

More:Turkish planes attack Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq

Turkey Promises Peace Talks With Kurdish Militants, Despite Paris Killings : NPR

Turkey Promises Peace Talks With Kurdish Militants, Despite Paris Killings

by Peter Kenyon
January 15, 2013 3:00 PM
Listen to the Story

For years Turkish leaders vowed they would never negotiate with "terrorists" — their term for the militant PKK separatists who have been battling security forces for decades. So many Turks were startled to learn that the head of the intelligence service had been holding disarmament talks with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Faced with uncertainty in Kurdish northern Iraq and rising Kurdish strength in parts of Syria, Ankara seems motivated to respond to some of the demands from its own Kurdish population. And many Turks, weary of the violence that has claimed an estimated 40,000 lives, are rallying behind the effort. But the government's previous Kurdish initiative was sabotaged by violence and a nationalist backlash, and analysts hope Turkey's leaders have learned some lessons from that failure.

More:Turkey Promises Peace Talks With Kurdish Militants, Despite Paris Killings : NPR

How Turkey Can Make Peace With the Kurds - NYTimes.com

How Turkey Can Make Peace With the Kurds
By ALIZA MARCUS
Published: January 15, 2013

THE assassination of three Kurdish activists in Paris last week has raised fears that the true target was peace talks between Turkey and the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or the P.K.K. But the so-called peace process was already in shambles before the killings, which have not been solved.

More:How Turkey Can Make Peace With the Kurds - NYTimes.com

Syrian refugees cost Turkey $360 million - Trend.Az

Syrian refugees cost Turkey $360 million

15 January 2013, 12:33 (GMT+04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.15 / Trend A.Taghiyeva/

The Turkish government has spent $360 million on Syrian refugees living in Turkey, Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan was quoted today by the Anadolu agency.

More:Syrian refugees cost Turkey $360 million - Trend.Az

Jumeirah hires designer for Istanbul hotel revamp | HotelierMiddleEast.com

Jumeirah hires designer for Istanbul hotel revamp

By Louise Birchall
Jan 16, 2013
Hempel will add pink taffeta, moire silks, lace curtains, velvet cushions and tiny tables, in silver and cranberry tones to the design of the patisserie Hempel will add pink taffeta, moire silks, lace curtains, velvet cushions and tiny tables, in silver and cranberry tones to the design of the patisserie

Jumeirah has appointed designer Anouska Hempel to spearhead the renovation of the 120-year-old Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.

More:Jumeirah hires designer for Istanbul hotel revamp | HotelierMiddleEast.com

Turkey and Its Rebel Kurds May Want Peace This Time - Bloomberg

Turkey and Its Rebel Kurds May Want Peace This Time
By Hugh Pope Jan 15, 2013 6:55 PM ET

The assassinations last week in Paris of three female Kurdish activists from Turkey have, for now at least, had the opposite effect to the one their perpetrators almost certainly intended.

Instead of engulfing the country with Kurdish anger, Turkish cynicism and a new cycle of violence, the killings have revealed the depth of public and political support behind efforts to negotiate an end to three decades of insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, better known as the PKK.

More:Turkey and Its Rebel Kurds May Want Peace This Time - Bloomberg

Greek Cyprus vows to uphold Turkey's EU talks vetoes - Trend.Az

Greek Cyprus vows to uphold Turkey's EU talks vetoes
Greek Cyprus vows to uphold Turkey's EU talks vetoes
16 January 2013, 09:22 (GMT+04:00)

Greek Cyprus has said its position will not change with respect to its vetoes of negotiation chapters between the European Union and Turkey as both sides have stressed the need to revive stalled accession talks Today`s Zaman reported.

More:Greek Cyprus vows to uphold Turkey's EU talks vetoes - Trend.Az

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Turkey's PM Erdogan says won't bow to Kurdish militancy | Reuters

Turkey's PM Erdogan says won't bow to Kurdish militancy

By Daren Butler

ISTANBUL | Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:20am EST

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday his government would never surrender to Kurdish militants but he was cautiously hopeful peace talks could end a conflict that has brought nothing but "pain, blood and tears" to Turkey.

More:Turkey's PM Erdogan says won't bow to Kurdish militancy | Reuters

Some Turks feel influx of Syrians hampers efforts to aid other refugees | USCatholic.org

Some Turks feel influx of Syrians hampers efforts to aid other refugees
By James Martone Catholic News Service
News

ISTANBUL (CNS) -- Hafiz Karim fled with his family to Turkey after extremists in Iraq threatened to kill them all if they didn't sell their Baghdad restaurant and move out of the neighborhood.

More:Some Turks feel influx of Syrians hampers efforts to aid other refugees | USCatholic.org

Implications of Istanbul’s 2020 Bid | The Jakarta Globe

Implications of Istanbul’s 2020 Bid
Ashish Mishra | January 16, 2013

Between now and Sept. 7, 2013, Tokyo, Istanbul and Madrid will all compete to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. If Istanbul wins, the city will represent the first Islamic nation in the history of the Games to hold what is often referred to as “the greatest show on earth.” If Istanbul does win it, the door will open for Jakarta to mount a serious bid before 2032 — to cement its claim as one of the command megacities of a new Asia in which the established order is replaced by the rising emerging global powers of Asia. The outcome for 2020 is by no means easy to predict and the road to Buenos Aires, where the announcement will be made, is riddled with complexities and political speculation. Rome, Baku and Doha have already dropped out or failed to qualify, which leaves three in the running.

More:Implications of Istanbul’s 2020 Bid | The Jakarta Globe

Top Ten Tourist Destination Ranking Boosts Istanbul 2020

Top Ten Tourist Destination Ranking Boosts Istanbul 2020
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 8:16am EST GB Staff
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Istanbul's ranking as one of the world's top 10 tourist destinations for 2013 published in a New York Times report this week has given the city's bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games a boost.

Istanbul 2020 bid leader Hasan Arat said "I am thrilled, but not surprised that the New York Times has named Istanbul as a top 10 destination. The 2020 Games in Istanbul would be at the centre of a physical and symbolic bridge between East and West, cultures and continents. The city is a world-renowned cultural hub and has been proven it is ready to welcome the world. Istanbul will be an exciting place for the Olympic family as the older areas of the city continue to be revitalized by the youthful population and buzzing contemporary arts scene".

More:GamesBids.com - Top Ten Tourist Destination Ranking Boosts Istanbul 2020

BBC News - Turkey and the PKK: The Kurdish women who take up arms

Turkey and the PKK: The Kurdish women who take up arms
By Yesim Yaprak Yildiz BBC Turkish

The execution-style killing of three women in Paris last week threw a spotlight on the murky struggle between Turkey and its Kurdish rebels. But how did women from such a conservative society rise to prominence in a paramilitary organisation?

More:BBC News - Turkey and the PKK: The Kurdish women who take up arms

National Iranian Gas Company to bid for Ankara gas distribution networkOil & Gas - Zawya


National Iranian Gas Company ( NIGC ) plans to buy Turkey's main natural gas distributor, Baskent Gaz, which has been put to tender by Turkish Privatization Office.

Turkish energy officials are quoted in Turkey's widely circulated Zaman daily as saying that Iran's NIGC has demanded the tender documents for the infrastructure facility.

More:National Iranian Gas Company to bid for Ankara gas distribution networkOil & Gas - Zawya

Report: Turkey Strikes Kurd Rebel Targets in Iraq - ABC News

Report: Turkey Strikes Kurd Rebel Targets in Iraq

ANKARA, Turkey January 15, 2013 (AP)

Turkish jets have struck suspected Kurdish rebel targets in a cross-border raid in northern Iraq, Turkish and Kurdish media reported Tuesday, even as Turkey started peace talks with the rebels' imprisoned leader.

More:Report: Turkey Strikes Kurd Rebel Targets in Iraq - ABC News

Istanbul bourse posts impressive investment numbers

Istanbul bourse posts impressive investment numbers

ANKARA – Anatolia News Agency

The Istanbul Stock Exchange (İMKB) was the most lucrative investment instrument in 2012, granting 37 percent to investors on an inflation-adjusted basis, according to figures provided by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK).

More:FINANCE - Istanbul bourse posts impressive investment numbers

United Nations News Centre - Number of Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey continues to rise, UN agency reports

Number of Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey continues to rise, UN agency reports

14 January 2013 – The total number of Syrians seeking refuge in camps in Turkey from the ever-worsening violence of their country’s civil war has risen to over 153,300 persons, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

More:United Nations News Centre - Number of Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey continues to rise, UN agency reports

In Istanbul, street harassment is a constant

In Istanbul, street harassment is a constant

Posted by Alyson Neel on January 14, 2013 at 3:43 pm

ISTANBUL — A 29-year-old woman was gang-raped by seven men after boarding a bus on Friday night in Punjab, India. Police arrested six suspects, including the bus driver, on Sunday.

More:In Istanbul, street harassment is a constant