Monday, June 30, 2014

Turkish court rules for record compensation to unregistered worker - LABOR

Turkish court rules for record compensation to unregistered worker

Dinçer GÖKÇE ISTANBUL

A court in Istanbul has ruled that a Turkish company that employed an unregistered worker from Türkmenistan, but disowned him after he died in a work-related incident, must pay a record amount of compensation to his family.

More:Turkish court rules for record compensation to unregistered worker - LABOR

Letter from Istanbul: Diversity abounds in Turkey - Blogs - Journal Standard

Letter from Istanbul: Diversity abounds in Turkey

ISTANBUL - There aren't many other cities in the world where the three great Abrahamic faiths are more comfortably at home than Istanbul.

More:Letter from Istanbul: Diversity abounds in Turkey - Blogs - Journal Standard

Arsenal Consulting's Computer Forensics Findings Lead to Release of Former Turkish First Army Commander - Press Release - Digital Journal

Arsenal Consulting's Computer Forensics Findings Lead to Release of Former Turkish First Army Commander

PR Newswire

BOSTON, June 30, 2014

BOSTON, June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Constitutional Court of Turkey ruled unanimously on June 18 that 237 suspects convicted of being involved in the alleged planning of a Turkish military coup called "Sledgehammer" had their rights violated concerning "digital data and defendant testimony." The Constitutional Court's ruling resulted in a lower court ordering the release, pending retrial, of 236 suspects (Navy Colonel Murat Ozenalp died on May 1 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in prison) on June 19. Among those released was the primary Sledgehammer defendant Çetin Dogan, former Commander of the Turkish First Army and Arsenal Consulting's (www.ArsenalExperts.com) client.



More:Arsenal Consulting's Computer Forensics Findings Lead to Release of Former Turkish First Army Commander - Press Release - Digital Journal

Turkish PM to have 402 advisers with proposal approved by parliamentary commission - POLITICS

Turkish PM to have 402 advisers with proposal approved by parliamentary commission

Neşe Karanfil ANKARA

A bill that will allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to have 402 advisers has been proposed by Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Bitlis deputy Vedat Demiröz.

More:Turkish PM to have 402 advisers with proposal approved by parliamentary commission - POLITICS

ISIL reminds Turkey it cannot neglect anti-terror capabilities - DEFENSE UPDATE

ISIL reminds Turkey it cannot neglect anti-terror capabilities

Burak Bekdil
The recent advance of the ISIL and the fall of Mosul are forceful reminders to Ankara that it cannot neglect preparedness for asymmetrical warfare. ‘The ISIL has unveiled the army’s unpreparedness for cross-border asymmetrical warfare,’ an analyst says

More:ISIL reminds Turkey it cannot neglect anti-terror capabilities - DEFENSE UPDATE

Presidential race highlights Erdoğan's reshaping of Turkish politics

Presidential race highlights Erdoğan's reshaping of Turkish politics

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Photo: Today's Zaman)
June 30, 2014, Monday/ 18:02:29/ REUTERS / ISTANBUL

A quick glance at the emerging candidates for Turkey's first direct presidential poll illustrates the dramatic change wrought in the country by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's 11-year premiership; an old secularist elite has yielded the stage to two men of Islamist pedigree and a third from a long-suppressed Kurdish minority.

More:Presidential race highlights Erdoğan's reshaping of Turkish politics

Kurd Oil Sales Seen by Deutsche Bank Gaining Market Acceptance - Businessweek

Kurd Oil Sales Seen by Deutsche Bank Gaining Market Acceptance
By Nayla Razzouk June 30, 2014

Kurdish crude oil is poised to gain acceptance after the semi-autonomous region delivered a cargo and received a payment, according to Deutsche Bank AG.

More:Kurd Oil Sales Seen by Deutsche Bank Gaining Market Acceptance - Businessweek

AKP Kurdish bill threatens Turkish opposition - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

AKP Kurdish bill threatens Turkish opposition

This is what one calls “pulling a rabbit out of the hat.” The draft bill on the Kurdish settlement process, which the government submitted to parliament ahead of the presidential election, brings about countless advantages for the ruling party and a series of handicaps for the opposition.

More:AKP Kurdish bill threatens Turkish opposition - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Ankara discovers the Kurdish reality | Europe | DW.DE | 30.06.2014

Ankara discovers the Kurdish reality

For a long time Turkey's policy has been to resist the Kurdish aspiration for autonomy in their own country and neighboring Iraq. But Ankara's policy towards the Kurds has changed.

More:Ankara discovers the Kurdish reality | Europe | DW.DE | 30.06.2014

Four Things You Must Know Before Going to Istanbul | Gail Nakada

Four Things You Must Know Before Going to Istanbul
Posted: 06/30/2014 12:48 pm EDT Updated: 3 hours ago

Istanbul is an adventure. Pure and simple. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Cathedral, strolling around Sultanahmet Square, walking over the Galata Bridge and watching water traffic on the churning Bosphorus from a cafe on the Asian side. The city is a full-on, fantastic cultural assault that may bewilder but never, ever disappoint travelers. Make Istanbul travel-drama free with these important tips.

More:Four Things You Must Know Before Going to Istanbul | Gail Nakada

Report: PM Erdoğan's nephew gets jail sentence over drug charges

Report: PM Erdoğan's nephew gets jail sentence over drug charges

June 30, 2014, Monday/ 18:42:10/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL

Mehmet Erdoğan, nephew of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison on charges of drug trafficking, the Turkish media reported on Monday.

More:Report: PM Erdoğan's nephew gets jail sentence over drug charges

Award-winning Turkish director Ceylan sued for alleged animal cruelty - CINEMA-TV

Award-winning Turkish director Ceylan sued for alleged animal cruelty

ISTANBUL
A Turkish professor has filed a complaint against Nuri Bilge Ceylan for ‘torturing a horse’ during the shooting of his movie, ‘Winter Sleep,’ which recently won the Palme d’Or in Cannes

More:Award-winning Turkish director Ceylan sued for alleged animal cruelty - CINEMA-TV

Court: Calling Erdoğan murderer not a crime

Court: Calling Erdoğan murderer not a crime

A court in the western province of Aydın has ruled that chanting “Murderer Erdoğan” in protests is not a crime.

Zafer Kasap and Cem Türkoğlu, who were accused of insulting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by calling him a murderer during the Gezi Park protests in Aydın last summer, were acquitted by the Aydın 1st Criminal Court of Peace.

More:Court: Calling Erdoğan murderer not a crime

Three hotels damaged by fire in Turkey | Vestnik Kavkaza

Three hotels damaged by fire in Turkey
30 June 2014 - 1:01pm

Ibrahim Acar, the head of the Culture and Tourism Department, said that about 120 hectares of red pine were destroyed by fire in Kumluca (tourism zone of Antalya). Three hotels were evacuated as fire reached them, ITAR-TASS reports.
Three out of about 100 hotels in the area were damaged. They have 15-17 rooms.
About 40 vehicles, including helicopters and planes, and 250 fire-fighters are trying to put the fire out. It spread to hotels because of wind.

More:Three hotels damaged by fire in Turkey | Vestnik Kavkaza

Turkey rejects Kurdish independence, wants Iraq unity government, officials say

Turkey rejects Kurdish independence, wants Iraq unity government, officials say
Source: Reuters - Mon, 30 Jun 2014 15:40 GMT

By Jonny Hogg and Orhan Coskun

ANKARA, June 30 (Reuters) - Turkey opposes independence for a Kurdish state in northern Iraq and wants a unity government in Baghdad to counter the threat by Islamist Sunni rebels who have seized large swathes of territory in recent weeks, Turkish officials said.

More:Turkey rejects Kurdish independence, wants Iraq unity government, officials say

Turkey’s first political party with ‘Kurdistan’ in title is formed - POLITICS

Turkey’s first political party with ‘Kurdistan’ in title is formed

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Kurdistan Democrat Party (T-KDP) has been officially found with the permission of the Supreme Court of Appeals prosecutor’s office. The word “Kurdistan,” which is a taboo in Turkey and has been banned in many areas in the country in the past, is being used by a political party for the first time.

More:Turkey’s first political party with ‘Kurdistan’ in title is formed - POLITICS

Project New Turkey - NURAY MERT

Project New Turkey

Turkey’s presidential election is going to be a choice between “problematic old Turkey” and “problematic new Turkey.” I am almost sure that “Erdoğan’s new Turkey” will win, not only because Erdogan’s rivals are weak but also because he and his party have no luxury to lose. The bill, which was recently presented to Parliament to legalize the Kurdish negotiation process at the last minute before the Parliament closes, is part of the compulsory winning game. I am sure Abdullah Öcalan would prefer to keep his bargaining power longer by nominating a strong presidential candidate from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in the first round. However, he must have been pressurized by the government not to do so, in order to ensure Erdoğan’s first round victory.

More:Project New Turkey - NURAY MERT

Ankara ignores ISIL's declaration of ‘Islamic caliphate’ - DIPLOMACY

Ankara ignores ISIL's declaration of ‘Islamic caliphate’

Sevil Erkuş ANKARA

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a terrorist organization and Ankara does not pay attention to how “a terrorist organization describes itself,” a Turkish Foreign Ministry official has said, following the group’s announcement that it has established an “Islamic caliphate.”

More:Ankara ignores ISIL's declaration of ‘Islamic caliphate’ - DIPLOMACY

Turkish farmers charge laptops using solar-powered DONKEYS | Mail Online

Working their asses off! Turkish farmers charge laptops using solar-powered DONKEYS

By Ellie Zolfagharifard

Published: 05:57 EST, 30 June 2014 | Updated: 07:05 EST, 30 June 2014

Village farmers in Turkey have launched what could be the latest trend in wearable technology: solar powered donkeys.

A group of forward-thinking herdsmen in the province of İzmir, Western Turkey, wanted to find a way to stay online on their long, lonely farming trips.

More:Turkish farmers charge laptops using solar-powered DONKEYS | Mail Online

Turkish markets firm as oil prices ease, shrug off Erdogan comments | Energy & Oil | Reuters

Turkish markets firm as oil prices ease, shrug off Erdogan comments
Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:46am GMT

ISTANBUL, June 30 (Reuters) - Turkish markets rose slightly on Monday as lower oil prices eased concerns about Turkey's current account deficit, with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's latest criticism of the central bank having little impact.

More:Turkish markets firm as oil prices ease, shrug off Erdogan comments | Energy & Oil | Reuters

UPDATE 1-Metro sells Real stores in Turkey to focus on Germany | Reuters

UPDATE 1-Metro sells Real stores in Turkey to focus on Germany

Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:51pm IST

BERLIN, June 30 (Reuters) - German retailer Metro is selling its 12 Real hypermarkets in Turkey to Ankara-based supermarket chain Haci Duran Begendik as it focuses on turning around Real's struggling business in Germany.

More:UPDATE 1-Metro sells Real stores in Turkey to focus on Germany | Reuters

Raffles Hotels to open Istanbul property in September | News | Breaking Travel News

Raffles Hotels to open Istanbul property in September

Raffles Hotels continues to grow its portfolio with the opening of its first property in Turkey on September 1st this year.

More:Raffles Hotels to open Istanbul property in September | News | Breaking Travel News

Is everyone getting their fair share? - CİHAN

Is everyone getting their fair share?
ISTANBUL - 30.06.2014 10:50:03

For years there has been an ongoing struggle to deal with issues related to rural-urban migration, urban transformation, squatting and poverty in Turkey. This is particularly true of recent years.

More:Is everyone getting their fair share? - CİHAN

Turkey struggles to manage refugee influx - CCTV News - CCTV.com English

Turkey struggles to manage refugee influx

Reporter: Michal Bardavid 丨 CCTV.com

06-30-2014 07:54 BJT

Turkey has welcomed over 750,000 refugees since the crisis in Syria began three years ago, with 22 camps set up across 10 provinces. But life inside the camps isn’t easy. And for those who can’t get a place, even bigger challenges await.

More:Turkey struggles to manage refugee influx - CCTV News - CCTV.com English

NYT: ISIS Rise Due in Part to Turkish Policies | The Tower

NYT: ISIS Rise Due in Part to Turkish Policies

by TheTower.org Staff | 06.29.14 10:33 pm

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is directly attributable to policies adopted by the Turkish government.

More:NYT: ISIS Rise Due in Part to Turkish Policies | The Tower

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Crowds come out for Istanbul Pride

Crowds come out for Istanbul Pride
Posted in: International News
By GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 30th June 2014

Turkey: Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets for Istanbul Pride.

"I have not 'come out' yet to my father, my mother or my friends," marcher Senef Cakmak told AFP. "Today is the only time of year that I am myself. I don't have to hide from anyone."

More:GayNZ.com Crowds come out for Istanbul Pride

Can Turkey become a trusted strategic EU ally? - CONTRIBUTOR

Can Turkey become a trusted strategic EU ally?

MARC PIERINI

Whoever will be president of the Republic of Turkey in two months’ time will have the difficult task in rebuilding trust with EU leaders. The challenge is linked to both Turkey’s foreign policy and to its domestic situation.

More:Can Turkey become a trusted strategic EU ally? - CONTRIBUTOR

Econ 101 Is Bunk to Erdogan in Debate on Interest Rates Role - Businessweek

Econ 101 Is Bunk to Erdogan in Debate on Interest Rates Role
By Onur Ant June 29, 2014

Your economics textbook got it all wrong. At least that’s what Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.

The Turkish leader, 60, is emerging as a global pioneer of putting an untested theory of economics into action. While central bankers around the world, including Turkey’s, have made interest rate decisions based on the textbook assumption that higher rates will work to slow inflation, Erdogan and his administration argue the opposite.

More:Econ 101 Is Bunk to Erdogan in Debate on Interest Rates Role - Businessweek

Great War seen as root of conflict in Middle East, Armenian genocide | The Japan Times

Great War seen as root of conflict in Middle East, Armenian genocide
'First genocide of the century' still divides Turkey and West; Levant remains religiously riven
by Philippe Alfroy

ISTANBUL – A century later, World War I casts a haunting shadow far from the trenches of Western Europe, having spawned two crises that still strain international relations: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Armenian genocide.

More:Great War seen as root of conflict in Middle East, Armenian genocide | The Japan Times

Turkish hospital starts extending medical facilities

Turkish hospital starts extending medical facilities
Salim Ahmed

Sunday, June 29, 2014 - Lahore—Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that provision of medical facilities to the outdoor patients has been started in the most modern Tayyip Erdogan Hospital constructed by brotherly country Turkey in Muzaffargarh.

More:Turkish hospital starts extending medical facilities

Huge fire reduces 125 hectares of forests to ash on Mediterranean - GREEN

Huge fire reduces 125 hectares of forests to ash on Mediterranean

ANTALYA – Doğan News Agency

A huge fire on June 28 near Adrasan Bay, which is renowned for its sandy beach in the southern province of Antalya’s Kumluca district, has completely destroyed 125 hectares of forests.

More:Huge fire reduces 125 hectares of forests to ash on Mediterranean - GREEN

İstanbul apartment rentals becoming difficult to find, says report

İstanbul apartment rentals becoming difficult to find, says report

June 29, 2014, Sunday/ 18:25:44/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL

For-rent apartments are filling up in İstanbul primarily due to the summer vacation period and the wedding season, according to a report in the Hürriyet daily on Sunday.

More:İstanbul apartment rentals becoming difficult to find, says report

Erdoğan knows no boundaries when fighting imaginary enemies

Erdoğan knows no boundaries when fighting imaginary enemies

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, an expert in “beating” his political rivals both at the ballot box and with his powerful discourse, has recently expanded his list of rivals and added some civil society groups, businessmen, members of the judiciary and the police force, whom he considers enemies that must be cracked down on.

More:Erdoğan knows no boundaries when fighting imaginary enemies

US pressured Denmark to close Kurdish TV so Rasmussen would become NATO chief – lawyer — RT News

US pressured Denmark to close Kurdish TV so Rasmussen would become NATO chief – lawyer
Published time: June 29, 2014 05:17

The US put pressure on Danish authorities to close the Kurdish Roj TV channel in order to appease Turkey. This was done so Anders Fogh Rasmussen's position as NATO secretary general would be secure, the station's lawyer told RT amid WikiLeaks revelations.

More:US pressured Denmark to close Kurdish TV so Rasmussen would become NATO chief – lawyer — RT News

Nepal-Turkey Chamber, Istanbul Chamber join hands | Business

Nepal-Turkey Chamber, Istanbul Chamber join hands

SANJEEV GIRI

ISTANBUL, JUN 29 - Nepal-Turkey Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce ( ICOC ) for enhancing trade relationship between the two countries.

More:Nepal-Turkey Chamber, Istanbul Chamber join hands | Business

Moyes in Galatasaray manager talks - thenews.com.pk

Moyes in Galatasaray manager talks

Saturday, June 28, 2014

ISTANBUL: David Moyes’ hopes of a quick return to football appear to have been dashed after Galatasaray said he was not the number one choice for their vacant manager’s post.

More:Moyes in Galatasaray manager talks - thenews.com.pk

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Turkey Could Double Its Arms Budget | Defense News | defensenews.com

Turkey Could Double Its Arms Budget
Jun. 28, 2014 - 03:42PM |
By BURAK EGE BEKDIL | Comments

ANKARA — Turkey, which has been spending around US $4 billion a year on weapons and upgrades, may double that to meet procurement goals for 2023.

More:Turkey Could Double Its Arms Budget | Defense News | defensenews.com

Greece arrests three Turkish citizens for 'terrorism' - The Times of India

Greece arrests three Turkish citizens for 'terrorism'
AFP | Jun 28, 2014, 05.26 PM IST

ATHENS: Three Turkish citizens have been arrested in Athens on suspicion of belonging to a "terrorist" group, Greek authorities said on Saturday.

More:Greece arrests three Turkish citizens for 'terrorism' - The Times of India

Turkish President, PM, army furious over report about '40 Gülenist generals' - POLITICS

Turkish President, PM, army furious over report about '40 Gülenist generals'

ANKARA

An article published by a pro-government newspaper claiming that the Gülenists almost seized control of the Turkish army has infuriated President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) with the latter arguing the move was aiming at tarnishing "institutional identity" of the military.

More:Turkish President, PM, army furious over report about '40 Gülenist generals' - POLITICS

Turkey's bonzai drug epidemic - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey's bonzai drug epidemic

ISTANBUL — On June 23, I was in a taxi in Istanbul that took a wrong turn and ended up in a neighborhood where a group of young men were crowded onto a street corner, chatting loudly. The driver, who had already informed me that he was a full-time physical education teacher and part-time taxi driver, pointed to the young people and said, “These are the druggies, and they are all over these impoverished neighborhoods now. It's gotten worse in the last couple of years.”

More:Turkey's bonzai drug epidemic - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

VIDEO: Fire burns down Ottoman mansion bought by implicated businessman - LOCAL

VIDEO: Fire burns down Ottoman mansion bought by implicated businessman

A fire has burned down an Ottoman mansion on Istanbul's Asian side, which was recently sold to a businessman implicated in the Dec. 17 corruption scandal.

The Hüseyin Avni Paşa Mansion, which is located in the Üsküdar neighborhood on the Asian side of the city, became engulfed by flames on the afternoon of June 28.

More:VIDEO: Fire burns down Ottoman mansion bought by implicated businessman - LOCAL

Istanbul Aquarium: New tourists attraction | Weekend | Saudi Gazette

Istanbul Aquarium: New tourists attraction
EXPLORE
Last updated: Friday, June 27, 2014 10:30 PM

SINCE it opened its doors in 2011, Istanbul Akvaryum (Istanbul Aquarium) has emerged as a new attraction for Istanbul visitors, whether you are interested in aquariums or not. For a visit and experience of the Istanbul Akvaryum — considered the biggest thematic aquarium of the world — is a must to round off a memorable holiday in Istanbul.

More:Istanbul Aquarium: New tourists attraction | Weekend | Saudi Gazette

The Ottoman revival that is anything but brotherly | GulfNews.com

The Ottoman revival that is anything but brotherly

Erdogan’s efforts to bring about the revival of empire’s intellectual, political, economic and social influence viewed as a ploy to subjugate Arab world as was done 100 years ago

More:The Ottoman revival that is anything but brotherly | GulfNews.com

CNN International reporter leaves Turkey with Erdoğan fanfare - RIGHTS

CNN International reporter leaves Turkey with Erdoğan fanfare

CNN International correspondent Ivan Watson said goodbye to Istanbul at a farewell party with his colleagues, who presented him some tongue-in-cheek political gifts that refer to his recent clash with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

More:CNN International reporter leaves Turkey with Erdoğan fanfare - RIGHTS

Iraq Civil War and Turkish Reset Opening the Door for Rise of Kurdistan - News - World - Voice of Russia - US Edition

Iraq Civil War and Turkish Reset Opening the Door for Rise of Kurdistan
Inside the Bazaar - Erbil - Iraq

By David Kerans

WASHINGTON (VR)— Iraq’s swift descent into civil war over the last month has opened the door for the semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan to acquire more influence, and the conflict may even be leading toward the establishment of a long-awaited Kurdish national state.

More:Iraq Civil War and Turkish Reset Opening the Door for Rise of Kurdistan - News - World - Voice of Russia - US Edition

News Analysis: Turkey set to review its Libya policy amid abduction spree | Shanghai Daily

News Analysis: Turkey set to review its Libya policy amid abduction spree
Jun 28,2014

ANKARA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The abduction of two Turkish citizens in Libya amid mass evacuation of Turkish expats over growing threats highlights risks of Turkish foreign policy choices, analysts said.

More:News Analysis: Turkey set to review its Libya policy amid abduction spree | Shanghai Daily

BERLIN: With ISIS surging in Iraq, Europe fears rise in ‘jihadi-tourists’ | Europe | McClatchy DC

With ISIS surging in Iraq, Europe fears rise in ‘jihadi-tourists’

By Matthew Schofield

BERLIN — After being injured fighting the Syrian government, 31-year-old Mohannad reached his home in Frankfurt, Germany, with a simple plan: rest, recuperate, then rejoin the fight with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

More:BERLIN: With ISIS surging in Iraq, Europe fears rise in ‘jihadi-tourists’ | Europe | McClatchy DC

Turkish Government May Be Ready To Negotiate An End To Conflict With Kurds

Turkish Government May Be Ready To Negotiate An End To Conflict With Kurds
By Erin Banco
on June 27 2014 6:15 PM

The Turkish government sent parliament legislation that protects officials working on negotiations with Kurds in the southeastern region of the country, signaling a major shift in policy.

More:Turkish Government May Be Ready To Negotiate An End To Conflict With Kurds

At Gallipoli, a Campaign That Laid Ground for National Identities - NYTimes.com

At Gallipoli, a Campaign That Laid Ground for National Identities

For the Turks and the Australians, the Gallipoli campaign has taken on an outsize importance as the bloody event that became the foundation of a modern national consciousness.

More:At Gallipoli, a Campaign That Laid Ground for National Identities - NYTimes.com

Friday, June 27, 2014

Turkey's Ties With ISIL Continue to Arouse Suspicions

Turkey's Ties With ISIL Continue to Arouse Suspicions

Dorian Jones

June 27, 2014 6:05 PM
DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY —

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants continue to score victories across Iraq. For neighbor Turkey, there is growing concern over ISIL's growing power, particularly in its predominantly Kurdish southeast, which borders Iraq and Syria.

More:Turkey's Ties With ISIL Continue to Arouse Suspicions

Women Of Turkey

Women Of Turkey

I recently returned from Turkey, where I was invited by the Aydin Dogan Foundation to be president of the jury of for the foundation’s well-respected International Political Cartoon Contest. I was honored to participate and excited to visit a country I had heard a lot about, aware that I was to see a country at once westernized in many areas, yet still very much steeped in tradition.

More:Women Of Turkey

Christians in Turkey 'fearful' after knife-wielding men terrorize Istanbul church - RELIGION

Christians in Turkey 'fearful' after knife-wielding men terrorize Istanbul church

Fırat ALKAÇ - ISTANBUL

A recent attack against a church in Istanbul has raised the fears of the Christian community in Turkey, a leading member of the country’s Syriac community said in a statement on June 27.

More:Christians in Turkey 'fearful' after knife-wielding men terrorize Istanbul church - RELIGION

Chief prosecutor admits manipulation in massive wiretapping claims

Chief prosecutor admits manipulation in massive wiretapping claims

İstanbul Chief Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu speaks at a ceremony in this Jan. 21, 2014 file photo. (Photo: Cihan)
June 27, 2014, Friday/ 18:42:02/ YAKUP ÇETİN/ GÖKSEL GENÇ/ / ISTANBUL

İstanbul Chief Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu told reporters on Friday that the number of people who were wiretapped in an investigation into the Selam terrorist organization had been exaggerated and was much smaller than the high numbers that government media and his office initially claimed.

More:Chief prosecutor admits manipulation in massive wiretapping claims

AKP seeks to 'legalize' PKK peace talks - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

AKP seeks to 'legalize' PKK peace talks

In a major step to remove the climate of mistrust in the Kurdish peace process, Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has submitted to parliament a draft bill designed to secure legally the negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The bill — called “Law to End Terrorism and Strengthen National Togetherness” — aims to create a legal shield for the direct and indirect talks the state has been holding with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan on the prison island of Imrali and senior members of the PKK and the PKK-linked Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), based in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains and Europe. With the PKK listed as a terrorist organization, the talks can be easily classified as a criminal activity under Turkey’s existing law. On the state’s behalf, the talks are being conducted by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), while senior members of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the People's Democracy Party (HDP) have acted as intermediaries on the Kurdish side.

More:AKP seeks to 'legalize' PKK peace talks - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkcell Investor Relations Recognized as the “Best IR in Turkey” at IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2014 - MarketWatch

Turkcell Investor Relations Recognized as the “Best IR in Turkey” at IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2014

ISTANBUL, Jun 27, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Turkcell TKC +1.14% (bist:TCELL), Turkey’s leading telecommunications and technology company, was recognized for its IR practice at the 24th annual “IR Magazine Awards” ceremony. Turkcell’s Investor Relations Department received ‘The Best IR in Turkey’ award following a comprehensive, independent evaluation process during which 500 investors, analysts and opinion leaders worldwide were interviewed.

More:Turkcell Investor Relations Recognized as the “Best IR in Turkey” at IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2014 - MarketWatch

Four Facts That Everyone Should Know About the Israel | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Four Facts That Everyone Should Know About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
June 26, 2014 10:15 am 14 comments

Most Westerners, including many Jews, are unaware of four fundamental facts about the Jewish homeland of Israel that would greatly increase their support for the Jewish State. The burden is on us to make these facts more widely known in the West.

More:Four Facts That Everyone Should Know About the Israel | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Syrian refugees find shelter in Istanbul neighborhood abandoned due to urban renewal project - LOCAL

Syrian refugees find shelter in Istanbul neighborhood abandoned due to urban renewal project

ISTANBUL

Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing the chaos in their homeland have arrived in Istanbul during the last year looking for abandoned areas in the city to settle in.

More:Syrian refugees find shelter in Istanbul neighborhood abandoned due to urban renewal project - LOCAL

I found God in Turkey – The Express Tribune Blog

I found God in Turkey
By Sophia Anjum Published: June 27, 2014

“Whatever is meant for you, […], is bound to come to you. It may have to come all the way from Istanbul to San Francisco, or even by a more roundabout route, but it will come to you.” – Sheikh Mozaffar Ozak

And that is how I found myself at the Dubai airport, waiting to board my next flight to Istanbul, wondering how on earth I ended up there. Wasn’t travel one of those things that other people did, but never me? Wasn’t it for carefree people? Surely not for me, for I have too many responsibilities. I am not a mom who leaves her kids to go off and have fun on her own.

More:I found God in Turkey – The Express Tribune Blog

Turkey: opposition presidential nominee starts campaign - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: opposition presidential nominee starts campaign

27 June, 10:44

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JUNE 27 - Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the joint presidential candidate of Turkey's main opposition parties started visiting various opposition parties Thursday to raise support for the presidential election in August as Anadolu Agency reported. Ihsanoglu began his visit with the Grand Unity Party (BBP) and met the party leaders of Mustafa Destici. Ihsanoglu needs 20 members of Parliament to support his candidacy before he can officially run in the election, scheduled for August 10. Ihsanoglu also met with the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), Masum Turker, at party's headquarters in Ankara. Turker renewed his party's support for the candidate. Ihsanoglu was also supported by the leader of the Republican People's Part (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu. "Ihsanoglu is a wise person who will embrace all sections of society," Kilicdaroglu said after meeting the candidate.

More:Turkey: opposition presidential nominee starts campaign - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Erdogan would win Turkish presidency in first round: polls | GlobalPost

Erdogan would win Turkish presidency in first round: polls

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan would comfortably win the August presidential election if he decides to run, according to two local polls which give him a 20-point lead over his nearest challenger.

More:Erdogan would win Turkish presidency in first round: polls | GlobalPost

Protesting workers block roads at third Istanbul bridge construction - LABOR

Protesting workers block roads at third Istanbul bridge construction

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

The construction of roads connecting to the third Istanbul bridge has been suspended after excavation workers blocked the roads in protest of subcontractor’s failing to pay their wages.

More:Protesting workers block roads at third Istanbul bridge construction - LABOR

CHP seeks to remove media blackout on Iraq hostages - CİHAN

CHP seeks to remove media blackout on Iraq hostages
ISTANBUL - 26.06.2014 18:40:52

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu has filed an appeal with the Ankara 9th High Criminal Court, seeking to remove a blackout on media coverage of the abduction of about 100 Turkish citizens by extremist militants in northern Iraq.

More:CHP seeks to remove media blackout on Iraq hostages - CİHAN

Turkey's Military Construction in Southeast Threatens Peace

Turkey's Military Construction in Southeast Threatens Peace

Dorian Jones

June 26, 2014 10:45 PM
DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY —

Efforts by the Turkish government to end a decade-long insurgency by Kurdish rebels is under threat, as controversial military construction projects across Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast have been causing violent protests as peace efforts remain stalled.

More:Turkey's Military Construction in Southeast Threatens Peace

Statement by Cecilia Malmström on the ratification of the EU-Turkey readmission agreement by the Turkish Parliament


Statement by Cecilia Malmström on the ratification of the EU-Turkey readmission agreement by the Turkish Parliament

I welcome today's ratification by the Turkish Parliament of the Readmission Agreement signed in December, as it represents a significant step forward in the cooperation between the European Union and Turkey. The Agreement reflects our shared interest for a more effective migration and border management setting out clear obligations and procedures for the authorities of Turkey and the EU Member States in order to swiftly return persons who are irregularly residing on their territories, in full respect of international law and fundamental rights. A full and effective implementation of the Readmission Agreement is also one of the requirements included in the Roadmap towards the Visa-free regime with Turkey, and today's decision by the Turkish Parliament represents an important progress in the perspective of visa liberalisation.

More:EUROPA - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Statement by Cecilia Malmström on the ratification of the EU-Turkey readmission agreement by the Turkish Parliament

Turkey warned about sweltering heat - LOCAL

Turkey warned about sweltering heat

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s State Meteorological Service has warned about the serious health risks posed by a heat wave that will heat some cities starting June 26.

More:Turkey warned about sweltering heat - LOCAL

Mystery of 'the Bosphorus box' solved - BUSINESS

Mystery of 'the Bosphorus box' solved

Fatma Aksu - ISTANBUL

Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) is renovating two waterfront Ottoman houses to establish a seven-star hotel along the Bosphorus, where it will host its most distinguished passengers, as part of efforts to consolidate Istanbul’s position as a flight hub.

More:Mystery of 'the Bosphorus box' solved - BUSINESS

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Turkish Parliament ratifies Readmission Agreement, paving the way for visa-free EU travel - DIPLOMACY

Turkish Parliament ratifies Readmission Agreement, paving the way for visa-free EU travel

The Turkish Parliament June 25 ratified the Readmission Agreement between Ankara and Brussels, in a step welcomed by top EU officials.

“One more important step to a visa free regime for Turks travelling to the EU,” EU Enlargement Commission Stefan Füle said via his Twitter account. Turkey signed the long-anticipated agreement with the bloc in December 2013, refreshing hopes for new momentum in stalled bilateral relations between Ankara and Brussels.

More:Turkish Parliament ratifies Readmission Agreement, paving the way for visa-free EU travel - DIPLOMACY

PrognosFruit is going to Turkey for first time

PrognosFruit is going to Turkey for first time

On its 38th edition, PROGNOSFRUIT, the European’s leading annual event for the apple and pear sector, is coming to Turkey for the first time. The World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) and COPA-COGECA are joining forces with the Turkish Fruit Juice Industry Association (MEYED) to host the 2014 Prognosfruit Conference from the 6th to the 8th of August in Istanbul. Already close to 200 participants have signed for the event. The conference programme and registration information are posted on the conference website: www.prognosfruit.eu.

More:PrognosFruit is going to Turkey for first time

Erdogan's presidential rival says keep religion out of politics

Erdogan's presidential rival says keep religion out of politics

By Gulsen Solaker

ANKARA, June 26 (Reuters) - The main Turkish opposition candidate for president stressed the need to keep religion out of politics on Thursday and called for national unity, a clear challenge to the divisive but popular Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan who looks set to win.

More:Erdogan's presidential rival says keep religion out of politics

Top Turkish court rejects appeal of convicted 1980 military coup leaders - RIGHTS

Top Turkish court rejects appeal of convicted 1980 military coup leaders

Oya Armutçu HÜRRİYET / ANKARA

The Constitutional Court has unanimously rejected individual applications filed by Kenan Evren and Tahsin Şahinkaya, the two 1980 military court leaders convicted to life imprisonment last week. The applications had been made on the grounds that Evren and Şahinkaya suffered “rights violations” during their trial.

More:Top Turkish court rejects appeal of convicted 1980 military coup leaders - RIGHTS

US House Foreign Affairs passes Turkey Churches Accountability Act | Americas | Daily Sabah

US HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS PASSES TURKEY CHURCHES ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

US House Foreign Affairs passes Turkey Churches Accountability Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives is to vote on a bill calling for the State Department to monitor the return of property confiscated from Christians in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

More:US House Foreign Affairs passes Turkey Churches Accountability Act | Americas | Daily Sabah

Clarification: Travel-Trip-Istanbul Neighborhoods - The Washington Post

Clarification: Travel-Trip-Istanbul Neighborhoods

By Associated Press June 26 at 4:04 PM

ISTANBUL — In a travel story about Istanbul, The Associated Press referred to the Church of St. George as the former seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The story should have stated that it is also the current seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The story also referred to the Fener quarter as the former seat of the Greek patriarchate. The story should have stated that the Greek patriarchate is still located there.

More:Clarification: Travel-Trip-Istanbul Neighborhoods - The Washington Post

Turkey's pro-Kurdish party announces presidential candidate | Reuters

Turkey's pro-Kurdish party announces presidential candidate

ISTANBUL Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:09pm EDT

Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) answers a question during a Reuters interview in Berlin April 15, 2013.

(Reuters) - The co-chairman of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HDP) will run in the country's first direct presidential election in August, Turkish media said on Thursday.

More:Turkey's pro-Kurdish party announces presidential candidate | Reuters

Islamic world’s holy month Ramadan to start tomorrow - RELIGION

Islamic world’s holy month Ramadan to start tomorrow

ISTANBUL
Ramadan, Islam’s holy month, begins tomorrow at first light with millions of believers around the world fasting throughout the holy month

More:Islamic world’s holy month Ramadan to start tomorrow - RELIGION

A Lesson in Cultural Diplomacy: The 2014 IST. Festival

A Lesson in Cultural Diplomacy: The 2014 IST. Festival
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Istanbul may be rich in cultural history, with 18th-century mosques, sultans’ palaces and Byzantine relics, but its global contemporary art offerings are nowhere near that of London, Paris and New York. So Demet Muftuoglu and her organization Istanbul’74 decided to do something about it and bring the world’s most renowned creatives to the city where east meets west through the Istanbul International Art and Culture Festival, also known as the IST. Festival and Istancool, a three-day event filled with discussions, film screenings, performances and more.

More:A Lesson in Cultural Diplomacy: The 2014 IST. Festival

Clarification: Travel-Trip-Istanbul Neighborhoods - The Washington Post

Clarification: Travel-Trip-Istanbul Neighborhoods

By Associated Press June 26 at 4:04 PM

ISTANBUL — In a travel story about Istanbul, The Associated Press referred to the Church of St. George as the former seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The story should have stated that it is also the current seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The story also referred to the Fener quarter as the former seat of the Greek patriarchate. The story should have stated that the Greek patriarchate is still located there.

More:Clarification: Travel-Trip-Istanbul Neighborhoods - The Washington Post

Constantinople’s little-known rift with its reps in Ottoman Palestine - Jewish World Features Israel News | Haaretz

Constantinople’s little-known rift with its reps in Ottoman Palestine

Djemal Pasha, the governor of Syria, recommended that all Jewish immigration be outlawed and that the Jews be expelled from Palestine.

More:Constantinople’s little-known rift with its reps in Ottoman Palestine - Jewish World Features Israel News | Haaretz

The Sledgehammer hits back - YUSUF KANLI

The Sledgehammer hits back

Once upon a time, a man with big eyes and an endless oratory capability was shouting at every square of the country: “They were going to bomb our mosques … They were going to provoke a war with our neighbor Greece … They were going to provoke martial law … Using the powers imbued by the martial law, they were going to overtake the government … The plan was foiled!”

More:The Sledgehammer hits back - YUSUF KANLI

As Erdoğan is deciding… - YUSUF KANLI

As Erdoğan is deciding…

Turkey is busy electing a president. Will Recep Tayyip Erdoğan climb the stairs to become the first popularly elected president of the country; or will Ekmelettin İhsanoğlu, the former Islamic Development Organization (ISO) secretary-general and joint candidate of the two parliamentary opposition parties make a surprise and become the president? What about the Kurdish votes? Selahattin Demirtaş is claimed to be heading toward an unprecedented 10 percent popularity. If so, and if there is a second round, the Kurdish vote will most probably determine the identity of the next president.

More:As Erdoğan is deciding… - YUSUF KANLI

Turkey’s prime minister: Of generals, judges and presidents | The Economist

Of generals, judges and presidents
Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks backing from all quarters for his presidential bid
Jun 28th 2014 | ANKARA | From the print edition

THAT long-awaited “we told you so” moment arrived on June 18th for Dani Rodrik, an economist at Princeton University, and his wife Pinar Dogan. An Istanbul court ordered the release of 230 people, mostly army officers convicted of trying to overthrow the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his Justice and Development (AK) government. Among them was Cetin Dogan, a retired general and Mr Rodrik’s father-in-law, sentenced in the “Sledgehammer” case.

More:Turkey’s prime minister: Of generals, judges and presidents | The Economist

The Peninsula Qatar - Fitch downgrades lead Turkish stocks down

Fitch downgrades lead Turkish stocks down
June 26, 2014 - 12:00:00 am

ISTANBUL: Three of Turkey’s leading private banks led the country’s main stock index lower yesterday, after ratings agency Fitch downgraded their ratings. The lira weakened as violence spread in neighbouring Iraq.

Fitch downgraded ratings for Isbank, Garanti and Akbank. It also revised its outlook of Yapi Kredi to “negative” from “stable,” in line with its parent, Unicredit, which operates in Turkey through a an equal partnership with Koc Holding.

More:The Peninsula Qatar - Fitch downgrades lead Turkish stocks down

Beyond Dreams and Catastrophes: Turkey and its Neighborhood in the Next... -- ISTANBUL, June 26, 2014 /PR Newswire UK/ --

Beyond Dreams and Catastrophes: Turkey and its Neighborhood in the Next Decade and the Implications in the Regional Tissue Paper Industry
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ISTANBUL, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

In Istanbul, from 25 - 26 September 2014 an important gathering of key influencers and decision makers from the tissue business will meet at the Tissue World Istanbul 2014 Conference.

More:Beyond Dreams and Catastrophes: Turkey and its Neighborhood in the Next... -- ISTANBUL, June 26, 2014 /PR Newswire UK/ --

Can Öcalan risk Erdoğan’s win? - MURAT YETKİN

Can Öcalan risk Erdoğan’s win?

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters yesterday that he was going to have a “final meeting” with President Abdullah Gül before deciding on the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Parti) official candidate for the elections, the first round of which will be held on Aug. 10.

More:Can Öcalan risk Erdoğan’s win? - MURAT YETKİN

Turkish court rules PKK leader's rights violated in book row | EUROPE ONLINE

Turkish court rules PKK leader's rights violated in book row
Europe
25.06.2014
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Istanbul (dpa) - Turkey‘s Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that prison officials violated the rights of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the armed Kurdistan Worker‘s Party (PKK), when they confiscated and destroyed a copy of his unpublished book in 2012.

More:Turkish court rules PKK leader's rights violated in book row | EUROPE ONLINE

Gezi's symbolic ‘lady in red' files lawsuit against PM Erdoğan - CİHAN

Gezi's symbolic ‘lady in red' files lawsuit against PM Erdoğan
ISTANBUL - 25.06.2014 18:25:06

Ceyda Sungur, a young woman who became well known after a photograph of her being sprayed with tear gas at close range while wearing a red dress during last summer's Gezi protests, has filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then-Interior Minister Muammer Güler and İstanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu for the heavy-handed use of tear gas which, according to her lawyer, constitutes use of chemical weapons, and the authorities' violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.

More:Gezi's symbolic ‘lady in red' files lawsuit against PM Erdoğan - CİHAN

The Conquest of Constantinople, Hagia Sofia and Turkey -- EU | Constantine Tzanos

The Conquest of Constantinople, Hagia Sofia and Turkey -- EU
Posted: 06/25/2014 12:02 pm EDT Updated: 06/25/2014 12:59 pm EDT

Many countries have a national or independence day to celebrate their nationhood, or their freedom from the yoke imposed on them by another country or an imperial power.

More:The Conquest of Constantinople, Hagia Sofia and Turkey -- EU | Constantine Tzanos

Kirkpinar oil wrestling championships in Turkey | Mail Online

Slippery customers: Turkish men duke it out in world's oldest OIL WRESTLING championships

These may look like scenes from a movie set in ancient Rome, but this is actually the Kirkpinar oil wrestling championships in modern-day Turkey.

Wearing only leather trousers and smeared with olive oil, these athletes about to competing in the oldest sports competition in the world.

The first competition took place near Erdine in 1362, when it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, with most of the competitors being soldiers.

More:Kirkpinar oil wrestling championships in Turkey | Mail Online

Solar energy helps Turkish herders stay connected

Solar energy helps Turkish herders stay connected

June 24, 2014

IZMIR, Turkey (RFD-TV) Herdsmen in Turkey are going to the fields with their sheep and goats armed with 21st century technology.

An ancient practice has a high-tech addition as donkeys are now carrying solar panels.

More:Solar energy helps Turkish herders stay connected

Man Says TV Show Ulan İstanbul Is Insulting, Files Complaint – Air Herald

Man Says TV Show Ulan İstanbul Is Insulting, Files Complaint
Posted by: Mehdi Khomein Abadi Posted date: June 26, 2014 In: World

A man named Cevat from Istanbul has filed a criminal complaint with the Public Prosecutor, claiming new crime comedy Ulan İstanbul is insulting to the people of the city.

More:Man Says TV Show Ulan İstanbul Is Insulting, Files Complaint – Air Herald

Austria's Turkish guest workers mark their half-century | SBS News

Austria's Turkish guest workers mark their half-century

Austria is marking 50 years since it signed a treaty with Turkey allowing Turkish citizens to be recruited for Austrian jobs - the so-called "gastarbeiter", or guest workers.

More:Austria's Turkish guest workers mark their half-century | SBS News

Sculptors under age of 40 on terrace exhibitions across Istanbul - ARTS

Sculptors under age of 40 on terrace exhibitions across Istanbul

Hatice Utkan
Proje4L Contemporary Art Museum opens the summer with Terrace Exhibitions, which focus on the sculptures of artists younger than 40-years-old

More:Sculptors under age of 40 on terrace exhibitions across Istanbul - ARTS

Does Turkey still support a unified Iraq? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Does Turkey still support a unified Iraq?

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared his views on the latest developments in Iraq at a June 24 meeting with the ambassadors of the European Union member states in Ankara. He observed that Iraq is at the threshold of dismemberment.

More:Does Turkey still support a unified Iraq? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey mulls ‘bold steps’ of Armenia to begin ‘new era’ - DIPLOMACY

Turkey mulls ‘bold steps’ of Armenia to begin ‘new era’

ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu says that the relations between Ankara and Yerevan might enter into a ‘new era’ if Armenian diaspora decides to take ‘bold steps’ similar to one Ankara has taken

More:Turkey mulls ‘bold steps’ of Armenia to begin ‘new era’ - DIPLOMACY

Turkey's blackout on Mosul hostage crisis - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey's blackout on Mosul hostage crisis

Since Turkey’s 49 consulate staff and their family members were taken hostage in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on June 11, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has taken all measures to keep the public in the dark on the issue. The prime minister first warned the media on June 15 not to write or talk about the developments in Mosul. A Turkish court followed up on the warning the next day by imposing a gag order to all print, visual and Internet media. The government is now applying a similar gag order to opposition party members in parliament, denying their requests to be informed about the issue.

More:Turkey's blackout on Mosul hostage crisis - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkish rates decision far from manufacturers' expectations

Turkish rates decision far from manufacturers’ expectations
Wednesday, 25 June 2014 11:18
Posted by Shoaib-ur-Rehman Siddiqui

ISTANBUL: Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on his Twitter account on Wednesday that the central bank's rate decision a day earlier was near market expectations but it far from meeting the manufacturing sector's expectations.

More:Turkish rates decision far from manufacturers' expectations

Erdoğan lacks focus on regional developments - SEMİH İDİZ

Erdoğan lacks focus on regional developments

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s dismissal of President Abdullah Gül’s congratulatory message to Egypt’s new President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – even if he did not mention Gül by name - as “meaningless” may be a criticism of Gül. It could also mean that Gül and Erdoğan are playing the good policeman-bad policeman game here.

More:Erdoğan lacks focus on regional developments - SEMİH İDİZ

EU must drop visa double standards: Turkish EU Minister - Trend.Az

EU must drop visa double standards: Turkish EU Minister

26 June 2014, 01:48 (GMT+05:00)

Turkey's EU Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, has called on the European Union to "remove the double standard" that has been implemented against Turkey in relation to visa-free travel among EU-member countries, Anadolu Agency reported.

More:EU must drop visa double standards: Turkish EU Minister - Trend.Az

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Real estate sales boom as Turkey opens to foreign buyers - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Real estate sales boom as Turkey opens to foreign buyers

Turkey is currently witnessing an explosion in sales of land, housing and office space to foreigners. It seems that the biggest factor in the increase has been the change made in 2012 to the Reciprocity Law, which dictates the conditions under which foreigners can own Turkish property.

More:Real estate sales boom as Turkey opens to foreign buyers - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey says has banned 5,300 potential Syria fighters - CİHAN

Turkey says has banned 5,300 potential Syria fighters
ANKARA - 24.06.2014 19:23:33

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Turkey has taken all necessary measures against those who try to use it as a transit country and has banned 5,300 people suspected of wanting to head to Syria to join in the civil war and deported more than 800 believed to have links with terrorist groups.

More:Turkey says has banned 5,300 potential Syria fighters - CİHAN

10 urban heritage sites Istanbul lost in 2000s - ARTS

10 urban heritage sites Istanbul lost in 2000s

ISTANBUL

"The Justice and Development Party's [AKP] era is remembered and will be remembered fıor construction,” Hürriyet Daily News columnist Mustafa Sönmez wrote in January. As the construction boom continues, despite warnings about a housing bubble, Istanbul has lost much of its “urban memory” in the past decade with damaged, moved or badly restored historic buildings and cultural assets, victimized by the ever-increasing appetite for shopping malls. Here are 10 such assets, in random order:

More:10 urban heritage sites Istanbul lost in 2000s - ARTS

PM Erdoğan blames Gülen Movement for 'convicting innocent people' in coup plot trials - POLITICS

PM Erdoğan blames Gülen Movement for 'convicting innocent people' in coup plot trials

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blamed the movement of the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen for the conviction of hundreds of military officers in the recent coup plot case.

More:PM Erdoğan blames Gülen Movement for 'convicting innocent people' in coup plot trials - POLITICS

Islamists hit beach to advise women to cover up - LOCAL

Islamists hit beach to advise women to cover up

SAKARYA – Doğan News Agency

Turkish holiday goers flocked to beaches and resort towns last weekend, as the summer holiday season kicked off. However, in the Black Sea resort of Kaynarca northwest of Istanbul, those who headed to the beach were also joined by a group of traditionally pious Muslims, who flocked to the seaside in order to convince women to cover themselves.

More:Islamists hit beach to advise women to cover up - LOCAL

Turkey laments sharp rise of fatal traffic accidents | GlobalPost

Turkey laments sharp rise of fatal traffic accidents


ANKARA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,200 people died in traffic accidents in the first five months of 2014 in Turkey, according to the latest statistics released by the Turkish National Police on Wednesday.

More:Turkey laments sharp rise of fatal traffic accidents | GlobalPost

Municipal police removes Gülenist prep school’s signboards - LOCAL

Municipal police removes Gülenist prep school’s signboards

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Istanbul Municipality officials have removed the signboards of a private prep school (dershane) due to a “lack of permissions,” in a midnight operation in Istanbul’s Şişli district on June 25.

More:Municipal police removes Gülenist prep school’s signboards - LOCAL

Fitch's bank downgrades lead Turkish stocks down | Reuters

Fitch's bank downgrades lead Turkish stocks down

Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:20am EDT

By Dasha Afanasieva

ISTANBUL, June 25 (Reuters) - Three of Turkey's leading private banks led the country's main stock index lower on Wednesday, after ratings agency Fitch downgraded their ratings. The lira weakened as violence spread in neighbouring Iraq.

More:Fitch's bank downgrades lead Turkish stocks down | Reuters

Turkey to Present Kurdish Reform Bill Ahead of Presidential Vote - NDTV

Turkey to Present Kurdish Reform Bill Ahead of Presidential Vote

World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: June 25, 2014 13:41 IST

Ankara: Turkey's government is due to present a reform bill to parliament ahead of the August presidential elections in a bid to revive the stalled peace process with Kurdish rebels, a minister said in remarks broadcast on Wednesday.

More:Turkey to Present Kurdish Reform Bill Ahead of Presidential Vote - NDTV

Our World: Turkey’s high-risk power play | JPost | Israel News

Our World: Turkey’s high-risk power play
By CAROLINE B. GLICK
06/24/2014 22:10

For most Westerners, Turkey is a hard nut to crack.

How can you understand a state sponsor of terrorism that is also a member of NATO?

More:Our World: Turkey’s high-risk power play | JPost | Israel News

House President disappointed over Turkish intransigence

House President disappointed over Turkish intransigence
President of the House of Representatives Yiannakis Omirou has expressed disappointment over Turkish intransigence.

Briefing a group of students from the Greek overseas community in the US, who are in Cyprus in the context of an annual educational visit organised by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation (ΑΗΙF), Omirou noted that the solution should be in line with UN resolutions and EU principles and values.

More:House President disappointed over Turkish intransigence

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Iraq crisis so far costs Turkey $8.5 billion - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Iraq crisis so far costs Turkey $8.5 billion

A report titled “The Iraq Crisis and Its Effects on Turkey’s Economy,” prepared by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), emphasizes the growing risks of the Iraq crisis and its costs to Turkey. It notes that, with the increase in oil prices, Turkey’s energy bill will grow by $4.5 billion and exports to the region will diminish by $2.5 billion. Add to this the sharp decline in transport services and the adverse effects on projects of Turkish contractors in the region, the total bill will be around $8.5 billion.

More:Iraq crisis so far costs Turkey $8.5 billion - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkish man jailed for life for murdering U.S. tourist | Reuters

Turkish man jailed for life for murdering U.S. tourist

ISTANBUL Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:41pm IST

(Reuters) - A Turkish man was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison for the 2013 murder of American tourist Sarai Sierra, whose disappearance in Istanbul had triggered a massive search.
More:Turkish man jailed for life for murdering U.S. tourist | Reuters

Meet Turkey’s First Transsexual Beauty Queens | TIME

Meet Turkey’s First Transsexual Beauty Queens

11:36 AM ET
Despite continued legal challenges and discrimination, Istanbul's gay pride celebration featured Turkey's first-ever transsexual beauty contest

More:Meet Turkey’s First Transsexual Beauty Queens | TIME

BLOG: Radikal newspaper curtsies goodbye and takes leave from Turkey’s sick sector - LOCAL

BLOG: Radikal newspaper curtsies goodbye and takes leave from Turkey’s sick sector

Özgün Özçer - ISTANBUL

What an ironic date for a farewell: On June 21, at the beginning of the summer, Radikal - arguably the most important newspaper in the Turkish media landscape to overtly adopt a rights-based perspective, while still managing to remain relevant to the general public - was printed and distributed for the last time, as it heads into a digital-only format.

More:BLOG: Radikal newspaper curtsies goodbye and takes leave from Turkey’s sick sector - LOCAL

Syrian Kurdish Leader: Turkey Turns Blind Eye to ISIS - US News

Syrian Kurdish Leader: Turkey Turns Blind Eye to ISIS
Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim gives an exclusive interview to Al-Monitor on the Iraq, Turkey and the ISIS.

By: Amberin Zaman , Columnist for Al-Monitor
Al-Monitor

The mind-boggling gains of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Iraq have caused tremors in the region. Among questions most heard nowadays is whether the Middle East map will be redrawn and where Turkey will be in that. Another question often voiced is the alleged role of Turkey in the empowerment of ISIS. There are allegations that militants coming from abroad to join ISIS pass through Turkey. There are even allegations that Turkey, in addition to its support of Syrian opposition groups, is also supporting ISIS.

More:Syrian Kurdish Leader: Turkey Turns Blind Eye to ISIS - US News

Now Is the Moment for Kurdish Independence - WSJ

Now Is the Moment for Kurdish Independence
Middle East borders are vanishing, and the U.S. should adjust its diplomacy accordingly.
By
William A. Galston

'The Kurds of Iraq can decide for themselves the name and type of entity they are living in." With those lapidary words, a spokesman for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan formalized a historic shift in Turkish policy. For the past five years, Turkey has been investing in Iraq's increasingly autonomous Kurdish region and even opened a consulate in its capital, Erbil. The Turkish writer Mustafa Akyol recently noted that Ankara, long fearful of Kurdish political ambitions at home and abroad, now regards...

More:Now Is the Moment for Kurdish Independence - WSJ

Erdogan just won't let go: Turkey's central bank comes under fire again | Al Bawaba

Erdogan just won't let go: Turkey's central bank comes under fire again

Published June 24th, 2014 - 23:26 GMT via SyndiGate.info

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş targeted the Central Bank of Turkey on Monday, saying the government should handle the institution similarly to how it dealt with military tutelage.

More:Erdogan just won't let go: Turkey's central bank comes under fire again | Al Bawaba

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey tells Europe: end jihadi travel to Syria | World | The State

Turkey tells Europe: end jihadi travel to Syria

The Associated PressJune 24, 2014

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's prime minister has called on European nations to prevent jihadi fighters from travelling to Turkey to join and fight with radical groups in Syria.

In an address Tuesday to EU countries' ambassadors, Recep Tayyip Erdogan also asked that the nations cooperate with Turkey by sharing intelligence about people who may have already reached the country.

More:ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey tells Europe: end jihadi travel to Syria | World | The State

PM Erdoğan blames Gülen Movement for 'convicting innocent people' in coup plot trials - POLITICS

PM Erdoğan blames Gülen Movement for 'convicting innocent people' in coup plot trials

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blamed the movement of the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen for the conviction of hundreds of military officers in the recent coup plot case.

More:PM Erdoğan blames Gülen Movement for 'convicting innocent people' in coup plot trials - POLITICS

Turkey acquits 25 in coup plot trial

Turkey acquits 25 in coup plot trial
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 24, 2014, 22:23

Istanbul: A Turkish court on Tuesday acquitted more than two dozen people in a retrial after they were convicted over an alleged coup plot in 2012 against Turkey's Islamic-rooted government.

More:Turkey acquits 25 in coup plot trial

Turkish central bank cuts one-week repo rate to 8.75 pct | Reuters

Turkish central bank cuts one-week repo rate to 8.75 pct

ISTANBUL, June 24 Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:03am EDT

(Reuters) - Turkey's central bank cut its one-week repo rate by 75 basis points to 8.75 percent on Tuesday citing an improvement in global liquidity conditions, but stopped short of the large cut sought by some in Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government.

More:Turkish central bank cuts one-week repo rate to 8.75 pct | Reuters

Demolitions reveal ancient Roman theater in Aegean town - ARCHAEOLOGY

Demolitions reveal ancient Roman theater in Aegean town

İZMİR - Doğan News Agency

The stage walls and entrance of a Roman-era amphitheater in İzmir’s Kadifekale neighborhood, once covered by expropriated shanty houses, have been unearthed due to the efforts of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.

More:Demolitions reveal ancient Roman theater in Aegean town - ARCHAEOLOGY

Locals launch fight against cheap synthetic drug in poverty-stricken Istanbul neighborhood - LOCAL

Locals launch fight against cheap synthetic drug in poverty-stricken Istanbul neighborhood

Eyüp Serbest / Fırat Alkaç HÜRRİYET / ISTANBUL

Locals in an impoverished neighborhood in Istanbul’s European suburbs have launched a struggle against a cheap synthetic drug that has been spreading in the city over the last few years. The spread of the “Bonzai” drug has resulted in many addiction issues among youths and claimed many victims.

More:Locals launch fight against cheap synthetic drug in poverty-stricken Istanbul neighborhood - LOCAL

MHP head accuses PM of ‘not being relieved’ by Balyoz releases, vows to ‘get even’ in one year - POLITICS

MHP head accuses PM of ‘not being relieved’ by Balyoz releases, vows to ‘get even’ in one year

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of “not being relieved” by the release of all convicts in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot case, vowing to “get even in one year.”

More:MHP head accuses PM of ‘not being relieved’ by Balyoz releases, vows to ‘get even’ in one year - POLITICS

Turkish ruling party to name presidential candidate next week - chicagotribune.com

Turkish ruling party to name presidential candidate next week

By Orhan Coskun Reuters

7:51 a.m. CDT, June 24, 2014

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling AK Party will announce its candidate for the August presidential election at a parliamentary group meeting next Tuesday, with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan widely expected to be its choice.

More:Turkish ruling party to name presidential candidate next week - chicagotribune.com

Protests over Erdogan 'not exaggerated' - The Local

Protests over Erdogan 'not exaggerated'

Published: 24 Jun 2014 10:45 GMT+02:00
Updated: 24 Jun 2014 10:45 GMT+02:00

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has said that protests against Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Vienna “were not exaggerated”.

More:Protests over Erdogan 'not exaggerated' - The Local

Government satisfied with EU joint position on Turkey's Association Council

Government satisfied with EU joint position on Turkey's Association Council
FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE
• Tuesday, 24 June, 2014
The EU joint position on the Turkey-EU Association Council has been characterised as a document of utmost importance by the Cypriot government, which notes that the position contains significant elements concerning Cyprus and Turkey`s obligations as a candidate for EU accession towards the Republic of Cyprus.

More:Government satisfied with EU joint position on Turkey's Association Council

PM Erdoğan and US Vice President Biden agree on unified gov't in Iraq - INTERNATIONAL

PM Erdoğan and US Vice President Biden agree on unified gov't in Iraq

ANKARA / WASHINGTON

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden agreed on the necessity of the formation of a unified government in Iraq during a phone conversation on June 23.

More:PM Erdoğan and US Vice President Biden agree on unified gov't in Iraq - INTERNATIONAL

Atheists, the “Ultimate Other” in Turkey | Inter Press Service

Atheists, the “Ultimate Other” in Turkey
By Nick Ashdown

ISTANBUL, Jun 24 2014 (IPS) - “Being an atheist isn’t something you can easily express in Turkey,” says Sinem Köroğlu, a member of the Atheism Association, the first official organisation for atheists in the country. “It’s becoming more difficult with the current government as well,” she adds.

More:Atheists, the “Ultimate Other” in Turkey | Inter Press Service

Looking beyond the divisions in Turkey – The Express Tribune

Looking beyond the divisions in Turkey
By Neha Ansari
Published: June 24, 2014

The ratio of women in headscarves and those in apparent ‘western’ attire must be 3:1 in Turkey. Despite their outward ‘differences’, there seemed to be no disdain. The religious tolerance was obvious and gratifying.

More:Looking beyond the divisions in Turkey – The Express Tribune

Turkish Officials Wary Of Independent Iraqi Kurdistan Despite Economic Gains

Turkish Officials Wary Of Independent Iraqi Kurdistan Despite Economic Gains
By Erin Banco
on June 23 2014 3:23 PM

ISTANBUL, Turkey — As Kurds inside Iraq exploit the chaos gripping the country to press for the establishment of an independent state, one key player is casting a wary glance at this development: the Turkish government, which has for decades used force to suppress a Kurdish independence movement in southeastern Turkey.

More:Turkish Officials Wary Of Independent Iraqi Kurdistan Despite Economic Gains

Monday, June 23, 2014

Turkish Missile Maker Signs Deal With Saab Dynamics | Defense News | defensenews.com

Turkish Missile Maker Signs Deal With Saab Dynamics
Jun. 23, 2014 - 05:58PM
By BURAK EGE BEKDIL

ANKARA — Turkey’s state-controlled missile maker, Roketsan, has signed a business cooperation agreement with Sweden’s Saab Dynamics, company officials said.

More:Turkish Missile Maker Signs Deal With Saab Dynamics | Defense News | defensenews.com

Jihadists Remind Turks Asymmetrical War Not Over | Defense News | defensenews.com

Jihadists Remind Turks Asymmetrical War Not Over
Jun. 23, 2014 - 03:51PM |
By BURAK EGE BEKDIL

ANKARA — A fragile ceasefire with Kurdish insurgents a couple of years ago following decades of conflict led Turkish procurement officials to emphasize equipment geared for conventional combat.

More:Jihadists Remind Turks Asymmetrical War Not Over | Defense News | defensenews.com

Turbulence in the Middle East - Middle East News | Latest News Headlines | The Irish Times - Sun, Jun 22, 2014

Turbulence in the Middle East

“That’s the end of Iraq,” my Turkish journalist friend told me this week in Tunis. “It can’t survive after this and will be divided at least three ways between Sunni, Shia and Kurd areas”. The implications for the whole Middle East region are profound if he is right.

More:Turbulence in the Middle East - Middle East News | Latest News Headlines | The Irish Times - Sun, Jun 22, 2014

Turkey: 820 workers killed by accidents in 6 months, union - General news - ANSAMed.it

Turkey: 820 workers killed by accidents in 6 months, union

23 June, 10:38

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JUNE 23 - Some 820 people were killed in work accidents in Turkey only in the last six months, daily Hurriyet online reports quoting a senior trade union representative as saying after recalling that poor working conditions of coal mine workers in Soma were the main reason of massive casualty on May 13 accident that killed 301 people. "820 workers were killed in accidents only in the last six months. In our talks with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, we have proposed to shut down all mines for three months so that all security precautions, including rescue chambers, could be taken.

More:Turkey: 820 workers killed by accidents in 6 months, union - General news - ANSAMed.it

Have allies encouraged Turkey to be a model? - CİHAN

Have allies encouraged Turkey to be a model?
ISTANBUL - 23.06.2014 10:22:20

Last week I participated in a session of a conference titled “Turkey: An Emerging Power in a Changing Middle East” organized in Istanbul by the US-based Council on Foreign Relations.

More:Have allies encouraged Turkey to be a model? - CİHAN

10 people drown in one day in Turkey - LOCAL

10 people drown in one day in Turkey

ŞİLE, ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

A total of 10 people drowned in separate accidents across Turkey on June 22.

Four teenage friends died after going to swim in Şile, a district on the Black Sea coast of Istanbul.

More:10 people drown in one day in Turkey - LOCAL

Turkey with new e-Visa for groupsTravel Press Release

Turkey with new e-Visa for groups
TravelWires (Press Release): June 23, 2014 Michael Bobbin Finance News, Travel Business
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Turkey has been working on delivering and developing high class tourism services for some while now. Wishing to make their market more accessible, the Turkish authorities have launched a new visa procedure as of April 11th this year. The electronic Visa Application System is designed to allow visitors better access to the e-Visa, online.

More:Turkey with new e-Visa for groupsTravel Press Release

Turkey's Game-Changer | The Majalla Magazine

Turkey’s Game-Changer?
Secularists and nationalists join forces to back Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu as a presidential candidate

There have been a lot of positive reactions to the news that Turkey’s secular opposition have joined with nationalists to back a pious former Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference as its candidate for the country’s first-ever direct presidential elections this August.

More:Turkey's Game-Changer | The Majalla Magazine

The Impact of ISIS on Turkey and Beyond - Carnegie Europe

The Impact of ISIS on Turkey and Beyond
Posted by: Sinan Ülgen Monday, June 23, 2014 + Print Page

The unexpectedly quick expansionism of the radical Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (known as ISIS) in Iraq heralds the beginning of a new downward spiral in the Middle East, with significant political and security challenges for the established states of the region. At the top of the list is Turkey, whose consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was attacked and 45 of its diplomatic staff taken hostage by the jihadist group.

More:The Impact of ISIS on Turkey and Beyond - Carnegie Europe

Turkey 'to earn $35bn' from tourism in 2014

Turkey ’to earn $35bn’ from tourism in 2014
Monday, 23 June 2014 15:18
Posted by Parvez Jabri

ISLAMABAD: Tourists visiting Turkey are expected to spend US$35 billion in 2014, the president of the Turkey's largest travel agency association has said.

More:Turkey 'to earn $35bn' from tourism in 2014

Bob Dylan enchants 4,000 at Black Box İstanbul concert - CİHAN

Bob Dylan enchants 4,000 at Black Box İstanbul concert
ISTANBUL - 23.06.2014 18:37:11

Bob Dylan and his band rocked İstanbul's new concert hall Black Box on Friday night, delivering a 19-piece set list that captivated some 4,000 concertgoers.

More:Bob Dylan enchants 4,000 at Black Box İstanbul concert - CİHAN

EU calls on Turkey to end Cyprus air and sea ban | Cyprus Mail

EU calls on Turkey to end Cyprus air and sea ban

By Jean Christou

THE EU ON Monday called on Turkey to implement the Additional or ‘Ankara’ Protocol, which would require the Turkish government to remove all discriminatory obstacles towards Cyprus as member state.

More:EU calls on Turkey to end Cyprus air and sea ban | Cyprus Mail

CHP takes MİT law to top court for annulment - CİHAN

CHP takes MİT law to top court for annulment
ISTANBUL - 23.06.2014 19:13:36

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has taken a law that gives sweeping powers to the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) to the Constitutional Court for annulment.

More:CHP takes MİT law to top court for annulment - CİHAN

Book presents the delicacies of Turkish streets - CİHAN

Book presents the delicacies of Turkish streets
ISTANBUL - 23.06.2014 18:37:07

Marshall Cavendish International has very recently published the reprint of the founding director of the Istanbul Culinary Institute Hande Bozdoğan's first book, “Flavours of the Street: Turkey,” as “Street Foods of Turkey.”

More:Book presents the delicacies of Turkish streets - CİHAN

Soccer-Court orders retrial of Fenerbahce chairman in fixing case | Reuters

Soccer-Court orders retrial of Fenerbahce chairman in fixing case

ISTANBUL, June 23 Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:43pm IST

(Reuters) - A Turkish court has ordered a retrial of the match-fixing case that led to Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim being sentenced to more than six years in prison, according to official documents seen by Reuters on Monday.

More:Soccer-Court orders retrial of Fenerbahce chairman in fixing case | Reuters

Turkish minister pressures central bank ahead of rate decision | GlobalPost

Turkish minister pressures central bank ahead of rate decision

Turkey's economy minister on Monday piled pressure on the central bank for a sharp rate cut to stimulate growth, one day before a potentially controversial monetary policy meeting.

More:Turkish minister pressures central bank ahead of rate decision | GlobalPost

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Turkish Support for ISIS and Islamic Terrorists | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Turkish Support for ISIS and Islamic Terrorists
June 22, 2014 6:14 pm 0 comments

President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan walking along the Colonnade at the White House. Photo: Samantha Appleton.

The battle in Iraq consists of “Turkish-backed Sunni jihadis rebelling against an Iranian-backed Shiite-oriented central government,” I wrote in a recent article.

More:Turkish Support for ISIS and Islamic Terrorists | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Kurdistan to ramp-up oil exports despite ongoing conflict - Proactiveinvestors (AU)

Kurdistan to ramp-up oil exports despite ongoing conflict
Monday, June 23, 2014 by Proactive Investors

The ongoing conflict in Iraq could lead to less dependence on Baghdad by semi-autonomous region Kurdistan, which is planning a ramp-up in its oil exports.

More:Kurdistan to ramp-up oil exports despite ongoing conflict - Proactiveinvestors (AU)

Threats in Turkey worse than Taliban: Der Spiegel reporter - DIPLOMACY

Threats in Turkey worse than Taliban: Der Spiegel reporter

CANSU ÇAMLIBEL ISTANBUL

Der Spiegel reporter Hasnain Kazim has said the death threats he has received in Turkey were even “worse than Taliban.”

More:Threats in Turkey worse than Taliban: Der Spiegel reporter - DIPLOMACY

Another victory for protesting Kurdish mothers as PKK releases child recruit | Nation | Daily Sabah

ANOTHER VICTORY FOR PROTESTING KURDISH MOTHERS AS PKK RELEASES CHILD RECRUIT

A 15-year-old boy persuaded to join the PKK terrorist organization was released on Saturday as a sit-in protest by Kurdish families in southeastern Turkey against the recruitment of their children continued uninterrupted

More:Another victory for protesting Kurdish mothers as PKK releases child recruit | Nation | Daily Sabah

Turkey's 22 refugee camps handle increasing numbers of refugees - CCTV News - CCTV.com English

Turkey's 22 refugee camps handle increasing numbers of refugees

Reporter: Michal Bardavid 丨 CCTV.com

06-20-2014 13:09 BJT

Millions of Syrians have fled their country seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 700,000 have chosen Turkey as their destination. The conditions are harsh, yet most agree it is better than being under fire. Some have adapted, some have not, yet all hope to return home someday.

More:Turkey's 22 refugee camps handle increasing numbers of refugees - CCTV News - CCTV.com English

Are Security and Energy Concerns Moving Turkey and Israel Toward Reconciliation?

Are Security and Energy Concerns Moving Turkey and Israel Toward Reconciliation?
by Margaret Williams , Friday, June 20, 2014

Earlier this month, about 3,000 people marched through the streets of Istanbul in memory of the eight Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American killed by Israeli Defense Forces when the Mavi Marmara ship, known as the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, tried to break through Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip in May 2010. The incident marked a nadir in Israel and Turkey’s strained relationship in recent years, and neither country’s ambassador has since returned to his former post.

More:IPI Global Observatory - Are Security and Energy Concerns Moving Turkey and Israel Toward Reconciliation?

APA - French President, Turkish PM discuss export of Azerbaijani gas to Europe

French President, Turkish PM discuss export of Azerbaijani gas to Europe

[ 21 Juny 2014 13:15 ]
Baku – APA. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Francois Hollande met in Paris.

More:APA - French President, Turkish PM discuss export of Azerbaijani gas to Europe

Yemen, Turkey discuss media cooperation

Yemen, Turkey discuss media cooperation
[22/June/2014]

SANA'A, June 22 (Saba)- Minister of Information Nasr Taha Mustafa discussed on Sunday with Turkish ambassador to Yemen Fazli Çorman the cooperation between the two countries in the media field.

More:Saba Net - Yemen news agency

Turkey to fill Kurdish oil shortage: minister | Business Standard News

Turkey to fill Kurdish oil shortage: minister
AFP | Ankara
June 21, 2014 Last Updated at 22:29 IST

Turkey said today it will provide fuel to Iraq's Kurdistan region to make up for a shortage caused by a militant offensive that has shut down the country's biggest oil refinery.

More:Turkey to fill Kurdish oil shortage: minister | Business Standard News

ISIS and the threat to Turkey - The Long War Journal

ISIS and the threat to Turkey
By Merve TahirogluJune 21, 2014

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) seized the Turkish consulate in Mosul, Iraq last week, abducting 49 people, including several diplomats, guards, and others. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that Turkey would retaliate if any Turkish citizen were harmed, warning ISIS should not "test Turkey's resolve." Ankara also requested an emergency NATO meeting, after which Secretary-General Rasmussen said that NATO would not hesitate to defend and protect Turkey.

More:ISIS and the threat to Turkey - The Long War Journal

Niagara Falls teacher plans cultural lesson via Skype classes from Turkey - City & Region - The Buffalo News

Niagara Falls teacher plans cultural lesson via Skype classes from Turkey

COVER STORY: Amy Benjamin’s second-graders in Niagara Falls will learn via Skype as a study abroad program takes her to Turkey

More:Niagara Falls teacher plans cultural lesson via Skype classes from Turkey - City & Region - The Buffalo News

Turkey Blames Assad, UN for ISIL Threat

Turkey Blames Assad, UN for ISIL Threat
Posted 2014-06-20 19:20 GMT

ISTANBUL (Xinhua) -- Turkish foreign minister on Friday blamed the current Syrian government and the UN for the expansion of an al-Qaida splinter group that poses a big threat to the region.

Ahmet Davutoglu made the remarks while attending a joint press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier currently on a visit to Istanbul.

More:Turkey Blames Assad, UN for ISIL Threat

JURIST - Turkish court orders retrial for hundreds of alleged coup plotters

Turkish court orders retrial for hundreds of alleged coup plotters
21 June 2014 at 8:53 AM ET by Ann Schober

[JURIST] A court in Istanbul on Thursday ordered the release and retrial of 230 prisoners convicted for their involvement in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot [JURIST news archive]. The scheme, which originated as early as 2003, was aimed at overthrowing Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan [BBC profile]. The ruling [Reuters report] came one day after Turkey's Constitutional court [official website] determined the prisoners' rights were violated during trial by the court's flawed handling of digital evidence and its rejection of key testimony for the defendants by ex-military heads.

More:JURIST - Turkish court orders retrial for hundreds of alleged coup plotters

Polish government under fire over bugging scandal

Polish government under fire over bugging scandal
Last Updated: Saturday, June 21, 2014, 13:55

Warsaw: Poland's centre-right government has found its future called into question after leaked audio recordings suggested it cut a deal with the central bank to boost the budget and garner political support.

More:Polish government under fire over bugging scandal

Istanbul’s Open-Air Studio | The Majalla Magazine

Istanbul’s Open-Air Studio
Turkish filmmaker Beyza Boyacioglu talks of her home city’s changing landscape and artistic activism
CULTURAL CONNECTION blog: “Art has to be the best way to build trust between countries.” —Issa Touma, Syrian photographer. ‘Cultural Connection’ provides updates on the Arab and Iranian arts scene from writers across the Middle East and the Western world.

More:Istanbul’s Open-Air Studio | The Majalla Magazine

Race for the Turkish Presidency Promises Suspense | Inter Press Service

Race for the Turkish Presidency Promises Suspense
Analysis by Jacques N. Couvas

ANKARA, Jun 21 2014 (IPS) - The announcement this week of the personality chosen by Turkey’s opposition parties to run for the office of the President of the Republic has taken the majority of the Turks by surprise.

More:Race for the Turkish Presidency Promises Suspense | Inter Press Service

‘Occupy Galata’ protest held against private cafe in public square - LOCAL

‘Occupy Galata’ protest held against private cafe in public square

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

A group of 200 people held a picnic in a public square next to Istanbul’s historic Galata Tower on June 21, in protest at the establishment of a private cafe recently opened in the square with the permission of Beyoğlu Municipality.

More:‘Occupy Galata’ protest held against private cafe in public square - LOCAL