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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Turkey’s magical Highlands: Safe and Healthy

Turkey’s magical Highlands: Safe and Healthy

Wednesday, 31 August 2016 21:23
Published by Ozgur Tore

In tourism industry today, one of the most important topics is the safety. Following recent terrorist attacks all around the world, tourists seek safety first when traveling.

Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, said, "There is no completely safe country in the world. Anything can happen anywhere. No country should be classified as safe or unsafe forever, because anything can happen anywhere."

More:Turkey’s magical Highlands: Safe and Healthy

Inside the Turkish Military’s Civil War | TIME

Inside the Turkish Military’s Civil War

Jared Malsin/Ankara @jmalsin

Emrah Gurel—AP Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of President Erdogan protest in Istanbul, on July 16, 2016.
The coup caused great confusion and generals had to make decisions without the help of superiors

On the evening of July 15, Major General Ibrahim Aydin was at a bridal party for a friend’s daughter at a hotel in central Ankara when warplanes began roaring low over the capital. The noise was one of the first signs that a faction of the military was attempting to seize power from the elected government. Aydin left the party, dropped his wife at home and headed to a military housing complex. By the next morning Aydin would find himself fighting his way through a Turkish military base in a battle for Turkey’s political future.

More:Inside the Turkish Military’s Civil War | TIME

Gülen movement ‘founded by CIA like the Mormons and Scientologists,’ says Turkish prosecutor - LOCAL

Gülen movement ‘founded by CIA like the Mormons and Scientologists,’ says Turkish prosecutor

A Turkish prosecutor probing the financial links of the Fethullah Gülen movement has said the organizational structure of the group is the same as the Mormon Church and the Church of Scientology in the United States, claiming that all three groups were founded by U.S. intelligence.

More:Gülen movement ‘founded by CIA like the Mormons and Scientologists,’ says Turkish prosecutor - LOCAL

Turkey accuses Germany of 'cultural racism' over EU accession remarks | Reuters

Turkey accuses Germany of 'cultural racism' over EU accession remarks

A Turkish minister said on Wednesday that comments by Germany's European commissioner in which he said Turkey would probably not join the EU while Tayyip Erdogan was president showed "cultural racism", the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

More:Turkey accuses Germany of 'cultural racism' over EU accession remarks | Reuters

EU MP: We may have got Turkey plot wrong - EUROPE

EU MP: We may have got Turkey plot wrong

The European Union might have “underestimated” the gravity of Turkey’s failed coup and must pursue dialogue with Ankara to preserve an agreement on halting the flow of migrants to Europe, according to the senior European lawmaker for foreign affairs.

Elmar Brok, the European Parliament’s foreign affairs chair and a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, made the comments on Aug. 30 while briefing fellow lawmakers on a visit to Turkey last week, which came after the summer saw a souring of relations between the EU and Ankara following the failed coup in July.

More:EU MP: We may have got Turkey plot wrong - EUROPE

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Welcome to demokrasi: how Erdogan got more popular than ever | Christopher de Bellaigue | World news | The Guardian

Welcome to demokrasi: how Erdoğan got more popular than ever

After a decade in power, Turkey’s ruler presides over a new form of democracy that the west neither likes nor understands: an authoritarian regime that exalts the will of the majority

More:Welcome to demokrasi: how Erdogan got more popular than ever | Christopher de Bellaigue | World news | The Guardian

Recep Tayyip Erdogan exploiting failed Turkey coup to crush dissent, tighten grip on power - Washington Times

Turkey’s Erdogan exploiting failed coup to crush dissent, tighten grip on power

By Frederic Puglie - Special to The Washington Times - - Monday, August 29, 2016

ISTANBUL — After a searing summer that has already featured a failed military coup, spectacular terrorist attacks and now a new war across the border in Syria, Turkey’s cultural elite is watching with increased unease as authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rides a wave of nationalism that they fear will be used to brand his critics as enemies of the state.

More:Recep Tayyip Erdogan exploiting failed Turkey coup to crush dissent, tighten grip on power - Washington Times

Monday, August 29, 2016

Obama to meet with Turkey's Erdogan on Asia trip

Obama to meet with Turkey's Erdogan on Asia trip
Updated: August 29, 2016 — 1:44 PM EDT

WASHINGTON - President Obama will meet with the president of Turkey next week when he travels to Asia for meetings with world leaders.

More:Obama to meet with Turkey's Erdogan on Asia trip

US urges halt to Turkish, Kurdish clashes in northern Syria

US urges halt to Turkish, Kurdish clashes in northern Syria

By SUZAN FRASER and ZEINA KARAM
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - The U.S. on Monday urged Turkish troops and Kurdish forces in northern Syria to halt their fighting, saying it hinders efforts to defeat the Islamic State group. But Turkey's president vowed to press ahead with the military operation until the IS and Kurdish Syrian fighters no longer pose a security threat to Ankara.

More:US urges halt to Turkish, Kurdish clashes in northern Syria

European Tourists Shun Erdogan’s Turkey | .TR

EUROPEAN TOURISTS SHUN TURKEY FOR POLITICS Central & Eastern Europe - Turkey -
Date 29.08.2016

EUROPEAN TOURISTS SHUN TURKEY FOR POLITICS

‘Politics has nothing to do with tourism’ – at least according to Egypt’s tourism minister Yehia Rashed asked by a reporter whether the strict punishments of journalists would not deter Western tourists. He answered diplomatically: “Tourism is a social process, not a political one.”

More:European Tourists Shun Erdogan’s Turkey | .TR

″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″

Talking Turkey
″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″

The West′s attitude toward Turkey matters. For an outcome that reflects democratic values and is favourable to Western and Turkish interests alike, Western diplomats need to escalate their engagement with Turkey. Essay by Sweden′s former foreign minister, Carl Bildt

More:″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″

Dutch FM critical of how Turkey handled attempted coup - NL Times

Dutch FM critical of how Turkey handled attempted coup
Posted on Aug 29, 2016 by Janene Pieters

Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs criticized the way in which Turkey reacted to a failed coup in the country in July during his visit to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara n Monday. According to the Dutch minister, there should be limits to how far the Turkish government is willing to go.

More:Dutch FM critical of how Turkey handled attempted coup - NL Times

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Turkey’s Totalitarian Democracy: Is Erdogan a Leninist?

Turkey’s Totalitarian Democracy

By Ira Straus, August 28, 2016

Erdogan wants to transform Turkey from a state with a Western identity into a state with an Islamist identity.
Erdogan’s vision is that of a mobilizational regime that brings masses angrily onto the streets on its own behalf.

As the purge in Turkey keeps expanding, and now includes a wave of early Soviet Union-style expropriations, the global debate about Mr. Erdogan is turning to whether Turkey is still a democracy or an authoritarian dictatorship.

More:Turkey’s Totalitarian Democracy: Is Erdogan a Leninist?

Rockets Fired At Civilian Airport In Turkey

Rockets Fired At Civilian Airport In Turkey

The attack, blamed on militant Kurds, comes on a day when Turkish forces and Kurdish-backed fighters have clashed in north Syria.

More:Rockets Fired At Civilian Airport In Turkey

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Erdogan Moves Turkey Away From Ataturk, Towards Daesh

Erdogan Moves Turkey Away From Ataturk, Towards Daesh
NIRAJ SRIVASTAVA
Friday, August 26,2016

Turkey has lately attracted global attention because of various reasons. These include the failed coup attempt on July 15/16; Turkey’s involvement in the conflict in Syria; the manner in which it is handling the issue of Syrian refugees; and the question whether it is moving away from Kemalism towards Islamism.

More:Erdogan Moves Turkey Away From Ataturk, Towards Daesh

NATO Must Act to Halt Turkey’s Freefall Into Putin’s Arms

NATO Must Act to Halt Turkey’s Freefall Into Putin’s Arms
Turkey and NATO need each other, and the U.S. has to make that clear.
By Matthew Bryza On 8/27/16 at 7:00 AM

I was walking along a beach in northern Istanbul just recently, after the July 15 coup attempt, when I was jarred by a Cold War image. Wedged into the sandstone cliffs lining the beach were two abandoned gun emplacements, which silently spoke of how this golden stretch of sand was once part of NATO’s first line of defense against the Soviet Union’s massive military lurking just across the Black Sea.

More:NATO Must Act to Halt Turkey’s Freefall Into Putin’s Arms

Turkey by Ece Temelkuran review — ‘both an elegy and an exposé’ — FT.com

Turkey by Ece Temelkuran review — ‘both an elegy and an exposé’

A nuanced account of the country’s turbulent political history

More:Turkey by Ece Temelkuran review — ‘both an elegy and an exposé’ — FT.com

Istanbul’s new $3 billion bridge has a very divisive name - The Washington Post

Istanbul’s new $3 billion bridge has a very divisive name
By Ishaan Tharoor August 27 at 3:30 AM

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ceremonially opened Istanbul's third bridge spanning the Bosporus, the strait that runs through Turkey's biggest city and separates the continental land masses of Asia and Europe. The bridge is the $3 billion centerpiece of a vast series of infrastructure projects planned by Erdogan and the country's ruling government in a bid to boost a flagging economy and clear up traffic congestion across a crammed metropolis.

More:Istanbul’s new $3 billion bridge has a very divisive name - The Washington Post

Friday, August 26, 2016

Has Turkey Prepared for a Lengthy War in Syria?

Has Turkey Prepared for a Lengthy War in Syria?

Turkey wants to prevent a Kurdish state—but it is not the only power with political aims in Syria.

More:Has Turkey Prepared for a Lengthy War in Syria?

Turkey Invasion of Syria Highlights Shifting Alliances - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Syria à la Carte: Turkish Invasion Highlights Rapidly Shifting Alliances

By Maximilian Popp and Christoph Reuter

The Turkish advance into northern Syria marks a turning point in the Syrian conflict. Its nominal target was Islamic State, but with large powers reconsidering their alliances in the region, the Kurds stand to lose the most.

One common description of chaos theory holds that the flapping of a butterfly's wings can trigger a tornado. And it could very well be that the theory is the best tool we currently have available to describe the complex situation in Syria. The butterfly wings in this case was the late July decision by the Syrian regime to recruit new tribal militia fighters in a remote northeastern province. The tornado it triggered four weeks later was threefold: the invasion of northern Syria by the Turkish army; the sudden expulsion of Islamic State from the border town of Jarabulus; and the US military suddenly finding itself on both sides of a new front in Syria -- that between the Turks and the Kurds.

More:Turkey Invasion of Syria Highlights Shifting Alliances - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Report: Berlin looks into pulling jets out of Turkey | News | DW.COM | 25.08.2016

Report: Berlin looks into pulling jets out of Turkey

Germany must find alternatives to the Incirlik Air Base and pull its soldiers and weapons from Turkey, German MP Rainer Arnold told Der Spiegel magazine. Ankara has been blocking official visits from Berlin to the base.

More:Report: Berlin looks into pulling jets out of Turkey | News | DW.COM | 25.08.2016

Constitutional Reform: A Change Turkey's Parties Can Believe In | Stratfor

Constitutional Reform: A Change Turkey's Parties Can Believe In
Analysis
August 26, 2016 | 09:15 GMT Print

Since the Republic of Turkey became a multiparty constitutional democracy in 1946, its governmental institutions have been used as tools of patronage in a highly polarized political system. The arduous process of rewriting the Turkish Constitution offers a prime opportunity for parties to co-opt Turkish political institutions to advance their agendas. Sometimes, these agendas coincide. The constitution of 1982, for instance, was in many ways drafted around various protections for the military. But in the years since its adoption, civilian political parties have rallied around the common goal of redacting those protections to keep Turkey's democratic system from descending into martial law.

More:Constitutional Reform: A Change Turkey's Parties Can Believe In | Stratfor

Erdogan takes a risk fighting on three fronts — FT.com

Erdogan takes a risk fighting on three fronts

As Biden visits Ankara, Turkey remains on a collision course with the west
David Gardner

Joe Biden, US vice-president, glad-handed his way through Ankara this week, an exercise to patch up relations with Turkey’s pugnacious president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, frayed ragged after July’s abortive coup. As if on cue, the Turkish army launched its first real incursion into Syria, seizing the Isis-held gateway town of Jarabulus on the border, and reminding Washington of Ankara’s value as a Nato ally.

More:Erdogan takes a risk fighting on three fronts — FT.com

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Turkey Won't Solve Its ISIS Problem by Invading Syria - The Atlantic

The Real Enemy Within Turkey

Erdogan launched an intervention against ISIS in Syria, while gutting his own government's ability to confront the problem at home.

More:Turkey Won't Solve Its ISIS Problem by Invading Syria - The Atlantic

Al-Malarkey | The Economist

President Erdogan’s threat to realign towards Russia is more bark than bite
Aug 27th 2016 | ISTANBUL | From the print edition

THE presidential palace in Ankara is a 1,150-room modern fortress of stone pillars and sheet glass, completed for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2015 at an official cost of $615m. For Mr Erdogan’s supporters, it is an emblem of Turkey’s energy and will. For his opponents it represents the president’s autocratic instincts and lust for power. During the attempted coup of July 15th, mutinous fighter pilots dropped bombs near the complex. On August 24th, Joe Biden, America’s vice president, went there to apologise to Mr Erdogan for America’s failure to show more solidarity with Turkey in the coup’s aftermath.

More:Al-Malarkey | The Economist

Biden: US understands Turkey's 'feelings' about Gulen - News from Al Jazeera

Biden: US understands Turkey's 'feelings' about Gulen

VP Joe Biden says the US is cooperating with the Turkish authorities but the extradition process may take time

More:Biden: US understands Turkey's 'feelings' about Gulen - News from Al Jazeera

Turkey’s economic resilience a worry | The National

Turkey’s economic resilience a worry

Ergin Hava, Foreign Correspondent

August 25, 2016 Updated: August 25, 2016 05:58 PM

Istanbul // On Wednesday morning, the Turkish army launched an incursion into Syrian territory led by ground forces and warplanes, triggering a new wave of political-risk driven losses in markets and the Turkish lira currency.

More:Turkey’s economic resilience a worry | The National

EU to Turkey: Do you really want to join?

EU to Turkey: Do you really want to join?

By Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:25

The EU has urged Turkey to clarify if it still wants to join the bloc, as relations between Ankara and Western allies deteriorate.

The EU’s enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, spoke out in Austrian newspaper Die Presse on Wednesday (24 August), saying EU concern was "justified" that Turkey had violated rule of law in its purge after the failed putsch in July.

More:EU to Turkey: Do you really want to join?

EU and Turkey restart talks over migrant pact | World news | The Guardian

EU and Turkey restart talks over migrant pact

European commission due to report on whether Turkey has done enough to gain visa-free travel to Schengen zone

More:EU and Turkey restart talks over migrant pact | World news | The Guardian

The Ankara-Brussels Problem - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Ankara-Brussels Problem
Posted by: Marc Pierini Thursday, August 25, 2016

“Brussels, you’ve got a problem,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesperson said recently. Based on facts and rule of law principles, many Europeans have a hard time understanding what the problem is, exactly, and what the way forward might be. Here is my modest attempt to arrive at a mutual understanding.

More:The Ankara-Brussels Problem - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, demands Kurdish fighters retreat | Reuters

Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, demands Kurdish fighters retreat

By Humeyra Pamuk and Umit Bektas | KARKAMIS, Turkey

Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syria on Thursday and demanded Kurdish militia fighters retreat within a week as it seeks to secure the border region and drive back Islamic State with its first major incursion into its neighbor.

More:Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, demands Kurdish fighters retreat | Reuters

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Stable Turkey: Enjoy every minute! - BURAK BEKDİL

Stable Turkey: Enjoy every minute!

On June 7, 2015 Turks went to the ballot boxes and deprived the ruling party, the Justice and Development (AKP), of its parliamentary majority for the first time since it came to power in November 2002. The next day Burhan Kuzu, today an MP and presidential advisor - and then a senior AKP member - said “The nation has chosen chaos. Now enjoy it.” Hence the AKP’s slogan, “Vote for Stability!” for the subsequent re-elections on Nov. 1. In October, then Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said “Peace and stability are our primary vision.” A day before the Nov. 1 election, he predicted that “Turkey will vote for stability.” He was – kind of - right.

More:Stable Turkey: Enjoy every minute! - BURAK BEKDİL

The Day - Turkey, Syrian Kurds on track for conflict in northern Syria - News from southeastern Connecticut

Turkey, Syrian Kurds on track for conflict in northern Syria

Published August 23. 2016 10:07AM | Updated August 23. 2016 8:58PM
By Suzan Fraser and Philip Issa, Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey signaled Tuesday it would step up its engagement in the Syrian war, as Turkish-backed Syrian rebels massed along the border to assault one of the last Syrian frontier towns held by Islamic State militants.

More:The Day - Turkey, Syrian Kurds on track for conflict in northern Syria - News from southeastern Connecticut

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Who Led The Turkish Putschists?

Who Led The Turkish Putschists?
08/22/2016 03:56 pm ET

Yavuz Baydar Columnist, co-founder of Punto24, Contributing Commentator: The Guardian

2016-08-20-1471689822-1184835-darbb.jpg

Four-week threshold has been passed and, looking deeply into the most important question on the botched coup in Turkey, we still are left wondering who orchestrated this bloody attempt.

In other words, to use a phrase by Dick Cheney, ‘we know that we don’t know.’

And, this is rather bizarre.

More:Who Led The Turkish Putschists?

Turkish, US officials begin work on Gülen case - LOCAL

Turkish, US officials begin work on Gülen case

ANKARA

Legal experts and diplomats from Turkey and the United States have initiated work on the former’s demand for the immediate extradition of Fethullah Gülen from the U.S., a day before U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is set to pay a one-day visit to Turkey.

More:Turkish, US officials begin work on Gülen case - LOCAL

Angela Merkel urges Turks in Germany to 'show loyalty to our country'

Angela Merkel urges Turks in Germany to 'show loyalty to our country'

Justin Huggler, Berlin

23 August 2016 • 12:51pm

Angela Merkel has called on members of Germany’s Turkish community to show “loyalty to our country”.

The call comes amid growing divisions between Turkey and the EU, and as Ankara recalled its ambassador to Austria in protest.

More:Angela Merkel urges Turks in Germany to 'show loyalty to our country'

And the message gets to Biden - MURAT YETKİN

And the message gets to Biden

Days after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Turkey was announced for Aug. 24, a major attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) shook the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the Syrian border.

More:And the message gets to Biden - MURAT YETKİN

‘Can’t beat migrant smugglers without Turkey,’ says Merkel - EUROPE

‘Can’t beat migrant smugglers without Turkey,’ says Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that cooperation with Turkey within the scope of the European Union’s migrant deal was right and without that deal the bloc would not be able to fight human smugglers.

More:‘Can’t beat migrant smugglers without Turkey,’ says Merkel - EUROPE

U.S. Risks Losing an Ally and This Jailed Prosecutor Knows Why - Bloomberg

U.S. Risks Losing an Ally and This Jailed Prosecutor Knows Why
Marc Champion
August 22, 2016 — 7:01 PM EDT

If Joe Biden wants to know why so many Turks are infuriated by the hesitant U.S. response to last month’s failed military coup, he could talk to Ilhan Cihaner.

More:U.S. Risks Losing an Ally and This Jailed Prosecutor Knows Why - Bloomberg

Erdogan’s new, strengthened position will give him more room to exert influence in the region

Turkey can regain regional leadership
23 August 2016

The Republic of Turkey was founded in the early 1920s by Kemal Ataturk out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. One of his governing principles was non-interference in the neighborhood. It was only in the 1990s that Turkey began to exercise a stronger influence in its region. However, due to increasing internal problems, the Turkish government has recently lost some of its foreign policy initiative.

More:Erdogan’s new, strengthened position will give him more room to exert influence in the region

Monday, August 22, 2016

Turkey’s ‘Album’ Wins Best Film at Sarajevo Film Festival | Variety

Turkish Comedy ‘Album’ Wins Best Film at Sarajevo Film Festival
Leo Barraclough

Turkish black comedy “Album,” about a couple who go to absurd lengths to hoodwink people into believing their adopted child is in fact their biological offspring, has won best film at the Sarajevo Film Festival.

More:Turkey’s ‘Album’ Wins Best Film at Sarajevo Film Festival | Variety

A suicide-bomber wreaks more horror on Turkey’s beleaguered Kurds | The Economist

A suicide-bomber wreaks more horror on Turkey’s beleaguered Kurds

Still reeling from an attempted coup, Turkey is hit by Islamic State

More:A suicide-bomber wreaks more horror on Turkey’s beleaguered Kurds | The Economist

Probe urged into alleged Turkish spy network in Germany — FT.com

Probe urged into alleged Turkish spy network in Germany

Pressure mounts on Merkel over close co-operation with Erdogan on refugee issues

More:Probe urged into alleged Turkish spy network in Germany — FT.com

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Blowback: Erdogan's Pro-ISIS Policy Comes Back to Haunt Him | PJ Media

Blowback: Erdogan's Pro-ISIS Policy Comes Back to Haunt Him
By Michael van der Galien August 21, 2016

Last night (local time) something terrible happened. As Rick Moran explains for PJ Media, an ISIS suicide terrorist blew himself up at a wedding in the city of Gaziantep. At least 50 people were killed, an additional 100 partygoers were wounded.

More:Blowback: Erdogan's Pro-ISIS Policy Comes Back to Haunt Him | PJ Media

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Ynetnews News - Turkish parliament approves Israel reconciliation deal

Turkish parliament approves Israel reconciliation deal

The reconciliation deal's ratification by Turkey ends a six-year rift following May 2010's Mavi Marmara incident that ended in the death of 10 Turkish activists aboard; Israel already ratified the agreement, so its items may now be implemented, including the exchange of ambassadors and state visits and a $20 million compensation payment from Israel to the victims.

More:Ynetnews News - Turkish parliament approves Israel reconciliation deal

Friday, August 19, 2016

Gentrification glitter fades into dust in Istanbul’s heart

Gentrification glitter fades into dust in Istanbul’s heart

Istiklal Avenue is one of the most photographed streets in Istanbul. Situated in the heart of the Beyoglu entertainment district, Istiklal (formerly known as Grand Rue de Pera and Cadde-i Kebir) is a wide avenue adjoining several historic streets from Karakoy Port, Galata Tower and Taksim Square. The red streetcar from the Ottoman days is probably the best-known image of the avenue, which has long become the symbol of Istanbul.

More:Gentrification glitter fades into dust in Istanbul’s heart

Is Turkey abandoning NATO or vice versa?

Is Turkey abandoning NATO or vice versa?

A piece I wrote in October 2014 titled “Is NATO membership shackling Turkey?” was about the Turkish public opinion debate over NATO. Today's article asks whether NATO might find Turkey's membership burdensome.

More:Is Turkey abandoning NATO or vice versa?

Turkey: our goal is to join the EU by 2023 | News | DW.COM | 19.08.2016

Turkey: our goal is to join the EU by 2023

Turkey has said it would like to join the European Union by 2023, its EU ambassador told a German newspaper. This follows comments by Germany that Ankara faces a long and difficult path to EU accession.

More:Turkey: our goal is to join the EU by 2023 | News | DW.COM | 19.08.2016

America Needs to Stand with Turkey | The National Interest

America Needs to Stand with Turkey

Biden should use his Aug. 24 visit to show support for Turkey’s elected government.
Bülent Aras

Relations between Turkey and the United States appear to be heading toward the abyss in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has since espoused a critical stance against the U.S. administration for failing not only to respond to the long-time calls for the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, but also to stand unequivocally behind the democratically elected government of Turkey. Tensions have been rising between Ankara and Washington since the second term of the Obama administration and currently run the risk of bringing about a major foreign policy dealignment.

More:America Needs to Stand with Turkey | The National Interest

Turkey, US, EU and Russia: The Dynamics Are Changing

Turkey, US, EU and Russia: The Dynamics Are Changing
NIRAJ SRIVASTAVA
Friday, August 19,2016

NEW DELHI: Echoes of the failed Turkish coup continue to reverberate more than a month after it took place on July 15/16. Important developments have occurred since then, shedding more light on various dimensions of the event. These include the extent of alleged US complicity in the coup; the purge of alleged followers of Fethullah Gulen in Turkey; the impact of the coup attempt on Turkey’s relations with the US, Russia, and EU; and its influence on the situation in Syria. All these issues will be explored below.

More:Turkey, US, EU and Russia: The Dynamics Are Changing

Erdogan's Post-Coup Purge is Spreading Beyond Suspected Gulenists - The Atlantic

Voices of Turkey's Purged

"I sent my son to serve the country and now he’s in jail."
Turkish soldiers search for missing military personnel suspected of being involved in the coup attempt. Kenan Gurbuz / Reuters

Diego Cupolo 11:28 AM ET Global

The night of July 15, Seda was at home in Erzurum, a town in eastern Turkey, when she got a call from her son, a student at a military academy in Ankara, the nation’s capital. Turkey was under attack, and he was being deployed with his classmates. His unit had been given rifles but no ammunition, he told Seda from the back of an army truck bound for the city center. Then he hung up.

More:Erdogan's Post-Coup Purge is Spreading Beyond Suspected Gulenists - The Atlantic

Dozens of academics held in Turkey’s post-coup crackdown - LOCAL

Dozens of academics held in Turkey’s post-coup crackdown

ISTANBUL - Agence France-Presse

Turkey on Aug. 19 detained dozens of academics suspected of backing Fethullah Gülen, the alleged mastermind of last month’s failed coup attempt, while pressing ahead with raids on businesses linked to the U.S.-based Islamic scholar.

More:Dozens of academics held in Turkey’s post-coup crackdown - LOCAL

Turkey and the Western Media  |  Ricochet

Turkey and the Western Media
Profile photo of Claire Berlinski, Ed. Editor
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
August 19, 2016

My doctor, who I visited yesterday to renew a routine prescription, knows I lived in Turkey for many years. As I stood up to leave, he asked me if he could ask my opinion. “The coup in Turkey,” he said earnestly. “Was it real? Or did Erdoğan stage it?”

More:Turkey and the Western Media  |  Ricochet

Germany, Turkey and Islam: Through the politics of Islam, Germans and Turks are deeply intertwined | The Economist

Through the politics of Islam, Germans and Turks are deeply intertwined
Aug 19th 2016, 14:36 by ERASMUS

THIS is a very difficult moment in one of Europe’s most important relationships. A leaked report from the German interior ministry has accused Turkey of fomenting Islamism in the Middle East, and Turkey has responded angrily. An agreement between Turkey and the European Union to stem the flow of migrants into Europe, which is essentially a Turkish-German deal, hangs in the balance.

More:Germany, Turkey and Islam: Through the politics of Islam, Germans and Turks are deeply intertwined | The Economist

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Latin American Herald Tribune - Greece Returns Two Batches of Immigrants to Turkey in 24 Hours

Greece Returns Two Batches of Immigrants to Turkey in 24 Hours

ATHENS - Greece resumed the return of refugees to Turkey for the first time since the failed Turkish coup and the 18th of March EU-Turkey refugee return agreement, thus ending a two month period with no returns at all.

More:Latin American Herald Tribune - Greece Returns Two Batches of Immigrants to Turkey in 24 Hours

10 dead as PKK intensifies bombing campaign in Turkey – EurActiv.com

10 dead as PKK intensifies bombing campaign in Turkey
Home | Global Europe | News

By EurActiv.com with AFP

Turkey was rocked by three deadly bombings against police and military forces as Kurdish guerrillas launched a new campaign of attacks targeting areas that are not predominantly Kurdish.

More:10 dead as PKK intensifies bombing campaign in Turkey – EurActiv.com

EU’s Troubled Ties With Turkey Hamper Crunch Call on Refugees - Bloomberg

EU’s Troubled Ties With Turkey Hamper Crunch Call on Refugees
Onur Ant

Turkey became a crucial partner for the European Union over the past year as they fought to control the continent’s biggest refugee influx since World War II. But European leaders have become increasingly uncomfortable with what they see as authoritarian tactics of the Turkish government, particularly since last month’s bungled military coup.

More:EU’s Troubled Ties With Turkey Hamper Crunch Call on Refugees - Bloomberg

Why the United States and the West Can’t Win With Turkey - The Globalist

Why the United States and the West Can’t Win With Turkey

Examining the perfectly closed loops of circular Islamist thinking.

By Ira Straus and Stephan Richter, August 18, 2016

The headline world over on Turkey should be: “West denounces coup, gets blame for it anyway.”
Turkey’s opposition parties’ denunciation of the coup was a self-protective instinct.
Islamists, in Turkey as elsewhere, form their identity largely against Western power & influence.
US foreign policy certainly has its dark sides, but they are not as dark as Islamists like to cast them.

With regard to recent events in Turkey, this should be the headline the world over: “The West denounces the coup but gets the blame for it anyway.”

More:Why the United States and the West Can’t Win With Turkey - The Globalist

Turkey's fight for democracy - Gateway House

Turkey’s fight for democracy

The July coup in Turkey did not achieve its objective of eliminating President Erdogan, who has, ironically, emerged a ‘national hero.’ Does this signal a new beginning? An analysis of the factors impending upon the colossal repair-and-rebuild task before the country.

More:Turkey's fight for democracy - Gateway House

bne IntelliNews - Turkey to set up €15mn sovereign wealth fund to support struggling economy

Turkey to set up €15mn sovereign wealth fund to support struggling economy

By bne IntelliNews August 17, 2016

Turkey will set up a sovereign wealth fund with an initial capital of TRY50mn (€15mn), Economy Minister Namik Zeybekci said on August 17. Ankara will target to raise the fund's size to $200bn at a later stage, Bloomberg reports.

More:bne IntelliNews - Turkey to set up €15mn sovereign wealth fund to support struggling economy

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

When a whole generation is scared off politics… - GÜLSE BİRSEL

When a whole generation is scared off politics…

I will be providing you a tremendously spectacular analysis. There are some famous names in it by the way!
You know why we ended up this way? We had the 1980 military coup and our generations were frightened by politics and state affairs.

More:When a whole generation is scared off politics… - GÜLSE BİRSEL

Turkey, The Boomerang Of Erdogan’s Post-Coup Crackdown

Turkey, The Boomerang Of Erdogan’s Post-Coup Crackdown
Özgür Mumcu (2016-08-17)

Tensions remain high in Turkey following the July 15 failed coup attempt, with the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focusing most of its wrath on the exiled imam Fetullah Gulen and the purge of his Gulenist followers. But could Erdogan's reaction backfire?

More:Turkey, The Boomerang Of Erdogan’s Post-Coup Crackdown

Raid on TV station by armed soldiers on night of Turkey coup shows staff tied and forced to lie face down - Mirror Online

Raid on TV station by armed soldiers on night of Turkey coup shows staff tied and forced to lie face down

14:02, 17 Aug 2016
By Laura Connor

The shocking footage emerges on day government announced it will be releasing 38,000 hardened prisoners after post-coup crackdown

More:Raid on TV station by armed soldiers on night of Turkey coup shows staff tied and forced to lie face down - Mirror Online

A botched coup and Turkey’s future in western institutions | openDemocracy

A botched coup and Turkey’s future in western institutions
Mehmet Ugur 16 August 2016

The EU will fail in anchoring policy reform in Turkey as a result of becoming hostage to inter-governmentalism and the zero-sum-game dynamics associated with it.

More:A botched coup and Turkey’s future in western institutions | openDemocracy

Turkey to release 38,000 from jail; frees space for plotters | The Seattle Times

Turkey to release 38,000 from jail; frees space for plotters

By SUZAN FRASER
The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey began releasing inmates on Wednesday in an apparent move to reduce its prison population to make space for thousands of people who have been arrested as part of an investigation into last month’s failed coup.

More:Turkey to release 38,000 from jail; frees space for plotters | The Seattle Times

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

German paper on Erdogan raises dilemma for Merkel — FT.com

German paper on Erdogan raises dilemma for Merkel

by: Stefan Wagstyl in Berlin

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s close co-operation with Turkey has come under renewed attack after the disclosure of a confidential German government paper accusing Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan of supporting radical Islamist groups.

More:German paper on Erdogan raises dilemma for Merkel — FT.com

Turkey deploys lobbyist army to shut down Gulen

Turkey deploys lobbyist army to shut down Gulen

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long accused Washington of siding with his country's enemies in Syria and harboring them inside the United States.

Heady after the failure of a coup he has called a "gift from God," the Turkish president now seems convinced he can force the United States to rethink its support for the Syrian Kurds and turn over his Pennsylvania-based nemesis, Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan demanded the cleric's extradition at an Istanbul rally on July 16, less than 24 hours after the coup attempt.

More:Turkey deploys lobbyist army to shut down Gulen

Analysis: Erdogan's Purge to Coup-Proof Turkey's Military May Backfire - NBC News

Analysis: Erdogan's Purge to Coup-Proof Turkey's Military May Backfire

by Matt Bradley

LONDON — In the hours after his loyal supporters suppressed an insurrection of military officers last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the bloodiest coup attempt in Turkish history a "gift from God" that would allow him to "cleanse our army."

More:Analysis: Erdogan's Purge to Coup-Proof Turkey's Military May Backfire - NBC News

Monday, August 15, 2016

Turkey's many shades of fear | Amnesty International

Turkey's many shades of fear

By Andrew Gardner, 15 August 2016, 11:15 UTC

Fear comes in many forms. A month ago, on the night of the bloody coup attempt here in Turkey, I together with millions in Istanbul and Ankara experienced gut-tightening fear as explosions shook our living rooms and gunfire crackled outside our windows. Downstairs my neighbours huddled in their bathroom, afraid for their safety and for the lives of loved ones. Outside, tanks rolled by whilst jets and helicopters filled the skies and civilians were gunned down by would-be putschists.

More:Turkey's many shades of fear | Amnesty International

The Coup May Have Failed But Fear Still Rules Turkey | TIME

The Coup May Have Failed But Fear Still Rules Turkey

Andrew Gardner / Istanbul @andrewegardner
The government crackdown is intensifying one month after the attempted uprising

Fear comes in many forms. A month ago, on the night of the bloody coup attempt here in Turkey, I together with millions in Istanbul and Ankara experienced gut-tightening fear as explosions shook our living rooms and gunfire crackled outside our windows. Downstairs my neighbours huddled in their bathroom, afraid for their safety and for the lives of loved ones. Outside, tanks rolled by whilst jets and helicopters filled the skies and civilians were gunned down by would-be putschists.

More:The Coup May Have Failed But Fear Still Rules Turkey | TIME

European secularism and the imposition of standards for Turkish secularism – Middle East Monitor

European secularism and the imposition of standards for Turkish secularism
August 15, 2016

Secularism in Turkey didn’t have a natural birth. It was neither the product of a social conflict between the clerics and the politicians, nor the result of a conflict between religious and secular authorities, as was the case in Europe. It was the result of a common desire between the founders of the post-Ottoman Turkish republican regime and Europe, which wanted the country to be based on the separation of religion from the state. There was also a desire to exclude political and military leaders from the Ottoman era from the republic.

More:European secularism and the imposition of standards for Turkish secularism – Middle East Monitor

German-Turkish Islamic group pledges to cut ties with Erdogan | Germany | DW.COM | 15.08.2016

German-Turkish Islamic group pledges to cut ties with Erdogan

German-Turkish Islamic organization DITIB says it will cut financial links with the Turkish government following increasing anger at the president's repression. But it insists it is politically independent anyway.

More:German-Turkish Islamic group pledges to cut ties with Erdogan | Germany | DW.COM | 15.08.2016

Police Raid Courthouse as Turkey Crackdown Continues

Police Raid Courthouse as Turkey Crackdown Continues
August 15, 2016

Dorian Jones

ISTANBUL —

Police raided Istanbul’s main courthouses as a crackdown continues in the aftermath of last month’s failed coup attempt. The purge is straining relations with Western allies, who Turkish officials say appear more concerned by the crackdown than the failed coup that killed 240 people.

More:Police Raid Courthouse as Turkey Crackdown Continues

Turkey pledges no gaps in child sex abuse laws, amid criticism | EUROPE ONLINE

Turkey pledges no gaps in child sex abuse laws, amid criticism
Europe
15.08.2016
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Istanbul (dpa) - Turkey pledged Monday that there will be no gaps in its laws meant to protect children from sexual abuse, following domestic and international criticism of a top court‘s ruling which annulled existing legislation.

More:Turkey pledges no gaps in child sex abuse laws, amid criticism | EUROPE ONLINE

33 missing Turkish Cypriots laid to rest after 42 years | SunHerald

33 missing Turkish Cypriots laid to rest after 42 years

The remains of 33 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were shot and killed after being taken off two buses during Turkey's 1974 invasion of ethnically divided Cyprus were laid to rest Monday, two years after being discovered down a mineshaft.

More:33 missing Turkish Cypriots laid to rest after 42 years | SunHerald

Love Him Or Hate Him, Europe Needs To Talk To Turkey's Erdogan - Forbes

Love Him Or Hate Him, Europe Needs To Talk To Turkey's Erdogan

Marcel Michelson

The European Union has a problem with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the way he is purging the state and the democracy in the wake of a botched coup against him, and about the way he demands immediate cooperation from other states in seizing his declared internal enemies.

More:Love Him Or Hate Him, Europe Needs To Talk To Turkey's Erdogan - Forbes

Convicted Turkish Opposition Newspaper Editor Resigns, Citing Post-Coup 'Lawlessness'

Convicted Turkish Opposition Newspaper Editor Resigns, Citing Post-Coup 'Lawlessness'
By Jack Moore On 8/15/16 at 1:11 PM

One of Turkey’s most prominent opposition journalists announced on Monday that he was resigning amid a government crackdown on opposition figures and supporters following last month’s failed coup.

More:Convicted Turkish Opposition Newspaper Editor Resigns, Citing Post-Coup 'Lawlessness'

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Kurds may abandon Turkey after coup against Erdogan | Europe | DW.COM | 14.08.2016

Kurds may abandon Turkey after coup against Erdogan

Turkey's government has wasted no time in going after political opponents in the month since the failed coup. Germany's main Kurdish organization has warned that displaced people could seek asylum in large numbers.

More:Kurds may abandon Turkey after coup against Erdogan | Europe | DW.COM | 14.08.2016

Turkey says its 'anti-Americanism' depends on US response to extradition request for cleric | VICE News

Turkey says its 'anti-Americanism' depends on US response to extradition request for cleric

By VICE News
August 13, 2016 | 1:55 pm

The Turks are not compromising on their request that the United States extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his allies blame for orchestrating last month's attempted coup.

More:Turkey says its 'anti-Americanism' depends on US response to extradition request for cleric | VICE News

Night of the Erdogan knives - timesofmalta.com

Night of the Erdogan knives

Rising to power through gene­ral elections is never a guarantee of one’s democratic pedigree. The world woke up to this brutal fact on the dawn following the night of the long knives in Nazi Germany in July, 1934, when a series of extrajudicial killings sealed Adolf Hitler’s absolute hold on power.

More:Night of the Erdogan knives - timesofmalta.com

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the most divisive leader in the history of Turkey - The Economic Times

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the most divisive leader in the history of Turkey
AFP|
Jul 16, 2016, 01.03 PM IST

ISTANBUL: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, currently facing down an attempted military coup, is the most divisive leader in the history of the modern republic.

More:Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the most divisive leader in the history of Turkey - The Economic Times

Merkel and Turkey: Six Fundamental Errors - The Globalist

Merkel and Turkey: Six Fundamental Errors

Does Germany’s Chancellor really not understand the cynical ways in which Turkey’s President plays her? Is it naiveté – or appeasement?

More:Merkel and Turkey: Six Fundamental Errors - The Globalist

Friday, August 12, 2016

Failed Turkish coup provides Erdogan with a pedestal

Failed Turkish coup provides Erdogan with a pedestal

‘The official coup narrative has fed off Turkey’s relish for conspiracy theories’

More:Failed Turkish coup provides Erdogan with a pedestal

Turkey on the ropes? | The Kingston Whig-Standard

Turkey on the ropes?

By Louis A. Delvoie

The attempted military coup that occurred in Turkey last month has once again turned the spotlight on one of the world's more complex countries. It is complex in terms of its geographic situation, its alliances, its adversaries and its internal politics. And Turkey is today having a very hard time coping with those complexities.

More:Turkey on the ropes? | The Kingston Whig-Standard

Anti-Americanism surges in Turkey after coup | Public Radio International

Anti-Americanism surges in Turkey after coup

August 12, 2016 · 3:15 PM EDT
By Agence France-Presse

The charge list against the United States within Turkey over last month's failed coup is long and, for some, damning.

The government says the United States is hosting the mastermind of the plot to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while voices in the media and wider society suggest Washington wanted the putsch to succeed and even end with the Turkish strongman dead.

More:Anti-Americanism surges in Turkey after coup | Public Radio International

What will be Turkey's toll for a second chance with Russia?

What will be Turkey's toll for a second chance with Russia?

Although he brought together a million people at an Aug. 7 rally in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still doesn’t feel safe in his own country. He might feel safer in Russia, although the countries were on the brink of war after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet Nov. 24.

More:What will be Turkey's toll for a second chance with Russia?

After Turkey’s Failed Coup, a State-Owned TV Station Tilts - WSJ

After Turkey’s Failed Coup, a State-Owned TV Station Tilts

Amid Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s purge, unhappy staffers say TRT World has muted criticism of the government while blasting the opposition Gulen movement

More:After Turkey’s Failed Coup, a State-Owned TV Station Tilts - WSJ

Integration is a crossroads

55 years of German-Turkish labour recruitment
Integration is a crossroads

In October it will be fifty-five years since Germany and Turkey signed the labour recruitment agreement. And yet many people of Turkish origin still feel like outsiders in Germany. What does that tell us about the course of integration and what role does past experience play in the current situation? By Melanie Christina Mohr

More:Integration is a crossroads

Gulen Demands International Probe of Failed Turkish Coup: Monde - Bloomberg

Gulen Demands International Probe of Failed Turkish Coup: Monde
David Whitehouse

August 12, 2016 — 8:20 AM EDT

Exiled Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen has called for an international investigation into the failed military coup attempt July 15 that sought to topple the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Gulen Demands International Probe of Failed Turkish Coup: Monde - Bloomberg

Turkey seeks arrest of soccer striker Hakan Sukur, seizes ...

Turkey seeks arrest of soccer striker Hakan Sukur, seizes assets
by Reuters
Friday, 12 August 2016 13:01 GMT

ANKARA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for one of its most celebrated soccer players, former international striker Hakan Sukur, ordering the seizure of his assets as part of an investigation into last month's failed coup, state media said.

More:Turkey seeks arrest of soccer striker Hakan Sukur, seizes ...

A Marriage of Convenience

A Marriage of Convenience

By Leopold Traugott
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30

Relations between Turkey and the European Union have become increasingly tense in the aftermath of July's failed coup against Erdogan.

More:A Marriage of Convenience

Pro-Kurdish party leader faces 5-year jail term in Turkey - The Washington Post

Pro-Kurdish party leader faces 5-year jail term in Turkey
By Associated Press August 12 at 9:05 AM

ANKARA, Turkey — Prosecutors in Istanbul are demanding five-year prison terms for the leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party and a senior party member who are accused of engaging in “propaganda for a terror organization.”

More:Pro-Kurdish party leader faces 5-year jail term in Turkey - The Washington Post

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Inside Europe: Turkish divides spill into Europe | All media content | DW.COM | 04.08.2016

Inside Europe: Turkish divides spill into Europe

Turkey is no stranger to instability at the moment. The government led crackdown continues on the Gülen movement, which it claims was behind the attempted coup. And now the divides are spilling outside Turkey's borders, right across Europe. Naomi Conrad is our correspondent in Berlin and she explains how it's playing out here in Germany.

More:Inside Europe: Turkish divides spill into Europe | All media content | DW.COM | 04.08.2016

WikiLeaks cables show U.S. diplomats warned the government about Gulen | The Kansas City Star

WikiLeaks cables show U.S. diplomats warned the government about Gulen

GOKCE AYTULU

The bloody July 15 coup attempt in Turkey left more than 200 people dead. It has also created a huge gap between Turkey and the Western world.

There is a widespread assertion in Turkey that American and European media have underestimated the menace that almost demolished the country. Beyond it, many Turks believe that the United States was behind the failed effort to topple the government.

More:WikiLeaks cables show U.S. diplomats warned the government about Gulen | The Kansas City Star

Absolute Power: Erdogan’s Self-Made Trap - The Globalist

Absolute Power: Erdogan’s Self-Made Trap

With next to no obstacles in his way any longer, Turkey’s President will soon run out of people to blame for Turkey’s mounting woes. The country will suffer.

More:Absolute Power: Erdogan’s Self-Made Trap - The Globalist

Taking Turkey Seriously by Carl Bildt - Project Syndicate

Taking Turkey Seriously

STOCKHOLM – Istanbul, in western Turkey, is one of Europe’s great cities. As Constantinople, it was the capital of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, and after its capture and renaming by Mehmed II in 1453, it served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire for nearly another 500 years.

More:Taking Turkey Seriously by Carl Bildt - Project Syndicate

Turkey tells Europe to return missing attaches | News | DW.COM | 11.08.2016

Turkey tells Europe to return missing attaches

Turkey is demanding that two of its military attaches who fled Greece after Turkey's abortive coup be returned from Europe. It says three other attaches have been sent back from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

More:Turkey tells Europe to return missing attaches | News | DW.COM | 11.08.2016

Turkish Banks Obey Erdogan’s Calls as Mortgage Rates Slashed - Bloomberg

Turkish Banks Obey Erdogan’s Calls as Mortgage Rates Slashed
Ercan Ersoy

Turkey’s banks are taking their orders from the top.

By Thursday at 7 p.m. in Istanbul, at least 14 lenders in the country announced they’d slashed interest charges on mortgage loans since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that resistance to lower borrowing costs could be "treason." The remarks were the harshest yet from Erdogan, who’s been pushing the nation’s central bank for several years to cut rates.

More:Turkish Banks Obey Erdogan’s Calls as Mortgage Rates Slashed - Bloomberg

Erdogan’s Approval Rating Soars in Turkey Following Coup Attempt - Bloomberg

Erdogan’s Approval Rating Soars in Turkey Following Coup Attempt
Onur Ant

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s approval rating rose to the highest level since he became Turkey’s president two years ago as his administration deals with the aftermath of a failed military coup last month.

More:Erdogan’s Approval Rating Soars in Turkey Following Coup Attempt - Bloomberg

Welcome to the Erdoğan fanclub – POLITICO

Welcome to the Erdoğan fanclub

Far from weakening the president, the failed coup has burnished his reputation as the man who brought Turkey into the 21st century.

More:Welcome to the Erdoğan fanclub – POLITICO

Turkey and Russia Get Closer–and Worry the West | TIME

Turkey and Russia Get Closer–and Worry the West

Ian Bremmer @ianbremmer

Last November, Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet near the country’s border with Syria, provoking fears in Western capitals that Ankara and Moscow might stumble into conflict. Russia then imposed sanctions that badly damaged Turkey’s economy, and a chastened President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized in June. In July, Erdogan faced down a coup attempt; his subsequent detention of tens of thousands of suspected enemies has drawn sharp criticism from his U.S. and European NATO allies. On Aug. 9, he made headlines by flying to Russia for his first meeting with Vladimir Putin since the plane fiasco, and the West now fears that Turkey and Russia are moving too close together.

More:Turkey and Russia Get Closer–and Worry the West | TIME

Erdogan calls on White House to choose between Gulen and Turkey - UPI.com

Erdogan calls on White House to choose between Gulen and Turkey
By Amy R. Connolly | Updated Aug. 11, 2016 at 12:31 PM

ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the United States must make a choice after failing to act on repeated requests to extradite U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen: support Turkey or the movement led by the dissident.

More:Erdogan calls on White House to choose between Gulen and Turkey - UPI.com

From Trump to Erdogan: The Rise of the "Identitarians" - The Globalist

From Trump to Erdogan: The Rise of the “Identitarians”

Supporters of identity politics feel safer by shutting doors to the rest of the world. Who pays the price? How did elites contribute to it all?

More:From Trump to Erdogan: The Rise of the "Identitarians" - The Globalist

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

The Ever Tenuous Alliance Between the U.S. and Turkey « US Opinion and Commentary

The Ever Tenuous Alliance Between the U.S. and Turkey
Posted August 10th, 2016

As Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought to mend fences with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the rift between Ankara and Washington seemed to widen a little more.

More:The Ever Tenuous Alliance Between the U.S. and Turkey « US Opinion and Commentary

Erdogan Uses Ataturk to Unify Post-Coup Turkey

Erdogan Uses Ataturk to Unify Post-Coup Turkey
By Asli Kandemir and Daren Butler on 09/08/2016

Istanbul: After years of being gradually eclipsed as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan forges a “new Turkey” with Islam firmly at its heart, the secular republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk has, for now at least, made a comeback in the wake of a failed coup.

More:Erdogan Uses Ataturk to Unify Post-Coup Turkey

What Putin Wants But Doesn't Get from Erdogan - Bloomberg View

What Putin Wants But Doesn't Get from Erdogan
68
Aug 10, 2016 7:32 AM EDT
By
Leonid Bershidsky

The resurgent friendship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a strange thing: Putin knows what he wants from Erdogan, and he's gone his half of the way, but he's not getting it yet despite Erdogan's exaggerated show of friendliness.

More:What Putin Wants But Doesn't Get from Erdogan - Bloomberg View

Turkey’s new foreign policy item: FETÖ diaspora - BARÇIN YİNANÇ

Turkey’s new foreign policy item: FETÖ diaspora

In one of my visits to Brussels in 2011, I had gone to the NATO headquarters and witnessed a Turkish diplomat saluting members of the Albanian delegation in Turkish. I was told that they were graduates of Fethullah Gülen schools in Albania.

More:Turkey’s new foreign policy item: FETÖ diaspora - BARÇIN YİNANÇ

US to Turkey: Back off – POLITICO

US to Turkey: Back off

As anti-US allegations swirl, skepticism about Turkey’s reliability is hardening in the Obama administration and Congress.

More:US to Turkey: Back off – POLITICO

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Reinventing the Levant | The National Interest

Reinventing the Levant

These countries should incorporate themselves into a single economic zone.
Jamal Daniel

August 9, 2016

AMERICAN POLICY toward the Middle East has been a dismal failure for the past thirty-five years, if not longer. Officials have approached policymaking in the Middle East without a clear sense of the region’s history, poverty, predominance of authoritarian rule or intraregional relationships. The failure begins with the concept of “separate peace”—the basis of the 1978–79 U.S.-sponsored negotiations between Egypt and Israel—which never led to a broader settlement. It has continued with Washington’s haphazard response to the tumult of the past five years since the Arab Spring, the rise of Daesh (ISIS) and the continuing stream of dislocations flowing from the invasion of Iraq. Each failure has only deepened the sense that the region is beyond repair. Hence, the American public and many elites are tempted by simplistic solutions—draw back from the region even further; deepen support for authoritarian regimes; take extreme measures to end refugee flows; provide Syrian rebels advanced arms; “carpet-bomb.” The sense of frustration is understandable, but doubling down on failed policies will not work.

More:Reinventing the Levant | The National Interest

Will KRG be next target of Turkey's Gulenist purge?

Will KRG be next target of Turkey's Gulenist purge?

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — Since the July 15 coup attempt, Turkey has been busy seizing assets of the suspected instigators, members of the Fethullah Gulen movement. When that task is done, Turkey may then turn to Gulenist assets abroad. There are many who believe Turkey will target Gulenist activities and assets next door in Iraqi Kurdistan.

More:Will KRG be next target of Turkey's Gulenist purge?

Stranger Than Fiction in Turkey | Foreign Affairs

Stranger Than Fiction in Turkey
Why Conspiracy Theories Persist
By Ryan Gingeras

There is no shortage of conspiracy theories surrounding the Turkish coup on July 15. According to many Turkish observers, including Ibrahim Karagul, an editor at Yeni Safak, a prominent newspaper that favors the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP), it was engineered by Fethullah Gülen, a secretive Islamic cleric who is currently exiled in the United States.

More:Stranger Than Fiction in Turkey | Foreign Affairs

Turkey’s Failed Coup Leaves Military Weakened

Turkey’s Failed Coup Leaves Military Weakened
Burak Ege Bekdil, Defense News 2:31 p.m. EDT August 9, 2016

ANKARA — A massive purge among government servants in the aftermath of a failed coup in Turkey on July 15 is feared to have weakened Turkey’s security apparatus.

More:Turkey’s Failed Coup Leaves Military Weakened

Putin says painstaking work needed to rebuild Russia-Turkey trade ties - Yahoo7

Putin says 'painstaking work' needed to rebuild Russia-Turkey trade
AFP on August 10, 2016, 1:54 am

Saint Petersburg (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that restoring trade ties with Turkey will take time and work, after his first meeting with counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan since Ankara shot down a Russian warplane last November.

More:Putin says painstaking work needed to rebuild Russia-Turkey trade ties - Yahoo7

Mark Rothko, the flag and Turkey's red future | The National

Mark Rothko, the flag and Turkey's red future

Kaya Genc

The poster for Sunday's anti-coup rally in Istanbul's Yenikapi Square featured a young man wearing a bright red polo shirt. The man's right hand is raised up in the air, his five fingers outstretched in a gesture that says enough. He faces an army tank whose gun points ominously above him, in the direction of the viewer whose safety the protester protects. To my eyes the message that accompanies the image seemed anti-militarist, even a tad socialist: "The triumph belongs to democracy, and the squares belong to the people."

Moe:Mark Rothko, the flag and Turkey's red future | The National

Who was the mastermind? - YUSUF KANLI

Who was the mastermind?

Often a simple explanation might offer a far clearer answer to a myriad of questions than complex, aloof and mostly exaggerated conspiracy theories. If there is a crime and there is a sincere effort to identify who the culprit might be, can the “who benefitted the most?” question be appropriate to ask?

More:Who was the mastermind? - YUSUF KANLI

EU regrets Turkey’s unilateral decision to cancel Jean Monnet for ‘16-17 - EUROPE

EU regrets Turkey’s unilateral decision to cancel Jean Monnet for ‘16-17

BRUSSELS/ANKARA

The European Union has expressed “regret” over Turkish authorities’ decision to cancel the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme (JMSP) for the 2016-17academic year, underlining that the decision by the Turkish authorities was made without their involvement.

More:EU regrets Turkey’s unilateral decision to cancel Jean Monnet for ‘16-17 - EUROPE

ANALYSIS-Ataturk's revival a symbol of Turkey's fragile post...

ANALYSIS-Ataturk's revival a symbol of Turkey's fragile post-coup unity
by Reuters
Tuesday, 9 August 2016 07:19 GMT

By Asli Kandemir and Daren Butler

ISTANBUL, Aug 9 (Reuters) - After years of being gradually eclipsed as President Tayyip Erdogan forges a "new Turkey" with Islam firmly at its heart, the secular republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk has, for now at least, made a comeback in the wake of a failed coup.

More:ANALYSIS-Ataturk's revival a symbol of Turkey's fragile post...

News from Russia: Moscow and Ankara reach consensus on normalizing their relations

Moscow and Ankara reach consensus on normalizing their relations

Erdogan and Putin meet in St. Petersburg to mend relations between the two countries

More:News from Russia: Moscow and Ankara reach consensus on normalizing their relations

Erdogan-Gulen Power Struggle Divides European Turks | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Erdogan-Gulen Power Struggle Divides European Turks
August 9, 2016

On the night of July 15, members of the Turkish military stormed the state-run TRT news agency in Ankara and forced an anchorwoman to read a statement calling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “traitor.” Within moments, tanks began to drive menacingly through the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, as military planes roared over Turkish skies. The parliament was bombed. The fifth military coup in the history of modern Turkey had begun, taking even the most anti-government Turks by surprise.

More:Erdogan-Gulen Power Struggle Divides European Turks | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Monday, August 08, 2016

Turkey's Erdogan unnerves West with Putin visit - BBC News

Turkey's Erdogan unnerves West with Putin visit
By Michael Sahlin Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies

Turkey has seen an upheaval in its foreign and domestic politics, exacerbated by the near-disastrous coup attempt on 15 July.

More:Turkey's Erdogan unnerves West with Putin visit - BBC News

Turkey Struggles At Home And Abroad After A Failed Coup | On Point

Turkey Struggles At Home And Abroad After A Failed Coup

August 08, 2016

Does Turkey still belong in NATO? We check in – post-failed-coup – on a difficult ally.

More:Turkey Struggles At Home And Abroad After A Failed Coup | On Point

Turkey’s toothy smile of unity - James in Turkey

Turkey’s toothy smile of unity
Monday 8 August 2016 0

Ignoring the country’s most successful Kurdish party does not bode well for peace in the southeast

On 16 July, hours after a section of the Turkish Armed Forces attempted to overthrow the country’s democratically elected government, lawmakers from all four major parties gathered in parliament to condemn the act.

More:Turkey’s toothy smile of unity - James in Turkey

Think Twice on Turkey: Erdogan's Purges Are a Warning to Washington | The National Interest Blog

Think Twice on Turkey: Erdogan's Purges Are a Warning to Washington
Christopher A. Preble

August 8, 2016

The abortive coup in Turkey and its aftermath are putting a severe strain on U.S.–Turkish relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the United States and the West of complicity in the coup, a charge that he repeated last Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, given the vehemence of Erdoğan’s claims, anti-American sentiment in Turkey is rising.

More:Think Twice on Turkey: Erdogan's Purges Are a Warning to Washington | The National Interest Blog

Opinion: Erdogan, Putin and the touchy Turkish Stream | Opinion | DW.COM | 07.08.2016

Opinion: Erdogan, Putin and the touchy Turkish Stream

The presidents of Russia and Turkey are expected to repair relations and revive a gas pipeline project at a meeting in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. There is, however, one key issue on the table, DW's Andrey Gurkov writes.

More:Opinion: Erdogan, Putin and the touchy Turkish Stream | Opinion | DW.COM | 07.08.2016

How To Win Turks' Hearts

How To Win Turks' Hearts

By Abbas Djavadi

August 08, 2016

Prominent Turkish satirist and comedian Gulse Birsel was just in Europe -- this time for five days. She writes how "bored" she was, and how she couldn't wait to return to her beloved Istanbul.

More:How To Win Turks' Hearts

Angela Merkel Takes Soft Approach on Erdogan After Coup - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Refugee Deal at Risk: Europe Takes a Soft Approach on Erdogan

Despite the Turkish President's crackdown on opponents in the wake of the failed coup attempt, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for strong continued ties to the country. It may be the only way to preserve the EU's crucial refugee deal. By SPIEGEL Staff.

More:Angela Merkel Takes Soft Approach on Erdogan After Coup - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Erdogan pledges new Turkey | All media content | DW.COM | 08.08.2016

Erdogan pledges new Turkey

After three weeks of daily pro-Erdogan rallies, 80 cities held final demonstrations on Sunday as the nation faces ongoing purges and a divided populace. Diego Cupolo reports from Ankara.

More:Erdogan pledges new Turkey | All media content | DW.COM | 08.08.2016

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Kissed And Made Up?

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Kissed And Made Up?
World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: August 08, 2016 12:47 IST

by Taboola

Ankara's downing of a Russian war plane over the Syrian border last November prompted rapid retaliation from Moscow and a bitter war of words between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan from which there appeared no going back.

More:Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Kissed And Made Up?

Georgi Dimov: The pro-government rally in Istanbul left Turkey with no opposition

Georgi Dimov: The pro-government rally in Istanbul left Turkey with no opposition
8 August 2016 | 09:55 | FOCUS News Agency

Sofia. The pro-government rally in Istanbul left Turkey with no opposition, apart from the Kurds. This is what Georgi Dimov, former Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria to Edirne, said in an interview for Radio FOCUS’ broadcast Good Morning, Bulgaria. According to Mr Dimov, the internal war in Turkey is continuing, but is left in the background after the failed putsch attempt. Mr Dimov added that the main question in Turkey now was whether the opposition would generate new powers or would develop hand-in-hand with a new, authentic Turkish opposition.
“The Kurdish topic will have a very strong reflection on the restored dialogue between Ankara and Moscow. Yesterday’s Istanbul was against Brussels, while tomorrow’s Saint Petersburg will be against Washington. Recep Erdoğan, himself, described his visit to Russia as a historic one, which would open a new page in the bilateral relations. What is more telling is that he admitted that without the participation of Moscow, a solution to the crisis and war in Syria could not be found, and this process has to be made in close co-operation with Russia,” Mr Dimov explained.

More:Georgi Dimov: The pro-government rally in Istanbul left Turkey with no opposition

In times of paranoia

In times of paranoia

Many observers believe that Erdogan can now live out his omnipotence fantasies without impediment. But the deep split through the state apparatus will not make it easy for him to govern. And the paranoia of the Turkish President is resulting in irrational decisions, says Omer Erzeren

More:In times of paranoia

Hanging by a thread

Hanging by a thread

The thwarted coup of 15 July is being celebrated by the AKP as well as large sections of Turkish civil society as a victory for democracy. But the state of emergency and the mass arrests spotlight the authoritarian political tide in Turkey. Ceyda Nurtsch reports from Istanbul

More:Hanging by a thread

Sunday, August 07, 2016

Istanbul rally marks milestone in Turkish history - MURAT YETKİN

Istanbul rally marks milestone in Turkish history

According to estimates, more than 3 million people gathered in the Yenikapı area of Istanbul on Aug. 7 in order to demonstrate their unity against the military coup attempt of July 15.

More:Istanbul rally marks milestone in Turkish history - MURAT YETKİN

More than 1 million attend anti-coup rally in Istanbul - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 -

More than 1 million attend anti-coup rally in Istanbul

By CINAR KIPER and ELENA BECATOROS
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) - More than 1 million flag-waving Turks gathered in Istanbul on Sunday for an anti-coup rally to mark the end of nightly demonstrations since the July 15 abortive military insurrection that left more than 270 people dead.

More:More than 1 million attend anti-coup rally in Istanbul - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 -

Politicians concerned over Ankara's influence on Turks in Germany | Reuters

Politicians concerned over Ankara's influence on Turks in Germany

German politicians voiced concern on Sunday about the growing influence of Ankara on people with Turkish roots living in Germany.

Germany has seen violence in the past between nationalist Turks and militant Kurds and officials fret that tensions in Turkish society following last month's attempted coup could spill over onto its soil.

More:Politicians concerned over Ankara's influence on Turks in Germany | Reuters

Giant Istanbul 'democracy' rally set to further strengthen Erdogan

Giant Istanbul 'democracy' rally set to further strengthen Erdogan

The stage is being set in Turkey for the latest rally in protest at last month’s failed coup.

In what is set to be another show of strength for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, up to 3 million people are expected to take to the streets of Istanbul on Sunday to decry the attempted military takeover.

More:Giant Istanbul 'democracy' rally set to further strengthen Erdogan

The story behind post-coup siege mentality in Turkey | News | DW.COM | 07.08.2016

The story behind post-coup siege mentality in Turkey

Turkish politicians and media were quick to blame the West for the failed July 15 coup. The idea that world powers have designs on Turkey has been around for over a century - and it's not totally without basis.

More:The story behind post-coup siege mentality in Turkey | News | DW.COM | 07.08.2016

Worried Turkish Artists Ponder An Uncertain Future

Worried Turkish Artists Ponder An Uncertain Future

ISTANBUL — Just a few years ago, Istanbul was one of the world’s creative capitals, a buzzing hive where visual artists, writers and filmmakers mingled.

Today, the so-called Pearl of the Bosphorus has lost some of its artistic lustre.

More:Worried Turkish Artists Ponder An Uncertain Future

Saturday, August 06, 2016

Choreographed putsch: Turkey at a crossroads

Choreographed putsch: Turkey at a crossroads
Saturday, 06 August 2016 | Makhan Saikia | in Oped

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s concerted bid to do away with his opponents in the garb of purging putschists will do more harm to the till-now most liberal Muslim country. As the futile efforts will confine Erdogan’s energy to saving his throne, Russia, Iran and Syrian President Assad will be prime beneficiaries of the imminent internal turmoil in Turkey

More:Choreographed putsch: Turkey at a crossroads

Turkey releases hacked message implicating Gulen followers in coup | Middle East Eye

Turkey releases hacked message implicating Gulen followers in coup

ISTANBUL, Turkey – A message, posted on an encrypted messaging system and allegedly showing two followers of Fethullah Gulen discussing how to deal with the post-coup crackdown, was released on Saturday.

More:Turkey releases hacked message implicating Gulen followers in coup | Middle East Eye

The Turkish Coup Attempt, Russia, And The West - ValueWalk

The Turkish Coup Attempt, Russia, And The West
By EurasiaNet on August 5, 2016 2:43 pm in Politics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travels to St. Petersburg on August 9 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will focus on improving cooperation in two main areas: the effort to find a shared and joint solution to the Syria crisis, and in business and energy, including a full resumption of tourism from Russia to Turkey, trade, and construction projects that were halted during a monthslong spat between the two nations.

More:The Turkish Coup Attempt, Russia, And The West - ValueWalk

What happens to the Turkish army? - VERDA ÖZER

What happens to the Turkish army?

It was November 2005. Three years had passed since the AKP had come to power. The acceleration of the European Union membership process was one of then-Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan’s foremost commitments.

More:What happens to the Turkish army? - VERDA ÖZER

Fethullah Gulen’s Race to the Top Is Over | Foreign Policy

Fethullah Gulen’s Race to the Top Is Over

The Turkish cleric's decades-long plan to use schools to acquire political power and cultural influence has ended in shambles.

More:Fethullah Gulen’s Race to the Top Is Over | Foreign Policy

U.S. Reviewing Turkey’s Extradition Request | Foreign Policy

U.S. Reviewing Turkey’s Extradition Request

By J. Dana Stuster

The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing documents submitted by the Turkish government to evaluate Ankara’s request to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based cleric that the government claims is responsible for the failed July 15 coup attempt. So far, Turkey has submitted 85 boxes of documents as evidence. While the materials are still being reviewed and State Department spokesman Mark Toner said yesterday that a determination has not been made, U.S. officials say that, so far, they are unconvinced by Turkey’s case. Discussions about the extradition request, though, are expected to continue for several months.

More:U.S. Reviewing Turkey’s Extradition Request | Foreign Policy

Millions to attend democracy rally in Istanbul | TRT World

Millions to attend democracy rally in Istanbul

Sunday’s 'Democracy and Martyrs Rally' will be a significant milestone in Turkey’s political history, as both the ruling and main opposition parties will stand together in the name of democracy.

More:Millions to attend democracy rally in Istanbul | TRT World

Why Turks who dislike Erdogan do not trust Gulen | GulfNews.com

Why Turks who dislike Erdogan do not trust Gulen

Secretiveness and cult-like practices of the organisation surround it in a thick cloud of suspicion

More:Why Turks who dislike Erdogan do not trust Gulen | GulfNews.com

Friday, August 05, 2016

′Turkey will become an important country of origin for refugees′ | Germany | DW.COM | 05.08.2016

'Turkey will become an important country of origin for refugees'

Media reports say more Turkish citizens are fleeing to Germany - especially Kurds. Asylum attorney Heiko Habbe thinks the German government is partially responsible for the situation.

More:′Turkey will become an important country of origin for refugees′ | Germany | DW.COM | 05.08.2016

Cleric’s Lawyers: Gulen ‘Should Not and Will Not Be Extradited’

Cleric’s Lawyers: Gulen ‘Should Not and Will Not Be Extradited’

August 05, 2016 3:12 PM

Lawyers representing U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen said that Turkey has not provided evidence of his involvement in last month's failed military coup attempt, and he "should not and will not be extradited."

More:Cleric’s Lawyers: Gulen ‘Should Not and Will Not Be Extradited’

The Turkish Coup Attempt, Russia, And The West

The Turkish Coup Attempt, Russia, And The West

By Abbas Djavadi

August 05, 2016

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travels to St. Petersburg on August 9 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will focus on improving cooperation in two main areas: the effort to find a shared and joint solution to the Syria crisis, and in business and energy, including a full resumption of tourism from Russia to Turkey, trade, and construction projects that were halted during a monthslong spat between the two nations.

More:The Turkish Coup Attempt, Russia, And The West

How President Erdogan hopes to erase Ataturk's Turkey | Coffee House

How President Erdogan hopes to erase Ataturk’s Turkey
Rose Asani

‘One day my mortal body will turn to dust, but the Turkish Republic will stand forever,’ said Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern nation. As such he is rewarded a special place in Turkish history as the ‘father of the Turks’. Indeed this is what Ataturk, the surname he was given by the people, means. And it’s impossible to be in Turkey without seeing his image wherever you go. His face adorns the currency, both paper and coinage, it’s engraved on plaques, printed on flags, statues celebrating the man are too numerous to count, there is even a shop in Istanbul which has one item on its inventory, gold laminated Ataturk masks. The man is an icon to Turks. He is Turkey and Turkey is him. But for how much longer?

More:How President Erdogan hopes to erase Ataturk's Turkey | Coffee House

Turkish Asylum Applications To Germany 'Double' In 2016

Turkish Asylum Applications To Germany 'Double' In 2016
By Josh Lowe On 8/5/16 at 7:49 AM

Almost as many Turkish people applied for asylum in Germany in the first half of 2016 as in the whole of 2015.

Some 1,719 people from Turkey submitted requests in Germany up to the end of June this year, only slightly fewer than the 1,767 who did so in the 12 months of 2015, Tagsspiegel reported Friday.

Of this year’s applicants, almost all—1,510 people—were members of Turkey’s Kurdish minority.

More:Turkish Asylum Applications To Germany 'Double' In 2016

Thursday, August 04, 2016

Fethullah Gulen: Was He Really Behind the Coup in Turkey?

Fethullah Gulen: Was He Really Behind the Coup in Turkey?
By Reuters On 8/4/16 at 9:39 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is evaluating new documents sent by Turkey to push for the extradition of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of the country's recent failed coup, a State Department spokesman said on Thursday.

More:Fethullah Gulen: Was He Really Behind the Coup in Turkey?

Old Turks foresaw danger in Erdogan’s ascent to power

Old Turks foresaw danger in Erdogan’s ascent to power

The rise of Islamic populism was the price of more democracy

More:Old Turks foresaw danger in Erdogan’s ascent to power

President Erdogan's attempts to silence Turkish satirists: not working | Public Radio International

President Erdogan's attempts to silence Turkish satirists: not working

PRI's The World

August 04, 2016 · 5:00 PM EDT
Producer Carol Hills

Ergin Asyali, July 20, 2016

Turkey is still reverberating from the failed coup attempt on July 15. For President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it means a government purge of thousands or people and the detention of thousands more. It also means a crackdown on the press, including Turkey's lively satirical press.

More:President Erdogan's attempts to silence Turkish satirists: not working | Public Radio International

Turkey hires PR firm after coup attempt | TheHill

Turkey hires PR firm after coup attempt

By Megan R. Wilson - 08/04/16 01:59 PM EDT

The government of Turkey has hired the global public relations firm APCO Worldwide to perform “crisis communications” following the failed coup attempt in the country last month.

Turkey has agreed to pay APCO $74,200 for only two weeks' of work that will be performed between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15, according to documents submitted to the Justice Department.

More:Turkey hires PR firm after coup attempt | TheHill

A war to remember: Turkey’s shallow Ottomania | The Economist

Turkey’s shallow Ottomania
Aug 4th 2016, 12:01 by S.J.

THE Ottoman Empire is in vogue in Turkish politics and popular culture. “Magnificent Century”, a 2011 soap opera based on the life of Sultan Süleyman, ran for five seasons and amassed an audience across 47 countries. The country’s foreign policy stance, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan exercising Sultan-esque authority, has grown increasingly aggressive. Yet this nostalgia is short-sighted. The causes of the Ottoman dynasty’s decline—racial tensions and the first world war chief among them—are being ignored; exploring them could provide some much-needed insight into the divisions that plague modern Turkey.

More:A war to remember: Turkey’s shallow Ottomania | The Economist

Tremors from Turkey coup rattle US, EU

Tremors from Turkey coup rattle US, EU

The aftermath of the coup has prompted a drastic sharpening in Turkish rhetoric towards the EU and US.

More:.:Middle East Online:::.

Council of Europe chief backs Turkey ‘clean-up’ after coup – EurActiv.com

Council of Europe chief backs Turkey ‘clean-up’ after coup
Home | Justice & Home Affairs | News

By EurActiv.com with AFP

Aug 3, 2016 (updated: Aug 3, 2016)

The head of a top European rights watchdog Wednesday backed a “cleaning up” of Turkish institutions after a failed coup blamed on supporters of US-based preacher Fethullah Gülen.

More:Council of Europe chief backs Turkey ‘clean-up’ after coup – EurActiv.com

Turkey’s New Anti-Americanism - The New York Times

Turkey’s New Anti-Americanism

Shaken by a failed coup attempt, Turkey’s government and many of its citizens are desperate for someone to blame. Instead of undertaking a thorough investigation of the facts, though, they have accused the United States of complicity in the insurrection. This has ignited a new wave of anti-Americanism that, combined with a sweeping government crackdown against enemies real and imagined, poses a serious risk to NATO, relations with the United States and Turkey’s long-term stability.

More:Turkey’s New Anti-Americanism - The New York Times

Erdogan says must restructure state during emergency rule after failed coup | Reuters

Erdogan says must restructure state during emergency rule after failed coup

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the government is compelled to overhaul state institutions after an abortive military coup attempted to topple him.

More:Erdogan says must restructure state during emergency rule after failed coup | Reuters

Erdogan vs. Gülen: Power Struggle Comes Full Circle in Turkish Soccer

Erdogan vs. Gülen: Power Struggle Comes Full Circle in Turkish Soccer

Politics’ incestuous relationship with soccer came full circle this week with the mass resignation of executives of the Turkish football federation and the firing of scores of officials, including referees, as part of the government’s witch-hunt against followers of controversial Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen and other government critics.

More:Erdogan vs. Gülen: Power Struggle Comes Full Circle in Turkish Soccer

Turkey rounds up scientists in latest post-coup crackdown | Middle East Eye

Turkey rounds up scientists in latest post-coup crackdown
#TurkeyCoup

President says Turkey will not let its guard down as police arrest 'many' people at scientific council in state purge after 15 July coup attempt

More:Turkey rounds up scientists in latest post-coup crackdown | Middle East Eye

Secular Turks between a rock and a hard place - BARÇIN YİNANÇ

Secular Turks between a rock and a hard place

What we are living through these days harbors several chains of ironies.

Certain European circles have counted on Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule to weaken the Turkish army, which they saw as the main headache in Turkish-European relations. So Europe largely remained silent to the “purge” against the army in 2010 undertaken via legal cases that saw hundreds of army officers end up in jail.

More:Secular Turks between a rock and a hard place - BARÇIN YİNANÇ

Washington’s hot potato - SEMİH İDİZ

Washington’s hot potato

The United States appears to have limited options regarding Fethullah Gülen. As the Turkish saying goes, it is caught with a stick that has dirt on both ends (read “dirt” here as a euphemism for what is obvious). In other words it is faced with a situation where it is damned if it does, and damned if it doesn’t.

More:Washington’s hot potato - SEMİH İDİZ

Turks in Germany face identity crisis as rift between nations grows wider - CNN.com

Turks in Germany face identity crisis as rift between nations grows wider

By Fred Pleitgen, CNN

Berlin, Germany (CNN)Despite temperatures far too cold for mid-summer and persistent pouring rain, tens of thousands of Turkish protesters in Cologne were in a frenzy. A sea of red and white flags and signs supporting their president washed over the streets while the crowd burst into song. The chorus has only three words:
"RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN! RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN!"

Chanting with conviction, the pride etched proudly on their faces, Turks in Germany were displaying their loyalty after the failed coup attempt while also booing German authorities' ban on Erdogan speaking to the gathering via videolink.

More:Turks in Germany face identity crisis as rift between nations grows wider - CNN.com

The Roots of Gulenist Power In Turkey | Foreign Affairs

The Roots of Gulenist Power In Turkey
The Coup and After
By John Butler and Dov Friedman

Two weeks after the failed Turkish coup attempt, there are still questions about the full extent of the plot and who, exactly, was involved. Still, it is possible to make some educated guesses.

More:The Roots of Gulenist Power In Turkey | Foreign Affairs

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Turkey’s clash of Islamists: Erdogan vs Gülen | openDemocracy

Turkey’s clash of Islamists: Erdogan vs Gülen
Ayla Gol 3 August 2016

What does the power struggle between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and powerful Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen mean for Turks who want democracy?

More:Turkey’s clash of Islamists: Erdogan vs Gülen | openDemocracy

Turkey inflation surges on food, weaker lira following coup | GulfNews.com

Turkey inflation surges on food, weaker lira following coup

Central bank Governor Murat Cetinkaya warned of a temporary ‘marked’ increase in annual inflation that would reverse later in the year

More:Turkey inflation surges on food, weaker lira following coup | GulfNews.com