Why is Turkey reviving an Ottoman sultan?
In Turkey, there has been an unmistakable revival of the image of Sultan Abdulhamid II. The powerful Ottoman monarch who ruled the empire single-handedly from 1876 to 1909 is praised with a flood of articles in the pro-government press, endless messages on social media and various conferences and panels. The speaker of the Turkish parliament, Ismail Kahraman, a confidant of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, even hosted an “International Symposium on Sultan Abdulhamid II and His Era,” at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, a relic from the latter-day Ottoman Empire. The great sultan, Kahraman said, “is a mariner’s compass to give us direction and enlighten our future.”
More:Why is Turkey reviving an Ottoman sultan?
Friday, September 30, 2016
Chains of command | The Economist
Chains of command
Since the coup, the army is on a short leash
Oct 1st 2016 | ISTANBUL | From the print edition
LIEUTENANT Mehmet Ali Celebi has not sat in a gunship cockpit for years, but will jump back in at a moment’s notice if the Turkish army comes calling. A promising helicopter pilot, Mr Celebi was sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2013, framed by policemen who uploaded numbers belonging to Islamist radicals onto his phone. He was released a year later, along with hundreds of other secularist officers who had been locked away on trumped-up charges by prosecutors close to the Gulen community, a secretive Islamic movement.
More:Chains of command | The Economist
Since the coup, the army is on a short leash
Oct 1st 2016 | ISTANBUL | From the print edition
LIEUTENANT Mehmet Ali Celebi has not sat in a gunship cockpit for years, but will jump back in at a moment’s notice if the Turkish army comes calling. A promising helicopter pilot, Mr Celebi was sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2013, framed by policemen who uploaded numbers belonging to Islamist radicals onto his phone. He was released a year later, along with hundreds of other secularist officers who had been locked away on trumped-up charges by prosecutors close to the Gulen community, a secretive Islamic movement.
More:Chains of command | The Economist
Erdogan suggests Moody s can be bought after Turkey rating cut - Yahoo7
Erdogan suggests Moody's can be 'bought' after Turkey rating cut
AFP on September 29, 2016, 10:56 pm
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday attacked Moody's after it downgraded the country's sovereign debt rating to "junk" status, appearing to suggest the ratings agency could be bought off.
More:Erdogan suggests Moody s can be bought after Turkey rating cut - Yahoo7
AFP on September 29, 2016, 10:56 pm
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday attacked Moody's after it downgraded the country's sovereign debt rating to "junk" status, appearing to suggest the ratings agency could be bought off.
More:Erdogan suggests Moody s can be bought after Turkey rating cut - Yahoo7
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Support Turkey's Democracy | Huffington Post
Support Turkey’s Democracy
09/29/2016 03:20 pm ET
Last year I warned of the currency of regime change in Africa driven by profit and mineral exploitation. I called for the international community to get tough on coup makers and more importantly on the shadowy figures sitting abroad who encourage and fund the plotters.
More:Support Turkey's Democracy | Huffington Post
09/29/2016 03:20 pm ET
Last year I warned of the currency of regime change in Africa driven by profit and mineral exploitation. I called for the international community to get tough on coup makers and more importantly on the shadowy figures sitting abroad who encourage and fund the plotters.
More:Support Turkey's Democracy | Huffington Post
Is Erdogan right to worry about the Gulen movement? | Europe | DW.COM | 29.09.2016
Is Erdogan right to worry about the Gulen movement?
When a coup failed in Turkey in July, the country's president wasted no time in blaming followers of Fethullah Gulen. Ercan Karakoyun, the director of the Gulen movement in Germany, is Conflict Zone's guest this week.
More:Is Erdogan right to worry about the Gulen movement? | Europe | DW.COM | 29.09.2016
When a coup failed in Turkey in July, the country's president wasted no time in blaming followers of Fethullah Gulen. Ercan Karakoyun, the director of the Gulen movement in Germany, is Conflict Zone's guest this week.
More:Is Erdogan right to worry about the Gulen movement? | Europe | DW.COM | 29.09.2016
Turkey to reduce gas prices by 10 pct from Oct 1, energy minister says | Agricultural Commodities | Reuters
Turkey to reduce gas prices by 10 pct from Oct 1, energy minister says
Thu Sep 29, 2016 11:41am GMT
ANKARA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Turkey will reduce the price of natural gas by 10 percent for domestic consumers and industrials from October 1, Energy Minister Berat Albayarak said on Thursday.
More:Turkey to reduce gas prices by 10 pct from Oct 1, energy minister says | Agricultural Commodities | Reuters
Thu Sep 29, 2016 11:41am GMT
ANKARA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Turkey will reduce the price of natural gas by 10 percent for domestic consumers and industrials from October 1, Energy Minister Berat Albayarak said on Thursday.
More:Turkey to reduce gas prices by 10 pct from Oct 1, energy minister says | Agricultural Commodities | Reuters
12 Kurdish and Alevi TV stations closed in Turkey, as crackdown extended | Middle East Eye
12 Kurdish and Alevi TV stations closed in Turkey, as crackdown extended
#TurkeyCoup
Turkish President Erdogan warned that the state of emergency imposed after the 15 July coup attempt is extended
More:12 Kurdish and Alevi TV stations closed in Turkey, as crackdown extended | Middle East Eye
#TurkeyCoup
Turkish President Erdogan warned that the state of emergency imposed after the 15 July coup attempt is extended
More:12 Kurdish and Alevi TV stations closed in Turkey, as crackdown extended | Middle East Eye
32,000 arrested since July in Turkey coup probe ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
32,000 arrested since July in Turkey coup probe
World Sep. 29, 2016 - 06:28AM JST ( 1 )
Turkey said Wednesday that courts have placed 32,000 suspects under arrest on charges of links to a group run by the U.S.-based preacher blamed for the July coup bid, as the country braces for the most extensive trials in its history.
More:32,000 arrested since July in Turkey coup probe ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
World Sep. 29, 2016 - 06:28AM JST ( 1 )
Turkey said Wednesday that courts have placed 32,000 suspects under arrest on charges of links to a group run by the U.S.-based preacher blamed for the July coup bid, as the country braces for the most extensive trials in its history.
More:32,000 arrested since July in Turkey coup probe ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Unsafe Turkey, unsafe Europe | openDemocracy
Unsafe Turkey, unsafe Europe
Sergio Carrera and Aikaterini Drakopolou 29 September 2016
We need to look at the profound political, legal and ethical costs of reducing refugee flows.
More:Unsafe Turkey, unsafe Europe | openDemocracy
Sergio Carrera and Aikaterini Drakopolou 29 September 2016
We need to look at the profound political, legal and ethical costs of reducing refugee flows.
More:Unsafe Turkey, unsafe Europe | openDemocracy
EUROPP – Estimating the economic cost of Turkey’s PKK conflict
Estimating the economic cost of Turkey’s PKK conflict
Turkey’s conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has had a deeply negative effect on the regions most affected by the violence. But what has the overall economic cost been to Turkey as a whole? Fırat Bilgel and Burhan Can Karahasan present the key factors that have underpinned the issue and calculate that Turkish GDP could have been 14 per cent higher in the absence of the conflict. This is particularly important when the role of underdevelopment and poverty is considered in the perpetuation of violence.
More:EUROPP – Estimating the economic cost of Turkey’s PKK conflict
Turkey’s conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has had a deeply negative effect on the regions most affected by the violence. But what has the overall economic cost been to Turkey as a whole? Fırat Bilgel and Burhan Can Karahasan present the key factors that have underpinned the issue and calculate that Turkish GDP could have been 14 per cent higher in the absence of the conflict. This is particularly important when the role of underdevelopment and poverty is considered in the perpetuation of violence.
More:EUROPP – Estimating the economic cost of Turkey’s PKK conflict
Erdogan says extending state of emergency would be good for Turkey | Reuters
Erdogan says extending state of emergency would be good for Turkey
Extending a state of emergency for another three months would be beneficial for Turkey as it requires more time to eradicate the threat from terrorist groups after a failed coup attempt in July, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
More:Erdogan says extending state of emergency would be good for Turkey | Reuters
Extending a state of emergency for another three months would be beneficial for Turkey as it requires more time to eradicate the threat from terrorist groups after a failed coup attempt in July, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
More:Erdogan says extending state of emergency would be good for Turkey | Reuters
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Netherlands calls on EU to suspend aid to Turkey - Daily Sabah
Netherlands calls on EU to suspend aid to Turkey
The Dutch Parliament requested the suspension of EU aid to Turkey in a parliamentary session on Tuesday, claiming the country has steered away from the "principles of the state of law" after the failed July 15 coup attempt.
More:Netherlands calls on EU to suspend aid to Turkey - Daily Sabah
The Dutch Parliament requested the suspension of EU aid to Turkey in a parliamentary session on Tuesday, claiming the country has steered away from the "principles of the state of law" after the failed July 15 coup attempt.
More:Netherlands calls on EU to suspend aid to Turkey - Daily Sabah
Turkey may need to build new courts as arrests reach 32,000 since failed coup
Turkey may need to build new courts as arrests reach 32,000 since failed coup
Turkey may have to build new courthouses to cope with the thousands of prosecutions over July’s failed coup, the country’s Justice minister has said.
More:Turkey may need to build new courts as arrests reach 32,000 since failed coup
Turkey may have to build new courthouses to cope with the thousands of prosecutions over July’s failed coup, the country’s Justice minister has said.
More:Turkey may need to build new courts as arrests reach 32,000 since failed coup
Your View: Erdogan seems destined to ignore history - Opinion - southcoasttoday.com - New Bedford, MA
Your View: Erdogan seems destined to ignore history
By George Kontanis
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the failed coup attempt by secular forces in the Turkish military and society to attack the Democratic rights of the Turkish people. He has detained and arrested tens of thousands of those in the armed forces, deans and teachers in the universities, civil servants, and others.
More:Your View: Erdogan seems destined to ignore history - Opinion - southcoasttoday.com - New Bedford, MA
By George Kontanis
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the failed coup attempt by secular forces in the Turkish military and society to attack the Democratic rights of the Turkish people. He has detained and arrested tens of thousands of those in the armed forces, deans and teachers in the universities, civil servants, and others.
More:Your View: Erdogan seems destined to ignore history - Opinion - southcoasttoday.com - New Bedford, MA
US-Turkish Tensions Re-emerge
US-Turkish Tensions Re-emerge
Last Updated: September 28, 2016 1:25 PM
Dorian Jones
Turkish media reported diplomatic tensions dogged the now-concluded two-day visit to Ankara of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Brett McGurk, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Islamic State.
More:US-Turkish Tensions Re-emerge
Last Updated: September 28, 2016 1:25 PM
Dorian Jones
Turkish media reported diplomatic tensions dogged the now-concluded two-day visit to Ankara of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Brett McGurk, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Islamic State.
More:US-Turkish Tensions Re-emerge
Ergenekon, Balyoz plot cases merged with July 15 coup attempt probe dossier - CRIME
Ergenekon, Balyoz plot cases merged with July 15 coup attempt probe dossier
ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency
Istanbul prosecutors have decided to include the Ergenekon, Balyoz and Military Espionage investigations and prosecutions, which saw the arrest and trial of hundreds of mostly military personnel, in the main July 15 coup attempt investigation dossier upon the suspicion that all these former cases constituted the deadly takeover bid’s preparation actions.
More:Ergenekon, Balyoz plot cases merged with July 15 coup attempt probe dossier - CRIME
ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency
Istanbul prosecutors have decided to include the Ergenekon, Balyoz and Military Espionage investigations and prosecutions, which saw the arrest and trial of hundreds of mostly military personnel, in the main July 15 coup attempt investigation dossier upon the suspicion that all these former cases constituted the deadly takeover bid’s preparation actions.
More:Ergenekon, Balyoz plot cases merged with July 15 coup attempt probe dossier - CRIME
Absurdstan: A Turkish theory of heaven - BURAK BEKDİL
Absurdstan: A Turkish theory of heaven
The country, east and west, has been in flames: Bombs, asymmetrical warfare and death. It is an extremely painful job to keep count of the dead since July 2015 when Turkey moved from “less violent” to “very violent.” The final count shows “too many.”
More:Absurdstan: A Turkish theory of heaven - BURAK BEKDİL
The country, east and west, has been in flames: Bombs, asymmetrical warfare and death. It is an extremely painful job to keep count of the dead since July 2015 when Turkey moved from “less violent” to “very violent.” The final count shows “too many.”
More:Absurdstan: A Turkish theory of heaven - BURAK BEKDİL
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
How a kick rattled Turkey
How a kick rattled Turkey
A young Turkish woman, Aysegul Terzi, was attacked by a man on an Istanbul public bus earlier this month for wearing shorts. According to security camera footage and witness accounts, the man, identified as Abdullah Cakiroglu, shouted, “Why are you going about in shorts!” He then told the 23-year-old nurse, “You are the Satan,” and kicked her violently in the face. Terzi says the other passengers remained silent and the driver dumped her at the first stop. She went first to the hospital, and then filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office. The alleged assailant was caught and booked for “actual bodily harm” before walking free. He was soon re-arrested, but only after widespread outcry over his release.
More:How a kick rattled Turkey
A young Turkish woman, Aysegul Terzi, was attacked by a man on an Istanbul public bus earlier this month for wearing shorts. According to security camera footage and witness accounts, the man, identified as Abdullah Cakiroglu, shouted, “Why are you going about in shorts!” He then told the 23-year-old nurse, “You are the Satan,” and kicked her violently in the face. Terzi says the other passengers remained silent and the driver dumped her at the first stop. She went first to the hospital, and then filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office. The alleged assailant was caught and booked for “actual bodily harm” before walking free. He was soon re-arrested, but only after widespread outcry over his release.
More:How a kick rattled Turkey
Turkey: Erdogan′s purges | All media content | DW.COM | 27.09.2016
Turkey: Erdogan's purges
Hakan Koçak is a respected professor of sociology -- and now out of a job. Since the military coup in mid-July 2016, more than 2,000 scientists, journalists and artists have been sacked, suspended or arrested.
More:Turkey: Erdogan′s purges | All media content | DW.COM | 27.09.2016
Hakan Koçak is a respected professor of sociology -- and now out of a job. Since the military coup in mid-July 2016, more than 2,000 scientists, journalists and artists have been sacked, suspended or arrested.
More:Turkey: Erdogan′s purges | All media content | DW.COM | 27.09.2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Erdoğan Is Destroying Turkey’s Hopes for Democracy | The Fiscal Times
Erdoğan Is Destroying Turkey’s Hopes for Democracy
HANDOUT
By Hilton L. Root
September 25, 2016
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s extra-legal roundup of scores of presumed supporters of the failed July 15 coup against his government is quickly taking its place in modern history alongside Stalin’s purges and China’s Cultural Revolution.
More:Erdoğan Is Destroying Turkey’s Hopes for Democracy | The Fiscal Times
HANDOUT
By Hilton L. Root
September 25, 2016
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s extra-legal roundup of scores of presumed supporters of the failed July 15 coup against his government is quickly taking its place in modern history alongside Stalin’s purges and China’s Cultural Revolution.
More:Erdoğan Is Destroying Turkey’s Hopes for Democracy | The Fiscal Times
Erdogan’s purge and the rule of law | Politheor
Erdogan’s purge and the rule of law
At the heart of the latest attempted military coup is the role the Turkish people played in quashing the coup.
More:Erdogan’s purge and the rule of law | Politheor
At the heart of the latest attempted military coup is the role the Turkish people played in quashing the coup.
More:Erdogan’s purge and the rule of law | Politheor
Turkish markets, lira seeking recovery after Moody’s rating cut - FINANCE
Turkish markets, lira seeking recovery after Moody’s rating cut
ANKARA/ISTANBUL
Turkey’s markets and currency were seeking recovery after shares tumbled 4 percent and bonds and the Turkish Lira weakened sharply on Sept. 26, the first trading day after Moody’s cut its credit rating to “junk,” raising risks of an outflow of foreign funds and a squeeze on external borrowing.
More:Turkish markets, lira seeking recovery after Moody’s rating cut - FINANCE
ANKARA/ISTANBUL
Turkey’s markets and currency were seeking recovery after shares tumbled 4 percent and bonds and the Turkish Lira weakened sharply on Sept. 26, the first trading day after Moody’s cut its credit rating to “junk,” raising risks of an outflow of foreign funds and a squeeze on external borrowing.
More:Turkish markets, lira seeking recovery after Moody’s rating cut - FINANCE
Deutsche Welle files suit against Turkish ministry | Europe | DW.COM | 26.09.2016
Deutsche Welle files suit against Turkish ministry
DW has filed a lawsuit in a civil court in Ankara for the return of video footage of an interview with the Turkish Minister for Youth and Sports. The material was confiscated and all appeals for its return have failed.
More:Deutsche Welle files suit against Turkish ministry | Europe | DW.COM | 26.09.2016
DW has filed a lawsuit in a civil court in Ankara for the return of video footage of an interview with the Turkish Minister for Youth and Sports. The material was confiscated and all appeals for its return have failed.
More:Deutsche Welle files suit against Turkish ministry | Europe | DW.COM | 26.09.2016
Turkey and the Kurds: Violence Is Not the Answer - The Globalist
Turkey and the Kurds: Violence Is Not the Answer
Erdogan never understood the Kurds’ mindset. He needs to revisit history to see the hardships they have experienced.
More:Turkey and the Kurds: Violence Is Not the Answer - The Globalist
Erdogan never understood the Kurds’ mindset. He needs to revisit history to see the hardships they have experienced.
More:Turkey and the Kurds: Violence Is Not the Answer - The Globalist
Britain's Boris Johnson visits Turkey after failed coup
Istanbul (AFP) - British foreign minister Boris Johnson began a key visit to Turkey on Monday, months after he led the successful "Brexit" campaign that played on anti-Turkish sentiments.
More:
Britain's Boris Johnson visits Turkey after failed coup
Turkey’s lopsided economy remains attractive to investors
On Sunday July 17, two days after the Turkish coup attempt had failed, Murat Asik walked through an Ankara shopping mall hunting for a deal on a cell phone. By noon he had traded in an old iPhone for the newest Samsung, knocking at least 10 per cent off the price just by pointing out to the salesman that he was the only paying customer in sight.
More: Turkey’s lopsided economy remains attractive to investors
Turkey has stopped me from going home, says Erdogan critic
A former Green MEP who has been critical of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been denied entry into Turkey.
More: Turkey has stopped me from going home, says Erdogan critic
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Turks protest assault of young nurse who wore shorts on bus
Turks donned shorts and gathered in central Istanbul on Sunday to condemn the assault of a young nurse who was attacked on a bus for wearing shorts.
More: Turks protest assault of young nurse who wore shorts on bus
Moody's cuts Turkey debt rating to junk
Moody's has downgraded Turkey's sovereign bond rating to junk. The ratings agency said the country's finances had weakened amid increased political turmoil after the July coup attempt that stopped necessary reforms.
Turkey arrests former Washington military attaché on coup charges
A Turkish court on Sunday arrested a former Turkish military attaché to Washington on charges of alleged ties to coup plotters.
More: Turkey arrests former Washington military attaché on coup charges
Christians, Jews in Turkey Growing More Fearful of Islamic Extremism
Threatened by Islamic extremism, Christian and Jewish groups in Turkey are growing more fearful amid increasing terror attacks and the government’s state of emergency following a failed coup attempt, representatives of the minority communities told VOA.
More:
Christians, Jews in Turkey Growing More Fearful of Islamic Extremism
Not easy to cover tourism losses: Business group
With many Russians holidaying elsewhere due to the now-resolved row between Moscow and Ankara, Turkey stands to lose between $8 billion and $10 billion in tourism revenue by the end of the year, according to Çetin Gürcün, the secretary-general of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB).
More: Not easy to cover tourism losses: Business group
Turkish Journalists Detained Over ‘Subliminal Coup Messages’: Media
A prominent Turkish journalist was detained for trial on Friday, accused of participating in a coup by sending out subliminal messages to rogur
troops who tried to seize power, media said.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Turkey’s Erdogan Says Central Bank Must Be Cleansed of Gulenists - Bloomberg
Turkey’s Erdogan Says Central Bank Must Be Cleansed of Gulenists
John Micklethwait
Benjamin Harvey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that any followers of the Gulen religious movement must be removed from the central bank, one of the only major Turkish institutions that hasn’t publicized widespread purges since a failed coup in July.
More:Turkey’s Erdogan Says Central Bank Must Be Cleansed of Gulenists - Bloomberg
John Micklethwait
Benjamin Harvey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that any followers of the Gulen religious movement must be removed from the central bank, one of the only major Turkish institutions that hasn’t publicized widespread purges since a failed coup in July.
More:Turkey’s Erdogan Says Central Bank Must Be Cleansed of Gulenists - Bloomberg
Thursday, September 22, 2016
An Opening for Erdogan to Shift Turkey’s Course? - Washington Wire - WSJ
An Opening for Erdogan to Shift Turkey’s Course?
By Aykan Erdemir
Sep 22, 2016 11:39 am ET
Aykan Erdemir was a member of the Turkish parliament in the Republican People’s Party (CHP) from 2011 to 2015. He is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is on Twitter: @Aykan_Erdemir.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his address at the United Nations General Assembly this week as an opportunity to repeat his earlier calls to restructure the U.N. Security Council and to blast Western nations for failing to respond to the crisis in Syria. His strident tone was intended less for an international audience than public sentiment at home. He speaks later this week at the Harvard Club in New York, where he could deliver a constructive message to Turkey’s allies in the world if he comes across as a confident democrat rather than a resentful authoritarian.
More:An Opening for Erdogan to Shift Turkey’s Course? - Washington Wire - WSJ
By Aykan Erdemir
Sep 22, 2016 11:39 am ET
Aykan Erdemir was a member of the Turkish parliament in the Republican People’s Party (CHP) from 2011 to 2015. He is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is on Twitter: @Aykan_Erdemir.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his address at the United Nations General Assembly this week as an opportunity to repeat his earlier calls to restructure the U.N. Security Council and to blast Western nations for failing to respond to the crisis in Syria. His strident tone was intended less for an international audience than public sentiment at home. He speaks later this week at the Harvard Club in New York, where he could deliver a constructive message to Turkey’s allies in the world if he comes across as a confident democrat rather than a resentful authoritarian.
More:An Opening for Erdogan to Shift Turkey’s Course? - Washington Wire - WSJ
Turkey And The PKK: Mutual Violence Is Not The Answer | Huffington Post
Turkey And The PKK: Mutual Violence Is Not The Answer
09/22/2016 03:52 pm ET
Alon Ben-Meir Senior Fellow, Center for Global Affairs, NYU
Turkey’s President Erdogan has claimed that military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will continue until “the very last rebel is killed.” What is puzzling about this statement is that after more than 30 years of violence that has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Turks and Kurds, Erdogan still believes he can solve the conflict through brutal force. However, he is fundamentally mistaken, as the Kurds’ long historical struggle is embedded in their psyche and provides the momentum for their quest for semi-autonomy that will endure until a mutually accepted solution is found through peaceful negotiations.
More:Turkey And The PKK: Mutual Violence Is Not The Answer | Huffington Post
09/22/2016 03:52 pm ET
Alon Ben-Meir Senior Fellow, Center for Global Affairs, NYU
Turkey’s President Erdogan has claimed that military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will continue until “the very last rebel is killed.” What is puzzling about this statement is that after more than 30 years of violence that has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Turks and Kurds, Erdogan still believes he can solve the conflict through brutal force. However, he is fundamentally mistaken, as the Kurds’ long historical struggle is embedded in their psyche and provides the momentum for their quest for semi-autonomy that will endure until a mutually accepted solution is found through peaceful negotiations.
More:Turkey And The PKK: Mutual Violence Is Not The Answer | Huffington Post
Football fans in Istanbul to go to first away game after 5-year break - Daily Sabah
Football fans in Istanbul to go to first away game after 5-year break
DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL
Istanbul football fans will now be able to attend away games in derby matches, after a five year break, following the Istanbul Sport Security Committee's latest decision.
More:Football fans in Istanbul to go to first away game after 5-year break - Daily Sabah
DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL
Istanbul football fans will now be able to attend away games in derby matches, after a five year break, following the Istanbul Sport Security Committee's latest decision.
More:Football fans in Istanbul to go to first away game after 5-year break - Daily Sabah
Turkish central bank cuts a key rate to boost ailing economy | The Seattle Times
Turkish central bank cuts a key rate to boost ailing economy
By PAN PYLAS
and SUZAN FRASER
The Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank cut a key interest rate for the seventh month in a row on Thursday as it tries to shore up an economy that has been shaken this year by a series of bombings and an attempted coup.
More:Turkish central bank cuts a key rate to boost ailing economy | The Seattle Times
By PAN PYLAS
and SUZAN FRASER
The Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank cut a key interest rate for the seventh month in a row on Thursday as it tries to shore up an economy that has been shaken this year by a series of bombings and an attempted coup.
More:Turkish central bank cuts a key rate to boost ailing economy | The Seattle Times
The trouble with Turkey
The trouble with Turkey
The Turks are obsessed with politics, but the media is dominated by the state, and everything happens too fast
More:The trouble with Turkey
The Turks are obsessed with politics, but the media is dominated by the state, and everything happens too fast
More:The trouble with Turkey
Fear Grows in Turkey as Crackdown on Gulen Followers Continues
Fear Grows in Turkey as Crackdown on Gulen Followers Continues
Dorian Jones
ISTANBUL —
The Turkish authorities are continuing their crackdown on followers of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is being blamed for a failed military coup attempt. With tens of thousands of people arrested, opposition parties are starting to voice concern that the crackdown is turning into a witch hunt.
More:Fear Grows in Turkey as Crackdown on Gulen Followers Continues
Dorian Jones
ISTANBUL —
The Turkish authorities are continuing their crackdown on followers of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is being blamed for a failed military coup attempt. With tens of thousands of people arrested, opposition parties are starting to voice concern that the crackdown is turning into a witch hunt.
More:Fear Grows in Turkey as Crackdown on Gulen Followers Continues
Trump, Erdogan And Post-Truth Politics | Huffington Post
Trump, Erdogan And Post-Truth Politics
09/21/2016 09:18 pm ET
Mahir Zeynalov Turkish journalist and analyst
Back when I was enlisted as a persona non grata, Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle, said things about me for days that were outright false. The Turkish media parroted these groundless claims. Some claimed that I worked for Israel, others said I was Caucasus station chief of the KGB (they think it exists today).
More:Trump, Erdogan And Post-Truth Politics | Huffington Post
09/21/2016 09:18 pm ET
Mahir Zeynalov Turkish journalist and analyst
Back when I was enlisted as a persona non grata, Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle, said things about me for days that were outright false. The Turkish media parroted these groundless claims. Some claimed that I worked for Israel, others said I was Caucasus station chief of the KGB (they think it exists today).
More:Trump, Erdogan And Post-Truth Politics | Huffington Post
Will Upcoming Fight in Syria Usher in Armageddon?
Will Upcoming Fight in Syria Usher in Armageddon?
September 21, 2016 8:52 PM
There's a small town in Syria where ancient Islamic prophecies say a fierce battle will bring about the end of days, and Turkish troops, U.S. military advisers and vetted Syrian opposition fighters appear to be heading straight for it.
More:Will Upcoming Fight in Syria Usher in Armageddon?
September 21, 2016 8:52 PM
There's a small town in Syria where ancient Islamic prophecies say a fierce battle will bring about the end of days, and Turkish troops, U.S. military advisers and vetted Syrian opposition fighters appear to be heading straight for it.
More:Will Upcoming Fight in Syria Usher in Armageddon?
New film tells story of Muslim aid to Ireland during Great Famine - Independent Catholic News
New film tells story of Muslim aid to Ireland during Great Famine
Jo Siedlecka
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 10:11 pm.
The little-known story of the Turkish Sultan who was one of the few people to come to the aid of Ireland during the Great Famine, is the focus of a new film due out soon, starring Irish actor Colin Farrell.
Between 1845 and 1852, Ireland endured the terrible loss of a million dead and the mass exodus of more than one million people never to return. When the Turkish Ottoman, Sultan Khaleefah Abdul-Majid I, heard about the unfolding disaster, he declared his intention to send £10,000 to help Irish farmers. However, Queen Victoria intervened and requested that the Sultan send only £1,000, because she had only given £2,000 herself.
More:New film tells story of Muslim aid to Ireland during Great Famine - Independent Catholic News
Jo Siedlecka
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 10:11 pm.
The little-known story of the Turkish Sultan who was one of the few people to come to the aid of Ireland during the Great Famine, is the focus of a new film due out soon, starring Irish actor Colin Farrell.
Between 1845 and 1852, Ireland endured the terrible loss of a million dead and the mass exodus of more than one million people never to return. When the Turkish Ottoman, Sultan Khaleefah Abdul-Majid I, heard about the unfolding disaster, he declared his intention to send £10,000 to help Irish farmers. However, Queen Victoria intervened and requested that the Sultan send only £1,000, because she had only given £2,000 herself.
More:New film tells story of Muslim aid to Ireland during Great Famine - Independent Catholic News
Q&A with Turkey’s E.U. affairs minister - The Washington Post
Q&A with Turkey’s E.U. affairs minister
By Michael Birnbaum September 21 at 7:42 PM
ISTANBUL — Turkish E.U. Affairs Minister Omer Celik recently sat down for an interview with The Washington Post. What follows is an excerpt from the discussion.
More:Q&A with Turkey’s E.U. affairs minister - The Washington Post
By Michael Birnbaum September 21 at 7:42 PM
ISTANBUL — Turkish E.U. Affairs Minister Omer Celik recently sat down for an interview with The Washington Post. What follows is an excerpt from the discussion.
More:Q&A with Turkey’s E.U. affairs minister - The Washington Post
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Wanted: Men to boycott male-only panels on Turkish TV
Wanted: Men to boycott male-only panels on Turkish TV
Since the July 15 attempted coup, the Turkish political sphere has been experiencing a gradual but perceptible masculinization. Increased security threats, expanded military operations into Syria and southeastern Turkey, emergency law, and continuing arrests and purges are facts of daily life now. This testosterone trend can also be seen on daily TV programs.
More:Wanted: Men to boycott male-only panels on Turkish TV
Since the July 15 attempted coup, the Turkish political sphere has been experiencing a gradual but perceptible masculinization. Increased security threats, expanded military operations into Syria and southeastern Turkey, emergency law, and continuing arrests and purges are facts of daily life now. This testosterone trend can also be seen on daily TV programs.
More:Wanted: Men to boycott male-only panels on Turkish TV
Turkish government takes ‘risky’ steps to keep economy on track
Turkish government takes ‘risky’ steps to keep economy on track
#TurkishPolitics
Consumer confidence remains positive post-coup despite high unemployment figures
More:Turkish government takes ‘risky’ steps to keep economy on track
#TurkishPolitics
Consumer confidence remains positive post-coup despite high unemployment figures
More:Turkish government takes ‘risky’ steps to keep economy on track
Greece Rejects Asylum Requests by Three Turkish Officers - WSJ
Greece Rejects Asylum Requests by Three Turkish Officers
Trio were part of group of eight soldiers who fled after failed coup attempt in Turkey
ATHENS—Three of the eight Turkish army officers who fled to Greece after July’s failed coup attempt in Turkey have had their asylum requests rejected, a Greek government official said Wednesday.
More:Greece Rejects Asylum Requests by Three Turkish Officers - WSJ
Trio were part of group of eight soldiers who fled after failed coup attempt in Turkey
ATHENS—Three of the eight Turkish army officers who fled to Greece after July’s failed coup attempt in Turkey have had their asylum requests rejected, a Greek government official said Wednesday.
More:Greece Rejects Asylum Requests by Three Turkish Officers - WSJ
A Man Attacked Israel's Embassy in Turkey With a Knife - The Atlantic
The Knife Attack Outside Israel's Embassy in Turkey
A man shouted at security officers, charged the gate with a knife, and was shot in the leg.
More:A Man Attacked Israel's Embassy in Turkey With a Knife - The Atlantic
A man shouted at security officers, charged the gate with a knife, and was shot in the leg.
More:A Man Attacked Israel's Embassy in Turkey With a Knife - The Atlantic
American views on Turkey changing - FİKRET BİLA
American views on Turkey changing
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has gone to the U.S. for the first time since the July 15 failed coup attempt. The New York trip has special importance because the person Erdoğan declares is behind the coup attempt, Fethullah Gülen, is living and being protected in the U.S.
More:American views on Turkey changing - FİKRET BİLA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has gone to the U.S. for the first time since the July 15 failed coup attempt. The New York trip has special importance because the person Erdoğan declares is behind the coup attempt, Fethullah Gülen, is living and being protected in the U.S.
More:American views on Turkey changing - FİKRET BİLA
Turkey's Room to Maneuver Against the United States | The Cipher Brief
Turkey's Room to Maneuver Against the United States
September 16, 2016 | Ambassador James F. Jeffrey
Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have been on the rise, beginning with different priorities over Syria and ISIS, and then ham-handed American reactions to, and Turkish accusations of, U.S. involvement in the failed July 15 Turkish coup. Unsurprisingly, this has raised the question, can the U.S. rely on Turkey?
More:Turkey's Room to Maneuver Against the United States | The Cipher Brief
September 16, 2016 | Ambassador James F. Jeffrey
Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have been on the rise, beginning with different priorities over Syria and ISIS, and then ham-handed American reactions to, and Turkish accusations of, U.S. involvement in the failed July 15 Turkish coup. Unsurprisingly, this has raised the question, can the U.S. rely on Turkey?
More:Turkey's Room to Maneuver Against the United States | The Cipher Brief
Power Play in Post-Coup Turkey | The Diplomat
Power Play in Post-Coup Turkey
Insights from Daniela Huber.
MK headshot
By Mercy A. Kuo
September 21, 2016
The Rebalance author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into the U.S. rebalance to Asia. This conversation with Dr. Daniela Huber – Senior Fellow at the Istituto Affari Internazionale (IAI) in the Mediterranean and Middle East program and Gerda Henkel Research Fellow at LUISS University, author of Democracy Promotion and Foreign Policy: Identity and Interests in US, EU, and Non-Western Democracies (Palgrave 2015) and co-editor of Arab Spring and Peripheries (Routledge 2016) – is the 60th in “The Rebalance Insight Series”.
More:Power Play in Post-Coup Turkey | The Diplomat
Insights from Daniela Huber.
MK headshot
By Mercy A. Kuo
September 21, 2016
The Rebalance author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into the U.S. rebalance to Asia. This conversation with Dr. Daniela Huber – Senior Fellow at the Istituto Affari Internazionale (IAI) in the Mediterranean and Middle East program and Gerda Henkel Research Fellow at LUISS University, author of Democracy Promotion and Foreign Policy: Identity and Interests in US, EU, and Non-Western Democracies (Palgrave 2015) and co-editor of Arab Spring and Peripheries (Routledge 2016) – is the 60th in “The Rebalance Insight Series”.
More:Power Play in Post-Coup Turkey | The Diplomat
Turkish President Erdogan calls for global action against Fethullah Gulen and Syria in UN speech
Erdogan calls for global action against Fethullah Gulen and Syria in UN speech
Turkish president uses UN General Assembly platform to defend his actions in Syria.
VASUDEVAN-SRIDHARAN
By Vasudevan Sridharan
September 21, 2016 05:27 BST
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used the UN General Assembly platform to call for global action against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish leader said Gulen's "terror network" should be dismantled by the global powers.
More:Turkish President Erdogan calls for global action against Fethullah Gulen and Syria in UN speech
Turkish president uses UN General Assembly platform to defend his actions in Syria.
VASUDEVAN-SRIDHARAN
By Vasudevan Sridharan
September 21, 2016 05:27 BST
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used the UN General Assembly platform to call for global action against US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish leader said Gulen's "terror network" should be dismantled by the global powers.
More:Turkish President Erdogan calls for global action against Fethullah Gulen and Syria in UN speech
Turkey's Academic Future: A Degree of Uncertainty - Newsweek Middle East
Turkey’s Academic Future: A Degree of Uncertainty
UPDATED: Informal voluntary sessions are sometimes held at cafes to help students learn more about the future of their education amid the uncertainty created by the closure of their respective universities and schools.rtainty
BY Lorena Rios
On July 23, Mira, a 21-year-old international student at Gediz University, was on her way to the pristine beaches of Cesme on Turkey’s Aegean coast. Instead of enjoying her stroll with friends, Mira found her university campus and dormitory had been cordoned off for its alleged link to banned U.S.- based Muslim preacher and political figure, Fettulah Gulen.
More:Turkey's Academic Future: A Degree of Uncertainty - Newsweek Middle East
UPDATED: Informal voluntary sessions are sometimes held at cafes to help students learn more about the future of their education amid the uncertainty created by the closure of their respective universities and schools.rtainty
BY Lorena Rios
On July 23, Mira, a 21-year-old international student at Gediz University, was on her way to the pristine beaches of Cesme on Turkey’s Aegean coast. Instead of enjoying her stroll with friends, Mira found her university campus and dormitory had been cordoned off for its alleged link to banned U.S.- based Muslim preacher and political figure, Fettulah Gulen.
More:Turkey's Academic Future: A Degree of Uncertainty - Newsweek Middle East
The aftermath of Turkey’s failed coup threatens its ties with Western allies - The Washington Post
The aftermath of Turkey’s failed coup threatens its ties with Western allies
ISTANBUL — More than two months after a rump military group and its backers tried to overthrow the elected government of Turkey — bombing the parliament, sending tanks into the streets, and only narrowly failing in an attempt to kidnap the president — the Turkish government last week sent Washington its first evidence that an elderly cleric living in rural Pennsylvania was the mastermind of the coup attempt.
More:The aftermath of Turkey’s failed coup threatens its ties with Western allies - The Washington Post
ISTANBUL — More than two months after a rump military group and its backers tried to overthrow the elected government of Turkey — bombing the parliament, sending tanks into the streets, and only narrowly failing in an attempt to kidnap the president — the Turkish government last week sent Washington its first evidence that an elderly cleric living in rural Pennsylvania was the mastermind of the coup attempt.
More:The aftermath of Turkey’s failed coup threatens its ties with Western allies - The Washington Post
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Turkey’s Opposition Fails a Critical Test: To Challenge Erdogan - Opinion - Haaretz - Israel News Haaretz.com
Opinion Turkey’s Opposition Fails a Critical Test: To Challenge Erdogan
Rather than speak up for those targeted by the ongoing arbitrary and excessive post-coup purges of the media, business, academia and local government, Turkey’s main opposition party allowed itself to be co-opted by Erdogan.
More:Turkey’s Opposition Fails a Critical Test: To Challenge Erdogan - Opinion - Haaretz - Israel News Haaretz.com
Rather than speak up for those targeted by the ongoing arbitrary and excessive post-coup purges of the media, business, academia and local government, Turkey’s main opposition party allowed itself to be co-opted by Erdogan.
More:Turkey’s Opposition Fails a Critical Test: To Challenge Erdogan - Opinion - Haaretz - Israel News Haaretz.com
In Turkey, Where the More Things Change . . . | Just Security
In Turkey, Where the More Things Change . . .
By Fionnuala Ní Aoláin
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 9:13 AM
The past couple of months have been tumultuous in Turkey. In short order, an ill-conceived military coup was followed by popular mass protest, the quick return of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power, and a wave of repression ranging from military and judicial purges, to state restrictions on a panoply of basic human rights protections, to allegations of “widespread human rights abuses” by state actors. One of the most disturbing elements of Ankara’s reaction to the failed coup is its decision to use the ensuing state of emergency as an excuse to forgo commitments to human rights that it made under several major international treaties, a move that cannot be ignored by the international community.
More:In Turkey, Where the More Things Change . . . | Just Security
By Fionnuala Ní Aoláin
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 9:13 AM
The past couple of months have been tumultuous in Turkey. In short order, an ill-conceived military coup was followed by popular mass protest, the quick return of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power, and a wave of repression ranging from military and judicial purges, to state restrictions on a panoply of basic human rights protections, to allegations of “widespread human rights abuses” by state actors. One of the most disturbing elements of Ankara’s reaction to the failed coup is its decision to use the ensuing state of emergency as an excuse to forgo commitments to human rights that it made under several major international treaties, a move that cannot be ignored by the international community.
More:In Turkey, Where the More Things Change . . . | Just Security
Turkey Braces for Possible Spike in Ethnic Tensions
Turkey Braces for Possible Spike in Ethnic Tensions
Dorian Jones
Fears are growing in Turkey about rising ethnic tensions between Turks and Kurds. The country is in the midst of a wave of Turkish nationalism in the aftermath of July’s failed coup, at the same time Kurdish rebels of the PKK stepped up their military campaign for autonomy.
More:Turkey Braces for Possible Spike in Ethnic Tensions
Dorian Jones
Fears are growing in Turkey about rising ethnic tensions between Turks and Kurds. The country is in the midst of a wave of Turkish nationalism in the aftermath of July’s failed coup, at the same time Kurdish rebels of the PKK stepped up their military campaign for autonomy.
More:Turkey Braces for Possible Spike in Ethnic Tensions
Turkey’s Euphrates Shield has turned into the Sword of Osman – Asia Times
Turkey’s Euphrates Shield has turned into the Sword of Osman
By M.K. Bhadrakumar on September 20, 2016 in AT Top Writers, M.K. Bhadrakumar, Middle East
Although Euphrates Shield had exceeded its original mission and further extension of the operation involves political and military risks, Turkey is still eyeing control of al-Bab to create for itself a ‘safe zone’ inside Syria and to reinforce the rebel forces controlling the eastern part of Aleppo city.
More:Turkey’s Euphrates Shield has turned into the Sword of Osman – Asia Times
By M.K. Bhadrakumar on September 20, 2016 in AT Top Writers, M.K. Bhadrakumar, Middle East
Although Euphrates Shield had exceeded its original mission and further extension of the operation involves political and military risks, Turkey is still eyeing control of al-Bab to create for itself a ‘safe zone’ inside Syria and to reinforce the rebel forces controlling the eastern part of Aleppo city.
More:Turkey’s Euphrates Shield has turned into the Sword of Osman – Asia Times
Triumph as Turkish Paralympians bag 9 medals | TRT World
Triumph as Turkish Paralympians bag 9 medals
Turkey's Paralympian team delivered their best performance yet by winning three gold, one silver and five bronze medals at the Rio Paralympic Games.
More:Triumph as Turkish Paralympians bag 9 medals | TRT World
Turkey's Paralympian team delivered their best performance yet by winning three gold, one silver and five bronze medals at the Rio Paralympic Games.
More:Triumph as Turkish Paralympians bag 9 medals | TRT World
Turkish opposition says tens of thousands suffer injustice in purge | Reuters
Turkish opposition says tens of thousands suffer injustice in purge
By Tuvan Gumrukcu | ANKARA
The head of Turkey's main opposition said tens of thousands of people had suffered injustices in government purges since a failed military coup, and announced he was setting up a special team to help them.
More:Turkish opposition says tens of thousands suffer injustice in purge | Reuters
By Tuvan Gumrukcu | ANKARA
The head of Turkey's main opposition said tens of thousands of people had suffered injustices in government purges since a failed military coup, and announced he was setting up a special team to help them.
More:Turkish opposition says tens of thousands suffer injustice in purge | Reuters
How we can help persecuted intellectuals in Turkey | Books | DW.COM | 20.09.2016
How we can help persecuted intellectuals in Turkey
Award-winning journalist Günter Wallraff calls attention to plight of writers and journalists in Turkey. He tells DW what can be done to help persecuted intellectuals and which mistakes the West has made with Turkey.
More:How we can help persecuted intellectuals in Turkey | Books | DW.COM | 20.09.2016
Award-winning journalist Günter Wallraff calls attention to plight of writers and journalists in Turkey. He tells DW what can be done to help persecuted intellectuals and which mistakes the West has made with Turkey.
More:How we can help persecuted intellectuals in Turkey | Books | DW.COM | 20.09.2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
Erdoğan and the West: A love (hate) story - CONTRIBUTOR
Erdoğan and the West: A love (hate) story
UYGAR AKTAN*
After listening to one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s fiery anti-Western speeches, an uninitiated outsider might get the impression that the Ottoman Empire is rising from its ashes to do battle with “the Crusaders.” Indeed, many in the West accuse President Erdoğan of pursuing a “neo-Ottoman” agenda. He, in turn, has accused them of orchestrating just about every major incident of political unrest in Turkey as part of an ongoing plot to thwart its resurgence: “They can’t stand to see Turkey become powerful and prosperous.”
More:Erdoğan and the West: A love (hate) story - CONTRIBUTOR
UYGAR AKTAN*
After listening to one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s fiery anti-Western speeches, an uninitiated outsider might get the impression that the Ottoman Empire is rising from its ashes to do battle with “the Crusaders.” Indeed, many in the West accuse President Erdoğan of pursuing a “neo-Ottoman” agenda. He, in turn, has accused them of orchestrating just about every major incident of political unrest in Turkey as part of an ongoing plot to thwart its resurgence: “They can’t stand to see Turkey become powerful and prosperous.”
More:Erdoğan and the West: A love (hate) story - CONTRIBUTOR
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Turkey’s senior citizens get their first university
Turkey’s senior citizens get their first university
Turkey is a country that often boasts of its youthful population, but this advantage may not last long. According to the Turkish Statistics Institute, the country’s elderly — aged 65 and above — numbered 6.5 million in 2015, or 8.2% of the total population, up from 8% in 2014. Globally, elderly people make up 8.5% of the world’s population. So, Turkey is not that young, having an elderly rate close to the global average. Though it could hardly compare with nations such as Monaco, Japan and Germany, where senior citizens make up, respectively, 30.4%, 26.6% and 21.5% of the population, Turkey still ranks 66th among 167 countries in this category.
More:Turkey’s senior citizens get their first university
Turkey is a country that often boasts of its youthful population, but this advantage may not last long. According to the Turkish Statistics Institute, the country’s elderly — aged 65 and above — numbered 6.5 million in 2015, or 8.2% of the total population, up from 8% in 2014. Globally, elderly people make up 8.5% of the world’s population. So, Turkey is not that young, having an elderly rate close to the global average. Though it could hardly compare with nations such as Monaco, Japan and Germany, where senior citizens make up, respectively, 30.4%, 26.6% and 21.5% of the population, Turkey still ranks 66th among 167 countries in this category.
More:Turkey’s senior citizens get their first university
Lecturer Details Struggles of Alevi Islamic Sect to Secure Places of Worship | The Cornell Daily Sun
Lecturer Details Struggles of Alevi Islamic Sect to Secure Places of Worship
By Jakob Stokes
In a society with increasingly divisive views toward outlets for Islamic culture, Angela Andersen, a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said she strives to support access to holy places for the Alevi people in modern-day Turkey.
More:Lecturer Details Struggles of Alevi Islamic Sect to Secure Places of Worship | The Cornell Daily Sun
By Jakob Stokes
In a society with increasingly divisive views toward outlets for Islamic culture, Angela Andersen, a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said she strives to support access to holy places for the Alevi people in modern-day Turkey.
More:Lecturer Details Struggles of Alevi Islamic Sect to Secure Places of Worship | The Cornell Daily Sun
Turkey: Police Detain Several Islamic State Suspects In Istanbul | Stratfor
Turkey: Police Detain Several Islamic State Suspects In Istanbul
September 17, 2016 | 15:56 GMT Print
Turkish police detained several Islamic State suspects, including a Syrian man believed to be organizing an attack in Istanbul, AFP reported Sept. 17. Police arrested the man believed to be the group's organizer in an operation in Ankara. In a separate raid, police held 24 other Islamic State suspects awaiting explosives and ammunition in the Kucukcekmece district of Istanbul.
More:Turkey: Police Detain Several Islamic State Suspects In Istanbul | Stratfor
September 17, 2016 | 15:56 GMT Print
Turkish police detained several Islamic State suspects, including a Syrian man believed to be organizing an attack in Istanbul, AFP reported Sept. 17. Police arrested the man believed to be the group's organizer in an operation in Ankara. In a separate raid, police held 24 other Islamic State suspects awaiting explosives and ammunition in the Kucukcekmece district of Istanbul.
More:Turkey: Police Detain Several Islamic State Suspects In Istanbul | Stratfor
MHP’s expelled Akşener contacts Erdogan to defend party figures - POLITICS
MHP’s expelled Akşener contacts Erdogan to defend party figures
Opposition Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) recently expelled, former member and chair candidate, Meral Akşener, has contacted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to defend some 33 names whose detentions were sought as part of a probe into the Gulenists infiltration into the political party, daily Cumhuriyet reported on Sept. 16.
More:MHP’s expelled Akşener contacts Erdogan to defend party figures - POLITICS
Opposition Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) recently expelled, former member and chair candidate, Meral Akşener, has contacted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to defend some 33 names whose detentions were sought as part of a probe into the Gulenists infiltration into the political party, daily Cumhuriyet reported on Sept. 16.
More:MHP’s expelled Akşener contacts Erdogan to defend party figures - POLITICS
US special operations forces arrive in Syria to advise Turks - The Boston Globe
US special operations forces arrive in Syria to advise Turks
By Helene Cooper New York Times September 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — US Special Operations forces have arrived in northern Syria to work alongside Turkish troops fighting the Islamic State, the Pentagon said Friday, stressing that the approximately three dozen Americans would serve in an “advise and assist” capacity.
More:US special operations forces arrive in Syria to advise Turks - The Boston Globe
By Helene Cooper New York Times September 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — US Special Operations forces have arrived in northern Syria to work alongside Turkish troops fighting the Islamic State, the Pentagon said Friday, stressing that the approximately three dozen Americans would serve in an “advise and assist” capacity.
More:US special operations forces arrive in Syria to advise Turks - The Boston Globe
As Turkey’s purge widens, so does the opposition to it;
As Turkey’s purge widens, so does the opposition to it
By Tim Arango, Ceylan Yeginsu and Safak Timur / New York Times News Service
ISTANBUL — Candan Badem teaches history at a university in southern Turkey, is a socialist and does not believe in God. But he lost his job and was hauled in by the police and accused of being a loyalist to a shadowy Islamic cleric who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.
More:As Turkey’s purge widens, so does the opposition to it;
By Tim Arango, Ceylan Yeginsu and Safak Timur / New York Times News Service
ISTANBUL — Candan Badem teaches history at a university in southern Turkey, is a socialist and does not believe in God. But he lost his job and was hauled in by the police and accused of being a loyalist to a shadowy Islamic cleric who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.
More:As Turkey’s purge widens, so does the opposition to it;
Amid Hefty Tourism Drop, Turkey Hopes to Weather Storm - ABC News
Amid Hefty Tourism Drop, Turkey Hopes to Weather Storm
By menelaos hadjicostis, associated press
ISTANBUL — Sep 18, 2016, 4:48 AM ET
With summer drawing to a close, Turkey is counting the cost of a tough year that saw a string of terrorist bombings and the fallout from a diplomatic spat with Moscow that cut deep into the country's crucial tourist trade.
More:Amid Hefty Tourism Drop, Turkey Hopes to Weather Storm - ABC News
By menelaos hadjicostis, associated press
ISTANBUL — Sep 18, 2016, 4:48 AM ET
With summer drawing to a close, Turkey is counting the cost of a tough year that saw a string of terrorist bombings and the fallout from a diplomatic spat with Moscow that cut deep into the country's crucial tourist trade.
More:Amid Hefty Tourism Drop, Turkey Hopes to Weather Storm - ABC News
After Generations of Assimilation in Turkey, Afro-Turks are Fighting to Reclaim Their Heritage and Identity - Atlanta Black Star
After Generations of Assimilation in Turkey, Afro-Turks are Fighting to Reclaim Their Heritage and Identity
By
David Love -
September 17, 2016
Although this is unknown to many, there are up to 100,000 people of African descent in the nation of Turkey. A legacy of the Ottoman Empire and of the African slave trade, Afro-Turks, as they are called, have lost their language and have a renewed interest in discovering who they are and from whence they came.
More:After Generations of Assimilation in Turkey, Afro-Turks are Fighting to Reclaim Their Heritage and Identity - Atlanta Black Star
By
David Love -
September 17, 2016
Although this is unknown to many, there are up to 100,000 people of African descent in the nation of Turkey. A legacy of the Ottoman Empire and of the African slave trade, Afro-Turks, as they are called, have lost their language and have a renewed interest in discovering who they are and from whence they came.
More:After Generations of Assimilation in Turkey, Afro-Turks are Fighting to Reclaim Their Heritage and Identity - Atlanta Black Star
Friday, September 16, 2016
Turkey detains four for suspected plot against British, German embassies: official | Reuters
Turkey detains four for suspected plot against British, German embassies: official
The entrance of the German Embassy is seen in Ankara, Turkey, September 14, 2016. Picture taken September 14, 2016. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin
By Orhan Coskun and Paul Carrel | ANKARA/BERLIN
Turkish authorities detained four people in an investigation into a potential threat against British and German diplomatic missions but found no links to any terrorist groups, a Turkish official said on Friday.
More:Turkey detains four for suspected plot against British, German embassies: official | Reuters
The entrance of the German Embassy is seen in Ankara, Turkey, September 14, 2016. Picture taken September 14, 2016. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin
By Orhan Coskun and Paul Carrel | ANKARA/BERLIN
Turkish authorities detained four people in an investigation into a potential threat against British and German diplomatic missions but found no links to any terrorist groups, a Turkish official said on Friday.
More:Turkey detains four for suspected plot against British, German embassies: official | Reuters
American Flags in Syria Ignite Backlash in Turkey and Syria - Vocativ
American Flags in Syria Ignite Backlash in Turkey and Syria
American flags hoisted in the Kurdish-held city of Tell Abyad causes anger on both sides of the Turkey-Syria border
More:American Flags in Syria Ignite Backlash in Turkey and Syria - Vocativ
American flags hoisted in the Kurdish-held city of Tell Abyad causes anger on both sides of the Turkey-Syria border
More:American Flags in Syria Ignite Backlash in Turkey and Syria - Vocativ
Turkey detains 4 over suspected threat to German,UK embassies | The Indian Express
Turkey detains 4 over suspected threat to German,UK embassies
The investigation was launched by Turkish authorities after intelligence suggested a possible threat from the Islamic State group to the missions, the agency said.
More:Turkey detains 4 over suspected threat to German,UK embassies | The Indian Express
The investigation was launched by Turkish authorities after intelligence suggested a possible threat from the Islamic State group to the missions, the agency said.
More:Turkey detains 4 over suspected threat to German,UK embassies | The Indian Express
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Germany shuts Ankara embassy amid fear of attack by Erdogan supporters | News | DW.COM | 14.09.2016
Germany shuts Ankara embassy amid fear of attack by Erdogan supporters
Germany has temporarily closed its embassy in Ankara, reportedly because of fears of an attack. Turks are said to be outraged by a German magazine's depiction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a dictator.
More:Germany shuts Ankara embassy amid fear of attack by Erdogan supporters | News | DW.COM | 14.09.2016
Germany has temporarily closed its embassy in Ankara, reportedly because of fears of an attack. Turks are said to be outraged by a German magazine's depiction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a dictator.
More:Germany shuts Ankara embassy amid fear of attack by Erdogan supporters | News | DW.COM | 14.09.2016
EU's Juncker: More time may be needed for Turkey visa-free access | EUROPE ONLINE
EU's Juncker: More time may be needed for Turkey visa-free access
Europe
14.09.2016
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Strasbourg, France (dpa) - More time than expected may be needed for Turkish citizens to get visa-free access to the European Union, a top official from the bloc said Wednesday, downplaying hopes on what has been a key demand from Ankara in exchange for its help on migration.
More:EU's Juncker: More time may be needed for Turkey visa-free access | EUROPE ONLINE
Europe
14.09.2016
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Strasbourg, France (dpa) - More time than expected may be needed for Turkish citizens to get visa-free access to the European Union, a top official from the bloc said Wednesday, downplaying hopes on what has been a key demand from Ankara in exchange for its help on migration.
More:EU's Juncker: More time may be needed for Turkey visa-free access | EUROPE ONLINE
Turkey slams German news magazine for calling Erdogan a dictator
Turkey slams German news magazine for calling Erdogan a dictator
Der Spiegel runs special edition with 'provocative' cover accusing Erdogan of 'changing from a reformer into a despot.'
More:.:Middle East Online:::.
Der Spiegel runs special edition with 'provocative' cover accusing Erdogan of 'changing from a reformer into a despot.'
More:.:Middle East Online:::.
The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey | Foreign Policy
The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey
From Zionist plots to CIA conspiracies, Turkey’s favorite pastime is believing that the world is out to get it.
More:The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey | Foreign Policy
From Zionist plots to CIA conspiracies, Turkey’s favorite pastime is believing that the world is out to get it.
More:The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey | Foreign Policy
Turks bicker about time change
Turks bicker about time change
For years, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has been advocating "permanent summer time" for the country. With a decision made Sept. 7, this wish has come true.
More:Turks bicker about time change
For years, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has been advocating "permanent summer time" for the country. With a decision made Sept. 7, this wish has come true.
More:Turks bicker about time change
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s purge poses a threat to the Turkish state — FT.com
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s purge poses a threat to the Turkish state
Government officials will be the next group to be caught up in the crackdown, writes David Gardner
More:Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s purge poses a threat to the Turkish state — FT.com
Government officials will be the next group to be caught up in the crackdown, writes David Gardner
More:Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s purge poses a threat to the Turkish state — FT.com
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Erdoğan’s Tragic Choice by Dani Rodrik - Project Syndicate
Erdoğan’s Tragic Choice
CAMBRIDGE – Ever since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won his first general election in late 2002, he has been obsessed with the idea that power would be wrested from him through a coup. He had good reason to worry even then. Turkey’s ultra-secularist establishment, ensconced in the upper echelons of the judiciary and the military at the time, made no secret of its antipathy toward Erdoğan and his political allies.
More:Erdoğan’s Tragic Choice by Dani Rodrik - Project Syndicate
CAMBRIDGE – Ever since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won his first general election in late 2002, he has been obsessed with the idea that power would be wrested from him through a coup. He had good reason to worry even then. Turkey’s ultra-secularist establishment, ensconced in the upper echelons of the judiciary and the military at the time, made no secret of its antipathy toward Erdoğan and his political allies.
More:Erdoğan’s Tragic Choice by Dani Rodrik - Project Syndicate
The identity of Turkish youth
The identity of Turkish youth
Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 01:24
Category: Articles and Commentary
Written by Kinga Gajda
Like their peers in other states, Turkish youth are said to face many challenges while trying to define themselves. Many members of the younger generation still think that one’s character is defined by two elements: nationality and religion. Thus, those who hold such a belief tend to say that a sense of nationality is an inherent characteristic of the Turkish society. This conviction, however, does not imply racism. It rather assumes that Turkish identity has been shaped by historical experiences and cultural nationalism. The Turkish attitude towards religion is also rather unique, especially when compared to others in the Muslim world, which confirms the thesis that despite being a Muslim society by a great majority, Turks are proud of being tolerant towards other beliefs and religions. They remember that two centuries ago Sultan II Mahmut said “I want to see my Muslim citizens in mosques, my Christian citizens in churches and my Jewish citizens in synagogues”, and follow the Prophet Muhammad’s words that neither Persians nor Arabs are superior.
More:The identity of Turkish youth
Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 01:24
Category: Articles and Commentary
Written by Kinga Gajda
Like their peers in other states, Turkish youth are said to face many challenges while trying to define themselves. Many members of the younger generation still think that one’s character is defined by two elements: nationality and religion. Thus, those who hold such a belief tend to say that a sense of nationality is an inherent characteristic of the Turkish society. This conviction, however, does not imply racism. It rather assumes that Turkish identity has been shaped by historical experiences and cultural nationalism. The Turkish attitude towards religion is also rather unique, especially when compared to others in the Muslim world, which confirms the thesis that despite being a Muslim society by a great majority, Turks are proud of being tolerant towards other beliefs and religions. They remember that two centuries ago Sultan II Mahmut said “I want to see my Muslim citizens in mosques, my Christian citizens in churches and my Jewish citizens in synagogues”, and follow the Prophet Muhammad’s words that neither Persians nor Arabs are superior.
More:The identity of Turkish youth
Turkey: The journey so far - Graphic Online - | 2016
Turkey: The journey so far
Matthew Odartey
On June 15, news of an attempted coup in Turkey wavered through the global community.
There were terrifying scenes on the streets of that country as a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces that organised itself into what it called the Peace at Home Council, tried to overthrow the government of President Tayyip Erdogan.
More:Turkey: The journey so far - Graphic Online - | 2016
Matthew Odartey
On June 15, news of an attempted coup in Turkey wavered through the global community.
There were terrifying scenes on the streets of that country as a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces that organised itself into what it called the Peace at Home Council, tried to overthrow the government of President Tayyip Erdogan.
More:Turkey: The journey so far - Graphic Online - | 2016
Report: Turkey called on Netherlands to close controversial schools | NL Times
Report: Turkey called on Netherlands to close controversial schools
On August 22nd Turkey asked the Netherlands to close all schools believed to be affiliated to cleric Fethullah Gulen in the country, the Dutch government said in a letter to parliament on Monday, Het Parool reports.
This request came 10 days after Turkey sent the Dutch government lists with the names of organizations and companies they believe have ties with Gulen – who seen as the main rival of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish government blames Gulen for an attempted military coup in the country in July.
More:Report: Turkey called on Netherlands to close controversial schools | NL Times
On August 22nd Turkey asked the Netherlands to close all schools believed to be affiliated to cleric Fethullah Gulen in the country, the Dutch government said in a letter to parliament on Monday, Het Parool reports.
This request came 10 days after Turkey sent the Dutch government lists with the names of organizations and companies they believe have ties with Gulen – who seen as the main rival of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish government blames Gulen for an attempted military coup in the country in July.
More:Report: Turkey called on Netherlands to close controversial schools | NL Times
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Gothic romance between Turkey, Russia and US - CONTRIBUTOR
Gothic romance between Turkey, Russia and US
SERKAN AYDIN
The scene made headlines in all the Turkish media, with the Turks boasting merrily amid sulking by the United States: At the G-20 last year in Antalya, Obama’s infatuation with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan infuriated Russian President Vladimir Putin.
More:Gothic romance between Turkey, Russia and US - CONTRIBUTOR
SERKAN AYDIN
The scene made headlines in all the Turkish media, with the Turks boasting merrily amid sulking by the United States: At the G-20 last year in Antalya, Obama’s infatuation with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan infuriated Russian President Vladimir Putin.
More:Gothic romance between Turkey, Russia and US - CONTRIBUTOR
Turkey: Gulenist crackdown — FT.com
Turkey: Gulenist crackdown
Even critics of the secretive movement, accused of coup attempt, fear its suppression is going too far
More:Turkey: Gulenist crackdown — FT.com
Even critics of the secretive movement, accused of coup attempt, fear its suppression is going too far
More:Turkey: Gulenist crackdown — FT.com
Turkey grants jailed PKK leader family visit | GulfNews.com
Turkey grants jailed PKK leader family visit
Permission comes after 50 Kurdish activists are on the sixth day of hunger strike for news about Ocalan’s welfare
More:Turkey grants jailed PKK leader family visit | GulfNews.com
Permission comes after 50 Kurdish activists are on the sixth day of hunger strike for news about Ocalan’s welfare
More:Turkey grants jailed PKK leader family visit | GulfNews.com
Turkey's economy slows beyond forecast
Turkey's economy slows beyond forecast
Turkey's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 year on year, slower than the first quarter, according to a statement by the Turkish Statistical Institute on Friday.
More:Turkey's economy slows beyond forecast
Turkey's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 year on year, slower than the first quarter, according to a statement by the Turkish Statistical Institute on Friday.
More:Turkey's economy slows beyond forecast
Turkish film 'Big Big World' takes home special jury prize at 73rd Venice Film Festival - Daily Sabah
Turkish film 'Big Big World' takes home special jury prize at 73rd Venice Film Festival
Turkish filmmaker Reha Erdem's "Koca Dünya" (Big Big World) won the special jury prize at the world's oldest film festival, the Venice Film Festival, continuing a theme for Turkish films at the prestigious festival.
More:Turkish film 'Big Big World' takes home special jury prize at 73rd Venice Film Festival - Daily Sabah
Turkish filmmaker Reha Erdem's "Koca Dünya" (Big Big World) won the special jury prize at the world's oldest film festival, the Venice Film Festival, continuing a theme for Turkish films at the prestigious festival.
More:Turkish film 'Big Big World' takes home special jury prize at 73rd Venice Film Festival - Daily Sabah
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Prominent Turkish journalist, academic detained | News | DW.COM | 10.09.2016
Prominent Turkish journalist, academic detained
Former newspaper editor Ahmet Altan and his brother Professor Mehmet Altan have been arrested as part of Turkey's post-coup purge. They appeared on a TV show a day before the July 15 failed putsch.
More:Prominent Turkish journalist, academic detained | News | DW.COM | 10.09.2016
Former newspaper editor Ahmet Altan and his brother Professor Mehmet Altan have been arrested as part of Turkey's post-coup purge. They appeared on a TV show a day before the July 15 failed putsch.
More:Prominent Turkish journalist, academic detained | News | DW.COM | 10.09.2016
Friday, September 09, 2016
Erdogan’s ‘win-win’ on the world stage
Erdogan’s ‘win-win’ on the world stage
In the Sept. 1 Financial Times, Simon Kuper’s column “How Turkey tramples free speech” had the following accurate observation: “A modern Turkish government has probably never been so central to geopolitics. Western leaders want [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s help to fight [the Islamic State (IS)], to minimize the horrors in Syria and to keep Middle Eastern refugees out of Europe. If he cooperates, the West will allow him his excesses. But Erdogan is now snubbing Europe and the US and flirting with Russia and Iran. He is also going freelance in Syria: Turkish artillery and jets are helping Syrian rebels fight the Kurdish militia.”
More:Erdogan’s ‘win-win’ on the world stage
In the Sept. 1 Financial Times, Simon Kuper’s column “How Turkey tramples free speech” had the following accurate observation: “A modern Turkish government has probably never been so central to geopolitics. Western leaders want [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s help to fight [the Islamic State (IS)], to minimize the horrors in Syria and to keep Middle Eastern refugees out of Europe. If he cooperates, the West will allow him his excesses. But Erdogan is now snubbing Europe and the US and flirting with Russia and Iran. He is also going freelance in Syria: Turkish artillery and jets are helping Syrian rebels fight the Kurdish militia.”
More:Erdogan’s ‘win-win’ on the world stage
NATO, EU work full steam to improve ties with Turkey | News | DW.COM | 09.09.2016
NATO, EU work full steam to improve ties with Turkey
Ankara has informed Germany about its decision to let Berlin lawmakers visit the Incirlik air base. The announcement came as EU leaders traveled to Ankara to discuss improving relations with Turkey.
More:NATO, EU work full steam to improve ties with Turkey | News | DW.COM | 09.09.2016
Ankara has informed Germany about its decision to let Berlin lawmakers visit the Incirlik air base. The announcement came as EU leaders traveled to Ankara to discuss improving relations with Turkey.
More:NATO, EU work full steam to improve ties with Turkey | News | DW.COM | 09.09.2016
Güler Sabancı: Turkey’s Most Powerful Businesswoman
Güler Sabancı: Turkey’s Most Powerful Businesswoman
Güler Sabanci has run Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holding since 2004—through good times and bad.
By Erika Fry
Turkey’s aborted coup is the latest challenge for Güler Sabancı.
In her annual letter to shareholders earlier this year, Güler Sabancı, chairman of Sabancı Holding, one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates, offered a couple of reasons for optimism in 2016: “the favorable turn in Turkey’s relations with the EU” and “the immense opportunities in store” for her country in the coming year.
More:Güler Sabancı: Turkey’s Most Powerful Businesswoman
Güler Sabanci has run Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holding since 2004—through good times and bad.
By Erika Fry
Turkey’s aborted coup is the latest challenge for Güler Sabancı.
In her annual letter to shareholders earlier this year, Güler Sabancı, chairman of Sabancı Holding, one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates, offered a couple of reasons for optimism in 2016: “the favorable turn in Turkey’s relations with the EU” and “the immense opportunities in store” for her country in the coming year.
More:Güler Sabancı: Turkey’s Most Powerful Businesswoman
Bridge, mosque, airport ... Can Turkey afford Erdoğan's mega-monuments? - CSMonitor.com
Bridge, mosque, airport ... Can Turkey afford Erdoğan's mega-monuments?
models of thought
With Turkey beset by a host of crises, President Erdoğan is pushing ahead with a grand list of mega-projects that project an image of success. The financing may be an issue.
More:Bridge, mosque, airport ... Can Turkey afford Erdoğan's mega-monuments? - CSMonitor.com
models of thought
With Turkey beset by a host of crises, President Erdoğan is pushing ahead with a grand list of mega-projects that project an image of success. The financing may be an issue.
More:Bridge, mosque, airport ... Can Turkey afford Erdoğan's mega-monuments? - CSMonitor.com
Erdogan′s volte-face
Turkish foreign policy
Erdogan′s volte-face
Turkey′s shift away from the West since the July 15 coup attempt is a deliberate tactic to strengthen the government′s domestic support base and pursue a more aggressive regional role. Commentary by A. Kadir Yildirim
More:Erdogan′s volte-face
Erdogan′s volte-face
Turkey′s shift away from the West since the July 15 coup attempt is a deliberate tactic to strengthen the government′s domestic support base and pursue a more aggressive regional role. Commentary by A. Kadir Yildirim
More:Erdogan′s volte-face
Thursday, September 08, 2016
Turkey scraps winter time change
Turkey scraps winter time change
Cabinet adopts decree abolishing custom of turning clocks back one hour in winter, in bid to better utilise daylight.
More:.:Middle East Online:::.
Cabinet adopts decree abolishing custom of turning clocks back one hour in winter, in bid to better utilise daylight.
More:.:Middle East Online:::.
Turkish nationalist party expels leadership challenger
Turkish nationalist party expels leadership challenger
by Reuters
Thursday, 8 September 2016 14:28 GMT
By Ercan Gurses and Seda Sezer
ISTANBUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkey's nationalist opposition has expelled a member who attempted to oust its veteran leader, the party said on Thursday, jettisoning a rebel seen by some as capable of chipping at the power of President Tayyip Erdogan.
More:Turkish nationalist party expels leadership challenger
by Reuters
Thursday, 8 September 2016 14:28 GMT
By Ercan Gurses and Seda Sezer
ISTANBUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkey's nationalist opposition has expelled a member who attempted to oust its veteran leader, the party said on Thursday, jettisoning a rebel seen by some as capable of chipping at the power of President Tayyip Erdogan.
More:Turkish nationalist party expels leadership challenger
Turkey jails businessmen and academics, orders officers ...
Turkey jails businessmen and academics, orders officers detained - media
by Reuters
Thursday, 8 September 2016 14:15 GMT
By Daren Butler
ISTANBUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkey ordered dozens of businessmen and academics, arrested for alleged links to the U.S.-based cleric blamed for the failed July 15 coup, to remain in jail pending trial on Thursday, Turkish media said.
More:Turkey jails businessmen and academics, orders officers ...
by Reuters
Thursday, 8 September 2016 14:15 GMT
By Daren Butler
ISTANBUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkey ordered dozens of businessmen and academics, arrested for alleged links to the U.S.-based cleric blamed for the failed July 15 coup, to remain in jail pending trial on Thursday, Turkish media said.
More:Turkey jails businessmen and academics, orders officers ...
A conspiracy so immense | The Economist
A conspiracy so immense
Turkey’s post-coup crackdown has become a witch-hunt
Sep 10th 2016 | ISTANBUL | From the print edition
ISTAR GOZAYDIN, a professor at Gediz University in Izmir, felt the sting of Turkey’s purges earlier than most. She was fired days after July’s failed coup, not by the government but by her own university. She had tweeted articles opposing reinstating the death penalty and condemning mob violence. “Perhaps [school officials] thought they could escape intervention by suspending me,” she says. They could not. Two days later Gediz and 14 other universities were shut down over alleged links to the Gulen community, or cemaat, a shadowy Islamic movement that was in part responsible for the coup.
More:A conspiracy so immense | The Economist
Turkey’s post-coup crackdown has become a witch-hunt
Sep 10th 2016 | ISTANBUL | From the print edition
ISTAR GOZAYDIN, a professor at Gediz University in Izmir, felt the sting of Turkey’s purges earlier than most. She was fired days after July’s failed coup, not by the government but by her own university. She had tweeted articles opposing reinstating the death penalty and condemning mob violence. “Perhaps [school officials] thought they could escape intervention by suspending me,” she says. They could not. Two days later Gediz and 14 other universities were shut down over alleged links to the Gulen community, or cemaat, a shadowy Islamic movement that was in part responsible for the coup.
More:A conspiracy so immense | The Economist
Turkey says civilians return to Syrian town | News | DW.COM | 07.09.2016
Turkey says civilians return to Syrian town
Turkey says civilians are returning to areas in Syria once held by "Islamic State" militants. It comes amid quarrels between Ankara, Washington and Moscow over military tactics in the country.
More:Turkey says civilians return to Syrian town | News | DW.COM | 07.09.2016
Turkey says civilians are returning to areas in Syria once held by "Islamic State" militants. It comes amid quarrels between Ankara, Washington and Moscow over military tactics in the country.
More:Turkey says civilians return to Syrian town | News | DW.COM | 07.09.2016
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Obama’s Meeting with Erdogan: “Minor Uptick” in U.S.-Turkey Relations | The Cipher Brief
Obama’s Meeting with Erdogan: “Minor Uptick” in U.S.-Turkey Relations
September 7, 2016 | Mackenzie Weinger
Soner Cagaptay
Director of the Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute
President Barack Obama and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met this weekend for the first time since the July 15 failed coup attempt.
“This is the first opportunity that I’ve had to meet face to face with President Erdogan since the terrible attempted coup,” Obama said during their meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China. “We’re glad you’re here, safe, and that we are able to continue to work together.”
More:Obama’s Meeting with Erdogan: “Minor Uptick” in U.S.-Turkey Relations | The Cipher Brief
September 7, 2016 | Mackenzie Weinger
Soner Cagaptay
Director of the Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute
President Barack Obama and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met this weekend for the first time since the July 15 failed coup attempt.
“This is the first opportunity that I’ve had to meet face to face with President Erdogan since the terrible attempted coup,” Obama said during their meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China. “We’re glad you’re here, safe, and that we are able to continue to work together.”
More:Obama’s Meeting with Erdogan: “Minor Uptick” in U.S.-Turkey Relations | The Cipher Brief
Turkey's Secularists Face Anxious Future
Turkey's Secularists Face Anxious Future
After the government's post-coup purges, being secular in Turkey has become fraught with danger.
More:Turkey's Secularists Face Anxious Future
After the government's post-coup purges, being secular in Turkey has become fraught with danger.
More:Turkey's Secularists Face Anxious Future
Erdogan’s Long Arm · Handelsblatt Global Edition
Erdogan's Long Arm
By Dietmar Neuerer
A string of attacks in Germany against supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the man Turkey blames for July's coup attempt, are fueling fears of rising violence, according to interior ministry information seen by Handelsblatt.
More:Erdogan’s Long Arm · Handelsblatt Global Edition
By Dietmar Neuerer
A string of attacks in Germany against supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the man Turkey blames for July's coup attempt, are fueling fears of rising violence, according to interior ministry information seen by Handelsblatt.
More:Erdogan’s Long Arm · Handelsblatt Global Edition
What is the Turkish army really doing in Iraq?
What is the Turkish army really doing in Iraq?
A cannon shot roared into the night. The target was in the town of Bashiqa in northern Iraq, seized by the Islamic State (IS) in 2014. Seconds after the explosion, the clatter of a collapsing building echoed in the mountain.
More:What is the Turkish army really doing in Iraq?
A cannon shot roared into the night. The target was in the town of Bashiqa in northern Iraq, seized by the Islamic State (IS) in 2014. Seconds after the explosion, the clatter of a collapsing building echoed in the mountain.
More:What is the Turkish army really doing in Iraq?
Turkey confiscates Deutsche Welle footage of interview with Minister Kilic | News | DW.COM | 06.09.2016
Turkey confiscates Deutsche Welle footage of interview with Minister Kilic
Turkish authorities have confiscated footage of an interview with Turkish minister of youth and sports, Akif Cagatay Kilic, filmed for DW's talk show "Conflict Zone." The action has prompted an outcry over press freedom.
More:Turkey confiscates Deutsche Welle footage of interview with Minister Kilic | News | DW.COM | 06.09.2016
Turkish authorities have confiscated footage of an interview with Turkish minister of youth and sports, Akif Cagatay Kilic, filmed for DW's talk show "Conflict Zone." The action has prompted an outcry over press freedom.
More:Turkey confiscates Deutsche Welle footage of interview with Minister Kilic | News | DW.COM | 06.09.2016
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Ankara says West confused about Gülen – EurActiv.com
Ankara says West confused about Gülen
Home | Global Europe | News
By Georgi Gotev | EurActiv.com
In response to European accusations of McCarthyism following the failed July coup, Ankara is spreading the message that the West has little understanding about the movement of US-self-exiled cleric Fetullah Gülen, which it calls a terrorist organisation.
More:Ankara says West confused about Gülen – EurActiv.com
Home | Global Europe | News
By Georgi Gotev | EurActiv.com
In response to European accusations of McCarthyism following the failed July coup, Ankara is spreading the message that the West has little understanding about the movement of US-self-exiled cleric Fetullah Gülen, which it calls a terrorist organisation.
More:Ankara says West confused about Gülen – EurActiv.com
Monday, September 05, 2016
The West should also listen to the CHP on FETÖ - POLITICS
The West should also listen to the CHP on FETÖ
Barçın Yinanç - barcin.yinanc@hdn.com.tr
Criticizing the West’s attitude towards the coup as a humiliating one, a member of Turkey’s main opposition party has also blamed the government for the lack of support shown to Turkey. “The government has lost credibility in the world,” said Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, an Istanbul parliamentarian from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), when commenting on Western suspicion about the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) being behind the coup. “The West should ask why the CHP, which has been at odds with the government on almost everything, has the same view about FETÖ being behind the coup,” said Salıcı, who is the CHP’s representative in parliament’s foreign relations commission.
More:The West should also listen to the CHP on FETÖ - POLITICS
Barçın Yinanç - barcin.yinanc@hdn.com.tr
Criticizing the West’s attitude towards the coup as a humiliating one, a member of Turkey’s main opposition party has also blamed the government for the lack of support shown to Turkey. “The government has lost credibility in the world,” said Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, an Istanbul parliamentarian from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), when commenting on Western suspicion about the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) being behind the coup. “The West should ask why the CHP, which has been at odds with the government on almost everything, has the same view about FETÖ being behind the coup,” said Salıcı, who is the CHP’s representative in parliament’s foreign relations commission.
More:The West should also listen to the CHP on FETÖ - POLITICS
Turkey makes McCarthyism look like a picnic | IOL
Turkey makes McCarthyism look like a picnic
News / 5 September 2016, 04:12am
What is happening in Turkey right now makes the McCarthy era in the US during the 1950s look like a picnic, writes Shannon Ebrahim.
When communists were targeted under McCarthyism they were blacklisted, hundreds jailed if they refused to co-operate with the authorities, and many compelled to leave the country.
More:Turkey makes McCarthyism look like a picnic | IOL
News / 5 September 2016, 04:12am
What is happening in Turkey right now makes the McCarthy era in the US during the 1950s look like a picnic, writes Shannon Ebrahim.
When communists were targeted under McCarthyism they were blacklisted, hundreds jailed if they refused to co-operate with the authorities, and many compelled to leave the country.
More:Turkey makes McCarthyism look like a picnic | IOL
Sunday, September 04, 2016
Report: 2 dead, 79 rescued in Turkey tourist boat capsizi
Report: 2 dead, 79 rescued in Turkey tourist boat capsizing
Istanbul — A Turkish news agency says two people have drowned and 79 others have been rescued after a tourist boat capsized off the coast near the southern resort of Antalya.
More:Report: 2 dead, 79 rescued in Turkey tourist boat capsizi
Istanbul — A Turkish news agency says two people have drowned and 79 others have been rescued after a tourist boat capsized off the coast near the southern resort of Antalya.
More:Report: 2 dead, 79 rescued in Turkey tourist boat capsizi
Obama tells Erdogan the US will help bring Turkey coup plotters to justice | i24news - See beyond
Obama tells Erdogan the US will help bring Turkey coup plotters to justice
Obama assured Erdogan the US is committed to bringing perpetrators of 'illegal actions' to justice
More:Obama tells Erdogan the US will help bring Turkey coup plotters to justice | i24news - See beyond
Obama assured Erdogan the US is committed to bringing perpetrators of 'illegal actions' to justice
More:Obama tells Erdogan the US will help bring Turkey coup plotters to justice | i24news - See beyond
In Turkey, The Man To Blame For Most Everything Is A U.S.-Based Cleric : Parallels : NPR
In Turkey, The Man To Blame For Most Everything Is A U.S.-Based Cleric
September 4, 201610:31 AM ET
Since Turkey's government survived a violent coup attempt on July 15, it has pointed the finger at followers of an elderly, U.S.-based cleric. His name is Fethullah Gulen, and he denies any involvement. Turkey is demanding his extradition from the U.S., where he's lived in Pennsylvania since the late 1990s.
More:In Turkey, The Man To Blame For Most Everything Is A U.S.-Based Cleric : Parallels : NPR
September 4, 201610:31 AM ET
Since Turkey's government survived a violent coup attempt on July 15, it has pointed the finger at followers of an elderly, U.S.-based cleric. His name is Fethullah Gulen, and he denies any involvement. Turkey is demanding his extradition from the U.S., where he's lived in Pennsylvania since the late 1990s.
More:In Turkey, The Man To Blame For Most Everything Is A U.S.-Based Cleric : Parallels : NPR
Turkey: Islamic State has lost all territory along Syria-Turkey border - Chicago Tribune
Turkey: Islamic State has lost all territory along Syria-Turkey border
Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels expelled the Islamic State group from the last strip of territory it controlled along the Syrian-Turkish border on Sunday, effectively sealing the extremists' self-styled caliphate off from the outside world, Turkey's state-run news agency reported.
More:Turkey: Islamic State has lost all territory along Syria-Turkey border - Chicago Tribune
Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels expelled the Islamic State group from the last strip of territory it controlled along the Syrian-Turkish border on Sunday, effectively sealing the extremists' self-styled caliphate off from the outside world, Turkey's state-run news agency reported.
More:Turkey: Islamic State has lost all territory along Syria-Turkey border - Chicago Tribune
U.S. to help Turkey ensure coup plotters brought to justice - Obama | Reuters
U.S. to help Turkey ensure coup plotters brought to justice - Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday that his administration would work with Turkey to help ensure that those responsible for an attempted coup are brought to justice.
More:U.S. to help Turkey ensure coup plotters brought to justice - Obama | Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday that his administration would work with Turkey to help ensure that those responsible for an attempted coup are brought to justice.
More:U.S. to help Turkey ensure coup plotters brought to justice - Obama | Reuters
Thousands of Kurds Protest Turkey's Erdogan in Germany
Thousands of Kurds Protest Turkey's Erdogan in Germany
Demonstrators support Abdullah Ocalan, a Kurdistan Workers Party leader who Turkey has held in prison for 17 years.
More:Thousands of Kurds Protest Turkey's Erdogan in Germany
Demonstrators support Abdullah Ocalan, a Kurdistan Workers Party leader who Turkey has held in prison for 17 years.
More:Thousands of Kurds Protest Turkey's Erdogan in Germany
Putting the Turkey Coup in Historical Perspective - Fair Observer
Putting the Turkey Coup in Historical Perspective
By Altug Gunal • September 3, 2016
Had the Turkey coup been successful, it would have spelled disaster for the country.
When a military coup shook Greece in 1967, it exposed the country to a brutal military dictatorship that brought numerous internal and external losses for the Greek people. Recalling this part of Greek history, and taking lessons from the coup d’état of 1974 in Cyprus, can enlighten us on what Turkey could have faced if the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, had been successful.
More:Putting the Turkey Coup in Historical Perspective - Fair Observer
By Altug Gunal • September 3, 2016
Had the Turkey coup been successful, it would have spelled disaster for the country.
When a military coup shook Greece in 1967, it exposed the country to a brutal military dictatorship that brought numerous internal and external losses for the Greek people. Recalling this part of Greek history, and taking lessons from the coup d’état of 1974 in Cyprus, can enlighten us on what Turkey could have faced if the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, had been successful.
More:Putting the Turkey Coup in Historical Perspective - Fair Observer
Saturday, September 03, 2016
Turkey: Child Rape Widespread, Media Blackout
Turkey: Child Rape Widespread, Media Blackout
by Robert Jones
September 3, 2016 at 5:00 am
The journalist who reported the rape for the newspaper Birgun, said that that he and the newspaper received countless death threats on social media for reporting the case.
More:Turkey: Child Rape Widespread, Media Blackout
by Robert Jones
September 3, 2016 at 5:00 am
The journalist who reported the rape for the newspaper Birgun, said that that he and the newspaper received countless death threats on social media for reporting the case.
More:Turkey: Child Rape Widespread, Media Blackout
Foreign Policy after the Failed Coup: The Rise of Turkish Gaullism « LobeLog
Foreign Policy after the Failed Coup: The Rise of Turkish Gaullism
by Omer Taspinar
Western media has an understandable tendency to see Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an incurable Islamist who is determined to overhaul the secularist legacy of Ataturk. Many Western policymakers, analysts, and scholars equate the notion of a Turkish divergence from the West — or the fear of “losing Turkey” — with the idea of an Islamic revival. This is an understandable fallacy. After all, a political party with Islamic roots has won five consecutive elections in a country where the population is 99 percent Muslim.
More:Foreign Policy after the Failed Coup: The Rise of Turkish Gaullism « LobeLog
by Omer Taspinar
Western media has an understandable tendency to see Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an incurable Islamist who is determined to overhaul the secularist legacy of Ataturk. Many Western policymakers, analysts, and scholars equate the notion of a Turkish divergence from the West — or the fear of “losing Turkey” — with the idea of an Islamic revival. This is an understandable fallacy. After all, a political party with Islamic roots has won five consecutive elections in a country where the population is 99 percent Muslim.
More:Foreign Policy after the Failed Coup: The Rise of Turkish Gaullism « LobeLog
Friday, September 02, 2016
X-Ray machine to scan vehicles at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport - Daily Sabah
X-Ray machine to scan vehicles at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport
DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL
Published September 1, 2016
An x-Ray machine for vehicles was installed at the main gate of Istanbul Atatürk International Airport on Wednesday as a part of new security measures taken in Turkey's most crowded airport.
More:X-Ray machine to scan vehicles at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport - Daily Sabah
DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL
Published September 1, 2016
An x-Ray machine for vehicles was installed at the main gate of Istanbul Atatürk International Airport on Wednesday as a part of new security measures taken in Turkey's most crowded airport.
More:X-Ray machine to scan vehicles at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport - Daily Sabah
Turkey releases almost 34,000 prisoners 'to make space for more coup plotters' | The Independent
Turkey releases almost 34,000 prisoners 'to make space for more coup plotters'
Only inmates convicted before 1 July were freed under the scheme
More:Turkey releases almost 34,000 prisoners 'to make space for more coup plotters' | The Independent
Only inmates convicted before 1 July were freed under the scheme
More:Turkey releases almost 34,000 prisoners 'to make space for more coup plotters' | The Independent
Turkey Clears ISIS, Kurds From Northern Syria Area: Erdogan
Turkey Clears ISIS, Kurds From Northern Syria Area: Erdogan
The Turkish president rejected claims that Kurdish forces have withdrawn.
More:Turkey Clears ISIS, Kurds From Northern Syria Area: Erdogan
The Turkish president rejected claims that Kurdish forces have withdrawn.
More:Turkey Clears ISIS, Kurds From Northern Syria Area: Erdogan
Turkey’s Erdogan is making a terrible situation in Syria even worse.
Turkey’s Incursion Into Syria Is the Last Thing We Needed
The civil war is already an intractable mess, and there are no easy ways out.
More:Turkey’s Erdogan is making a terrible situation in Syria even worse.
The civil war is already an intractable mess, and there are no easy ways out.
More:Turkey’s Erdogan is making a terrible situation in Syria even worse.
Thursday, September 01, 2016
Turkey: Izmir drives smart city development in the country
Turkey: Izmir drives smart city development in the country
With centralised municipal management of utilities such as transport, water or waste services, Izmir is a pioneer of urban development in Turkey. The country’s third biggest city is fast developing and is fully leveraging IT to improve citizens’ lives
More:Turkey: Izmir drives smart city development in the country
With centralised municipal management of utilities such as transport, water or waste services, Izmir is a pioneer of urban development in Turkey. The country’s third biggest city is fast developing and is fully leveraging IT to improve citizens’ lives
More:Turkey: Izmir drives smart city development in the country
How this Turkish museum is bringing life to a remote backwater
How this Turkish museum is bringing life to a remote backwater
A barren hilltop in a remote, impoverished backwater is hardly a place one would expect to find a flourishing museum with growing international acclaim. For the Baksi Museum in eastern Turkey, however, being in the middle of nowhere is inherent to its existence and the many roles it has taken on. The brainchild of prominent Turkish artist Husamettin Kocan, the museum is Kocan’s tribute to his native village, which, since its inception as a “crazy” idea three decades ago, has evolved into a vibrant cultural center and a social project injecting life into one of Turkey’s poorest provinces.
More:How this Turkish museum is bringing life to a remote backwater
A barren hilltop in a remote, impoverished backwater is hardly a place one would expect to find a flourishing museum with growing international acclaim. For the Baksi Museum in eastern Turkey, however, being in the middle of nowhere is inherent to its existence and the many roles it has taken on. The brainchild of prominent Turkish artist Husamettin Kocan, the museum is Kocan’s tribute to his native village, which, since its inception as a “crazy” idea three decades ago, has evolved into a vibrant cultural center and a social project injecting life into one of Turkey’s poorest provinces.
More:How this Turkish museum is bringing life to a remote backwater
Turkey’s Coup: Winners & Losers - FPIF
Turkey’s Coup: Winners & Losers
Shifting alignments in the aftermath of the failed coup could bring peace to Yemen and Syria—but only if regional leaders can agree on some rules.
More:Turkey’s Coup: Winners & Losers - FPIF
Shifting alignments in the aftermath of the failed coup could bring peace to Yemen and Syria—but only if regional leaders can agree on some rules.
More:Turkey’s Coup: Winners & Losers - FPIF
Turkish interior minister Efkan Ala replaced in cabinet shuffle - UPI.com
Erdogan regime replaces interior minister Ala in Turkish cabinet shuffle
By Doug G. Ware | Aug. 31, 2016 at 5:52 PM
ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala resigned from his post on Wednesday after serving in the role for less than a year, in a minor cabinet reshuffling by President Recep Erdogan.
More:Turkish interior minister Efkan Ala replaced in cabinet shuffle - UPI.com
By Doug G. Ware | Aug. 31, 2016 at 5:52 PM
ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala resigned from his post on Wednesday after serving in the role for less than a year, in a minor cabinet reshuffling by President Recep Erdogan.
More:Turkish interior minister Efkan Ala replaced in cabinet shuffle - UPI.com
15 years of Turkey's AKP: Is it a success story?
15 years of Turkey's AKP: Is it a success story?
The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which accustomed Turkey to tumultuous celebrations of any occasion it could think of, including to show respect for those killed in last month’s coup attempt, opted for a low-key observance to mark the 15th anniversary of its founding Aug. 14. The AKP came to power only 15 months after its establishment and has been the sole ruling party for 14 years. Has the party been successful?
More:15 years of Turkey's AKP: Is it a success story?
The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which accustomed Turkey to tumultuous celebrations of any occasion it could think of, including to show respect for those killed in last month’s coup attempt, opted for a low-key observance to mark the 15th anniversary of its founding Aug. 14. The AKP came to power only 15 months after its establishment and has been the sole ruling party for 14 years. Has the party been successful?
More:15 years of Turkey's AKP: Is it a success story?