Friday, March 31, 2017

Netherlands on high alert during Turkish referendum voting after Belgium riots | NL Times

Netherlands on high alert during Turkish referendum voting after Belgium riots
By Janene Pieters on March 31, 2017

From Wednesday next week until Sunday Dutch-Turks can vote in a Turkish referendum in the Netherlands. This can be done in Amsterdam, The Hague and Deventer. The national police and local authorities will be on high alert during these voting days, especially after riots at the Turkish embassy in Brussels on Thursday, NRC reports.

More:Netherlands on high alert during Turkish referendum voting after Belgium riots | NL Times

Turkey recruits youth hackers to boost cybersecurity

Turkey recruits youth hackers to boost cybersecurity

Facing growing concern over cybersecurity, the Turkish government is trying to recruit thousands of youngsters for training in cyber affairs. The country's National Intervention Center Against Cyber Attacks (USOM) even organized a competition called “Cyberstar” that attracted 27,000 young people.

More:Turkey recruits youth hackers to boost cybersecurity

Turkey Spies on Suspected Gülen Supporters Around the World - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Turkey's Worldwide Monitoring of Suspected Gülen Supporters

The Turkish government is spying on its own citizens around the world on a previously unreported scale, even in such far-flung corners as Ulaanbaatar and Dar Es Salaam. The espionage is detailed in newly obtained documents from Turkey's embassies.

More:Turkey Spies on Suspected Gülen Supporters Around the World - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Turkish Economy Heading Toward Crisis under Erdogan - SPIEGEL ONLINE

The Demise of the Anatolian Tiger

Turkey's economy is suffering badly amid the country's political uncertainty. Investors have lost confidence, tourists are staying away and the lira is rapidly losing value. President Erdogan hasn't grasped the severity of the situation.

More:Turkish Economy Heading Toward Crisis under Erdogan - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Turkey′s economy rebounds from post-coup weakness | Business | DW.COM | 31.03.2017

Turkey's economy rebounds from post-coup weakness

Turkey dodged a recession as the economy returned to growth in the last three months of 2016. But its annual growth rate slowed sharply due to the fallout from the failed coup in July.

More:Turkey′s economy rebounds from post-coup weakness | Business | DW.COM | 31.03.2017

The end of the road

The end of the road

Anything is better than waiting. Even deportation back to Turkey is no longer such a frightening prospect for refugees stranded on Lesbos. But now, Ankara says it is no longer willing to take back rejected asylum seekers. Ulrich von Schwerin reports from Lesbos

More:The end of the road

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Erdoğan’s power grab – POLITICO

Erdoğan’s power grab

What the upcoming referendum means for Turkey.

By Zia Weise

ISTANBUL — The cure-all for Turkey’s ills is close at hand — if you believe Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: a ‘yes’ result in next month’s referendum would restore security and stability, the president promises.

More:Erdoğan’s power grab – POLITICO

‘No’ campaigners find themselves victims of violence ahead of Turkey referendum | The National

‘No’ campaigners find themselves victims of violence ahead of Turkey referendum

Paul Benjamin Osterlund
Foreign Correspondent

March 30, 2017 Updated: March 30, 2017 11:47 PM

ISTANBUL // Just over two weeks remain before Turkey’s crucial April 16 constitutional referendum and campaigners on both the "Yes" and "No" sides have stepped up their efforts throughout the country. But those who oppose the proposed reforms say they are now facing not only heated verbal arguments but also physical violence on a frequent basis.

More:‘No’ campaigners find themselves victims of violence ahead of Turkey referendum | The National

Making Russia, Turkey and China great again | The Sacramento Bee

Making Russia, Turkey and China great again
Tim Brinton NewsArt

By Markos Kounalakis

Special to The Bee

Greatness. It was candidate Donald Trump’s central promise: He would Make America Great Again, or #MAGA for short.

More:Making Russia, Turkey and China great again | The Sacramento Bee

Is Turkish religious scholar Fethullah Gulen funding his movement abroad through U.S. charter schools? - CBS News

Are some U.S. charter schools helping fund controversial Turkish cleric's movement?

As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson travels to Turkey on Thursday, he’ll want to talk about the fight against ISIS. But the Turks want to talk about a controversial Turkish religious scholar: Fethullah Gulen.

More:Is Turkish religious scholar Fethullah Gulen funding his movement abroad through U.S. charter schools? - CBS News

Electronics ban spells turbulance for Turkey’s airline diplomacy

Electronics ban spells turbulance for Turkey’s airline diplomacy
0Analysis, Audrey Williams
March 30, 2017

By Audrey Williams

Turkish Airlines has played a crucial role in securing Turkey’s international reputation; boosting both the tourist sector and diplomatic efforts in countries like Somalia. But the Trump administration’s electronics ban now puts this at risk.

More:Electronics ban spells turbulance for Turkey’s airline diplomacy

Turkey’s ‘megaprojects’ off to disappointing start

Turkey’s ‘megaprojects’ off to disappointing start

The Turkish government’s megaprojects have never been short of controversy, especially after 2011 when they formed the backbone of the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) election platform that year.

More:Turkey’s ‘megaprojects’ off to disappointing start

Tillerson Asserts 'Difficult Choices' Are Ahead For U.S. And Turkey : The Two-Way : NPR

Tillerson Asserts 'Difficult Choices' Are Ahead For U.S. And Turkey

Peter Kenyon - Square

During his first trip to Turkey as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson said the U.S. and its NATO ally were struggling with "difficult choices" on a strategy to defeat the Islamic State in Syria.

More:Tillerson Asserts 'Difficult Choices' Are Ahead For U.S. And Turkey : The Two-Way : NPR

Will ‘no’ campaign lead to a new center-right party? - ÖZGÜR KORKMAZ

Will ‘no’ campaign lead to a new center-right party?

Turkish society is divided right down the middle as the country heads to a referendum on April 16 to decide on whether to replace the current parliamentary system with one with an executive presidency. According to the latest polls, half of the voters are on the “yes” front, while the other half is firmly “no,” with tensions between the two camps rising every day.

More:Will ‘no’ campaign lead to a new center-right party? - ÖZGÜR KORKMAZ

Turkish teacher receives International Women of Courage Award from US - LOCAL

Turkish teacher receives International Women of Courage Award from US

WASHINGTON

A Turkish teacher whose actions led to the arrest of a principal for sexually abusing six girls between the ages of six and 11 received the International Women of Courage Award in Washington on March 29.

Saadet Özkan, a teacher from the western province of İzmir, received her award from U.S. first lady Melania Trump.

More:Turkish teacher receives International Women of Courage Award from US - LOCAL

US, Turkey strain for deal on key element of anti-IS fight

US, Turkey strain for deal on key element of anti-IS fight
[Associated Press]
SUZAN FRASER and JOSH LEDERMAN

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Trump administration and Turkey appeared no closer Thursday to resolving a dispute over the Kurds' role in defeating the Islamic State group in Syria, as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited America's often nettlesome NATO ally for the first time.

More:US, Turkey strain for deal on key element of anti-IS fight

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Turkey ends 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Syria | Syria News | Al Jazeera

Turkey ends 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Syria

Turkey says military offensive in northern Syria is over, but does not specify whether it will withdraw troops.

More:Turkey ends 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Syria | Syria News | Al Jazeera

Turkey vs. Europe — why the escalation? - Al Arabiya English

Turkey vs. Europe — why the escalation?
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Text size A A A
Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi

“Is it in the interest of Turkey to strain relations with Europe?”, was the title of an article posted on a Turkish-affairs WhatsApp group. A member commented: “Yes, it is in our best interest to make Turks aware that the West is an enemy of Muslims and therefore Erdogan must succeed so we could resist and defeat them.”

More:Turkey vs. Europe — why the escalation? - Al Arabiya English

Turkey sends team to UK over ban on electronics - Ankara - Muscat Daily

Turkey sends team to UK over ban on electronics
Share
AFP
March 29, 2017
Ankara -

Turkey sent a team of experts to Britain on Tuesday to try to persuade London to lift a ban on passengers carrying large electronic devices in cabin baggage onboard flights from Istanbul, the Turkish transport minister said.

More:Turkey sends team to UK over ban on electronics - Ankara - Muscat Daily

Erdogan may win, but Turkey will lose | Middle East Eye

Erdogan may win, but Turkey will lose

Erdogan's use of the anti-EU card may payoff in April, but the inevitable retaliation from Europe will have far-reaching implications

Turkey’s diplomatic clash with the EU shows no signs of letting up.

A German politician accused Turkey this week of "unacceptable" spying on dissidents on its soil. Meanwhile fresh after Ankara’s diplomatic bust-up with the Netherlands, Turkey’s President Recip Tayyip Erdogan continues to admonish Europe. He recently went as far as to threaten Europe that if his ministers are disrespected Europeans will be unable “to walk in the streets with peace and safety in any place in the world”.

More:Erdogan may win, but Turkey will lose | Middle East Eye

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Gulen casts a large shadow over Turkey’s ties with West

Gulen casts a large shadow over Turkey’s ties with West

Fethullah Gulen, the self-exiled Islamic cleric residing in Pennsylvania who Ankara accuses of masterminding July’s failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has become one of the main obstacles to improving Turkey’s ties with the United States and Europe.

More:Gulen casts a large shadow over Turkey’s ties with West

Germany Tells Turkey Not to Spy on Turks Living on Its Soil | World News | US News

Germany Tells Turkey Not to Spy on Turks Living on Its Soil

By Madeline Chambers

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will not tolerate foreign espionage on its territory, the interior minister said on Tuesday, in a robust response to media reports that Turkish secret services were spying on supporters of the Gulen movement in Germany

More:Germany Tells Turkey Not to Spy on Turks Living on Its Soil | World News | US News

U.S. Arrests Top Turkish Banker in Iran Sanctions Probe - Bloomberg

U.S. Arrests Top Turkish Banker in Iran Sanctions Probe
by Isobel Finkel
and Christian Berthelsen
March 28, 2017, 12:01 PM EDT March 28, 2017, 3:37 PM EDT

A senior executive at one of Turkey’s largest state-owned banks was arrested in the U.S. Tuesday on charges of conspiring to evade trade sanctions on Iran, escalating a case that has prompted diplomatic tensions and political maneuvering between the two countries.

More:U.S. Arrests Top Turkish Banker in Iran Sanctions Probe - Bloomberg

Erdogan Races Against the Dollar in Campaign for Unrivaled Power - Bloomberg

Erdogan Races Against the Dollar in Campaign for Unrivaled Power
by Selcan Hacaoglu
and Onur Ant
March 27, 2017, 8:00 PM EDT

Turkish president’s fate may hang on halting lira slide
‘I don’t want to go bankrupt again,’ business owner says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lambasted friend and foe alike in a campaign for vast new powers, but his political fate may hang on the one thing he’s stopped carping about: the price of money.

More:Erdogan Races Against the Dollar in Campaign for Unrivaled Power - Bloomberg

Monday, March 27, 2017

New poll gives Turkish opposition slight edge as referendum nears

New poll gives Turkish opposition slight edge as referendum nears

Could the "no" votes win Turkey’s April 16 constitutional referendum on amendments expanding the country's presidential powers? Opinion polls by leading Turkish research firms suggest it's a possibility.

More:New poll gives Turkish opposition slight edge as referendum nears

Turks in Germany sharply divided over Turkey's referendum | News OK

Turks in Germany sharply divided over Turkey's referendum
By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, Associated Press Published: March 27, 2017 5:20 AM CDT
BERLIN (AP) — As polling stations opened Monday in Germany, acrimony has been rising among the Turks here whose votes are crucial in the tight race over whether to expand the powers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 1.4 million eligible Turkish voters in Germany represent about half the total number of expatriates who can cast ballots, and the fight for their support has been fierce.

More:Turks in Germany sharply divided over Turkey's referendum | News OK

Voting starts in Europe for Turkish referendum - BBC News

Voting starts in Europe for Turkish referendum

Turkish citizens in six European countries have started to vote in a referendum, the campaign for which has caused an international dispute.

More:Voting starts in Europe for Turkish referendum - BBC News

The end of the road

The end of the road

Anything is better than waiting. Even deportation back to Turkey is no longer such a frightening prospect for refugees stranded on Lesbos. But now, Ankara says it is no longer willing to take back rejected asylum seekers. Ulrich von Schwerin reports from Lesbos

More:The end of the road

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Amnesty International: One Third of All Imprisoned Journalists Are in Turkey

Amnesty International: One Third of All Imprisoned Journalists Are in Turkey
March 26, 2017 9:29 PM

Kasim Cindemir

Amnesty International has called on the Turkish government to stop its crackdown on the media and release imprisoned journalists in the country.

More:Amnesty International: One Third of All Imprisoned Journalists Are in Turkey

EU-Turkey relationship status: It's complicated - Conatus News

EU-Turkey relationship status: It’s complicated

March 26, 2017 Angelos Sofocleous International, Main Story, News, Politics 0
By Angelos Sofocleous and Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Turkey’s been in the news lately, mainly because of Erdoğan, but with recent comments, detachment of Turkey from the EU, and the internal referendum of Turkey too. Why?

More:EU-Turkey relationship status: It's complicated - Conatus News

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Turkey′s Erdogan wants Brexit-like vote on pursuit of EU membership | News | DW.COM | 25.03.2017

Turkey's Erdogan wants Brexit-like vote on pursuit of EU membership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he may hold a nationwide vote on whether to continue to pursue EU membership. Turkey's government began accession talks with the EU in 2005, but the process stalled years ago.

More:Turkey′s Erdogan wants Brexit-like vote on pursuit of EU membership | News | DW.COM | 25.03.2017

How Did Turkey Become Isolated So Quickly? - Worldcrunch

How Did Turkey Become Isolated So Quickly?

It wasn't long ago that Turkey was a nation envied around the world for growing freedoms and a growing economy. Things have changed fast.

More:How Did Turkey Become Isolated So Quickly? - Worldcrunch

Could the Trump administration send Fethullah Gülen back to Turkey? - CSMonitor.com

Could the Trump administration send Fethullah Gülen back to Turkey?

Turkey accuses the cleric of being the author of last summer’s failed coup. Whether or not the Trump administration sides with Turkey or European skeptics could shape the course of the war against ISIS.

More:Could the Trump administration send Fethullah Gülen back to Turkey? - CSMonitor.com

What's behind Erdogan's recent angry outbursts?

What's behind Erdogan's recent angry outbursts?

What's behind the embarrassing shenanigans of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)? What's the reason for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's angry outbursts?

More:What's behind Erdogan's recent angry outbursts?

Naturalization of Syrian Refugees Divides Turkey - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English

Naturalization of Syrian Refugees Divides Turkey
Saeed Abdelrazek

Ankara – The possibility of naturalizing Syrian refugees, who have fled the war in their country to Turkey, has turned into a heated topic among Turkish parties with camps divided between those who support the measure and others that view it as a threat.

More:Naturalization of Syrian Refugees Divides Turkey - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English

Friday, March 24, 2017

UK report: Gulenists took part in failed Turkey coup | Turkey News | Al Jazeera

UK report: Gulenists took part in failed Turkey coup
British report to indicate evidence that members of Fethullah Gulen's group participated in Turkish failed coup attempt.

A report by a British parliament committee indicating evidence that individual members of Fethullah Gulen's group participated in Turkey's failed coup attempt will be published in a few hours.

More:UK report: Gulenists took part in failed Turkey coup | Turkey News | Al Jazeera

Dutch-Turks in Amsterdam feel intimidated by Turkish referendum campaigning | NL Times

Dutch-Turks in Amsterdam feel intimidated by Turkish referendum campaigning
By Janene Pieters on March 24, 2017 - 15:25

On Thursday Turkish voters living in Amsterdam-Noord received dozens of leaflets about an upcoming referendum in Turkey. Some feel intimidated by the dozens of papers left in their mailbox, they said to AT5.

"I find it quite intimidating because I am not in favor of Erdogan", one woman said to the Amsterdam broadcaster. "I don't like his ideas, I don't want a dictatorship. They should campaign in their own country ad leave us alone." Another person said that it is "extremely risky" to campaign against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Dutch-Turks in Amsterdam feel intimidated by Turkish referendum campaigning | NL Times

Queer forms migrate

Queer forms migrate

While heightened political tensions between Turkey and Europe grab the world's attention, an exhibition at Berlin's Schwules Museum refreshingly highlights the gay community's links to Istanbul. Report by Jan Tomes

More:Queer forms migrate

Fraying at the edges

Fraying at the edges

The authoritarian course taken by the Turkish government is adversely affecting relations with Germany: the more the values in the two countries drift apart, the weaker the basis for a reliable and stable partnership. By Gulistan Gurbey

More:Fraying at the edges

A Last Chance for Turkish Democracy - The New Yorker

A Last Chance for Turkish Democracy
By Dexter Filkins 06:00 A.M.

On April 16th, Turkey will vote on a referendum that, if passed, would dramatically increase the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
On April 16th, Turkey will vote on a referendum that, if passed, would dramatically increase the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.PHOTOGRAPH BY KAYHAN OZER / ANADOLU AGENCY / GETTY

The first time I met Selahattin Demirtaş, the leader of Turkey’s largest Kurdish political party, known as the H.D.P., he arrived at a restaurant in Istanbul with a single assistant accompanying him. Demirtaş is warm and funny. Among other things, he is an accomplished player of the saz, a string instrument that resembles the oud. At the time—it was 2011—Demirtaş was trying to lead his party and people away from a history of confrontation with the country’s central government. It wasn’t easy. Like other Kurdish leaders in Turkey, Demirtaş had spent time in prison and seen many of his comrades killed. I remember him telling me how, in the nineteen-nineties, when civil unrest in the country’s Kurdish areas was hitting its bloody peak, a particular make of car—a white Renault—had been notorious in Kurdish towns. The cars were used by Turkish intelligence officers, who had developed a terrifying reputation for torturing and executing Kurds. “I’ve been inside the Renaults,’’ Demirtaş told me. “A lot of people I know never made it out of them.”

More:A Last Chance for Turkish Democracy - The New Yorker

Why Turkey’s referendum is important – The Express Tribune Blog

Why Turkey’s referendum is important
By Raza Habib Raja 2 hours ago

Turkey is one of the most beautiful countries of the world. Besides physical beauty of its architectural heritage and breath-taking landscapes, Turkey also captures the imagination because it is a crossroad of Asia and Europe, and consequently a lovely mix between tradition and modernisation. But what makes Turkey truly fascinating for me is that since the 1920s, it has been a secular as well as a moderate Muslim majority country. Whenever someone wants to prove that a Muslim country can be secular and moderate, they use Turkey as their example.

More:Why Turkey’s referendum is important – The Express Tribune Blog

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Dutch-Turkish Diplomatic Confrontation: Lessons Learned the Hard Way | EuBulletin.Com

Dutch-Turkish Diplomatic Confrontation: Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Never have the Dutch elections been monitored so closely by the international community as the 15 March general elections to elect all 150 members of the House of Representatives. The possibility of the rise of the Party for Freedom, a nationalist and right-wing populist political party, kept observers on their toes.

More:Dutch-Turkish Diplomatic Confrontation: Lessons Learned the Hard Way | EuBulletin.Com

Turkey Demands Answers from Russia After Soldier Shot Dead Near Syria

Turkey Demands Answers from Russia After Soldier Shot Dead Near Syria
By Tom O'Connor On 3/23/17 at 11:26 AM

Turkey summoned the acting Russian envoy Thursday after a Turkish soldier was shot dead by cross-border fire from a section of Kurdish-held Syria where Russian forces were present.

More:Turkey Demands Answers from Russia After Soldier Shot Dead Near Syria

EU says summons Turkish ambassador over Erdogan comments | Reuters

EU says summons Turkish ambassador over Erdogan comments

The European Commission said on Thursday it had summoned the Turkish ambassador to explain comments by President Tayyip Erdogan that Europeans would not be able to "walk safely on the streets" if they kept up their current attitude toward Turkey.

More:EU says summons Turkish ambassador over Erdogan comments | Reuters

Iranian tourists flock to Turkish border towns

Iranian tourists flock to Turkish border towns

“Free” is among the last words used to describe Turkey these days. But freedom is what the country offers to tens of thousands of Iranian tourists who flock to their neighbor every year. Chadors are cast off, whiskeys ordered and an orgy of unfettered fun is uncorked for Iranian revelers who are formally denied such pleasures at home.

More:Iranian tourists flock to Turkish border towns

Turkish Airlines Slumps as Laptop Ban Risks Dreams of Global Hub - Bloomberg

Turkish Airlines Slumps as Laptop Ban Risks Dreams of Global Hub
by Tugce Ozsoy and Ercan Ersoy
March 22, 2017, 10:33 AM EDT

Investors were just starting to warm to Turkish Airlines and its goal to be at the heart of an Istanbul airline hub after a turbulent year for the carrier’s stock. Then came Tuesday’s in-cabin electronics security restrictions, announced by the U.S. and the U.K.

More:Turkish Airlines Slumps as Laptop Ban Risks Dreams of Global Hub - Bloomberg

Turkey Trying to Exclude Airport, Airline From Laptop Ban | World News | US News

Turkey Trying to Exclude Airport, Airline From Laptop Ban

A senior official says Turkey is taking steps to keep Istanbul's main airport and its national carrier, Turkish Airlines, outside of the scope of new aviation restrictions imposed by the United States and Britain.

More:Turkey Trying to Exclude Airport, Airline From Laptop Ban | World News | US News

Erdogan wanted to hold massive stadium-sized rally in Netherlands: report | NL Times

Erdogan wanted to hold massive stadium-sized rally in Netherlands: report
By Janene Pieters on March 23, 2017 - 08:37

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to visit the Netherlands for a stadium-sized campaign event for a referendum that would give him more power, the Telegraaf reports. Turkish organizations tried to rent the Amsterdam ArenA, the Ziggo Dome or the Gelder Dome for the event, but all refused.

More:Erdogan wanted to hold massive stadium-sized rally in Netherlands: report | NL Times

Norway says Turkish asylum cases not decided by politicians | Reuters

Norway says Turkish asylum cases not decided by politicians

Norway's decision to grant asylum to a group of Turkish military officers is an administrative not a political one, a Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday, a day after Ankara summoned Norway's ambassador over the issue.

More:Norway says Turkish asylum cases not decided by politicians | Reuters

Ending the migrant deal with Turkey may save the EU

Ending the migrant deal with Turkey may save the EU

By Zana Kurda
BRUSSELS, Today, 11:22

It has been one year since Turkey and the European Union signed a migrant deal on Syrian refugees.

More:Ending the migrant deal with Turkey may save the EU

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Beyond the Ballot: Turkey’s Economy at the Crossroads | EconoMonitor

Beyond the Ballot: Turkey’s Economy at the Crossroads

By Otaviano Canuto and Samuel George on March 22, 2017

Turkey has been approaching a crossroads for some time now. Soon enough it will have to choose a direction.

On April 16, 2017 Turks will vote in a referendum on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s proposed constitutional amendment that would shift the country’s power center from a parliamentary system to a presidential one.

More:Beyond the Ballot: Turkey’s Economy at the Crossroads | EconoMonitor

Erdogan's rhetoric threatens Turkey's future relations with EU | Euronews

Erdogan's rhetoric threatens Turkey's future relations with EU

Every day now it seems Turkey’s President Erdogan has something new to say about Europe, and it appears to be pushing the nation away from a close relationship just weeks ahead of a referendum on giving Erdogan more power.

More:Erdogan's rhetoric threatens Turkey's future relations with EU | Euronews

Turkey’s foreign policy displays a messy picture - SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Turkey’s foreign policy displays a messy picture

Turkey’s foreign policy is currently displaying a cluttered picture on two main reasons and processes. First, the impact of the July 2016 coup attempt on Turkey’s bilateral and institutional relationships is still in place.

More:Turkey’s foreign policy displays a messy picture - SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

EU-#Turkey: anatomy of a difficult relationship : EU Reporter

EU-#Turkey: anatomy of a difficult relationship

“Unacceptable.” President Antonio Tajani was clear this week in his condemnation of Turkey accusing Germany and the Netherlands of Nazi methods for preventing Turkish ministers from campaigning in their countries in favour of a referendum to give the president additional powers. Although the EU and Turkey cooperate on anything from trade to migration, relations have become strained in recent year. Read on for an overview of the current state of affairs.

More:EU-#Turkey: anatomy of a difficult relationship : EU Reporter

Erdogan's War on the West

Erdogan's War on the West

by Burak Bekdil
March 22, 2017 at 4:30 am

In 2005, the Turkish prime minister at the time, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, became the co-chairs of a United Nations-sponsored global effort that went by the fancy name "Alliance of Civilizations." Twelve years later, Zapatero is a retired politician, the Western world faces different flavors of Islamist-to-jihadist threats and Erdogan is at war with Western civilization.

More:Erdogan's War on the West

Turkey’s Frightening Trifecta: ISIS, Erdogan & U.S. Nukes - The Daily Beast

Turkey’s Frightening Trifecta: ISIS, Erdogan & U.S. Nukes

PARIS—If we’re going to judge America’s NATO allies by their defense spending, as President Donald Trump seems intent on doing, then Turkey should be in good odor. Its military is the second biggest in the alliance, and it is one of the few members that exceeds the spending target of 2 percent of GDP.

More:Turkey’s Frightening Trifecta: ISIS, Erdogan & U.S. Nukes - The Daily Beast

The Cult of Erdogan Won’t Guarantee Victory in Turkey Vote - WSJ

The Cult of Erdogan Won’t Guarantee Victory in Turkey Vote

Turkish leader’s dip in popularity, economic woes dent support for changes to empower presidency

More:The Cult of Erdogan Won’t Guarantee Victory in Turkey Vote - WSJ

Turkey Bristles at Being Included in Airline Laptop Ban

Turkey Bristles at Being Included in Airline Laptop Ban
By Patrick Goodenough | March 22, 2017 | 5:56 AM EDT

(CNSNews.com) – As Britain followed the United States’ lead in banning the carrying of electronic devices onboard inbound flights from selected airports in Islamic nations, Turkey is demanding that it not be lumped together with the other affected countries.

More:Turkey Bristles at Being Included in Airline Laptop Ban

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Everything you need to know about the inflight laptop ban, from what it is to why Canada is considering it | National Post

Everything you need to know about the inflight laptop ban, from what it is to why Canada is considering it

What’s it all about?

The U.S. government was the first to announce it is temporarily barring passengers on certain flights originating in eight Muslim-majority countries from bringing laptops, iPads, cameras and most other electronics larger than cellphones in carry-on luggage. The ban is indefinite and will affect nine airlines in total. A U.S. official told The Associated Press the ban will apply to nonstop flights to the United States from 10 international airports serving the cities of Cairo in Egypt; Amman in Jordan; Kuwait City in Kuwait; Casablanca in Morocco; Doha in Qatar; Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Istanbul in Turkey; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

More:Everything you need to know about the inflight laptop ban, from what it is to why Canada is considering it | National Post

CNN Turk: Complications Possible in Sofia-Ankara Relations - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

CNN Turk: Complications Possible in Sofia-Ankara Relations

“Complications are possible in the relations between Ankara and Sofia,” reported Turkish TV channel CNN Turk, cited by Focus agency.

More:CNN Turk: Complications Possible in Sofia-Ankara Relations - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

'Referendum, Erdogan pushed crisis with EU',Turkish analyst - Politics - ANSAMed.it

'Referendum, Erdogan pushed crisis with EU',Turkish analyst
'Turkish emigres damaged. Rhetoric won't work'

(by Cristoforo Spinella) ISTANBUL - ''The diplomatic crisis with EU countries is completely artificial. Erdogan wanted it to distract voters from a reform that is not as convincing as he would like, trying to bring to Europe the same polarization he has created in Turkey'', Koray Caliskan, a political science professor at the prestigious Bosphorus University in Istanbul, told ANSA. Discussing the strategy of the ''belligerent rhetoric'' of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its possible impact on a referendum on the presidential system scheduled on April 16.

More:'Referendum, Erdogan pushed crisis with EU',Turkish analyst - Politics - ANSAMed.it

Who is the real manipulator in Europe’s elections?

New kingmakers: Putin or Erdogan?
21 March 2017

During the presidential campaign in the United States, and especially after the victory of Donald Trump, it was alleged that Russia’s intelligence services had hacked the Democratic Party’s campaign. While it is probably true that Russia is closely watching all political movements, as intelligence organizations normally do, and possibly hacking some of them, an objective observer finds it hard to believe that the Kremlin set out to influence the outcome of the American electoral process.

More:Who is the real manipulator in Europe’s elections?

Monday, March 20, 2017

Turkish-Korean consortium to build Turkey’s largest solar plant - ENERGY

Turkish-Korean consortium to build Turkey’s largest solar plant

The Turkish-Korean Kalyon-Hanwha consortium on March 20 won the tender bid for the construction of Turkey’s biggest solar power plant set to be built in the Central Anatolian province of Konya’s Karapınar district, with an estimated investment volume of $1.3 billion.

More:Turkish-Korean consortium to build Turkey’s largest solar plant - ENERGY

Europe needs to learn how to work with Turkey while keeping democracy alive

Europe needs to learn how to work with Turkey while keeping democracy alive
March 19, 2017 6.40pm EDT

At the turn of the 21st cenutry, it was popular to speak of a “European Turkey”, just as it was standard to describe Russia as European – something historically and influentially attached to the continent.

More:Europe needs to learn how to work with Turkey while keeping democracy alive

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Denmark to probe reports that Turkey critics face reprisals | EUROPE ONLINE

Denmark to probe reports that Turkey critics face reprisals

Stockholm (dpa) - Denmark will probe allegations that Danish nationals with Turkish origin have been threatened with reprisals for criticizing the Turkish government, the Danish foreign minister said Sunday.

More:Denmark to probe reports that Turkey critics face reprisals | EUROPE ONLINE

Turkey starts building ‘world’s longest suspension bridge’ - Istanbul - Muscat Daily

Turkey starts building ‘world’s longest suspension bridge’

Turkey on Saturday started work on building what it says will be the world’s longest suspension bridge, spanning the Dardanelles strait that divides Europe and Asia.

More:Turkey starts building ‘world’s longest suspension bridge’ - Istanbul - Muscat Daily

'Not All Turks Are Little Erdogans': EU Commission Hits Back at Ankara

'Not All Turks Are Little Erdogans': EU Commission Hits Back at Ankara
© AFP 2017/ PATRIK STOLLARZ
Europe
10:26 19.03.2017(updated 10:39 19.03.2017) Get short URL
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EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag he is confident that Turkey won't ditch its migrant agreement with the EU, and suggested that the Turkish government is not representative of Turks living in Europe.

More:'Not All Turks Are Little Erdogans': EU Commission Hits Back at Ankara

Erdogan: The Sultan Of An Illusionary Ottoman Empire – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Erdogan: The Sultan Of An Illusionary Ottoman Empire – Analysis

By Dr. Alon Ben-Meir*

In many conversations and encounters I had over the years with former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, he emphatically echoed his boss President Erdogan’s grandiose vision that by 2023 (the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic), Turkey will become as powerful and influential as the Ottoman Empire was during its heyday. Under the best of circumstances, Turkey cannot realize Erdogan’s far-fetched dream. Had he stayed the course, however, with his socio-political and judiciary reforms and economic developments, as he had during his first nine years in power, Turkey could have become a major player on the global stage and a regional powerhouse.

More:Erdogan: The Sultan Of An Illusionary Ottoman Empire – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Economics of the standoff between Turkey and the Netherlands | Asia Times

Economics of the standoff between Turkey and the Netherlands
Altay Atli

As the diplomatic squabble between Turkey and the Netherlands continues to fester, concerns are raised about whether — and to what extent — the tensions will harm bilateral relations, particularly in economics where the two countries have robust trade and investment connections.

More:Economics of the standoff between Turkey and the Netherlands | Asia Times

Dutch PM: Red line drawn because of Turkey's 'blackmail' - Tribble Agency

Dutch PM: Red line drawn because of Turkey’s ‘blackmail’
March 18, 2017 0 Comment

The row, which is threatening to engulf even more European countries, began when the Netherlands prevented two ministers from Turkey from addressing political rallies of Turkish migrants in Rotterdam. Turkey and the Netherlands, two North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members, are dependent on each other.

More:Dutch PM: Red line drawn because of Turkey's 'blackmail' - Tribble Agency

Online Resistance In Turkey - Worldcrunch

Online Resistance In Turkey

ISTANBUL — The smartphone's video camera zigzags through the crowd. Amid a joyful brouhaha punctuated by applause, the young videomaker captures the first smiles and the excited faces, still stunned by the good news. "Asli Erdogan, Necmiye Alpay and Zana Kaya are free!," the journalist comments as she films the scene.

More:Online Resistance In Turkey - Worldcrunch

Turkey’s president campaigns for referendum at war memorial | The Seattle Times

Turkey’s president campaigns for referendum at war memorial

ISTANBUL (AP) — Cheered by flag-waving supporters, Turkey’s president turned a commemoration of a World War I campaign into a political rally on Saturday, slamming Europe and declaring that a constitutional referendum next month on whether to expand his powers will enhance Turkey’s place in the world.

More:Turkey’s president campaigns for referendum at war memorial | The Seattle Times

Turkey's political future tested in Europe | Turkey | Al Jazeera

Turkey's political future tested in Europe

Could Europe-Ankara tensions affect Turkey's upcoming referendum vote?

More:Turkey's political future tested in Europe | Turkey | Al Jazeera

Turkey must urgently look beyond - VERDA ÖZER

Turkey must urgently look beyond

The wave is getting bigger. First it was Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Then it was Sweden and Denmark. These are the countries that barred or warned about barring Turkish politicians from speaking in their country as part of political campaigning among Turkish emigres. The Netherlands went as far as to prevent Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu from flying to Rotterdam last week, just days before the general elections in the country.

More:Turkey must urgently look beyond - VERDA ÖZER

Time for common sense on foreign policy - TAHA AKYOL

Time for common sense on foreign policy

Because of our general state of anger and outbursts of heroism, we cannot find the time to see the big picture and review ourselves.

We are absolutely justified in our reactions to the Netherlands. That country cannot defend what it has done with any international document. But our disproportional discourses have worked against us and have pushed even those in Europe who are against the extreme right to react against us.

More:Time for common sense on foreign policy - TAHA AKYOL

Groundbreaking ceremony for bridge over Dardanelles held in Turkey’s Çanakkale - TOURISM

Groundbreaking ceremony for bridge over Dardanelles held in Turkey’s Çanakkale

The groundbreaking ceremony for the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge was taken place on March 18, the 102nd anniversary of the Çanakkale War.

More:Groundbreaking ceremony for bridge over Dardanelles held in Turkey’s Çanakkale - TOURISM

Germany not 'convinced' Gulen behind failed Turkey coup

Germany not 'convinced' Gulen behind failed Turkey coup
March 18 2017 05:27 PM

Germany's intelligence chief on Saturday said that US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen was not the mastermind behind a failed July 15 coup aimed at ousting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Germany not 'convinced' Gulen behind failed Turkey coup

Friday, March 17, 2017

Turkish president Erdogan urges Turks in Europe to have five children - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Turkish president Erdogan urges Turks in Europe to have five children

March 17 2017

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Turks living in Europe to have at least five children, saying it would be the best response to Europe's "injustices".

More:Turkish president Erdogan urges Turks in Europe to have five children - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Thursday, March 16, 2017

What next in the Europe-Turkey standoff? - YUSUF KANLI

What next in the Europe-Turkey standoff?

With various aspirations, obsessions, phobias and likely miscalculations, some European leaders and Turkish powerholders are pulling Turkey-Europe relations into such rough waters that the end result will probably be worse than anyone can imagine.

Who advised Turkey’s absolute President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to engage in such a futile war of words with European politicians, just a month before a key public vote on a raft of constitutional amendments making him a super-president? Did he not know that as government members of a non-EU member country, Turkish ministers cannot engage in political propaganda activities without getting the prior consent of host countries?

More:What next in the Europe-Turkey standoff? - YUSUF KANLI

Hollande, Merkel to Turkey: Respect our law in referendum campaign events - EUROPE

Hollande, Merkel to Turkey: Respect our law in referendum campaign events

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have said Turkey should obey French and German laws in campaign rallies for the upcoming referendum on shifting to an executive presidential system.

More:Hollande, Merkel to Turkey: Respect our law in referendum campaign events - EUROPE

Tillerson to woo Turkey during Ankara visit

Tillerson to woo Turkey during Ankara visit

Al-Monitor has learned that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to travel to Turkey March 30. He will be the most senior US official to formally visit Turkey since the Donald Trump administration took office in January.

More:Tillerson to woo Turkey during Ankara visit

Istanbul: ‘Major’ terrorist attack thwarted - Al Arabiya English

Istanbul: ‘Major’ terrorist attack thwarted
Istanbul police raided a suspected ISIS cell in Kağıthane district, located on the

Turkish police reported that it had arrested two suspected ISIS loyalists on Thursday who were planning on committing a “major attack” similar to the Istanbul restaurant attack that happened early New Years’ day.

More:Istanbul: ‘Major’ terrorist attack thwarted - Al Arabiya English

Turkish-Dutch “children” stuck in the middle of identity spat | TRT World

Turkish-Dutch “children” stuck in the middle of identity spat

Relations between Turkey and the Netherlands soured after the Dutch – eyeing their own election – refused to let Turkish ministers hold a rally. Dutch Turks tell TRT World they feel as if they’re stuck in a family quarrel.

More:Turkish-Dutch “children” stuck in the middle of identity spat | TRT World

Turkey Posts Worst Budget, Jobless Numbers Since 2009 Crisis - Bloomberg

Turkey Posts Worst Budget, Jobless Numbers Since 2009 Crisis
by Onur Ant
and Selcan Hacaoglu
March 15, 2017, 4:14 AM EDT March 15, 2017, 5:19 AM EDT

Turkey's Zeybekci Says Economy Must Grow at Least 5.5%

Turkey posted some of its worst budget and unemployment data since 2009, when the impact of the global financial crisis was at its peak.

More:Turkey Posts Worst Budget, Jobless Numbers Since 2009 Crisis - Bloomberg

Turkey Raises Lending Costs to Curb Double-Digit Inflation - Bloomberg Quint

Turkey Raises Lending Costs to Curb Double-Digit Inflation
Onur Ant
March 16, 2017, 8:43 am

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s central bank raised a key interest rate on Thursday and said it will maintain a tight monetary policy until the inflation rate, which is running at more than double the regulator’s target, improves.

More:Turkey Raises Lending Costs to Curb Double-Digit Inflation - Bloomberg Quint

You have lost a friend like Turkey: Erdoğan tells Dutch PM - DIPLOMACY

You have lost a friend like Turkey: Erdoğan tells Dutch PM

SAKARYA

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte won the elections but lost a friend like Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 16.

"O Rutte, you might have finished the elections as the first party, but you should know that you lost a friend like Turkey,” Erdoğan told a rally in the northwestern province of Sakarya.

More:You have lost a friend like Turkey: Erdoğan tells Dutch PM - DIPLOMACY

New Directions for European Assistance in Turkey - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

New Directions for European Assistance in Turkey

Richard Youngs, Müjge Küçükkeleş

Recent political developments in Turkey and its surrounding region pose challenges for the kind of cooperation programs that European aid donors operate inside Turkey. This report examines how European donors are reacting to the evolving political and security context in and around Turkey and provides thoughts on how they should reorientate their aid programs.

More:New Directions for European Assistance in Turkey - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Turkey’s spat with the Netherlands: The liberal democratic world is worse off - The Globe and Mail

Turkey’s spat with the Netherlands: The liberal democratic world is worse off

Bessma Momani

Special to The Globe and Mail

From Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Netherlands’ Islamophobic candidate Geert Wilders, leaders have found countless ways to capitalize on the populist and nationalist surges overtaking their countries. Less than a year ago, these men had difficulty convincing their populations of their platforms. Now these two countries, who 400 years ago exchanged tulips in the spirit of public diplomacy, have emboldened illiberal bases with this week’s diplomatic row.

More:Turkey’s spat with the Netherlands: The liberal democratic world is worse off - The Globe and Mail

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Fake slurs: Turkey hurls “Nazi” allegations to boost its president’s support | The Economist

Turkey hurls “Nazi” allegations to boost its president’s support

Recep Tayyip Erdogan reckons an anti-European frenzy will help him win a constitutional referendum

More:Fake slurs: Turkey hurls “Nazi” allegations to boost its president’s support | The Economist

Erdogan and Europe Head for Political Blow-Up They Can't Afford - Bloomberg

Erdogan and Europe Head for Political Blow-Up They Can't Afford
by Marc Champion
March 15, 2017, 2:04 PM EDT

Politicians in Turkey and the European Union stoking tensions for short-term electoral gain may have done lasting damage to vital economic and security ties.

More:Erdogan and Europe Head for Political Blow-Up They Can't Afford - Bloomberg

Andrew Bolt: Turkish hostility in Europe is not a surprise | Herald Sun

Andrew Bolt: Turkish hostility is not a surprise
Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun
March 15, 2017 1:35am

PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan — Turkey’s emerging dictator — is whipping some of the millions of Turks in Europe into mobs.

More:Andrew Bolt: Turkish hostility in Europe is not a surprise | Herald Sun

Who would suffer most from Turkey’s break with EU? - SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Who would suffer most from Turkey’s break with EU?

One of the most important messages delivered by EU Minister Ömer Çelik at a recent meeting with the Ankara bureau chiefs of media outlets was that the Turkish government is not willing to turn current spats with the Netherlands and Germany into a fresh source of tension with the European Union.

More:Who would suffer most from Turkey’s break with EU? - SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Turkey Says EU is ‘Helping Xenophobia’ By Supporting Netherlands in Diplomatic Row

Turkey Says EU is ‘Helping Xenophobia’ By Supporting Netherlands in Diplomatic Row
By Reuters On 3/14/17 at 5:43 AM

Turkey’s foreign ministry said Tuesday the European Union was exercising democratic values selectively and that it should not be standing by the Netherlands, which it accused of violating human rights and European values.

More:Turkey Says EU is ‘Helping Xenophobia’ By Supporting Netherlands in Diplomatic Row

Merkel threatens to bar campaigns by Turkish politicians

Merkel threatens to bar campaigns by Turkish politicians

Berlin hardens stance after Erdogan directs insults at Germany and Netherlands

More:Merkel threatens to bar campaigns by Turkish politicians

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Erdogan, the Netherlands and a Perfect Campaign Storm - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Netherlands Dispute Gives Turkey Perfect Election Fodder

Ankara is piling on in its dispute with the Netherlands after the country refused to allow key government members to hold political rallies in the country over the weekend. Turkey is calling for retaliation in the "harshest ways" and President Erdogan has found the perfect election issue.

More:Erdogan, the Netherlands and a Perfect Campaign Storm - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Erdogan and Turkish Referendum Divides German Society - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Turkish Referendum Casts Dark Shadow over Germany

Turkey is divided ahead of a key constitutional referendum to grant President Erdogan more power. So too is Germany's Turkish population. Officials are concerned that violence could be the result while ordinary Germans are unable to understand how anyone could support Erdogan. By SPIEGEL Staff

More:Erdogan and Turkish Referendum Divides German Society - SPIEGEL ONLINE

How far will Erdoğan go in fanning Turkey's diplomatic crisis with Europe? - CSMonitor.com

How far will Erdoğan go in fanning Turkey's diplomatic crisis with Europe?
modes of thought

Turkey's President Erdoğan lashed out at the Dutch for blocking rallies aimed at garnering support from Turkish voters abroad ahead of an April referendum on his presidential powers. While that plays well at home, he may not want to push too hard, given close economic ties and shared interests.

More:How far will Erdoğan go in fanning Turkey's diplomatic crisis with Europe? - CSMonitor.com

Turkish diaspora in Germany divided by Erdogan's referendum - Channel NewsAsia

Turkish diaspora in Germany divided by Erdogan's referendum

Posted 15 Mar 2017 02:50

BERLIN: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's push to expand his powers in an April 16 referendum is causing deep divisions in Germany's already fractured three million-strong Turkish community, splitting families and turning friends into enemies.

More:Turkish diaspora in Germany divided by Erdogan's referendum - Channel NewsAsia

Is Turkey Still a Democracy? | Foreign Policy

Is Turkey Still a Democracy?

An upcoming referendum and a vicious war of words with Europe could end up making Erdogan more powerful — and isolated — than ever.

More:Is Turkey Still a Democracy? | Foreign Policy

When Campaigns Collide in Europe | Stratfor

When Campaigns Collide in Europe
Geopolitical Diary
March 13, 2017 | 22:49 GMT

For politicians in Turkey, the campaign trail can be long indeed. Large communities of Turkish expatriates in the European Union make cities in the bloc popular campaign stops for Turkish candidates during election season. In fact, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a rally in the German city of Karlsruhe prior to his re-election in 2015. But as Germany and the Netherlands — home to some of the largest Turkish populations in Europe — gear up for elections of their own, Turkish statesmen have been having a harder time electioneering there.

More:When Campaigns Collide in Europe | Stratfor

Erdogan Falls Out Of Favour With The West

Erdogan Falls Out Of Favour With The West
NIRAJ SRIVASTAVA

Erdogan Falls Out Of Favour With The West
NIRAJ SRIVASTAVA
Tuesday, March 14,2017

NEW DELHI: Something unthinkable happened on 11th. March. The government of the Netherlands withdrew permission for a plane, carrying Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu, to land in the country.

More:Erdogan Falls Out Of Favour With The West

Monday, March 13, 2017

Why Erdogan's spat with Europe is significant - CNN.com

Why Erdogan's spat with Europe is significant

by Nic Robertson, CNN

(CNN)Of all that is at stake in Turkey's spat with Europe, perhaps nothing is more fragile than President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's pride.
He fills an outsized global role these days and any hint of humiliation at not getting his way in the Netherlands will not sit well at home -- where he generally does get his own way.

More:Why Erdogan's spat with Europe is significant - CNN.com

Turkey suspends top ties with Netherlands in escalating crisis

Turkey suspends top ties with Netherlands in escalating crisis

Acrimony flares between Turkey and EU states – a standoff that risks affecting Ankara's entire relationship with Europe

More:Turkey suspends top ties with Netherlands in escalating crisis

Erdogan insults highlight EU’s dilemma in dealing with Turkey

Erdogan insults highlight EU’s dilemma in dealing with Turkey

President’s verbal attacks on European leaders are an appeal to the diaspora

More:Erdogan insults highlight EU’s dilemma in dealing with Turkey

Turkish Attempt to Close Gap With the West Seems to Widen It - The New York Times

Turkish Attempt to Close Gap With the West Seems to Widen It

ANKARA, Turkey — American reporters got an intriguing glimpse into the political mind-set in Turkey last week, when the mayor of Ankara lured a group of us with promises of an interview with President

More:Turkish Attempt to Close Gap With the West Seems to Widen It - The New York Times

Erdogan sending Turkey into a death spiral | The Japan Times

Erdogan sending Turkey into a death spiral
by Andrew Wachtel

BRISHKEK – The series of terrorist attacks that have struck Turkey over the last year are sending the country — once viewed as a democratic, secular model for the Middle East — into a death spiral at the very moment when its people are to vote on a new constitution next month. Tourism — which had accounted for more than 10 percent of Turkey’s GDP — is withering, and foreign direct investment is set to slow considerably. These outcomes will reinforce each other, producing a vicious cycle that will be difficult to halt.

More:Erdogan sending Turkey into a death spiral | The Japan Times

Turkey's diplomatic relations with Europe take a nosedive

Turkey's diplomatic relations with Europe take a nosedive

If Erich Maria Remarque, known for his masterpiece World War I novel “All Quiet on the Western Front,” were following developments in Turkey today, he would, perhaps, be inspired to write a piece titled “All Trouble on the Western Front.” Turkey’s age-old European vocation is jeopardized and undermined. The tension between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his faithful in Germany spilled over to the Netherlands and unprecedented developments occurred. Turkey’s relations with the European Union may have taken a fatal blow this month.

More:Turkey's diplomatic relations with Europe take a nosedive

EU warns Erdogan over diplomatic spat with the Netherlands - France 24

EU warns Erdogan over diplomatic spat with the Netherlands

Latest update : 2017-03-13
The EU warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to avoid inflammatory rhetoric as a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the Netherlands deepened, with the Dutch envoy to Ankara summoned for the third day in a row.

More:EU warns Erdogan over diplomatic spat with the Netherlands - France 24

Sunday, March 12, 2017

France urges Turkey and EU states to ease tensions | Reuters

France urges Turkey and EU states to ease tensions

France urged Turkey and several EU member states to calm tensions and said there had been no reason to prohibit a meeting on its soil on Sunday between Ankara's foreign minister and a local Turkish association.

More:France urges Turkey and EU states to ease tensions | Reuters

Analysis: Europe challenges Turkey's Erdogan, why now? - Middle East - Jerusalem Post

Analysis: Europe challenges Turkey's Erdogan, why now?
BySeth J. Frantzman
March 12, 2017 17:22
Over the weekend Holland stunned Turkey by preventing rallies over a proposed referendum, drawing fierce rebuke from Ankara.

More:Analysis: Europe challenges Turkey's Erdogan, why now? - Middle East - Jerusalem Post

Turkish battle over ‘executive presidency’ prompts tensions with the Netherlands and divisions at home - The Washington Post

Turkish battle over ‘executive presidency’ prompts tensions with the Netherlands and divisions at home
By Kareem Fahim and Anthony Faiola March 12 at 9:01 AM

ISTANBUL — So far in a rancorous election season, the Turkish government or its opponents have invoked Nazi Germany, terrorist groups, fifth columnists and a Latin American dictator.

More:Turkish battle over ‘executive presidency’ prompts tensions with the Netherlands and divisions at home - The Washington Post

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Turkish family affairs minister blocked from entering Rotterdam consulate | News | DW.COM | 11.03.2017

Turkish family affairs minister blocked from entering Rotterdam consulate

Turkey's family minister was being escorted from Holland to the German border after being refused entry to the consulate in Rotterdam. The incident has heightened the diplomatic spat between Holland and Turkey.

More:Turkish family affairs minister blocked from entering Rotterdam consulate | News | DW.COM | 11.03.2017

Europe’s relations with Turkey go from bad to worse – POLITICO

Europe’s relations with Turkey go from bad to worse

Dutch authorities deny landing permission to Turkish foreign minister.

By Esther King

3/11/17, 12:35 PM CET

Updated 3/11/17, 6:50 PM CET

Dutch authorities on Saturday barred Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu from landing in Rotterdam, after a political rally at which he was slated to appear was cancelled.

More:Europe’s relations with Turkey go from bad to worse – POLITICO

Turkey’s Death Spiral by Andrew Wachtel - Project Syndicate

Turkey’s Death Spiral

BISHKEK – The series of terrorist attacks that have struck Turkey over the last year are sending the country – once viewed as a democratic, secular model for the Middle East – into a death spiral at the very moment when its people are to vote on a new constitution next month. Tourism – which previously accounted for more than 10% of Turkey’s GDP – is withering, and foreign direct investment is set to slow considerably. These outcomes will reinforce each other, producing a vicious cycle that will be difficult to halt.

More:Turkey’s Death Spiral by Andrew Wachtel - Project Syndicate

Erdogan calls Netherlands 'fascists' after minister's plane denied permission to land - Turkey - Haaretz

Erdogan Calls Netherlands 'Fascists' After Minister's Plane Denied Permission to Land

The Dutch government withdrew permission for the foreign minister to touch down in Rotterdam. He had previously been barred from addressing a rally in the city.

More:Erdogan calls Netherlands 'fascists' after minister's plane denied permission to land - Turkey - Haaretz

Friday, March 10, 2017

Russia and Turkey hail Syria cooperation and strengthen ties | Euronews

Russia and Turkey hail Syria cooperation and strengthen ties

Putting past problems behind them on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his visiting Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have hailed their military cooperation in Syria.

More:Russia and Turkey hail Syria cooperation and strengthen ties | Euronews

Erdogan: Sultan of an Illusionary Ottoman Empire - The Globalist

Erdogan: Sultan of an Illusionary Ottoman Empire

Turkey has no chance to become as powerful and influential as the Ottoman Empire was during its heyday. And it’s all Erdogan’s fault.

More:Erdogan: Sultan of an Illusionary Ottoman Empire - The Globalist

No real leverage

No real leverage

Repeated demands for Germany to take a firm line with Erdogan and to end the refugee deal with Turkey have become a favourite mantra of many among the German opposition parties. A hardening of the rhetoric alone, however, is hardly likely to induce Erdogan to change his tack. By Ulrich von Schwerin

More:No real leverage

7 killed after helicopter carrying business executives crashes in Istanbul - Daily Sabah

7 killed after helicopter carrying business executives crashes in Istanbul

Seven people were killed after a helicopter carrying high-level business executives crashed onto a highway after hitting a television tower Friday in Istanbul's Büyükçekmece district, located on the European side of the metropolis, after hitting a television tower in dense fog.

More:7 killed after helicopter carrying business executives crashes in Istanbul - Daily Sabah

Country risk: Erdogan is wrong – Turkey’s creditworthiness is waning /Euromoney magazine

Country risk: Erdogan is wrong – Turkey’s creditworthiness is waning
By: Jeremy Weltman Published on: Friday, March 10, 2017

Euromoney’s survey experts continue to downgrade the borrower, disagreeing with the president’s claims there is no justification for it.

More:Country risk: Erdogan is wrong – Turkey’s creditworthiness is waning /Euromoney magazine

Presidents of Turkey, Russia huddle against backdrop of Syrian war - CNN.com

Presidents of Turkey, Russia huddle against backdrop of Syrian war

By Angela Dewan, Frederik Pleitgen and Faith Karimi, CNN

(CNN)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on Friday as the two top leaders work to coordinate their military and diplomatic moves in the 6-year-old Syrian conflict and to deepen their economic ties.

More:Presidents of Turkey, Russia huddle against backdrop of Syrian war - CNN.com

Democracy without freedoms - YUSUF KANLI

Democracy without freedoms

The June 2015 election was a demonstration of the functioning of democratic governance in the country.

More:Democracy without freedoms - YUSUF KANLI

Thursday, March 09, 2017

Turkey wants these 5 things from President Trump

Turkey wants these 5 things from President Trump
Oren Dorell , USA TODAY 6:54 p.m. ET March 9, 2017

ANKARA, Turkey — Relations have been strained lately between the United States and NATO-ally Turkey, one of the world’s most populous Muslim countries. But President Trump has an opportunity to turn things around in Turkey's view.

More:Turkey wants these 5 things from President Trump

Turkish Voters Take to the Seas | Foreign Affairs

Turkish Voters Take to the Seas
What It Is Like to Oppose Erdogan's Constitutional Reforms
By Umar Farooq

On a clear evening in Istanbul’s Besiktas district, a dozen police officers eyed hundreds of people as they packed a private ferry on the Bosphorus. The passengers were attending an event to mobilize support for a “no” vote on a constitutional referendum scheduled for April 16. Equally wary of the police and any potential pro-“yes” saboteurs, a pair of organizers patted down each passenger before allowing him or her aboard.

More:Turkish Voters Take to the Seas | Foreign Affairs

White House: Trump unaware of Flynn's foreign agent work | 13 WTHR Indianapolis

White House: Trump unaware of Flynn's foreign agent work
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was not aware that his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had worked to further the interests of the government of Turkey before appointing him, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday.

More:White House: Trump unaware of Flynn's foreign agent work | 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Turkish Artist Receives Two-Year Prison Sentence for Painting Destruction of Kurdish City - artforum.com / news

Turkish Artist Receives Two-Year Prison Sentence for Painting Destruction of Kurdish City

Zehra Doğan, a Turkish painter and journalist who was detained after the failed military coup last July, was sentenced to two years, nine months, and twenty-two days in jail for painting the destruction caused by Turkish security forces in the Nusaybin district of Mardin—a city in the Kurdish region of Turkey, the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet reports.

More:Turkish Artist Receives Two-Year Prison Sentence for Painting Destruction of Kurdish City - artforum.com / news

Turkey to be added to European list of undemocratic countries

Turkey to be added to European list of undemocratic countries

In a further blow to Turkey’s spotty global image, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called March 8 for Turkey to come under its formal scrutiny, a status reserved for members that are deemed to be backsliding on democracy. Nine countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Russia are currently on that hook.

More:Turkey to be added to European list of undemocratic countries

How to handle Erdogan's constitutional coup

How to handle Erdogan's constitutional coup

By Steven Blockmans and Sinem Yilmaz
BRUSSELS, 3. Mar, 09:02

Last year's failed military coup of July 15, which left 241 dead and 2,196 wounded, has become a turning point in Turkey’s political history.

More:How to handle Erdogan's constitutional coup

Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Turkey uses Germany row to stir up nationalism ahead of vote - World - Pulse

Turkey uses Germany row to stir up nationalism ahead of vote

Turkish politicians are using a spate of cancelled rallies in Germany to stir up nationalist feeling ahead of next month's referendum on boosting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers, analysts say.

More:Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Turkey uses Germany row to stir up nationalism ahead of vote - World - Pulse

Turkey’s glass house - Opinion - Jerusalem Post

Turkey’s glass house
ByROBERT ELLIS
March 8, 2017 21:50
El Presidente – or “Reis” (the chief) as he is known in Turkey – is on shaky ground.

Turkey’s irascible President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at it again. This time he has accused Angela Merkel’s Germany of “Nazi practices” and has threatened a global uprising if he is not allowed to come to Germany to address Turkish voters before the referendum on April 16.

More:Turkey’s glass house - Opinion - Jerusalem Post

Flynn admits firm's pre-election lobbying for Turkey client | Fox News

Flynn admits firm's pre-election lobbying for Turkey client
Published March 08, 2017 Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who was fired from his prominent White House job last month, has registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for $530,000 worth of lobbying work before Election Day that may have aided the Turkish government.

More:Flynn admits firm's pre-election lobbying for Turkey client | Fox News

How Erdogan is dragging Merkel down with him

How Erdogan is dragging Merkel down with him

During the first years of his meteoric political career, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan liked to use the phrase “win-win.” That was when he was seen as an asset for a multitude of leaders around the world, thanks to the image he promulgated: that of a forthcoming political neophyte leading an aspiring nation and an ascendant country in the international system.

More:How Erdogan is dragging Merkel down with him

The End of Turkey's European History | The Huffington Post

The End of Turkey’s European History
03/08/2017 02:04 pm ET

BERLIN—The accusation by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey that Germany perseveres in “Nazi practices,” after a Turkish minister was forbidden from campaigning in Germany, is the latest instance in the perennially tense bilateral relation between Turkey and Europe. The incident also happens to take place one year after the European Union struck a landmark refugee deal with Ankara. With hindsight, the pact may come to be regarded as the endpoint of Turkey’s European history: the moment when Ankara’s political relations with Europe reached their final evolution.

More:The End of Turkey's European History | The Huffington Post

Turkey/Germany: a breathtaking hypocrisy

Turkey/Germany: a breathtaking hypocrisy

Unlike this country’s refusal to enfranchise its diaspora, Turkey’s millions abroad retain the right to vote, and will be crucial to determining next month’s controversial constitutional referendum on extending the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Polls predict a neck-and-neck race – hence his AKP party’s concern to campaign freely among Germany’s 1.4 million and Austria’s 116,000 Turkish voters.

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Decisions by Turkey's food committee will impact food prices - senior economy official | Reuters

Decisions by Turkey's food committee will impact food prices - senior economy official

Decisions reached by Turkey's food committee will reflect on food prices in the short term, a senior economy official said on Wednesday.

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Turkey shuts down Mercy Corps' Syria aid program

Turkey shuts down Mercy Corps' Syria aid program

Turkey continues to maintain its official silence over the decision made public March 7 to order Oregon-based Mercy Corps, one of the biggest humanitarian relief organizations delivering aid to Syria, to shutter its Turkish operations.

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Turkey Pushes Syria Safe Zones

Turkey Pushes Syria Safe Zones
March 08, 2017 4:30 PM

Jamie Dettmer

Turkey is pushing the idea once again of establishing safe zones in northern Syria and wants the issue on the agenda at the next round of U.N.-led peace talks in Geneva, which are scheduled for later this month.

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What We Learned From Turkey's Top Two Economic Policy Makers - Bloomberg

What We Learned From Turkey's Top Two Economic Policy Makers
by Benjamin Harvey
and Onur Ant
March 8, 2017, 6:59 AM EST

Central bank’s Cetinkaya, Deputy PM Simsek speak ahead of vote
Simsek cites resilience; Cetinkaya discusses inflation, rates

Turkey’s top two economic policy makers spoke Wednesday about the economy ahead of a key referendum next month. Here are some of their main comments.

More:What We Learned From Turkey's Top Two Economic Policy Makers - Bloomberg

Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Erdogan’s domestic agenda leaves Turkey facing new foreign crises

Erdogan’s domestic agenda leaves Turkey facing new foreign crises

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s antipathy for the West has boiled over again. He is back to hurling furious insults at various European countries — mainly Germany, the principal target of his current fury.

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European Commission extends “visa at gate” programme for Turkish citizens to Greek islands

European Commission extends “visa at gate” programme for Turkish citizens to Greek islands
By Irene Kostaki

The European Commission extends “visa at gate” pilot programme for Turkish citizens to Greek islands in an attempt to give local tourism a boost.

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Women will not stop - GİLA BENMAYOR

Women will not stop

The documentary called “You can do it,” prepared by fellow journalist Tuluhan Tekelioğlu, promptly explains the paradox surrounding the problems women face in this country.

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Monday, March 06, 2017

Turkey’s construction boom: A blessing or a curse?

Turkey’s construction boom: A blessing or a curse?

Concerned over deepening financial woes, Turkey’s Central Bank held a closed-door internal workshop Feb. 20 to discuss the real sector’s foreign-currency debt and related risks, Al-Monitor has learned. A document presented at the workshop and made available to Al-Monitor by a senior bureaucrat who attended the gathering underscores that “the exchange-rate risk of real sector companies is significant and the natural and financial safeguards against this risk are limited.” According to the document, the real sector’s debt stock has reached $347 billion, or about 50% of gross domestic product (GDP).

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Turkey considers relaxing rules on hair in armed forces, sparking concerns over creeping Islamisation of military | The Independent

Turkey considers relaxing rules on hair in armed forces, sparking concerns over creeping Islamisation of military

Opponents fear Erdogan is undermining the military's role as defenders of secularism

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Turkey referred to Security Council over imprisoned international judge | World | DW.COM | 06.03.2017

Turkey referred to Security Council over imprisoned international judge

As a judge in The Hague Aydin Sefa Akay should have had diplomatic immunity, but he was arrested for having a messaging app on his phone. As he languishes in prison an appeal for a man jailed for 30 years is in limbo.

More:Turkey referred to Security Council over imprisoned international judge | World | DW.COM | 06.03.2017

Merkel, Seeking to Defuse Erdogan Dispute, to Allow Turkish Campaigning – Handelsblatt Global

Merkel, Seeking to Defuse Erdogan Dispute, to Allow Turkish Campaigning

The German chancellor on Monday said she would let Turkish politicians campaign for expat votes in Germany in a controversial referendum on constitutional reforms. The remarks came after German officials in two towns cancelled speaking appearances by Ankara politicians.

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Turkey targeting foreign patients with new city hospitals - LOCAL

Turkey targeting foreign patients with new city hospitals

BARÇIN YİNANÇ

The Turkish government is starting the “second phase in its transformation of the health sector” with a view to attracting patients from abroad, according to Health Minister Recep Akdağ.

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How the youth are solving the Cyprus problem for themselves

How the youth are solving the Cyprus problem for themselves

Cypriots have taken the issue of solving the Cyprus problem in their own hands through cultural healing.

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Sunday, March 05, 2017

BACKGROUND Why Turkish voters in Germany matter to Erdogan | EUROPE ONLINE

BACKGROUND Why Turkish voters in Germany matter to Erdogan
Europe
05.03.2017
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online auf Facebook posten Auf Twitter posten
Berlin/Istanbul (dpa) - Turkey‘s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have traditionally enjoyed strong support from Turks living in Germany, which is why supporters are being mobilized ahead of an April 16 referendum on constitutional reform.

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Friday, March 03, 2017

How many Kurdistans? - VERDA ÖZER

How many Kurdistans?

Will an independent Kurdistan be built in northern Iraq? This question has long hung over our heads. However, in his op-ed for the Washington Post on Feb. 22, Bilal Wahab suggested that this is the wrong question. “How many Kurdistans will be formed? This is the right question to be asked from now on,” he wrote.

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Turkey’s bleak media scene: Arrests, closures and closed trials - LA Times

Turkey’s bleak media scene: Arrests, closures and closed trials
Turkey

In June 2015, Turkish journalist Can Dundar published photographs and posted a video on his newspaper’s website showing that the government had been secretly trucking arms to Syrian rebels and disguising the shipments as humanitarian aid deliveries.

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Merkel steps into Germany-Turkey war of words over rallies - BBC News

Merkel steps into Germany-Turkey war of words over rallies

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she respects local leaders' decisions to cancel Turkish political rallies, despite Turkish government anger.

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Turkish inflation hits double digits, piling pressure on central bank | GulfNews.com

Turkish inflation hits double digits, piling pressure on central bank

Istanbul: Turkish consumer prices rose more than 10 per cent in February compared with the same month last year, data showed on Friday, which may force the central bank to ignore political pressure and raise interest rates this month.

More:Turkish inflation hits double digits, piling pressure on central bank | GulfNews.com

Will Erdogan postpone upcoming referendum?

Will Erdogan postpone upcoming referendum?

The image of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar sitting next to him is more expressive than anything else of the tremors involving the government and the military in Turkey. Dressed not in military fatigues but in an elegantly tailored civilian suit, Akar is a subservient-looking general — which has to be the case in any democratic regime, indeed — with a troubled look and a nervous expression on his face, reflecting the increasing unease in the higher echelons of power.

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Thursday, March 02, 2017

Column: Turkey’s bizarre witch hunt against the media

Column: Turkey’s bizarre witch hunt against the media

By Aykan Erdemir and Cenk Sidar, The Washington Post, WP Bloomberg

Turkey, the world’s worst offender of press freedom according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, now accounts for a third of journalists jailed globally. The Turkish government, however, rejects the accusation. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently insisted that his country has “more press freedom than the West,” echoing earlier claims by the justice minister that no journalists are imprisoned - only terrorists. Their denials do little to obscure the inevitable truth: Ankara continues to jail some of the country’s most prominent journalists, and on increasingly ludicrous charges.

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Over 52 bln liras in loan, credit card debt restructured in Turkey: Association - FINANCE

Over 52 bln liras in loan, credit card debt restructured in Turkey: Association

Some 52 billion Turkish Liras ($14.3 billion) in loans and credit card debts were restructured in Turkey in September 2016, said the head of a top sector association, adding that this was a huge figure and that the sector achieved a great success by implementing the restructuring.

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German Local Authorities Halt Pro-Erdogan Islamist Rallies

German Local Authorities Halt Pro-Erdogan Turkish Islamist Rallies

by Breitbart London2 Mar

BERLIN (AFP) – German local authorities on Thursday blocked rallies by Turkish ministers aimed at promoting a referendum that would expand President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers, citing capacity problems.

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Turkish Automotive Suppliers Announced 2030 Goal: Turkey, Candidate for Being a Global Automotive

Turkish Automotive Suppliers Announced 2030 Goal: Turkey, Candidate for Being a Global Automotive Hub

CAYIROVA, Turkey, March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Turkish Association of Automotive Parts and Components Manufacturers (TAYSAD) Chairman Alper Kanca said that they were determined to become a global automotive hub in 2030

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Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Turkish media mogul in court after publishing controversial story

Turkish media mogul in court after publishing controversial story

The seemingly endless battle between the government and Turkey’s most prominent media mogul, Aydin Dogan, who is also US President Donald Trump’s business partner, grew nastier today after he was summoned to appear in court over accusations of fuel smuggling.

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Turkish court upholds free speech … for Erdogan

Turkish court upholds free speech … for Erdogan

The botched coup attempt that rattled Turkey on July 15, 2016, marked a double setback for the country’s democracy. As the academic Vahap Coskun succinctly described it, the failed putsch “was an insurrection against the democratic order by a group that had infiltrated the state. Those in the seat of power realized that the most critical organs of the state had been functioning outside their control and that their hold of power had been to a large extent only an appearance.” Turkish democracy thus braced for a second “coup” on July 16 as the government embarked on a ferocious crackdown with the stated aim of dismantling the putschist network and in the process pushing the limits of the law with authoritarian and arbitrary measures.

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'Banned from our own lives': intellectuals mourn the Turkey that once was

‘Banned from our own lives’: intellectuals mourn the Turkey that once was
February 28, 2017 4.55pm EST
Author

Çağla Aykaç

Researcher, University of Geneva

Until very recently, Turkey was the place to be. The country offered space for everyone: all shades of Islamists and nationalists were becoming very comfortable, women were all around, LGBTIQ activists were proud, the secular and Kemalists continued on their way, and minorities were achieving recognition of some of their basic rights.

More:'Banned from our own lives': intellectuals mourn the Turkey that once was

Germany summons Turkish ambassador, seeks release of jailed journalist – EurActiv.com

Germany summons Turkish ambassador, seeks release of jailed journalist

Berlin summoned Ankara’s ambassador yesterday (28 February) to protest the arrest in Turkey of a correspondent for a German newspaper, further fuelling tensions between the two NATO allies as demonstrations took place across German-speaking Europe.

More:Germany summons Turkish ambassador, seeks release of jailed journalist – EurActiv.com