Turkey’s top court rules jailed activist’s rights were not violated | Financial Times

Turkey’s top court rules jailed activist’s rights were not violated Last year European Court of Human Rights ordered that Osman Kavala should be freed More:Turkey’s top court rules jailed activist’s rights were not violated | Financial Times

What Will Biden Do About Turkey’s President Erdogan?

What Will Biden Do About Turkey’s President Erdogan? Melik KaylanContributor Policy I cover conflicts, frontiers and upheavals mired in history. There's a feverish discussion under way among foreign policy experts on what the President-elect should do about Turkey. It really has to be high up on his list of urgent worries, they seem to believe. Not least because Donald Trump's approach was so incoherent and so apparently unfocused. That is, other than his rather arbitrarily indulgent attitude towards Recep Tayyip Erdogan (except for the one incident of jailed evangelist Andrew Brunson – more of which later). More:What Will Biden Do About Turkey’s President Erdogan?

Turkey, UK sign extend their free-trade deal | Reuters

Turkey, UK sign extend their free-trade deal By Reuters Staff ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey and the United Kingdom extended their free-trade deal on Tuesday, days before Britain formally leaves the European Union, to keep up the existing flow of goods. More:Turkey, UK sign extend their free-trade deal | Reuters

What hope when we can't even scrutinise the tourism minister? | James in Turkey

What hope for Turkish journalism when we can’t even scrutinise the tourism minister? Tuesday 29 December 2020 It’s been an awful month: a broadcaster closed after 26 days, a newspaper editor jailed for 27 years, and a reporter held for 24 hours without charge Not Can Dündar or Olay TV. The event this month that best illustrated the dire state of Turkish journalism was the case of Ufuk Çeri. More:What hope when we can't even scrutinise the tourism minister? | James in Turkey

For NATO, Turkey S-400 Crisis Has No Easy Solutions

Why There’s No Easy Solution to the U.S.-Turkey Dispute Over the S-400 Henri J. Barkey Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020 In response to strong bipartisan pressure from Congress, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Turkey earlier this month to punish it for purchasing a sophisticated anti-aircraft missile system from Russia in 2019. The narrowly targeted sanctions include a ban on export licenses for Turkey’s main military procurement agency, as well as asset freezes and visa restrictions on senior officials at the organization. Not surprisingly, Turkey, a major NATO ally, called the move a “grave mistake” and threatened to retaliate. More:For NATO, Turkey S-400 Crisis Has No Easy Solutions

Turkey seeks arrest of businessman linked to US fraud scheme - ABC News

Turkey seeks arrest of businessman linked to US fraud scheme Turkish prosecutors have issued a detention warrant against a Turkish businessman with links to Utah-based business executives who have pleaded guilty to a $511 million tax credit scheme in the United States More:Turkey seeks arrest of businessman linked to US fraud scheme - ABC News

Mountain of debt growing under the rug in Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Mountain of debt growing under the rug in Turkey Turkey’s loan expansion has helped resuscitate the economy, but at the expense of an alarming surge in consumer and corporate debt. More:Mountain of debt growing under the rug in Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

EU regrets Turkish jailing of journalist

EU regrets Turkish jailing of journalist By EUOBSERVER TODAY, 09:01 Turkey's decision, last week, to jail journalist Can Dündar for 27 years for "what is his fundamental right to freedom of expression" went in the "opposite direction" of EU human rights demands, the EU foreign service has said. It also urged Turkey to release philanthropist Osman Kavala from pre-trial detention and to free former opposition party leader Selahattin Demirtaş in line with judgements by the European Court of Human Rights. More:EU regrets Turkish jailing of journalist

Battered Turkish Economy Puts a Powerful Erdogan to the Test - The New York Times

Battered Turkish Economy Puts a Powerful Erdogan to the Test Turkey’s veteran leader played an aggressive hand abroad, but as the country’s economy plummets, he is feeling ire at home as many Turks struggle to buy food. More:Battered Turkish Economy Puts a Powerful Erdogan to the Test - The New York Times

The EU's capitulation to Turkey | Ahval

The EU's capitulation to Turkey Robert Ellis Dec 27 2020 09:12 Gmt+3 Last Updated On: Dec 27 2020 02:17 Gmt+3 In light of the fact that a massive majority of the European Parliament a fortnight earlier had called for tough sanctions against Turkey, the European Council’s decision to mark time is a shameful abdication of responsibility. More:The EU's capitulation to Turkey | Ahval

Turkey: US Sanctions Under The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) - Analysis - Eurasia Review

Turkey: US Sanctions Under The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) – Analysis December 27, 2020 CRS 0 Comments By CRS By Jim Zanotti and Clayton Thomas* Turkey’s July 2019 acquisition of an S-400 surface-to-air defense system from Russia sparked debate about possible U.S. sanctions against Turkey—a longtime NATO ally—under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA, P.L. 115-44). CAATSA requires the President to impose sanctions on those persons he determines have knowingly engaged in a “significant transaction” with Russia’s security sector. More:Turkey: US Sanctions Under The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) - Analysis - Eurasia Review

Turkey signs deal with BioNTech for up to 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccine

Turkey signs deal with BioNTech for up to 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccine 26 December 2020 14:32 (UTC+04:00)747 By Trend Turkey has signed a deal with BioNTech, the German firm behind the mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine, for up to 30 million doses of the jab, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said in a tweet late Friday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. More:Turkey signs deal with BioNTech for up to 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccine

Erdogan says Turkey will break economic 'triangle of evil' with reforms | Reuters

Erdogan says Turkey will break economic 'triangle of evil' with reforms By Reuters Staff ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey will bring in structural reforms to break the “triangle of evil” of interest rates, inflation and exchange rates, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, adding Ankara was determined to form a system based on production and employment. More:Erdogan says Turkey will break economic 'triangle of evil' with reforms | Reuters

Turkey to require negative COVID-19 test result for travel

Turkey to require negative COVID-19 test result for travel today The experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company is 91.25% effective, a Turkish health official said on Thursday, Dec. 24. The efficacy rate announced by Turkey could not be immediately verified independently. Turkey, which has has among the worst infection rates in the world. has signed a deal for 50 million doses of the vaccine. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File) ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey is enacting precautions for international travel, requiring a negative COVID-19 test for passengers to enter the country starting Monday until March. More:Turkey to require negative COVID-19 test result for travel

Turkey’s President Erdogan Spent 2020 Bolstering His Neo-Ottoman Foreign Policy

Turkey’s Year of Living Dangerously Turkey took its expansionist vision to new heights in 2020—but with a battered economy, growing opposition, and now U.S. sanctions, it’s not clear how long that can continue. More:Turkey’s President Erdogan Spent 2020 Bolstering His Neo-Ottoman Foreign Policy

Gravitas: The Hidden Economic Disaster of Turkey, Gravitas News | wionews.com

Gravitas: The Hidden Economic Disaster of Turkey Dec 23, 2020 The Turkish Lira witnessed a record decline in its value this year. Turkey's central bank spent billions to defend the currency. Allegedly, a large chunk of the money spent was borrowed from banks. WION's Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you how Turkey's central bank owes more than what it owns. More:Gravitas: The Hidden Economic Disaster of Turkey, Gravitas News | wionews.com

New draft law seeks to paralyze Turkish civil society - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

New draft law seeks to paralyze Turkish civil society Groups across the ideological spectrum say the law, aimed at keeping Turkey from being blacklisted by the international money laundering watchdog, includes articles that will severely hamper their work. More:New draft law seeks to paralyze Turkish civil society - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Review of the Year: Turkey takes the path of assertive independence

Review of the Year: Turkey takes the path of assertive independence More:Review of the Year: Turkey takes the path of assertive independence

Erdogan's Political Challengers Are Getting Tougher - Bloomberg

Erdogan's Political Challengers Are Getting Tougher Topping the list are two women from both sides of the political spectrum. More:Erdogan's Political Challengers Are Getting Tougher - Bloomberg

Global smartphone makers plan production in Turkey - Latest News

Global smartphone makers plan production in Turkey ISTANBUL Several global smartphone makers, including China’s Oppo, South Korea’s Samsung as well as Huawei and Alcatel, are planning production in Turkey, Turkish media have reported. Oppo and Samsung may launch their production in Turkey-based facilities in February or March 2021, according to the daily Milliyet. More:Global smartphone makers plan production in Turkey - Latest News

Turkey bans flights from UK amid new virus strain

Turkey bans flights from UK amid new virus strain Country temporarily halts flights with UK, Denmark, Netherlands, S.Africa due to new fast-spreading COVID-19 strain More:Turkey bans flights from UK amid new virus strain

Turkish theologian forced out by Islamic community: The resignation of Turkish Koran exegete Mustafa Ozturk - Qantara.de

The resignation of Turkish Koran exegete Mustafa Ozturk Professor of theology and Qantara interview partner Mustafa Ozturk has resigned from an Istanbul university after immense pressure from certain segments of the Islamic community, having advocated a version of Islam they deemed "blasphemous". Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul More:Turkish theologian forced out by Islamic community: The resignation of Turkish Koran exegete Mustafa Ozturk - Qantara.de

Toxic hand-sanitisers from Turkey seized EU-wide

Toxic hand-sanitisers from Turkey seized EU-wide By EUOBSERVER TODAY, 07:04 The EU's anti-fraud office Olaf says some 140,000 litres of hand-sanitiser from Turkey, tainted with dangerously high levels of methanol, have so far been seized across the EU. Methanol can cause headaches, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, loss of coordination, and a decreased level of consciousness. It also has direct toxic effect on the optic nerve, and ingestion can lead to blindness. More:Toxic hand-sanitisers from Turkey seized EU-wide

Let Turkey's journalists report freely

Let Turkey's journalists report freely By SCOTT GRIFFEN VIENNA, TODAY, 07:05 Last month, the International Press Institute (IPI) published Turkey's Journalists on the Ropes, the latest report on the dramatic press freedom situation in Turkey. The report, which summarises the outcome of a press freedom mission carried out by 11 international groups in October, paints a depressing picture of the environment for journalism in the country. More:Let Turkey's journalists report freely

Turkey's media watchdog targets independent TV channels - IFEX

Turkey’s media watchdog targets independent TV channels Turkey|Free Expression & the Law Human Rights Watch 15 December 2020 Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), has contributed to the deepening censorship of independent and critical broadcasting by imposing five-day broadcasting bans on two TV stations and heavy fines on others. More:Turkey's media watchdog targets independent TV channels - IFEX

Why Pulling Back From Turkey Might Be the Best Way to Repair Ties in the Long Run.

It Is Time to Let Turkey Go It might be the best way to repair ties in the long run. More:Why Pulling Back From Turkey Might Be the Best Way to Repair Ties in the Long Run.

Congress passes annual defense spending bill mandating sanctions on Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Congress passes annual defense spending bill mandating sanctions on Turkey Trump has vowed to veto the bill, which includes a mandate for the administration to sanction Turkey over the S-400. More:Congress passes annual defense spending bill mandating sanctions on Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Guests attend weddings in Turkey due to social pressure despite pandemic | Daily Sabah

Guests attend weddings in Turkey due to social pressure despite pandemic BY DAILY SABAH ISTANBUL TURKEY DEC 13, 2020 3:17 PM GMT+3 People with face masks walk with a bride and groom following a wedding ceremony in Diyarbakır, Turkey, July 2, 2020. (Reuters Photo) An overwhelming majority of people invited to weddings feel forced to attend the ceremonies to avoid appearing rude, despite a reluctance due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey published Sunday revealed. More:Guests attend weddings in Turkey due to social pressure despite pandemic | Daily Sabah

Alienating Turkey is a strategic mistake

Alienating Turkey is a strategic mistake by Janusz Bugajski  | December 12, 2020 12:00 AM Tensions between Turkey and its NATO allies are intensifying. Some observers are even speculating that the country should be ejected or suspended from NATO. Such drastic moves are unlikely to succeed, but the escalating alienation of Turkey by the United States and the European Union is self-destructive for the West and assist NATO’s chief adversaries. More:Alienating Turkey is a strategic mistake

Turkish Lira Declines as U.S. Sanctions Risk Sours Appetite - Bloomberg

Turkish Lira Declines as U.S. Sanctions Risk Sours Appetite By Ugur Yilmaz December 11, 2020, 12:48 PM GMT+1 Updated on December 11, 2020, 1:15 PM GMT+1 The lira dropped as much as 1.7% to 8.0272 per dollar before paring declines, after President Donald Trump was said to have signed off on a package of penalties against Ankara over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems. Meanwhile, the European Union resisted Greek-led demands for tougher sanctions, and instead held out the possibility of weighing more punitive measures by March if Turkey continues its confrontational acts in the eastern Mediterranean. More:Turkish Lira Declines as U.S. Sanctions Risk Sours Appetite - Bloomberg

Turkey expert Gunter Seufert: "Turkey is aware of how dependent it is on the EU" - Qantara.de

"Turkey is aware of how dependent it is on the EU" Sanctions against Ankara are being considered at the EU summit. The number of those in favour has risen. It remains unclear how Germany will behave. But would such measures have any impact on Turkey? More:Turkey expert Gunter Seufert: "Turkey is aware of how dependent it is on the EU" - Qantara.de

Turkey’s year of belligerence – POLITICO

Turkey’s year of belligerence Europe needs to work with Washington to set clear red lines and offer incentives for better cooperation. More:Turkey’s year of belligerence – POLITICO

The Turkish Diaspora in Europe - Center for American Progress

The Turkish Diaspora in Europe Integration, Migration, and Politics By Max Hoffman, Alan Makovsky, and Michael Werz December 10, 2020, 5:00 am OVERVIEW Polling shows that members of Europe’s Turkish and Turkish-Kurdish diaspora value their separate identity; nevertheless, they welcome the opportunities and freedom of life in Europe, even in the face of lingering discrimination. PRESS CONTACT Introduction and summary More than 5 million people of Turkish descent live in Europe outside Turkey itself, a human connection that has bound Turkey and the wider European community together since large-scale migration began in the 1960s.1 The questions of immigration, citizenship, integration, assimilation, and social exchange sparked by this migration and the establishment of permanent Turkish diaspora communities in Europe have long been politically sensitive. More:The Turkish Diaspora in Europe - Center for American Progress

Erdogan Will Play Biden, But Stick to Putin - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Erdogan Will Play Biden, But Stick to Putin Soner Cagaptay December 9, 2020 The new U.S. administration will have a brief, early window to exert leverage, but Erdogan’s asymmetric relationship with Moscow may keep him from substantially altering Turkish policy on the S-400 dispute and regional issues. More:Erdogan Will Play Biden, But Stick to Putin - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Istanbul Is Locking Down. But Not if You’re a Tourist. - The New York Times

Istanbul Is Locking Down. But Not if You’re a Tourist. The city’s strict weekend curfew doesn’t apply to foreign visitors, who are free to roam the city, even as Turkey’s Covid-19 cases spike. More:Istanbul Is Locking Down. But Not if You’re a Tourist. - The New York Times

Turkey's COVID-19 situation better than Europe, US: WHO - Turkey News

Turkey's COVID-19 situation better than Europe, US: WHO ISTANBUL/KAYSERİ The COVID-19 situation in Turkey is not as bad as in other European countries or the U.S. due to measures concerning masks and social distancing, according to the World Health Organization’s Office in Turkey. More:Turkey's COVID-19 situation better than Europe, US: WHO - Turkey News

Turkey's Faltering Democracy and Western Interests | Global Security Review

Turkey’s Faltering Democracy And Western Interests By Anwar Alam On Dec 5, 2020 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan In mid-November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden. Although brief, the call between the two leaders is likely the start of a markedly different U.S.-Turkey relationship than the conciliatory approach pursued by President Trump. During his time in office, Trump emerged as one of Erdoğan’s greatest defenders in the West and repeatedly misrepresented the Turkish president for what he is – a tyrant and an enemy of democracy. As the Biden administration prepares to enter the White House, it’s past time to set the record straight. More:Turkey's Faltering Democracy and Western Interests | Global Security Review

Picking up the pieces - Turkey recovers from one earthquake and braces for more | Europe | The Economist

Turkey recovers from one earthquake and braces for more Istanbul is not ready for the next big one Dec 5th 2020 IZMIR Near one of Izmir’s main thoroughfares, bulldozers and excavators power through a vast heap of rubble and steel wire, the ghastly remains of an apartment block levelled by an earthquake that struck Turkey’s third-biggest city in late October. Movers salvage furniture and kitchen supplies from buildings awaiting demolition or on the verge of collapse, their facades covered with deep cracks. A few hundred metres away, outside a shelter for those made homeless by the disaster, Meryem, a divorced teacher, and her two children are packing their belongings onto a pickup truck. Her house survived, says Meryem, but suffered so much damage that she refuses to go back. “I would not wish this on anyone,” she says. More:Picking up the pieces - Turkey recovers from one earthquake and braces for more | Europe | The Economist

Istanbul to seek more foreign funding as Turkish banks won't help - mayor | Reuters

Istanbul to seek more foreign funding as Turkish banks won't help - mayor By Reuters Staff ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Istanbul’s municipality will issue new bonds or seek other foreign financing for major projects as Turkey’s state banks refuse to extend loans, mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Friday, days after it completed its first ever eurobond issue. More:Istanbul to seek more foreign funding as Turkish banks won't help - mayor | Reuters

U.S.-Turkey relations in 2021 : Biden and Erdogan – how much carrot, how much stick? - Qantara.de

U.S.-Turkey relations in 2021 Biden and Erdogan – how much carrot, how much stick? Initial statements by the Biden administration indicate it will follow a carrot and stick policy towards Turkey. Ankara believes its role in negotiations on various issues could strengthen its hand when it comes to ties with the new man in the White House. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul More:U.S.-Turkey relations in 2021 : Biden and Erdogan – how much carrot, how much stick? - Qantara.de

Turkey sells 10% of Borsa Istanbul shares to Qatar | Reuters

Turkey sells 10% of Borsa Istanbul shares to Qatar By Reuters Staff ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Turkey Wealth Fund (TWF) said on Monday it had sold 10% of shares in Borsa Istanbul to the Qatar Investment Authority for $200 million, finalising a deal signed last week. More:Turkey sells 10% of Borsa Istanbul shares to Qatar | Reuters

Turkey’s Economic Problem Is Erdogan. Improvement Won’t Come Until He Leaves.

Erdogan’s Economic Hail Mary Won’t Work Turkey’s problem is the president himself; improvement won’t come until he leaves. More:Turkey’s Economic Problem Is Erdogan. Improvement Won’t Come Until He Leaves.