Monday, May 31, 2021
Turkey's Erdogan Under Renewed Pressure Following Mafia Boss Allegations | Voice of America - English
Turkey's Erdogan Under Renewed Pressure Following Mafia Boss Allegations
By Dorian Jones
May 31, 2021 09:36 AM
ISTANBUL - The Turkish government is facing accusations of arming and funding jihadists in Syria. The allegations are just the latest by an exiled mafia boss in a weekly YouTube broadcast that are putting the Turkish president in an increasingly tight spot.
More:Turkey's Erdogan Under Renewed Pressure Following Mafia Boss Allegations | Voice of America - English
Turkey to restore house used by Atatürk in Syria's Afrin in 1918 | Daily Sabah
Turkey to restore house used by Atatürk in Syria's Afrin in 1918
BY DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL POLITICS MAY 31, 2021 11:11 AM GMT+3
Agovernor’s office on the Turkey-Syria border is planning to restore a house used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the Battle of Katma (Charge at Haritan) in Syria’s Afrin, an official statement said Monday.
More:Turkey to restore house used by Atatürk in Syria's Afrin in 1918 | Daily Sabah
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Turkey clamps down on alcohol as Erdogan pushes Islamist agenda - Nikkei Asia
Turkey clamps down on alcohol as Erdogan pushes Islamist agenda
COVID-19 ban on liquor sales seen as a ploy to reverse 100-year-old secularism
More:Turkey clamps down on alcohol as Erdogan pushes Islamist agenda - Nikkei Asia
Friday, May 28, 2021
The Mafia leader embarrassed Erdogan .. Why is Ankara turning a blind eye? - Asume Tech
The Mafia leader embarrassed Erdogan .. Why is Ankara turning a blind eye?
By
Editorial Team
May 28, 2021
The consequences of the videos, in those of the Turkish mafia leader Sedat Bekir in Turkey performed last until now, having performed in 7 Videos, die He began publishing on YouTube weeks ago, high-ranking government officials such as the current Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu, as well as the former, his son, the son of the former prime minister and others involved in the killing of Kurdish journalists and opponents in the 1990s as well as drug trafficking and smuggling, abuse of power and rape
More:The Mafia leader embarrassed Erdogan .. Why is Ankara turning a blind eye? - Asume Tech
Thursday, May 27, 2021
The EU balancing act over Turkey is reaching a tipping point | Ahval
The EU balancing act over Turkey is reaching a tipping point
Robert Ellis
May 27 2021 12:44 Gmt+3
Last Updated On: May 27 2021 11:49 Gmt+3
In early April, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paid a well-intentioned visit to Ankara to give EU-Turkey relations new momentum. But in what is now known as ‘Sofagate’ the visit fell flat.
More:The EU balancing act over Turkey is reaching a tipping point | Ahval
Court ruling, gang leader shine spotlight on murky killings in Turkey | Reuters
Court ruling, gang leader shine spotlight on murky killings in Turkey
Ali KucukgocmenDaren Butler
Nearly 30 years after Kurdish lawyer Yusuf Ekinci was gunned down and his body dumped by a highway, his lawyer son is still seeking justice in one of hundreds of cases of extrajudicial killings.
More:Court ruling, gang leader shine spotlight on murky killings in Turkey | Reuters
Why women are calling for Turkey's only female cabinet member to resign - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Why women are calling for Turkey's only female cabinet member to resign
The Turkish minister of family and social affairs' description of a domestic violence uptick as “tolerable” is seen as emblematic of government efforts to underestimate gender-based violence and femicides in the country.
More:Why women are calling for Turkey's only female cabinet member to resign - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Masks may be gone with COVID-19 normalization in Turkey | Daily Sabah
Masks may be gone with COVID-19 normalization in Turkey
BY DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL TURKEY MAY 27, 2021 1:51 PM GMT+3
People wearing protective masks walk on a street in Giresun, northern Turkey, May 26, 2021. (İHA PHOTO)
Turkey is counting down to June 1 for a planned normalization process that follows the tight restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Media reports on Thursday claimed that the mandatory mask rule might be eased next week as part of the process. According to the Hürriyet newspaper, authorities are considering ending the rule with a few preconditions. In open-air public spaces like parks, masks will not be mandatory as long as people maintain the 2-meter social distancing rule.
More:Masks may be gone with COVID-19 normalization in Turkey | Daily Sabah
Mafia Boss Claims Venezuela-Turkey Cocaine Connection - InSight Crime
Mafia Boss Claims Venezuela-Turkey Cocaine Connection
26 MAY 2021 BY VENEZUELA INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
A Turkish mafia boss, who has been making a number of extraordinary claims about his country’s elites and organized crime, has alleged that a plan was set in motion to traffic cocaine from Venezuela to Turkey, opening up a new supply route.
More:Mafia Boss Claims Venezuela-Turkey Cocaine Connection - InSight Crime
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Turkish capacity utilisation falls to 75.3% in May | Reuters
Turkish capacity utilisation falls to 75.3% in May
Reuters
Turkey's capacity utilisation rate fell to 75.3% in May from 75.9% a month earlier, data from the central bank showed on Tuesday.
More:Turkish capacity utilisation falls to 75.3% in May | Reuters
Sedat Peker: Mafia Boss Triggers A Mexican Standoff At The Heart Of The Turkish Establishment
Sedat Peker: Mafia Boss Triggers A Mexican Standoff At The Heart Of The Turkish Establishment
In a viral series of videos released on YouTube, a Turkish mafia boss, Sedat Peker, with deep links to the security services, civilian bureaucracy, and political elite, unleashed allegations of dirt against multiple Turkish government figures and "deep state" actors.
More:Sedat Peker: Mafia Boss Triggers A Mexican Standoff At The Heart Of The Turkish Establishment
Top Turkish minister fights corruption allegations from exiled mafia boss - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Top Turkish minister fights corruption allegations from exiled mafia boss
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said he would not resign and defended his record against allegations by an exiled mafia boss whose wide-spanning YouTube confessions have gripped Turkish politics.
More:Top Turkish minister fights corruption allegations from exiled mafia boss - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Monday, May 24, 2021
A Mob Boss’s YouTube Channel Is Causing Political Havoc in Turkey
A Mob Boss’s YouTube Channel Is Causing Political Havoc in Turkey
Turkish mob boss Sedat Peker is posting YouTube videos accusing officials of everything from covering murders to tipping off criminals.
More:A Mob Boss’s YouTube Channel Is Causing Political Havoc in Turkey
Erdogan in hot spot as Turks question 'mafiazation' of politics - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Erdogan in hot spot as Turks question 'mafiazation' of politics
Erdogan risks a major political setback unless he manages to contain an unprecedented scandal sparked by a mobster claiming close links with government figures.
More:Erdogan in hot spot as Turks question 'mafiazation' of politics - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Poland to acquire 24 Turkish-made combat drones :: WRAL.com
Poland to acquire 24 Turkish-made combat drones
Posted May 24, 2021 2:00 p.m. EDT
ANKARA, TURKEY — Turkey and Poland have signed a deal for the sale of Turkish-made combat drones, making Poland the first NATO and European Union member country to purchase Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
More:Poland to acquire 24 Turkish-made combat drones :: WRAL.com
Turkey’s 'wicked messenger' has gone viral. Here's why | The National
Turkey’s 'wicked messenger' has gone viral. Here's why
Sedat Peker, pictured in Istanbul in 2014, is exiled from Turkey, his whereabouts unknown. Getty Images
“My dear brothers, my dear friends,” the Turkish mafioso, grinning ear to ear, says to open his latest YouTube video, which drew five million views in less than 24 hours. “Here we are again.”
More:Turkey’s 'wicked messenger' has gone viral. Here's why | The National
The Battle For Africa: Why Turkish Airlines Is Winning - Simple Flying
The Battle For Africa: Why Turkish Airlines Is Winning
by
James Pearson
Turkish Airlines serves 53 passenger destinations across Africa from Istanbul Airport this year, up by one over 2019. It has more destinations in Africa than in Asia (41). Cairo is the leading route, and Egypt is the top country. Narrowbodies are utterly vital to its African effort, with over two-thirds of 2,000-mile-plus destinations flown by single-aisle aircraft.
More:The Battle For Africa: Why Turkish Airlines Is Winning - Simple Flying
Saturday, May 22, 2021
bne IntelliNews - ISTANBUL BLOG: Deathly silence from Erdogan as Turkey’s YouTuber gangster scandal snowballs
ISTANBUL BLOG: Deathly silence from Erdogan as Turkey’s YouTuber gangster scandal snowballs
Beware an ageing mobster with a camera and a tripod and a taste for the limelight.
By Akin Nazli May 22, 2021
Previously on “Sedat”, the Botox Chief: Our May 14 curtain-raiser told how millions in Turkey have become enthralled by YouTube videos released by Sedat Peker, a mafia boss known as “The Botox Chief” or “The Botox”, alleging corruption among top officials.
More:bne IntelliNews - ISTANBUL BLOG: Deathly silence from Erdogan as Turkey’s YouTuber gangster scandal snowballs
Turkey marks 10 years of coexistence with Syrian refugees - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Turkey marks 10 years of coexistence with Syrian refugees
ISTANBUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Muhammad Youssef came to Turkey seven years ago from Syria with his wife and two children, and a third child is on the way and will be granted Turkish citizenship.
More:Turkey marks 10 years of coexistence with Syrian refugees - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Friday, May 21, 2021
Turkish Airlines begins trial use of digital health wallet
Turkish Airlines begins trial use of digital health wallet
IATA Travel Pass to help travelers store, manage verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccinations
More:Turkish Airlines begins trial use of digital health wallet
Turkish mafia scandal threatens Erdogan government | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 21.05.2021
Turkish mafia scandal threatens Erdogan government
A Turkish mafia leader claims the government is in cahoots with the criminal underworld. President Erdogan and Interior Minister Soylu are finding themselves in hot water.
More:Turkish mafia scandal threatens Erdogan government | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 21.05.2021
Turkey says WhatsApp will drop data collection update after probe | Reuters
Turkey says WhatsApp will drop data collection update after probe
By Reuters Staff
ISTANBUL, May 21 (Reuters) - Turkey’s Competition Board said on Friday it had been informed by WhatsApp that it would not implement a messaging app update in Turkey allowing it and owner Facebook Inc to collect certain user data, after the board launched an investigation.
In January, WhatsApp updated its terms of service, allowing Facebook and its subsidiaries to collect user data such as phone numbers and locations, triggering a backlash in Turkey and a probe by the Competition Board.
More:Turkey says WhatsApp will drop data collection update after probe | Reuters
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Will Turkey’s Grey Wolves land on EU terror list - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Will Turkey’s Grey Wolves land on EU terror list
The European Parliament’s annual report on Turkey suggests placing Turkey’s far-right Grey Wolves on the EU terrorist list.
More:Will Turkey’s Grey Wolves land on EU terror list - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Pfizer-BioNTech to send 60 million doses to Turkey
Pfizer-BioNTech to send 60 million doses to Turkey
Pfizer-BioNTech on Thursday announced a deal to deliver an additional 60 million doses of its vaccine to Turkey that could revive the tourism-dependent country's stalled innoculation drive.
More:Pfizer-BioNTech to send 60 million doses to Turkey
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Turkish packaging boss calls for China-like zero waste import policy - REB Market Intelligence
Turkish packaging boss calls for China-like zero waste import policy
By Paul Sanderson -May 19, 2021030
The President of Turkey’s Packaging Manufacturers’ Association (ASD) has said that his country should reduce imports of waste to zero in three to four years.
More:Turkish packaging boss calls for China-like zero waste import policy - REB Market Intelligence
How an exiled mafia boss became the center of Turkish politics - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
How an exiled mafia boss became the center of Turkish politics
An ultranationalist mafia boss, Sedat Peker, who had connections with the ruling elite for decades, now wages war against top officials with his camera and tripod from abroad.
More:How an exiled mafia boss became the center of Turkish politics - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Erdogan determined to keep the ‘Soros of Turkey’ behind bars | World | The Times
Erdogan determined to keep the ‘Soros of Turkey’ behind bars
A new court date looms for Osman Kavala but he knows all too well that political considerations will again outweigh any evidence, writes Hannah Lucinda Smith in Istanbul
More:Erdogan determined to keep the ‘Soros of Turkey’ behind bars | World | The Times
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Istanbul Man Turns Passion For Ship Spotting Into Beneficial Hobby : NPR
Istanbul Man Turns Passion For Ship Spotting Into Beneficial Hobby
One man in Turkey has made a following for himself by tracking one of the world's busiest and most scenic waterways. Istanbul is bisected by the Bosporus Strait.
More:Istanbul Man Turns Passion For Ship Spotting Into Beneficial Hobby : NPR
Monday, May 17, 2021
Erdogan says Turkey's COVID-19 infection "under control to great extent" - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Erdogan says Turkey's COVID-19 infection "under control to great extent"
ANKARA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey again brought COVID-19 infection "under control to a great extent" after lockdowns and restrictions during the holy month of Ramadan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
"We are speeding up vaccination activities as much as the supply program allows. I hope that such comprehensive measures will not be needed from now on," he said at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.
More:Erdogan says Turkey's COVID-19 infection "under control to great extent" - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Main opposition dissident Muharrem İnce establishes new party | Ahval
Main opposition dissident Muharrem İnce establishes new party
May 17 2021 06:11 Gmt+3
Last Updated On: May 17 2021 06:12 Gmt+3
Former presidential candidate from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Muharrem İnce on Monday submitted an application for the establishment of his new party, Duvar news site reported.
More:Main opposition dissident Muharrem İnce establishes new party | Ahval
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Turkey eases COVID-19 restrictions but keeps many curfews - ThinkPol
Turkey eases COVID-19 restrictions but keeps many curfews
May 16, 2021
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s interior ministry on Sunday lifted a full lockdown that had ordered people to stay home to fight COVID-19 infections, shifting to a less-restrictive program that still involved curfews on weeknights and weekends.
More:Turkey eases COVID-19 restrictions but keeps many curfews - ThinkPol
Friday, May 14, 2021
Turkish tourism video sparks outcry, unequal treatment claim
Turkish tourism video sparks outcry, unequal treatment claim
By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
ISTANBUL (AP) — A video promoting tourism in Turkey amid the pandemic has caused an uproar on social media for showing tourism employees wearing masks that read “Enjoy, I’m vaccinated.”
More:Turkish tourism video sparks outcry, unequal treatment claim
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Turkey’s religious agency grows even richer, more powerful - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Turkey’s religious agency grows even richer, more powerful
Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate has acquired unprecedented influence and budget means under Erdogan, spending more than the Foreign and other ministries.
More:Turkey’s religious agency grows even richer, more powerful - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Erdogan’s midnight decrees give Turkey nightmares - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Erdogan’s midnight decrees give Turkey nightmares
The overnight decrees increasingly governing Turkey have become a source of livid satire and agony for millions of Turks.
More:Erdogan’s midnight decrees give Turkey nightmares - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Turkish lira nears record lows as emerging markets struggle - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Turkish lira nears record lows as emerging markets struggle
Turkish stocks slid and the lira hit a six-month low against major currencies Thursday as higher-than-expected US inflation data weighed on emerging markets.
More:Turkish lira nears record lows as emerging markets struggle - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Pandemic tourism in Turkey | The Economist
Pandemic tourism in Turkey
Turks are stuck indoors. Foreigners have the country to themselves
Tourists in turkey are already spoiled. The food is excellent, the locals welcoming and the range of holiday options, from mountain hikes on the Black Sea coast to boat cruises on the Aegean and hot-air balloon rides over Cappadocia, are enough to last several summers. A prolonged currency crisis has seen the dollar strengthen against the lira by nearly 60% in just over two years, meaning that vacations in Turkey come cheap. A room in a luxury hotel can easily cost less than a cramped offering from Airbnb in a European capital. If they can only resist tweeting their thoughts about Recep Tayyip Erdogan (at least 36,000 people have been investigated for insulting Turkey’s thin-skinned president in a single year), foreigners will be in for a treat.
More:Pandemic tourism in Turkey | The Economist
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Lockdown stems virus surge in Turkey but slow vaccination raises concern - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Lockdown stems virus surge in Turkey but slow vaccination raises concern
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday a nationwide lockdown would be gradually lifted as planned on May 17, though health experts urged caution amid a vaccination campaign slowed by supply hurdles.
More:Lockdown stems virus surge in Turkey but slow vaccination raises concern - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Has Turkey’s Erdogan finally overplayed his hand? – World Tribune: U.S. Politics and Culture, Geopolitics, East Asia Intelligence, China, Geostrategy, Military, National security, Corporate Watch, Media Watch, North Korea, Iran, Columnists: Dennis Prager, Michelle Malkin, John Metzler, Jeffrey Kuhner, John McNabb, Joe Schaeffer, Bill Juneau, Alexander Maistrovoy, Donald Kirk
Has Turkey’s Erdogan finally overplayed his hand?
By World Tribune on May 11, 2021
Special to WorldTribune, May 11, 2021
Analysis by Eric Clary
An entire century has passed since the Armenian genocide began, yet the Biden administration has suddenly felt compelled to officially recognize it.
More:Has Turkey’s Erdogan finally overplayed his hand? – World Tribune: U.S. Politics and Culture, Geopolitics, East Asia Intelligence, China, Geostrategy, Military, National security, Corporate Watch, Media Watch, North Korea, Iran, Columnists: Dennis Prager, Michelle Malkin, John Metzler, Jeffrey Kuhner, John McNabb, Joe Schaeffer, Bill Juneau, Alexander Maistrovoy, Donald Kirk
Monday, May 10, 2021
Tourists exempt from Turkey′s coronavirus lockdown | DW News - latest news and breaking stories | DW | 10.05.2021
Tourists exempt from Turkey's coronavirus lockdown
Turkey is currently under a full nationwide lockdown to curb a dangerous surge in coronavirus infections and deaths. Residents have been ordered to stay at home until May 17. But foreign tourists are exempt from the curfew, as DW's Julia Hahn reports.
More:Tourists exempt from Turkey′s coronavirus lockdown | DW News - latest news and breaking stories | DW | 10.05.2021
Turkey Tourism Faces Prospect of Another Covid Troubled Year - Bloomberg
Turkish Tourism Faces Prospect of Another Troubled Year
By Taylan Bilgic
May 10, 2021, 6:50 AM EDT
A recent drop in coronavirus cases may not be enough to lure tourists back to Turkey’s shores, darkening prospects for the nation’s current-account balance and the battered lira.
More:Turkey Tourism Faces Prospect of Another Covid Troubled Year - Bloomberg
Friday, May 07, 2021
Social media in Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdogan's monitoring of the digital realm - Qantara.de
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's monitoring of the digital realm
Having taken control of the traditional media, Turkish President Erdogan is now extending his reach to the social networks. A new law has been passed to rein in major digital players Twitter and Google. But the government's attempt to dominate public opinion is producing some bizarre outgrowths, reports Ronald Meinardus from Istanbul
More:Social media in Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdogan's monitoring of the digital realm - Qantara.de
Turkish Central Bank keeps interest rates high as inflation weighs on economy - Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Turkish Central Bank keeps interest rates high as inflation weighs on economy
Cornered by rising inflation and a weakening currency, Turkey’s Central Bank kept its benchmark interest rate steady at 19% on May 6 as policymakers await positive signals.
More:Turkish Central Bank keeps interest rates high as inflation weighs on economy - Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Thursday, May 06, 2021
Turkish Food Products Will Be Marketed To The USA From Digital
Turkish Food Products Will Be Marketed To The USA From Digital
Turkish food exporters will achieve their goals by concentrating on digital marketing in the United States market, where they aim to export $ 1,5 billion.
More:Turkish Food Products Will Be Marketed To The USA From Digital
Turkey welcomes foreign tourists while locking down locals | Reuters
Turkey welcomes foreign tourists while locking down locals
Daren Butler
"Turkey Unlimited. Now available without Turks," reads a mock tourism advert on social media, poking fun at the sight of foreign tourists roaming quiet streets while most Turks are confined to home by a coronavirus lockdown.
More:Turkey welcomes foreign tourists while locking down locals | Reuters
Tuesday, May 04, 2021
Erdogan's nationalist ally prepares draft Turkish constitution | Reuters
Erdogan's nationalist ally prepares draft Turkish constitution
Reuters
President Tayyip Erdogan's nationalist ally said on Tuesday that his party had drafted a new constitution for Turkey that envisages an overhaul of the judiciary, and that it would soon be presented to Erdogan's ruling AK Party (AKP) for discussion.
More:Erdogan's nationalist ally prepares draft Turkish constitution | Reuters
Sunday, May 02, 2021
′Islamic State′ military leader arrested in Turkey | News | DW | 02.05.2021
'Islamic State' military leader arrested in Turkey
An Afghan national, codenamed Basim and who allegedly led the terrorist group's military structure, has been detained in Istanbul.
More:′Islamic State′ military leader arrested in Turkey | News | DW | 02.05.2021