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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Fear and few answers as Turkish police round up Syrian refugees - The Economic Times

Fear and few answers as Turkish police round up Syrian refugees
By Reuters | 27 Dec, 2015, 04.58PM IST

ISTANBUL: Ghada's five children cried out in terror when police broke into their run-down Istanbul flat at dawn and ordered the 36-year-old Syrian's family onto a bus, without saying why.

More:Fear and few answers as Turkish police round up Syrian refugees - The Economic Times

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Dutch Parliament calls on EU to freeze funds for Turkey - Cihan World News

Dutch Parliament calls on EU to freeze funds for Turkey
CIHAN | ISTANBUL - 25.12.2015 17:59:05

The Dutch Parliament has proposed a motion that would urge the EU to freeze the pre-accession funds paid to EU candidate Turkey over its military operations in its southeastern provinces.

More:Dutch Parliament calls on EU to freeze funds for Turkey - Cihan World News

‘ISIS might become Frankenstein for Turkey’ — RT Op-Edge

‘ISIS might become Frankenstein for Turkey’
Published time: 25 Dec, 2015 12:06

A monster in the form of ISIS, which Ankara allegedly hoped to nourish, might wind up consuming Turkey, as it happened to the US on 9/11 after supported the Mujahedeen against the Kabul regime, says author and historian Gerald Horne.

More:‘ISIS might become Frankenstein for Turkey’ — RT Op-Edge

Undeterred by winter, Syrian refugees flock to a Turkish city for risky boat trips to Europe - LA Times

Undeterred by winter, Syrian refugees flock to a Turkish city for risky boat trips to Europe

In the courtyard of a humble mosque, volunteers brandish garbage bags packed with canned food and medical supplies, dispensing the contents to Syrians hunkered down in this coastal city.

More:Undeterred by winter, Syrian refugees flock to a Turkish city for risky boat trips to Europe - LA Times

Turkey says Israel to allow aid into Gaza if deal is reached | Middle East Eye

Turkey says Israel to allow aid into Gaza if deal is reached
#Diplomacy

'If agreement can be reached between the two countries, Israel will allow Turkish origin products and aid material through Turkey into the Gaza'

More:Turkey says Israel to allow aid into Gaza if deal is reached | Middle East Eye

Famous Turkish pianist cleared of 'blasphemy' - Middle East - News - Arutz Sheva

World famous Turkish pianist cleared of 'blasphemy' charges

Turkish Supreme Court drops jail time for composer over quoting an ancient poet on Twitter, saying it 'believes' Turkey is 'modern.'

More:Famous Turkish pianist cleared of 'blasphemy' - Middle East - News - Arutz Sheva

Friday, December 25, 2015

Turkish tourism sector to launch Euro campaign to overcome Russian losses - TOURISM

Turkish tourism sector to launch Euro campaign to overcome Russian losses

Turkish tourism sector players expecting a continued decline in the number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey in 2016 unless the current diplomatic crisis between the two countries is resolved will launch a promotional campaign in Europe under the leadership of the Tourism Ministry to overcome the potential losses, according to a leading sector representative. The sector will also focus on the China and India markets in the medium-term, he added.

More:Turkish tourism sector to launch Euro campaign to overcome Russian losses - TOURISM

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Lufthansa seeks EU help to compete against Gulf, Turkish rivals

Lufthansa seeks EU help to compete against Gulf, Turkish rivals

December 24, 2015, Thursday/ 18:11:31/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL

German flag carrier Lufthansa has called for enhanced political support from Berlin and Brussels to help the company from losing even more ground in global markets to rival carriers in the Gulf as well as Turkish Airlines (THY).

More:Lufthansa seeks EU help to compete against Gulf, Turkish rivals

Top Turkish 'traitors' according to Erdogan and Davutoglu — RT News

Top Turkish 'traitors' according to Erdogan and Davutoglu
Published time: 24 Dec, 2015 16:03

What does it take to be accused of “treason” in Turkey? Exposing the ruling circle's ties with terrorists and voicing opposition to the downing of a Russian plane is a start, but who are the people getting under the skin of President Erdogan and Prime Minister Davutoglu?

More:Top Turkish 'traitors' according to Erdogan and Davutoglu — RT News

TASS: Business & Economy - Russia allows 53 companies to employ Turkish citizens after January 1

Russia allows 53 companies to employ Turkish citizens after January 1

December 24, 14:12 UTC+3
These are companies working in construction, car making industry, production of construction materials, plastic pipes and fittings, plumbing equipment, flooring

More:TASS: Business & Economy - Russia allows 53 companies to employ Turkish citizens after January 1

Defiant and still writing, Turkish editor marks month in prison - Yahoo News

Defiant and still writing, Turkish editor marks month in prison
AFP By Dilay Gundogan

Istanbul (AFP) - Imprisoned a month ago on charges of spying and revealing state secrets, the editor of Turkey's leading opposition daily remains defiant in a case that raised new concerns about press freedom under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Defiant and still writing, Turkish editor marks month in prison - Yahoo News

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Why Turkey Still Sick of European Union?

Why Turkey Still Sick of European Union?

By Mridu Kumari

In the just concluded ‘Heart of Asia’ ministerial conference in Pakistan, Turkey was well present there to map out Afghanistan’s security and stability. In fact, it was Turkey which had held the first ministerial conference on ‘Heart of Asia in November 2011. A NATO member that straddles Eastern Europe and West Asia, however, is in the eyes of storm ever since it downed a Russian jet fighter over the Syrian sky. Though not overtly siding with Moscow, several countries have questioned Turkey’s merit to become European Union. Czech President Milos Zeman was very harsh in his comment against Turkey.

More:Why Turkey Still Sick of European Union?

Germany Pulls Patriot Systems From Turkey

Germany Pulls Patriot Systems From Turkey
By Burak Ege Bekdil 10:26 a.m. EST December 23, 2015

ANKARA, Turkey — After a three-year deployment, Germany has withdrawn its Patriot air and anti-missile defense systems from Turkish soil. The move comes shortly after NATO agreed to strengthen efforts to protect Turkey’s southern borders and airspace.

More:Germany Pulls Patriot Systems From Turkey

Dündar: EU ignores journalists in Turkey to maintain relations with gov’t

Dündar: EU ignores journalists in Turkey to maintain relations with gov’t

Can Dündar, the Cumhuriyet daily's jailed editor-in-chief, has said in an op-ed in The Washington Post that the EUropean Union has decided to ignore the protests of the journalists who are the main target of the Turkish government's repressive policies in order to maintain its relations with the government to manage its refugee crisis.

More:Dündar: EU ignores journalists in Turkey to maintain relations with gov’t

Blast kills one at Istanbul airport in Turkey, bomb investigation launched

Blast kills one at Istanbul airport in Turkey, bomb investigation launched

December 23, 2015 - 10:31PM
Daren Butler

Istanbul: An overnight explosion at an airport in Istanbul killed one person and damaged three planes hundreds of metres apart, Turkish media said, triggering a security alert as authorities sought to determine if a bomb was responsible.

More:Blast kills one at Istanbul airport in Turkey, bomb investigation launched

Turkey’s Kurdish Cities Become War Zones - WSJ

Turkey’s Kurdish Cities Become War Zones

Neighborhoods transformed by Kurdish militants and Ankara’s stepped-up campaign to crush them

More:Turkey’s Kurdish Cities Become War Zones - WSJ

Dutch lender FMO invests $360 million in Turkey - The Journal of Turkish Weekly

Dutch lender FMO invests $360 million in Turkey
Turkey
December 23, 2015

A senior figure from a Dutch development agency has described Turkey – with an investment portfolio of $360 million – as “an important country”.

More:Dutch lender FMO invests $360 million in Turkey - The Journal of Turkish Weekly

Russian sanctions against Turkey are 'unsustainable' | MENAFN.COM

Russian sanctions against Turkey are 'unsustainable' Join our daily free Newsletter

(MENAFN - The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A Turkish minister has described Russian sanctions "unsustainable" adding that Ankara is open to dialogue with Moscow to resolve the recent political crisis.

More:Russian sanctions against Turkey are 'unsustainable' | MENAFN.COM

Out of pure spite, I will celebrate New Year’s - AHMET HAKAN

Out of pure spite, I will celebrate New Year’s

I go into a rage when certain people turn up their noses at sacrificing animals on the Feast of Sacrifice…

I go into the same level of rage when certain people drop innuendos, say a thousand things and snap at our naïve and innocent people who plan to have a fun night on New Year’s, with snacks, pajamas and slippers, TV or something at home...

More:Out of pure spite, I will celebrate New Year’s - AHMET HAKAN

Anonymous claims cyberattacks on Turkey, declares cyber-war - MIDEAST

Anonymous claims cyberattacks on Turkey, declares cyber-war

ISTANBUL

Hacking collective Anonymous has claimed responsibility for the week-long cyberattack on Turkey, which it accused of “supporting” the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and threatened additional attacks in case the alleged support continues.

More:Anonymous claims cyberattacks on Turkey, declares cyber-war - MIDEAST

Turkey’s micro small and medium enterprises benefit from World Bank financing - BUSINESS

Turkey’s micro small and medium enterprises benefit from World Bank financing

WASHINGTON

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has said it approved a micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and large enterprises (LEs) supply chain finance project for Turkey in the amount of $200 million in a written statement on Dec. 23.

More:Turkey’s micro small and medium enterprises benefit from World Bank financing - BUSINESS

ErdoÄŸan’s Turkey, King Salman’s Saudi Arabia and the Coming “Sunni” War for Oil | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

ErdoÄŸan’s Turkey, King Salman’s Saudi Arabia and the Coming “Sunni” War for Oil
By F. William Engdahl

We’re about to be plunged into a new oil war in the Middle East, this one with a possible nuclear dimension. Wars for control of oil have been instigated for more than a century since the dawn of the petroleum era around the time of the First World War.

More:ErdoÄŸan’s Turkey, King Salman’s Saudi Arabia and the Coming “Sunni” War for Oil | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Why a Pro-Kurdish Russia Infuriates Turkey | Stratfor

Why a Pro-Kurdish Russia Infuriates Turkey
Geopolitical Diary
December 23, 2015 | 00:12 GMT Text Size

Russia knows exactly how to push an opponent's geopolitical buttons. Since Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 fighter jet — exacerbating an already tense rivalry centered on regional dominance — Moscow has set about punishing Ankara politically and economically. Now, in its goal to antagonize Ankara further, Moscow is exerting its considerable influence on a particularly sensitive spot for Turkey: the Kurds.

More:Why a Pro-Kurdish Russia Infuriates Turkey | Stratfor

ABRAHAM WAGNER: Gulen movement seeks to transform Turkey into Shariah state - Washington Times

A vulnerability shared by Turkey and America

The Gulen Movement seeks to transform a NATO ally into a Shariah state

By Abraham R. Wagner - - Tuesday, December 22, 2015

While attention is focused on recent attacks by the Islamic State, or ISIS, throughout the world and now in the United States, it is important to look at the critical role Turkey plays in the fight against terrorism and Ankara’s crucial contribution to stability in the Middle East and Europe.

More:ABRAHAM WAGNER: Gulen movement seeks to transform Turkey into Shariah state - Washington Times

How Turkey’s foreign affairs ‘strongman’ left his mark - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

How Turkey’s foreign affairs ‘strongman’ left his mark

Without any doubt, Feridun Sinirlioglu, undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, is Turkey’s “strongman” in foreign affairs. He’s not at the level of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, but he is seen as the “architect of Turkey’s Middle East policy,” which has come under severe criticism. Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry is the highest position for any career diplomat, and Sinirlioglu has been serving under that title for six years. Nobody in the history of the ministry has kept the title while simultaneously having the title of foreign minister, but Sinirlioglu did. He was the foreign minister while preserving his portfolio as the undersecretary during the interim period between the election of June 7 and the rerun election of November 1.

More:How Turkey’s foreign affairs ‘strongman’ left his mark - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Syrians in Turkey: An important question - YUSUF KANLI

Syrians in Turkey: An important question

A very wise friend asked, “How is Turkey to resolve the Syrian refugee problem if you say the three billion euros or so Europe will provide is not going to be a sufficient resource?” He was referring to an article I penned during my recent trip to southeastern Gaziantep.

More:Syrians in Turkey: An important question - YUSUF KANLI

The PKK's 'Child Terrorists' - US News

The 'Child Terrorists' of Turkey

The militant Kurdish organization pushes children to the front lines and uses their arrests and deaths to stir up sympathy.

More:The PKK's 'Child Terrorists' - US News

Basci Delays Policy Shift as Turkey Unexpectedly Holds Rates - Bloomberg Business

Basci Delays Policy Shift as Turkey Unexpectedly Holds Rates
Onur Ant

December 22, 2015 — 7:11 AM EST

Turkey’s central bank delayed a widely anticipated shift to a simplified monetary policy, keeping interest rates on hold and saying that it will wait to see if the calm following the U.S. Federal Reserve’s increase persists.

More:Basci Delays Policy Shift as Turkey Unexpectedly Holds Rates - Bloomberg Business

Turkey: ‘Utter Disregard’ For Rate Policy Hurts Currency, Banks - Emerging Markets Daily - Barrons.com

Turkey: ‘Utter Disregard’ For Rate Policy Hurts Currency, Banks

By Dimitra DeFotis

Turkey’s central bank left interest rates and its monetary policy framework unchanged today, contrary to expectations.

More:Turkey: ‘Utter Disregard’ For Rate Policy Hurts Currency, Banks - Emerging Markets Daily - Barrons.com

Gasoline prices in Turkey swell on high taxes despite global oil plunge - ENERGY

Gasoline prices in Turkey swell on high taxes despite global oil plunge

Merve Erdil - ISTANBUL

While global oil prices have plummeted, Turkish gasoline prices continue to increase, as recent official figures show that customers are still paying twice or more in taxes than they are for the fuel itself.

More:Gasoline prices in Turkey swell on high taxes despite global oil plunge - ENERGY

US under threat of flesh-eating disease from Syrian refugees

US under threat of flesh-eating disease from Syrian refugees
By RENU RANGELA on December 22 2015 5:11 PM

The United States could also be infected with the flesh-eating disease that has already taken Syria in its throes.

The Breitbart Jerusalem reports that there is a risk that Middle Eastern refugees entering the U S could be infected with the flesh-eating disease. It said that health agencies had confirmed that Syrian refugees have transported Leishmaniasis to Lebanon and Turkey, where it has been difficult to manage and treat.

More:US under threat of flesh-eating disease from Syrian refugees

Turkish Opposition Reveals the Cost of Erdogan’s 'Stab in the Back'

Turkish Opposition Reveals the Cost of Erdogan’s 'Stab in the Back'
© Sputnik/ Alexey Malgavko
Europe
09:23 22.12.2015(updated 12:16 22.12.2015) Get short URL
23926461
As Russia responds to the incident with the downed Su-24 bomber by imposing economic restrictions on Turkey in various sectors, the Turkish economy faces potential losses of over $52 billion, Turkish media wrote on Monday.

More:Turkish Opposition Reveals the Cost of Erdogan’s 'Stab in the Back'

Monday, December 21, 2015

Is Erdogan closing Hamas' Istanbul office? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Is Erdogan closing Hamas' Istanbul office?

Two days after it was reported that Israel and Turkey had reached a series of understandings ultimately leading to their reconciliation, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

More:Is Erdogan closing Hamas' Istanbul office? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

The Reasons Behind the Ploy: The EU Turkey Summit | McGill International Review

The Reasons Behind the Ploy: The EU Turkey Summit
Posted by Francesca Wallace 4 hours ago

On November 29th, the European Union (EU) signed a deal with Turkey regarding the waves of Syrian and other refugees entering Europe through Turkey and Greece.

More:The Reasons Behind the Ploy: The EU Turkey Summit | McGill International Review

A hundred percent greener outlook for cities in Turkey

A hundred percent greener outlook for cities in Turkey

Endowed with renewable resources, such as wind, sun, geothermal and hydro, the country is still relying on coal and other fossil fuels to produce its energy. Forward-looking public policies could make the difference and lead to sustainable and less polluted urban areas in the coming decades

More:A hundred percent greener outlook for cities in Turkey

Colonel to be paid 1.5 million liras for ‘unfair arrest’ - RIGHTS

Colonel to be paid 1.5 million liras for ‘unfair arrest’

ISTANBUL – DoÄŸan News Agency

A local court in Ankara has ruled that a former coup plot convict must be paid 1.5 million Turkish Liras in compensation after he was acquitted following more than three years in jail.

More:Colonel to be paid 1.5 million liras for ‘unfair arrest’ - RIGHTS

Support for Varosha through Turkey contractors  - Cyprus

Support for Varosha through Turkey contractors
incyprus incyprus — 21/12/2015
Varoshi

Turkish Cypriot contractors recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkish contractors, allowing for the provision of the latter’s support and expertise for the restoration of Varosha (Maras) in the event of a solution.

More:Support for Varosha through Turkey contractors  - Cyprus

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Turkey ‘faces bandwagon effect on climate change’ - GREEN

Turkey ‘faces bandwagon effect on climate change’

Barçın Yinanç - barcin.yinanc@hdn.com.tr
Turkey’s continued preference for fossil fuels will soon become untenable as it becomes impossible to swim against the tide of greater support for renewable energy, according to an academic at Sabancı University. ‘Turkey is planning new investments in coal; this needs to stop,’ Mirhan KöroÄŸlu Göğüş says

More:Turkey ‘faces bandwagon effect on climate change’ - GREEN

250 stores in Ankara’s Ottoman Public Bazaar burn down - LOCAL

250 stores in Ankara’s Ottoman Public Bazaar burn down

Some 250 stores in Ankara’s Ottoman Public Bazaar have burned to the ground in a fire of unknown origin.

The fire, which rapidly spread across the Ottoman bazaar in the Keçiören district of Turkey’s capital, started at 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 20.

More:250 stores in Ankara’s Ottoman Public Bazaar burn down - LOCAL

ISIS Selling Yazidi Women and Children in Turkey

ISIS Selling Yazidi Women and Children in Turkey

by Uzay Bulut
December 20, 2015 at 4:00 am

This month, the German television station, ARD (Consortium of Public Broadcasters in Germany), produced footage documenting the slave trade being conducted by the Islamic State (ISIS) through a liaison office in the province of Gaziantep (also known as Antep) in Turkey, near the border with Syria.

More:ISIS Selling Yazidi Women and Children in Turkey

Most smuggled ISIS oil goes to Turkey, sold at low prices – Norwegian report — RT News

Most smuggled ISIS oil goes to Turkey, sold at low prices – Norwegian report
Published time: 20 Dec, 2015 06:45

A newly-leaked report on illegal oil sales by Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL), which was ordered to be compiled by Norway, has revealed that most of the IS-smuggled oil has been destined for Turkey, where it is sold off at bargain low prices.

More:Most smuggled ISIS oil goes to Turkey, sold at low prices – Norwegian report — RT News

The Fallacies of Treating Turkey as Europe’s Gatekeeper - The Globalist

The Fallacies of Treating Turkey as Europe’s Gatekeeper

Priority should now be given to preventing a “Middle-Easternization” of Turkey itself.

More:The Fallacies of Treating Turkey as Europe’s Gatekeeper - The Globalist

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Will Turkey end up stuck between Kurds, Russia? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Will Turkey end up stuck between Kurds, Russia?

An old Turkish proverb says, “You can’t carry two watermelons under one arm,” meaning that two big tasks should not be tackled at the same time. These days, the Ankara regime seems to be attempting exactly that. At home, it is waging a war on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and regionally, it is sliding into a cold war with Russia that carries the risk of heated confrontation. As a natural outcome, these two wars could draw Russia and the PKK together, creating a tough challenge for Turkey.

More:Will Turkey end up stuck between Kurds, Russia? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Eighteen migrants drown after boat sinks off Turkey's southwestern coast

Eighteen migrants drown after boat sinks off Turkey's southwestern coast

Migrants seeking refuge in the EU were stranded in the middle of sea as their boat sank in the western province of MuÄŸla’s Bodrum district on Saturday. CIHAN

BODRUM—Eighteen people, including ten children, died on Friday (Dec. 18) after a boat carrying refugee seeking migrants trying to sail to Greece sank off the southern Turkish town of Bodrum, Dogan News Agency reported on Saturday (Dec. 19).

More:NRT English

Untangling Turkey’s Middle East allegiances – POLITICO

Untangling Turkey’s Middle East allegiances

Turkey, in a sticky web of allegiances, shares mutual enemies with the Islamic State.
By

Behlül Özkan

12/19/15, 12:41 PM CET
ISTANBUL — The northwestern corner of Syria is home to a dizzying spectrum of anti-Assad forces. Weapons — and fighters — have amassed in the area in large part thanks to Turkey’s “open door” policy, which makes the passage relatively painless. When Turkey’s ethnic brethren, the Turkmen, recently became the targets of Russian air strikes — prompting, perhaps, Turkey’s decision to shoot down a Russian fighter jet on November 24 — the incident brought Turkey’s murky relationship with a tangled web of jihadist groups to the fore.

More:Untangling Turkey’s Middle East allegiances – POLITICO

Netanyahu and Erdogan's shared interests - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews

Netanyahu and Erdogan's shared interests

Analysis: An agreement between Israel and Turkey has yet to come, but there is a declarative cooperation: The Turkish President needs it as a card he can play in front of the Russians, while Netanyahu can use it to defend the government's natural gas plan in Israel's high court.

More:Netanyahu and Erdogan's shared interests - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews

About 250 Uber Drivers in Istanbul Said to Organize Walkout - Bloomberg Business

About 250 Uber Drivers in Istanbul Said to Organize Walkout

December 18, 2015 — 10:58 AM EST

About 250 Uber drivers in Istanbul are abandoning the service to protest the company’s 25 percent price cut, according to two people familiar with the decision.

More:About 250 Uber Drivers in Istanbul Said to Organize Walkout - Bloomberg Business

Turkish troops kill 54 Kurdish militants as violence escalates | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Turkish troops kill 54 Kurdish militants as violence escalates
December 18, 2015 11:24 PM
By Selcan Hacaoglu / Bloomberg News

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish troops have killed 54 Kurdish militants over the past three days in clashes in the country’s southeast, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

More:Turkish troops kill 54 Kurdish militants as violence escalates | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

European Union leaders set June 30 deadline for new border force — European Union summit

European Union leaders set June 30 deadline for new border force — European Union summit

Author: Greg Daniels

Dec 19, 2015, 1:41

A family disembarks from a boat of Frontex, European Border Protection Agency, at the port town of Petra, on the Greek island of Lesbos, on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015.

Frontex is increasing its presence to enhance the screening of migrants and help local authorities determine their nationality and register them, as well as to fight people smuggling networks.

More:European Union leaders set June 30 deadline for new border force — European Union summit

Friday, December 18, 2015

Turkey: the challenges ahead

Turkey: the challenges ahead
By Ali Jaswal
December 19, 2015
Print : Opinion

What was once the centre for great civilisations of human history has again become caught in international politics, due to its extremely strategic geographical location.

More:Turkey: the challenges ahead

‘US was informed about Turkey’s deployment in Iraq’ - VERDA ÖZER

‘US was informed about Turkey’s deployment in Iraq’

First, Turkey sent troops to a military camp in northern Iraq. Baghdad objected. Then, Turkey moved some of them to another base nearby. Yet it didn’t suffice. Baghdad asked Ankara to withdraw completely. More surprisingly, the U.S. called on Turkey to pull any unauthorized military forces. Last but not least, on the very same day, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked the camp in question.

More:‘US was informed about Turkey’s deployment in Iraq’ - VERDA ÖZER

Turkey seizes dozens of blank European passports at Istanbul airport - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Turkey seizes dozens of blank European passports at Istanbul airport

Authorities at Istanbul's main airport have detained two people suspected of attempting to smuggle 148 blank European passports concealed in pizza-making equipment, Turkish government officials said.

More:Turkey seizes dozens of blank European passports at Istanbul airport - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Exclusive - NATO agrees Turkey air defence package, seeks 'predictability' - SWI swissinfo.ch

Exclusive - NATO agrees Turkey air defence package, seeks 'predictability'
l
Dec 18, 2015 - 19:57

By Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO allies agreed on Friday to send aircraft and ships to Turkey to strengthen Ankara's air defences on its border with Syria, the alliance's chief said.

More:Exclusive - NATO agrees Turkey air defence package, seeks 'predictability' - SWI swissinfo.ch

Minimum wage raise to increase Turkey’s GDP by 0.4 points: Economy minister - ECONOMICS

Minimum wage raise to increase Turkey’s GDP by 0.4 points: Economy minister

ANKARA

The planned raise in the minimum wage will make around 0.4 points contribution to Turkey’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth, Economy Minister Mustafa ElitaÅŸ said in a televised interview on Dec. 18.

More:Minimum wage raise to increase Turkey’s GDP by 0.4 points: Economy minister - ECONOMICS

ISIS: 2 Syrians held with 148 passports at Istanbul airport - General news - ANSAMed.it

ISIS: 2 Syrians held with 148 passports at Istanbul airport
Followed by agents, found in possession of SIM cards, video cams

18 December, 11:57

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, DECEMBER 18 - Turkish police arrested at the Ataturk airport in Istanbul two Syrians suspected of ties with ISIS, local media reported on Friday. The two men, aged 54 and 58, arrived in Istanbul on Thursday afternoon. A reported 148 original passports were found in their luggage, mostly European, along with two mini video cams hidden in as many pens and 10 European and Turkish SIM cards.

More:ISIS: 2 Syrians held with 148 passports at Istanbul airport - General news - ANSAMed.it

Erdogan threatens to escalate conflict with PKK

Erdogan threatens to escalate conflict with PKK

Sertac Kayar/REUTERS

KONYA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Thursday that Kurdish rebels would be "annihilated" as intensifying urban clashes killed 25 Kurdish fighters in two days.

More:NRT English

It Is, By Far, The Worst Time to Be a Turkish Journalist | Foreign Policy

It Is, By Far, The Worst Time to Be a Turkish Journalist

A doctor on trial for comparing President Erodgan to Gollum is only the most visible example of Ankara's growing crackdown on freedom of expression.

More:It Is, By Far, The Worst Time to Be a Turkish Journalist | Foreign Policy

Merkel optimistic Turkey will cut migrant flows to Europe | DELANO

Merkel optimistic Turkey will cut migrant flows to Europe

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed confidence after talks with the Turkish prime minister on Thursday that Ankara would do its part to bring about a sharp reduction in the number of illegal migrants entering the European Union.

More:Merkel optimistic Turkey will cut migrant flows to Europe | DELANO

Greece lashes out at Turkey for failing to stem migration crisis | World | News | Daily Express

Greece lashes out at Turkey for failing to stem migration crisis despite €3BILLION EU deal

By Selina Sykes

In a desperate plea Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras urged European leaders to pile the pressure on its neighbour to do more to control the flow of arrivals on its shores, warning that Greece has become a holding pen for tens of thousands of refugees.

More:Greece lashes out at Turkey for failing to stem migration crisis | World | News | Daily Express

Turkey detains 11 ISIS suspects over U.S. consulate plot - Al Arabiya News

Turkey detains 11 ISIS suspects over U.S. consulate plot

AFP Friday, 18 December 2015

Turkey on Thursday detained 11 more suspected members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group on suspicion of planning an attack on the US consulate in Istanbul, the Dogan news agency reported.

More:Turkey detains 11 ISIS suspects over U.S. consulate plot - Al Arabiya News

Russia's Putin Signals Syria Progress With US, Lashes Turkey | Jakarta Globe

Russia's Putin Signals Syria Progress With US, Lashes Turkey

Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he broadly supported U.S. plans to try to push forward the Syria peace process, but signaled in an angry attack that he was in no mood to forgive Turkey for shooting down a Russian warplane.

More:Russia's Putin Signals Syria Progress With US, Lashes Turkey | Jakarta Globe

Israel, Turkey Reach Agreement to Restore Diplomatic Ties | The Tower

Israel, Turkey Reach Agreement to Restore Diplomatic Ties

by TheTower.org Staff | 12.17.15 4:39 pm

Israel and Turkey have reached an agreement to restore diplomatic ties, ending five years of strained relations, Ha’aretz reported Thursday.

More:Israel, Turkey Reach Agreement to Restore Diplomatic Ties | The Tower

Preserving the Ottoman mosaic

Preserving the Ottoman mosaic

With the international community striving to end the chaos and conflict racking the Middle East and establish a regional order than can sustain peace and stability, Sweden′s fomer prime minister, Carl Bildt makes a plea for working within the existing framework

More:Preserving the Ottoman mosaic

ErdoÄŸan continues to push shift to presidential system - POLITICS

ErdoÄŸan continues to push shift to presidential system

President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan has again reiterated the need for a systemic change in Turkey’s governance, underlining that his aspiration for a presidential system had nothing to do with his personal prosperity.

More:ErdoÄŸan continues to push shift to presidential system - POLITICS

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Straddling two worlds | The Economist

Straddling two worlds
Worldly, pluralist, hedonistic—and Muslim, too
Dec 19th 2015 | ISTANBUL | From the print edition

ORHAN OSMANOGLU cradles a French handkerchief embossed with the letter H. “This is all I have left that’s my great-great-grandfather’s, the caliph’s,” he says. His family has fallen far since those illustrious days. Abdulhamid II lived in a palace, Yildiz, in the heart of Ottoman Istanbul; Orhan lives in a high-rise at the end of an Istanbul bus route. Europe’s royals flocked to caliphal functions, but when Orhan’s daughter married, Turkey’s present rulers stayed away. Worst of all, an Iraqi impostor has stolen the title his family bore for hundreds of years. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s barbaric outfit, Islamic State (IS), promises to restore the caliphate. Does Mr Baghdadi know what he is talking about?

More:Straddling two worlds | The Economist

Amnesty accuses Turkey of using EU funds to detain asylum seekers - Independent.ie

Amnesty accuses Turkey of using EU funds to detain asylum seekers
Joanne Kiri in Ankara

Published
17/12/2015 | 02:30

Amnesty International says Turkey has rounded up scores of refugees and asylum seekers since September and transported them to detention centres where some have been mistreated or forcibly returned to Syria and Iraq.

More:Amnesty accuses Turkey of using EU funds to detain asylum seekers - Independent.ie

Digital start-ups take root in Istanbul - FT.com

Digital start-ups take root in Istanbul

Joshua Chaffin

Twenty years ago, Cem Celebiler was an MIT graduate working as an IT consultant and, as he recalls, “a bit bored with my job”. So, like other tech entrepreneurs before him, Mr Celebiler decided to strike out on his own.

More:Digital start-ups take root in Istanbul - FT.com

Turkey: will political reforms bring change? - FT.com

Turkey: will political reforms bring change?

Mehul Srivastava and Funja Guler

On December 10, two separate announcements underlined the conflict over the Turkish economy and the government’s stewardship of it.

More:Turkey: will political reforms bring change? - FT.com

EU Recommends Voluntary Admission Scheme for Syrian Refugees from Turkey | MENAFN.COM

EU Recommends Voluntary Admission Scheme for Syrian Refugees from Turkey Join our daily free Newsletter

(MENAFN - The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) TheEuropean Commissionon Tuesday recommended the introduction of avoluntaryhumanitarianadmissionscheme to EU member states to address the problem of Syrianrefugeescrossing fromTurkeyinto the bloc.

More:EU Recommends Voluntary Admission Scheme for Syrian Refugees from Turkey | MENAFN.COM

Freedom of Speech Is Still Deteriorating Drastically in Turkey | VICE News

Freedom of Speech Is Still Deteriorating Drastically in Turkey

By Miriam Wells
December 16, 2015 | 1:55 pm

Turkey is the runaway capital of censorship in Europe, with freedom of expression declining radically there since 2013, said an annual report released on Wednesday.

More:Freedom of Speech Is Still Deteriorating Drastically in Turkey | VICE News

Global Economy: The global impact of the US interest rate rise - by Kamal Ahmed

When America stirs, the rest of the world takes notice.

Rising US interest rates could mean higher debt repayments for emerging market governments and businesses - as the amount owed is denominated in dollars.

And with higher interest rates in America, investment capital will be encouraged across the Atlantic and away from Asia in the hunt for better returns.

That could affect Europe as well.

On the upside, the stronger dollar which has followed the rise might be good for European and Asian economies as it means exports to America are cheaper.

Read More: The global impact of the US interest rate rise - BBC News

IS fires rockets at Iraq base used by Turkish troops | Reuters

IS fires rockets at Iraq base used by Turkish troops
ANKARA/ERBIL, Iraq

Islamic State militants fired rockets at a base in northern Iraq where Turkish troops are stationed on Wednesday, as they launched a wave of attacks against Kurdish forces, officials said.

More:IS fires rockets at Iraq base used by Turkish troops | Reuters

Oh secularism, you are killing me - ÖZGÜR KORKMAZ

Oh secularism, you are killing me

A recent gem uttered by Turkey’s top religious official may provide an insight into why cruelty and violence remain a permanent aspect of the human condition.

More:Oh secularism, you are killing me - ÖZGÜR KORKMAZ

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Turkey- Net Holding signs casino management deal in Montenegro | MENAFN.COM

Turkey- Net Holding signs casino management deal in Montenegro Join our daily free Newsletter
MENAFN - The Journal Of Turkish Weekly - 16/12/2015

(MENAFN - The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Turkey’s Net Holding has signed a casino management agreement with Casino Avala d.o.o to operate a casino in Budva Montenegro the company announced in a written statement to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) late on Dec. 14.

More:Turkey- Net Holding signs casino management deal in Montenegro | MENAFN.COM

Turkey, eight EU countries to meet to discuss Syrian refugees - DIPLOMACY

Turkey, eight EU countries to meet to discuss Syrian refugees

Serkan DemirtaÅŸ - ANKARA

Turkey and eight EU countries as well as the EU Commission will come together to discuss the Syrian refugee issue at a meeting on Dec. 17 in Brussels, where Ankara hopes to learn the number of refugees these countries will receive in the coming year.

More:Turkey, eight EU countries to meet to discuss Syrian refugees - DIPLOMACY

Russia Versus Turkey Spat Simmers: The Big Picture 

The Russia-Turkey Spat: The Big Picture
By Jacob Wolinsky on December 15, 2015 11:47 pm in Politics, Russia

The past, in particular a shared desire to right perceived historical wrongs, is making it more difficult for Turkey and Russia to smooth over their present differences.

More:Russia Versus Turkey Spat Simmers: The Big Picture 

Expert: Erdogan to unlikely undo Turkey’s isolation (exclusive)

Expert: Erdogan to unlikely undo Turkey’s isolation (exclusive)
15 December 2015, 21:25 (GMT+04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 15

By Aygun Badalova – Trend:

The sudden Turkish overtures to Israel are belated efforts to repair relations, which come only as a counterweight to Russian support for the Assad regime in Syria, Alexander Joffe, historian specializing in Middle East and contemporary international affairs, exclusively told Trend Dec. 15.

More:Expert: Erdogan to unlikely undo Turkey’s isolation (exclusive)

Turkey’s unemployment continues to rise as Syrians enter workforce - ECONOMICS

Turkey’s unemployment continues to rise as Syrians enter workforce

Turkish unemployment edged higher to 10.3 percent in the September period between August and October from 10.1 percent at the previous period, but was slightly lower than the same period last year, the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK) said on Dec. 15. A rise in general participation in the workforce and in the number of Syrian migrants hired in the country has played a role in pushing up the unemployment rate, according to experts.

More:Turkey’s unemployment continues to rise as Syrians enter workforce - ECONOMICS

Gender inequality at work an obstacle as Turkey lags in Human Development Index - The Journal of Turkish Weekly

Gender inequality at work an obstacle as Turkey lags in Human Development

Gender inequality in the workplace continues to hold back the human development of developing countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Turkey, according to the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) latest Human Development Report.

More:Gender inequality at work an obstacle as Turkey lags in Human Development Index - The Journal of Turkish Weekly

Fears Grow Turkey Will Intensify Crackdown on Kurds

Fears Grow Turkey Will Intensify Crackdown on Kurds

Dorian Jones

December 15, 2015 2:19 PM
ISTANBUL—

Despite seven deaths Monday in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast the Turkish government has promised no let up in security operations against the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK.

More:Fears Grow Turkey Will Intensify Crackdown on Kurds

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

EU mulls taking migrants directly from Turkey | Business Spectator

EU mulls taking migrants directly from Turkey

European countries are considering a plan to take in Syrian refugees directly out of Turkey if Ankara makes good on its promises and reduces the number of people crossing illegally to Greece.

More:EU mulls taking migrants directly from Turkey | Business Spectator

Turkey arrests ISIS militant suspected of planning attack on US Consulate | Fox News

Turkey arrests ISIS militant suspected of planning attack on US Consulate
Published December 15, 2015Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey – An Islamic State militant suspected of planning a suicide attack against the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul has been detained in Turkey, a government official said Tuesday.

More:Turkey arrests ISIS militant suspected of planning attack on US Consulate | Fox News

Turkey goes from zero problems to nothing but problems in the region - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey goes from zero problems to nothing but problems in the region

Relations between Ankara and Moscow have been in an unabated tailspin since Nov. 24, when Turkey downed a Russian jet. The plane was on a mission against Turkish-supported forces fighting in northern Syria against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

More:Turkey goes from zero problems to nothing but problems in the region - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

COLUMN-Russia's payback against Turkey over shoot-down may turn deadly

COLUMN-Russia's payback against Turkey over shoot-down may turn deadly

By Josh Cohen

Dec 15 (Reuters) - It was a clash with ominous Cold War overtones. Turkey's recent destruction of a Russian Su-24 jet was the first time in 63 years a NATO jet shot down a Russian one. Although Ankara claimed the jet was in Turkish territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Turkey of a "stab in the back"and being "accomplices of terrorists."

More:COLUMN-Russia's payback against Turkey over shoot-down may turn deadly

Nobel winner says education priority for Turkey on return home - Yahoo News

Nobel winner says education priority for Turkey on return home

Ankara (AFP) - The US-based Turkish-American scientist who won the 2015 Nobel Chemistry Prize said education, in particular for women, was the top priority for Turkey as he made a rare visit home to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More:Nobel winner says education priority for Turkey on return home - Yahoo News

‘Sunni front’ against terror is a bad idea - MURAT YETKİN

‘Sunni front’ against terror is a bad idea

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has praised a new “Saudi-led Islamic anti-terrorism alliance” as being “in line with U.S. calls for a greater Sunni role” in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). He was speaking during a visit to Turkey’s İncirlik air base on Dec. 15, which came only a day after the Pentagon gave a conceptual briefing about the front to U.S. President Barack Obama. The visit also came just a few days after Carter on Dec. 9 expressed his “wish” that Sunni Arab nations would do more in the fight against ISIL.

More:‘Sunni front’ against terror is a bad idea - MURAT YETKİN

Asylum for the insane - YUSUF KANLI

Asylum for the insane

Did you see that photograph? It was not from Vietnam and the people in the photograph were not Vietnamese trying to escape American soldiers. Nor were they Turkish Cypriots running away from the Nikos Sampson-led Greek Cypriot hordes paid by Athens to annex the island to Greece. They were Turkish citizens trying to escape from a curfew to be imposed on their town within hours…

More:Asylum for the insane - YUSUF KANLI

How many Syrian refugees will EU accept from Turkey? - SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

How many Syrian refugees will EU accept from Turkey?

Recently intensified dialogue between Turkey and the EU has already produced the opening of chapter 17, which addresses economic and monetary policy, on Dec. 14, nearly two years after the last chapter was opened. This increased the number of opened chapters to 15 out of 35 with hopes that 2016 will witness the opening of five more chapters. This is, of course, a result of a drastic change in the vision of EU leaders towards Turkey in the face of a growing refugee problem.

More:How many Syrian refugees will EU accept from Turkey? - SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Turkey joins Sunni ‘anti-terrorist’ military coalition - MIDEAST

Turkey joins Sunni ‘anti-terrorist’ military coalition

RIYADH – Agence France-Presse

Turkey has joined a 34-state Islamic military alliance that consists solely of Sunni states to fight terrorism amid a continuing war on jihadists in the Middle East and elsewhere.

More:Turkey joins Sunni ‘anti-terrorist’ military coalition - MIDEAST

Daniel Pipes: Normalizing relations with Israel up to Erdogan (exclusive)

Daniel Pipes: Normalizing relations with Israel up to Erdogan (exclusive)
15 December 2015, 16:43 (GMT+04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 15

By Aygun Badalova – Trend:

​Russian hostility after the plane shoot-down makes Ankara much needier for friendly relations than before that incident, Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, told Trend Dec. 15.

More:Daniel Pipes: Normalizing relations with Israel up to Erdogan (exclusive)

Russia lines up new fruit and veg imports ahead of Turkish ban | Russia Beyond the Headlines

Russia lines up new fruit and veg imports ahead of Turkish ban

December 15, 2015 Olga Samofalova, Vzglyad
With the ban on Turkish food imports to enter force on Jan. 1, 2016, Russia is taking steps to secure alternative suppliers: Fruit and vegetables from Egypt and Syria may soon be replacing Turkish imports on Russian supermarket shelves.

More:Russia lines up new fruit and veg imports ahead of Turkish ban | Russia Beyond the Headlines

EU Foreign Ministers Meeting Held in Brussels, Turkey Tops the Agenda

EU Foreign Ministers Meeting Held in Brussels, Turkey Tops the Agenda
2015-12-15 07:42:53 CRIENGLISH.com

The European Union continues to strengthen it's relationship with Turkey as discussions regarding the country's joining the EU are re-energized and pushed forward.

More:EU Foreign Ministers Meeting Held in Brussels, Turkey Tops the Agenda

Monday, December 14, 2015

Erdogan: ‘So Much the Region Could Gain’ From Turkey-Israel Normalization | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Erdogan: ‘So Much the Region Could Gain’ From Turkey-Israel Normalization
December 14, 2015

JNS.org – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that improved relations with Israel can occur once Israel compensates victims of the Gaza flotilla raid and lifts the blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, the Turkish daily newspaper Yeni Safak reported Monday.

More:Erdogan: ‘So Much the Region Could Gain’ From Turkey-Israel Normalization | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

How ISIS hijacks smuggling routes to sell oil - Timeline.com

ISIS isn’t smuggling oil, it is co-opting a practice that has existed since the Ottoman Empire
Last updated on December 14, 2015

Written on December 14, 2015 by
Asher Kohn

The ISIS machine runs on oil, there’s no doubt.

Russian and Turkish officials have launched counterclaims over who is really profiting from oil smuggled from ISIS territory. Both countries have asserted the existence of criminal groups who help the radical militants make $1 million each day from smuggled oil.

More:How ISIS hijacks smuggling routes to sell oil - Timeline.com

Turkey's accession chapter on economy opens in Brussels

Turkey's accession chapter on economy opens in Brussels

INTERNATIONAL - FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE•
Monday, 14 December, 2015
EU and Turkish ministers will meet later today in Brussels for an EU - Turkey intergovernmental conference, followed by the opening of chapter 17 (economic and monetary policy) of the accession process.

More:Turkey's accession chapter on economy opens in Brussels

Turkish Military Convoy Leaves Iraq Base - WSJ

Turkish Military Convoy Leaves Iraq Base

Iraqi officials express dissatisfaction with move, want Ankara to remove all of its troopsv

More:Turkish Military Convoy Leaves Iraq Base - WSJ

Falling profits pressuring salaries in Turkey - ECONOMICS

Falling profits pressuring salaries in Turkey

Mustafa Sönmez - mustafasnmz@hotmail.com

Signs are strengthening that falling profits in the industrial sector, particularly acute over the past two years, will drag Turkey into a significant bottleneck in 2016.

More:Falling profits pressuring salaries in Turkey - ECONOMICS

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Organised crime moves in on migrant smuggling trade in Turkey - FT.com

Organised crime moves in on migrant smuggling trade in Turkey

Mehul Srivastava in Cesme and Istanbul

Abdul Naseer had spent more than a month sneaking through the Afghan and Iranian borders to reach Cesme, a small beach town in Turkey within swimming distance of Greece.

More:Organised crime moves in on migrant smuggling trade in Turkey - FT.com

Unwanted 'Turkey dogs' rescued from Istanbul for US adoption - WDAM-TV 7-News, Weather, Sports-Hattiesburg, MS

Unwanted 'Turkey dogs' rescued from Istanbul for US adoption

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (CNN) - A woman in Istanbul has spent the last 12 years rescuing hundreds of dogs - specifically golden retrievers - unable to find homes and new owners. Luckily, there’s a silver lining for some of the goldens.

More:Unwanted 'Turkey dogs' rescued from Istanbul for US adoption - WDAM-TV 7-News, Weather, Sports-Hattiesburg, MS

New EU chapter to open Dec. 14, with reforms on Turkey’s agenda - DIPLOMACY

New EU chapter to open Dec. 14, with reforms on Turkey’s agenda

With the EU clearing the path for the opening of at least one of the five chapters currently closed in Turkey’s long-stalled accession process, Ankara has turned its attention to a series of legislative reforms.

More:New EU chapter to open Dec. 14, with reforms on Turkey’s agenda - DIPLOMACY