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.