Post Pic

Turkey to Train Syria’s Army

While we are being told constantly how well things are going in the Middle East, still another dangerous development has been ignored by the Western media. Turkey and Syria have agreed on training of Syrian army by Turkish military… Continue reading

Post Pic

WikiLeaks: Turkish Military ‘Plot’ Sparks U.S. Fears for Democracy

On February 22 [2010] police detained 47 retired and active-duty military officers, including 17 flag-grade officers for their alleged involvement in coup plots… Continue reading

Post Pic

Turkey’s Government: Cheer Egypt’s Demonstrations, Suppress Those at Home

Labor unions marched to protest the reduction of workers’ rights in Ankara. The government declared the demonstration illegal, gassed demonstrators, and police attacked… Continue reading

Post Pic

European Court of Human Rights: Turkey “Worst Human Rights Violator”

In an annual report released by the European Court of Human Rights once again found that Turkey is by far the worst violator of human rights among the 47 signatory states of the European Convention on Human Rights… Continue reading

Post Pic

AKP Sees to Control Society – but can it?

The liberals who were instrumental in legitimating the ascension of the Justice and development party (AKP) are now dramatically revoking their support for the Islamic conservatives… Continue reading

Post Pic

Turkey and the EU: The Disappearing Vision

On December 31, 2010, Belgium’s six month presidency of the EU closed without any chapters in Turkey’s membership negotiations being opened. It was the first time an EU presidency… Continue reading

Post Pic

Reactions in Iranian Media to Failure of Istanbul Nuclear Talks

Iranian media blamed the West for the failure of the nuclear talks between Iran and G5+1 in Istanbul last weekend. Tehran Emrooz, a daily affiliated with the pragmatic conservative… Continue reading

Post Pic

Germany Banned the anti-Israeli Movie “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine”

Germany banned the distribution of the anti-Israeli movie “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine,” which was supposed to premiere on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day… Continue reading

Post Pic

A Turkish Anti-Israeli movie: “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine”

A Turkish anti-Israeli film titled Valley of the Wolves: Palestine (to be released on January 28) portrays the Mavi Marmara incident as a premeditated attack by the IDF on innocent people… Continue reading

Post Pic

The Turkel Commission Report and Initial Reactions

On January 23 the Turkel Commission issued the first part of its report. The commission investigated the issue of the Israeli takeover of the flotilla, during which IDF forces were attacked… Continue reading

Post Pic

Testimonies from IDF Naval Commandos Who Participated in the Raid on the Mavi Marmara

Detailed testimony from IDF officers and soldiers, supported by documentation, reveals for the first time the aggressive, brutal fighting carried out by IHH operatives and their accomplices against Israeli forces aboard the… Continue reading

Post Pic

Turkel Commission: Flotilla Raid was in Accordance with International Law

Turkel Commission: Flotilla raid was in accordance with int’l law. Turkish PM Erdogan: Turkel C’tee report has ‘no credibility’. Israel’s PM Netanyahu: Report shows the truth… Continue reading

Post Pic

WikiLeaks: Greece Fears Islamic Radicalization of Illegal Immigrants from the Middle East

Greece’s new PASOK-led government has placed migration and asylum policy reform high on its agenda. Greece has become the EU entry point of choice for illegal migrants and refugees… Continue reading

Post Pic

The Slow Disappearance of Turkey’s Jewish Community

A study by Rifat N. Bali on Turkey’s Jewish community for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs’ (JCPA) Institute for Global Jewish Affairs. It’s the December 2010 publication in the Changing Jewish Communities Lecture Series… Continue reading

Post Pic

WikiLeaks: Pope Wanted Muslim Turkey Kept Out of EU

In 2004 Cardinal Ratzinger, the future pope, spoke out against letting a Muslim state join, although at the time the Vatican was formally neutral on the question… Continue reading

Post Pic

The Turkish IHH Continues at the Forefront of anti-Israeli Hate and Incitement Campaign

The Turkish IHH, which directed the flotilla led by the Mavi Marmara, continues at the forefront of an anti-Israeli hate and incitement campaign, adopting the maximalist Palestinian demands, calling for the annihilation of the “Zionist entity” and… Continue reading

Post Pic

WikiLeaks: Switzerland’s Biggest Challenge is Its Continuing Crisis with Libya

A secret October 2009 cable from Bern, written by the US ambassador Donald Beyer, briefed Hillary Clinton for her upcoming Swiss trip (on October 10, 2009) to Zürich about “the biggest challenge on Switzerland’s foreign policy front… Continue reading

Post Pic

Photo Gallery: IHH’s Welcoming Ceremony For the Mavi Marmara

The Mavi Marmara “finally returned home after 219 days since the incident on may 31. Tens of thousands of people attended a welcome ceremony for the ship,” according to a press release from the Turkish IHH… Continue reading

Post Pic

Israel Will Not Apologize, Turkey’s Government Sounds Just Like Hamas

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said that Israel will not apologize to Turkey over the raid on the Freedom Fleet flotilla and the deaths of nine Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara headed for… Continue reading

Post Pic

Turkish National Security Policy in 2010 and Beyond

Turkish foreign policy was more visible in 2010 than ever before. If one is optimistic, one can hazard that we will see a “regression toward the mean” in Turkey’s relations with the West. If 2010 was generally a bad year for that relationship, the situation… Continue reading

Post Pic

Taliban Wants to Open Formal Office in Turkey

Taliban leaders want to open a base in a neutral, third country such as an Arab Gulf state, Turkey or Japan before they embark on meaningful peace talks, according to senior figures in the movement… Continue reading

Post Pic

WikiLeaks Scandal Deprives Turkey’s Ruling Party of its Cherished American Cover

U.S. power still matters in Turkey, and the revelation that the AKP does not enjoy universal American support is unwelcome news for the ruling party. The perception that it enjoyed full U.S. support was instrumental in the… Continue reading

Post Pic

Iran’s New Foreign Minister: Ties with Saudi Arabia Top Priority

What is the highest priority for Iranian foreign policy–I mean the official and public foreign policy, not spreading revolution and terrorism–today? According to the new foreign minister it’s developing strong relations with… Continue reading

Post Pic

Turkish Movie: “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine”

“Valley of the Wolves: Palestine” is a Turkish movie portraying the Marmara affair as a premeditated IDF attack to kill innocent activists, slated for the end of January 2011. Joining previous films and series, it is an example of the extensive use made in Turkey of… Continue reading

Post Pic

IHH leader Bülent Yildirim: “U.S. Is Ruled By Zionism”

IHH leader Bulent Yildirim gave an interview focusing on the U.S. intention to designate the IHH as a terrorist organization and on the Mavi Marmara incident. Yildirim claimed “Zionists” controlled the U.S. and world media. He accused Israel of… Continue reading