http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/turkey/ en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:21:17 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049554/posts Turkey to negotiate with German joint venture for new submarines Turkey decided to launch talks with German joint venture HDW-MFI to procure new type submarines for the Turkish Navy, Turkey's Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said on Tuesday. The board decided to start negotiations with Howaldswerke-Deutsche Werft GMBH and Marine Force International LLP (HDW-MFI) for the procurement which is estimated to cost about 2.5 billion euros ($3.9 billion), Gonul told reporters after a defence industry meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. HDW and its partner, Britain-based Marine Force International, will build the type-214 air-independent submarines at the Golcuk shipyard... Hurriyet,Turkey http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049554/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:21:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048985/posts YEREVAN -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has called for closer ties with Turkey, 15 years after the two nations severed diplomatic relations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They are also at odds over the question of whether ethnic Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks during World War I were victims of genocide. Armenia and Turkey broke off diplomatic links in 1993, when Ankara closed the border and backed Azerbaijan during its war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a mainly ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. "The improvement of ties between Armenia and Turkey is mutually beneficial," Sarkisian told a news conference on... RFE/RL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048985/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:14:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048650/posts Russia has renewed an earlier offer for the direct sale of S-400 missiles to Turkey as an alternative to Russian participation in a tender opened by Ankara for the acquisition of long-range air and missile defense systems, both Turkish and Russian defense industry officials have said. The Russian offer was made during a meeting held in mid-June in Moscow between Turkish and Russian military officials. Military officials from the Turkish Defense Ministry have reportedly told the Russian side that Moscow's offer could be considered by the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM), the civilian military procurement agency, but not by... zaman.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048650/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:16:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046560/posts Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has decided to try a little "football diplomacy" to defuse longstanding tensions with neighboring Turkey. During a visit to Moscow in June, Sarkisian made waves by publicly announcing that he would like his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, to come to Yerevan to watch a World Cup qualifying match between the two countries in September. The Armenian leader repeated the invitation in a commentary titled "We Are Ready To Talk To Turkey," published in the U.S. daily "The Wall Street Journal" on July 9. "There is no real alternative to the establishment of normal diplomatic relations between... RFE/RL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046560/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:02:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045991/posts ISTANBUL — Eighty-six people, including writers, members of civil organizations and former military officers, were charged Monday with membership in an illegal ultranationalist organization and of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. Speaking at a televised news conference, the Istanbul chief prosecutor, Aykut Cengiz Engin, refused to give details of the case against the ultranationalist and hard-line secular organization, known as Ergenekon, because the case had not yet been formally accepted by the court. But he said the suspects, 48 of them in police custody and the others free while awaiting trial, were charged with forming, managing and aiding the... The NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045991/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:18:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045940/posts honor killings has so far shown that little if any social stigma is attached to the act. 100 percent say they do not regret their actions, Professor BaÄŸlı notes. In some cases, the victimÂ’s relatives even praised the perpetrator... cheating is an unforgivable act in the Southeast, even for a woman who “cheats” after divorcing her husband by remarrying. “The ultimate punishment in such a situation is death. Both the groomÂ’s and the brideÂ’s families agree on this. Murder becomes inevitable when honor is at stake and turning to murder in such a situation is seen as a respectable act... Feza Newspaper http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045940/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:31:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045088/posts The normalization of Iraq, which would generate 250 billion dollars in oil revenues, would boost Turkey's trade volume with this country to 30 billion dollars, Turkey's Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Sunday. The establishment of stability in Iraq would earn Turkey a neighbor with the ability to generate $250 billion in oil revenues, Tuzmen told the Anatolian Agency. Tuzmen said exports and the construction services Turkey provided to Iraq would be boosted and the transportation sector would also benefit as the revenue of the country increased. "Had Iraq normalized the business volume between Turkey and Iraq would rise to... Hurriyet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045088/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:49:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044618/posts ‘We are the problem and the solution to global warmingÂ’Ä°SMAÄ°L KOCABIYIK; ISTANBUL 13 July 2008, Sunday Human beings are the cause of global warming, but they are also the only force capable of stopping it, according to Ä°brahim Dinçer, the chairman of the Global Conference on Global Warming, which was held this past week in Ä°stanbul. In an interview with Sunday's Zaman Dinçer, a professor at the University of Ontario's Institute of Technology, said there are several ways to prevent global warming and that the most important is education. "You can educate people from kindergarten to the end of their... Zaman.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044618/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:54:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043064/posts WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday condemned the attack on its consulate in Istanbul and a State Department spokesman said he could neither confirm nor rule out al Qaeda involvement. Three Turkish police officers and three gunmen were killed in the attack at the compound. "The United States condemns the terrorist attack that took place on our consulate general in Istanbul earlier today," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. Reports in Turkey said al Qaeda involvement was suspected. "At this point one can't rule that out, but I also can't support at this point, those suspicions,"... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043064/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 20:16:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042811/posts Six people dead in an attack on U.S. Consulate in Turkey's Istanbul Three police and three assailants were killed in an armed attack carried out on the main gate of the United States Consulate in Istanbul around 11:00 a.m. (GMT 0800), Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said on Wednesday. (UPDATED) Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said a security guard and two traffic policemen were killed in a shootout near the police post at the main entrance of the consulate. Guler said that three armed assailants were also killed in the shooting. "Three police were killed in the attack, one at the scene,... HotNews Turkey.com Hurriyet.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042811/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 10:07:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042939/posts Three German mountaineers were kidnapped by terrorists in Turkey's eastern province of Agri, the state-run Anatolian Agency reported Wednesday quoting the governor. (UPDATED) PKK terrorists seized the climbers, part of a group of 13 mountaineers, as they were ascending the mountain in Agri province, provincial governor Mehmet Cetin told the AA. "The terrorists said they carried out this action because of the German government's recent moves against PKK associations and sympathizers," the Anatolian Agency reported the Governor Mehmet Cetin as saying. Cetin said the terrorists kidnapped the three late on Tuesday, adding the gendarmerie had launched a wide-scale search and... Hot News Turkey http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042939/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 15:39:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2042936/posts Three unidentified gunmen and three Turkish policemen were killed Wednesday in an attack on a police guard post at the main entrance of the well-fortified U.S. Consulate in Istanbul that officials labeled a "terrorist" act. One person has been taken into custody, Dogan News Agency reported. (UPDATED) The attack was "an obvious act of terrorism" aimed at the United States, the country's ambassador to Turkey said. "This was an attack on an American diplomatic establishment. The persons who lost their lives are Turkish citizens and we are very sad about that," Ross Wilson told reporters in Ankara. The three assailants... Hot News Turkey http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2042936/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 15:32:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042813/posts Three German tourists kidnapped in eastern Turkey Three German tourists were kidnapped in Turkey's eastern province of Agri, CNNTurk reported on Wednesday. They were kidnapped by terrorists, it added quoting the governor of Agri. (UPDATED) Three German climbers on Mount Ararat were kidnapped in Turkey's eastern province of Agri, CNNTurk reported on Wednesday. The three, who were party of a 13-member team, were kidnapped by terrorists, it added quoting the governor of Agri HotNews Turkey.com Hurriyet.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042813/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 10:17:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2040058/posts Al-Qaeda Draws New Recruits Via Internet Al-Qaeda is using the Internet to recruit vulnerable young people to its terrorist network, according to a programme aired on Saudi Arabian TV late on Tuesday. Umm Osama, the founder of al-Qaeda's first women-only website, al-Khansa, joined several others on the programme to discuss how they renounced jihadist ideology. Among those who sought a response to this question was an imam from the Medina mosque, Saleh Ibn Awad al-Mudamsi, and the father of a young al-Qaeda suspect held in an Iraqi prison. Read More Qaeda Targets U.S. Oil Interests in North Africa U.S.... Previous Thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2040058/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jul 2008 02:02:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042808/posts ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Three police officers were killed in a shooting outside the United States consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkish television said. Television images appeared to show four bodies on the ground in front of the high-walled complex. Media earlier said that two police had been shot dead. The U.S. embassy in Ankara said it was aware of an incident near the Istanbul consulate, but had no further details. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042808/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:20:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042807/posts Armed men have opened fire from a vehicle outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul killing four people, according to CNN-Turk. CNN-Turk initially reported that at least three of the attackers were killed and one police officer later died from his injuries in a hospital. Police returned fire on the gunmen who were traveling in a white car ..." CNN International http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042807/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:16:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042554/posts Representatives of Germany’s large Turkish community have criticized a new citizenship test that takes effect in September and are urging Chancellor Merkel’s government to allow Turkish-Germans to hold dual nationality. Kenan Kolat, chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany said in an interview with Cologne-based daily Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger on Tuesday he was fundamentally opposed to a new citizenship test that will be introduced in September and test applicants' knowledge of the country’s history, politics and society. "We don’t find the test a good idea at all," Kolat said. The German government said last month it was introducing the test as... The Local http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042554/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jul 2008 20:29:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2039446/posts Turkey’s highest court was told today that the country’s governing party should be disbanded for alleged Islamist activities. The President and Prime Minister are accused of breaching strict rules ensuring that political parties remain secular. The case being heard today is the latest in a series of battles between the Justice and Development Party (AK), which has Islamic roots, and secularists who dominate the courts, the Army and the bureaucracy. Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeal, arrived at the court through a back door this morning and made a 90-minute presentation to the panel of 11 judges... Times Online (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2039446/posts#comment Tue, 1 Jul 2008 23:40:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038788/posts Turkey's constitutional court opens a case today that will have momentous, and possibly disastrous, consequences not only for Turkey but also for much of the Muslim world (see page 34). It is a case that could end Turkish hopes of joining the European Union for ever and transform one of the West's most vibrant strategic allies into a feuding and embittered society, torn between military repression and Islamic fervour. For what the court is attempting to decide is whether Islam is compatible with secular democracy. If it rules that the present Islamist Government has undermined Atatürk's constitution, it will declare... Timesonline.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038788/posts#comment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:21:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037190/posts Israel has a longstanding relationship with the Kurdish people. In the early 1960’s, Mustafa Barzani and his Peshmerga fighters received training and support in the Jewish State. David Ben Gurion, then Israel’s Prime Minister, possessed an acute vision and understanding of the regional geopolitics – so lacking in today’s realities. He reasoned that Arab hostility encircling Israel necessitated alliances with the leadership and people of non-Arab states like Iran, Turkey and the Kurds (understanding that the Kurdish connection needed to be somewhat secretive, as it continues to be today for fear of upsetting the Turks.) Israel’s military and diplomatic establishment... FrontPageMagazine.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037190/posts#comment Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:08:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036018/posts 'Erdogan Is to Be Toppled' The power struggle in Turkey is escalating with the headscarf ban, the move to prohibit the ruling AK Party and now the leaking of a secret plan by the military to overthrow Prime Minister Erdogan. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke to Yasemin Congar, the editor at the newspaper Taraf who recently broke news of the putsch plans. Last weekend the liberal Turkish newspaper Taraf hit the stands with quite an exclusive, a report on the Turkish army's secret propaganda strategy. The document leaked to the newspaper stated that all necessary measures must be taken to bring prominent... Der Spiegel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036018/posts#comment Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:51:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2035754/posts One of Turkey's best known singers, Bulent Ersoy, has gone on trial charged with attempting to turn the public against military service. The charges were brought after she suggested it was not worth sacrificing soldiers' lives in Turkey's conflict with the Kurdish separatist PKK group. The transsexual singer made her comments on television last February. The army was conducting a major operation against the PKK in northern Iraq at the time. Some 40,000 people have died since the conflict with the PKK began in 1984. Ms Ersoy did not show up in court, saying she had to attend a concert,... BBC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2035754/posts#comment Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:14:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035475/posts Does the movement inspired by Fethullah Gülen represent a modern brand of Islam, or a subtle attempt to infiltrate religion into secular Turkey? The Guardian's religious affairs correspondent, Riazat Butt, reports from Istanbul A hitherto largely unknown Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen, has been voted the world's top intellectual in a poll to find the leading 100 thinkers. Gülen, the author of more than 60 books, won a landslide triumph after the survey - which is organised by the British magazine, Prospect, and Foreign Policy, a US publication - attracted more than 500,000 votes. The top 10 individuals were all... Guardian.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035475/posts#comment Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:50:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2034875/posts Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Obama brushed aside criticism of his appropriation of a modified Presidential Seal in his campaign appearances, calling it “a transitional form of the seal. I’m not too happy with the eagle, it’s an aggressive bird. And the arrows are terrible symbolism. But I felt it would be too traumatic to try to change it all at once.” Obama’s seal includes the same bald eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows in its talons, but in place of the stars-and-stripes shield in the center of the eagle’s body, is the campaign’s trademark “O.” Instead of saying... AZCONSERVATIVE http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2034875/posts#comment Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:37:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034079/posts Oldest wheat found in Çatalhöyük The oldest known wheat was grown in Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic settlement in southern Anatolia, experts have found. A series of DNA analyses conducted on ancient wheat samples have led scientists to conclude that the oldest known wheat was grown in Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic settlement in southern Anatolia. Professor Mahinur Akkaya from the Middle East Technical University's (ODTÃœ) department of chemistry says the world's oldest wheat found so far comes from Çatalhöyük, this according to a series of DNA analyses made on 8,500-year-old wheat samples. "Our discovery is of great importance as it gives us significant... Today's Zaman http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034079/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:44:29 GMT