Latest Articles about Turkey

Ergenekon Investigation Exposes Divisions Among Turkish Military Officers
As the prosecutors deepen their investigations into the Ergenekon criminal network, they have found interesting evidence that indicates two opposing camps within the Turkish military. Recently, the neo-nationalist daily Cumhuriyet's Ankara correspondent, Mustafa Balbay, was detained on accusations of being a member of Ergenekon. Balbay... MORE

Turkish Government May Approve Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant in April
Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko paid an official visit to Ankara to meet with Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler. At the meeting, Shmatko inquired when the Turkish authorities would make their final decision to allow the Russian-Turkish consortium to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant.... MORE

European Criticism of Turkey’s Party Closure Laws Reignites Debate on Constitutional Reforms
Two recent reports by European institutions reignited the debate over political reforms that Turkey needs to undertake to bring its democratic practices up to European standards. The European Parliament (EP) and the Venice Commission criticized Turkey's reluctance to continue with constitutional reforms, in particular its... MORE

Kurds May Ask the PKK to Lay Down Its Arms
The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq has prepared a proposal to end terror attacks inside Turkey by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). It was first reported last December that the draft proposal included amnesty for PKK militants to return to Turkey and a provision... MORE

Turkish Economic Stimulus Package Foresees Temporary Tax Cuts in Automotive and Other Sectors
The Turkish government announced a comprehensive economic stimulus package on Friday. The decision comes against the background of deteriorating economic indicators that signal a serious recession and mounting pressure from market players for the government to act swiftly to alleviate the crisis. Industrial production showed... MORE

Shaking Down the Turkic Brother? Turkey’s AKP Government Obstructs Azerbaijan’s Gas Outlet to Europe
During a recent public debate in Brussels on Turkey's energy policies, several panelists advised Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler, who participated in the panel, that Ankara is "overplaying its hand" by setting unacceptable terms for the transit of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Such tactics in... MORE

Turkish Prosecutor Indicts Another 56 Suspects in Ergenekon Investigation
On March 10 the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office submitted its long-awaited second indictment in the case of Ergenekon, a clandestine organization with members from various state agencies, including the military, charged with plotting to overthrow the government (all dailies and local news channels, March 10). Tuesday's... MORE

Some 100,000 People in Diyarbakir Celebrate the Birthday of Mohammad
On March 8 thousands of people gathered in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir to celebrate "Mevlud'a Muhammedi" (birth of Mohammad), the Prophet Muhammad's 1,458th birthday. The event was organized by Ikra-Der and other Islamic associations that have formed a organization called Prophet Lovers' Union, which... MORE

Human Rights in Turkey: Old Wine in a New Bottle?
Turkish media coverage of the "U.S. State Department's 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" highlights how human rights issues might fall victim to domestic political discussions and strategic calculations. As in previous years the 2008 report on Turkey, despite identifying the progress achieved by... MORE

Would Iran Want Turkey as a Mediator for U.S.-Iranian Negotiations?
On the eve of possible talks between the United States and Iran, Ankara is encouraging Iranian leaders to seize the opportunity for peace now that a new administration that favors dialogue is in office in Washington (Today's Zaman, March 10). Turkish President Abdullah Gul went... MORE