Latest Articles about Turkey
Religious Freedom Still Tenuous in Turkey
A Turkish court ruled in favor of an Alevi family requesting exemption for their daughter from attending religious lessons in primary school. The ruling highlights the state of religious freedom, as well as the demands of the Alevi community, in Turkey (Anadolu Ajansi, February 24).... MORE
Turkey’s Kurdish Question: Irony Within Irony
In November 2008 Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan made one of his most disconcerting statements toward the Kurds in Turkey: "We have said, ‘One nation, one flag, one motherland, and one state.'...Those who oppose this should leave" (See EDM November 4, 2008). In January 2009 the... MORE
Gul’s African Visit Could Indicate How Turkey Will Act in the UN Security Council
Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Kenya and Tanzania to expand Turkey's relations with the two African countries. With this visit, Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president to pay an official visit to these sub-Saharan nations. Kenya and Turkey signed an agreement that envisages cooperation... MORE
Will the Closure of Manas Airbase Strengthen U.S.-Turkish Relations?
The Kyrgyz parliament's vote to close down Manas Airbase puts at risk supply routes for international forces operating in Afghanistan shortly after the U.S. decision to bolster the American military presence in Afghanistan (EDM, February 20). The attempts to find alternative routes in the wake... MORE
A New Episode in the AKP’s Confrontation with the Dogan Group
Dogan media group (DMG), a conglomerate of various media companies owned by Dogan Holding, was fined on February 18 for tax evasion and accounting irregularities for the period from 2003 through 2006. DMG has been ordered to pay a total of TL 826.2 million ($484.3... MORE
Two Calls, Many Scenarios: How Will Washington Readjust to Turkey’s New Regional Role?
President Barack Obama telephoned President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip separately on Monday. In his first official contact with the Turkish leaders since his inauguration, Obama discussed cooperation between the two countries over a wide spectrum of issues of common concern. Earlier this... MORE
Turkish Government Under Fire for Delaying Response to the Global Financial Crisis
An announcement of recent economic indicators on Monday by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) has revealed that the number of unemployed people rose by 645,000 over the previous year, reaching 2.99 million in the period from September through November 2008. This represents an increase in... MORE
Turkey and Russia Developing a New Economic and Strategic Partnership
Turkish president Abdullah Gul paid a four-day visit to the Russian Federation from February 12 to 15, marking the flourishing multidimensional relations between the two countries. Gul met with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and other officials and also traveled to Kazan,... MORE
Armenia and Turkey Make Progress on Delicate Task of Restoring Relations
After months of intensive negotiations, Armenia and Turkey appear to be heading toward a full normalization of their historically strained relations that could redraw the region's geopolitical map. Such a possibility has become even more likely after the latest flurry of face-to-face contacts between Turkish... MORE
Speculation Mounts over Protection for Retired Generals in “Deep State” Trial
The release from jail of the former Aegean Army commander, retired General Hursit Tolon, on February 7 on grounds of lack of evidence has sparked speculation that he and other four-star generals are being protected by the country's politically powerful Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). He... MORE