Latest Articles about Elite
Coup Debate Resurfaces in Turkey Following the Third Ergenekon Indictment
The prosecutors investigating the Ergenekon criminal network that allegedly aimed at overthrowing the Turkish government by organizing a military coup, has finalized the third indictment, consisting of 1,454 pages and indicting 52 high profile individuals. The judges hearing the Ergenekon trial accepted the indictment and... MORE
Baku Surprised by Berdimuhamedov’s Inflammatory Statement
On July 24 Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov declared his country's intention to take Azerbaijan to the international court of arbitration (ICA) over disputed oil fields. This announcement has shocked the Azeri government. Berdimuhamedov, speaking at a cabinet meeting, blamed Azerbaijan for the unsettled legal status... MORE
Putin Opts for a Large Deficit and Small Investment 2010 Budget
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made his cabinet agree on a budget for 2010 that contains few anti-crisis ideas and hardly fits into the directives on stimulating innovations issued by President Dmitry Medvedev. As such, this budget proposal, which will be duly approved by the compliant... MORE
Turkish Counter-Terrorist Police Allege Hizb-ut-Tahrir Link with Ergenekon
A total of seven lieutenants from the Turkish navy were arrested recently on charges of plotting to assassinate two admirals as part of the trial concerning the alleged activities of Ergenekon. Istanbul prosecutors accused the lieutenants of planning the assassination of two admirals, identified as... MORE
Russian Authorities Reveal Active Dislike for Supporters of Natalya Estemirova
The initial condemnation of the murder of the Chechen human rights activist Natalya Estemirova on July 15 was contrary to the muted reaction that Russian authorities had previously displayed in similar cases. President Dmitry Medvedev not only acknowledged that Estemirova was killed because of her... MORE
Skype and ICQ Face Ban in Russia
When the Russian state initiates an executive order to inspect citizens' mail (EDM, July 21), it is the regime's idea of business as usual. However, when big business initiates harsh legislation to ban foreign competition and invokes national security as the rationale, it might seem... MORE
Judicial Opposition Criticizes the AKP Government
The long standing dispute between Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the judiciary has once again resurfaced in recent weeks. Since 2007 the judiciary has led the opposition against the AKP. The constitutional court attempted to shut down the AKP and ban the... MORE
Key Suspect in the Gongadze Case Detained: a Boost for Yushchenko?
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested former Police General Oleksy Pukach, a key suspect in the murder of investigative journalist Georgy Gongadze in 2000. It is believed that Pukach was the main link between the policemen who killed Gongadze - they received long... MORE
Dagestani President Chooses the Republic’s New Interior Minister
Almost a month and a half after the assassination of Dagestan's Interior Minister Police General Adilgerei Magomedtagirov on June 5, the federal government finally chose his replacement. The new minister is Federal Security Service (FSB) Colonel Ali Magomedov, a close associate of Dagestan's President Mukhu... MORE
Russia-Germany: an Asymmetric “Strategic Partnership”
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel headed large governmental delegations for bilateral talks on July 16 in Munich. The process, known as Russo-German inter-governmental consultations, involves informal semi-annual summits at which leading business representatives join the cabinet ministers on either side. The... MORE