Turkey

By Ibrahim Sirkeci | (The Conversation) | – – On July 15, a group within the Turkish military staged a coup. It failed. But since then, the Turkish government has restricted rights and freedoms of its people. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stepped up the pressure on Fethullah Gulen and his supporters. Gulen, a […]

Featured

US: Turkish-backed campaign against our Allies in Syria ‘unacceptable’

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – On Sunday evening, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told a rally in Gaziantep, a city near the border with Syria, “We will make any kind of contribution to the work to clear Daesh [ISIL] from Syria.” This pledge should have been music to Washington’s ears, since Turkey […]

Featured

America’s Syria SNAFU: Pentagon’s Militias fight Turkey & CIA’s Militias

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Turkish incursion into Syria at Jarabulus was advertised as an attack on a Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) stronghold and smuggling station in conjunction with (fundamentalist) remnants of the Free Syrian Army. But the southern outskirts of Jarabulus had already fallen to the Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, […]

Bashar al-Assad

Is Turkey’s incursion into Syria about Daesh, or about the Kurds?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkish military sources told the Anadol news agency that Wednesday’s military attack on the Syrian border town of Jarabulus, held for years by Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), involved hitting 82 targets. The objective, Ankara said, was to secure the Turkish border and to support the US-led Coalition […]

Featured

Top 6 Reasons Turkey is Finally attacking ISIL in Syria’s Jarabulus

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkey and coalition allies launch air strikes Wednesday morning against the Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) stronghold of Jarabulus, on the Syrian side near the Turkish border. At the same time, Turkish artillery on the ground pounded the town. With Manbij in the hands of the Kurdish-led Syrian […]

Featured

Is Turkey’s Pivot to Russia about Erdogan’s Survival?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkey’s prime minister, Yildirim Binali, has announced a significant about-face in Turkey’s Syria policy. Murat Yetkin writes: ” “The most important priority for us is to stop the bloodshed as soon as possible,” Yıldırım said at a press conference in Istanbul on Aug. 20, later adding […]

Russia

Will Syria Issue derail Turkey-Russia Rapprochement?

contributors

By Abbas Djavadi | ( RFE/RL ) | – – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travels to St. Petersburg on August 9 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They will focus on improving cooperation in two main areas: the effort to find a shared and joint solution to the Syria crisis, and in business […]

censorship

Turkey Is Shutting Down over 130 Media Outlets; Can Democracy Survive?

contributors

TeleSur | – – Erdogan’s political purge following the failed coup keeps on going, with the net ever widening. Turkey is shutting down over 100 media outlets and is purging over 1,000 military personnel, it was announced Wednesday as President Tayyip Erdogan’s government continues to tighten its grip on power after a failed military coup […]

Economy

Can Turkey’s Economy come back from Coup and Massive Purge?

contributors

By Nader Habibi | (The Conversation) | – – The failed July 15 coup in Turkey has prompted a tsunami of responses by the government that is likely to have a lasting impact on all aspects of politics and society, including the economy. The initial arrest of military personnel who were involved or suspected of […]