Turkey

By Fatma Müge Göçek | (The Conversation) | – – After the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, one of the first actions of the Turkish state and government was to purge thousands of academics and deans from office. In a crackdown that rapidly spread across civil and military services, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan […]

Authoritarianism

Purge of teachers and academics bulldozes through Turkish education

contributors

By Moritz Pieper | (The Conversation) | – – As news of the attempted military coup in Turkey unfolded, I was in Pennsylvania. Travelling in the US, I had coincidentally found myself in the home state of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, who Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has singled out as the mastermind of the […]

Egypt

Arab nationalist press Reacts to Erdogan’s Crackdown with cries of “Dictator!”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s firing of some 50,000 people, including educators, bureaucrats, police and military personnel, in the wake of the failed July 15 coup against him, provoked sharp criticism in Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries that have an adversarial attitude toward the Religious Right […]

Authoritarianism

WikiLeaks Release 300K Emails Related to Turkey’s ruling Party

contributors

TeleSur | – – The group leaked the documents despite being under a major cyber attack for more than 24 hours by suspected allies of the Turkish government. WikiLeaks released its first batch of leaked emails from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Tuesday. Founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the whistleblowing group […]

military

The Turkish Coup — Real or Imagined?

contributors

Erdağ Göknar | (Duke Today) | – – Durham, NC – As if it were having a Cold War flashback, Turkey experienced a surprise coup attempt by a faction of the Turkish army Friday night. Though it evoked the Turkish coups of 1960, 1971 and 1980 quite realistically, and perhaps gave Turks of the political […]

Featured

Long Knives in Ankara: Victorious Erdogan begins Purge of Judiciary, Army

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – – President Tayyip Erdogan is taking advantage of the failed coup against him to purge the judiciary and security forces of anyone who is lukewarm toward or actively critical of him. These steps are, of course, the opposite of the ones Erdogan should be taking– he should be […]

Authoritarianism

Turkish People Power foils attempted Coup

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The poorly planned junior officers’ coup in Turkey on Friday appears to have failed as I write late Friday night, though rebel military elements still hold positions in some parts of the country, including Ankara, the capital. Their allegiances and motives are still unclear. Remarkably, among […]

Turkey

Gaza: Turkey to Build Seawater Desalination Plant

contributors

By IMEMC | – – The Turkish Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs announced, Tuesday, that Turkey is to establish a seawater desalination plant to solve water crisis, estimating the coast of the project to $300,000,000 USD. The minister noted, according to Al Ray, that the project is big-ticket, noting that some countries announced that […]

Bashar al-Assad

Is Turkey making a 180° Turn, warming to al-Assad & abandoning Saudi & Rebels?

contributors

TeleSur | – – The two countries had been allies before the 2011 uprising in Syria. Turkey is seeking to normalize relations with its neighbor Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a televised address on Wednesday. The news comes just weeks after Turkey restored diplmatic relations with Israel and one of Syria’s top […]