Turkey

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The paroxysms of hatred and bigotry spewed by the two GOP frontrunners in the 2016 presidential campaign probably do not need any pretext, since Trump and Cruz are clearly sadistic and unfair individuals. But the Brussels airport and metro attacks gave them another excuse to blame […]

Authoritarianism

Turkey’s Erdogan: Democracy Has ‘Absolutely No Value Any Longer’ given war on PKK Terrorism

contributors

TeleSur | – – “Democracy Has ‘Absolutely No Value Any Longer’” The Turkish president made the comments in the context of the government’s fight against the Kurdish PKK resistance group. In the fight against the Kurdish insurgency in the country, there is no place left for democracy and freedom of speech in Turkey, President Recep […]

Kurds

Can Turkish Democracy survive Bombings, Ethnic Polarization?

contributors

By Cengiz Gunes | (The Conversation) | – – Hours after Ankara was rocked by the second bomb attack in less than three weeks, killing at least 37 people and injuring 70 others, Turkish jets bombed PKK bases in the Qandil mountains deep inside the Kurdish region of Iraq. Turkish security officials told reporters that […]

Terrorism

Ankara, Turkey: At least 39 dead after car bombing, Judge Bans Social Media

contributors

Euronews | (Video news Report) | “A car bomb has caused carnage in the centre of the Turkish capital Ankara. The authorities now say at least 3[9] people have died and some 75 have been injured. The blast happened just before 6.45 p.m. local time at Kizilay Square near the central Guven Park. The area […]

Turkey

Turkey’s Gender Stereotyping made a Mockery of Women’s Day

contributors

By Ece Basay | ( Globalvoices.org ) | – – March 8 is marked as International Women’s Day in Turkey, and is typified as elsewhere across the world by speeches appreciating the role women play both in the workplace and at home. Yet for the remainder of the year, women face an uphill struggle to […]

censorship

‘A dark day for Turkish democracy’: violent clashes follow Zaman takeover

contributors

Euronews | (Video News Report) – – “The country’s “top-selling newspaper reopened on Saturday”following a state takeover and police raid. But the staff has experienced a shake up, with reports of editor-in-chief Abdulhamit Bilici and columnist Bulent Kenes being sacked.” Euronews: “‘A dark day for Turkish democracy’: violent clashes follow Zaman takeover”

Iran

Is US Syria Policy to back new Saudi-Turkish Moves against Iran?

contributors

By Fernando Betancor | ( OpenDemocracy)| – – The pattern of strikes by the disjointed US-led coalition of Operation Inherent Resolve remains the best and most reliable public indicator of intentions and future operations in the short-term. As I pointed out in early December, changes to the balance of forces in Syria and Iraq have been forcing […]

Democracy

Turkey’s Elections no longer for Democracy but for Nationalist-Conservative Domination

contributors

By Umit Cizre | ( OpenDemocracy) | – – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s readiness to circumvent elections, illustrates that promises to end the conflict were contingent on securing a mathematically permanent conservative-nationalist electoral bloc. Two historic general elections were held in Turkey over the course of four months in 2015. The desperate losers in the first […]

Terrorism

Turkey’s New Normal?: Bombing in Ankara kills Dozens

contributors

By Winston Obertan | ( GlobalVoices.org ) | – – Ankara. Wikimedia image. A bomb blast, believed to have originated from a car bomb, has killed at least 28 people and injured scores in what appears to be a targeted attack on vehicles carrying Turkish military personnel. The explosion comes amid an intensification of fighting […]