Turkey

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 […]

military

Are Outside Interventions in Syria undermining Int’l Law & our own Security?

contributors

By Ingvild Bode | (The Conversation) | – – Since 2012, the war in Syria has lurched from one escalation to another. Syrians have been subjected to large-scale military force not only by their own government, but also by an array of rebel groups, Islamic State (IS), a US-led coalition and other states. The results […]

Authoritarianism

Turkey: Erdogan’s Domestic War for a Presidential System

contributors

By Rosa Burç and Burak Çopur | TeleSur | – – The current war against the Kurds and oppositional voices is being waged to push an autocratic presidential system. The surprising electoral success of the pro-Kurdish HDP in last year’s June 7 elections denied the ruling AKP a majority for the first time since 2002 […]

Kurds

Has the Turkish-Saudi direct Military Intervention in Syria Begun?

Neil Thompson

London (Informed Comment) – The news that Turkey has begun military strikes against the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG) militia inside Syria marks an ominous chapter in that country’s civil war. Turkey acted after YPG forces and allied units from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) seized the strategic Mennagh Military Airport in northern Aleppo […]

Central Intelligence Agency

Despite Syria Cease Fire, Belligerents Plot military Victory

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Despite the announcement at Munich of a cessation of hostilities in Syria, to be implemented in the next week or so, all the major fighting forces in Syria have announced a determination to soldier on. According to the London pan-Arab daily al-Hayat [Life] , Russian foreign […]

Displaced and Refugees

Turkey must not strand new Wave of Syrian Refugees, & nor should Europe

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (Istanbul) – Turkey should allow Syrians at its border fleeing the fighting in and around Aleppo to seek protection in Turkey, Human Rights Watch said today. Forcing people to remain in a war zone, where they risk death and injury, is no solution to the challenge of protecting Syrians […]