Turkey

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

35 reported dead now. It's the go to place for the rich and famous of Istanbul so I'm expecting to hear of famous people among the dead and injured.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

IS have claimed responsibility for this latest attack. It is believed that the attacker is from the same cell that carried out the attack on Atatürk International Airport and is from Central Asia.
IS say the attack was carried out on apostates celebrating Christmas and New Year.

There's been a new push by some of the more extreme sections of the AKP to ban Christmas and New Year celebrations as they believe they are Christian festivals that shouldn't be celebrated in a Muslim country. Many people do confuse the two of them and if you go to many of the big cities of Turkey you'll see many of the Christmas symbols being used for New Year as it's become a consumer lead celebration.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

The gunman is apparently a Uighur, if that's the case this another group that the Turkish state has been tacitly supporting in their bid for independence.

The cause of East Türkistan is regularly promoted by nationalists and islamists in Turkey and unsurprisingly it's come back to bite them.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

Two attackers dead, one on the run and a dozen people seriously injured. The photos suggest that the attack was prevented before they could get to the court house.

Keep safe while you're there Andy.

[Gangster Octopus]

Turkey

I must admit that I'd hoped that my neice wouldn't be allowed back into Turkey when she returned between Christmas and New Year, but I suppose the fact that her partner works for the Turkish Ministry Of Truth opened the doors.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

http://ceftus.org/2017/01/04/westminster-debate-turkey-russia-relations/

Heading to this tonight, I'm interested to hear what the thoughts are in this marriage of convenience.

[ad hoc]

Turkey

That sounds fascinating. Would love a short report (if you've the time)

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-assault-on-academics-and-journalists-in-turkey-developments-debate-tickets-31206027067?aff=eiosprexshreclip&ref=eiosprexshrec lip

This could be interesting.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

Well that wasn't interesting.

I'm off to another CEFTUS event tonight at Westminster, it's about the possible reunification of Cyprus.

http://ceftus.org/2017/01/18/ceftus-roundtable-with-dr-erol-kaymak-and-dr-michalis-attalides/

Here's something interesting about Cyprus:

https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/what-know-about-cyprus-reunification-talks

[Gangster Octopus]

Turkey

Antepli Ejderha wrote: Well that wasn't interesting.

How come?

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Turkey

So, any predictions on how Erdogan's name-calling against the Netherlands, Germany and others is going to end up (adverse effect on the Dutch elections apart)? Fizzle out? Too much to hope that Erdogan and his cronies themselves will pay any kind of price for it I suppose?

[anton pulisov]

Turkey

Even if he loses the referendum, he'll still win it, right? wink wink

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkey

The cats will be up the pylons again

Electoral irregularities aren't that common in Turkey and the main opposition parties haven't complained about them. The biggest issue is the lack of mass media access for the opposition.

[Diable Rouge]

Turkey

Polling does literally appear to be 50/50 as Sunday approaches, averaging out the "Yes" and "No" leads - will Erdogan accept the result if it is leaning towards rejection?

[anton pulisov]

Turkey

Looks llike Turkey has its Sultan.

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

Turkey

The world is an increasingly depressing place.

[Diable Rouge]

Turkey

Fascinating contrast in diaspora voting - UK, US and Canada heavily in "No" camp, while France, Germany, Holland and Austria all strong "Yes" votes, which reportedly highlights the geographic origins of each country's migrants.

[Diable Rouge]

Turkey

Last week's census showed only 1,000 Irish Turks, but 868 voted, and thankfully, 80% "No".

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turks stage largest show of opposition against Erdoğan government in years

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...y_to_clipboard

The opposition CHP lead a 450km march from Ankara to Istanbul with the main slogan being rights, law,
justice.

Whilst they may have woken up many Turks who have allowed Erdoğan to take sweeping powers I feel it's too late as they have allowed the Kurdish minority to be persecuted ruthlessly by the state and often this has been led by their own beloved party.

Unless these white, educated and secularist Turks stand up for and unify with other opposition groups, such as the HDP, then Erdoğan will continue to use the state of emergency and the media to get what he wants as well as labelling any opponent a terrorist.

This is in fact what the Kemalists did for years, they labelled any opposition as anti Atatürk and fought a war in the south east of Turkey that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. For them now to try to appeal to those same people for support is only going to polarise the country more and drive more people into the arms of Erdoğan.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Former British soldier held in Turkey over 'pro-Kurdish propaganda'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...y_to_clipboard

[Antepli Ejderha]

In the current climate he's exceptionally naive for travelling there.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Senior Amnesty figures among 11 on trial in Turkey on terror charges

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...y_to_clipboard

The case against him is flimsy at best. I'm expecting that it will follow other cases where it will get to trial and then the suspects well be released. This means that the rule of law will in theory have been adhered to but in reality the eleven will have by then spent over a year in custody. The joys of Erdoğan and his state.

Two of Erdoğan's most important and vocal supporters have been removed from political office as mayors of Istanbul and Ankara. Kadir Topbaş went some time ago and he's just been followed by Melih Gökçek of Ankara, both had been in office since the 90s.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Ex- Trump aide Flynn investigated over plot to kidnap Turkish dissident – report

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...y_to_clipboard

I thought I'd seen and heard everything but this is just bizarre and seemingly true. A plot to kidnap Fetullah Gülen and put him in the same island prison as Abdullah Öcalan.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Turkish PM warns EU over refugee deal ahead of Syrian peace talks

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...y_to_clipboard

I found this quite a decent article. The issue of the Kurds isn't going away. The PKK and the YPG are pretty much the same organisation and share more than just an ideology. The only difference is that the PKK is recognised as a terrorist organisation and the YPG is seen by many countries that condemn the PKK as defenders of minorities against Daesh. A convenient alliance which was always going to lead to problems.

Turkey have been consistent in their rhetoric against the PKK/YPG and now it appears that Russia have gone back to their standard policy of maintaining the status quo or better the devil you know. Add Iran into the mix who have a substantial minority Kurdish population that is persecuted then it's difficult to see this going any other way. The Syrian Government had previously tolerated the existence of a semi autonomous Kurdish region as neither side really attacked each other and both fought Daesh, Al Qaeda, the Nusra Front and various other groups supported by Turkey, the Saudis and the Gulf States. My enemy's enemy is my friend temporary and mutually beneficial alliance.

The US has now considerably reduced their supply of arms to the Kurds yet at the same time confirmed that there are many more than 500 US army personnel operating in Syria, predominately in the Kurdish controlled zones.

Will this lead to a new conflict or will a smaller Kurdish controlled zone which does not border on Turkey be tolerated?

[Gangster Octopus]

How to make friends and influence people, Erdoğan stylee...