Turkey : Part Four

[Exit40]

Erdogan will get fooled again
Pinar Tremblay October 4, 2017
ARTICLE SUMMARY: When things don't go Erdogan's way, he has used the same argument that he was "deceived," but does anyone still believe him?

On Sept. 26, a day after the Kurdish referendum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a harsh speech criticizing Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Erdogan questioned what Barzani possibly could be expecting of this referendum given the fact that he cannot pay his own bureaucrats’ salaries and had to borrow $1.5 million from Turkey. Erdogan was disappointed that Barzani did not even bother to consult with him about this referendum. Erdogan said, “Up until the last minute, we did not expect Barzani to make such a decision [to hold the referendum], but we were wrong. In a time when our relations were at its best, we consider this decision [to be] treachery against our country.” Erdogan also emphasized his doubts about the voter turnout and legitimacy of the results of the referendum, while repeatedly highlighting Israeli meddling for an independent Kurdistan. Erdogan warned attempts at Kurdish independence would harm both Turkish-Israeli and Turkish-KRG relations. Still, he did not utter a word about other Arab countries’ support toward the KRG....

Snips... “Erdogan has been playing victim since the start of his political life. He has cultivated the image of a warm-hearted and trusting person who gets victimized by cunning politicians because of his naivete. His base has bought into this image. Hence, when he says that Gulen, Obama or Barzani tricked him, it resonates with his base....

... One Iraqi businessman who asked to remain anonymous and is heavily invested in Kurdistan told Al-Monitor, “Erdogan now hopes to ally with Baghdad and Tehran, but he has not kept his promises to either one of them....

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**** Rather harsh analysis. ****

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkish Markets Tumble After Erdogan’s Feud With U.S. Escalates
By Tugce Ozsoy and Selcan Hacaoglu October 8, 2017, 12:16 PM PDT October 9, 2017, 4:20 AM PDT

Turkish Lira Plunges to a Record Low
Markets in Istanbul tumbled after the U.S. and Turkey stopped issuing visas for each other’s citizens in a spat related to last year’s failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, deepening divisions between two NATO members already at odds over the war in Syria.

The Trump administration halted visa services for Turks on Sunday, citing the Oct. 4 arrest of a Turkish citizen employed at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul for alleged involvement in the July 2016 putsch attempt. Erdogan’s government responded in kind within hours, repeating verbatim much of the U.S. statement.

Relations between the two countries have soured since the coup attempt, which Erdogan blames on a self-exiled cleric based in the U.S., Fethullah Gulen. The U.S. has refused Turkey’s request to extradite Gulen, citing lack of evidence. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul on Monday reiterated Turkish calls to hand him over and urged the Trump administration to reconsider its visa ban, denying media reports that Turkey plans to arrest another U.S. consular employee....

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David

[Exit40]

US: Turkey visa decision a 'coordinated effort'
'Our ambassadors tend to not do things unilaterally,' State Department spokesperson says
08:56 October 11, 2017 Anadolu Agency

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey has taken the decision to suspend visa services in coordination with the White House and State Department, a spokesperson for the department said Tuesday.

"Our ambassadors tend to not do things unilaterally," Heather Nauert told reporters.

"This was coordinated with the State Department. It was coordinated with the White House and coordinated with the NSC (National Security Council).”

On Sunday, The U.S. announced the suspension of all non-immigrant visa services at U.S. missions in Turkey. The Turkish Embassy in Washington took a similar decision in retaliation....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey Poised to Roll Into Syria
Oct 7, 2017 | 15:06 GMT

Weeks after Turkish forces started to deploy in large numbers along the border with Syria, adjacent to the province of Idlib, Ankara appears to be on the verge of launching yet another significant military operation into the war-torn country. Unlike Operation Euphrates Shield, which targeted lands occupied by the Islamic State, the upcoming operation into Idlib will be directed toward lands occupied by Syrian rebels. As befitting a convoluted conflict such as Syria, Turkey's advance into Idlib will be assisted by other Syrian rebel groups trained over time by Turkey in neighboring Aleppo province. And according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's latest statements, they will be supported by Russian aviation.

Given that Turkey has for years directly supported rebel factions in Idlib in their fight against Russian- and Iranian-backed loyalist forces, the prospect of Turkish forces advancing into Syria under Russian air cover appears jarring at face value....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan’s diplomatic spats leave a trail of Turkish disputes
YESTERDAY by Mehul Srivastava in Istanbul

When Turkish officials were scrambling to resolve an escalating dispute with the US, their Nato ally this month, they had a plan.

They had already been informed that Washington intended to cut off new visa applications inside Turkey, a retaliation for the arrest of an employee just days earlier. In the Turkish foreign ministry, the news set off a flurry of phone calls, both formal and informal conversations with diplomats from the US and other countries.

Top bureaucrats started drafting a measured response, including a statement that was designed to help lower temperatures, while they probed their colleagues in other ministries to see how some of Washington’s demands — which included access to the arrested Turkish foreign service employee, and greater clarity about the charges — could be quietly met.

“If handled properly, this could have been a small, one-week mini-crisis,” said a person involved, who asked not to be identified discussing official matters....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan says US cannot be 'civilized country'
Turkish president criticizes Donald Trump's policy regarding Muslims
ISTANBUL, TURKEY 21.10.2017 By Burcu Arik & Fatma Bulbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the U.S. could not be called a civilized country.

"What do they call America? The cradle of democracy. Such a thing cannot be a democracy and its name cannot be democracy," he said at the Civilizations Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.

"If America issues arrest warrants for my 13 bodyguards in a country where I went upon invitation, I'm sorry, but I will not say that country is civilized," Erdogan said at the Civilizations Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul....

Snip... "Muslims in America are facing expulsion so it means there is a problem in the country," he said, adding he had doubts on Trump's ability to "judge" a civilization....

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David

[Exit40]

Ex-CIA chief proposed plan to discredit Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen
As a Trump campaign adviser, former CIA director James Woolsey pitched contract to two Turkish businessmen to help discredit US-based cleric
Thursday 26 October 2017 20:08 UTC Last update: Friday 27 October 2017 2:30 UTC By Nathan Layne

Former CIA director James Woolsey pitched a $10m contract to two Turkish businessmen to help discredit a controversial US-based cleric while Woolsey was an adviser to Donald Trump's election campaign, three people familiar with the proposal said.

Just eight days after joining Trump's campaign as an adviser on national security issues, Woolsey met last year on 20 September with businessmen Ekim Alptekin and Sezgin Baran Korkmaz over lunch at the Peninsula Hotel in New York, they said.

Woolsey and his wife, Nancye Miller, proposed a lobbying and public relations campaign targeting Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric who lives in Pennsylvania.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of instigating a failed coup in July 2016 and wants him extradited to Turkey to face trial. Gulen has denied any role in the coup.

In an email memo seen by Reuters, Woolsey and Miller sketched a plan to "draw attention to the cleric's possible role in the coup attempt" and encourage an official investigation into his activities....

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David

[Exit40]

Why did Erdogan sacrifice Kurdish vote?
Pinar Tremblay October 29, 2017

REUTERS/Kacper PempelTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference after his meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the presidential palace, Warsaw, Poland, Oct. 17, 2017.
Surviving as a Kurd in Turkey is becoming more difficult. The Iraqi Kurdistan referendum Sept. 25 — although almost undone in a month — has given one more reason to the ultranationalist faction in the Turkish government to rally around Kurdophobia. Two days prior to the referendum, the Turkish parliament authorized the use of military force in Syria and Iraq. All parties voted in favor, except for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which has seen many of its leaders imprisoned, including a large number of legislators and 4,000 members. On Sept. 23, HDP lawmaker Osman Baydemir summarized the sentiments of the majority of the Kurds, saying the force authorization is “a clear declaration of enmity toward 40 million Kurds” in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have flexed their muscles against Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani (who said Oct. 29 that he will step down Nov. 1) and haphazardly allied with the most unlikely actors in the region against the Kurds. Almost all Turkish media outlets utilize harsh anti-Kurdish rhetoric, and the Yeni Akit daily went as far as to publish a caricature of Barzani’s head cut off even before the referendum results were published....

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David

[Exit40]

October 30 2017 11:09:00
Turkey will ‘spoil games’ with force if necessary, Erdoğan says at Republic Day reception

Turkey will “spoil the games” targeting it “with force if necessary,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed in a reception at his Presidential Complex to mark Republic Day on Oct. 29.

“If those against us act within the boundaries of democracy, we will use the rules of democracy. If those against us act in line with rights and law, we will use the rules of law. But if those against us do not abide by either of these then we will spoil their games through force,” Erdoğan said.

“The veteran Mustafa Kemal [Atatürk], who established the Republic [of Turkey] and who we remember with grace, determined a target for our new state. This target was ‘rising to the level of contemporary civilization,’” he added....

Snip... “Turkey, with its historical accumulation of many centuries, is a country that stands as an example to other countries in the world. Those who think that the Turkish nation only consists of 80 million citizens have not noticed the hundreds of millions of brothers and sisters praying for us and directing their hearts and eyes to us,” the president stated...

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David

[Exit40]

Ankara, Moscow coordinate steps ahead of new round of Astana talks
Menekse Tokyay | Published — Monday 30 October 2017

Erdogan, Putin agree joint push to end Syria war

ANKARA: Ankara and Moscow continued their coordination on Syria ahead of the seventh round of peace talks in Astana on Monday.

On Oct. 28, according to presidential sources quoted in Turkish media, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the latest developments in Syria by phone.

They reportedly underlined the significance of closely coordinating in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, where the Turkish military recently began building observation posts as part of a “de-escalation” deal brokered by Ankara, Moscow and Tehran last month.

Experts say they expect Idlib to dominate the agenda of the upcoming Astana meeting, which is due to last for two days....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan Links Alleged in U.S. Documents Before Iran Trial
By Christian Berthelsen November 3, 2017, 5:03 AM PDT Updated on November 3, 2017, 5:35 AM PDT
U.S. contends trader laundered funds to skirt sanctions

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
A trader accused of helping Iran evade sanctions invoked the name of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as part of a scheme that U.S. prosecutors say was supported by Turkey’s government, according to court documents.

U.S. prosecutors in New York have gathered taped conversations and other records that suggest the trader may have sought support from Erdogan. The Turkish president hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing, and it’s possible that the trader falsely invoked Erdogan’s name to influence others. The people charged in the case are captured in the recorded conversations, which were introduced in a filing in federal court in Manhattan.

The documents introduced in the sanctions and money-laundering case against the Turkish-Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab, could further complicate the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey, a majority-Muslim country long considered a crucial ally in the region.

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David

[Exit40]

Kurdish rift emerges between Erdogan, Putin
Zülfikar Doğan November 6, 2017

ARTICLE SUMMARY
A fundamental disagreement over the role of Syria’s Kurds threatens to wreck Turkey’s partnership with Russia, atop already simmering tensions with the United States.

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaRussian President Vladimir Putin looks on next to European Council President Donald Tusk and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017.
ANKARA, Turkey — Since a Russian warplane was shot down by Turkey in November 2015, Turkey has been scrambling to reconcile with Russia, but disagreements over the role of Syrian Kurds are now threatening a fresh deadlock. Despite the close dialogue between the two countries’ presidents, the rift over the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), seems to be deepening.

Last week, Russia invited 33 groups, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Baath Party, to a Syrian Congress on National Dialogue in Sochi on Nov. 18. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Nov. 3 that the initiative was an important step toward implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and that invitations had been sent to all opposition groups, including those outside Syria.

Resolution 2254, adopted in December 2015, called for a cease-fire and talks on a political transition between the Syrian government and the opposition, excluding groups seen as terrorists such as the Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra). It said the political transition should be Syrian-led and called for “free and fair elections” under UN supervision.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z4xl56fTX2

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

November 13 2017 18:34:00
Turkish President Erdoğan slams US-Russia deal on Syria
ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed an apparent consensus between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Syria, in which the two leaders said “no military solution is possible” in war-torn country. Erdoğan said that anyone who does not believe in a military solution in Syria “should pull their troops out.”

“I’m having difficulty understanding these comments. If a military solution is out of the question, then those who say this should pull their troops out,” Erdoğan told reporters on Nov. 13 before departing for the Black Sea resort city of Sochi for a meeting with Putin.

“If a military method is not a solution, one should apply to the political method and find ways to go to elections as soon as possible. Has such a method been applied in the last seven or eight years? We will talk with Putin as well about this. We are the ones who best know this region. We are the one who best know what has happened for the past 15 years,” he said....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan’s chief adviser calls for Turkey’s NATO membership to be reconsidered – local media
Published time: 20 Nov, 2017 12:43 Edited time: 20 Nov, 2017 13:53

Erdogan’s chief adviser calls for Turkey’s NATO membership to be reconsidered – local media
Turkish soldiers © Murad Sezer / Reuters

It is time to reconsider the issue of Turkey’s membership in NATO, Erdogan’s chief adviser, Yalcın Topcu, has stated, according to local media. Turkey has the second largest army in the alliance after the United States.

“The presence of the great Turkish nation in this institution [NATO] has become questionable,” Topcu said, branding the alliance’s behavior towards Ankara as “brutal and dishonorable,” Haberturk daily reported.

Tensions between the military bloc and Turkey escalated last week when Turkey’s founding leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan were depicted as “enemies” during NATO drills in Norway. Erdogan said the incident was an attack targeting “Turkey and the Turkish nation.”...

Snip... “They know that they cannot stop our country, which is why they are putting us on a target board. I hope that those who welcomed attacks against us before now understand the real face of the matter, as Ataturk was also included.”...

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David

[Exit40]

18 hours ago
Citing probes, military agency bars access to Flynn records
By CHAD DAY | Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The Defense Intelligence Agency is refusing to publicly release a wide array of documents related to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, saying that turning them over could interfere with ongoing congressional and federal investigations.

Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former DIA director, is currently under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees. They are scrutinizing his private consulting work for a Turkish businessman as well as his activities related to Russia during President Donald Trump's campaign and the early days of the Trump administration. The Defense Department's inspector general also is investigating Flynn's receipt of foreign payments as a retired military officer.

In a series of letters dated Nov. 15, the DIA denied several Freedom of Information Act requests filed over the past year by The Associated Press seeking information about Flynn's tenure at the DIA from 2012 to 2014. The AP requests sought Flynn's public and private calendars, his correspondence while at DIA and a specific listing of documents related to his security clearance that the agency provided to Congress earlier this year. Two of the AP's requests were filed before Mueller's appointment and one of those was filed the day before Trump took office....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdoğan: Turkey and US on ‘same wavelength’
Turkey's communication with US will continue in the coming days, Erdoğan says
12:35 November 28, 2017 Yeni Şafak

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday addressed his phone call with Trump that took place last week and stated that the U.S. and Turkey were on the “same wavelength,” adding that their communication will continue in the coming days.

He said that they had discussed many issues in detail, from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-affiliated People’s Protection Units (YPG) terrorists to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) in addition to bilateral cooperation in the defense industry....

Snip... Erdoğan highlighted the importance of the mutual understanding between Turkey, Iran and Russia during the Sochi summit....

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David

[Exit40]

Momentous visit of Erdoğan may open new page in Turkish-Greek ties
DAILY SABAH WITH ANADOLU AGENCY ISTANBUL Published 8 hours ago

President Recep will be the first sitting Turkish president to visit Greece in more than six decades when he travels to Athens next week in a move that will likely boost the checkered history of relations

In a sign of changing times in bilateral relations, Greece will receive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan next week. Scheduled for Dec. 7-8, the visit will be the first by Turkish incumbent president in 65 years. Although neighbors that share heritage such as cuisine and folk dances, the two countries have long had strained relations, with few improvements over the years. Erdoğan's visit might change this. Hakan Çavuşoğlu, the Greece-born deputy prime minister, has said it will "further" improve bilateral ties. "I think this visit will yield significant results," he said last week. Pointing to the recent high-level visits to Greece by Turkish officials, Çavuşoğlu said Erdoğan's visit would complement the previous meetings.

The minister said a High-Level Cooperation Council meeting would take place in Thessaloniki in February, noting three planned projects between the two countries. The first one concerns ferry services to transport passengers and goods from Turkey's western Izmir province to Thessaloniki. The second one is a high-speed train service project between Istanbul and Thessaloniki, and the third project is a bridge between Greece's Kipoi and Turkey's İpsala border crossings....

Snip... Several thorny issues like the state of Cyprus, an island divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, sovereignty rights over the Aegean Sea, and the status of the Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine-era church converted into a museum, remain hotly debated between the two countries....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey seeks arrest of ex-CIA officer Fuller over coup plot
1 December 2017

Graham Fuller has so far made no public comments on the latest developments

Turkey's chief prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant for former CIA officer Graham Fuller.
The prosecutor accuses Mr Fuller, former vice-chair of the US National Intelligence Council, of having links to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Mr Gulen, who lives in the US, is blamed by Turkey for last year's failed coup attempt. He denies the claim.
The warrant also accuses Mr Fuller of "attempting to overthrow" Turkey's government, the Hurriyet daily reports....

Snip... To many Turkey-watchers, it smacks of outlandish conspiracy theories. But polls show a majority of Turks firmly believe that the CIA was involved in the failed coup....

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David

[Exit40]

Israel hits back at Turkish leader over threat to sever ties
Officials dismiss statement by Erdogan saying American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be a 'red line'
By TOI STAFF, AFP and AP Today, 2:44 pm 3

Israeli officials blasted Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Tuesday for his threat to sever diplomatic ties should US President Donald Trump recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Diplomatic officials said in a statement that Jerusalem has been the “capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and Israel’s capital for 70 years, regardless of whether Erdogan recognizes this or not.”

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They spoke on condition of anonymity because the government has not yet commented formally.

Earlier, the Turkish president had said that his country, which currently holds the chairmanship of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, would immediately call a summit meeting of the pan-Islamic group if Trump went ahead with the move on Wednesday, and would “set the entire Islamic world in motion.”

“Mr. Trump! Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims,” he said in a raucous televised speech to his ruling party that was greeted with chants and applause.

Turkey, Erdogan said, would “follow this struggle to the very last moment with determination and we could even go right up to cutting our diplomatic relations with Israel.”...

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Zec 12:1 ¶ The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
Zec 12:2
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:3
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

‘We WILL NOT kneel’ Turkish president Erdogan issues fiery warning to US as tensions soar

TURKEY’S president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned his government will not “kneel down” to America as relations between Washington and Ankara continue to deteriorate.
By HARVEY GAVIN PUBLISHED: 18:05, Mon, Dec 4, 2017 | UPDATED: 18:08, Mon, Dec 4, 2017

The firebrand leader said Washington could “try as hard as they like but they will not succeed” in “discrediting Turkey”.

His comments come amid an ongoing feud between the two nations, which have worsened as prosecutors in the US continue to pursue a series of high-profile lawsuits against Turkish citizens.

Two Turks are currently in US custody and seven more stand accused of crimes including conspiring to evade sanctions and using American banks to process illegal transactions.

Mr Erdogan claims the charges have been fabricated for political purposes and has repeatedly called on Donald Trump’s government to release the pair....

Snip... In a direct message to the US government, he said: “You will not be able to deceive us, you should know that.”...

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David

[Exit40]

Erdoğan calls on CHP leader to resign amid escalating off-shore bank polemic
ANKARA December 05 2017 12:24:00

Erdoğan calls on CHP leader to resign amid escalating off-shore bank polemic
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to resign, denying that documents purportedly revealing multi-million dollar transactions of Erdoğan’s close circle, including family members, are proof of off-shore money transactions.

“It is out of the question that any money has been sent abroad. The papers that he [Kılıçdaroğlu] waved as documents and which are all fake have no information even proving that,” Erdoğan said on Dec. 5, addressing his party group at parliament.

“I said that if he can prove that [money of my close circle has been transferred to an off-shore account], I would resign from my post as president. Now I am expecting the same principled and respectable stance from him,” he added....

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David

[Exit40]

The Latest: Turkey says US mediation in Mideast is ‘over’

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, centre, flanked by other leaders waits for a photo-op prior to the opening session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Extraordinary Summit in Istanbul, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017. Leaders and top officials from Islamic nations, members of 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation gathered for a summit that is expected to forge a unified stance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press)
By Associated Press December 13 at 9:32 AM
ISTANBUL — The Latest on the gathering of Islamic nations seeking a united stance against the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the U.S-led Middle East peace process is now over following President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Erdogan spoke Wednesday at the closing of the summit of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Erdogan said it is “out of the question” for Washington to mediate between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He said: “That process is now over.”

He said it is time for Muslim leaders to discuss among themselves who is to take Washington’s role and to consider taking the matter to the U.N.

A draft communique from the summit called east Jerusalem the capital of a future Palestinian state, countering Trump’s declaration. It said Washington has forfeited its decades-long role as a mediator....

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David

[Exit40]

The CIA, Fetullah Gülen and Turkey’s Failed July 2016 Coup

Behind Turkish Arrest Warrant for Ex CIA Graham Fuller
By F. William Engdahl Global Research, December 11, 2017

The Office of the Istanbul Prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for two “former” CIA agents, accusing them of involvement in the failed July 2016 coup attempt against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. US media and various Washington think-tanks have dismissed the charges as “implausible” and a “likely ***-for-tat” response of Erdogan for the arrest by US authorities of Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian gold trader accused of violating US sanctions against Iran. Clearly is there is far more behind the accusations than is being said so far.

On December 1, Turkish prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Graham E. Fuller, former head of the CIA’s National Intelligence Council and former CIA head of Middle East and East Asia operations. The warrant claims Fuller was in the vicinity of Istanbul the night of the coup attempt at a meeting with another top “former” CIA person, Henri Barkey. It claims both CIA veterans were meeting at the five-star Splendid Hotel on the island of Büyükada some 20 minutes boat ride from Istanbul.

What’s notable about the charge is the degree of involvement of Fuller with the reclusive Turkish cult leader, Fetullah Gülen, now in exile at an estate in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania since he was forced to flee Turkey in 1998 to escape trial for treason against the state....

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David

[Exit40]

OIC summit in Turkey rallies Recep Tayyip Erdogan's base
Date 13.12.2017

Prominent Turkish figures say Recep Tayyip Erdogan's posturing toward the incendiary US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is mostly about bolstering his domestic agenda. DW's Diego Cupolo reports.
Türkei Sondergipfel der Organisation für Islamische Kooperation (OIC) (Reuters/K. Ozer)

One week after US President Donald Trump made a controversial announcement to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the city as the capital of Israel and igniting worldwide protests, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has rejected the decision.

During an extraordinary meeting Wednesday in Istanbul, the 57-member OIC, which deems itself "the collective voice of the Muslim world" rebuked Trump's statement by recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. On stage, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was joined by leaders from Palestine and Jordan, who together shared harsh words on the decision and the United States' future role in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We shall not accept any role for the United States in the peace process, they have proven their full bias in favor of Israel," said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Palestine."

Snip... By calling the OIC summit, Erdogan has once again shown ambitions to be seen as the leader of the Muslim world and, in focusing on Palestine, the divisive president is appealing to sentiments Turkish citizens share across the political spectrum, said Selim Koru, an analyst at TEPAV, an Ankara-based think-tank....

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David

[Exit40]

Report: Turkey Imprisoned the Most Journalists Worldwide in 2017
by BEN KEW14 Dec 201723

Turkey has experienced a worsening crackdown on press freedom over the course of 2017, imprisoning the highest number of journalists anywhere in the world.
According to the recent annual report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a total of 73 journalists were imprisoned in Turkey in 2017, which, although a drop from 81 in 2016, was more than both China and Egypt. President Recep Erdoğan’s regime continues to crack down on its opponents following last year’s attempted coup.

The crackdown journalists and thousands of other citizens experienced is part of a wider attempt to imprison supporters of the self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen, who Erdoğan insists was the mastermind behind the country’s attempted coup that took place in 2016.

Following last year’s military coup, Erdoğan’s government has shut down over 130 media outlets, arresting many of their highest-ranking journalists....

Contineus

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David

[Exit40]

Gülen letter asking judges to release FETÖ members most concrete evidence: prosecutor
DAILY SABAH ISTANBUL Published 18 hours ago

A request signed by the leader of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), Fetullah Gülen, to judges for the release of all arrested FETÖ members is the most concrete piece of evidence yet, Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Irfan Fidan said Friday.

A letter, leaked on social media on Friday, was allegedly written by U.S.-based Gülen, who reportedly requested FETÖ-affiliated judges to release police officers and other senior figures, including Gülenist Samanyolu TV-owner Hidayet Karaca and fugitive former deputy police Chief Hüseyin Korkmaz, who is currently testifying in the Reza Zarrab trial in New York.

The document, dated April 19, 2015, has an indicated origin of Pennsylvania and Gülen's signature.

"Respected judge of the criminal court, I feel that it is necessary to release our brothers in jail. Inshallah, you will respond our invocation regarding their release. As a consequence of your decision, 10 million families will be rejoiced. I kindly request it from you as our thoughts are analogous," Gülen said in the letter....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey reveals plan to open embassy in East Jerusalem
Published time: 14 Dec, 2017 15:00 Edited time: 15 Dec, 2017 08:42

Turkey’s foreign minister has suggested that his country will consider opening an embassy in East Jerusalem once an independent Palestinian state is internationally recognized.

Speaking on Thursday, Mevlut Cavusoglu said there is a “serious determination” among the international community to recognize Palestine. The diplomat added that, once the world acknowledges the claim, he is confident there will be an influx of embassies and other diplomatic services into what would then be the new state’s capital.

“We need to succeed in this,” Cavusoglu said, according the Associated Press. “Once we succeed, embassies will open in the independent Palestinian state’s capital, East Jerusalem.”...

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David

[sacredcowbasher]

Some big egos on front and center stage here. I am biased, but I think Trump’s heart is mostly in the right place concerning the moving of the embassy to West Jerusalem. In Erdogan’s mind, I’m sure he feels justified to put his embassy in East Jerusalem. To me, this just raises the tension between Muslims vs Christians/Jews. If Erdogan is using this as a threat in order to stop Trump from building the US embassy in West Jerusalem, he is mistaken. I believe the US President sees this move as highly justified, and a blessing to both the United States and Israel. I believe he views it as long overdue and has said as much.

I don’t know if this will cause a chain reaction of nations wanting to build or move their embassy to Jerusalem, but there has already been some indication of this. The particular nations were not mentioned, but I heard a news story about other nations wanting to make the move.

My first reaction is, this is exciting. If some nations wind up playing chess; if it is *** for tat - you make your move and I will make my move, this saddens the excitement, but I still think it is a good move on Trump’s part.

What a valuable piece of real estate Jerusalem is!

[Ready1]

The nations of the world are working their way up to this...

2 I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. 3On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves. Zechariah 12:2-3

[Exit40]

December 20 2017 10:06:33
Erdoğan repeats call for defending Jerusalem’s status
ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 19 renewed his call on U.N. member nations to back the status of the contested city of Jerusalem.

“I invite once again all U.N. member nations to defend the historical status of Jerusalem,” Erdoğan said during a joint news conference with his Djiboutian counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh in the capital Ankara.

“We, as Turkey, will continue to follow this issue till the end,” Erdoğan added.

On Dec. 19, the U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that rejected the establishment of diplomatic facilities in the contested city of Jerusalem, breaking with the rest of the council....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan promotes Turkey as unfettered, independent power
By ELENA BECATOROS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ATHENS, Greece Dec 22, 2017, 1:12 PM ET

It had been billed as a state visit that would patch up frayed ties between two NATO allies and potentially serve as a platform for Turkey to make overtures toward Europe after months of strained relations.

Instead, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had barely landed in Athens earlier this month before he rattled his Greek hosts by addressing a series of disputes, and calling into question a crucial treaty that delineates the two countries' borders and sets the status of their minorities.

His confrontational stance was one Erdogan's Western allies have become increasingly familiar with, as Turkey's president goes his own way, unfettered by collective goals and seeking to promote his country as a force to be reckoned with....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan decree stirs fears of legalized extrajudicial violence in Turkey
Mon., Dec. 25, 2017

The order grants sweeping immunity for acting against terrorism or attempts to overthrow the government. Civilians won’t face legal consequences for actions against last year’s coup attempt or, more importantly, anything that could be considered its “continuation,” the decree said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest emergency decree risks inciting political violence by giving legal cover to pro-government vigilantes, opposition parties and legal authorities warn.

The order, declared in the Official Gazette on Sunday, grants sweeping immunity for acting against terrorism or attempts to overthrow the government. Civilians won’t face legal consequences for actions against last year’s coup attempt or, more importantly, anything that could be considered its “continuation,” the decree said.

Erdogan and his allies regularly accuse political opponents of furthering the agenda of coup plotters, raising concern and fear about how broadly the decree will be interpreted. Opposition parties led by the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said the measure provides immunity not just to those who fought back a failed coup attempt by a faction of the military on July 15, 2016, but to supporters of the government intent on stifling political dissent.

“They’ve paved the way for anyone who claims to be fighting against terrorism to slaughter everybody else,” Ozgur Ozel, a CHP parliament whip, said in televised remarks in the western province of Manisa. “They will unleash vigilantes on us in a future democratic rally and will face no charges.”...

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David

[Exit40]

December 27 2017 10:50:00
President Erdoğan sent by God, AKP official says
ANKARA – Doğan News Agency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was sent by God, a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) official said on Dec. 26.

Speaking at an AKP congress in Ankara’s Kahramankazan district, Belma Erdoğan, AKP’s women’s branch local administration head, said Erdoğan was a hope for the “ummah,” the global Muslim community....

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**** Many Turks believe this. D. ****

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkish FM denies existence of Turkey-Iran-Qatar ‘axis’
Speaking from Sudan, Turkish FM Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says Ankara strives to promote unity between Muslim states
09:26 December 27, 2017 Anadolu Agency

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, speaking from Khartoum on Tuesday, dismissed the possibility of any cooperation deals being signed between Turkey, Iran and Qatar.

Çavuşoğlu spoke in Sudan as part of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ongoing visit to the region.

At a press conference held with his Sudanese counterpart, Ibrahim Ghandour, Cavusoglu spoke about Turkey's Middle East policy.

Asked about prospects for regional cooperation between Ankara, Tehran and Doha, he said: "There is no Turkey-Iran-Qatar axis."...

Snip,.. Turkey’s main concern, he said, is to promote unity across the Islamic world, “not to sow sedition between Muslim countries as others have done”....

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David

[keithareilly]

Interesting He says "axis" not "alliance".

[Exit40]

Interesting He says "axis" not "alliance".

Yes, but that may be a misinterpretation from Turkish to English. Words are crazy sometimes. For instance, if a man is Turkish we can call him a Turk. But if a man is English we cannot call him an Engl.

God Bless You

David

[Exit40]

Erdoğan urges US, Israel to not 'escalate tensions' amid Trump's Jerusalem move
ANADOLU AGENCY Ankara Published 21 hours ago

Trump’s Jerusalem decision united everyone in int’l, domestic political scene, Pres Spox Kalın says
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday urged the U.S. and Israeli governments to "not take steps that will escalate the tensions."

The Turkish president's remarks were broadcasted as a video message during the 16th Islamic Circle of North America-Muslim American Society Convention in Chicago, Illinois — one of the largest Muslim gatherings in North America.

Erdoğan drew attention to the global conflicts and turbulences. He called on the Muslim world to "understand its real strength."

"It is time the Muslim world understands its real strength. We must not allow anyone to divide us based on ethnic, sectarian or cultural differences," he added....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey ends 2017 with positive news on foreign policy
December 30 2017 By SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Most of 2017 was difficult and troubled for Turkish diplomacy, with crises and tensions on multiple fronts - from the United States to Europe and the Middle East.

In the first half of the year, Turkey’s ties with prominent European countries were seriously damaged after Germany and the Netherlands banned Turkish politicians from campaigning ahead of the April referendum on shifting the country to an executive presidential system. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan likened the measures taken by the German and Dutch governments to “Nazi” policies, amid reports describing him as a “dictator” in the Western media.

Turkey’s relationship with the U.S. also severely deteriorated in 2017, despite a change in the White House. Ties particularly worsened after the arrest of a Turkish national working as a local employee at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul on terror charges. Both countries restricted visa proceedings against each other’s citizens in October following the arrest.

However, in the last few weeks there have been signs of the normalization of Turkey’s relationship with the aforementioned countries as well as others....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan hails Turkish nation’s firm stance on Jerusalem in New Year’s message
a New Year’s message, Turkish president says Jerusalem issue is a new test for all Muslims around the world
January 1, 2018 at 7:59 am

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday praised Turkish people for their “firm stance” on the Jerusalem issue in his New Year’s message.

In the video message issued by the Presidency, Erdogan said the Jerusalem issue is a “test” for all the Muslims around the world, stating:

Jerusalem issue has turned into a new test for Muslims and the oppressed people around the world, alongside our nation and the region...

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David

[Exit40]

Watching Turkey's Descent into Islamist Dictatorship
by Andrew Harrod The Algemeiner January 2, 2018

"Deep trouble" in Turkey's relationships with Europe and the United States was a recurring theme in the December address of Michael Meier — representative to America and Canada for Germany's Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), or the Foundation for Social Democracy. His introduction to the Middle East Institute (MEI) and FES' eighth annual Turkey Conference, at Washington, DC's National Press Club was an appropriately gloomy preface to the discussion of Turkey's troubled past and present.

"Turkey is taking an Islamist, populist path" in which "political morality is totally gone," according to Ahmet Kuru.

During the event, San Diego State University political science professor Ahmet Kuru examined how Turkey had become increasingly undemocratic under 15 years of rule by the AK Party (AKP) and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. "I don't really think that elections matter in Turkey," Kuru stated, given that President Erdoğan can manipulate or cancel elections at will. Such authoritarianism in Turkey and elsewhere means that those who study elections in Central Asia and the Middle East "study something which does not matter at all."

"Turkey is taking an Islamist, populist path" under Erdoğan and his AKP, Kuru stated; the Turkish "understanding of Islam is more and more becoming a political Islam, rather than Sufism, mysticism." As a result, he added, Turkey's "educational system is already Islamicized," while YouTube videos have shown police officers taking Islamic oaths. Furthermore, television shows on Turkey's Ottoman Empire past are "creating a fantasy; Ottoman in wonderland."...

Snip... "The next important stage in Turkish political history is how to reconstitute polyarchy," he concluded gravely....

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David

[Exit40]

Iran’s peace, stability important for Turkey
Wed 3 January 2018 - 15:16

TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) – Iranian president and his Turkish counterpart held a phone conversation during which the two sides called for expanding their ties and Erdoğan stressed the significance of ‘maintaining peace and stability in Iran.
Erdoğan and Rouhani discussed ongoing demonstrations in Iran in a phone conversation on the morning of Jan. 3, according to Turkish presidential sources.

During the phone conversation, Hassan Rouhani expressing his satisfaction with the positive development of bilateral cooperation in the political, security and economic spheres, arguing that the implementation of joint plans between the two countries will definitely improve Ankara-Tehran relations, especially in the economic sphere.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reportedly told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that the protests will be over in few days....

Snip... Rouhani added that in the Islamic Republic of Iran, people are free to express their criticisms and objections within the framework of the law, and “it is undoubtedly important for us to secure security and peace of the people, and while we will not remain silent against violence and illegal actions of abusers.”...

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David

[Exit40]

January 07 2018 15:14:00
President Erdoğan openly says US is behind Gülen

The court case in which a former Turkish banking executive was found guilty of violating U.S. sanctions on Iran is a clear indication that the U.S. is behind the Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gülen, believed to be the mastermind of the July 2016 coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

“This [case] revealed that the U.S. is behind Pennsylvania,” Erdoğan told reporters travelling with him on his return from France, referring to the large compound where Gülen and his closest aides have lived since 1999.

“It is the U.S. that has allocated 400 acres of land and supported the leader of FETÖ [the Fethullahist Terror Organization] in the U.S. All [Gülen’s] villas are under protection [of the U.S.],” he said....

Snip...
The Turkish president blasted the Atilla case as a “political” one marked by “a chain of plots,” noting that a fugitive former law enforcement official who testified to the court confessed that he received $50,000 from the F.B.I. “If that is indeed the case, it means that your entire justice system has collapsed,” he said....

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David

[Exit40]

Macron’s snub sends Erdogan further into Putin’s embrace
Once passionately desired by its strongman leader, the likelihood of EU membership for Turkey looks to have been put to bed
By SAMI MOUBAYED JANUARY 8, 2018 4:14 PM

Over the weekend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrapped up what seemed to be a successful state visit to Paris. A scratch beneath the surface, however, shows that despite the niceties, it was anything but warm or fruitful.

For starters, angry protestors greeted Erdogan at the gates of the Elysee Palace, accusing him of human rights abuses back home. The accusations refer, of course, to the massive crackdowns that engulfed Turkey after the failed coup attempt of July 2016. Erdogan has been accused of sacking around 140,000 people and arresting another 55,000. For most of these individuals, their only crimes are to have indulged in alleged anti-government activities, held anti-government views, or had affiliations with the outspoken US-based Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen.

Once inside the Elysee, Erdogan was bluntly confronted by his host, President Emmanuel Macron, who basically told him to forget about Turkey’s eternal hope of joining the EU. “I’d be lying if I said we could open new chapters,” said Macron, adding that recent developments in Turkey “do not allow any progress.” Sulking, Erdogan snapped that Turkey had already waited too long and was unwilling to wait any longer.

This puts an end — almost once and for all — to Erdogan’s European ambition, which has been a cornerstone of his foreign policy ever since the rise of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) back in 2003....

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David

[Exit40]

Syria war: Turkey denounces US 'terror army' plan for border
58 minutes ago
About half of the border force will be made up of Syrian Democratic Forces fighters

Key powers involved in Syria's civil war have criticised US plans to help an allied Kurdish-led militia set up a 30,000-strong "border security force". Turkey's president vowed to "suffocate" efforts to begin training members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and create what he called a "terror army".

Ankara considers Kurds fighting for the SDF to be part of a terrorist group. Syria's government decried the "blatant attack" on its sovereignty, and Russia warned it could lead to partition.

With the help of air strikes from a US-led coalition, the SDF has captured tens of thousands of square kilometres of territory from Islamic State (IS) militants. In October, the alliance took full control of the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the "caliphate" declared by the jihadist group in 2014. Since then, SDF fighters have been advancing south-eastwards along the Euphrates river valley....

Snip... On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the US had acknowledged it was "in the process of creating a terror army on our border". The Turkish government says the SDF and YPG are extensions of the PKK "It is for us to suffocate this terror army before it is born," he said....

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David

[Exit40]

President Erdoğan to meet Pope for Jerusalem
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visits the Vatican on February 5
Editor / Internet 16:41 January 16, 2018

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will go to the Vatican on Feb. 5 on the invitation of Pope Francis. The main item on their agenda is expected to be the Jerusalem issue. Erdoğan’s visit will be the first presidential visit to the Vatican in 59 years. Pope Francis has already paid an official visit to Turkey on Nov. 28, 2014 and was the first leader to be hosted at the Turkish Presidential Complex in Ankara.

Gratitude for efforts on Jerusalem

President Erdoğan will extend his gratitude to Pope Francis for his stance on the matter of Jerusalem, who was one of the leaders whom Erdoğan contacted via telephone when U.S. President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Dec.6, saying that he would move the Tel Aviv embassy to the holy city....

Snip... President Erdoğan will also point out that for the establishment of peace and stability in the region, an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, should be founded based on the borders of 1967....

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David

[Exit40]

Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows to 'drown' Syrian Kurdish force set up by US
'A country we call an ally is insisting on forming a terror army on our borders', Turkish President says
Samuel Osborne, Chris Stevenson

Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US of forming a 'terrorist force' at Turkey's border Yasin Bulbul/Pool Photo via AP
The Turkish President has vowed to "drown" a US-backed border security force with Kurdish fighters in Syria, exposing the fragile state of relations between the two nations.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the US, a Nato ally of Turkey, of forming a "terrorist" force on his country's border that would not be tolerated and would be dealt with "before it is even born".

“A country we call an ally is insisting on forming a terror army on our borders,” Mr Erdogan said of the United States in a speech in Ankara. “What can that terror army target but Turkey?”...

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David

[Exit40]

US says Turk offensive in Syria is disruptive
By Robert Burns | AP January 23 at 7:05 AM

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Turkey’s air and ground offensive against Kurds in northwestern Syria has distracted from international efforts to finish off the Islamic State group and has disrupted humanitarian relief work, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday.

Mattis raised the matter in an exchange with reporters after unrelated meetings in the Indonesia capital with senior government officials. He made clear that while the U.S. sympathizes with Turkey’s concerns about border security, Washington wants the Turks to minimize their military action inside Syria.

The Turkish offensive began Saturday, targeting Kurds in an enclave called Afrin. Turkey says it intends to create a 30-kilometer (20-mile) deep “secure zone” in Afrin. Mattis had said Monday that the Turks gave Washington advance notice that their forces were going to strike Kurds in Afrin....

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David

[Exit40]

Suffering heavy blows in Afrin, YPG terrorists spread lies about losses of Turkey, FSA
DAILY SABAH ISTANBUL Published 14 hours ago

The heavy losses inflicted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to the People's Protection Forces (YPG) terrorist group during Operation Olive Branch in Afrin have prompted them to spread lies about the losses of the TSK and FSA, which were covered by several regional media outlets.

According to latest statements published by the Turkish General Staff, at least 303 YPG terrorists in the region of Afrin were killed in airstrikes, shelling and ground operations, in addition to the control of 16 villages and several strategic hills in more than one axis advanced by the TSK and FSA. Turkish losses currently stand at five, the latest statement by the TSK said late Wednesday. Earlier in the day, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also confirmed in a speech that there are a total of seven to eight soldiers of the TSK and FSA killed in the operation, in return for heavy losses inflicted to the YPG.

Social media accounts and websites close to YPG terrorists have published dozens of statements claiming they have killed dozens of Turkish soldiers and members of the FSA, destroying tanks and shooting down Turkish military aircraft. None of these claims have been confirmed by Turkish or independent media outlets, which have a significant presence in the area....

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David

[Exit40]

Muslim Brotherhood crumbling around Erdogan
Pinar Tremblay January 24, 2018

ARTICLE SUMMARY
As many Turks openly say the president's party has lost its mojo, it really means Muslim Brotherhood networks are collapsing there; the reasons also help explain the rise and potential fall of the cult of Erdogan.

A line heard frequently in Turkey is, “The Justice and Development Party [AKP] has no saga left to tell.”

The word “saga” can be explained as promises that capture and excite constituents. This rhetoric has been heard more often since August, when several AKP mayors were pressured to resign. That action came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May 2017 had candidly observed the diminishing enthusiasm in his party's ranks, which he compared with “metal fatigue.” Al-Monitor observed how Erdoganmania evolved into Erdogan fatigue by July, and since then most pundits have been using "the end of the AKP’s saga" as a careful way of explaining the dissolving political structure.

Since July, the discomfort has grown far beyond fatigue, despite a well-institutionalized censorship on media. The AKP has not just run out of ideas to excite the masses, but also is experiencing erosion of its ideological core — namely the Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood. Erdogan, seen as the AKP's crux, remains unchallenged, but he and his slogans have lost their impact. Crowds in every city Erdogan visits seem to cheer for him and applaud at the end of his remarks, but there are signs of discontent.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z55CyxONh6

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

VICE News Segment Featuring Lawyer Robert Amsterdam Investigates Fethullah Gülen's US Charter Schools
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2018

A secretive network of charter schools allegedly tied to the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen were featured on a recent segment aired by VICE News on HBO on January 18, 2018, including interviews with former employees and parents of the Syracuse Academy of Science.

The segment featured an interview with international lawyer Robert Amsterdam, who acts on behalf of the Republic of Turkey and who recently published a +600 page book on the Gülen charter schools titled "Empire of Deceit."

In the VICE interview, Amsterdam says he is continuing the investigation with an upcoming second book, commenting, "the Gülen organization and the movement are a danger to the national security of the United States."

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David