Turkey : Part Four

[Exit40]

Why is the Vital Bond between Turkey and the U.S. in Jeopardy? Radical Muslim Cleric Fethullah Gülen is a Big Reason
Published 3 hours ago on January 27, 2018 By Jacob Kamaras

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s acceptance of a plea deal recently gives the U.S. and Turkey the opportunity and imperative to leave their recent bilateral quarrels behind and pursue the tremendously diverse mutual opportunities before them, while focusing on defeating common enemies—including ISIS and radical Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen.

Flying under the radar compared with the high-profile jihadist exploits of ISIS, the Pennsylvania-based Turkish imam, worth an estimated $24 billion, a net worth from where, no one seems to know, sits with seeming impunity. A real investigation into his widespread nefarious activities, including evidence-based allegations of masterminding an attempted coup in Turkey a year ago, remain key to repairing once deep and close bilateral relations.

According to WikiLeaks, the State Department describes Gülen as “a ‘radical Islamist’ whose moderate message cloaks a more sinister and radical agenda.”...

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**** Oddly, wikileaks revealed many in the State department feel that President Erdogan is a radical islamist too. D. ****

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey’s Erdogan wages a dangerous war on many fronts
By Ishaan Tharoor January 31 at 12:59 AM

Without a trace of irony, Turkey has dubbed the military offensive it is waging across its southern border with Syria “Operation Olive Branch.” It's hardly an apt name, given both the bloody nature of the offensive and the wide-reaching geopolitical havoc it has caused.

Since Jan. 20, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed militias have been engaged in battles with Syrian Kurds holding an enclave called Afrin, northwest of the Syrian city of Aleppo. Turkish authorities say they are fighting units that are an extension of the PKK, a violent Kurdish separatist group in Turkey that's seen by both Ankara and Washington as a terrorist organization.

Reports suggest Turkish air and artillery strikes have damaged villages and killed civilians there, in addition to killing dozens of Syrian Kurdish fighters. Images are circulating online of the destruction wrought by a Turkish airstrike on an ancient temple complex dating back to the first millennium B.C....

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David

[Exit40]

FETÖ, PKK cooperation on terror clear as day
In his book, PKK terror group head Öcalan says: ‘Tell Gülen that I'm the best person capable of understanding him’
Anadolu Agency 09:54 February 14, 2018

Cooperation between Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and the PKK, before and after the July 15, 2016, defeated coup, is documented in the statements and actions taken by the two terror groups, according to information gathered by Anadolu Agency.

Despite the fact that there are clear references to FETO in PKK terror group head’s book "Democratic Liberation and Building a Free Life", the opposition People's Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas complained that Ocalan's views on FETO were being misunderstood.

"Sirri Sureyya Onder [HDP Ankara Deputy] met some [FETO] representatives; he was told that they didn't fully understand Ocalan's statement and felt uneasy," Demirtas said.

About a senior PKK terrorist group member’s negative remarks on FETO, Ocalan said in his book: "We all should be careful with the language we use nowadays. When it comes to the community [FETO], we even proposed a democratic alliance in the Middle East, didn't we?...

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Greece, Turkey try to calm tensions after Aegean Sea crash
BY DEREK GATOPOULOS AND SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ATHENS, GREECE
Updated February 13, 2018 04:00 PM

The prime ministers of Greece and Turkey worked late Tuesday to calm escalating tensions after a Greek coast guard vessel was damaged in a collision with a Turkish patrol boat in the Aegean Sea, the site of a boundary dispute.

A government official in Athens said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece and Turkish Prime Minister Benali Yildirim spoke by telephone about the circumstances of the boat crash. The official asked not to be named pending an official announcement.

No one was hurt in the collision, which happened near uninhabited Aegean islets over which Turkey and Greece nearly went to war in 1996.

Turkey's ambassador in Athens was summoned earlier in the day to receive an official complaint, while the Greek Foreign Ministry accused Turkey of "escalating and provocative conduct."...

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David

[Exit40]

US and Turkey return from brink and agree to ‘normalise’ ties
World News | Published: 2 hours ago

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson held talks in Ankara with Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Rex Tillerson and Mevlut Cavusoglu (AP/Burhan Ozbilici)
The US and Turkey have pulled back from the brink of a potentially disastrous crisis, agreeing to normalise strained relations over Syria and other issues that had threatened the Nato allies’ long-standing ties.

Details of the rapprochement were vague as the two sides agreed in principle only to form working groups to begin meeting within a month to examine points of contention and try to resolve them.

After talks in Ankara, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson and Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the creation of new “mechanisms” to improve the relationship, starting with the question of American support for Kurdish rebels in northern Syria.

Read more at https://www.expressandstar.com/news/wor ... dlGggDa.99

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Calls for change unlikely to be heard inside Turkey's Gülen movement
Nick Ashdown Feb 22 2018

Decimated by purges in Turkey and pursued abroad, current and former supporters of the Gülen movement, blamed for the 2016 military coup attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have begun to publicly voice criticism of the global Islamist network.

Reflecting on its fall from being one of Turkey’s most powerful groups with members high up in the police, judiciary, armed forces and media, Gülen’s followers called for more soul-searching and accountability, while former members said the movement had become intoxicated by power.

“There were so many mistakes,” said a Turkish academic and former Gülen supporter who said he “grew up in the movement”, but declined to be named to avoid a backlash from current members of the secretive organisation.

Citing the arrest of journalists ordered by Gülenists within the judiciary, its opposition to peace talks with Kurdish militants and support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the academic said:

“The movement couldn’t digest the social and political power that it was given.”...

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdoğan slams Pentagon spokesperson’s comments on Afrin operation
DAILY SABAH WITH ANADOLU AGENCY ISTANBUL Published 18 hours ago

Erdoğan slams Pentagon spokesperson’s comments on Afrin operation
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed Friday recent comments by a spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense claiming there were civilian casualties in Turkey's Operation Olive Branch to clear the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria's northwestern Afrin region.

Addressing the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) provincial chairs in Ankara, Erdoğan said that what upsets Turkey the most is the hypocrisy and levity displayed by some countries that Turkey regards as its allies and has deep political and military relations with.

"Yesterday, the defense department spokesperson of one of these countries, unashamedly, without flushing, said that civilians die in Afrin, people could not return to their homes due to violence. You are heartless, immoral, you feel no discomfort about the murder of hundreds of children, women and elders in eastern Ghouta every day, yet you are troubled by the fight against terrorists and spread false news," Erdoğan said....

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David

[Exit40]

In warning to US, Erdogan vows to 'break arms and wings' of militants
Sun Feb 25, 2018 09:35AM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued one of his strongest warnings meant for the US, pledging to "break the arms and wings" of Washington-backed militants in Syria.

The warning in an address to his ruling party members in the southern province of Kahramanmaras on Saturday came as tensions grow between Turkey and the US over the latter's support for Kurdish militants.

Turkey's patience boiled over when the US announced last month to create a 30,000-strong force comprised of Kurdish militants, which would be deployed along the Turkish border.

Without mentioning the US, Erdogan said, “They want to sever us from our sisters and brothers by forming a terror corridor along our borders. They do not hesitate to link arms with terrorist organizations." ...

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey, Algeria agree on $1B petrochemical investment, says Erdoğan
Erdoğan says ‘seven [agricultural] deals were signed,’ adding that ‘Turkey’s Rönesans Energy and Algeria signed an agreement of $1 billion to establish a petrochemical plant in Turkey’s Adana’
16:09 February 27, 2018 Yeni Şafak

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced a petrochemical deal at the Turkey-Algeria Business Forum he participated in during his visit on Tuesday. This is Erdoğan’s second trip as president to Algeria, which is one of Turkey’s most important economic partners in Africa.

“Algeria is Turkey’s biggest economic partner in Africa. I find our trade volume of $3.5 billion to be minimal, and there is benefit in raising this to $5 billion. Turkey's Ronesans and Bayegan and Algerian state-owned SONATRACH agreed on a $1 billion petrochemical investment deal,” Erdoğan said.

The investment will be made in the Adana Yumurtalik Free Zone, located in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Adana.

Erdoğan said the plant at the economic zone would produce 450,000 tons of polypropylene per year; raw material will be provided by Algeria....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan has released the genealogy of thousands of Turks – but what is his motive?
In 2003, the Armenian newspaper Agos, whose editor Hrant Dink was assassinated outside his office in 2007, reported that the Turkish government was secretly coding minorities in registers
Robert Fisk @indyvoices 21 hours ago

Erdogan has made Turkey's population registers public AP
Only in Turkey is the identity of a citizen a matter of national security. That’s why the population registry in Ankara was until now a closed book, its details a state secret. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s definition of “Turkishness” was “anyone who is attached to the Turkish state as a citizen”. Turks came from a clear ethnic identity, untainted by racial minorities or doubtful lineage. That’s one reason why the Nazis lavished praise on Ataturk’s republic, their newspapers mourning his death in black-bordered front pages.

After all, as Hitler was to ask in several newspaper interviews – and to his generals before he invaded Poland – who now remembers the Armenians? Ataturk had supposedly inherited an Armenian-free Turkey, just as Hitler intended to present his followers with a Jew-free Europe. The Armenian genocide of 1915 – denied by the Turkish government today – destroyed a million and a half Christian Ottoman citizens in the first industrial holocaust of the 20th century. Almost the entire Armenian community had been liquidated. Or had it?

For the stunned reaction of Turks to the sudden and unexpected opening of population registers on an online genealogy database three weeks ago was so immediate and so vast that the system crashed within hours. Rather a lot of Turks, it turned out, were actually Armenians – or part-Armenians – or even partly Greek or Jewish. And across the mountains of eastern Anatolia – and around the cities of Istanbul, Izmir, Erzurum, Van and Gaziantep and along the haunted death convoy routes to Syria, ancient ghosts climbed out of century-old graves to reassert their Armenian presence in Turkish history. For the registry proved that many of them – through their families – were still alive....

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David

[Exit40]

Erdogan calls for mobilization of army reserves in Syria
Zülfikar Doğan March 4, 2018

ARTICLE SUMMARY
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s growing advocacy of nationalism and war has triggered a new debate in the country, with the opposition calling for sending 800,000 Syrian males in Turkey to fight in Syria before mobilizing Turkish army reserves.

In his recent speeches at Justice and Development Party (AKP) meetings, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be more chauvinistic than ever with frequent impassioned references to war sagas. With the battles at Afrin, the dose of his nationalistic and martyrdom utterances has increased, so much so that on Feb. 24 at a party meeting in Kahramanmaras he called on Turkish men who have already served in the army to be ready to go to Syria.

Addressing his supporters who were chanting, “Our leader, take us to Afrin,” Erdogan said, “Don’t worry. Once we decide to go we will not leave you behind, but take you with us. Now we are dispatching our trained cadres. Those who received mobilization orders should get ready. But at this moment we don’t need them. The minute we decide we will hit the road.”

Turkish males are subject to conscription when they reach the age of 20, and they are required to mobilize until the age of 41....

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God bless

David

[Exit40]

Analysis Turkey's Erdogan Threatens to Give Trump a Lethal Ottoman Slap
Turkey warns that Ankara's relationship with Washington has reached a 'critical point' that would either be 'fixed' or 'totally destroyed.' The U.S. is willing to swallow Turkey's 'chutzpah' as long as it keeps away from Russia
Zvi Bar'el Mar 05, 2018 2:09 PM

As legend has it, Sultan Murad IV, who was known for his brutality, in 1634 killed with a slap two janissaries who assaulted his grand vizier. The incident was the origin of the so-called Ottoman slap (Osmanli tokadi in Turkish), which Ottoman soldiers were trained to perform. Such a slap, so it was said, could crack a man’s skill and even kill a horse.

Some two weeks ago, the Ottoman slap returned to the political lexicon. After the U.S. administration threatened to returned fire if its troops in Syria’s Kurdish areas were attacked, Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded with a threat of his own. “Those who say that they would respond if they are hit have never tasted an Ottoman slap,” the Turkish president warned. His foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, had warned a few days earlier that Ankara’s relationship with Washington had reached such a “critical point” that they would either be “fixed” or “totally destroyed.”

Two days after Erdogan’s “Ottoman slap” speech, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stopped in the Turkish capital for a three-and-a-half-hour meeting with the Turkish president and foreign minister. It’s doubtful that Tillerson understood the term “Ottoman slap,” since in a departure from protocol he did not bring his own translator or aides to the meeting, relying on the translation skills of Cavusoglu. The media briefing held after the meeting did not hold out cause for optimism. The United States and Turkey agreed to establish three coordinating committees to discuss points of disagreement. The first is scheduled to convene Friday. Working groups of this kind are generally created between rival countries; allies don’t need them, they simply pick up the phone and talk. But the bad blood between Ankara and Washington is so poisoned that last week, too, Erdogan waved a warning finger at the Trump administration, saying he expected deeds and not words from the United States, as if Turkey were a superpower telling a client state how to behave....

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God Bless

David

[Ready1]

This relationship will continue to deteriorate. The sad part is that we have given Turkey advanced weapons which will probably be used against us and against Israel.

[Exit40]

Hard to tell which way the wind is gonna blow this guy. He plays both ends against the middle very well. Scripture indicates he will align with Iran and a few other Arab nations, although we may not see it that way until it rapidly manifests itself.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan’s Next Target as He Restricts Turkey’s Democracy: The Internet
By CARLOTTA GALLMARCH 4, 2018

ISTANBUL — Having already brought Turkey’s mainstream media to heel, and made considerable headway in rolling back Turkish democracy, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has set its sights on a seemingly innocuous target: a satellite television preacher named Adnan Oktar.

For seven years, with an unholy blend of the racy and the religious, Mr. Oktar has presented his show daily via satellite, cable and the internet, where he expounds on Islamic creationism, peace and love, often to a studio audience of women in miniskirts and plunging necklines.

Religious conservatives in the government now say they want to shut him down. But critics say that Mr. Oktar has become a convenient trigger for the government to pursue wide-reaching restrictions on internet content and broadcasters.

The real aim, they say, besides enforcing moral standards on the likes of Mr. Oktar, is to close off a final refuge for the news media and the political opposition as the government widens an already formidable crackdown on dissent....

Snip... In fact, virtually all the levers of power now belong to Mr. Erdogan, including much of the news media....

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David

[Exit40]

March 09 2018 13:46:50 ISTANBUL
Centuries-old Islamic provisions cannot be implemented today: Erdoğan

Religious provisions dating back to “14 or 15 centuries ago” cannot be implemented in today’s conditions and “should be updated,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 8, in a speech to mark International Women’s Day.

“You cannot implement provisions dating back 14 or 15 centuries … Carrying out the regulations and traditions of a specific society at a specific date can only spoil them,” Erdoğan said in Ankara.

His remarks came after he “criticized certain preachers” following controversial comments about violence against women by Social Fabric Foundation head Nureddin Yıldız.

“Women should be grateful to God, because God allowed men to beat women and be relaxed,” Yıldız said on March 3 in a video posted online, stirring outrage in Turkey....

Snip... “They are either not living in this century or they are living in an entirely different century because they do not even know that Islam should be revised … These preachers have no place in our religion,” he said, without directly referring to Yıldız....

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God Bless

David

[Ready1]

While they are looking into updating Islam, maybe they need to rethink the whole "push Israel into the sea and kill them all" attitude...

[Exit40]

While they are looking into updating Islam, maybe they need to rethink the whole "push Israel into the sea and kill them all" attitude...

No doubt they believe that part is correct for this time period.

God Bless You

David

[Exit40]

Mar 10 2018
Erdoğan makes “grey wolf” sign at rally

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made a hand gesture associated with a far-right street-fighting group at a rally, left-wing BirGün newspaper said .

He made the gesture, which is meant to look like a wolf and is associated with the far right Idealist Hearths movement, who are also known as the Grey Wolves, while reciting one of his favourite slogans: “One nation, one flag, one state, one homeland.”...

Snip... “When the time comes to order the campaign, first I, and then we all will go,” he said. “Because we believe in martyrdom.”...

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David

[Exit40]

turkey will deliver Afrin to its true owners, says Erdoğan
'Once Afrin is captured, it will be delivered to its true owners,' says Turkish president

13:35 March 10, 2018 Yeni Şafak
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s sixth provincial congress in Turkey’s Mersin on Saturday.

“The number of neutralized terrorists in Afrin has risen to 3,213. Once Afrin is captured, it will be delivered to its true owners,” said Erdoğan.

"We are advancing toward Afrin [city center]. Approximately 850 square kilometers are under our control during the Afrin operation, and our aim is to clear 2,000 square kilometers from terrorists," he added....

Snip... “Where are you, NATO? Is Turkey not a NATO member? You called, and we came to Afghanistan. You called, and we came to the Balkans. Now I’m calling. Why aren’t you coming to Syria? You should act justly,” said Erdoğan....

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David

[Exit40]

US moves to soothe Turkey, endangering ties with Kurdish allies
By Karen DeYoung11 March 2018 — 4:08pm

Washington: The Trump administration has told Turkey it will move to rein in Kurdish fighters that have been the backbone of the US campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, in an effort to repair tattered relations.

The first step and "the crux of the matter", a senior Turkish official said, is to withdraw the Kurds from the Syrian town of Manbij and relocate them east of the Euphrates River. The town, about 40 kilometres from Turkey's border, has come to symbolise the fevered competition for territory and influence in northern Syria among the United States, Turkey, and other regional powers.

The American pledge, if carried out, would satisfy a long-standing demand by the Turkish government and fulfil a promise first made by the Obama administration to keep the Kurdish forces east of the Euphrates. The Kurds helped to take Manbij from the Islamic State in 2016 and have been there since....

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David

[Exit40]

Mar 12 2018
U.S. must protest as Erdoğan makes Turkey 'a prison' - WP

The United States and other governments must protest loudly as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan turns Turkey into a totalitarian prison, the Washington Post’s Editorial Board said on Sunday.

Citing the conviction of 23 journalists on Friday for “patently ridiculous charges that they were members of a terrorist organization and tweeted about it”, the Washington Post said a nation that once “aspired to be an exemplar of enlightened moderation” is being transformed into a jail.

“Mr. Erdoğan is happily marching alongside Russia, China, Egypt, Cuba and others where legitimacy to rule rests on coercion and thought control,” the Washington Post said. “Mr. Erdoğan’s dictatorship must be called out for what it is.”...

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David

[Exit40]

March 13 2018 14:29:00
Turkish prosecutor seeks life in jail for US pastor Andrew Brunson over 2016 coup attempt
İZMİR

A Turkish prosecutor demanded on March 13 life imprisonment for detained American pastor Andrew Brunson over alleged links to the July 2016 coup attempt, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The prosecutor in the Aegean province of İzmir has charged Brunson with being a “member and executive of the terrorist group” accused of being behind the coup attempt.

Turkey blames the network of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen for the attempted coup....

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David

[Exit40]

Why Erdogan called for updating Islam
Mustafa Akyol March 14, 2018

Public remarks by Turkey’s powerful President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have often raised eyebrows in the West in recent years. However, in a March 8 speech on International Women's Day, Erdogan broke this pattern and said something that could only be music to liberal ears: He condemned misogynist clerics who degrade women, and even said, “Islam must be updated."

The speech was made to hundreds of Turkish women from various walks of life who were invited to the presidential complex in Ankara for International Women's Day. In his address to the women, Erdogan implicitly referred to a few ultraconservative scholars in Turkey who recently outraged society by defending misogynist practices such as wife beating. "Recently, some people claiming to be clerics issued statements contradicting religion,” Erdogan said. “They have no place in our times. They don't realize how Islam needs to be updated and is updated accordingly. You can't apply the practices applied 15 centuries ago today. Islam changes and adapts to the conditions of different ages. This is the beauty of Islam.”

This progressive take on religion, especially the very suggestion that “Islam needs to be updated,” came as a cold shower to some of the typically pro-Erdogan commentators. On social media, many of them stood silent, whereas others offered mild criticism, repeating the usual mantra that “Islam is perfect,” it needs no “update” and it is only Muslims who need to improve themselves by living up to Islam’s fixed commandments.

A day later, Erdogan refined his initial remark about updating Islam and said he seeks no "reform in religion.” ("Reform” is a dirty word in conservative parlance.) “Our holy Quran has and will always have words to say, its commandments will never change,” Erdogan affirmed....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkish forces take control of munition depot in Afrin
Depot spread over 12 rooms found in NW Syria
12:28 March 18, 2018 Anadolu Agency

The Turkish military and Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Sunday took control of a large underground ammunition depot in northwestern Syria, said security sources.

The 150-meter depot, spread over 12 rooms and reinforced by concrete walls, was found in the village of Cuvek, northwest of Afrin.

Instead of bombing the depot, Turkey-backed forces entered it and took over its control without harming any of the civilians hiding inside, said the source who refused to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Also, in the village of Telef, the forces took control of a terrorist training camp where members where indoctrinated....

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David

[Exit40]

Kurdish MP rejects Turkish military operations in Iraq, terms Erdoğan as dictator
by Mohammed Ebraheem Mar 17, 2018, 1:56 pm

Erbil (Iraqinews.com) – A Kurdish lawmaker has rejected any Turkish military operations in Iraq, stressing that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is nothing but an “authoritarian dictator.”

In statements to Alsumaria News on Saturday, MP Abdel Aziz Hassan warned that any interaction between the Iraqi and Turkish governments could “stir up more troubles in the region,” hence he advised the federal government in Baghdad not to allow any Turkish troops in the country.

“It is not true that fighting the Kurds is a common denominator of both the Turkish and Iraqi governments, and whoever thinks so is completely wrong,” Hassan reiterated.

The Kurdish MP further described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as “an authoritarian dictator, who represents nobody but his Islamic extremist party.”...

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David

[Exit40]

Sultan Who Raged at the West Becomes a Hero in Erdogan’s Turkey
March 18, 2018, 9:00 PM PDT Updated on March 19, 2018, 4:55 AM PDT

“Behind everything that’s harmful to this nation,” the Turkish leader said, “lies an order from the West.”

That’s Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II, in an episode of the historical TV drama watched by millions of Turks every Friday. And if they come away drawing parallels with contemporary politics, the country’s current ruler probably wouldn’t object.

“Are you watching ‘Payitaht’?” Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked supporters at a recent rally, as he winds up for an election campaign that could crown his career. He spelled out why they should be. “Foreign powers are still seeking concessions from us,” the president said. “Never!”...

Snip... Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, talking to Egyptian newspaper editors earlier this month, accused Erdogan of trying to resurrect Ottoman claims to regional dominance -- and reportedly labeled Turkey as part of a “triangle of evil.”...

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David

[Exit40]

The Latest: Turkey's Erdogan criticizes US over Syrian Kurds
7 hours ago 12:10 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the United States to "show respect" and "walk with" its NATO ally. His remarks are the latest criticism by the Turkish leader of Washington over its engagement with Syrian Kurdish militia.

Erdogan's comments on Tuesday came in reply to statements from the U.S. State Department expressing concern over Turkey's cross-border offensive in the northwestern Syrian enclave of Afrin, which Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces captured from the Syrian Kurdish militia on Sunday.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia as extension of outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting inside Turkey....

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David

[Exit40]

US tried to deceive Turkey in Syria, says Erdoğan
ANKARA March 20 2018 12:19:00

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 20 once again slammed the United States over its recent comments on Turkey’s military operation into Syria’s Afrin, saying the U.S. “tried to deceive Turkey.”

“If we are strategic partners, you will have to respect us and move along with us. You [U.S.] tried to deceive us. You sent 5,000 trucks of weapons there. You sent more than 2,000 trucks of ammunition there. We wanted weapons from you to buy with our money, but you did not give any to us. What kind of a strategic partnership or solidarity is this?” Erdoğan said at his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) group meeting in Ankara.

“The U.S. spokesperson makes a comment and says, ‘We are concerned about the situation in Afrin.’ Where were you when we transmitted our concerns to you? Where were you when we said ‘let’s clean the terrorist organization from there?’” he added.

Commenting on U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert’s statement on the situation in Afrin, Çavuşoğlu also questioned why the U.S. is “concerned” by the operation....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey, EU agree to accelerate relations: Erdoğan
March 28 2018 00:01:00

Turkey and the EU “agreed to accelerate relations” at a high-level summit in Varna on March 26, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, while adding it would be “self-deceiving” to say all negativities between Ankara and Brussels have been left behind.

“We have particularly stressed the importance of keeping channels of dialogue open. There is full consolidation on this subject. We have agreed that in order to accelerate relations with the EU, more frequent consultation on regional subjects would be beneficial,” Erdoğan told reporters on board his flight returning from Bulgaria, following lengthy meetings with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Council President Donald Tusk.

“I told them that a constructive attitude toward Turkey - instead of unfair criticisms and double standards - would help reconcile our ties and facilitate the [resolution of] issues,” he said.

Erdoğan’s words echoed those of Tusk, who openly said there had “not been any concrete compromise” on issues that were discussed in Varna. However, both sides underlined the need to continue engagement....

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David

[Exit40]

Turkey lashes out at France over support for YPG in Syria
ANKARA March 30 2018 09:40:00

Turkey has slammed its NATO ally France for voicing support to the Syrian Kurdish groups and offering to mediate between the Turkish government and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan describing Paris’ move as a “show of hostility against Turkey.”

“Those who host at the highest level the members of a terrorist organization, which has been freely carrying out its activities in their countries, should be aware that this is nothing but an expression of hostility against Turkey,” Erdoğan said on March 30, condemning French President Emmanuel Macron’s reception of members of Syrian Kurdish groups at the Elysée Palace.

France no longer has the right to complain about the actions of any terror organization on its soil after meeting with the representatives of the PYD and its armed wing, the People Protection Units (YPG), Erdoğan added.

“Those who have been abetting terrorists and who have been hosting them in their palaces will sooner or later see the mistake they have made. They may face the problems that we ourselves have been experiencing at any time. We hope they will not dare to seek our help when France is filled with terrorists fleeing from Syria and Iraq after being encouraged by French policies,” he said....

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David

[Exit40]

Netanyahu steps up war of words with Erdogan: ‘Get used to it’
After Turkish president calls him a 'terrorist,' PM says the country that invaded Cyprus and is carrying out a brutal campaign in northern Syria shouldn't preach ethics
By AFP and TOI STAFF 1 April 2018, 9:51 pm

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up a war of words with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, telling him that he better get used to an Israeli response to his rhetoric and that Israel was not prepared to accept criticism from the Turkish strongman.

“Erdogan is not used to being answered back to,” Netanyahu tweeted. “He should get used to it. ”

His comments came on a day of back and forth between the two in which Erdogan called Netanyahu a “terrorist” and Israel a “terrorist state.”

Netanyahu cited what he said were Turkey’s crimes: “Someone who occupies northern Cyprus, invades the Kurdish regions, and slaughters civilians in Afrin — should not preach to us about values and ethics,” Netanyahu said....

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David

[Exit40]

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speeches keep Turkey spellbound
by Carlotta Gall Apr 3 2018 at 12:22 PM

As President Donald Trump has his tweets, the leader of Turkey has his speeches. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes up to three every weekday – "two a day on weekends" – and his charismatic, combative talks are the primary vehicle of his success.

​He calls democracy advocates "marauders". He mocks the German Foreign Minister as a "disaster". He is as comfortable in the vernacular as he is reciting poetry. He takes on his enemies publicly by name, pivoting seamlessly from pious to pushy.

Even after 15 years at the helm, Erdogan, whose skills as an orator even his opponents envy, treats every event like a campaign rally – and he turns just about every day into one. He remains the country's most popular politician and is poised to seek re-election, possibly this year, with polling showing him with over 40 per cent support....

Snip... "We are a country, a nation ready to take any steps any moment," he said. "If there are those who prefer a couple of terrorists, marauders against such a nation, such a state, we will no doubt slap this answer in their faces, on their hearts. They should know that."...

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

A Divergent 'Alliance Of Convenience': Russia, Turkey, Iran Try To Plan Syria's Future
April 04, 2018 08:00 GMT Mike Eckel

It's a meeting to chart a future for Syria, featuring the major players involved in the country's brutal seven years of war.

But the United States will not be there.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will sit down with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rohani on April 4 in Ankara for the highest-level talks on Syria's future in five months.

The problem is that, more often than not, Russia, Turkey, and Iran have shown conflicting priorities and divergent interests both for Syria and the entire region.

That, many veteran observers and experts say, means the meeting could end up being more an exercise in public relations rather than substantive policy decisions.

"It's not clear to me what they can agree upon," said Mark Katz, a Middle East scholar at George Mason University, in Virginia. "I think for these guys the optics will be good enough."

All three countries have their own agendas in Syria....

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God Bless

David

[Ready1]

Now all we need are "Cush & Put"!

Eze 38:3 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Eze 38:5 Persia, Cush (Libya), and Put (Ethiopia/Sudan) are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Eze 38:6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.

[Exit40]

Erdogan, Putin, Rouhani tout alliance, eye US for next move
Amberin Zaman (Turkey Pulse) April 4, 2018

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed vows to drive out Syrian Kurdish militants across Turkey’s borders after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in Ankara today.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdogan said, “Turkey will not stop until all regions under PYD/PKK control, including Manbij, are secured. … We will never allow either Syria or our region to be attacked by a few terrorist groups.” The PYD is the acronym for the Democratic Union Party, the dominant Kurdish group in northern Syria whose armed wing, known as the People’s Protections Units (YPG), is the US-led coalition’s top ground force in the fight against the Islamic State. PKK is short for the Kurdistan Workers Party, the militia that is fighting for Kurdish self-rule inside Turkey and is closely allied with the PYD. Turkey says they are one and the same.

The summit to discuss the trio’s future steps in Syria is part of the so-called Astana process to end hostilities between regime forces and opposition rebels through a series of cease-fires, the establishment of humanitarian corridors and the deployment of peace monitors in the country's north, west and south, which fall outside the United States’ zone of influence....

Snip... In comments carried by Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Rouhani repeated calls for the United States to go. “The fact is that the illegal presence and interference of the United States in Syria lead to the increase of tension and the country’s disintegration,” he said....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey welcomes US-led strikes targeting Assad regime in Syria
ANKARA April 14 2018 10:18:00

Turkey on April 14 welcomed Western strikes targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime as an "appropriate response" in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack that left dozens dead.

"We welcome this operation which has eased humanity’s conscience in the face of the attack in Douma, largely suspected to have been carried out by the regime," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

The United States, Britain and France carried out a wave of strikes against Assad’s regime on April 14, a week after the suspected deadly gas attack on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.

Ankara said the attacks, with weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, that indiscriminately target civilians, "constitute crimes against humanity" and they should not go unpunished....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdoğan blasts West over Islamophobia
ANKARA – Anadolu Agency April 16 2018 14:49:00

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has again taken aim at the West over Islamophobia, suggesting it is “using anti-Islamic sentiments to reinforce its own ideology and lifestyle.”

“There are efforts to degrade and defame Islam, which is the only religion that offers genuine solutions to the modern world’s problems. The West tries to put certain labels on Islam through certain ‘project’ terrorist groups. Those are terrorist groups that have emerged lately,” Erdoğan said in a speech on April 16 at the World Muslim Minorities’ Summit in Istanbul.

Muslims have faced “multi-sided, multi-layered attacks since the 9/11 terror attacks,” he stated....

Snip...
“Recent developments, especially the rise in terror groups that define themselves with Islam, have contributed to this association,” Serdar said, adding that many people in Europe have a fear of refugees coming from the Middle East....

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**** It doesn't help when we see muslims celebrating a successful terror attack on the west. Realizing that doesn't represent all of islam, it still is felt by many to be a personal attack on western values and lifestyles. And reminds us that many muslims want a war with the west. D. ****

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey to go to polls for snap election on June 24
ANKARA April 18 2018 12:42:00

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have in a surprise move agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on June 24, 2018, 17 months before the scheduled date.

The statement on the snap vote was made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 18 after a brief meeting with his ally, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, who first proposed early elections in August 2018 on the previous day.

“We have widely discussed the proposal of Mr. Bahçeli in our executive board. We have decided to give a positive response to this proposal on holding early elections. The intensification of Turkey’s internal and external agenda has obliged us to remove the uncertainties in front of us through early elections,” Erdoğan told reporters.

Ongoing military operations in Syria, regional developments and macroeconomic necessities create an “urgency” for Turkey to immediately start the implementation of the executive presidential model instead of waiting for November 2019, he added.

“Even though the president and the government are working in unison, the diseases of the old system confront us at every step we take,” Erdoğan said....

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David

[Exit40]

Tim Lowell
Apr 23 2018

'The candidate of hope and change': Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

One of the few critical voices on Turkish television still tolerated is Fox News’s Fatih Portakal, and his show’s prestige and viewership has ballooned in recent years in response.

And yet, Portakal gave a surprise presidential endorsement on Friday’s show – to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself.

“Maybe this will surprise you,” he said, “but this government must stay. They have broken everything from the economy to social life, but this government must stay. They must solve these problems under Erdoğan’s leadership.”...

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God Bless

David

[Ready1]

'The candidate of hope and change': Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Reminds me of another candidate

'Change you can count on': Barrak Obama

Sometimes what you get is not what you thought you were going to get!

[Exit40]

I think it can be said, there is a pattern here.

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans election rally in Europe
Date 24.04.2018

The Turkish leader said he was planning a campaign rally in Europe ahead of June elections. But several European countries, including Germany, have banned Turkish politicians from campaigning on their soil.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he was planning to hold an election rally in a European city in May to reach out to Europe's Turkish communities ahead of snap parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey.

Erdogan's plans could put Turkey on a collision course with the European Union, several of whose members have banned Turkish politicians from campaigning on their soil.

'All preparations are complete'

In a speech to members of his ruling AK party, Erdogan said:

"God willing, in May, we will hold our first meeting in a closed sports hall in Europe in a European country."
"All preparations are complete."...

Snip... "Our view is clear. In the three-month period before elections in a foreign country, no election campaigning will take place in Germany," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters at the G7 meeting in Toronto, Canada....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan’s Motley Opponents Have United to Take Him Down
Turkey’s strongman might not be strong enough to survive the early elections he wanted.
BY BORZOU DARAGAHI | APRIL 25, 2018, 1:53 PM

ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the dominant figure of Turkish political life for the last 15 years, stunned his country last week by moving up crucial presidential and parliamentary elections from November 2019 to June 24. Erdogan hopes to complete his transformation of the government from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and he succeeded at catching the opposition off guard.

But Erdogan’s opponents have quickly rallied, showing fresh energy and unanticipated strategic thinking. Erdogan now faces the very real possibility of being democratically unseated. “Bring it on,” a spokesman for the center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) publicly announced about the early elections.

Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) are strong but not all powerful in a highly polarized Turkey. A poll by the leftist Sozcu newspaper showed Erdogan with 43.5 percent of the vote, falling short of a majority he would need to win the presidential vote in the first round, and less than the 51.8 percent he won in the 2014 election....

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God bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan slams int’l community’s apathy for Palestine
By Sibel Ugurlu ANKARA 07.05.2018

International community's indifference over the sufferings of Palestinians caused by Israeli attacks shows that no society has a safe future, the Turkish president said on Monday.

Speaking at the International Mount of Olives Peace Awards at the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "Palestinians are the symbol of all oppressed people in the world because of the persecution, massacres and injustices they have been subjected to."

Erdogan said the Palestine cause was not an exclusive issue of a nation or a city, adding that the future of humanity would be determined according to its stance against the Palestine and Jerusalem cause....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey's elections: A closer look at Erdogan's manifesto
Turkish president outlines vision for the country beyond the snap parliamentary and presidential elections on June 24.
by Andrew Wilks 18 hours ago

Promises of greater democracy, social justice and improved living standards were greeted by cheers as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered his election manifesto to flag-waving supporters on Sunday.

Although scarce on policy detail, his speech outlined a vision for the country beyond the snap parliamentary and presidential elections on June 24.

As he paced the stage at a sports hall in Istanbul's Bakirkoy district, Erdogan told members of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) that he would make Turkey a great world power; tackle corruption and poverty; forge an independent foreign policy; strengthen government; and bolster judicial independence.

He also focused on reining in the current account deficit, double-digit inflation and interest rates.

"The president delivered a speech that was as vigorous and as high tempo as in the first years of his career," Yasar Bas, a columnist for the pro-government Yeni Akit newspaper, wrote.

Of all the areas covered in the manifesto, the "most important was the concept of justice", he added.

Snip... Under changes ushered in by the referendum, a victory next month would place executive power in the president's hands and allow him to rule by decree....

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David

[Exit40]

States must not backtrack on treaties, FM Çavuşoğlu says
DAILY SABAH WITH ANADOLU AGENCY ISTANBUL Published 5 hours ago

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Wednesday that states must not backtrack from the treaties they have signed, referring to the recent U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

"States must stand by the treaties which they have signed," Çavuşoğlu said speaking at a joint news conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevicius in Ankara.

Çavuşoğlu said it was incorrect for the U.S. government to backtrack from a treaty which had been signed by a previous government.

"Then, all international treaties of the past could be ignored suddenly one day," he added....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan: US Embassy move a huge mistake
One week before the formal opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan describes President Trump's decision to move the office as a "huge mistake."Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/0 ... em-sot.cnn

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan: Israel sowing fear and pushing region to war

In BBC Arabic interview, Turkish president accuses Israel of using unnecessary aggression in Syria and criticizes US President Trump’s decision to withdraw from nuclear agreement with Iran.
Daniel Salami|Published: 05.13.18 , 09:42

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel on Sunday of using unnecessary aggression following the recent strikes in Syria. Erdogan told BBC Arabic that Israel was sowing fear in the Middle East and pushing the region to war.

The Turkish leader also criticized US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Last week, Erdogan told CNN that the US embassy move to Jerusalem was a “huge mistake.” He repeated his claim that “east Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine” and that one day, “when a Palestinian state will be established,” a Turkish embassy will open there.

According to the Turkish president, the move further isolates the US diplomatically. He said that with its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the US stands to “lose allies.”...

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David

[Ready1]

Washington (CNN)Turkey is recalling its ambassadors to the US and Israel in an official protest of the Trump administration's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, citing Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, said the envoys were being called back, the report was confirmed by the Turkish embassy in Washington.

Asked how long the recall would last, a spokesperson for the Turkish Embassy said "we don't know at this stage" adding that the US ambassador was recalled for "consultations."

In recent days, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been harshly critical of the US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The holy city has long been considered such a fraught and thorny issue that international negotiators had agreed to leave the question of Jerusalem to final status negotiations

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/14/politics/turkey-ambassador-us-israel/index.html

..I'm gonna take my marbles and go home!