Ukraine’s Honorary Consul in Turkey Fired for Wearing Putin T-Shirt
Ukrainian officials fired Levent Aydın, the honorary consul of Ukraine in Turkey, after he appeared at an event in a t-shirt bearing a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tag: Turkey
Turkey Finally Blocks Pro-ISIS Websites, Months After Swiftly Blocking Charlie Hebdo
The Turkish government has developed an international reputation for wasting no time in censoring websites and social media users inconvenient to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or in any way offensive to Islam. It appears to take significantly more time to determine whether websites disseminating Islamic State propaganda deserve to be taken offline, too, with about seven of these websites blocked in Turkey on Sunday.
China Claims Repatriated Uyghurs Were ‘On the Way to Jihad’
The Chinese government is claiming that at least 13 of 109 Uyghur Chinese nationals repatriated from Thailand last week were “on the way to jihad,” attempting to reach Syria and Iraq and fight with the Islamic State.
Turkish Writers Go On Trial for Printing Charlie Hebdo Cartoons
Facing up to four-and-a-half years in prison if found guilty, two Turkish newspaper commentators went on trial yesterday for illustrating columns with a cartoon of Mohammed. Charges of “inciting public hatred” and “insulting religious values” were brought against Ceyda Karan and
Turkish Journalists Go to Trial for Publishing Charlie Hebdo Cartoon
Turkey opened its trial against two journalists on Thursday for publishing the cover of French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo following the terrorist attack that took the lives of 11 people at the magazine’s headquarters. Hundreds of plaintiffs are alleging that, as Muslim readers, their personal offense at the images of Muhammad constitute a crime by the publishers.
Turkey Warns Next Wave of Syrian Refugees May End Up in Europe
Turkey would struggle to cope with a new influx of refugees from Syria’s civil war, and many of them would likely end up trying to get into Europe, Turkey’s EU Affairs minister warned in comments published on Friday. Turkey is
Travel Companies Offer Wild Discounts as 50,000 Tourists a Day Cancel Trips to Greece
Tourists planning a luxury getaway to the Greek isles are being increasingly hesitant to keep their bookings, thanks to both an economic crisis plaguing the nation’s banks and the Greek government’s inability to process thousands of illegal migrants sailing into island ports from Turkey. In order to keep revenue up, companies are offering steep discounts and encouraging tourists not to cancel trips.
Turkish Leader: ‘Slanted Eyes’ Make It Hard to Tell Chinese, Koreans Apart
The leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) excused a mistaken attack on Korean tourists by Turks attempting to protest the Chinese government by claiming the protesters were “young people” confused by Asians’ “slanted eyes.” Turkish nationalists have organized protests against China for its crackdown on Islam in Turkic Uyghur communities.
Islamists Plaster Turkish Capital with Posters for Gays to Be Killed ‘on Sight’
An Islamist group identified as “Young Islamic Defense” has flooded Turkey’s capital Ankara with posters allegedly quoting a Muslim teaching that calls for Muslims to “kill the perpetrator and the receiver on sight” should they ever see an LGBT person.
German Patriot Missiles in Turkey Hacked, Raising Terrorism Fears
German-owned Patriot missiles stationed on Turkey’s Syrian border have been briefly hacked, according to reports in the German media. The nature of the technology hack, and the culprits, are unknown. The American-made anti-aircraft missiles were stationed in Turkey by Germany to protect their
Turkmen Fear Ethnic Cleansing, Move to Form Militia Against Kurds in Syria
Turkmen groups in western Syria, close to the border with Turkey, are working to create an independent militia to combat both the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and any advances made by the Kurdish YPG forces, which have been the only group to enjoy success in keeping ISIS from sweeping through Syria’s border towns.
24-Hour Immigration Service Not Enough to Process Thousands of Migrants on Greek Isles
The Greek island of Lesbos, typically a popular European vacation destination, has received such a prodigious influx of refugees attempting to enter Europe by crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey that immigration offices on the island are remaining open 24 hours a day to process them, and are still woefully behind on the procedure.
Anti-China Turkish Protesters Mistakenly Attack Korean Tourists, Uyghur Cook
The Chinese embassy in Istanbul has released an advisory to Chinese nationals planning to travel to Turkey, warning that they may face violence following attacks on suspected Chinese nationals by Turkish national protesters this weekend. Those attacks may be a statement against the Chinese government’s attempts to ban the practice of Islam among Western ethnic Uyghurs, who largely subscribe to the faith.
Czech Airports Report Massive Influx of Illegal Immigrants
Police report that they have arrested double the number of illegal immigrants at Czech international airports as they did last year. Most of the aliens were arrested at Prague’s international airport, and a sizeable number of them arrived on planes from Turkey and Greece.
‘We Have Suffered Like the Jews’: Kurds Ready to Build Own State ‘Whether US Likes It or Not’
As a variety of Kurdish forces continue containing the Islamic State’s advance in Syria and Iraq, leaders are becoming increasingly vocal about the establishment of an independent Kurdistan, with some sources close to the ground telling Fox News that Kurds are dedicated to the formation of a new state “whether the U.S. likes it or not.”
Turkey’s Migrant Boom Creating Market for Low-Quality ‘Life Vests’ to Wear to Greece
Illegal migrants trapped in Turkey and hoping to enter the European Union are invigorating that nation’s black market for life vests, useful in crossing the Aegean Sea into Greece. Manufacturers in Izmir, a popular interim destination for refugees, are warning, however, that many black-market life vests are poorly constructed and actually serve to pull the wearer deeper into the water, not keep them afloat.
Turkey Expresses ‘Deep Concern’ over China’s Ramadan Ban
The Turkish government has upset Chinese diplomats after Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed “deep concern” over efforts in China to eliminate the observation of the holy month of Ramadan and bans in particular on Communist Party members fasting during the day, as is traditional during the holiday.
Strange Bedfellows: Turkey Offers Greece Aid to Remedy Financial Crisis
Multiple factions within the Turkish government have expressed a willingness to help the Greek government repay its debts to the European Union, from a general statement by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that Turkey will do “whatever we can” to help Greece to the nation’s leftist party suggesting a massive loan to the Greek government in solidarity.
Armenian Families Refuse to Return to Kobane After Second ISIS Assault
Armenian families who fled Kobane, Syria, do not plan to return home even though the Kurdish army successfully defeated the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL). “There were only eight families left before the ISIL attack [in October 2014],” explained Agop Tomasyon. “All of these families left Kobane after the attack.”
World View: Turkey and Jordan Separately Plan Invasions of Syria
Contents: Greece’s chaos continues as banks are closed; Turkey considers invasion of Syria to prevent a Kurdish state; Jordan makes plans for Syria invasion to protect its northern border
Report: Syrian Gangs Dominate Human Trafficking Across Aegean into Europe
Syrians are the key actors in the human trafficking organizations that illegally smuggle migrants across the Aegean Sea, from Turkey into the European Union (EU), reports Hurriyet Daily News.
Reports: Turkey Considers Syrian Military Intervention to Stop The Kurds, Not ISIS
Turkey plans to deploy its army into northern Syria in an effort to prevent Kurds there from officially establishing their own state, reports The Daily Beast, citing both pro- and anti-government news outlets.
Report: Turkey Forces Yazidi Refugees to Turn Back at Bulgarian Border
Turkish forces are reportedly forcing refugees fleeing the chaos of the Middle East to turn back from the border with Bulgaria. According to reports, as many as 600 refugees, including women and children, are being forced to return to their camps in Turkey now.
Turkey’s Government Uses Tear Gas to ‘Ban’ Gay Pride Parade Due to Ramadan
Turkish Islamist government authorities abruptly canceled Istanbul’s annual gay pride parade on Sunday, giving organizers no time to keep attendees from congregating and falling victim to water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and other crowd control measures Turkey’s government is calling “proportional” to the threat presented.
Turkish Court Sets Man Free After Beating Cancer-Stricken Wife to Death for Not Ironing
The Bakırköy 13th Court of Serious Crimes in Turkey set free Celal Eripek, 34, this week. Eripek was found guilty of beating his wife, who was receiving cancer treatments at the time, to death in May 2014. He only served one year.
