Report: Turkey Denies ISIS Attacked Kobani from Within Its Borders
The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) reportedly attacked the Syrian border town of Kobani from Turkey, an allegation that Ankara “strongly” denies.
Tag: Turkey
World View: Turkey Denies Responsibility for ISIS Massacre on Kurds in Kobani
Contents: Pakistan gives ‘Save the Children’ a partial reprieve; Turkey denies responsibility for ISIS massacre on Kurds in Kobani; European leaders prepare for Greece to default
World View: US Aligns With Kurds and Shias in Syria and Iraq, Angering Turks and Saudis
Contents: Syrian Kurd militias deal a heavy blow to ISIS; Turkey’s support splits between Kurds and ISIS; US support for Kurds further alienates Saudi Arabia; Understanding men’s moustaches in Turkey
ISIS Recruits Demand Amnesty After Kurds Capture Tal Abyad
Syrian Kurdish fighters scored a major victory against the Islamic State when they captured the border town of Tal Abyad on June 15. But now Syria and Turkey face appeals from ISIS fighters who want to receive amnesty in their home countries.
Turkish Media Praises ISIS, Condemns Kurdish Resistance Fighters
Headlines in pro-government Turkish media Friday praised the Islamic State while criticizing the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which, with the help of US-led air strikes, consolidated their hold over the 400-kilometer region next to Turkey’s border earlier this week.
Media Crackdown: Turkish Journalists Detained for Asking Questions about ISIS
The Turkish government’s uneasy relationship with freedom of the press led to another bit of unpleasantness on Tuesday, when four journalists made the mistake of asking the governor of a border town if he was concerned that ISIS militants fleeing a defeat at Kurdish hands might cross into Turkey and cause trouble.
Turkish Professor Under Fire for Twitter Photo of Turkey’s Founder in Hell
Mustafa Karaaslan, an education official in Bursa, Turkey, has triggered national outrage after his Twitter account posted a picture of Turkey’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in hell, presumably for being a secular leader, rather than an Islamist one.
New Turkey Refugee Laws Keep Syrian Refugees in Limbo
New refugee laws in Turkey appear to give Syrians more rights, but they stop short of granting them full refugee status. Despite approval from the UN, Syrian refugees fleeing Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) still cannot find work or receive full residency in the NATO country.
ISIS Defeat Prompts Syrian Refugees in Turkey to Return Home
Syrian refugees in Turkey are beginning to make their way back to their homes in the city of Tal Abyad after Kurdish forces there defeated the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), dealing a major blow to the jihadist group, reports Agence-France Presse (AFP).
ISIS Jihadists Cross Over Open Turkey Border, Get Arrested
Five Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IL) jihadists attempted to take advantage of the open Akçakale border crossing between Turkey and Syria to escape Kurdish forces in the latter, only to be arrested on the other side by the Turkish government. The ISIS contingent on the Syrian border is in disarray, as Kurdish forces have officially retaken the pivotal town of Tal Abyad.
Minority Parties Look to Exclude Turkey’s Ruling Islamists from Legislative Coalition
As Turkey’s majority Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) scrambles to build a coalition government in the legislature, the largest minority party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has suggested pairing up with other minority parties to keep the AKP out of the ruling coalition entirely.
Christianity Under an Islamist Crusader Mindset: ‘When Will They Ever Learn?’
In 1955, songwriter Pete Seeger wrote “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” It begins with young girls picking flowers and ends with those flowers growing atop the graves of young men killed in war. The song’s anti-war message is clear in refrains repeated throughout, “Oh, when will they ever learn?”
Syrian Refugees Burst Through Turkish Border Gates as ISIS Forces Thousands to Flee
Days after closing the Syrian border crossing of Akcakale, announcing that there was no more humanitarian need to keep it open, thousands of refugees began bursting through the gate fleeing Islamic State violence, forcing the government to once again open their doors to migrants after taking in more than one million since 2012.
Turkey Closes Border Crossing with Syria Because ‘There is No Longer a Humanitarian Tragedy’
Turkey is temporarily closing at least one of its borders to Syrian refugees after accepting 1.8 million Syrian nationals fleeing the ongoing civil war there. Turkey’s deputy prime minister stated the decision was based on the fact that “there is no longer a humanitarian tragedy” on the other side of the border, though a change in that status would once again open the border.
Turkish Grocer Renames Priest Plum ‘Imam Plum’ Because It Made People ‘Uncomfortable’
A grocer in central Kayseri province, Turkey, is receiving national attention for changing the name of the Turkish priest plum to “imam plum,” at the behest of customers who were “uncomfortable” with the non-Islamic name.
Egypt Mends Fences with Hamas
“Top Egyptian intelligence officers met recently with senior Hamas officials from outside the Gaza Strip to discuss the poor relations between Egypt and the Strip’s Hamas regime, senior officials of the Islamist organization confirmed on Tuesday,” Israel’s Haarez wrote on Wednesday.
Erdogan’s Putin-Style Internet Trolls Blamed for Turkish AKP’s Election Losses
At least one Turkish columnist, described as pro-government by the newspaper Hurriyet, is blaming an aggressive Internet strategy to smear critics of the majority AK Party for its own losses during Sunday’s parliamentary election.
Erdogan Accepts Turkish Prime Minister’s Resignation as All Minority Parties Reject Possible Coalition
urkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has submitted his formal resignation in a procedural move necessary for Turkey to begin rebuilding its government after shocking election results that left the nation with no parliamentary ruling party. The majority AK Party to which Davutoğlu belongs must now attempt to form a coalition with at least one other minority party for Turkey’s Parliament to function.
Christians, Kurds, Women Make Advances as Erdogan’s Party Loses Majority in Turkey
Turkey’s parliamentary elections on Sunday have resulted in a fragmented legislature that has significantly weakened the power of ruling Islamist AK Party, while bringing to power a record number of Kurds, Christians, women, Yazidis, and even members of the Roma minority.
World View: In Major Election Setback, Turkey’s Erdogan Loses Support as Kurds Gain Seats
Contents: Israeli residents near Gaza border expect war soon; Israel launches fresh air strikes on Gaza; In major election setback, Turkey’s Erdogan loses support as Kurds gain seats
Algeria Raises Alert Level as ISIS Pushes Against Libyan Border
ISIS has rampaged all the way from inner Libya to the Algerian border, prompting the Algerian military to raise its alert level, moving tens of thousands of troops over the past few months to the thousand kilometers of desert it shares with Libya.
Turkey Detains French Woman Who Married ISIS Jihadi
It’s always difficult when a whirlwind romance dissolves into broken promises and shattered dreams. It’s especially difficult when the breakup involves an ISIS militant.
Turkey’s Erdogan Says ‘Jewish Capital’ Is Behind Critical Western Media Coverage
Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been drawing fire from Western media over some of his more colorful comments, such as rallying Muslims to take control of Jerusalem. He has finally managed to isolate the source of all that Western media coverage portraying him as anti-Semitic: Jewish money.
Russian Father Fears Multilingual College Daughter Fled Moscow for ISIS
A Russian father told the media he believes his 19-year-old daughter fled to Turkey to join the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Syria.
Turkish President Sues Opposition Leader for Claiming Palace Boasts ‘Golden Toilet’
As Turkey nears its national election on June 7, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has managed to spark a national conversation regarding the material out of which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s toilet is made. Erdogan has sued the party’s leader to the tune of 100,000 Turkish Lira for claiming that members of his incumbent party enjoy the luxury of golden toilets.
