Mavi Boncuk | A Turkish court on Saturday ordered the lifting of a three-year ban on Internet video website YouTube, media reports said, but thousands of other sites are still blocked.
Access to YouTube was barred in September 2007 by a court in Sivas, eastern Turkey, after an individual complained of clips disrespectful to the revered founder of the modern state, Mustafa Kemal Atataturk.
The ban was extended on different occasions by media authorities, the most recently in June, prompting a complaint from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at Turkey's wholesale censorship of websites.
NTV television channel said the court in Ankara had lifted the YouTube ban on Saturday because the offending videos had been removed.
October 30, 2010
Egyptian Cigarettes
Egyptian cigarettes made by Gianaclis and others became so popular in Europe and the United States that they inspired a large number of what were in effect locally-produced counterfeits. Tastes in Europe and the United States shifted away from Turkish tobacco and Egyptian cigarettes towards Virginia tobacco during and after the First World War. Morris Schinasi of the Schinassi Brothers began to work for a Greek tobacco merchant named Garofollo in Alexandria. Garofollo traded in tobacco as well as in the manufacture of cigarettes. He liked this intelligent, diligent, ambitious and driven young man and took him under his wing.The year was 1890. Morris was 35 and his big dreams carried him far. Borrowing US$25,000 from his beloved boss Garofollo, he immigrated to the USA in 1892 and exhibited the cigarette-rolling machine he had designed himself at the Chicago Fair. Until then, every single cigarette had been hand-rolled, paper and tobacco being purchased separately; this new machine created a good deal of interest. He repaid the US$25,000 loan and sent out for his brother Solomon (Shlomo.) Once Shlomo had arrived in New York, they established the “Schinasi Brothers Company” on Broadway and 120th Street.
Mavi Boncuk | Egyptian cigarette industry.
The development of a major cigarette industry in Egypt in the late nineteenth century was unexpected, given that Egypt generally exported raw materials and imported manufactured goods, that Egyptian-grown tobacco was always of poor quality, and that the cultivation of tobacco in Egypt was anyhow banned in 1890 (a measure intended to facilitate the collection of taxes on tobacco).
One reason for the development of the industry was the imposition of a state tobacco monopoly in the Ottoman Empire, a measure designed to increase Ottoman government revenue. This resulted in the movement of many Ottoman tobacco merchants, usually ethnic Greeks, to Egypt, a country which was culturally similar to the Ottoman Empire but outside the tobacco monopoly as a result of its occupation by Great Britain.
The founder of the industry was Nestor Gianaclis, a Greek who arrived in Egypt in 1864 and in 1871 established a factory in the Khairy Pasha palace in Cairo which, after Gianaclis moved to larger premises in 1907, became the home first of Cairo University and then of the American University in Cairo. Gianaclis and other Greek industrialists such as Ioannis Kyriazis of Kyriazi frères successfully produced and exported cigarettes using imported Turkish tobacco to meet the growing world demand for cigarettes in the closing decades of the nineteenth century.
The Schinasi Brothers of Manisa
Mavi Boncuk |THE SCHINASI BROTHERS
1893---ca. 1907
Superior high quality cigarettes made from expensive imported Turkish tobacco were the dream of the two Schinasi brothers when in 1893 they open a small factory at 48 Broad Street, New York City. Solomon and Morris (who had changed his name from Mustafa) were immigrants from Turkey who had learned to make a good cigarette in Alexandra, Egypt. The brothers arrived in America with a single secret cigarette blend of rich Turkish tobaccos that they had developed after years of experimentation. By 1904 the success of their Natural, Prettiest, and Royal brands necessitated a move to a new and much larger six story building located on West 120th Street. The second floor of this modern factory was used to blend or mix the different Oriental tobaccos needed to make the popular Schinasi brands. The different cigarette blends called for the tobaccos to be mixed in blocks of 20,000 pounds at a time. Junior partner Morris made a yearly trip to the Schinasi purchasing house in Cavalla (now in Greece), Turkey where he supervised the selection of the many varieties of Turkish tobaccos needed. The Egyptian style cigarettes were rolled on the fourth floor using ten Ludington machines. As many as three hundred girls packed the finished cigarettes into the colorful Schinasi boxes on the third floor. In a March 1904 interview, Solomon Schinasi stated that as long as he and his brother controlled their business, smokers could continual to expect the same high quality smoke first produced in 1893. The brothers helped create a demand for Egyptian style cigarettes in the United States, and managed to sell enough of their Egyptian Prettiest[1] and Natural boxes for both to own homes in the expensive Morning Side Heights section of New York City. In 1907 Morris began building his family mansion at 107th Street and Riverside Drive, while Solomon bought Isaac Rice's mansion at 89th Street and Riverside Drive.
Having the knowledge and experience from their homeland, the two The Schinasi Brothers started their own cigarette company downtown, in a small factory on Broad Street. Success would come quickly and, by 1907, they needed more space for the expanding business and moved to a larger factory uptown on West 120th Street in what is now South Harlem. Morris by 1909 had the now famous family mansion built on 107th street at Riverside Drive and so was in walking distance from his new factory.
Both structures still stand today but in very different states. The Schinasi Mansion is on sale for $30 million while the factory is a more humble children's academy. The two photos above show the grand decline of the building over the years. Windows have been sealed over, parapets removed along with the main shop front. The sculpture portals seem to be the only detail recognizable to this day, but the building's longevity is a pleasant surprise in itself. Take the B,C train to 116th Street and walk to 120th Street between Morningside Avenue and Manhattan Avenue.
"SCHINASI BROS. SELL FOR $3,500,000 CASH; The Tobacco Products Corporation Absorbs Big Independent Industry. GETS MUCH TURKISH LEAF The Factories Acquired Turn Out About 250,000,000 Cigarettes a Year." NY Times March 3, 1916
[1] Marshall Neilan featured on a 1920s T83 Movie Stars - Schinasi Brothers Egyptian Prettiest Tobacco Card.
Les Fleurs de l'Orient
Mavi Boncuk | Les Fleurs de l'Orient contains the Genealogy of the Major Sephardi Families from the Ottoman Empire and beyond, a Message Board, a Forum & Documents as submitted by members of the Fleurs de l'Orient. The genealogy databases include all families that are related to them by marriage regardless of their country of origin & religion. Each additional branch is listed with their its own ancestors and descendants.
Jewish Heritage Sites in Turkey by Tom Brosnahan TEXT
Jewish Heritage Sites in Turkey by Tom Brosnahan TEXT
Manisa Jewish Community
Mavi Boncuk | Manisa (Magnasia), Jewish Community
Contributed by Mathilde Tagger
Manisa, formerly known as Magnasia or Magnésie, is situated in the North East of Izmir (38°36N 27°26E). A Jewish 'romaniote' community existed there from the Byzantine period, praying in the Etz Ha-Hayim Synagogue. After 1492, Jews expelled from Spain settled there, joining a hundred or so romaniote families. These newcomers founded two synagogues: Lorca and Toledo. At the end of the 19th century, Alliance Israélite Universelle inaugurated two schools, one for boys in 1891 and one for girls in 1896.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish community numbered about 2000 souls out of a total population of some 40,000. The Greeks had conquered Manisa in 1919 and when they retreated in 1922, a large conflagration destroyed much of the town including many Jewish institutions. Most of the Jews left their community and emigrated to France, South America, U.S. and Israel. Today, there are no Jews in Manisa. There were three Jewish cemeteries in Manisa.
The most ancient was damaged after the 1878 Turko-Russian war. In 1900 a wall was built around the second cemetery that was until then an open field. The third was acquired in the 1930s. The two ancient cemeteries have since been destroyed. At the time of writing his book, Abraham.Galante [1] could still read some of the oldest 16th c. tombstones. The tombstone data of the new cemetery has been collected and computerized by Prof. Minna Rozen (Diaspora Sudies Institute of Tel Aviv University) although this very important information has not yet been published.
[1]Galanta names Haim Matsliah; (died in 1906) as the last Chief Rabbi of Manisa
Contributed by Mathilde Tagger
Manisa, formerly known as Magnasia or Magnésie, is situated in the North East of Izmir (38°36N 27°26E). A Jewish 'romaniote' community existed there from the Byzantine period, praying in the Etz Ha-Hayim Synagogue. After 1492, Jews expelled from Spain settled there, joining a hundred or so romaniote families. These newcomers founded two synagogues: Lorca and Toledo. At the end of the 19th century, Alliance Israélite Universelle inaugurated two schools, one for boys in 1891 and one for girls in 1896.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish community numbered about 2000 souls out of a total population of some 40,000. The Greeks had conquered Manisa in 1919 and when they retreated in 1922, a large conflagration destroyed much of the town including many Jewish institutions. Most of the Jews left their community and emigrated to France, South America, U.S. and Israel. Today, there are no Jews in Manisa. There were three Jewish cemeteries in Manisa.
The most ancient was damaged after the 1878 Turko-Russian war. In 1900 a wall was built around the second cemetery that was until then an open field. The third was acquired in the 1930s. The two ancient cemeteries have since been destroyed. At the time of writing his book, Abraham.Galante [1] could still read some of the oldest 16th c. tombstones. The tombstone data of the new cemetery has been collected and computerized by Prof. Minna Rozen (Diaspora Sudies Institute of Tel Aviv University) although this very important information has not yet been published.
[1]Galanta names Haim Matsliah; (died in 1906) as the last Chief Rabbi of Manisa
A Manisa Street Named after Yasmin Levy's Father
Isaac Levy (1919-1977) was a Turkish-born musicologist, collector of Sephardic music, and singer. Born in Manisa (near İzmir) in 1919, at the age of three he moved with his family to Palestine. He studied in conservatories in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and went on to work both as a composer and as a cantor. After the creation of the state of Israel he was appointed head of the Ladino department at Israel’s national radio station. His life’s work was devoted to the collection and preservation of the songs of Sephardic Jews; these songs had been passed down orally from generation to generation for more than 500 years. December 23, 1975 Jerusalem born, Israeli singer-songwriter of Judaeo-Spanish music Yasmin Levy is her daughter.
Part of the Ottoman Empire from 1425, Smyrna was for centuries a prosperous trading port to rival Constantinople. By the end of the 19th century, Smyrna had grown into one of the largest, richest and most cosmopolitan cities in the Mediterranean. It contained large Armenian and Jewish communities, plus at least twice as many Greeks as then lived in Athens. There were 11 Greek newspapers available in the city, as well as seven in Turkish, five in Armenian, four in French and five in Hebrew. Smyrna was also home to a collection of amazingly rich Anglo-Levantine families.
Mavi Boncuk |Traditional Sephardi Ladino song sung by Yasmin Levy in Bulera style.
Part of the Ottoman Empire from 1425, Smyrna was for centuries a prosperous trading port to rival Constantinople. By the end of the 19th century, Smyrna had grown into one of the largest, richest and most cosmopolitan cities in the Mediterranean. It contained large Armenian and Jewish communities, plus at least twice as many Greeks as then lived in Athens. There were 11 Greek newspapers available in the city, as well as seven in Turkish, five in Armenian, four in French and five in Hebrew. Smyrna was also home to a collection of amazingly rich Anglo-Levantine families.
Mavi Boncuk |Traditional Sephardi Ladino song sung by Yasmin Levy in Bulera style.
The Anatolian Hypothesis
Mavi Boncuk | The Anatolian hypothesis is also called Renfrew's Neolithic Discontinuity Theory; it proposes that the dispersal (discontinuity) of Proto-Indo-Europeans originated in Neolithic Anatolia. The hypothesis suggests that the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) lived in Anatolia during the Neolithic era, and associates the distribution of historical Indo-European languages with the expansion during the Neolithic revolution during the seventh and sixth millennia BC.
Reacting to criticism, Renfrew by 1999 revised his proposal to the effect of taking a pronounced Indo-Hittite position. Renfrew's revised views place only Pre-Proto-Indo-European in 7th millennium BC Anatolia, proposing as the homeland of Proto-Indo-European proper the Balkans around 5000 BC, explicitly identified as the "Old European culture" proposed by Marija Gimbutas.
Reacting to criticism, Renfrew by 1999 revised his proposal to the effect of taking a pronounced Indo-Hittite position. Renfrew's revised views place only Pre-Proto-Indo-European in 7th millennium BC Anatolia, proposing as the homeland of Proto-Indo-European proper the Balkans around 5000 BC, explicitly identified as the "Old European culture" proposed by Marija Gimbutas.
Kölner Express Headline "We are all little bit from Turkey"
"The appearance and dispersion of the first farmers in Europe has been the subject of heated debate among anthropologists, archaeologists, and linguists for over a century. While each discipline focused on different aspects of this grand topic, the central point of contention is what may be regarded as the demographic nature of the process. There is lack of consensus regarding two main aspects:
(1) the extent to which the transition to farming was an indigenous process, involved some admixture between incoming farmers and local hunters, or a population replacement process; and
(2) the historical pattern in terms of the timing and tempo of the dispersion events." from Ron Pinhasi, A new model for the spread of the first farmers in Europe.
Mavi Boncuk |
Some findings of the Palaeogenetics Group [1] at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Institute of Anthropology
1. All 14 individuals show differing haplotypes which suggests an unexpectedly heterogeneous gene pool.
2. Most of these haplotypes are rare in modern day populations of the same region.
3. Most of the haplotypes are nowadays found in Europe, the Caucasus or around the Black Sea.
4. Two individuals stem from a Middle-Age burial in the Kurgan and show haplotypes that nowadays are found in Arabic speaking countries.
5. The burial with the highest status –according to grave goods- is female and shows a haplotype that is found in modern day East Asia.
Figure 1: The spread of farming across Europe (from Burger et al. 2006).
(1) the extent to which the transition to farming was an indigenous process, involved some admixture between incoming farmers and local hunters, or a population replacement process; and
(2) the historical pattern in terms of the timing and tempo of the dispersion events." from Ron Pinhasi, A new model for the spread of the first farmers in Europe.
Mavi Boncuk |
Some findings of the Palaeogenetics Group [1] at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Institute of Anthropology
Fifteen Kurgan skeletons of Central-Asian, Sarmatian, origin (400-200 BC) were investigated. The exceptional preservation conditions in the South-Russian steppe has led to the recovery of DNA in 14 of these 15 individuals. The haplotypes were compared to a database of more than 30,000 modern day individuals (in collaboration with Dr. Peter Forster, Cambridge) and led to the following conclusions:
1. All 14 individuals show differing haplotypes which suggests an unexpectedly heterogeneous gene pool.
2. Most of these haplotypes are rare in modern day populations of the same region.
3. Most of the haplotypes are nowadays found in Europe, the Caucasus or around the Black Sea.
4. Two individuals stem from a Middle-Age burial in the Kurgan and show haplotypes that nowadays are found in Arabic speaking countries.
5. The burial with the highest status –according to grave goods- is female and shows a haplotype that is found in modern day East Asia.
Figure 1: The spread of farming across Europe (from Burger et al. 2006).
This study has recently been finished and published in Science (Haak et al. 2005; Burger et al. 2006). The project relates to the first Central European phase of the Neolithic, the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK), and was conducted in collaboration with Peter Forster, Shuichi Matsumura and Colin Renfrew of Cambridge University and others. We successfully extracted DNA from 24 skeletons from the LBK area (fig. 1) and compared it to the modern day population of the same region and found that there is a genetic hiatus between the archaeological population and today, as the predominating Haplogroup N1a that was found in high frequency amongst Neolithic farmers is almost absent in modern day Central-Europeans.
See Also:9th NEOLITHIC SEMINAR The Neolithization of Eurasia - Reflections in Archaeology and Archaeogenetics Ljubljana, 28 November - 1 December 2002 Abstract book
[1] Head of Working Group Prof. Dr. Joachim Burger E:jburger@uni-mainz.de
Johannes Gutenberg-University Institute of Anthropology
SB II, Colonel Kleinmann-Weg 2 2nd Floor Germany-55128 Mainz
[1] Head of Working Group Prof. Dr. Joachim Burger E:jburger@uni-mainz.de
Johannes Gutenberg-University Institute of Anthropology
SB II, Colonel Kleinmann-Weg 2 2nd Floor Germany-55128 Mainz
October 28, 2010
Turkey`s Dual Track Approach Toward The Kurdistan Regional Government
Dr. Gönül Tol is the Executive Director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute. Mavi Boncuk
October 28, 2010
Turkey`s Dual Track Approach Toward The Kurdistan Regional Government
By Gönül Tol
Turkey’s policy toward the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq has undergone an important shift since 2009. Only a few years ago, Turkey did not recognize Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government and refused to meet with its representatives in any official capacity due to its fear that recognition would embolden Turkey's own Kurdish minority to demand similar home-rule status.
Beginning in 2009, Turkey has adopted a “dual track” approach toward the KRG. On one hand, Turkish warplanes have stepped up attacks against the camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who use safe havens in northern Iraq to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks against Turkish targets. The Turkish Parliament recently approved the extension of the mandate to conduct military operations against the PKK bases in northern Iraq. On the other hand, economic, political, and diplomatic relations between Turkey and the KRG have been deepened and expanded. There are currently around 3,200 Turkish firms operating in the KRG, and the annual trade volume between Turkey and the KRG has reached $6 billion. The Turkish government has initiated high-level talks with the Kurdish authorities.
The “dual track” approach reflects a compromise between two opposing views within Turkey. The Turkish military and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) view Kurdish nationalism and the KRG as existential threats to Turkey’s territorial integrity and oppose any engagement efforts with the KRG leadership. They advocate intensifying military pressure on the KRG and isolating it politically, economically and diplomatically in order to force the KRG leadership to crack down on the PKK. The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), on the other hand, believe that engaging the KRG through deeper diplomatic, political and economic relations, rather than attempting to isolate it, is the key to obtaining KRG support against the PKK. The current policy combining military pressure, diplomacy, and political and economic incentives represents the middle course between these two views.
Eliminating the PKK, protecting Iraq’s territorial integrity, and curbing Iran’s influence in Iraq are at the heart of Turkey’s KRG policy. From Turkey’s perspective, a fragmented, unstable Iraq would remove a counterweight to Iran’s increasing influence and, more importantly, lay the foundation for the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq, which Turkey fears would intensify separatist sentiments among its own Kurdish population. As a result, Turkey has sought to promote a strong central government in Baghdad and prevent the escalation of ethnic and sectarian conflict in Iraq and the strengthening of the PKK in northern Iraq. These goals have formed the backbone of Turkey’s Iraq policy and have been shared by both the traditional establishment and liberal circles within the Turkish elite. What is new is the approach on how to achieve them.
President Abdullah Gül’s 2009 visit to Iraq reflects this change and gave it important political impetus. Turkey has come to accept that Iraq is a federal state and the KRG is a legitimate part of it. The key question has now become how strong the central government in the federation will be. As part of its strategy to engage the KRG, to ensure Iraq’s territorial integrity, and eliminate the PKK strongholds in northern Iraq, Turkey has developed close economic ties with the Iraqi Kurds. Turkish firms dominate markets in northern Iraq. Some of the area's largest construction projects have been carried out by Turkish firms, including the region's two airports, in Arbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah. Turkey and the KRG have struck energy deals regarding the importation of oil, while Turkish oil exploration companies have signed contracts with the KRG to develop fields inside the Kurdistan federal region. Through investments and deeper economic ties with the KRG, Turkey aims to increase the economic dependence of the land-locked KRG on Turkey and use the KRG’s economic dependence as leverage to induce the KRG to cooperate with Turkey in its struggle against the PKK. While Turkey plays a crucial role in the economic development of the KRG, it is critically important to Ankara to have a strong, stable, and unified Iraq. Therefore, Turkey is cautious about developing close relations with Baghdad and does not want to damage the already strained relationship between the KRG and the central government of Iraq. Recently, the Iraqi central government and Turkey signed an agreement that will block the KRG’s efforts to export gas to Europe. The agreement states that without the approval of the Iraqi government, Turkey will not allow KRG’s gas exports to pass through its soil.
The agreement is one of several steps Ankara has taken to show its support for a unified and stable Iraq that accommodates multiple ethnic and sectarian groups. Within the framework of this new approach, Turkey started to use the term “all ethnic and sectarian groups” in the National Security Council (MGK) decisions pertaining to Iraq. It opened consulates in Mosul, Basra, and Arbil; established a high-level strategic cooperation council with the Iraqi government; signed a military cooperation accord with Baghdad, as well as deals on energy cooperation and water sharing; toned down its support and cooperation with the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) and has hosted a number of Iraqi politicians representing the country’s rival political factions all aspiring to form the government since Iraqi parliamentary elections in March. Through these initiatives, Turkey seeks to give a clear signal that it aims to curb Iran’s influence, gain access to Iraqi oil and gas and ensure Iraq’s territorial unity by keeping the Iraqi Kurds part of a unified Iraqi state.
All parties seem to be benefiting from the deepening relations
. The withdrawal of US combat forces has removed the Iraqi Kurds’ most important supporter and left the Kurds dependent on the Iraqi federal government and neighboring countries. In the face of increasing tension between the Iraqi Kurds and the country’s Arab population, Turkey is a valuable partner for the Kurds and serves as their gateway to the West. Turkey is a trans-shipment country for Iraqi oil and gas and can invest in major infrastructure projects in Iraq, which is essential in rebuilding the country. Besides the strategic dimension of the emerging alliance, there is an important economic dimension: Iraqi gas is crucial to Turkey for the realization of the EU-sponsored Nabucco pipeline project, which is designed to transport Caspian gas to Europe. In addition, the KRG serves as a gateway for Turkey to the rest of Iraq and the Gulf.
The future of Iraq holds important consequences for the US, Turkey, and the region. In post-US Iraq, security no longer depends simply on fighting insurgents; it requires eliminating the risk of civil war, building national unity, and political reconciliation between Iraq’s ethno-sectarian groups. Constructive engagement with Iraq and its ethno-sectarian groups is an important tool in this process, which makes Turkey’s proactive foreign policy approach even more important for the stability of the region after the US withdrawal from Iraq.
Assertions and opinions in this Commentary are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
Contact Center for Turkish Studies at turkishstudies@mei.edu or +1.202.785.1141 ext.217
Middle East Institute 1761 N Street NW, Washington DC 20036
T: 202-785-1141 F:202-331-8861 W: www.mei.edu
October 28, 2010
Turkey`s Dual Track Approach Toward The Kurdistan Regional Government
By Gönül Tol
Turkey’s policy toward the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq has undergone an important shift since 2009. Only a few years ago, Turkey did not recognize Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government and refused to meet with its representatives in any official capacity due to its fear that recognition would embolden Turkey's own Kurdish minority to demand similar home-rule status.
Beginning in 2009, Turkey has adopted a “dual track” approach toward the KRG. On one hand, Turkish warplanes have stepped up attacks against the camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who use safe havens in northern Iraq to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks against Turkish targets. The Turkish Parliament recently approved the extension of the mandate to conduct military operations against the PKK bases in northern Iraq. On the other hand, economic, political, and diplomatic relations between Turkey and the KRG have been deepened and expanded. There are currently around 3,200 Turkish firms operating in the KRG, and the annual trade volume between Turkey and the KRG has reached $6 billion. The Turkish government has initiated high-level talks with the Kurdish authorities.
The “dual track” approach reflects a compromise between two opposing views within Turkey. The Turkish military and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) view Kurdish nationalism and the KRG as existential threats to Turkey’s territorial integrity and oppose any engagement efforts with the KRG leadership. They advocate intensifying military pressure on the KRG and isolating it politically, economically and diplomatically in order to force the KRG leadership to crack down on the PKK. The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), on the other hand, believe that engaging the KRG through deeper diplomatic, political and economic relations, rather than attempting to isolate it, is the key to obtaining KRG support against the PKK. The current policy combining military pressure, diplomacy, and political and economic incentives represents the middle course between these two views.
Eliminating the PKK, protecting Iraq’s territorial integrity, and curbing Iran’s influence in Iraq are at the heart of Turkey’s KRG policy. From Turkey’s perspective, a fragmented, unstable Iraq would remove a counterweight to Iran’s increasing influence and, more importantly, lay the foundation for the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq, which Turkey fears would intensify separatist sentiments among its own Kurdish population. As a result, Turkey has sought to promote a strong central government in Baghdad and prevent the escalation of ethnic and sectarian conflict in Iraq and the strengthening of the PKK in northern Iraq. These goals have formed the backbone of Turkey’s Iraq policy and have been shared by both the traditional establishment and liberal circles within the Turkish elite. What is new is the approach on how to achieve them.
President Abdullah Gül’s 2009 visit to Iraq reflects this change and gave it important political impetus. Turkey has come to accept that Iraq is a federal state and the KRG is a legitimate part of it. The key question has now become how strong the central government in the federation will be. As part of its strategy to engage the KRG, to ensure Iraq’s territorial integrity, and eliminate the PKK strongholds in northern Iraq, Turkey has developed close economic ties with the Iraqi Kurds. Turkish firms dominate markets in northern Iraq. Some of the area's largest construction projects have been carried out by Turkish firms, including the region's two airports, in Arbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah. Turkey and the KRG have struck energy deals regarding the importation of oil, while Turkish oil exploration companies have signed contracts with the KRG to develop fields inside the Kurdistan federal region. Through investments and deeper economic ties with the KRG, Turkey aims to increase the economic dependence of the land-locked KRG on Turkey and use the KRG’s economic dependence as leverage to induce the KRG to cooperate with Turkey in its struggle against the PKK. While Turkey plays a crucial role in the economic development of the KRG, it is critically important to Ankara to have a strong, stable, and unified Iraq. Therefore, Turkey is cautious about developing close relations with Baghdad and does not want to damage the already strained relationship between the KRG and the central government of Iraq. Recently, the Iraqi central government and Turkey signed an agreement that will block the KRG’s efforts to export gas to Europe. The agreement states that without the approval of the Iraqi government, Turkey will not allow KRG’s gas exports to pass through its soil.
The agreement is one of several steps Ankara has taken to show its support for a unified and stable Iraq that accommodates multiple ethnic and sectarian groups. Within the framework of this new approach, Turkey started to use the term “all ethnic and sectarian groups” in the National Security Council (MGK) decisions pertaining to Iraq. It opened consulates in Mosul, Basra, and Arbil; established a high-level strategic cooperation council with the Iraqi government; signed a military cooperation accord with Baghdad, as well as deals on energy cooperation and water sharing; toned down its support and cooperation with the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) and has hosted a number of Iraqi politicians representing the country’s rival political factions all aspiring to form the government since Iraqi parliamentary elections in March. Through these initiatives, Turkey seeks to give a clear signal that it aims to curb Iran’s influence, gain access to Iraqi oil and gas and ensure Iraq’s territorial unity by keeping the Iraqi Kurds part of a unified Iraqi state.
All parties seem to be benefiting from the deepening relations
. The withdrawal of US combat forces has removed the Iraqi Kurds’ most important supporter and left the Kurds dependent on the Iraqi federal government and neighboring countries. In the face of increasing tension between the Iraqi Kurds and the country’s Arab population, Turkey is a valuable partner for the Kurds and serves as their gateway to the West. Turkey is a trans-shipment country for Iraqi oil and gas and can invest in major infrastructure projects in Iraq, which is essential in rebuilding the country. Besides the strategic dimension of the emerging alliance, there is an important economic dimension: Iraqi gas is crucial to Turkey for the realization of the EU-sponsored Nabucco pipeline project, which is designed to transport Caspian gas to Europe. In addition, the KRG serves as a gateway for Turkey to the rest of Iraq and the Gulf.
The future of Iraq holds important consequences for the US, Turkey, and the region. In post-US Iraq, security no longer depends simply on fighting insurgents; it requires eliminating the risk of civil war, building national unity, and political reconciliation between Iraq’s ethno-sectarian groups. Constructive engagement with Iraq and its ethno-sectarian groups is an important tool in this process, which makes Turkey’s proactive foreign policy approach even more important for the stability of the region after the US withdrawal from Iraq.
Assertions and opinions in this Commentary are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
Contact Center for Turkish Studies at turkishstudies@mei.edu or +1.202.785.1141 ext.217
Middle East Institute 1761 N Street NW, Washington DC 20036
T: 202-785-1141 F:202-331-8861 W: www.mei.edu
Midas Touch
Mavi Boncuk |Midas Touch by Dogfish Brewery
Availability: Year Round
This recipe is the actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world! It is an ancient Turkish recipe using the original ingredients from the 2700 year old drinking vessels discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Somewhere between wine & mead; this smooth, sweet, yet dry ale will please the Chardonnay of beer drinker alike.
The beer of yesteryear
Molecular archaeology has made it possible to reconstruct ancient brews, and ingredients like yarrow and bog myrtle are making a comeback. Beer may never be the same again ...READ MORE
This recipe is the actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world! It is an ancient Turkish recipe using the original ingredients from the 2700 year old drinking vessels discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Somewhere between wine & mead; this smooth, sweet, yet dry ale will please the Chardonnay of beer drinker alike.
The beer of yesteryear
Molecular archaeology has made it possible to reconstruct ancient brews, and ingredients like yarrow and bog myrtle are making a comeback. Beer may never be the same again ...READ MORE
October 27, 2010
Çalık Group's Banka Kombetare Tregtare (BKT)
Mavi Boncuk |
Banka Kombetare Tregtare (BKT) English Site
With its foundation dating back to 1920, Banka Kombetare Tregtare (BKT) began operating under its present title in 1993 following the merger of two state-owned banks; Albanian Commercial Bank (ACB) and National Bank of Albania (NBA). Until the establishment of private banks was sanctioned in 1996, BKT remained the sole provider of all banking services in Albania. The Bank was privatized on July 6, 2000 and acquired by the consortium, in which Kentbank owned a 60% stake and EBRD and IFC each held a 20% share. Majority shares of BKT were transferred to Çalık Holding in 2006 and BKT became a 100% subsidiary of the Group following the acquisition of the remaining 40% shares of EBRD and IFC by Çalık Finansal Hizmetler in June 2009.
BKT operates in Albania and Kosovo with 68 branches in total. BKT is one of the oldest banks in Albania and provides services for a significant number of residents in Albania and Kosovo. As Albania’s second largest bank in terms of branch network, BKT also has become the most competitive bank with regard to distribution channels and personal products particularly through investments made in recent years. The synergy generated with the other subsidiaries of the Group operating in Albania, namely the GSM operator Eagle Mobile and fixed line telephone operator Albtelecom, provides BKT with competitive edge in the region.
Çalık Holding A.Ş is a Turkish conglomerate based in Istanbul, active in the sectors of textiles, energy, construction, finance, logistics and media. Through its ventures in and outside of Turkey, Çalık employs a total of 19,000 people.
Banka Kombetare Tregtare (BKT) English Site
With its foundation dating back to 1920, Banka Kombetare Tregtare (BKT) began operating under its present title in 1993 following the merger of two state-owned banks; Albanian Commercial Bank (ACB) and National Bank of Albania (NBA). Until the establishment of private banks was sanctioned in 1996, BKT remained the sole provider of all banking services in Albania. The Bank was privatized on July 6, 2000 and acquired by the consortium, in which Kentbank owned a 60% stake and EBRD and IFC each held a 20% share. Majority shares of BKT were transferred to Çalık Holding in 2006 and BKT became a 100% subsidiary of the Group following the acquisition of the remaining 40% shares of EBRD and IFC by Çalık Finansal Hizmetler in June 2009.
BKT operates in Albania and Kosovo with 68 branches in total. BKT is one of the oldest banks in Albania and provides services for a significant number of residents in Albania and Kosovo. As Albania’s second largest bank in terms of branch network, BKT also has become the most competitive bank with regard to distribution channels and personal products particularly through investments made in recent years. The synergy generated with the other subsidiaries of the Group operating in Albania, namely the GSM operator Eagle Mobile and fixed line telephone operator Albtelecom, provides BKT with competitive edge in the region.
Çalık Holding A.Ş is a Turkish conglomerate based in Istanbul, active in the sectors of textiles, energy, construction, finance, logistics and media. Through its ventures in and outside of Turkey, Çalık employs a total of 19,000 people.
Die Türkische Bibliothek | An initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung
Mavi Boncuk |
An initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung
The Turkish Library | Novels, short stories, essays and poems of modern Turkey. A library in 20 volumes. Edited by Erika Glassen and Jens Peter Loud. An initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The Turkish Library builds on extensive experience of the Robert Bosch Stiftung on as publisher. The Polish Library and the Czech library, it has already been presented literature of European neighbors, the largely unknown in Germany. To make the Turkish library to the public and to deepen the contact between authors and German-speaking readership, it also allows for reading tours, accompanying the creation of teaching materials and an intensive media relations.
The Turkish Library presents milestones of Turkish literature from 1900 to the present day. It should help the German audience to penetrate deeper into the spiritual world of modern Turkey. Whether novel, Autobiography, vivid traditional narrative, and modern short stories, poems, literary, cultural and historical essays - all texts are selected and representative for the first time translated into German. The emphasis is on those authors who, despite their importance to the German audience never made accessible.
The range of selected texts ranging from classic novels of the 20th already Century, which have a permanent place in literary history, to works of the youngest generation of Turkish writers. They all capture the spirit of their time and show the literary variety and richness of a fascinating life forms and views. In addition, the works document the example of the literature, such as radical, Turkey has achieved since the opening to Europe, especially since the founding of the Republic (1923), by the rigid rules and conventions of the Ottoman traditions. The creative tension between the Anatolian and western cultural elements of thought and literary movements has produced many masterpieces to be discovered.
The 20 volumes of the Turkish Library started to appear in autumn 2005. Each volume includes an informative afterword, explanations, and author biography.
A rich Internet documentation on www.tuerkische-bibliothek.de provides readers with reviews, information on books, authors and themes of Turkish library and a constantly updated calendar of events ready for more.
For Germany, Turkey has long been a neighbor. The reasons are not only changing but always close historical relations. Moreover, immigration of more than 2.5 million Turks in Germany unites us in a special way. But how well do we know Turkey? And how well do the Turks us? How can our special historical relationship for the future make it fruitful? What can we do to correct it in this country often limited Turkey's image? These are the questions addressed by the Robert Bosch Foundation "in its funding priority" German Turkish relations. The Robert Bosch Foundation is taking as one of the largest corporate foundations in Germany societal challenges and respond with proposals that will implement it as an example. It shall endeavor to deepen the cultural, political and scientific dialogue between Turks and Germans with specific projects and programs. The Turkish Library opens a window up to now little attention to the fascinating culture of a discovery often too country.
Contact: Dr. Bettina Berns T: 0711/460 84-45
Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, Heidehof Straße 31, 70184 Stuttgart
www.bosch-stiftung.de
Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil/Aşk-ı Memnu 1900/Verbotene Lieben 2007
Halide Edip Adıvar/Mor Salkımlı Ev / Türkün Ateşle İmtihanı 1963/1962/Mein Weg durchs Feuer 2010
Memduh Şevket Esendal/Ayaşlı ile Kiracıları 1934 /Die Mieter des Herrn A. 2009
Sabahattin Ali/İçimizdeki Şeytan 1940/Der Dämon in uns 2007
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar/Huzur 1949/Seelenfrieden 2008
Yusuf Atılgan/Aylak Adam 1959/Der Müßiggänger 2007
Leylâ Erbil/Tuhaf Bir Kadın 1971/Eine seltsame Frau 2005
Adalet Ağaoğlu/Ölmeye Yatmak 1973/Sich hinlegen und sterben 2008
Oğuz Atay/Bir Bilim Adamının Romanı 1975/Der Mathematiker 2009
Hasan Ali Toptaş/Gölgesizler 2005/Die Schattenlosen 2008
Ahmet Ümit/Sis ve Gece 1996/Nacht und Nebel 2008
Murathan Mungan/Doğu Sarayı 1993/2002/Palast des Ostens 2008
Aslı Erdoğan/Kırmızı Pelerinli Kent 1998/Die Stadt mit der roten Pelerine 2008
Murat Uyurkulak/Tol 2002/Zorn 2008
Ayşe Kulin/Bir gün 2005/Der schmale Pfad 2010
Von Istanbul nach Hakkâri/Eine Rundreise in Geschichten 2005/Hrsg. von Tevfik Turan
Liebe, Lügen und Gespenster 2006/Hrsg. von Börte Sagaster
An initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung
The Turkish Library | Novels, short stories, essays and poems of modern Turkey. A library in 20 volumes. Edited by Erika Glassen and Jens Peter Loud. An initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The Turkish Library builds on extensive experience of the Robert Bosch Stiftung on as publisher. The Polish Library and the Czech library, it has already been presented literature of European neighbors, the largely unknown in Germany. To make the Turkish library to the public and to deepen the contact between authors and German-speaking readership, it also allows for reading tours, accompanying the creation of teaching materials and an intensive media relations.
The Turkish Library presents milestones of Turkish literature from 1900 to the present day. It should help the German audience to penetrate deeper into the spiritual world of modern Turkey. Whether novel, Autobiography, vivid traditional narrative, and modern short stories, poems, literary, cultural and historical essays - all texts are selected and representative for the first time translated into German. The emphasis is on those authors who, despite their importance to the German audience never made accessible.
The range of selected texts ranging from classic novels of the 20th already Century, which have a permanent place in literary history, to works of the youngest generation of Turkish writers. They all capture the spirit of their time and show the literary variety and richness of a fascinating life forms and views. In addition, the works document the example of the literature, such as radical, Turkey has achieved since the opening to Europe, especially since the founding of the Republic (1923), by the rigid rules and conventions of the Ottoman traditions. The creative tension between the Anatolian and western cultural elements of thought and literary movements has produced many masterpieces to be discovered.
The 20 volumes of the Turkish Library started to appear in autumn 2005. Each volume includes an informative afterword, explanations, and author biography.
A rich Internet documentation on www.tuerkische-bibliothek.de provides readers with reviews, information on books, authors and themes of Turkish library and a constantly updated calendar of events ready for more.
For Germany, Turkey has long been a neighbor. The reasons are not only changing but always close historical relations. Moreover, immigration of more than 2.5 million Turks in Germany unites us in a special way. But how well do we know Turkey? And how well do the Turks us? How can our special historical relationship for the future make it fruitful? What can we do to correct it in this country often limited Turkey's image? These are the questions addressed by the Robert Bosch Foundation "in its funding priority" German Turkish relations. The Robert Bosch Foundation is taking as one of the largest corporate foundations in Germany societal challenges and respond with proposals that will implement it as an example. It shall endeavor to deepen the cultural, political and scientific dialogue between Turks and Germans with specific projects and programs. The Turkish Library opens a window up to now little attention to the fascinating culture of a discovery often too country.
Contact: Dr. Bettina Berns T: 0711/460 84-45
Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, Heidehof Straße 31, 70184 Stuttgart
www.bosch-stiftung.de
Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil/Aşk-ı Memnu 1900/Verbotene Lieben 2007
Halide Edip Adıvar/Mor Salkımlı Ev / Türkün Ateşle İmtihanı 1963/1962/Mein Weg durchs Feuer 2010
Memduh Şevket Esendal/Ayaşlı ile Kiracıları 1934 /Die Mieter des Herrn A. 2009
Sabahattin Ali/İçimizdeki Şeytan 1940/Der Dämon in uns 2007
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar/Huzur 1949/Seelenfrieden 2008
Yusuf Atılgan/Aylak Adam 1959/Der Müßiggänger 2007
Leylâ Erbil/Tuhaf Bir Kadın 1971/Eine seltsame Frau 2005
Adalet Ağaoğlu/Ölmeye Yatmak 1973/Sich hinlegen und sterben 2008
Oğuz Atay/Bir Bilim Adamının Romanı 1975/Der Mathematiker 2009
Hasan Ali Toptaş/Gölgesizler 2005/Die Schattenlosen 2008
Ahmet Ümit/Sis ve Gece 1996/Nacht und Nebel 2008
Murathan Mungan/Doğu Sarayı 1993/2002/Palast des Ostens 2008
Aslı Erdoğan/Kırmızı Pelerinli Kent 1998/Die Stadt mit der roten Pelerine 2008
Murat Uyurkulak/Tol 2002/Zorn 2008
Ayşe Kulin/Bir gün 2005/Der schmale Pfad 2010
Von Istanbul nach Hakkâri/Eine Rundreise in Geschichten 2005/Hrsg. von Tevfik Turan
Liebe, Lügen und Gespenster 2006/Hrsg. von Börte Sagaster
EU enlargement: Turkey must do more to
Mavi Boncuk |
EU enlargement: Turkey must do more to protect basic freedoms
[DICO] Commission: Subcommittee on Human Rights
Press release 20101027IPR90474
The outcome of Turkey's constitutional reform referendum was a step towards EU accession,but Turkey must do more, both to protect press and religious freedoms and to resolve the northern Cyprus issue, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle told a joint meeting of MEPs and Turkish MPs on Tuesday. This echoed concerns, voiced at a Human Rights Committee hearing on Monday, about lack of press freedom, the imprisonment of conscientious objectors, and the treatment of Turkey's Kurdish minority.
EU accession is supported by all circles of Turkish society, Turkey's EU Affairs Ministerand chief negotiator Egemen Bağiş, told the 65th EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.
New chapters
The recent constitutional reform referendum constituted "a turning point" in EU-Turkish relations,
said Mr Bağiş, adding that it was difficult to explain to the Turkish public why the EU was still "delaying the accession process", despite Turkey's efforts to comply with EU requests and recommendations. He hoped that Turkey could open the competition chapter of Turkey's EU accession negotiations before the end of 2010, and added that the fact that the energy chapter had not yet been opened demonstrated that the EU was not always
acting in its own interests.
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle welcomed the referendum result, but stressed that it was now up to Turkey to implement its provisions appropriately.
Fundamental rights
Mr Füle said the EU's 2010 progress report on Turkey would mention positive steps such as lifting restrictions on broadcasting in other languages than Turkish, furthering judicial reform, and improving fundamental rights, but it would also voice concern about Turkey's difficulties in guaranteeing freedom of expression, press, and religion.
Northern Cyprus
Ankara should apply the EU-Turkey association agreement's additional protocol in full to all EU Member States, including Cyprus, stressed Mr Füle, adding that resolving the Cyprus issue was a "credibility test" for both sides.
Andrew Duff (ALDE, UK) said the accession process had ground to a halt. He deplored the failure to open new chapters in the accession talks, and said the EU had "ceased to be a trustworthy partner" in this respect. Turkey should not "sacrifice" accession for the sake of Northern Cyprus, he added.
Turkey will never give up Northern Cyprus for the sake of the European Union, but it will not give up the European Union for Northern Cyprus either, Mr Bağiş replied.
Visas
Joint Parliamentary Committee Co-Chair Lüfti Elvan, reiterated that whilst businessmen from Brazil and South Korea could easily enter the EU, those from Turkey still needed to queue for visas. Commissioner Füle replied that a readmission agreement, effective border control and co-operation on visa policy was needed to promote people-to-people contacts.
Public opinion
Europe's stance on Turkey is not just about political leadership but also about public opinion, pointed out Georgios Koumoutsakos (EPP, EL). Mr Bağiş rejected claims by Barry Madlener (NI, NL), that he had accused him of being "racist", saying he had noted only that "racism had struck Europe". Sophia in't Veld (ALDE, NL) said she was a strong supporter of Turkey's membership but also a supporter of the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, civilisation and self-discipline. In the chair (Tuesday): Hélène Flautre (ALDE, FR)
Contact :
Maria ANDRÉS MARIN
AFET/DROI/SEDE
BXL: (+32) 2 28 44299
STR: (+33) 3 881 73603
PORT: (+32) 498 98 13 45
EMAIL: foreign-press@europarl.europa.eu
EU enlargement: Turkey must do more to protect basic freedoms
[DICO] Commission: Subcommittee on Human Rights
Press release 20101027IPR90474
The outcome of Turkey's constitutional reform referendum was a step towards EU accession,but Turkey must do more, both to protect press and religious freedoms and to resolve the northern Cyprus issue, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle told a joint meeting of MEPs and Turkish MPs on Tuesday. This echoed concerns, voiced at a Human Rights Committee hearing on Monday, about lack of press freedom, the imprisonment of conscientious objectors, and the treatment of Turkey's Kurdish minority.
EU accession is supported by all circles of Turkish society, Turkey's EU Affairs Ministerand chief negotiator Egemen Bağiş, told the 65th EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.
New chapters
The recent constitutional reform referendum constituted "a turning point" in EU-Turkish relations,
said Mr Bağiş, adding that it was difficult to explain to the Turkish public why the EU was still "delaying the accession process", despite Turkey's efforts to comply with EU requests and recommendations. He hoped that Turkey could open the competition chapter of Turkey's EU accession negotiations before the end of 2010, and added that the fact that the energy chapter had not yet been opened demonstrated that the EU was not always
acting in its own interests.
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle welcomed the referendum result, but stressed that it was now up to Turkey to implement its provisions appropriately.
Fundamental rights
Mr Füle said the EU's 2010 progress report on Turkey would mention positive steps such as lifting restrictions on broadcasting in other languages than Turkish, furthering judicial reform, and improving fundamental rights, but it would also voice concern about Turkey's difficulties in guaranteeing freedom of expression, press, and religion.
Northern Cyprus
Ankara should apply the EU-Turkey association agreement's additional protocol in full to all EU Member States, including Cyprus, stressed Mr Füle, adding that resolving the Cyprus issue was a "credibility test" for both sides.
Andrew Duff (ALDE, UK) said the accession process had ground to a halt. He deplored the failure to open new chapters in the accession talks, and said the EU had "ceased to be a trustworthy partner" in this respect. Turkey should not "sacrifice" accession for the sake of Northern Cyprus, he added.
Turkey will never give up Northern Cyprus for the sake of the European Union, but it will not give up the European Union for Northern Cyprus either, Mr Bağiş replied.
Visas
Joint Parliamentary Committee Co-Chair Lüfti Elvan, reiterated that whilst businessmen from Brazil and South Korea could easily enter the EU, those from Turkey still needed to queue for visas. Commissioner Füle replied that a readmission agreement, effective border control and co-operation on visa policy was needed to promote people-to-people contacts.
Public opinion
Europe's stance on Turkey is not just about political leadership but also about public opinion, pointed out Georgios Koumoutsakos (EPP, EL). Mr Bağiş rejected claims by Barry Madlener (NI, NL), that he had accused him of being "racist", saying he had noted only that "racism had struck Europe". Sophia in't Veld (ALDE, NL) said she was a strong supporter of Turkey's membership but also a supporter of the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, civilisation and self-discipline. In the chair (Tuesday): Hélène Flautre (ALDE, FR)
Contact :
Maria ANDRÉS MARIN
AFET/DROI/SEDE
BXL: (+32) 2 28 44299
STR: (+33) 3 881 73603
PORT: (+32) 498 98 13 45
EMAIL: foreign-press@europarl.europa.eu
October 26, 2010
Turkish Airlines to air new commercial in 80 countries
Turkish Airlines to air new commercial in 80 countries
Mavi Boncuk |
Turkish Airlines' new commercial starring famous players of Manchester United soccer club will air in 80 different countries. Turkish Airlines' (THY) [1] new commercial starring famous players of Manchester United soccer club will air in 80 different countries.
Turkey's national carrier said in a statement on Tuesday that star players of Manchester United of England, including Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Patrice Evra, Rafael, Fabio and Paul Scholes kicked a ball around inside a passenger plane, performing feats of balance and skill. The commercial depicts the luxury and comfort enjoyed by Turkish Airlines passengers and the surprise ending involves an appearance by Manchester United legend and global football icon Sir Bobby Charlton. Directed by Marco Grandia, the commercial "Football on Air" was filmed in the Manchester Studio at Media City's Pie Factory. The shoot involved building a full sized passenger jet and the production crew spent a further three weeks preparing for the shoot which took two days to film. More than 115 people were involved in creating the commercial.
The commercial was first broadcast by several international TV channels.
[1] Based in Istanbul, THY is one of the fastest growing and prosperous airlines in the world. It carries approximately 30 million passengers a year, with direct flights to 126 international and 37 domestic destinations. THY posted 389 million Euro of profit in 2009, becoming one of the top companies, following Air China and Ryan Air, in the world that recorded the highest profit in 2009.
Mavi Boncuk |
Turkish Airlines' new commercial starring famous players of Manchester United soccer club will air in 80 different countries. Turkish Airlines' (THY) [1] new commercial starring famous players of Manchester United soccer club will air in 80 different countries.
Turkey's national carrier said in a statement on Tuesday that star players of Manchester United of England, including Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Patrice Evra, Rafael, Fabio and Paul Scholes kicked a ball around inside a passenger plane, performing feats of balance and skill. The commercial depicts the luxury and comfort enjoyed by Turkish Airlines passengers and the surprise ending involves an appearance by Manchester United legend and global football icon Sir Bobby Charlton. Directed by Marco Grandia, the commercial "Football on Air" was filmed in the Manchester Studio at Media City's Pie Factory. The shoot involved building a full sized passenger jet and the production crew spent a further three weeks preparing for the shoot which took two days to film. More than 115 people were involved in creating the commercial.
The commercial was first broadcast by several international TV channels.
[1] Based in Istanbul, THY is one of the fastest growing and prosperous airlines in the world. It carries approximately 30 million passengers a year, with direct flights to 126 international and 37 domestic destinations. THY posted 389 million Euro of profit in 2009, becoming one of the top companies, following Air China and Ryan Air, in the world that recorded the highest profit in 2009.
Rock Solid Oil Hope for Turkey
Turkey finds eight bln tons of oil shale reserve. In general of the world, averagely 38 liters of oil can be obtained from a ton of oil shale. World's largest oil shale reserves are located in Wyoming, the U.S. which owns two thirds of world reserve. 60 liters of oil can be obtained from one tons of oil shale in U.S. reserves.After the Konya-Eregli and Nigde-Bor reserves are discovered, Turkey's oil shale reserve increased to 9.64 billion tons from 1.64 billion tons. There are varying classifications of oil shales depending on their mineral content, type of kerogen, age, depositional history, and organisms from which they are derived. The age of the oil shale deposits ranges from Cambrian to Tertiary age. Lithologies range from shales to marl and carbonate rocks, all of which form a mixture of tightly bound organic and inorganic materials
Mavi Boncuk |
MTA / Mineral Research & Exploration Directorate General of Turkey has found shale reserve for eight billion tons of oil in central Anatolia. (MTA) has found shale reserve for eight billion tons of oil in central Anatolia. Heating oil shale, which is a sedimentary rock, produces oil and natural gas. MTA found out that the shale in Konya-Eregli and Nigde-Bor basins could produce oil between 2.6 billion-8.3 billion barrels. Accordingly, its value was calculated as 218 billion-687 billion USD.
As of the foundation of MTA in 1935, 1.64 billion tons of oil shales were found in Beypazari (Ankara), Seyitomer (Kutahya), Hatildag, Himmetoglu, Mengen (Bolu), Ulukisla (Nigde), Bahcecik (Kocaeli), Burhaniye (Balikesir), Beydili (Ankara), Dodurga (Corum) and Celtek (Amasya) in Turkey.
Shales are considered as a bridge in transfer to hydrogen and renewable energy resources against a possible oil crisis expected in the world in a near future. The economic feasibility of shale oil extraction is highly dependent on the price of conventional oil; if the price of crude oil per barrel is less than the production price per barrel of shale oil, it is uneconomic.
In April 2010, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey have signed an agreement with leading firms for setting up a regional centre to help exploit vast oil shale deposits in the five countries. The coalition is a product of the Euro-Med meeting that was held at Egypt’s Sharm el sheikh resort in February 2009 under the motto of the “integration of the energy markets”. The signatories stood to gain from exchanging information with European countries with experience in this sphere particularly Estonia, a pioneer in the extraction of crude from oil shale. Jordan so far initialed agreements with Holland’s Royal Shell and an Estonian firm for the exploitation of the country’s oil shale reserves estimated at 40-70 billion tons.
Mavi Boncuk |
MTA / Mineral Research & Exploration Directorate General of Turkey has found shale reserve for eight billion tons of oil in central Anatolia. (MTA) has found shale reserve for eight billion tons of oil in central Anatolia. Heating oil shale, which is a sedimentary rock, produces oil and natural gas. MTA found out that the shale in Konya-Eregli and Nigde-Bor basins could produce oil between 2.6 billion-8.3 billion barrels. Accordingly, its value was calculated as 218 billion-687 billion USD.
As of the foundation of MTA in 1935, 1.64 billion tons of oil shales were found in Beypazari (Ankara), Seyitomer (Kutahya), Hatildag, Himmetoglu, Mengen (Bolu), Ulukisla (Nigde), Bahcecik (Kocaeli), Burhaniye (Balikesir), Beydili (Ankara), Dodurga (Corum) and Celtek (Amasya) in Turkey.
Shales are considered as a bridge in transfer to hydrogen and renewable energy resources against a possible oil crisis expected in the world in a near future. The economic feasibility of shale oil extraction is highly dependent on the price of conventional oil; if the price of crude oil per barrel is less than the production price per barrel of shale oil, it is uneconomic.
In April 2010, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey have signed an agreement with leading firms for setting up a regional centre to help exploit vast oil shale deposits in the five countries. The coalition is a product of the Euro-Med meeting that was held at Egypt’s Sharm el sheikh resort in February 2009 under the motto of the “integration of the energy markets”. The signatories stood to gain from exchanging information with European countries with experience in this sphere particularly Estonia, a pioneer in the extraction of crude from oil shale. Jordan so far initialed agreements with Holland’s Royal Shell and an Estonian firm for the exploitation of the country’s oil shale reserves estimated at 40-70 billion tons.
October 25, 2010
Isbank to Acquire Sofia
Mavi Boncuk |
Leading Turkish lender Isbank is close to closing a deal worth $40m to acquire Sofia, a Russian commercial bank.
The deal would be the first acquisition by a strategic investor of a Russian bank since the financial meltdown struck in late 2008, according to UniCredit Securities, which advised the seller. Victor Timotin, head of financial institutions group at UniCredit, said such small deals present a good entry point for foreign banks looking to follow their corporate clients into Russia and as a platform for corporate banking.
Timotin said such deals can be priced at a premium because small institutions often have “reasonable quality and manageable portfolio.” For larger transactions he added: “Pricing of banking equity will be lower, as most strategic buyers are unwilling and unable to carry large amounts of goodwill on their books. Thus, for larger Russian banks and their shareholders, the IPO route is likely to remain the only viable way of raising capital and cashing out in the nearest future.” The deal is expected to be closed after the approval from the relevant Russian and Turkish regulatory bodies.
The international network of İşbank is composed of one branch in the United Kingdom, one branch in Bahrain, 13 branches in The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, two financial subsidiaries in the Republic of Ireland (İş Dublin Financial Services plc) and Germany (İşbank GmbH with 11 branches in Germany and one branch each in the Netherlands, France and Switzerland) and a representative office in Shanghai.
Leading Turkish lender Isbank is close to closing a deal worth $40m to acquire Sofia, a Russian commercial bank.
The deal would be the first acquisition by a strategic investor of a Russian bank since the financial meltdown struck in late 2008, according to UniCredit Securities, which advised the seller. Victor Timotin, head of financial institutions group at UniCredit, said such small deals present a good entry point for foreign banks looking to follow their corporate clients into Russia and as a platform for corporate banking.
Timotin said such deals can be priced at a premium because small institutions often have “reasonable quality and manageable portfolio.” For larger transactions he added: “Pricing of banking equity will be lower, as most strategic buyers are unwilling and unable to carry large amounts of goodwill on their books. Thus, for larger Russian banks and their shareholders, the IPO route is likely to remain the only viable way of raising capital and cashing out in the nearest future.” The deal is expected to be closed after the approval from the relevant Russian and Turkish regulatory bodies.
The international network of İşbank is composed of one branch in the United Kingdom, one branch in Bahrain, 13 branches in The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, two financial subsidiaries in the Republic of Ireland (İş Dublin Financial Services plc) and Germany (İşbank GmbH with 11 branches in Germany and one branch each in the Netherlands, France and Switzerland) and a representative office in Shanghai.
Frontex deploys Rapid Border Intervention Teams to Greece
Mavi Boncuk |
Frontex deploys Rapid Border Intervention Teams to Greece
Frontex deploys Rapid Border Intervention Teams to Greece
Frontex, the EU agency based in Warsaw, was created as a specialised and independent body tasked to coordinate the operational cooperation between Member States in the field of border security. The activities of Frontex are intelligence driven. Frontex complements and provides particular added value to the national border management systems of the Member States.
25-10-2010
Warsaw, 25 October 2010 - Yesterday at 22:49 Frontex received a request from the Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Christos Papoutsis to deploy Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABITs) as well as operational means to increase the control and surveillance levels at Greece’s external border with Turkey. This is the first time since the creation of the Agency in 2005 that Frontex has deployed the RABIT teams – a group of specialised border guards made available by 27 EU countries to deal with emergency situations at the EU’s external borders.
Due to the exceptionally high numbers of migrants crossing the Greek-Turkish land border illegally, Greece now accounts for 90% of all detections of illegal border crossings to the EU. In the first half of 2010 a total of 45,000 illegal border crossings were reported by the Greek authorities for all their border sectors. Greece currently estimates that up to 350 migrants attempt to cross the 12,5-km area near the Greek city of Orestiada every day.
“The situation in Greece is very serious. Acting on the basis of the Regulation 863/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council, I have decided that Frontex will provide assistance to the Greek border authorities by deploying adequate number and composition of Rapid Border Intervention Teams. Once deployed they will be operating under the command and control of the Greek authorities” stated Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen.
“A team of Frontex staff is on its way to the Greek/Turkish land border to assess the situation in view of Minister Papoutsis’ request. We will decide how many officers and what kind of technical means will be needed to effectively assist the Greek authorities in strengthening this external EU border and act swiftly to provide the assistance that this Member State has requested. We will take immediate action of reorganising experts and assets being present in the area within the framework of Poseidon Joint Operation coordinated by Frontex” – he added.
25-10-2010
Warsaw, 25 October 2010 - Yesterday at 22:49 Frontex received a request from the Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Christos Papoutsis to deploy Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABITs) as well as operational means to increase the control and surveillance levels at Greece’s external border with Turkey. This is the first time since the creation of the Agency in 2005 that Frontex has deployed the RABIT teams – a group of specialised border guards made available by 27 EU countries to deal with emergency situations at the EU’s external borders.
Due to the exceptionally high numbers of migrants crossing the Greek-Turkish land border illegally, Greece now accounts for 90% of all detections of illegal border crossings to the EU. In the first half of 2010 a total of 45,000 illegal border crossings were reported by the Greek authorities for all their border sectors. Greece currently estimates that up to 350 migrants attempt to cross the 12,5-km area near the Greek city of Orestiada every day.
“The situation in Greece is very serious. Acting on the basis of the Regulation 863/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council, I have decided that Frontex will provide assistance to the Greek border authorities by deploying adequate number and composition of Rapid Border Intervention Teams. Once deployed they will be operating under the command and control of the Greek authorities” stated Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen.
“A team of Frontex staff is on its way to the Greek/Turkish land border to assess the situation in view of Minister Papoutsis’ request. We will decide how many officers and what kind of technical means will be needed to effectively assist the Greek authorities in strengthening this external EU border and act swiftly to provide the assistance that this Member State has requested. We will take immediate action of reorganising experts and assets being present in the area within the framework of Poseidon Joint Operation coordinated by Frontex” – he added.
Woman's attire from Mytilene island
Mavi Boncuk |
Woman's attire from Mytilene island
OTTO MAGNUS VON STACKELBERG (1787-1837) (painter) & G. HOCHETTI (engraver)
1825, coloured copper engraving, 23 x 17 cm
Orientalism | Albanian Janissary
Mavi Boncuk | Albanian janissary, by Otto Magnus von Stackelberg, 1825.Count Otto Magnus Baron von Stackelberg (Tallinn, 25 July 1786 - St Petersburg, 27 March 1837) was one of the first archaeologists, as well as a writer, painter and art historian. In autumn 1808, he set out on a second Italian trip, this time accompanied by Ernst Heinrich Tölken. On their way to Italy, they encountered Jean Paul in Bayreuth and visited the Schleißheimer gallery in Munich. They reached Rome in 1809 and there met and became friends with the archaeologist and art historian Carl Haller von Hallerstein, the Danish archaeologists and philologists Peter Oluf Brondsted and Georg Koes, the German painter Jakob Linckh, and the then Austrian consul in Greece George Christian Gropius. Bröndsted and Koes persuaded Stackelberg to accompany them on their trip to Greece. They intended to produce an archaeological publication upon their return, for which Stackelberg would produce landscapes.
The trip to Greece was long and adventurous, setting out from Naples in July 1810 and not arriving in the Piraeus until September. At Athens, they were joined by the British architects and archaeologists John Foster and Charles Robert Cockerell. The group carried out excavations at several Greek sites – in 1811 at the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina, they removed the fallen fragmentary pediment sculptures and on von Hallerstein's recommendation shipped them abroad and sold them the following year to Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria
1812 | Peter Oluf Brønsted Interviews with Ali Pacha of Ioanina
Danish archaeologist Peter Oluf Brønsted (1780-1842) was born in Fruering near Aarhus in Denmark and studied theology and philology at the University of Copenhagen. In 1806, he and his friend Georg Koës (1782-1811) set out on a grand European tour that finally led them to Greece and Albania. They arrived in Greece in 1810 where Brønsted met Charles Robert Cockerell (1788-1863) and Lord Byron. In the winter of 1811-1812 Brønsted conducted excavations on the island of Kea. He also dug on Aegina and Salamis and then, with Haller, excavated the Temple of Apollo in Bassae (Arcadia). In September 1812, he travelled to Zante (Zakynthos) to see the tomb of his friend Koës, who had died on the island of pneumonia. His companion thereafter was the fifteen-year-old Count Nicolo de Lunzi, son of the Danish consul on Zante. On 12 December 1812, on their way back to Denmark, Brønsted and Lunzi stopped over in Preveza, which at the time was the southern border of Albania, to visit the tyrant Ali Pasha of Tepelena. Brønsted provides a good account of the Lion of Janina in his edition “P. O. Brønsteds Reise i Graekenland i Aarene 1810-1813” (P. O. Brønsted’s Journey to Greece in the Years 1810-1813, Copenhagen 1844). The English-language version of this account, “Interviews with Ali Pacha of Ioanina in the Year 1812,” was first published in1999 by the Danish Institute in Athens.Mavi Boncuk |
Interviews with Ali Pacha of Joanina, in the Autumn of 1812; with Some Particulars of Epirus, and the Albanians of the Present Day
October 24, 2010
Full of Eastern Promise since 1914
Mavi Boncuk |
The term Turkish Delight was actually coined by a British traveller in the nineteenth century who was the first westerner to sample the confectionery and ship some home to the UK because he liked it so much. Turkish Delight soon became as popular in Europe and America as it was in Turkey and was enjoyed by some very famous people. The sticky sweet was a favourite of Pablo Picasso, and both Napoleon and Winston Churchill had a preference for Turkish Delight stuffed with pistachios.
Frys Turkish Delight 60's tv ad
Turkish Delight has also been adapted to being incorporated into chocolate bars. In the UK a slab of rosewater Turkish Delight is coated in milk chocolate to make Fry’s Turkish Delight. Fry’s Turkish Delight was first launched in 1914 when it was manufactured by J.S Fry and Sons. It is now made by Cadbury’s and has been immortalised by the advertising slogan ‘Full of Eastern Promise’. Cadbury’s also produce bars of milk chocolate covered rose Turkish Delight under the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk brand name. In the United States, Turkish Delight is the filler of the Big Turk chocolate bar.
Fry's - Turkish Delight - Prince - 1984 - UK Advert
The term Turkish Delight was actually coined by a British traveller in the nineteenth century who was the first westerner to sample the confectionery and ship some home to the UK because he liked it so much. Turkish Delight soon became as popular in Europe and America as it was in Turkey and was enjoyed by some very famous people. The sticky sweet was a favourite of Pablo Picasso, and both Napoleon and Winston Churchill had a preference for Turkish Delight stuffed with pistachios.
Turkish Delight has also been adapted to being incorporated into chocolate bars. In the UK a slab of rosewater Turkish Delight is coated in milk chocolate to make Fry’s Turkish Delight. Fry’s Turkish Delight was first launched in 1914 when it was manufactured by J.S Fry and Sons. It is now made by Cadbury’s and has been immortalised by the advertising slogan ‘Full of Eastern Promise’. Cadbury’s also produce bars of milk chocolate covered rose Turkish Delight under the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk brand name. In the United States, Turkish Delight is the filler of the Big Turk chocolate bar.
Report | Religion, Society and Politics in Changing Turkey
To read the report please click here.
Religion, Society and Politics in Changing Turkey
Religion, Society and Politics in Changing Turkey
The authors would like to extend their gratitude to TESEV and especially to the administrators and staff of the Democratization Program for their contribution; to their colleague Timur Kuran for his valuable suggestions; to Nazlı Çağın Şahin who did not spare her assistance; and to the staff of the Frekans Research company, particularly to Çağlayan Işık and Ebru Tetik, who carried out the field research for the study. It is only the authors of this book who are responsible for the views presented herein. Ali Çarkoğlu-Binnaz Toprak
Authors : Ali Çarkoğlu,Binnaz Toprak
Translator : Çiğdem Aksoy
Edition Date: 01.012007
Report | Minority Foundations in Greece and Turkey
To read the report, please click here.
To read the press release of the report, please click here.
A Tale of Reciprocity: Minority Foundations in Greece and Turkey
A Tale of Reciprocity: Minority Foundations in Greece and Turkey
Mavi Boncuk |
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Democratization Program, published a new report analyzing the situation of minority foundations both inGreece and Turkey
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Democratization Program, published a new report analyzing the situation of minority foundations both in
The report, written by Dilek Kurban from TESEV andKonstantinos Tsitselikis from Thessaloniki based Research Center of Minority Groups (KEMO) evaluate the similarities and differences between implementations, policies and judicial decisions on the minority foundations both in Greece and Turkey. Published in Turkish, Greek and English, the report critically evaluates the progress made by both governments on this issue.
WikiLeaks on Iraq includes Turkish Connections
The nearly 400,000 secret documents related to the war in Iraq that were leaked online Saturday include numerous links to Turkey, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks said Friday, adding that more are waiting for translation.
At 5pm EST Friday 22nd October 2010 WikiLeaks released the largest classified military leak in history. The 391,832 reports ('The Iraq War Logs'), document the war and occupation in Iraq, from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2009 (except for the months of May 2004 and March 2009) as told by soldiers in the United States Army. Each is a 'SIGACT' or Significant Action in the war. They detail events as seen and heard by the US military troops on the ground in Iraq and are the first real glimpse into the secret history of the war that the United States government has been privy to throughout.
The reports detail 109,032 deaths in Iraq, comprised of 66,081 'civilians'; 23,984 'enemy' (those labeled as insurgents); 15,196 'host nation' (Iraqi government forces) and 3,771 'friendly' (coalition forces). The majority of the deaths (66,000, over 60%) of these are civilian deaths.That is 31 civilians dying every day during the six year period. For comparison, the 'Afghan War Diaries', previously released by WikiLeaks, covering the same period, detail the deaths of some 20,000 people. Iraq during the same period, was five times as lethal with equivallent population size.
Mavi Boncuk |
According to one document, dated Feb. 25, 2006, a person caught carrying a false passport in Hsalbah, located south of Habur, told the American soldiers who detained him that he was working with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
“We were trained in PKK camps in the ... [name censured] mountains on how to attack Turkey. I am here to gather information for a propaganda article that will be published in a newspaper. I am responsible for PKK propaganda,” the man said, according to the document. The American soldiers’ report said that as the captured man’s life could be at risk due to “his ... [name censured] dialect,” he was not turned over to the Iraqi police, and the “file was closed.”
Similar leaks pointed to an Afghan connection.
U.S. troops in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan in 2007 were persistently attacked by militants identified as Turkish fighters, according to the trove of documents released Sunday by WikiLeaks.
The presence of Turkish fighters isn’t totally new. You can find sporadic references online, like this one from CBS in 2008. But the WikiLeaks archive provides vivid new detail about the presence of dedicated militants coming from the country of a NATO ally that has contributed troops and money to the mission in Afghanistan.
At Forward Operating Base Bermel in the eastern part of Paktika Province, soldiers reported being scoped out and progressively fired upon with rockets and small arms fire by Turkish militants from the spring to the fall of 2007, the documents show. Troops at the remote outpost responded with artillery and airstrikes, even calling in Predator and Reaper drones to go after the militants. Reports of communications intercepts indicate that the Turkish fighters were supported by the al-Qaeda-aligned Haqqani network and may have operated out of militant safe havens in Pakistan.
“It’s a story that hasn’t been mainstreamed, this Turkish involvement in jihad,” says Bryan Glyn Williams, an associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth who’s studied Islamic militancy in Turkey, including Turkish extremist infiltration into Afghanistan. “There is a growing Salafist-Wahhabist movement in Turkey, a lot more extreme than the [ruling Isalmic-based] AK Party.” MORE
Read More
At 5pm EST Friday 22nd October 2010 WikiLeaks released the largest classified military leak in history. The 391,832 reports ('The Iraq War Logs'), document the war and occupation in Iraq, from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2009 (except for the months of May 2004 and March 2009) as told by soldiers in the United States Army. Each is a 'SIGACT' or Significant Action in the war. They detail events as seen and heard by the US military troops on the ground in Iraq and are the first real glimpse into the secret history of the war that the United States government has been privy to throughout.
The reports detail 109,032 deaths in Iraq, comprised of 66,081 'civilians'; 23,984 'enemy' (those labeled as insurgents); 15,196 'host nation' (Iraqi government forces) and 3,771 'friendly' (coalition forces). The majority of the deaths (66,000, over 60%) of these are civilian deaths.That is 31 civilians dying every day during the six year period. For comparison, the 'Afghan War Diaries', previously released by WikiLeaks, covering the same period, detail the deaths of some 20,000 people. Iraq during the same period, was five times as lethal with equivallent population size.
Mavi Boncuk |
According to one document, dated Feb. 25, 2006, a person caught carrying a false passport in Hsalbah, located south of Habur, told the American soldiers who detained him that he was working with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
“We were trained in PKK camps in the ... [name censured] mountains on how to attack Turkey. I am here to gather information for a propaganda article that will be published in a newspaper. I am responsible for PKK propaganda,” the man said, according to the document. The American soldiers’ report said that as the captured man’s life could be at risk due to “his ... [name censured] dialect,” he was not turned over to the Iraqi police, and the “file was closed.”
Similar leaks pointed to an Afghan connection.
U.S. troops in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan in 2007 were persistently attacked by militants identified as Turkish fighters, according to the trove of documents released Sunday by WikiLeaks.
The presence of Turkish fighters isn’t totally new. You can find sporadic references online, like this one from CBS in 2008. But the WikiLeaks archive provides vivid new detail about the presence of dedicated militants coming from the country of a NATO ally that has contributed troops and money to the mission in Afghanistan.
At Forward Operating Base Bermel in the eastern part of Paktika Province, soldiers reported being scoped out and progressively fired upon with rockets and small arms fire by Turkish militants from the spring to the fall of 2007, the documents show. Troops at the remote outpost responded with artillery and airstrikes, even calling in Predator and Reaper drones to go after the militants. Reports of communications intercepts indicate that the Turkish fighters were supported by the al-Qaeda-aligned Haqqani network and may have operated out of militant safe havens in Pakistan.
“It’s a story that hasn’t been mainstreamed, this Turkish involvement in jihad,” says Bryan Glyn Williams, an associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth who’s studied Islamic militancy in Turkey, including Turkish extremist infiltration into Afghanistan. “There is a growing Salafist-Wahhabist movement in Turkey, a lot more extreme than the [ruling Isalmic-based] AK Party.” MORE
Read More