Erkan's field diary

"Five scenarios over the AKP's closure case

2008-05-15T14:59:53Z

Five scenarios over the AKP's closure case

Ruşen ÇAKIR

Turkish businessmen urge gov't to focus on economy

Mehmet Yilmaz: Research on the "Average Turk"

I received the results of research conducted by Associate Professor Dr Hakan Yilmaz from Bosporus University from the editor-in-chief of Capital magazine, Sedef Seckin Buyuk."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth (front 2nd L) and Turkey's First Lady Hayrunnisa Gul (front L) listen to a verse of the Koran at the Green Mosque in Bursa May 14, 2008.

REUTERS/Riza Ozel/Pool (TURKEY)

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Turkey says its mediation could result in direct talks between Syria and Israel - International Herald Tribune

The Trouble With Turkey - EURSOC - News and comment from Europe

Liberal newspapers are very keen to convince Europeans that the AK Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is only "mildly Islamist" and thus nothing for either us, or secular Turks to worry our little heads about."

Turkish Islamic preacher - threat or benefactor? - International Herald Tribune

The Republican People’s Party and the problem of opposition

The Republican People's Party (CHP) is the main opposition party in the Turkish Parliament. It recently held its 41st congress.

The future of the PKK: Can it target US interests? by EMRE USLU & ÖNDER AYTAÇ

Turkey's decades-old terror problem caused by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) entered a new phase when US President George W. Bush openly declared the PKK an enemy of the United States after meeting with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Nov. 5, 2007.

Police says judge not followed

The police department refuted claims that the Constitutional Court's number two person was stalked by police officers, in a written statement yesterday. “The police vehicle in question

Brown’s political life is under threat, Baykal’s is not by BEKİR ÇINAR

Gordon Brown was elected Labour Party leader by the party's members on June 22, 2007. Three days later he became the prime minister of the UK, which has a central government and local governments.

If the AK Party is closed down…

Various scenarios are circulating about what could happen if the Constitutional Court decides to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and bar some senior AK Party officials, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, from party politics.

Maintaining the positive process in N. Iraq

By HASAN CEMAL, MİLLİYET

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is no longer just a Kurdish problem. There is another point to think about here: The ball is in the courts of both the AK Party and the Democratic Society Party (DTP).

Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish Rapprochement Ominous for PKK

Turkey’s smart power (II)

To continue our discussion from last week, Turkey's smart power is a strategic combination of soft and hard power, but the result is more than a plate of carrots and sticks.

Parallel histories

The head table at the banquet at Çankaya Palace was in the middle of the large hall, for everyone to see. When I looked at Abdullah Gül, the president of the republic, before he stood to deliver his speech, I saw in his eyes a glimmer of light, as if he was traveling back in time in his mind.

Erdoğan wants to bury the past via closure case, says Bahçeli

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to be shut down as a way to bury the party's past, said the leader of the country's ultra-right party

How would you like your 'Islamist?'

Burak BEKDİL

The AK Party: Perfect intermediary between Israel and Arabs?

Damla ARAS

Erdoğan will be making historical decisions

Mehmet Ali Birand

Le leader d’un mouvement créationniste turc condamné à trois ans de prison ferme

Le Monde (France), 14 mai 2008, p. 8

Guillaume Perrier

Après plus de sept années de procédure, une cour d’Istanbul a condamné Adnan Oktar à trois ans de prison ferme, vendredi 9 mai, pour ” création d’une organisation illégale ” et ” enrichissement personnel “. Soupçonné d’être à la tête d’une secte créationniste, ce Turc de 52 ans, qui se présente comme ” scientifique et écrivain “, doit faire appel, selon ses proches, pour tenter d’éviter une incarcération.

The ‘dissolved PKK'

By ALİ BAYRAMOĞLU, YENİ ŞAFAK

The main outline of what needs to be done to bring an end to terror is clear: bringing about a certain "closeness" with Barzani and the Iraqi Kurds, handing over some of their rights while at the same time forcing the door open that would pave the way before the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) dissolution in the Middle East, taking steps that would allow the PKK to lay down its weapons and, in particular, putting an "amnesty and confrontation" policy into fast effect.

Secularism's red line

By İSMET BERKAN, RADİKAL

The fact that a court case aimed at closing down the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has even been opened despite the considerable support this party has received from the people of the nation inevitably brings this question to mind: I wonder if our chief prosecutor from the Supreme Court of Appeals has drawn the proverbial "red line" that determines whether or not secularism is actually threatened in the wrong place?

"France insists on removal of 'accession'term

2008-05-15T14:55:06Z

France insists on removal of 'accession'term

Just as the French envoy assured the Turkish government Tuesday that France did not intend to block Turkey's accession talks to the European Union, the French delegation to Brussels has

Police and gendarmerie oppose EU negotiating chapter

Turkey may face difficulty while negotiating the chapter on Justice, Freedoms and Security, with the European Union due to the obstruction from the police and gendarmerie. Negotiatios for EU

EU funded project enhances life skills of children

A recently conducted EU-funded project has proved a successful means in contributing to the personal development and communication skills of children living in Turkey, becoming a bridge

And so does the Queen make her way to Turkey

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh began a four-day state visit to Turkey yesterday – their first to the country in almost 40 years. State Minister Mehmet Aydın welcomed the royal]]>

God save the Queen, indeed

Mustafa AKYOL

In the presence of the Queen

Mehmet Ali Birand

Sarkozy's rapporteur in town to take Ankara's pulse

A French parliamentarian, asked by French President Nicholas Sarkozy to prepare a report on bilateral ties, concluded a one-day trip to Ankara by declaring that France would not stand in the

The Press Association: Scarf row may eclipse royal visit

British queen praises Turkey's EU credentials

Comment: headscarf symbolises Turkey's battle with its identitiy - Times Online

Solution in Cyprus is still very difficult

Cengiz ÇANDAR

Britain's Miliband reaffirms full support for Turkey's EU bid : Europe World

Turkey opposes France's "accession" insistence

EU friends in need

"Shut that political party!" Those cheering Turkey's public prosecutor from the sidelines are hoping that the Constitutional Court will kill two birds with one verdict.

Turkey’s turning point by Christina Bache Fidan

İstanbul -- Turkey's emerging generation of leaders finds itself tasked with a complicated and challenging set of both domestic and foreign policy issues to address in the coming years.

Will the queen be aware?

By AHMET TAŞGETİREN, BUGÜN

I wonder whether the visiting queen of England will even be aware that as a result of the wife of Turkey's president wearing the headscarf, certain high-ranking members of the state did not accept invitations to the dinner in her honor.

Real target of the AK Party closure case

It seems that the closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will continue to be the most significant agenda item in Turkey until the case is concluded by the top court.

Turkey-UK relations excellent, confirm ministers

British Foreign Minister David Miliband stated that political relations with Turkey run deep, in a joint press statement after his talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday.

The empty and the full halves of the Cyprus glass

Cengiz ÇANDAR

"Enlargement in Perspective: The EU's Quest for Identity

2008-05-15T14:37:17Z

Enlargement in Perspective: The EU's Quest for Identity

By Reflection Cafe

Enlargement in Perspective: The EU's Quest for Identity
ARENA Working Paper Series
05/2008 / Helene Sjursen (ed.)
Centre for European Studies
University of Oslo
Oslo, Norway]]>

Italian police swoop on migrants

Italian police arrest hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants in raids across the country.

Euro growth better than expected

Economic growth in Europe during the first three months of 2008 was better than expected, official data shows.

EU funds refocused on competitiveness and social cohesion

Member-state governments are re-focusing the EU's cohesion policy to boost workers' qualifications, education and employability, the Commission said at the conclusion of negotiations on funds allocated for the 2007-2013 period.

Belgium under scrutiny over linguistic feud

The country hosting the EU institutions may soon face a monitoring procedure by the Council of Europe, according to human rights envoys from the oldest European organisation speaking in Brussels yesterday at the end of a fact-finding mission.

The Guardian.co.uk: Poland is overtaking Britain on the road to Europe - and to the euro - Timothy Garton Ash

MAIN FOCUS: Anti-Roma riots in Italy | 15/05/2008

Violent anti-Roma riots have taken place in Naples in recent days, triggered when a 16 year old Roma girl was charged with intent to kidnap.

More about the EU flood aid payments

By Jon

Things have moved on a bit in the argument about EU money to the UK to help regions hit by floods last summer, the subject of this post.

"Problems of Female Employment in Turkey

2008-05-15T08:57:33Z

Problems of Female Employment in Turkey

By Jenny White

A recent survey found that women working as public employees in Turkey face a variety of serious problems, ranging from low wages to sexual harassment. 3.4 percent of single women, 1.9 percent of married women and 10.0 percent of widowed women complained about violence and sexual harassment in the workplace. The much higher percentage of widowed women reporting problems reflects widespread cultural attitudes about divorced and widowed women who are seen to be without male protection and control,]]> New Rules on Alcohol Create Confusion and Suspicion of Government’s Motives

By Jenny White

New laws regarding alcohol licensing and sales go into effect today that place confusing restrictions on the sale of alcohol and impose extremely high fines. The government says it is necessary to regulate small, illegal operations (someone setting a table behind their shop and serving alcohol). Others see this as one more effort by the Islam-inflected government to constrict alcohol consumption, in line with the already enormous taxes on wine and other liquor. Turkey’s cities are noted for their fish restaurants with outdoor tables that traditionally serve wine and raki along with mezze appetizers and fish, a legacy of the Ottoman Greek meyhane culture.

I happened to visit Hidrellez celebrations but i am rather lazy to note that...

Hidrellez in Ahirkapi

By Jenny White

Photos are by Jenny White

May 6 is the Hidrellez holiday. Some believe it to be an Islamic holiday, others a pre-Islamic, pre-Christian spring festival. It is a celebration of nature; the first spring lamb is eaten. The night of Hidrellez (tonight) brings blessings, so one custom is to leave your purse open if you want your wealth to increase, or to put small models of what you desire (a house, a car) outside beneath a rose bush.

Who Are The Turks?

By Jenny White

Some of the results of a 2007 study on middle-class identity in Turkey by Dr. Hakan Yilmaz of Bosphorus University: (JW: I find it particularly intriguing that the headscarf is not seen as a symbol of piety, but of good character, as I have long argued that the meaning of “covering” to those who practice it has changed radically over the past two decades.):

Feminists seek to advocate for victims in courts

A group of women working on behalf of various Turkish associations filed a petition in the Sultanahmet Court yesterday in order to act as interveners in the case of Ayşe Yılbaş, who was

Turkish law to stub out smoking - The National Newspaper

Sulukule

A few days ago I attended the Hıdrellez celebrations in Ahırkapı, below Sultanahmet. Seen by some as an Islamic festival, the spring rituals of Hıdrellez may in fact have pre-Islamic roots.

Thousands lighting up Hıdrellez

Thousands of people posted wishes to walls and trees as Roma brass bands wound round the back streets of an Istanbul neighborhood Tuesday night to celebrate a festival as old as millennia.

One Of Every Four Women In Turkey Victim Of Violence

Turkish Alevis fight back against religion lessons | International | Reuters

Turkish wives battle culture of domestic abuse - Los Angeles Times

"Tuncay Özkan sells out KanalTürk...

2008-05-14T22:43:16Z

Yusuf Kanlı: Freedom to criticize proves very expensive

Unfortunately Tuncay Özkan preferred money to his right to criticize and sold out the KanalTürk Channel to the Koza group – a group which has been supportive of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and which is believed to have if not formal, some sort of “heartfelt” connections with the Fethullah Gülen brotherhood.What's bad in that? Özkan established a TV channel which despite all the adverse conditions proved to be a success and wanted to cash that success into some hard money – some 40 million dollars. At a time when the state is selling its establishments, why should not a “successful” businessman sell his own establishment particularly if there are people paying several fold

Owner defends the controversial sale of Turkish TV

Anti-AKP broadcaster Kanalturk was sold for $25 million to Turkish Koza Davetiye; a decision made under pressure, the former owner said on Tuesday. The sale of the TV channel to a pro-AKP group drew fierce criticism from secularists."

Survey: PR people 'wasting journalists' time'

Professional "communicators" of all kinds are wasting their time trying to pitch stories to the European press, concluded APCO consultants in a survey carried out in co-operation with Journalists at Your Service (J YS), a help centre for Brussels-based reporters.

Media members are ‘in a fight' with the EU

By KÜRŞAT BUMİN, YENİ ŞAFAK

A certain prominent Turkish columnist who has -- thank goodness -- recently emerged from his fixation with "Christian Europe," warned one of the "spokespersons" from the EU, saying, "Don't listen to the tales that the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] spin, their real desire is for Shariah!"

and more journalism related pieces follow:

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What was not discussed at the dinner

By MUSTAFA KARAALİOĞLU, STAR

I originally had no plans to comment on the Saturday evening dinner in İstanbul at which the prime minister was the guest of honor because from the very start our host reminded us that this dinner was to be "off-the-record."

UK: Telegraph to integrate user-generated content across its website

By Kelley Vendeland

The relaunch of the redesigned MyTelegraph site this summer will see user generated content integrated across other areas of Telegraph.co.uk, said Telegraph communities editor Shane Richmond at the PPA conference.

Al Jazeera aims for global domination

Media, the most impressive power of our times, undertakes a key role in globalization in the Middle East as well. And Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera has become a symbol of this fact this decade.

Never base trust on a source's reputation: Le Monde's Hiroshima pictures

By Jean Yves Chainon

It seems that pictures published by Le Monde on May 10 (left, click to enlarge), accompanying a story entitled "Hiroshima: what the world never saw," weren't authentic, the paper revealed yesterday.

Instant Nationalism: McArabism, al-Jazeera and Transnational Media in the Arab World

Instant Nationalism contains a wealth of material and a useful set of questions to be explored in further studies of transnational media in the Middle East and the shaping of regional public perception and political action, argues Becky Schulthies.

Josh Cohen: Publishers shouldn't fear Google News

By Jean Yves Chainon

Fear not, news publishers, Google News is not an editorial venture, nor does it aim to be. And "we definitely respect copyright law."

This is essentially what Google News Business Product Manager Josh Cohen said at the 2008 Canadian Newspaper Association/Canadian Community Newspapers Association conference in Toronto.

Turkish Press Scanner

Vatan Young businessman dies of malaria The owner of the Istanbul Gold Refinery (İAR), Ömer Halaçor, a prominent figure in the gold sector, passed away Monday due to malaria which he contracted in the Central Africal Republic, daily Vatan reported yesterday. Halaç, 38, had gone to the Central Africal Republic capital Bangui, with two of his employees on April 16 to see first hand the first production of the gold mine he had established there. He did not realize that during his trip he had been bitten by a female anopheles mosquito, which transmits malaria parasites. Upon his return to Turkey, Halaç was hospitalized with a cold, and it was later discovered that he had contracted

Press Roundup

Force India Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy (top) and Williams Formula One driver Kazuki Nakajima of Japan crashed after the start of the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey on Sunday where Felipe Massa captured his third straight Formula One auto race.

Turkish Press Scanner

TERCÜMAN Turkish products in defense industry Following structural changes in its defense industry, Turkey plans to start exporting defense products instead of importing them, daily Tercüman reported yesterday. $2.5 million was accumulated in 2007 in the Defense Industry Support Fund (SSDF) that was established to finance investment and procurement projects in the defense industry. Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar said the next couple of years would be determining for the industry. “In the next couple of years, many critical projects will be implemented and Turkey will become one of the fastest growing defense industries in the world,

Press Roundup

Mother's Day was celebrated all around Turkey yesterday, with children expressing their love for their mothers in many different ways, such as giving flowers or gifts or kissing their hands as a sign of respect.

Turkish Press Scanner

MİT document explains assassination – Taraf According to a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) document that finds a place in journalist Zihni Çakır's book “Codename Coup,” the assassination of Turkey's well-known businessman Özdemir Sabancı was a “deep state” operation, daily Taraf reported yesterday. The document points out that the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), an extreme leftist Turkish group, carried out the murder for money. The murder was actually planned by Abdullah Çatlı, an ultra-nationalist convicted of the massacre in which seven students were brutally murdered in Ankara in 1978, Hüseyin Kocadağ, a former deputy chief of the Istan

Press Roundup

President Abdullah Gül gave a reception at the Çankaya Palace yesterday on the occasion of Europe Day. A group of students along with dignitaries attended the event.

Turkish Press Scanner

‘Deaths in Tuzla not too many' – Radikal Speaking at a meeting of the Tuzla Commission, Kasım Özer, general manager of the Labor Health and Safety (ISGÜM) association, perplexed attendees

Turkish Press Scanner

Law on use of forestland passes - Hürriyet A draft that limits the allocation of forested land to tourism to 0.5 percent was passed in Parliament yesterday, daily Hürriyet reported. According to this law, the 53 tourism facilities whose construction was banned by a decision of the Constitutional Court overruling the previous law allowing their construction can continue where they had left off. The new regulation amends the Tourism Promotion Law and enhances the “preserve-and-use” principle. The previous law, which was passed in 2004, was overruled by the Constitutional Court based on the argument that preservation of forests was of top priority in terms of public interest.

Press Roundup

"Troya," the latest dance production by the Anadolu Ateşi (Fire of Anatolia) dance troupe, premiered Wednesday night at the İstanbul Exhibition Hall. The performance, which has a 120-strong cast, attracted wide attention from İstanbulites.

"Analyst: National politics to dictate 2009 EU elections

2008-05-14T20:38:54Z

Analyst: National politics to dictate 2009 EU elections

Politicians standing for the EU elections next year will have more to gain from keeping their national party happy than campaigning on common European themes, says Sebastian Kurpas, a researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels.]]>

EU edges closer to agreement over Russia pact

Internal EU negotiations over a strategic treaty with Russia made headway at the weekend but were finally put on hold over concerns by Lithuania that "frozen conflicts" are threatening Georgia and Moldova's territorial integrity.

Interview: Multilingualism 'weakening in the EU institutions'

Making sure different languages are represented at the heart of the EU is essential for democracy, according to Abdou Diouf, secretary-general of the 'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie', the international French-language association.

MAIN FOCUS: Stalemate in Serbia | 13/05/2008

A political stalemate has emerged after early parliamentary elections were held in Serbia on Sunday. While President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party has come away with victory, it has not won enough seats to form a parliamentary majority. The nationalist Serbian Radical Party, on the other hand, could form a government despite its election defeat.

'The Illustration of The Great European War No.16
- A humoros Atlas of the World' found in Asia on the World

Serbia's voters reassure Brussels

The unexpected strong showing by the coalition for EU integration in the Balkan country's parliamentary polls underscores the preference of citizens to pursue membership

Elections in Serbia

Ivan SIMIC

Serbia: EU hails victory of pro-Western camp

Despite an unexpected 10 percent victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections in Serbia, the pro-European camp of President Boris Tadic is not able to govern alone and might depend on the Socialist Party of former dictator Slobodan Milosevic to form a government.

Serbia's political carousel, Eric Gordy

Serbian voters sent another mixed message to their political parties in the general election of 11 May 2008. The result was not as bad as many feared, not as good as some might think, and not as clear as some might imagine.

Serbs vote for a European future

Serbs gave strong backing yesterday in parliamentary elections to the pro-European strategy of the outgoing government and President Boris Tadic. Although the Tadic bloc did not win an absolute majority, it emerged as a clear victor in the national poll.

Serbia: new election, same results

By Lucy Moore

Samuel Aranda/Getty Images

Boris Tadic, Serbian president and leader of the coalition “For a European Serbia,” declared victory after elections Sunday in which his party took an estimated 103 of the national assembly’s 250 seats.

True, yesterday’s large pro-Europe voting turnout did come as a pleasant surprise to

’s EU supporters. In light of Kosovo’s recent, and polarizing, declaration of independence, analysts were predicting a slight lead for

’s ultra nationalist Radical Party (SRS), despite some pretty serious efforts on the part of the EU to win over Serbian voters.

Brussels warns Bulgaria over EU funds mismanagement

Bulgaria may lose some ï11bn of EU funding because the European Commission does not trust the country's mechanisms for managing the European money from which it benefits as an EU member, EurActiv.bg reports.

German NSC Sparks Controversy

Joerg Wolf

This is a guest blog post by our long-time reader and commenter Pat Patterson:

The blog Coming Anarchy has a balanced piece concerning the recent proposal by Chancellor Merkel and the CDU to create a German National Security Council that argues, "It is for these reasons that a seemingly innocuous and in fact logical step like creating a national security council has again sparked debate among citizens and politicians alike." And that, "Over the past few years though with the changes in both the domestic and international security situation, debate has been ongoing about whether Germany needs a National Security Council based more on the American model for example."

MAIN FOCUS: Earthquake in China - the political fallout | 14/05/2008

More than 10,000 people have perished and the Province of Sichuan has been devastated by an earthquake. In addition to its humanitarian consequences, the disaster also has political ramifications.

Brussels outlines plan for new Mediterranean club

Russia: the European factor, Alexei Makarkin

Europe is Russia's historic neighbour as well as being part of its own identity. St Petersburg, for instance, is a distinctly European city. Europe is both a role model and an object of phobias. This ambivalence has characterised various periods of our national history.

Andijan, Germany and Europe, Marcus Bensmann

The armoured personnel carriers stormed Babur Square in Andijan with lightning speed on Friday 13 May 2005, bringing death without any warming. The uniformed men riding atop the vehicles fired purposefully and indiscriminately into the crowd of more than a thousand men, women and children gathered under the monument to the Mongol ruler Babur. In an instant, Uzbekistan's authoritarian president, Islam Karimov, had drowned the anti-tyranny demonstration in blood.

Our Child Studies Unit gets its first funding!

2008-05-14T09:46:12Z

People in the office are very happy now as we just received a good news. the Dutch Consulate will be funding one of our projects. Well, I am not directly involved but all others in the office are directly involved and as they are happy, I am happy too. Child Studies Unit site is here.

Child Unit at work in the canteen. From right to left: Şaylan Uran, Gözde Durmuş, Melda Akbaş and Ayşe Beyazova

The queen in town....

2008-05-14T08:09:58Z

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul gestures to Britain's Queen Elizabeth as they get ready to listen to the national anthems upon their arrival at the presidential office in Ankara May 13, 2008.

REUTERS/Fatih Saribas

A sober affair as Turkey welcomes the Queen - Times Online

Turkey is a democracy ! : May 2008 : gilmas : My Telegraph

BBC NEWS | UK | State visit sends message to Turkey

Britain and France opposite to each other about Turkey : May 2008 : Metin YILMAZ : My Telegraph

Britain's Queen Elizabeth praises Turkey's role as bridge between West, Islamic world - International Herald Tribune

]]> Finland continues to back Turkey as future EU member - Europe
Authorities urged to amend restrictive laws after YouTube blocked for third time in two months : print
Turkey's Babacan says no slowdown in EU reform efforts (SETimes.com)

A Party For Average Turks?

BY TAHA AKYOL

MILLIYET- Discussing European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn`s term `democratic secularism,` Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called his Justice and Development Party (AKP) the party of `average Turks.`"

The unbearable lightenss of ‘strategic relations’

We are lucky. Well, relatively speaking. If Google had a map that could help us detect and distinguish the nuances in the nature of rule in this ever-troubled geography of ours, everyone would agree that Turkey, by the nature of its democracy, is far closer to Europe than otherwise.

Would the EU really suspend negotiations with Turkey?

Over the years Turkey's relationship with the EU has become something of a soap opera -- a lot of drama and many cliffhangers. Another drama is presently unfolding with both the nation and the EU waiting in suspense for the decision of the Constitutional Court on whether or not the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) along with 71 of its members should be banned.

European spirit producers' rapporteur upset with Turkish ministers of finance and agriculture

The rapporteur of the European Alcoholic Drinks Producers Union, Nick Soper, who came to Turkey to hold talks with Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan and Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker on

EU the real opposition in Turkey

Mehmet Ali Birand

How the CHP became an enemy of the EU

By NUH GÖNÜLTAŞ, BUGÜN

The very people and institutions that you would think would naturally be supporters of the European Union now spend much of their time expressing great anger toward this community of European nations.

A new world order

By ERGUN BABAHAN, SABAH

Those angered in the past by interventions in Turkey's domestic matters will once again be furious because Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has said that he brings up the legal case seeking to shut down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in all of his foreign meetings and contacts.

"10 ways bloggers have revolutionized online news media

2008-05-13T14:57:06Z

Web start-up unveils semantic Wikipedia search tool

Powerset on Sunday unveiled tools for searching Wikipedia that use conversational phrasing instead of keywords, marking the first step of its challenge to established Web search services such as

10 ways bloggers have revolutionized online news media

By Jean Yves Chainon

In the past, there has been much debate as to whether bloggers could be considered journalists and what the distinction meant. Regardless of the possible answers, in today's context, blog editorial practices have influenced those of traditional news media online - whether it's writing styles, tones or formats.]]>

Microblogging Mania::Twitter Helps with Reporting, Filtering the News

Jennifer Woodard Maderazo

Last May on MediaShift, we wrote a series of articles about a new microblogging tool called Twitter, which was just beginning to gain visibility among the digerati. At that time, many bloggers were still on the fence as to how useful the service really was. Many thought it was a waste of time. Others just didn’t understand if it really had any practical uses in daily life.

Resource: Digital Activism for the Environment

Title: Green Global Voices: Web 2.0 Environmental Activism

Author: Juliana Rotich, editor of Green Global Voices

Published by: Reuters Blog (2008)

Microsoft Trying to Acquire Facebook?

By Nick O'Neill

If you can’t buy them, beat ‘em? That appears to be the new strategy of Microsoft who according to Kara Swisher is trying to go organic like Granola and acquire as many Web 2.0 properties as possible. This strategy will supposedly differentiate them from Google. One of those companies that they are looking to potentially acquire is Facebook. Will they be willing to give Facebook half the value of Yahoo? Not sure but apparently they are interested in making an acquisition.

Gmail Versus Windows Live Hotmail. Which Will Win?

By Micah on Web Tools

One of Google’s most recent moves that kept it as one of the top search engine based companies out there was Gmail. In recent years the top online email website was Hotmail. You know, Hotmail; you almost never saw anyone without one (unless they hosted their email on their own website). Hotmail had all the features and they were convenient too.

Blog Therapy

By Metin

From CNN: "Roughly 12 million Americans have blogs, according to polls by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2006, and many seem to use them as a form of group therapy. A 2005 survey by Digital Marketing Services for AOL.com a found nearly half of the 600 people polled derived therapeutic benefits from personal blogging. 'Instant support system.'...

Tactic: Facebook and blogs highlight Cyclone Relief

Description: International aid is beginning to arrive in Burma, following last week’s devastating Cyclone Nargis, which is believed to have killed at least 22,000 people. Another 41, 000 people are currently unaccounted for. Internet activists go online to blame Burma’s military regime for the slow response and use social media to get aid to victims.

Tools Used:Facebook, blogs

Facebook Agrees to Strict Privacy Standards

By Nick O'Neill

Earlier today Facebook, the Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett along with attorneys general from 48 other states and the District of Columbia today announced that Facebook has agreed to significant steps to better protect children on the social networking site. This agreement appears to be something similar to the one that Myspace had agreed to back in January. The purpose of this new agreement is to better protect children on social networks.

Twitter, I gave up

By Harry Chen

Some people are crazy about Twitter. I don’t. I joined Twitter when it first came out. After few weeks, my enthusiasm for micro-blogging has gone to nil.

Recently I saw Twitter discussions in few different blog posts. I wonder if I should start using Twitter again? After some thinking, my conclusion that is that it’s better for me to stay away from Twitter.

Why I gave up on Twitter:

The Definitive LinkedIn Guide

By Mark Davis

A good friend of mine asked me for some tips on how to use LinkedIn. I sent him a long email and figure that I should share my thoughts on this with all of you. I'm not an investor in LinkedIn, but think it's a great service. Here's the scoop.

Facebook's safety oxymoron: Facebook Connect

By Ewan McIntosh

11.5 Billion: Number of Online Videos Watched by U.S. Internet Users In March

By Allen Stern

comScore is out with their latest online video report for March 2008 covering U.S. Internet users. YouTube continues to lead the pack and represents 98% of all videos in the Google Sites category. Tell me again why they keep Google Video around? It's seems Google abandoned it when they acquired YouTube.

"Queen makes official visit to Turkey

2008-05-13T14:24:39Z

Queen makes official visit to Turkey

Queen Elizabeth II, who pays only one official visit to a foreign country each year, has decided to come to Turkey this year. ]]>

Searching for an identity and mission as the AK Party ‘falls’by ŞABAN KARDAŞ

In an interview he gave to Newsweek's Owen Matthews, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed the argument that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is not seated in religion. Seeking to debunk the misperception in the West, Erdoğan maintained that his party is not rooted in religion and that it has a liberal vision.

Real ‘surprise' to come at a later stage

By MURAT YETKİN, RADİKAL

This time of year the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) increases their preparations for the wave of attacks they normally launch in summer. They are scheduled to start their attacks soon.

If the US attacks Iran and if the AKP is shut down...

Cengiz ÇANDAR

TURKS BECOMING MORE PESSIMISTIC AND INTROSPECTIVE - Eurasia Daily Monitor

Web exclusive: 'We are all Kemalists' by Nicholas Birch | Prospect Magazine May 2008 issue 146

Turkey's supposedly antagonistic "democratic Islamists" and "authoritarian secularists" are actually cut from the same cloth
Nicholas Birch

Nicholas Birch is a freelance reporter based in Turkey
Battle lines are being drawn in Turkey. Indicted for anti-secular activities by the country's chief prosecutor, the ruling AK party faces closure just eight months after it won a general election with 47 per cent of the vote. At the end of March the country’s constitutional court agreed to hear the prosecutor’s case, and the dispute could now roll on for months. It's the latest and most bitter round of a feud that goes back decades. On one side, pious democrats. On the other, authoritarian secularists."

Doubts as Turkish IMF deal expires

The end of a $10bn loan agreement removes an anchor for Ankara's economic and structural reform programme just as the economy appears to be heading into difficulties

A new period starts in relations with northern Iraq

Turkey has once again intensified its efforts in fighting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), with multiple operations carried out over the past several days simultaneously with diplomatic efforts to develop relations with the northern Iraqi administration.

TODAY'S ZAMAN - Analysts predict complexities in Turkey's mediation on Golan

Yusuf Kanlı: Welcoming Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be arriving in Turkey this week for a four-day state visit – their second in 37 years. The four-day stay of the royal couple in Turkey will yet be another demonstration of the strong bonds of friendship and of allied relations. All through the past many years… Ever since the 1987 application of this country for full membership in the European Union, among the members of the Western club of democracies, Britain has always been a staunch supporter, often the sole supporter of Turkey's EU bid. British support to the Turkish membership drive, of course, is not just a product of the strong love and affection London has

Queen Elizabeth's visit is testimony to Turkey's crucial role

Mensur AKGÜN

AKP's closure amid global dynamics

Cüneyt ÜLSEVER

‘Turkish foreign policy hostage to domestic political problems’

2008-05-12T18:27:47Z

[MONDAY TALK] ‘Turkish foreign policy hostage to domestic political problems’

By YONCA DOĞAN POYRAZ

Philip Robins, a leading foreign affairs expert, says the Turkish government is unlikely to move forward with vital issues -- such as accession negotiations with the European Union and a solution to the Cyprus problem, an essential prerequisite for Turkish EU membership -- as a closure case pending against the ruling party has been limiting its abilities.]]>

TODAY'S ZAMAN - Elizabeth II coming to support Turkey's EU bid

Council of State president criticizes the EU on AKP case

The president of the Council of State called on European Union officials who criticize the judiciary due to the closure case opened against the ruling party to respect judicial independence in

JTW News - Baykal Says ‘Those Who Speak In The Name of the EU Are Democracy Prigs’

Turkey's headscarf legislation: The negative impact on EU accession

Antonia Ruiz JIMENEZ

Interior and foreign affairs

By ERGUN BABAHAN, SABAH

The comments made by some officials of the EU, of which we have been trying to be a member, concerning the closure case against the AK Party are sometimes distorted to create chauvinist sentiment.

How to hit at our European protectors

By AHMET HAKAN, HÜRRİYET

I never take offense at the criticism hurled frequently at Turkey by the chorus of "Olli, Barroso and Lagendijk." All in all, it is us who have been pleading to our EU guides to accept us into their union for 50 years.

Is there hope in Cyprus?

The election of Dimitris Christofias as the president of Greek Cyprus last February once more raised hopes for settlement of the Cyprus problem. This is because Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat and Mr. Christofias are longtime friends, sharing -- at least in the past -- similar political philosophies.

Why do they hate the West?

Anti-Westernism used to be a distinguishing feature of the Islamic political identity. Now it is the mark of the Kemalist-secularist stance. The renewed demand of the West, particularly the EU, for democracy and the rule of law has highlighted sharp differences between the vision of a Turkey Europeanized as a natural outcome of the EU integration process and the Turkey visualized by Kemalist-secularist circles. They seem irreconcilable.

Talking Turkey in Washington

In 2004 Sabancı University and the Brookings Institution decided to come together each year in Washington to commemorate the legacy of Sakıp Sabancı with a lecture series in the late industrialist and philanthropist's honor. The inaugural lecture in 2005 was given by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Back to Delphi: Greeks, Turks meet each other

Ariana FERENTINOU

The new balance in Cyprus

BARÇIN YİNANÇ

Land, property to be roughest issues in Cyprus talks

Banking on Turkey

The EBRD continues to play a useful role, especially in the poorer countries of the former Soviet Union. If it can also assist Turkey, then it should

"Pro-Europe bloc wins Serbian elections

2008-05-12T12:07:26Z

Pro-Europe bloc wins Serbian elections

The pro-European political bloc lead by President Boris Tadi? seem to have won a surprise victory in the Serbian elections. In the country’s national elections citizens on vote for party lists, and probably uniquely in Europe, all the seats are allocated proportionally. This system gives room for even small, regional parties of ethnic minorities, such]]>

Serbia's pro-Europe forces claim election win

Blair 'secretly advising Brown'

Tony Blair is advising his successor and has told him how to win the next election, Cherie Blair says.

German clashes on key EU corps

Splits are emerging in Germany over the future shape of the European Union's new diplomatic corps. Senior lawmakers in Berlin's ruling "grand coalition" want the corps...

The EU and the Balkans: again?

Following Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, many European Union countries and Turkey have recognized its independence.

Can EU leaders be silenced?

European politicians have consistently proven they are fully aware of the root causes of the tensions and fault lines in Turkey. They have also repeatedly emphasized that democracy has to be the only game in town and that parties can only be closed down by the people, at the ballot box, as long as they do not advocate terrorism.

Why is the EU appeasing Serbia? by Hajrudin Somun

Serbia is once again faced with a choice. A few days prior to the parliamentary and local elections that are taking place today, it took a student, interviewed on one of Belgrade's streets, to clearly say that his country now has to decide whether it is going to Europe or back into the 19th century. The dilemma is not so simple.

Giuliano Amato: Europe by Degrees

ROME -- A year ago, few people would have bet that the European Union, still reeling from the trauma of the Constitutional Treaty’s rejection in 2005, would be poised to ratify the new Reform Treaty, adopted in Lisbon last December. For some, the fact that the United Kingdom might ratify it even earlier than traditionally “pro-European” countries like Italy merely underscores the Treaty’s lack of new and bold initiatives to accelerate European unification. But they are wrong.

Eurabia Fans: Not just stupider than you think…

By Alex Harrowell on Terrorism

Stupider than you can imagine. Evidence, the map over at this fine post from Sadly, No!. Read the whole thing, but as well as introducing the best title for a blog post ever, they’ve caught “Gates Of Vienna” pretending that in the future, Europe will be divided into Islamic states (with incredibly silly names), Russian protectorates, and the Russian empire, due to teh demographic menace.

Serbian election: EU signals worked?

By P O Neill

To the extent that the EU was able to cobble together a single position on the Serbian election, it was clear that they wanted President Boris Tadic’s Coalition for a European Serbia to do well — hence the offers of an Association agreement during the election campaign and the introduction of fee-free visa travel last week. Apparently the gambit worked –

‘Eurogeneration’ or the Erasmus effect?

By Akli Hadid

It travels in planet 'Erasmus' and speaks 'foreign' without choking. Young, free and equal? Facing multiculturalism and the work world, we still have to break down many walls. Testimonies from an identity still in progress

Serbia: rising nationalism imperils Mladic, Karadzic hunt

By Mira Galanova

Where will the ballot results place Serbia in its snap election on 11 May, and what consequences will it have for the hunt for the Bosnian Serb fugitives?

"The next US President and Turkey

2008-05-12T10:27:48Z

Obama vs. McCain and prospects of US-Turkish relations

"The world wants to see the United States lead. They've been disappointed and disillusioned over the last seven, eight years."]]>

there is a time to give up

By Galip

there is a time to give up... not to quit but to realize and admit enough is enough. it is now time for hillary to concede that she has lost the primaries to barack hussein and negotiate the possibilities of hitting the ballot box together, this time, she as candidate vice president.

Barack Obama enters the danger zone by CHARLES R.LARSON

Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency of the United States has now been hijacked twice: first by white racists and right-wing bigots, and then by Obama's now-infamous former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

Obama seizes back initiative

Barack Obama's sweeping victory in the North Carolina primary election and the narrow defeat in Indiana appeared certain to extend his almost unassailable lead in the race for nominating delegates and further lengthen the odds against Hillary Clinton snatching the nomination

J. Bradford DeLong: John McCain and the Decline of America

BERKELEY – Back in 1981, America’s Republican Party gave up all belief that the government’s budget ought to be balanced. The idea took hold that tax cuts should be undertaken all the time, at every opportunity, because reducing taxes supposedly raised revenue.

A Message From Cajun Country

By E. J. Dionne Jr.

Barack Obama's victory in the North Carolina primary was actually the second important election result for his campaign this month.

The next US President and Turkey

Gila BENMAYOR

Dum n Dummer 2

By Chris Newfield

The LA Times had a poll today showing John McCain losing to either Clinton or Obama, which is good news for the economy. The bad news is that although 56% of the folks in this poll think the eco

McCain's Christian Problem

By Robert D. Novak on Iowa

John McCain, who as the Republican candidate for president has spent the past two months trying to consolidate right-wing support, has a problem of disputed dimensions with a vital component of the

"The World’s Most Repressive Societies 2008

2008-05-11T09:32:25Z

Worst of the Worst: The World’s Most Repressive Societies 2008

Source: Freedom House
From press release:

Increased corruption and controls on nongovernmental organizations placed Chad on a list of the world’s most repressive societies for the first time, putting the country on par with China, Zimbabwe and Syria. The finding is part of the Worst of the Worst: The World’s Most Repressive Societies 2008, a new report released by Freedom House today.

Frederick Trap Friis, American (1865 - 1909). Woman Floating in a River Attended by Two Female Spirits, c. 1895. found in Exceptional Group of Drawings, Prints, and Rare Illustrated Books at the National Gallery

]]>

Digitized manuscripts: a call to the mysterious world of old books

By KERİM BALCI

A manuscript is far more valuable than a printed book. While an e-mail includes no extra value other than the work of the author and a printed book offers only the text created by the author and the page and cover design articulated on computers, a manuscript contains the artistic touches of several people: the author, the copier, the gilder, the marbling artist and the bookbinder.

The Context of Unwanted Sexual Experiences

Source: University of New Hampship
From related Inside Higher Ed article:

The college social scene is the setting or context for much of the unwanted sexual contact that happens on campuses, as a new report by researchers at the University of New Hampshire, exploring the experiences of the university’s undergraduates, details.

May '68: a contested history

By Chris Reynolds

Despite the tendency of decennial commemorations to cement the "official version" of May '68, important questions remain unanswered. Chris Reynolds points out some blind spots in the increasingly stereotyped interpretation of the events in Paris forty years ago.

City Journal, six authors recall a spring that shook the world, May 1968: 40 years later.

15 Things Kurt Vonnegut Said Better

The A.V Club compiles "15 Things Kurt Vonnegut Said Better Than Anyone Else Ever Has Or Will." Here are Vonnegut's statemets about happiness and how he discovered he was a science fiction writer, with commentary by AV.

Lessing: Nobel win a 'disaster'

Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing says winning the award has stopped her writing.

Too Many Writers, Not Enough Readers?

Are there too many writers and not enough readers? Rachel Donadio crunches the numbers. It's well established that Americans are reading fewer books than they used to. A recent report by the National Endowment for the Arts found that 53 percent of Americans surveyed hadn't read a book in the previous year -- a state of affairs that has prompted much soul-searching by anyone with an affection for (or business interest in) turning pages. But even as more people choose the phantasmagoria of the screen over the contemplative pleasures of the page, there's a parallel phenomenon sweeping the country: collective graphomania.

Foucault and anarchism

why is [Foucault] the target of a visceral rejection or at least a complete indifference for most of the anarchists? The author suggests two reasons: Foucault is characterized by a deep pessimism as to the possibility of getting out of power relations or more precisely of organizing them in an emancipative manner and:

Modes of philosophizing

By Jonathan Barnes, Myles Fredric Burnyeat, Raymond Geuss, Barry Stroud

Should philosophy have something to say to non-philosophers? Should it be pursued only by those trained in philosophy? And should analytic philosophy reject continental philosophy or recognize it as another "mode of philosophizing"?

Steampunk, a new trend

By Grant McCracken

I am at C3 at MIT today, and I am sure I will have lots of interesting things to report by the end of the day. But let me point to an article that appeared in the NYT this morning, for those of us interesting in trends and movements in contemporary culture.

La Ferla describes the Steampunk as a

subculture that is the aesthetic expression of a time-traveling fantasy world, one that embraces music, film, design and now fashion, all inspired by the extravagantly inventive age of dirigibles and steam locomotives, brass diving bells and jar-shaped protosubmarines. First appearing in the late 1980s and early ’90s, steampunk has picked up momentum in recent months, making a transition from what used to be mainly a literary taste to a Web-propagated way of life.

Michael Chabon Wins Nebula For Best Novel

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. The Nebula Awards are presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, for superior achievement in science fiction and fantasy writing. Here are the other winners:

The elusive legacy of 1968 by Daniel Cohn-Bendit

"Dany, you have been so successful. But don't let yourself be manipulated by those far-left forces that would lead you to destroy everything that could arise from what you are creating." Forty years later, those words on March 22, 1968, by Jean Baudrillard -- then an assistant professor at Nanterre University -- still sound right.

"The AK Party’s apology

2008-05-11T08:51:05Z

The AK Party’s apology by MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE

The text of the long response the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) gave to the closure indictment against it was published by newspapers this past week.]]> Barzani signals new phase in Turk-Iraqi Kurd relations

The threat hovering over Turkish foreign policy

By ABDÜLHAMİT BİLİCİ, ZAMAN

Middle East expert Stephen Larrabee, who works at one of America's most important think tanks, the Rand Corporation, says if the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is in fact forced to close down, it would be an event felt all over the world.

AKP's approval rating decreases

Public support for Turkey's ruling party has declined due to fluctuations in global markets and political tensions in the country, a new survey suggests. The Justice and Development

What is the MHP thinking?

By MUSTAFA ÜNAL, ZAMAN

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supports changes to the Constitution that would prevent the closure of political parties that have not been involved in terror or violence.

Possibilities in relation to the AK Party

By MEHMET METİNER, BUGÜN

Is the case aimed at forcing the AK Party to close down a political or a legal one? The language and content of the "pre-defense" submitted by the AK Party to the Constitutional Court reveal that the AK Party's own answer to the above-posed question is "this is a political case."

The final target of the restoration plan

By EMRE AKÖZ, SABAH

The aim of the bureaucratic elite these days is to once more carry out restoration. The goal: Break apart surrounding powers and toss them out of positions they have obtained. In order to do this, there are some multi-step plans at work.

The dilemma of being pro-Western

Senior European Union officials -- such as European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Joost Lagendijk, the co-chairman of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission -- have irked staunchly secular circles in Turkey with statements regarding a closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

The AK Party's response

By NASUHİ GÜNGÖR, STAR

The AK Party's defense or, more aptly put, its "response," has finally made its way to the Turkish press.

Warning on political stability

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said a legal closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) increases political uncertainty in Turkey, urging the government to

Does AK Party serve the middle class?

By ISMET BERKAN, RADİKAL

At a recent dinner among friends in İstanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talked about the importance of the middle class in Anatolia not being negatively affected economically and predicted that future political movements in Turkey would be based on these citizens.

Our record is our defense, says AKP

Going on the offensive in the closure case filed against it, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) presented its defense to the Constitutional Court and said the top prosecutor had a political agenda while filing the closure case, and that shutting down the ruling party will pave the way for a regime ruled by the judiciary. The AKP

Secularism In Defense

By Grassroots

"Secularism In Defense
Published: 5/8/2008

BY SUKRU KUCUKSAHIN

HURRIYET- Obviously the sections on secularism will get the most attention in the 98-page defense submitted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to the Constitutional Court. According to the AKP, the public prosecutor's indictment tendentiously tried to create a difference between the AKP he perceives and the real AKP, and took the same strategy on secularism as well. So how did the defense respond to this?"

What is the AK Party waiting for?

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has given its response to the indictment brought against it in the Constitutional Court. Even if it is a truly legal text that will make its mark on history, will this response have any effect on the decision of the Constitutional Court?

Constitutional definitions

The qualities of our republic are defined in Article 2 of the Constitution of the Turkish Republic as follows: "The Republic of Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law … based on the fundamental tenets set forth in the Preamble."

The battle for secularism in Turkey | EuropeNews

Largely underreported in Western media, a significant constitutional battle is taking place in Turkey these days. On March 14th 2008, the Chief Prosecutor filed suit in Constitutional Court demanding the closure of the incumbent AKP party:"

What rights do you have? by EKREM DUMANLI

Turkey doesn't have a genuine civil society yet since there is no civil mindset. However, there will be a civil society one day; there will have to be, because the world is no longer what it used to be, just as states and nations are not their former selves.

Watch out, Abdüllatif Şener

By ERGUN BABAHAN, SABAH

The press publications belonging to the Doğan Group are trying to whip up a certain Abdüllatif Şener storm; at the center of this storm is the implication that if Şener were to form a new political party, it would blow apart the AK Party.

CHP and imperialism

By TAHA AKYOL, MİLLİYET

If Deniz Baykal, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), actually attaches importance to our relations with the EU, doesn't he then need to explain the word "imperialism" that is mentioned so frequently by his party?

Looking into the AK Party’s preliminary defense

The preliminary defense submitted to the Constitutional Court last week by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which is facing a closure case, appeared in the media last Wednesday.

Yesterday Barzani was an enemy

Mehmet Ali Birand

Who Threatens Turkey's Jews?

[Originally published in Turkish Daily News] Ishak Alaton is one of the most prominent names in Turkey’s tiny Jewish community. He, as the boss of the well-established Alarko Holding, is not just a very successful businessman, but also a man of intellect who comments on social and political problems. As a self-defined social democrat, Mr. Alaton believes in social responsibility – not as a public relations strategy, but as a value in itself. A few weeks ago, Mr. Alaton sent a letter to Eyüp Can, the editor-in-chief of Turkey’s up-and-coming business daily, Referans.

President Gül pleases accountants, disappoints workers

President Abdullah Gül late Wednesday used his right to veto a law approved by Parliament, for the first time since he took office last year on Aug. 28. Gül, a former member of the Justice and

The consistency of Kemalism

Many people are truly perplexed about the "odd" transformation that has happened in Turkey. On the one hand, they are trying to understand how conservative suburbanites with Islamic sensitivities have adopted an attitude in favor of modernization.