For the complete report go to Salon.com or click on this linkThe basic argument is not new in historical circles. The theory is that the incursions of the Ottoman Empire -- all the way to the gates of Vienna! -- forced European principalities to stop squabbling against each other and join forces against a common enemy. This is supposed to have had a huge impact on the ability of fledgling Protestantism to survive the bloody Counter-Reformation. Even mighty Catholic potentates like Charles V and the King of the Hapsburgs Ferdinand I were forced to grant concessions to German Protestants in order to gain their help in fighting off the Turk. (via)
Turkey's economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, presenting the outgoing government with a boost for its economic campaign ahead of a general election...
Demonstrators hold up placards which read: "We all are Hrant Dink, we all are Armenians" before the trial of the suspects charged with the killing of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink starts at a Turkish court in Istanbul July 2, 2007. The banner in front reads: "We all are witnesses". The trial of the suspects charged with killing the editor began on Monday. (TURKEY) REUTERS/Stringer
Looks like our dear blogger-mate
Murat is in the bandwagon of Turkish nationalism though...
The trial of 18 defendants – including the suspected assassin who is a minor – charged in connection with the murder of prominent journalist of Armenian origins Hrant Dink opened yesterday
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül accused the European Union Sunday of playing “petty games”.....
Cengiz AKTAR
Mehmet Ali Birand
Cüneyt ÜLSEVER
Turkish philosopher İnam: I want to surprise Europeans |
| Head of the philosophy department at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), Professor Ahmet İnam compares Turkish culture to a ship. |
 | | Professor Ahmet İnam | “We are all on the same ship. We need to allow this ship to travel to undiscovered continents and show us the way to find new opportunities,” İnam says, emphasizing that we can give back to these lands by better understanding and explaining it to others. The professor, who only sleeps three hours a night, wants to pass on to future generations his philosophy called “theory of heart,” which he says progresses and develops with life. While İnam enjoys reading literature in English, German, French, Latin and ancient Greek, he offers a class titled “Philosophy and Literature” at ODTÜ and has been writing for many literature and art magazines since 1967. The talented professor has been taking lute classes to learn how to use this traditional Turkish instrument. İnam asked his oud (a member of the lute family) teacher to compose music with the popular “saba” melody of Turkish folk music for the poems in the Turkish translation of Nietzche’s book, “La Gaya Scienza.” |
Click to read the interview
The EU train trundling on, but is Turkey on board?
Doğu Ergil: The Hudson affair
From the Reflection Cafe archives:
TURKEY-EU RELATIONS
Does "Muslim" Turkey Belong in "Christian" Europe?, The Pew Forum
European Integration and the Transformation of Turkish Democracy, S.Aydin & F.Keyman
Turkey on the Threshold: Europe’s Decision and U.S. Interests, The Atlantic Council
The Turkish Military's March Toward Europe, Ersel Aydinli, N.A. Özcan, and D. Akyaz
Secularism: The Turkish Experience, Omer Baristiran (Ed.)
Continue reading ""How the Turks made Europe Safe for Capitalism" »
Legendary Anatolian rocker (left) ends up supporting the Nationalist Action Party (MHP). A significant example of "politics makes strange bed fellows" frequently seen in Turkish politics recently... 