Turkey second at government requests from Facebook… Arbitrary justice: “3 Different Case Procedures For “Hitler-Seeming” Erdoğan Banner

Redhack members acquitted in terror case An Ankara criminal court ruled on March 15 for the acquittal of ten Redhack members charged with supporting left-separatist terror organizations. 3 Different Case Procedures For “Hitler-Seeming” Erdoğan Banner  Bianet :: English A banner depicting Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a Hitler-like mustache resulted in 3 insult cases across Turkey with different … Read more

Turkey’s lira record low… “Bureaucrats in rush to run for AKP in election…

  Turkey’s lira drops to record low after US jobs data The currency has hit record lows for weeks as government officials make repeated calls for the Central Bank to cut Turkish interest rates Turkey is Ranked #23 in SwissLeaks Bianet :: English According to the latest leaks that reveled HSBC’s data in Switzerland, Turkey is ranked … Read more

Not surprisingly, Transparency package postponed after Erdoğan’s intervention…

Turkish government postpones transparency package after Erdoğan’s intervention The ruling AKP has postponed the passage of a new transparency package until after the coming election, following an intervention from President Erdoğan Öcalan: HDP Can Pass Election Threshold  Bianet :: English Meeting with the Kurdish delegation in Imrali Prison, PKK leader Öcalan said that Peoples’ Democratic Party could … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: Now another hostage in kosher grocery in Paris while two murderers are holed up…

Armed man takes hostage in kosher grocery in Paris: source Fresh shooting broke out in eastern Paris on Friday, with reports that an armed man had taken a hostage at a kosher grocery store, a source told AFP. Charlie Hebdo massacre survivors start work on new issue Surviving employees of Charlie Hebdo that lost its top staff … Read more

Key vote into graft claims postponed… “Turkish gov’t, HDP herald ‘new phase’ in Kurdish peace process

Panel delays key vote into graft claims related to former ministers Hurriyet Daily News A legislative commission investigating graft claims involving four former ministers has delayed a vote about whether to send them to the Supreme Council until Jan. 5, 2015 How Turkey Sabotaged Its Future  NYT > Turkey by By MUSTAFA AKYOL President Erdogan’s fixation on … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “The EU’s expensive, empty airports

Anti-Islam march in German city  BBC News | Europe | World Edition A controversial march against “Islamisation of the West”, and a big counter-demonstration, are held in the German city of Dresden. Germany and the eurozone: The view from Paris Centre for European Reform On recent visits to Berlin, I have been surprised at how negative people … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “CIA torture: Europe also implicated…

MAIN FOCUS: CIA torture: Europe also implicated | 11/12/2014  euro|topics The Senator’s report on the CIA’s interrogation tactics could also make waves in Europe. It contains evidence that Poland, Lithuania and Romania allowed the US agency to set up secret prisons on their territory. Some journalists call for rigorous investigations. Others believe these countries cannot be … Read more

Turkish economy grows at slowest pace in three years as “Turkish Deputy PM partially acknowledges nepotism in gov’t…

Turkey’s Distressing Dance with Capital Flows Report (TEPAV) N° 201407, November 2014 The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey Fatih Özatay * In the aftermath of the 2001 crisis Turkey took important steps towards achieving macroeconomic and financial stability. Together with favorable international financial conditions, this helped to achieve a rather high per-capita GDP growth. The … Read more

After Cameron (@David_Cameron) and Mogherini (@FedericaMog) break, Turkey can go back to its course of religious authoritarianism…

Britain’s Cameron to travel to Turkey to discuss ISIL foreign fighter problem PM Cameron will travel to Turkey on Dec. 9 to meet President Erdoğan to discuss how to stop Britons crossing into Syria and Iraq to join up with ISIL fighters Cameron says UK and Turkey working hand in glove to stop Isis fighters  World news: … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “EU reaches deal on 2015 budget… Snap Presidential election in Greece… Uber taxi app banned in Spain…

EU reaches deal on 2015 budget BBC News | Europe | World Edition European Parliament and government negotiators reach a deal on the EU’s 2015 budget – a fraught issue amid national budget cuts. South Stream Abandoned: Who Benefits and Who Loses Ideas on Europe By Dimitrije Tasic Fuels might not draw maps of the world, but … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: Merkel coalition partners’s strange desire…

Merkel coalition partners want immigrants to speak German at home  EurActiv.com Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bavarian allies have caused outrage by suggesting immigrant families that want to remain in the country should be obliged to speak German at home.   ‘Speak German at home’ row erupts BBC News | Europe | World Edition A call by German conservatives … Read more

Turkey moves to make Ottoman language compulsory, Erdoğan meets with the militant Islamist leader, Davutoğlu warns Army…

Compulsory Ottoman language classes in high schools stirs debate Turkey’s national education council has agreed to send a proposal to introduce compulsory Ottoman language courses in high school education to a vote in its general assembly meeting After meeting Erdoğan, militant Islamist leader complains of ‘mind control’ The released leader of a militant Islamist group in Turkey … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: Funeral of Tuğçe Albayrak … Viktor Orban of Hungary…

Viktor Orban and the rise of the populist right…right? open Democracy News Analysis – by Joseph Larsen Viktor Orban, like European populists in general, is neither of the right nor the left. He is a child of both. Demotix/Mark Kerrison. All rights reserved. German video reveals fatal attack  BBC News | Europe | World Edition A German … Read more

Turkey and Russia together against EU in South Stream gas pipeline… No Agreement Reached on Syrian No-Fly Zone…

No Agreement Reached on Syrian No-Fly Zone  NYT > Turkey by By HELENE COOPER Turkey is continuing to push the Obama administration to impose a no-fly zone or safe area along the Turkish-Syrian border, administration officials said Monday, but obstacles remain. Putin declares gas discount for Turkey, issues warning on South Stream Turkey and Russia have … Read more

The ideal model: Turkish Foreign Ministry bans use of cell phones at press conferences

  Turkish Foreign Ministry bans use of cell phones at press conferences The Turkish Foreign Ministry has banned the use of cell phones by the press inside the Foreign Ministry Passage of South Stream pipeline via Turkey possible: Minister   Turkey would consider allowing the South Stream pipeline, which will carry natural gas from Russia … Read more