After messing up more and more in MidEast, “President Erdoğan to ‘prioritize EU bid’ after October

President Erdoğan to ‘prioritize EU bid’ after October

Hurriyet Daily News

President Erdoğan says he is planning to carry out frequent visits to European capitals after Parliament reopens on Oct. 1 in a bid to accelerate Turkey’s European Union accession process

EU Minister criticizes ‘concerns’ of foreign diplomat over Internet law

Turkey’s EU Minister Volkan Bozkır criticizes the concerns of an Ankara-based foreign diplomat over the recently passed Internet law, saying he has not received any criticism from EU diplomats

Paris conference to plan fight against ISIL

Senior figures from a U.S.-led coalition are to meet in Paris on Sept. 15 to discuss how to defeat ISIL jihadists, as the latest shocking beheading of a Western hostage strengthened their resolve

Arab cooperation is symbolic win for US, but uneasy allies face many tests

 World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Ian Black, Middle East editor

Offers of help from Arab nations attest to the gravity of the Isis challenge, but signs of difficulties are already emerging

Nations Trying to Stop Their Citizens From Going to Middle East to Fight for ISIS

 NYT > Turkey by By SOMINI SENGUPTA

As lawmakers around the world debate laws intended to stop citizens from fighting for foreign terrorist groups, the U.S. is seeking a legally binding United Nations Security Council resolution

Struggling to Starve ISIS of Oil Revenue, U.S. Seeks Assistance From Turkey

 NYT > Turkey by By DAVID E. SANGER and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

The territory ISIS controls in Iraq produces thousands of barrels of oil that can fetch millions on the Turkish black market, and U.S. officials are leaning heavily on Turkey to take action.

Ankara ‘likely to keep’ stance on ISIL action

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu underlines the need for ‘absolute elimination of ISIL’s root causes’

To Stop ISIS in Syria, Support Aleppo

nytimes.com – Sep 15 – President Obama’s speech last week signaled a likely expansion into Syria of American airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, yet offered little indication of an immediate strategy to halt ISIS’ gains there. The administration’s

 

On anti-Americanism
al-Akhbar English
… has a radical stance regarding American policy, while most other Islamists have been infiltrated and neutralized, with some entering into deals with U.S. sponsorship, and others fighting at the behest of handlers in Turkey and Jordan who in turn

Turkish, Greek, Cypriot bosses agree on joint arbitration court

Representatives of the Turkish, Greek and Cypriot private sectors have agreed to set up a joint arbitration center that will deal with the resolution of commercial conflicts

Struggling to Starve ISIS of Oil Revenue, U.S. Seeks Assistance From Turkey

nytimes.com – David E. Sanger – Sep 14 – WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is struggling to cut off the millions of dollars in oil revenue that has made the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria one of the wealthiest terror groups in history, but so far has been unable to persuade

Our Non-Ally in Ankara

WSJ – Sep 12, 3:37 PM – Was it only a week ago that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel listed a ‘core coalition’ of 10 countries willing to join the U.S. effort to destroy the Islamic State? Since then Britain has categorically ruled out military strikes in Syria, while

Contractors Ready to Cash In On ISIS War

thedailybeast.com – Eli Lake – Sep 13, 3:55 AM – America’s rapidly-expanding war against ISIS won’t involve large numbers of U.S. troops on the ground, President Obama is promising. And it’s clear that airstrikes alone won’t beat back the extremist group. Which means that if the President wants

David Haines: ‘a fantastic man and father

theguardian.com – Ian Cobain – Sep 13, 3:39 PM – After 12 years in the RAF, David Haines decided that he wanted to use his experience to work with NGOs who were operating in some of the world’s most turbulent regions. Over the next 15 years, as a security adviser and manager, he worked with

Turkey cites ‘challenges and distresses’ of threat, but resists plans to stop extremist group
Top diplomats from the United States and Turkey are meeting to discuss what Ankara is willing to contribute to a growing worldwide coalition to defeat the Islamic State militant group.

Arabs Give Tepid Support to U.S. Fight Against ISIS

NYT > Turkey by By ANNE BARNARD and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK  //  preview

Three years after the United States left Iraq, its return to the region is getting a less than enthusiastic welcome, with allies finding ways to avoid specific commitments to an expanded effort against Sunni extremists.

Indonesia arrests four Turks over ISIL link

Indonesia’s anti-terrorism police have arrested four Turks suspected of being linked to ISIL

ISIL claimed the beheading of a British aid worker, an act slammed as “pure evil” by Prime Minister David Cameron who vowed Britain would do all it could to catch the killers.

Ministers at odds over Turkish Central Bank policies

Hurriyet Daily News

Two of Turkey’s top ministers have once again clashed over Central Bank policies, after one expressed his discomfort at the perception of division within the government over the economy

Growing discontent against Syrians in Turkey

I was reading the key findings of the German Marshall Fund’s Transatlantic Trends 2014 survey the other day. One of them is Turks’ growing discontent with immigrants.

Ahmet Davutoğlu has convinced the contractors of a roadway tunnel that will connect Istanbul’s two sides to speed up construction, amid growing concerns over safety weaknesses in the sector