Global Voices at 5. Congratulations!

Five Years of Global Voices: Where they are now

from Global Voices Online by David Sasaki

The following was originally published at http://www.el-oso.net and is part of a series of posts commemorating Global Voices’ fifth anniversary and supporting of Global Voices’ 2009-10 online fundraising campaign. If you would like to support our work, please visit our Donate page. Thank you!

gv_bdayFive years ago I boarded a flight from San Diego to Boston to attend the 2004 Internet & Society conference at the Berkman Center. This was just a month after George Bush won the 2004 election and so there was an element of group therapy to many of the panel discussions. 2004 was the year when, according to Wired Magazine, the Internet invented Howard Dean. Dean’s campaign was supposed to be the harbinger of a new era of net politics where the progressive grassroots took advantage of online tools like blogs and Meetup.com (this was before YouTube even existed) to bring about more enlightened, representative governance. Instead, according to the ever-snarky Register, ?organized religion, not net religion, won it for Bush.?

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Recep İvedik 3 on February 2010

Turkish blockbuster returns with a new sequel: Recep İvedik 3.  It will also become a blockbuster. That’s for sure. However, the preview is not promising as it did in the second one. I kind of liked and promoted the second one here. But in the new sequel, at least in the previews, more banality based … Read more

“EU-Turkey: a successful 2009?

Hürriyet says Turkey’s ruling men in today’s National Security Meeting were briefed about Turkey-EU relations for an hour.  Ms. Akçakoca has a piece that reviews 2009 in this respect.  It was a dire year as she says…

EU-Turkey: a successful 2009?

by AMANDA AKÇAKOCA
After two years of domestic crises, there were high expectations that 2009 would be a year of political stability and progress. In particular, Turkey?s relationship with the European Union was quite dire, with Ankara having put the EU dossier on the backburner for such a long time that most people had started to believe that Turkey?s commitment to the process was nothing more than lip service. Therefore, when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan traveled to Brussels last January (his first trip in years) expectations were raised.

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Enver Aydemir needs help

“conscientious objector Enver Aydemir is in military prison under torture” Enver Aydemir, Turkey’s first conscientious objector based on religious reasons, has been arrested and sent to a military prison. Military prisons are already notarious places and it is very likely that Mr. Aydemir is exposed to torture… Bianet news in Turkish. A Facebook support group … Read more

In the heart of coup preparation center

An investigation in Special Forces headquarters continues more than 24 hours. It is called the “Cosmic Room”, military’s top secrets are kept. Even copying is not permitted so the Judge takes notes about documents found there….

President of the Turkish parliament and vice prime minster Bulent ...

President of the Turkish parliament and vice prime minster Bulent Arinc, seen here on the right in 2007. Eight soldiers have been questioned over a presumed plot against Turkey’s vice prime minister, the army has said on its website. (AFP/File/Str)

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Rakı industry strikes back, Rakı viral ads in the net

Since advertising of alcoholic beverages are very limited, more video ads are circulating thru social media. Here is the latest one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf-IyC-zKNw

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Istanbul Eats on Araf, and more news about Istanbul

Istanbul Eats blog stopped by Erkan’s all time favorite bar in Istanbul, Taksim.

Istanbul Eats Drinks: Araf Cafe Bar

from Istanbul Eats

araf
(Editor?s Note: Since we realize that those who love to eat usually also like to drink, we are introducing a new feature, ?Istanbul Eats Drinks,? an occasional look at some of the city?s more appealing bars and lounges, places that still have that authentic Istanbul vibe.)

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Anthro roundup- AAA Issues Report on Human Terrain Teams and more

AAA meeting round-up: What did all those anthropologists talk about? from antropologi.info  by Lorenz Three weeks ago, anthropologists from all over the world met in Philadelphia at the annual meerting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). What did all those anthropologists talk about during the largest anthropology meeting in the world? This is no easy … Read more

Turkey’s (another) shame

Elected Kurdish mayors are handcuffed while taken to the court. That was not necessary. Probably it is the work of an officious local police chief….

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Patriarchate is all right. Crisis seems to have been resolved.

Patriarchate clarifies: ‘Crucifixion’ means sorrow, hardships

Today’s Zaman

A statement from the İstanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarchate said that Patriarch Bartholomew’s words on a CBS television program broadcast in the United

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After all, assasination claims might be right…

Last night, Chief of Staff İlker Başbuğ stated that there are 8 soldiers under custody in relation to assassination claims of Bülent Arınç There had been a search going on at the Special Forces headquarters. Mr. Arınç is one of the State Ministers of Turkey and Vice-Prime Minister today…. In other developments: Why do soldiers … Read more

And Muslim Turks make peace with Christmas

My older sister loves all kinds of decorations on special days. This was always an annoyment for the rest of kids in the family. Now she is married and I hear that she takes her hobby to a new level.  They have a Christmas tree and had worked on decorating it. Of course, they do this to welcome the new year. Christmas and new year practices are blended in many Turkish minds into new year celebrations. Surprisingly enough, my sister always criticises me for consuming alcohol. She is not veiled at all but she is quite a practicing religion woman and I am frequently subject to her anger that I am not a good Muslim. Funny.

Santa movie spotlights Turkey’s east-west divide
CNN
ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) — It may be the first modern Christmas movie ever made for audiences in Turkey, a mostly Muslim country that does not celebrate

EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight – Turkey: Istanbul Gets in the Christmas Spirit

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Domestic intelligence wars continue; was there an assasination attempt or not?

Suspected Turkish Coup Plotter Kills Self – Report – NYTimes.com

Yet another ?unconvincing? statement

by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK

Following its days-long silence regarding an assassination plot to kill Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç allegedly devised by military officers, the General Staff broke its silence on Wednesday and responded to criticism.

Institutional warfare

by YAVUZ BAYDAR
Turkey exits 2009 in a mood of profound internal suspicion, with mistrust between the various key decision-making circles, anxiety and fear. Lately, every event that has unfolded has raised new, powerful questions about the future of politics and whether or not Turkey will ever be democratically manageable.

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“The top 100 most costly EU regulations” and more

Cold weather, post Copenhagen blues etc and more from the European agenda…

The top 100 most costly EU regulations

by Open Europe blog team

Open Europe has today published a list of the top 100 most costly EU regulations, detailing the annual cost of the laws, the cumulative cost of them by 2020, and the article base in the Lisbon Treaty for each regulation . We estimate that these laws will in total cost the UK economy a staggering £184 billion by 2020. To put that figure in context: for the same amount, the UK Government could abolish the country’s entire budget deficit and still leave the Exchequer with some £6 bn. All cost estimates are based on the UK Government’s own impact assessments so the figures are instructive.

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One step further, Turkey opens environment chapter

Turkey opens environment chapter in EU accession talks

Turkey opens environment chapter in EU accession bid – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu smiles as he briefs the media after an accession conference at the European Union Council headquarters in Brussels December 21, 2009. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

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