Turkey and Armenians

Now open warfare between AKP and Doğan Media Group (DMG)!

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 After a corruption case whose details given below, DMG papers and CHP started a new wave of attack against AKP and its leadership. As usual Milliyet leads the accusations. As far as I remember PM Tayyip Erdoğan uttered the name of "Aydın Doğan" for the first time and he accused him of not having moral … Read more

Historic game in 3 hours

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Map showing the Turkish areas that were inhabited by Armenians ...

Map showing the Turkish areas that were inhabited by Armenians in 1915. Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul has made a historic trip to Armenia to watch a football match and try to tackle decades of animosity between the estranged neighbours.

(AFP Graphic)

 

I am here in the office working on the dissertation, on a particular chapter and what I want most in life right now is to be in our joint, sitting with my friends and watching the game. Nearly in the break between the first and second halves of the game, we will have our traditional iftar. This will be the tenth? I am expecting 10-15 people to appear for the game and iftar.

There might be some protests in the Armenian side, some provocative acts but these are already expected. Hopefully, this will be a good day for two countries, a good day for me, having friends  around and playing cards all night after a soccer victory. Hmmm even if Turkey loses, I guess, I won’t be too upset. 

There is an ache in my back for three days due to getting cold for sure but today i began to worry if there might be a case of hernia. My dad had one. This makes me more worried; i am going to see a doctor soon if there is no progress! ok Let me back to work on "Internet based Urban Legends in the EU Process" chapter…

Rounding the circle

President Abdullah Gül is traveling to Armenia for a historic visit; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is off to Syria for Middle East talks; direct negotiations are taking place between leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, and the foreign minister of Turkey’s neighbor and former rival Greece declares herself hopeful that the two sides will eventually reach a settlement; and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently visited Turkey.

Can Soccer Heal Turkey-Armenia Rift? – TIME

Issues dividing Armenia, Turkey

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Good news in Turkish foreign policy decisions, Armenia, Cyprus

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Turkey's national soccer team coach Fatih Terim talks during ...

Turkey’s national soccer team coach Fatih Terim talks during a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008. Turkey will play Armenia in a World Cup qualifier in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Sept. 6.

(AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)

 

President Abdullah Gül decided to attend the national game in Erivan this Saturday. On the other hand, negotiations re-started in Cyprus. This time more optimism than ever….There may not be substantive developments in near future but symbolically these are giant steps…

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Should I stay or should I go?*

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* A Clash song.

Latif Demirci. 2 September 2008 Hürriyet VIA

RT Erdoğan: "you are attending the game in Erivan, ok? 

A. Gül: "oh I don’t know. Would that be right?

 

President Abdullah Gül shouldn’t hold back and go to Armenia. It is congruent with AKP policies and with the EU process. Turkey should end this blind hostility anyway. Concessions to ultranationalists did not work so far. There must be a progressive move. Let’s see what happens in a few days as Mr. Gül willdeclare his decision…

Should Gül go to Yerevan?

As President Abdullah Gül continues to consider whether to accept an invitation from his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, to go to Yerevan to watch a World Cup qualifying game between the national teams of the two countries, debates have intensified over the possible consequences of his Yerevan visit. 

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"Between the bear and the elephant

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 I don’t know why but i cannot take the new cold war tension in Black Sea very seriously. My mind is somewherelse. But there is certainly some tension.

  via and via

Between the bear and the elephant

Turkey is trying to tread a fine line of diplomacy between Russia and the West. As an American ally, Turkey has trained and partially equipped the Georgian armed forces under American guidance that aimed to encircle growing Russian power in the Caucasus.

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"Montreux And Turkey

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Montreux And Turkey

BY NASUHI GUNGOR

STAR- We should be watching developments in the Caucasus more closely. Yesterday Russia officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in response to requests from the two breakaway Georgian provinces, according to President Dmitry Medvedev. Considering the developments beginning with Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia earlier this month, this latest move might not seem surprising. But in terms of the bigger picture, one can say that through its recognition Russia took a risky step in a thorny area."

This might never happen:

EU waits for Turkey to break its political crises cycle

Now is the time for Turkey to eliminate obstacles and to continue on its path to European Union accession, said the EU enlargement commissioner in an article he wrote for Turkish daily Milliyet,

I am not sure what Mehmet Ali Birand means. Just listened the speeches of new generals. Not a single change in their discourse. Anti-globalist, anti-EU, anti postmodern. Yeah the new Army general accused of postmodern thought that are a threat to nation-state!!! :

New era at the TSK

Mehmet Ali Birand

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Turkey's Third National Program

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The Third National Program

By Jenny White on Turkey’s Third National Program

Though the Third National Program declared last Monday by government spokesperson and State Minister Cemil Cicek raised hopes among the pro-EU intellectuals of Turkey, many are skeptical about the program’s prospects….

Is the third national program viable?

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"What did you do for the EU today?

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This is a column title by İsmet Berkan but it well portrays my state of affairs; sort of. For the last few days, I am satisfied with the pace of writing and unfortunately these lonely office hours in evenings do not help. I would prefer a crowded and noisy office to this silent and being-alone office. I am glad this damn summer is ending. and here comes a round up mostly on Turkey’s fantasies with all-track diplomacy…

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