Erdoğan blackmailing EU: “Act in Syria [that is fight against Asad], or get ready to accept more refugees… Eurosphere agenda…

Erdogan tells EU: Act in Syria, or get ready to accept more refugees EurActiv.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday (5 October) urged the EU to train rebels, and to consider a no-fly zone and safe haven area in Syria, during talks to address Europe’s growing migrant crisis. US, NATO condemn Russia’s violations of Turkish airspace  EurActiv.com … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “Erdogan in Brussels for migrant talks While bringing Turkish election campaign to Strasbourg, Brussels

Erdogan in Brussels for migrant talks  BBC News | Europe | World Edition Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to hold key talks with EU officials on how to deal with the migrant crisis. MAIN FOCUS: Erdoğan and EU haggle over refugee policy | 05/10/2015 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet with EU representatives in … Read more

Turkish gov’t’s disrespect towards the funerals of fighters fallen in fight against ISIS continues… AND of course Turkey’s top court declares secrecy for hearings in case of Syria-bound intel trucks…

Turkey’s top court declares secrecy for hearings in case of Syria-bound intel trucks The Supreme Court of Appeals has declared “secrecy” for all hearings in a case against the four prosecutors who ordered the stopping and searching of Syria-bound intelligence trucks in January 2014 and a staff colonel involved in the incident Aziz Güler among tens … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “Row over Syria policy

MAIN FOCUS: Row over Syria policy | 30/09/2015 euro|topic The presidents of Russia and the United States met to discuss a policy on Syria at the start of the week. Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad remains the main bone of contention between the two leaders. According to some commentators Putin has pushed through his strategy of including … Read more

The #Aspendos drama. Only ISIS can do worse than Turkey in damaging historical heritage…

White marble used in Aspendos restoration stirs debate Recent restoration work at the historical amphitheater of Aspendos has sparked outrage among tourists and cultural associations, as white marble has been used on the ancient site’s stairs and seats rather than stones of the original texture and color ‘Kitchen renos’ at ancient theater of Aspendos provoke incredulity The … Read more

Tyranny of bureaucracy: Students under Sun, bureaucrats under shade… News from the social fabric…

113 killed in car crashes in Turkey during Eid al-Adha A total of 113 people were killed in car crashes across Turkey during the nine-day Eid al-Adha holiday as hundreds of thousands of citizens began to return amid intensifying traffic 1,500 refugees sent from Edirne to other Turkish cities Syrian refugees, who have waited over 10 days … Read more

Kurdish news agency #DİHA in Diyarbakır raided by Turkish security forces, 10s detained; Turkey recruits more militias against Kurdish guerillas…

A video from the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qi4B5Wk3ok A list of detained DIHA employees: DIHA agency website currently blocked in Turkey: http://www.diclehaber.com/en   Ongoing censorship blocks Kurdish, critical, data-based media … Today’s Zaman–Aug 16, 2015 The majority of sites that have been blocked are Kurdish media outlets, including ANF, ANHA, the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), Rojnews and … Almost … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “France launches Syria anti-IS strikes

France launches Syria anti-IS strikes BBC News | Europe | World Edition France says it has carried out its first air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria France launches first air strikes against ISIL in Syria  AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH) Announcement comes after Hollande unveiled change of strategy due to growing concern over Syrian refugee … Read more

As citizen journalism collective @dokuz8haber also under pressure “Turkish journalism ‘agonizing under unbearable pressure’

It looks like our citizen journalism collective Dokuz8Haber’s Twitter account wanted to be blocked. So far Twitter did not respond positively to Turkish judiciary…  Turkish journalism ‘agonizing under unbearable pressure’ International Press Institute – Sep 24 Category: Press Releases, Europe, Turkey VIENNA, Sep 24, 2015 – Journalism in Turkey is “agonizing under unbearable pressure”, leading … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “Covering the refugee crisis on Snapchat and Periscope

Credit: Image by Patrick Witty for TIME. ‘A day-by-day digital documentary’: Covering the refugee crisis on Snapchat and Periscope The BBC, Bild and TIME have been using Snapchat and Periscope to broadcast raw, unedited footage of their travels with refugees during their journey through Europe… read more   Informal meeting of EU heads of state … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: Volkswagen scandal… “Refugees in Edirne and İstanbul Bus Terminals…

MAIN FOCUS: Scandal over exhaust emissions at VW | 22/09/2015 euro|topics The US Justice Department is investigating German carmaker Volkswagen, according to news reports. The company admitted on the weekend that it had manipulated emissions tests for diesel vehicles in the US. Germany’s much touted reliability has been exposed as a myth, some journalists comment. Others … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “Techfugees aims to crowdsource solutions to Europe’s migrant crisis

Techfugees aims to crowdsource solutions to Europe’s migrant crisis The Next Web by Amanda Connolly Over the past few weeks, we have highlighted the need for the tech community to look outside its bubble at the European migrant crisis. Today, Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large of Techcrunch, has taken this a step further and launched “Techfugees” – a … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “Facebook, German Officials to Target Refugee-Related Hate Posts…

  Google to donate up to $5.5M to help European refugees Google’s charitable arm is pledging to donate an additional $5.5 million to groups trying to help the thousands of refugees pouring into Europe Refugees Met with Generosity and Suspicion in France Global Voices Online by Gaetana DiRoberto Demonstrations in large European cities in favor of refugees … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: Socialist Jeremy Corbyn, new leader of British Labour Party….”Saving Desperate Syrians in the Age of Peer-to-Peer Aid…

Socialist Jeremy Corbyn is elected as leader of British Labour Party Mashable! by Liza Hearon UPDATED: 2:15 p.m. BST, Sept. 12 Leader Corbyn vows Labour ‘fightback’ BBC News | Europe | World Edition Left-winger Jeremy Corbyn sweeps to a landslide victory in Labour’s leadership contest – promising to lead the party’s “fightback”. What are the implications of Corbyn’s … Read more

Eurosphere agenda: “EU migration: Crisis in graphics…

The choice for young Syrian men: leave or learn to kill | Letters from Kate Clow, Margaret Cox, Maureen McGregor, Cath Hallam and Gina Crowley  World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk As a Turkish citizen/resident on the south coast of Turkey, I see nothing of the Syrian refugees who are living in the camps along the Syrian … Read more