People react to mosque attacks in Sweden joyously independent.co.uk – Jan 2 – A Muslim community in Sweden that faced a series of Islamaphobic attacks recently has been taken aback after residents ‘love-bombed’ the local mosque in an outpouring of support. After anti-Muslim rhetoric was scrawled into an Uppsala mosque… One in 8 Germans would join … Read more
European Commission – Statement Joint statement on the police raids and arrests of media representatives in Turkey Brussels, 14 December 2014 Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, and Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, issued the following statement today: The police raids and arrests … Read more
“The Digital” as major theme at #AAA2014 Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog by Matt Thompson As I settled in to browse the conference program for the 2014 annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association (just hours before I was scheduled to leave, natch), I was immediately struck by a common … Read more
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
Erdoğan today announced The Palace has 1150 rooms. Adding another number… Divulging cost of Ak Saray would hurt Turkey’s economy, housing administration says ‘If the reason for TOKİ’s refusal to announce the cost is that it will hurt the economy, this shows that there would be speculation on the stock exchange if [it] were announced,’ … Read more
Anthropologists and Israel At the American Anthropological Association‘s annual meeting, momentum builds in favor of a boycott of Israeli universities. “Why I signed” (the petition for academic boycott of Israeli institutions) American Anthropological Association Guest blog post by AAA member, Steven Caton (Harvard U). I have not been a fan of boycotts in the past, so why … Read more
LIVE: Pope Francis becomes first foreign guest of Erdoğan at presidential palace Pope Francis has arrived in Turkey for a three-day visit that many are billing as an opportunity to increase dialogue between the Muslim and Christian worlds at a time of increased religious tension. Pope call to combat fanaticism BBC News | Europe | World Edition … Read more
Graft probe tapings consistent with transcribed files A forensic report on a graft probe started last year has said the transcribed documents and tape recordings of the telephone conversations between the high-profile suspects are consistent Pope Francis to visit Virgin Mary’s House in Turkey Residents of the western town of Selçuk enthusiastically await Pope’s visit to Christian … Read more
1889: A Visit to Constantinople NYT > Turkey by By INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE From the International Herald Tribune archives: The German emperor and empress visited Turkey in 1889. 40 PHOTOS OF OTTOMAN ISTANBUL FROM THE 1900S These rare pictures give an insight into life in Ottoman Istanbul more than a hundred years ago when the Ottoman … Read more
The emerging Middle East order: who can shape it and how? open Democracy News Analysis – by Dlawer Ala’Aldeen For the first time for decades, all sides to the conflict agree that terrorism has grown out of all proportions and poses a major threat to all. The current aerial bombardment by the US and its … Read more
Turkish President Erdoğan dismisses new iPhone: ‘Same as the last’ Erdoğan brushed off the frenzy surrounding Apple’s new iPhone 6, saying it was much the same as its iPhone 5 predecessor Turkey’s PKK peace process ‘at risk’ BBC News | Europe | World Edition Turkey’s role in Syria may put peace deal with its Kurds at risk … Read more
Turkey launches its own brand, logo ‘Turkey, Discover the Potential’ brand is aimed to become a joint identity mark for Turkish goods In other news: US-led raids hit jihadist oil as al-Nusra threatens reprisals US-led warplanes kept up strikes on oil sites funding ISIL, as al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate threatened reprisals after a key operative was reported killed … Read more
27 Acquitted, 1 Convicted For Insult in Twitter Case Bianet :: English İzmir 22nd Assize Court ordered the acquittal of 27 out of 28 defendants charged with “igniting public to violating laws and insulting” during the Gezi Resistance. Turkish scribe sentenced to prison for insulting Erdoğan in book on Gezi protests A journalist has been sentenced … Read more
Turkey seeks solution to metrobus crowds The authorities are set to implement a system aimed at solving problems in Istanbul’s notoriously crowded Metrobus network, which often works above its capacity Simit sellers removed from central Istanbul Street vendors selling simit, a local pastry enjoyed by all walks of life, have been removed from central spots across Istanbul … Read more
These two photos taken at the announcement of ISIL kept hostages freed…. Captive Turkish diplomat resisted ISIL with gun to his head ‘Our consul general faced great difficulty. Two or three times, [the ISIL militants] tried to force him to make a statement by putting a gun to his head. Despite being at gunpoint, he didn’t … Read more