I do not believe NATO is doing well at all. I am not sure to what extent this summit triggered international reactions, but here in Türkiye, it was a big deal. The government used this as an occasion to show off. I have asked both ChatGPT and Perplexity to collect information about this summit. You … Read more
International Press Institute (IPI), together with press freedom, freedom of expression, and human rights organisations, has written to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to raise urgent concerns about the denial of accreditation to independent media in Türkiye seeking to cover the 2026 Ankara Summit. Dear Secretary General Rutte, The undersigned press freedom, freedom of expression, … Read more
Ankara is no good for the citizens nowadays. The media accreditation process is especially disappointing. Here is a roundup: Preventive arrests and bans on dissent Police have detained more than 200 people in large “anti‑terror” operations in Ankara, Istanbul and other cities, formally targeting alleged members of jihadist and far‑left organisations.[4][3][5] Among those detained are … Read more
Two new reports tell a similar story about democratic decline inside “the Western alliance”. One tracks the steep fall of academic freedom in the United States. The other shows Turkey sinking to the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index. Together, they suggest that NATO’s “allies” are increasingly aligned militarily, but drifting away from any … Read more
I saw this Politico news, EU cuts Hungary out of sensitive talks over leaking-to-Russia fears, diplomats say and I asked Perplexity to do more inquiries on this. Here is the report: The claim that “the EU is cutting Hungary out of sensitive talks over leaking‑to‑Russia fears” refers to a real, ongoing diplomatic practice, but not … Read more
Kürecik and Incirlik bases in Türkiye together form a tightly linked “eyes and fists” system for the US and NATO against Iran: Kürecik is the early‑warning radar, Incirlik is the main operational hub that can act on that data.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Here is an interactive map I created via Perplexity. What Kürecik actually does Function: Kürecik (Malatya) … Read more
We live in unprecedented times. It is hard to believe that the US threatens to grab a piece of land from a European ally. As a symbolic gesture, a few European countries sent soldiers to Greenland. In no way is this enough against the giant American military force… Trump’s Greenland threats have produced an unusually … Read more
According to the German news outlet tagesspiegel.de, that’s the case, but I asked Perplexity for more confirmation. Here is what I found: The phrase making the rounds is partly accurate but also somewhat misleading. Denmark’s military intelligence has, for the first time, described the United States as a potential security risk in its annual threat … Read more
Over 1,000 Police Officers Are Detained in Raids in Turkey NYT > Turkey by By PATRICK KINGSLEY In the biggest sweep since the referendum on presidential powers, those arrested were accused of being “secret imams” for the American-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. 9,103 Police Officers Suspended Security General Directorate has announced that 9,103 law enforcement staff members have … Read more
Commission urges ‘different type of relations’ with Turkey EurActiv.com by Georgi Gotev The European Union executive urged EU governments yesterday (24 April) to consider changing its relationship with Turkey after a referendum that handed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sweeping powers put Ankara’s stalled membership talks deeper into cold storage. PACE reopens monitoring process against Turkey The Parliamentary … Read more
Debate: EU at 60: celebrations in turbulent times euro|topics On March 25, 1957, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the Treaties of Rome – effectively the birth certificate of the European Union. Sixty years on the leaders of 27 EU states will once again convene in Rome and address the question of where … Read more
Turkey protests against Norway giving officers asylum AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH) Ambassador to Ankara summoned after Norway grants political asylum to Turkish officers allegedly linked to failed coup. Debate: Berlin refusing to export arms to Turkey euro|topics The German government has rejected several requests from Ankara for arms exports in recent months. The human rights situation … Read more
Forget Russia, new menace in Western Balkans is Trump-style populist politics EurActiv.com by Denis MacShane A new menace is stalking the Western Balkans: the region’s political leaders themselves. Many are now retreating from serious engagement with Europe in order to play internal political games, writes Denis MacShane. Black flags from Rome: Mafia and Isis, as before Mafia … Read more
Turkish author Asli Erdogan on her 136 days in jail BBC News | Europe | World Edition Turkish author Asli Erdogan was jailed for 136 days over her links with a pro-Kurdish newspaper. Doorstep demand BBC News | Europe | World Edition Asli Erdogan could face life in jail after being accused of involvement in … Read more
Romania leaders under growing pressure amid protests BBC News | Europe | World Edition A new decree to free officials jailed for corruption has sparked outrage across Romania. Romania protests continue against government ‘thieves’ Aljazeera.com–3 hours ago “I do not want to divide Romania,” a pale and tired-looking Grindeanu said in a televised address, sparking … Read more