sledgehammer

Erdoğan at TÜSİAD meeting. Another step towards the center. And a politics roundup…

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It seems that AKP is about the settle down as a center right political party with a more islamic tone. In the election process, now comes the peace with TÜSİAD… PM Erdoğan and Businessman Rahmi Koç. Photo source here. US embassy cables: Turkish military ‘plot’ sparks US fears for democracy from World news: Turkey | … Read more

Gül’s Diyarbakır visit: “President embraces use of Kurdish, reaffirms Turkish as official language

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Kurdish Town of Cizre Becomes Bilingual from Bianet :: English The departments in the southeast Cizre municipality building, controlled by the pro-Kurdish BDP are titled in both Turkish and Kurdish. Inspite that Turkey officially recognizes only the Turkish language locals mother tongue Kurdish, will be openly used in public institutions. says deputy mayor Gölçe. Gül?s … Read more

Istanbul notes blog on Turkey’s political financing

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Turkey?s opaque system of political financing by istanbulnotes In my most recent post I highlighted the seeming over-reliance of Turkey?s political parties on state funding. But what of the role of private funding in Turkish politics? When we think about the corruption of the political process, it is usually private money we are talking about. … Read more

BEYANA ÇAPEMENIYÊ. Against the start of Sledgehammer Case, the Military intervenes with an anti-Kurdish statement

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Chief of Staff’s statement against Kurdish usage has been translated to Kurdish (!) ROJ     : 17 Befranbar 2010 SEET    : 15:05 NO       : BA – 03 / 10 1. Komara Tirkiyê ku ji neteweya tirk re diyariya Ataturkê Rêberê Mezin e; hêza xwe ji serweriya gel digre û bingeha … Read more

Report: Ergenekon is our reality

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Turkish NGOs defend Ergenekon investigation with report from Hurriyet Dailynews The legitimacy of the Ergenekon case has now been defended on a point-by-point basis by two civil society organizations that published a report Thursday supporting the investigation. complete report can be accessed here. politics roundup: Bulwark polemic in Turkish politics (!) TESEV?s Kurban: Solving Kurdish … Read more

Tense constitutional amendements process and new arrests at Ergenekon (or no arrests?)

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found at Joe Greer

New arrests in Turkish coup probe

from BBC News | Europe | World Edition
More than a dozen ex-officers are held over an alleged coup plot in Turkey, but the operation is suspended.

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From Tayyip Erdoğan’s photo album…

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I haven’t realized before that PM Erdoğan has a personal website. Hürriyet has a selection of his photos gotten from that website. I have chosen two here. And in the mean time, a particular judge released many of Ergenekon gang suspects, the same judge who had released other suspects before and and more on the constitutional reform move…

Erdoğan'ın albümünden kendi seçtiği fotoğrafları
When he was a football player…

Erdoğan'ın albümünden kendi seçtiği fotoğrafları
Three amigoes:)

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Temporary peace at the top of the State

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Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (C), Prime Minister Tayyip ...

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul (C), Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug (R) meet at the Presidential Palace in Ankara February 25, 2010. Turkey’s political and military leaders meet on Thursday as a storm gathers over a coup plot investigation against the armed forces which is threatening stability and investor confidence in the EU-candidate country. REUTERS/Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Palace Press Office/Handout

Turkey?s Leaders Seek to Defuse Crisis

from NYT > Turkey by By SEBNEM ARSU and SABRINA TAVERNISE
Tensions were rising between the military and the government over the arrests of 20 former and current officers on charges of plotting a coup. Three of those officers were subsequently released.

Turkish leaders meet as coup plot storm gathers – washingtonpost.com

BBC News – Turkey’s religious-secular divide

Release of Turkey generals eases tensions for now – washingtonpost.com

Turkish voices

from BBC News | Europe | World Edition
‘Coup’ arrests spark fresh debate on army’s role

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A roundup of aftermath of biggest raid against Ergenekon

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Power shift from BBC News | Europe | World Edition Turkish army coming under increasing pressure Largest Ergenekon probe touches all untouchables Today’s Zaman İbrahim Fırtına, who was interrogated earlier in January by prosecutors conducting the investigation into Ergenekon, was detained yesterday in addition to Turkish soldiers stand at the entrance of the War Academy … Read more

GATA incident, EMASYA annulled, one more military official arrested- roundup on Turkish politicis

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Ergenekon Col. Dönmez purged from TSK, sentenced to four years imprisonment Today’s Zaman Dönmez who has been considered as a key suspect in the ongoing Ergenekon investigation which aims to reveal the shady network within state, escaped from What the GATA incident tells us by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK An unfortunate incident that took place three … Read more

An interview with Ferhat Kentel: Postmodernity and the Arc of Turkish Identity

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Postmodernity and the Arc of Turkish Identity

from Turkish Politics in Action by Ragan Updegraff

Ferhat Kentel, Professor at Istanbul Sehir University / PHOTO from the Balkans Project

The Balkans Project recently featured a fascinating interview with Ferhat Kentel, a sociologist at Istanbul Sehir University. Working on the construction of Turkish national identity, Kentel is examining one of the most controversial and heuristic themes in Turkish politics — in many ways, a theme that defines, and most certainly pervades, every aspect of political discourse, be it Turkey’s efforts to come to terms with its minorities (Muslim and non-Muslim), its attempts to reconcile Islam and the Turkish naton-state, its ongoing EU accession process, its confrontration with ultra-nationalist elements like Ergenekon, its international relations, etc. I have provided excerpts in this post, though I most definitely recommend reading though the whole interview.

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Gen. Başbuğ’s last angry performance

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There is something artificial in Gen. Başbuğ’s “angry”ness. Despite fisting the table, there is something I still did not feel that he was that angry. It was a performance, not too many buys. He comes to use rhetorical devices:”Our soldiers charge into battle crying out ‘Allah, Allah’,” he said, banging his fist on the table. … Read more

Now in İstiklal Street, A march against coups

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