'Sometimes NATO Ally' 'Islamist' Turkey ready to arm Kosovo Security Force.

'Sometimes NATO Ally' 'Islamist' Turkey ready to arm Kosovo Security Force.(BalkanWeb)[GoogleTranslate].

 Hmmm....This 'Islamist' Dictator will be the cause of lots of bloodshed.

@wellsla "Sometimes NATO Ally" #Turkey pres #Erdoğan says WWI has not ended yet. https://t.co/jHgDF8SvlZ

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) March 19, 2015

Related: 'Sometimes NATO ally' 'Islamist' Turkey wants NATO to expand with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Georgia.

Amal Clooney 'guns blazing' accuses Turkey of hypocrisy on freedom of speech in Armenian genocide trial

Amal Clooney accuses Turkey of hypocrisy on freedom of speech in Armenian genocide trial.(Telegraph).

Amal Clooney, the human rights barrister, has accused Turkey of double standards on freedom of expression for defending a Turkish Leftist who described the Armenian genocide an "international lie".

Mrs Clooney, who is representing Armenia on behalf of Doughty Street Chambers along with Geoffrey Robertson QC, said Turkey's stance was hypocritical "because of its disgraceful record on freedom of expression”, including prosecutions of Turkish-Armenians who campaign for the1915 massacres to be called a genocide.

The ECHR upheld his right to question in a “debate of clear public interest” and questioned if it was possible to define as a genocide, a policy of deliberate extermination, the massacres and deportations of Armenians by the Turks a century ago.

The human rights lawyer, who married George Clooney her Hollywood film star husband last September, accused the Strasbourg’s court’s human rights judges of being “simply wrong”.

“It cast doubt doubt of the reality of genocide that Armenian people suffered a century ago,” she said “Armenia must have its day in court. The stakes could not be higher for the Armenian people.”

Switzerland has laws against the denial of all genocide as part of its anti-racism laws but the ECHR ruled that Mr Perinçek's right to freedom of speech was violated when he was convicted as a criminal by a Swiss court for his claims.

In a December 2013 judgement, the European court concluded that there was not a “general consensus" that the massacres of Armenians had constituted genocide and that only 20 countries out of 190 worldwide classed it as such.

“Armenia is not here to argue against freedom of expression anymore than Turkey is here to defend it. This court knows very well how disgraceful Turkey’s record on freedom of expression is,” she said.

"You have found against the Turkish government in 224 separate cases on freedom of expression grounds.” Hmmm....It always takes a woman to do a man's job in the PC World. Read the full story here.

Pres Obama once again fails to recognize Armenian Genocide

Statement by the President on Armenian Remembrance Day

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 24, 2014

Statement by the President on Armenian Remembrance Day

Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor those who perished in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.  We recall the horror of what happened ninety-nine years ago, when 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, and we grieve for the lives lost and the suffering endured by those men, women, and children.   We are joined in solemn commemoration by millions in the United States and across the world.   In so doing, we remind ourselves of our shared commitment to ensure that such dark chapters of human history are never again repeated.

I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view has not changed.  A full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all of our interests.  Peoples and nations grow stronger, and build a foundation for a more just and tolerant future, by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past.  We continue to learn this lesson in the United States, as we strive to reconcile some of the darkest moments in our own history.   We recognize and commend the growing number of courageous Armenians and Turks who have already taken this path, and encourage more to do so, with the backing of their governments, and mine.  And we recall with pride the humanitarian efforts undertaken by the American Committee for Syrian and Armenian Relief, funded by donations from Americans, which saved the lives of countless Armenians and others from vulnerable communities displaced in 1915.

As we honor through remembrance those Armenian lives that were unjustly taken in 1915, we are inspired by the extraordinary courage and great resiliency of the Armenian people in the face of such tremendous adversity and suffering.  I applaud the countless contributions that Armenian-Americans have made to American society, culture, and communities.  We share a common commitment to supporting the Armenian people as they work to build a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous nation.

Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Armenians everywhere, as we recall the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honor the memory of those lost, and reaffirm our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia and to the principle that such atrocities must always be remembered if we are to prevent them from occurring ever again. Source

Related: 

US ambassador honors Armenian Genocide victims

 About the Armenian genocide:

The American ambassador, Henry Morganthau Sr US Embassador at the time of the events, was also outspoken. In his memoirs, the ambassador would write: “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.”

Turkey's Minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator, Mevlut Chavushoglu: "Turkey doesn’t recognize so-called Armenian genocide."

Turkey's Minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator, Mevlut Chavushoglu: "Turkey doesn’t recognize so-called Armenian genocide". (Taz).

Turkey doesn't recognize the so-called Armenian genocide, as throughout the country's history, there was not any genocide against Armenians that lived in its territory, Turkey's Minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator, Mevlut Chavushoglu said, Anadolu agency reported on April 24.

No one denies that Armenians were killed during the events of 1915, but we must not forget that alongside with Armenians, Turks, Arabs and Kurds were also killed during these events, according to Chavushoglu.
Turkey's Cabinet of Ministers spread a message in connection with the events of 1915 on April 23.
The message says it is important not to be a captive of historical events and there is need to create a foundation for building a common future.

The events of 1915 were a difficult time not only for the Armenians, but also for Arabs, Kurds and representatives of other nations living in the country, according to the message.

"Nevertheless, it is impossible to use the events of 1915 as a tool of political pressure on Turkey," the message of Turkish government said.

The message says Turkey supports the creation of a joint historical commission to investigate the events of 1915 and expresses condolences to the families of those killed in the events of 1915, including the Armenians.(Hmmm.....After 'purifying' the Turkish archives for 100 years)

The message highlights that the events of 1915 are common grief.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor the Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. While strengthening the efforts to promote the so-called genocide in the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments of some countries.

Despite Turkey's efforts on creation of a joint commission with Armenia to investigate the events of 1915, Armenia hasn't responded to this proposal so far.

About the Armenian genocide:

The American ambassador, Henry Morganthau Sr., was also outspoken. In his memoirs, the ambassador would write: “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.”

Armenians still feeling heat in Turkey, experts argue.

Armenians still feeling heat in Turkey, experts argue.(TZ).

Armenians still feeling heat in Turkey, experts argueTurkish public figures have argued that Armenians as well as other non-Muslim minorities are still feeling as an "outsider", a heavy burden for a country that seeks to become a democratic nation. 

Author Roni Margulies, speaking during a panel discussion in "Facing Genocide" Forum in İstanbul on Wednesday, said 99 percent of Turkish people, including the prime minister, is making minorities feel as an outsider.

Noting that he doesn't feel himself as a citizen in Turkey, Margulies said people in Turkey believe Armenians and Jews are controlling the world. 

Margulies said he "doesn't care about an apology" and that "all of us are Turks according to the Constitution." 

He added that this state is established as the state of Turks and that only 50-60,000 Armenians left in the country today. "This state has never viewed minorities as its own citizens," Margulies said.

Truth, Justice and Memory Center founder Özgür Sevgi Göral said in her speech that there is a political structure that puts "Turkishness" ahead of other ethnicities. She said "what we need to do is to prove it as a tangible crime while not making it extremely local."

About the Armenian genocide:

The American ambassador, Henry Morganthau Sr., was also outspoken. In his memoirs, the ambassador would write: “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.”

Experts debate lack of religious freedom in 'Neo-Ottoman' Turkey.

Experts debate lack of religious freedom in 'Neo-Ottoman' Turkey.(TZ).

Even though Turkey has taken some steps regarding religious freedoms for Muslim and non-Muslim minority groups, there are still areas of concern, like the lack of special legal status for religious communities and the state's control over religion.

“Turkey is a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights, which entails religious rights. And all European countries have addressed this problem -- legal personalities -- not Turkey. It is hard to explain why Turkey does not address this issue,” said Gerald Knaus, chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI), at the Round-Table Conference on Freedom of Religion in Turkey and the EU Member States, held in İstanbul from Feb. 5-6, 2014.

Knaus referred to a 2010 report by the Venice Commission on the legal status of religious communities in Turkey and the right of the Orthodox Patriarchate of İstanbul to use the adjective “ecumenical.”

In the report, the Council of Europe's Venice Commission said the recognition of the legal personality of religious minority institutions and communities established in Turkey is a major issue.

A member of Turkey's Greek community said at the conference that the current Turkish government's approach to the issue has been friendly, yet there is an attitude of superiority.

“The Greek patriarchate has no legal personality. In regards to the properties confiscated from the minority foundations, yes, they are given back -- although there are some problems -- but they are given back without an apology, and this giving back is done as if the government is granting a gift.”

Cengiz Aktar, senior scholar of the İstanbul Policy Center, agreed.“This is Prime Minister [Recep] Tayyip Erdoğan's style; he kind of donates or grants rights to people; but his decisions are not backed by legal and institutional guarantees. He tells people that ‘I'm in charge of your safety and security.' This is a bit like in the Ottoman Empire,” he said.

According to historian and writer Herkül Millas, though the Justice and Development Party's approach is more friendly than the Kemalists hard-line approach, it is not modern.

“This is a move from a Kemalist to an Islamist approach; it is not modern. It is a romantic movement related to the Ottoman era. It does not provide liberties to individuals but groups, as it was in the ‘millet' system for people,” he said.

Another problem the participants discussed is the state's control of religion in Turkey, where the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), Turkey's top Islamic authority, only serves the needs of the country's Sunni Muslim community.

“We need to have a modern understanding of citizenship and secularism,” Millas said. “Minorities are human beings. They want their citizenship rights; they do not want to be treated like subjects. Being treated like subjects is humiliating.“

Samim Akgönül, a professor from the University of Strasbourg, said that Turkey's policy of minorities is one of domination.

“It's time to go beyond the identity of religiousness and move to individuality of groups without identifying them with religion. Identity works against individuality and that is how it was in the Ottoman period. However, the right concepts should be based on free individuals, practicing or not.”The conference's participants have debated obstacles confronting reforms in Turkey; perspectives on religious freedom; and the state and Muslim affiliations in Turkey in the 21st century.

Turkish MP: Erdogan’s anti-Semitism difficult to reverse.

Turkish MP: Erdogan’s anti-Semitism difficult to reverse.(TOI).

Even under a different government, it would take ‘quite some time to mend inter-societal relations,’ Aykan Erdemir warns

The effects of the Turkish prime minister’s ongoing anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic agitation have permeated society there and will not be easily reversed, a Turkish member of parliament said this week, amid reports of an imminent deal between Ankara and Jerusalem that would end a four-year long diplomatic crisis between the two governments.

While Israel and Turkey could easily repair bilateral ties on a political level, hostility toward Jews — deliberately fomented by Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s fiery rhetoric — is likely to persevere, even if a different government takes power in Ankara, said Aykan Erdemir, a freshman lawmaker from the center-left Republican People’s Party, or CHP, Turkey’s largest opposition party.

Turkey was not perfect before Erdogan’s Islamist Justice and Development Party, or AKP, took power in 2003, he allowed in an interview with The Times of Israel at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“But after 12 years of Erdogan-rule, we are at a more dangerous place. The anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic feelings are deeper and stronger. And to be frank, even after Erdogan and AKP are gone, even if CHP comes to power, it will take us quite some time to mend inter-societal relations through dialogue, awareness raising, and sensitivity training.”

Turkish society is ambivalent about Israel and Jews, according to Erdemir, who insisted that “positive attitudes toward Jews can coexist alongside anti-Semitic feelings.

“The problem,” he said, “cannot be reduced to negative feelings about interstate relations — it is deeper than that. Erdogan is a very skillful master who manipulates public sentiments and capitalizes on them. So in that respect, as long as Erdogan is in power there will always be the possibility of a new and prolonged crisis.”

Erdogan is “Janus-faced” in that he has two seemingly opposing approaches to relations with Israel, Erdemir continued. “He can be quite pragmatic toward Israel while also capitalizing on the existing anti-Israeli sentiment in Turkey,” he said. “We have to accept that some of that sentiment is not just anti-Israeli but anti-Semitic… He is not only capitalizing on the existing sentiments but he is in a way fueling some of that anti-Israel and anti-Semitic feeling. How? With his rhetoric, conspiracy theories, campaign slogans and actions.”

The government in Ankara is indeed involved in under-the-radar efforts to improve relations with Israel, Erdemir confirmed. “But my worry is that Erdogan’s approach is based on wrong premises. Erdogan’s core values vis-à-vis Jews and Israel prevent him from dealing with this issue in a tolerant, embracing and sustainable way.”

An authoritarian leader, Erdogan could alter his party’s position on Israel very easily. “He can change its political, economic and diplomatic course of action single-handedly. Can he do the same vis-à-vis the values, attitudes and stereotypes? I don’t want to call the damage irreversible, but we have to admit that it’s going to be difficult.”

Erdogan’s attitudes and political moves “cannot just be reduced to Sunni radicalism, although that’s a major component,” Erdemir said. “Some of it is neo-Ottomanism. He has visions to be a world leader, particularly influential in the former Ottoman territories.”

Even if a different party wins the next elections and changes the course of the current government, eradicating anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment will be a long-term process, he predicted. But diplomatic, military, cultural, educational and tourism ties “could be strengthened to a great extent.”Hmmm.....Erdogan: ' "The ones they [our enemies] hate we must love"'.Read the full story here.

Obama's BFF Erdogan wants reformation of UN Security Council.

Obama's BFF Erdogan wants reformation of UN Security Council.(Taz).

Turkey's prime minister called for reformation of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, saying that permanent members were obstructing humanitarian aid from getting to Syria, Anadolu Agency reported.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan - talking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin - said that although the U.N. is the largest peace organization in the world, it could not take essential steps "primarily due to the inaction of permanent members of the U.N. Security Council."

"These permanent members are obstructed due to the wrong information which shows reformation is needed at the council. Unless it is reformed, the U.N. Security Council" will be at the mercy of a permanent member with veto power.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said the situation in Syria was "inconceivable".
"We want to further advance the unity of international community of states, especially the UN Security Council," she said.

Erdogan - on a two day trip to Germany - mentioned the Anadolu Agency's joint exclusive which revealed 55,000 photographs of torture victims - allegedly at the hands of the Syrian regime.

Erdogan said that Turkey houses around 700,000 Syrian refugees, that 220,000 of them live in tent and container cities, and Turkey has spent $2.5 billion providing for them so far.

"The United Nations has given US$130 million. Whether it aids or not, we will continue to host our Syrian neighbors with an open-door policy."Hmmmm.......At the beginning of 2014, the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan had risen to 1.3 million, do you hear King Abdullah mentioning the cost?Only Turkish Pm Erdogan mentions the cost.

Iranian cleric’s fatwa adds fuel to Syria fire.

Iranian cleric’s fatwa adds fuel to Syria fire.(NCRI).

A leading Iranian cleric based in the city of Qom followed by Iraqi militants linked to the Iranian regime has issued the first public religious edict permitting his followers to fight in Syria’s alongside the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s forces, Associated Press reported.

Kazim Al-Haeri, one of the mentors of Iraqi cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, comes as thousands of Iraqi fighters play a major role in killing the Syrians who oppose Bashar Assad.

Asked by a follower whether it is legitimate to travel to Syria to fight, Al-Haeri replied: “The battle in Syria ... is a battle of infidels against Islam and Islam should be defended. Fighting in Syria is legitimate and those who die are martyrs,” Al-Haeri said in comments posted on his official website.

An official confirmed that the comments are authentic.

Obama's BFF Turkish PM Erdogan says territories of Balkan countries belong to Turkey.

Obama's BFF Turkish PM Erdogan says territories of Balkan countries belong to Turkey.(FOCUS Information Agency).

Skopje. Greece rose to its feet as it reacted to comments made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Turkish territory included the Greek part of Thrace, parts of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonian Utrinski Vesnik announced.

“Thrace is Thessaloniki but at the same time it is Komotini and Xanthi,” Mr Erdogan said during a speech delivered as part of the campaign for next year’s local elections.

“It is also Kardzhali [in Bulgaria] and the Vardar River. Going further back, it is Skopje, Pristina and Sarajevo.”

Greece considered this statement anything else, but an expression of friendly attitude of a neighbouring country that Greece made attempts to overcome problems and establish partnership with.

“The Turkish PM tries to expand the Turkish conquests and claims concerning the Balkans,” Tanea.gr informed, while Imerisia.gr wrote: “Erdogan is incredible – Thessaloniki also belongs to Thrace”.
“In this way Erdogan continues with provocations in terms of breathing new life into the old but never forgotten plan to revive the “Turkish Republic of Thrace”, which includes portions of Greece, of southern Bulgaria and of the Central Balkans,” Tanea.gr also wrote.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson also today commented on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s words concerning territories which he stated belonged to Turkey.

The spokesperson stated that Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry, proceeding from the assumption that Bulgarian-Turkish relations had been traditionally good and that a sitting of the Commission on Unresolved Issues was forthcoming, believed that such statements did not aid the development of bilateral dialogue aiming at efficient and pragmatic solutions [to issues].

The Foreign Ministry also stated that such interpretations connected with the Balkans past had to be handled carefully, having in mind the peculiarities in the history of the Balkan countries and the sensitivity they might invoke.

Prof. Bozhidar Dimitrov, Director of Bulgaria’s National Historical Museum, stated that such statements as the one on the part of Mr Erdogan should not be made, especially as Bulgaria and Greece, two of Turkey’s neighbouring countries, were EU member states.

As it is well known, Turkey is a candidate for EU membership and relies on Bulgarian and Greek support so that it could join the EU.Hmmmm.....Just keep in mind Iran never talked about increasing their territory, Erdogan often refers to increasing it.Who's more dangerous?........ Das Gross Osmanischen Reich?

Qatar, Saudi Arabia go separate ways on Syria war: report.

Obama 'admin' Officials To Meet With Syrian Jihadist Rebels In Turkey. 

Qatar, Saudi Arabia go separate ways on Syria war: report. (Alalam).

Qatar and Turkey, the first two biggest supporters of the war in Syria to topple the government, have left Saudi Arabia, another funder of the war, alone in a major shift of policy, a new report suggests.

When the s-called Free Syrian Army(FSA) first came to light more than two years ago, the main financial backers and supporters were Qatar and Turkey, were leading efforts to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, a report in the Al-Monitor said.

“Today the FSA seems to be having its worst days,” the report said referring to latest troubles the armed group has been facing, mainly due to taking in al-Qaeda-linked and extremist groups that have recently turned gun on them.

The Al-Monitor’s report cited an Arab official from a country that used to be involved in the military support of the Syria conflict, saying that the main reason of recent changes was “a unified Turkish-Qatari decision to retreat from the Syrian mud after reaching a conclusion that the political solution might be the best choice not only for the Syrians but also for the region”.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity was quoted as saying that Qatar’s former king had good relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and their wives were friends. Even Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera didn’t start its anti-Assad coverage right at the beginning of the insurgency.

But Qatar soon turned to the opposite side because of a speech by Assad in the parliament at early stages of the insurgency which the source said wasn’t welcomed by Doha.

Almost three years of bloodshed in Syria, more than 120,000 people dead, and the rise of al-Qaeda in Syria are giving the Qataris and the Turks a clear indication that what’s to come is worse: “Since the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, many things changed in the region; it was as if there’s a decision to make the group’s main allies in the region pay the price, and in Syria this was clear,” the official source elaborated.

“Groups backed by Saudi Arabia were battling the FSA more than they fought the government, not to mention al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria who have a completely different agenda.”

When the former emir of Qatar stepped down, there was an internal decision to review policies. “Qatar is a small country with a lot of potential,” the source said. “There was a need to set priorities, development and business or politics, and the overwhelming answer was the first.” The source explained that this needed time, “with the help of main regional players in the region, and after arriving at a certain conclusion that there’s no real horizon in Syria, the decision was taken. Qatar stands by the Syrian people and will continue to help them, but it will help more in facilitating a peaceful end to the conflict.”

Qatar has been the biggest funder of war in Syria which started as pro-reform protests in 2011, but turned to into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional countries.

A report by the British Financial Times in May revealed that Doha government had spent more than 3 billion dollars to support anti-Syria war while Saudi Arabia was the second biggest supporter.

Saudi prince Prince Turki bin Faisal: US, UK didn’t help enough to topple Syria gov’t.

Saudi prince Prince Turki bin Faisal: US, UK didn’t help enough to topple Syria gov’t.(AlAlaam).

 Former Saudi spy chief says the United States and Britain have not provided enough help to Syrian opposition for toppling the government in the Arab country.

“What's more damaging is that since the beginning of this conflict, since the [so-called Free Syrian Army] FSA arose as a response to Assad's impunity, Britain and the US did not come forward and provide the necessary aid to allow it to defend itself,” former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal told Reuters in the French city of Monaco on Saturday.

“You have a situation where one side is lopsided with weapons like the Assad regime is, with tanks and missiles - you name it, he is getting it - and the other side is screaming out to get defensive weapons against these lethal weapons that Assad has,” Turki said.

He went on to say, “That to me is why the FSA is in not as prominent position as it should be today, because of the lack of international support for it. The fighting is going to continue and the killing is going to continue.”

“For me ... [to bring a] successful end to this conflict would be to bring an end to the Assad regime. It is because of the Assad regime that everything is happening,” he noted.

On Thursday, the US and Britain suspended the delivery of aid to insurgents after a group of insurgents linked to al-Qaeda seized the warehouses of American-supplied arms.

However, American officials said the suspension was temporary and that the aid, which is supplied by the US State Department, could start flowing again.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside the country.

According to the United Nations, more than 120,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil.

The UN also says more than four million other Syrians will be forced out of their homes in 2014 by the escalating conflict in the country.

Two million Syrians are expected to take refuge outside the country while another 2.25 million are predicted to be internally displaced next year.

Related: 

It’s Putin vs Bandar Bush on the Syrian chessboard

Is Turkey helping international jihadis head to Syria?

Is Turkey helping international jihadis head to Syria?(csmonitor).By Alexander Christie-Miller.

The US and European governments worry that Turkey is turning a blind eye to jihadis from their soil seeking to fight in Syria, and fear the consequences when these blooded fighters return home.

Western governments are expressing growing alarm at the rise of hard-line jihad groups in Syria and their recruitment of volunteers from Europe and the US, who could present a future security threat if and when the survivors return home.

This has put a spotlight on Turkey, a NATO 'ally' that has sided against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Turkey, which shares a land border with Syria, has become a key transit route and staging area for antigovernment forces, including Al Qaeda-linked militants. Despite intensifying Western pressure, questions linger over Turkey’s willingness to crack down on these groups.

Belgium’s Interior Minister told reporters at a recent security summit in Brussels that up to 2,000 European citizens have fought in Syria. US intelligence reports have suggested that between 10 and 60 American citizens have fought there. And officials in Europe and Washington have voiced fears over the blowback effect from returning jihadis.

Last weekend, the BBC reported that foreign fighters are using safe houses in the border town of Reyhanli as a base from which to enter Syria, citing interviews with a French jihadist and a man running a safe house.

One Western diplomat expressed doubt that the Turkish government was fully cooperating with Western efforts to staunch the flow of fighters. "We are still experiencing operational difficulties, although we have seen signs that it is improving. As to whether a ‘shift’ ever occurred, that is still an open question,” the diplomat says.

Analysts and journalists familiar with the situation say Turkey has long been facilitating the arming and support of these groups by third parties as part of a policy of indiscriminately assisting rebels groups fighting in the Syrian civil war regardless of ideology.

“It is out of the question that organizations like Al-Qaeda or Al-Nusra [an Al Qaeda-linked group] could take shelter in our country,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Sweden last month. “On the contrary, we have taken the necessary steps against them and will continue to do so.”

One reason why Turkish officials are so insistent is that they also fear blowback themselves. Local newspapers have suggested that these groups are setting their sights on Turkey, a Muslim-majority democracy that has been grappling with its own social and cultural fissures.

Late last month a report by the country’s Interior Ministry, leaked to the media, said that 3,000 foreign nationals suspected of seeking to fight jihad in Syria had been banned from entering Turkey. On Nov. 6, Turkish anti-terror police detained 16 Al Qaeda suspects in raids in four provinces.

Reports from Turkish intelligence agencies last month suggested that Al Qaeda linked groups are planning car bomb attacks in Turkey. One leaked report by the intelligence wing of the gendarmerie, a branch of the military responsible for security in rural areas, claimed that 300 cars stolen from Turkey and smuggled across the border to Syria could be used for this purpose.

Fehim Tastekin, a Turkish journalist who has written extensively on Turkey's foreign policy, says that while there are signs Ankara is hardening its stance there is still a lack of political will. “These guys are continuing to use…houses in border areas and they receive especially nonlethal help from charities in Turkey,” he says.Read the full story here.


Related:

Syrian rebels ask Qatari Foreign Minister for independent army in İstanbul.

Turkish soldiers allegedly have 'contacts' with Al-Nusra extremists near Syrian border.

'I'm not a Dictator' Erdoğan warns of ‘provocations against the national will’ ahead of elections.

'I'm not a Dictator' Erdoğan warns of ‘provocations against the national will’ ahead of elections. (HD).

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed “attempts against the national will and peace” on Dec. 10 while making a staunch defense of the government’s economic and political balance sheet at the beginning of 10 days of debate on the 2014 Central Governance Budget Law in Parliament’s General Assembly.

“I’m saying it clearly: The provocations that some are aiming to stage are attempts against the national will, peace and the electoral process. These provocations will fail if the Parliament and the people are one. I also invite our citizens in the east and the southeast to be vigilant against those provocations,” Erdoğan said, implicitly referring to demonstrations in the southeastern province of Hakkari, where two protesters were reportedly shot dead by police on Dec. 6.

“Nobody has the right to threaten the atmosphere of a spring in Turkey. Those who will be silent against this will be unable to render an account in front of the people,” Erdoğan said as concerns regarding the Kurdish peace process were increased following the incident in Hakkari.

“As long as even one drop of blood is not spilled, mothers don’t shed tears and Turkey wins, [the government] will be content at losing [elections],” he said, warning of the appearance of terrorism ahead of the 2014 presidential and the 2015 general elections.

Erdoğan’s speech was repeatedly cut short by opposition deputies during a very tense session, a few hours after main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu voiced strong criticism at the Court of Accounts’ failure to send audit reports of state institutions’ expenditures to Parliament.

The prime minister also denounced some media and financial groups, as well as mass protests, such as the countrywide Gezi demonstrations.

“In Turkey, it is not terrorism, violent demonstrations, the media, gangs or groups of capital, but the people who determine the [country’s] direction,” Erdoğan said.

He also claimed that the country had made a big leap under the 11-year rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) with respect to “the old Turkey.”

“Some were children 11 years before; perhaps they can’t judge where Turkey has come in 11 years. But we also see that some who are older than a certain age have forgotten how the old Turkey was. Admittedly, we are not at an ideal point, but it is incomparable with yesterday. Those who criticize us freely here today, only a few years ago would have been unable to say even a word to certain circles,” Erdoğan said.

He also defended the government’s foreign policy, one of the main areas of opposition criticism in recent years. 

“In our era, the foreign policy was not dictated by [feelings such as] hate or taking offense, but strategic intelligence,” Erdoğan said. 

The 2014 budget debate started with a heated row as the CHP accused the government of covering up its corruption by preventing the Court of Accounts from auditing its spending.

The accusations were initially brushed aside by Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who said Kılıçdaroğlu’s claims that audit reports were not sent to Parliament were wrong.

Tension had also run high a day after the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) used the phrase “Turkish Kurdistan” to refer to the Kurdish-populated regions in eastern and southeastern Anatolia. Other parties subsequently decided to omit the word from official documents.

The discussions on the budget are expected to last 10 days.

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood To Establish TV Station In 'Islamist' Turkey.

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood To Establish TV Station In 'Islamist' Turkey.HT: TheGlobalMuslimBrotherhoodReport.

US media is reporting that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has said it is setting up to TV station in Turkey in order to broadcast its views. According to a UPI report based on a Turkish newspaper article:

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Dec. 7 (UPI) — Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood said it is establishing a television station in Turkey to broadcast its political views. The station, known as Rabia, will have an Islamist slant and use the motto ‘the pulse of freedom,’ Today’s Zaman reported Saturday.

Rabia is named after a prominent public square in Egypt that became a symbol of the Brotherhood’s resistance to the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.

The announcement was made on Facebook by the Egyptian anti-government National Alliance.
Details of Rabia’s programming were not revealed but Today’s Zaman said its launch would likely further strain relations between Egypt and Turkey.Egypt has already speculated Rabia has the backing of Turkish intelligence agencies.

A 2011 report authored by the GBBDW editor on the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood networks concluded:

The Gaza flotilla incident brought into sharp focus an even more significant long- term development: the growing relationship between the Erdogan government and the Global Muslim Brotherhood, which has given rise to some of the most notorious Islamist terrorist groups – from al-Qaeda to Hamas. Since 2006, Turkey has become a new center for the Global Muslim Brotherhood, while the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip acted as the main axis for this activity.

For example, the GMBDW reported earlier this month that a “Workshop on the situation of Palestinian refugees of Syria” was held at an Istanbul hotel. Hmmmm....At what time can we speak of 'State Sponsorship of terrorism'?

Related:

Turkish website R4BIA.com - "R4BIA is the end of Zionists."

Obama's BFF Erdogan's Turkey Risks “Grave Consequences” Under U.S. Law for Sheltering Top Hamas Terrorist.

Turks Increasingly Disapprove of Obama's BFF Erdogan's Mideast Policy.

Turks Increasingly Disapprove of Obama's BFF Erdogan's Mideast Policy.HT: Aina.

Following the annual survey on "Perceptions of Turkey in the Middle East," conducted by the Economic and Social Studies Foundation of Turkey (TESEV), the Kadir Has University of Istanbul has published its research on foreign policy perceptions of the Turkish public.

The two complementary reports provide useful data for everyone concerned, especially governmental authorities.

TESEV found in its survey, which was conducted in 16 Middle Eastern and North African countries, that Turkey's influence and popularity had suffered losses in the last two to three years.
Kadir Has University's research in 26 Turkish provinces indicates a trend of declining support for the government's foreign policy. Only 25% of those surveyed found Turkey's foreign policy successful, while in 2011 and 2012, respectively, this was 35% and 34%. Those who said Turkey's foreign policy was unsuccessful now comprise 36%.

The most important factor of this regression in public support for foreign policy is undoubtedly the government's Middle East policy and its recent handling of the Egyptian and Syrian issues.

This trend is clearly visible in Syria. While 49% of respondents find Turkey's Syrian policy a failure, supporters have dwindled to 24%. Those who want Turkey to remain neutral and not intervene in any manner are 43%. Those who support military intervention are at 9%.

These figures affirm another reality already pointed to by other sources: the public doesn't support the government's Syria policy and doesn't want Turkey get involved.

Similarly there is a trend of opposition to the government's Egypt policy. Those who find this policy unsuccessful are 48%, while those who support it are 29%. Furthermore, 46% say that the government must recognize the current Egyptian administration. 

Only 8% of respondents want Turkey to help oust military rule in Egypt. This reflects a rejection of the Turkish government's post-coup policy among a wide segment of the Turkish public.

The comprehensive research by Kadir Has University reveals some striking findings. For example, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently brought the Shangai Cooperation Organization to the agenda, but the percentage of those who it see as an alternative for Turkey is a very low 9%. 

NATO and the EU lead the organizations that people want Turkey to associate with. Support for NATO is 72%, while 47% favor EU membership and 38% do not.

Another interesting result was Azerbaijan replacing Pakistan as the "best friend of Turkey," yet 38% declare Turkey has no friends at all.
By Sami Kohen
AL Monitor
Translated by Timur Goksel.

Erdogan's comment: "There is no country named Cyprus" irks Athens and EU.

Erdogan's comment: "There is no country named Cyprus" irks Athens and EU.(ANSAmed).

ATHENS - Greek and Cypriot government officials on Tuesday expressed shock and anger at claims by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday that "there is no country named Cyprus" ahead of a fresh effort by the United Nations to broker a deal between the two communities on the divided island.

As daily Kathimerini reports, the Greek Foreign Ministry issued a terse response. "The Turkish prime minister's disputing the very existence of the Republic of Cyprus should finally awaken the international community as to Turkey's true intentions regarding the Cyprus issue," ministry spokesperson Constantinos Koutras said.

The government spokesman in Nicosia, Christos Stylianides, expressed "surprise and concern" at Erdogan's statement. There were also reactions from Euro MPs, with Greece's Marietta Giannakou and Eleni Theocharous of Cyprus issuing a joint statement referring to an "insult to the European Union and the international rule of law." 

In comments to Turkish-Cypriot daily Kibris on Sunday, Erdogan was quoted as saying: "There is no country named Cyprus.There is the local administration of south Cyprus." 

Mass graves in Eastern Kurdish Turkey may hide chemical weapon victims.

Image claimed to depict Kurdish victims of Iraqi chemical warfare.

Mass graves in Eastern Kurdish Turkey may hide chemical weapon victims.(VOR).

Some 300 mass graves have been discovered in eastern Turkey. Kurds, who died in an armed struggle between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, are supposedly buried there. They may have been victims of chemical attacks, Raci Bilici, head of the Diyarbakir branch of the Human Rights Association, said in an interview with the Voice of Russia. According to Raci Bilici, human rights activists will insist on sending international experts to the site for a thorough investigation:

We did a colossal job to discover mass graves in Turkey’s Kurd-populated areas. We found around 300 mass graves containing the remains of thousands of people. Our work is continuing and the number of discovered graves is increasing. This is our part of an investigation.

Now experts such as forensics and criminologists should be involved. It’s a different story, a different kind of job requiring qualified professionals and what is important, highly qualified ones. As far as our Association is concerned, we’re ready to contribute in every possible way. We’ve reached a point, when the problem should be paid special attention. That’s why we’re planning to set up a foundation whose main activity will be identifying people whose remains we find in the graves. 
We’ve opened around 20 graves so far. It was not done properly enough as, for the most part, it was local people’s initiative and efforts as they hoped to find bodies of missing relatives. In a few cases building equipment was deployed. However, we can’t keep on working this way.

The information that was obtained during the excavations could prove helpful in the identification of the dead. However, all of them were affected by the bad weather as well as by the improper approach to the exhumation. Therefore, we have suspended this work. Post-mortem examinations will continue in full compliance with international rules and under the control of the foundation we are going to set up.

This foundation is expected to reveal how all these people in the graves died. Earlier several statements were made to the effect that all of them had fallen victim to the use of chemical weapons. At the moment one can neither confirm nor disprove these statements. 
However, there is reason to believe that everything will become clear soon. Then the legal aspect will emerge. Therefore, during the post-mortem examination the presence of representatives of international agencies is a must and we will insist on that.

We believe that the Turkish government will demonstrate interest in joint work in this field. All the victims in these graves must be identified, and all those who are responsible for these crimes convicted.

Hmmm......Erdogan:  :"Islam considers human beings the most sacred of all creatures regardless of their faith, sect or status, he said, adding that Turkey doesn't have any prejudice against any ethnic origin, religion or sect."  

Islamist 'NATO Ally' Turkey dismisses NATO allies’ bids, selects Chinese firm for air defense system tender.

Islamist 'NATO Ally' Turkey dismisses NATO allies’ bids, selects Chinese firm for air defense system tender.(HD).

Ankara has granted a long-awaited tender for long-range missile and air defense systems to Chinese contenders, dismissing bids from major NATO allies as the United States, France and Italy.

With the decision, announced today following a meeting of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries' executive council, which is headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara has approved the lowest offer despite worries about the Chinese system’s ultimate compatibility with NATO-owned early warning assets.

CPMIEC (China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corp.) submitted an offer for its HQ-9 that included co-production solutions – which was requested by Turkish authorities – at a reported $3 billion.

The other bidders were the U.S. partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, offering the Patriot air defense system; Russia’s Rosoboronexport, marketing the S-300; and the Italian-French consortium Eurosam, maker of the SAMP/T Aster 30.

Turkey presently has no long-range air-defense systems. The $4 billion program, dubbed the T-LORAMIDS, is being designed to counter both enemy aircraft and missiles. Hmmm.....When will the West realize what Erdogan's real plans are?

Power Struggle Splits Turkish Ruling Party - Could it spell the end of political Islam in Turkey as we know it?

Power Struggle Splits Turkish Ruling Party - Could it spell the end of political Islam in Turkey as we know it?HT: Spiegel.

Turkey's prime minister has quashed opposition in the streets, but now he faces a more menacing foe: challengers within his own party and from the nebulous Gülen movement. It could spell the end of political Islam in Turkey as we know it.

Members and supporters of Erdogan's conservative-Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) have long refrained from expressing any criticism. Now, though, AKP followers are turning against the prime minister, with Erdogan's competitors within the party using the post-Gezi unrest as an opportunity to distance themselves from him.

In the English-language edition of the pro-government daily newspaper Zaman, columnist Yavuz Baydar recently compared Turkey under Erdogan to the United States during the McCarthy era. The conservative-Islamist Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) likewise warns that these current developments in Turkey overshadow any attempts at further democratization.
Most striking about this criticism are its sources -- both Zaman and the GYV belong to the movement surrounding Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen, who is believed to have enormous influence within the government.
Gülen himself has been living in self-imposed exile in the US for years, having left Turkey after public prosecutors accused the elderly imam of working to foment an Islamist revolution. His followers have established schools in 140 countries, as well as a bank, media outlets and hospitals (see graphic).
Gülen's followers present themselves outwardly as modern. Their numbers are growing in Turkey, where poorer families praise Gülen's commitment to education, and businesspeople appreciate his business-friendly approach. But individuals who have left the fold have told SPIEGEL of brainwashing and sect-like structures within the movement.
In US State Department diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks, American diplomats described Gülen's followers in 2004 as "Turkey's most powerful Islamist grouping, feared by the core institutions of the Turkish State" saying the network "controls major business, trade, and publishing activities, has deeply penetrated the political scene -- including AKP at high levels."
Ahmet Sik, one of Turkey's most renowned journalists, planned to publish a book in the spring of 2011 on the dangerous power held by the Gülen movement. Shortly before the book's release, security forces stormed his publishing company and confiscated manuscripts of the book, "The Imam's Army." The author now stands accused of being a member of a terrorist organization attempting to overthrow Erdogan's government.
"The truth is that it's about obtaining power, not through elections, but by gradually infiltrating institutions," he says. He suspects that the movement's goal is to see a new AKP government -- but one without Erdogan. The new leader in such a government could be current President Abdullah Gül, considered to be both a member of the Gülen wing of the AKP and Erdogan's main rival within the party.
"The movement will stop at nothing in its struggle to become the hegemonic power," says Hakan Yavuz, a political scientist at the University of Utah. "It terrorizes people."Read the full story here.