100 posts
Old Man Sun: Just Foolin’!
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See the face there, the wink? This is a NASA photograph, but it was recently brought forward to top an article in the Dutch Volkskrant*. And when was this particular sun-shot taken? Yes: on 22 December, just after the day when many claimed the Mayans...
BIG NEWS: webcams at Gibraltar - Spain border to monitor the queues go live!
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After a stuttering start on Wednesday, the Frontier webcam positioned at the border between Gibraltar and Spain has this afternoon gone live and is freely available to view online at www.frontierqueue.gi. Following the visit of Deputy CM Dr Joseph G...
Central Europe Doctors Threaten to Emigrate in Search of Better Pay
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Medical doctors of four central European countries held peaceful demonstrations Tuesday in their countries demanding an increase of their low wages or else they'll emigrate.
Kaan Alper yazdı, bir bakın derim: “.tc alanadı ve Türkiye ilişkisi”
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“.tc alanadı ve Türkiye ilişkisi” İnternet dünyada yaygın olarak kullanılmaya başladığından beri alanadları (domain) varlığını sürdürmektedir. Son zamanlarda ülkemizde yaygın olarak konuşulmaya başlayan “.tc” uzantısın...
"Gender Equality and the EU’s Transformational Power in Turkey" by Kader Sevinc
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Gender equality is the main pillar of a democratic society and economic stability. Today’s politicians, legislators, judiciary authorities, bureaucrats, teachers, academics, business executives and civil society leaders in Turkey should focus more...
Croatia: Hazing the Rookie
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EST ambassador to Croatia, Henri Erti, takes a look at the EU's next member, Croatia, and provides an overview over its current economic situation and future prospects.
Croatia, and why EU enlargement matters
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In my last blog, I was looking back at the changes that came about as a result of 20 years of the single market. But for Croatia’s 4.4 million inhabitants, the last two decades have seen change of an even more profound variety. In 1992, the year I...
In the mean time, Turkey is into a “show trial” on the Mavi Marmara case… a FP roundup…
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The Mavi Marmara was headed towards the Gaza coast when Israeli commandos boarded it Turkey seeks 18,000-year jail terms for flotilla raid from Yahoo news Turkey put four former Israeli military commanders, including the head of the army, on t...
Meetings with Western Balkans
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Tirana from above (c) Lvovsky Creative commons flickr After a few days of holiday during the All Saints weekend, things are now moving again at full speed. I’m spending two days in Tirana, Albania, for a ministerial meeting with the Western Ba...
Fitch Finds a Tough Crowd in Ankara
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Turkey’s credit rating just got a long sought-after bump up to investment-grade, but the ratings firms still won’t get any love from the government.
Turkey Goes Cool on U.S. Election
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Four years ago when Barack Obama won the U.S. presidency, Turkey was captivated by the election of a man with Muslim heritage that they believed would make a positive contribution to regional security. Many Turks now feel less enthused with this elec...
Cengiz Aktar: “Hayatta olup yaşamaktayız”
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“Hayatta olup yaşamaktayız” Ölümün lafzının ve kendisinin tükenmediği bir toprakta yaşıyoruz. Yüz yılı aşkın zamandır zamansız ve amansız ölümler diyarı burası. An itibariyle ölüm orucu tutuyor, ölümle hayat aras...
EFD Rights Watch: Tear gas strike at hunger strike protestors… Pressure on journalists still on the agenda…
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A woman is helped by demonstrators as Turkish riot police fire water cannon and tear gas during a Kurdish demonstration in support of a widespread hunger strike by Kurdish prisoners, on November 4, 2012 in Istanbul (AFP Photo / Bulent Kilic) VIA Turk...
A Turkish politics roundup… as AKP is in power for a decade now…
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Three leaders of AKP- a decade ago… Abdullah Gül, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Bülent Arınç Turkey’s Erdogan hails party’s decade of power from Yahoo news Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hailed his AK...
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF SERBIA
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Mr Tomislav Nikolic, President of the Republic of Serbia, I’m writing an open letter to you because I do everything openly in front of the Croatian people, the world and God. You invited Croatian representatives to say which questions Serbia ha...
Yeni Anayasa günlüğü: Komisyonun süresi yetmiyor… Başbakanın ümidi azalıyor… CHP biz yaparız diyor..
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AB’den Türkiye’ye ‘anayasa’ hatırlatması ntvmsnbc AB’den Türkiye’ye ‘anayasa’ hatırlatması. Türkiye’deki yeni anayasa sürecinden umutlu olduğunu belirten AB Komisyonu’nun genişleme...
Croatia: new rule for citizenship applicants – citizenship test
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Croatian ministry of the interior has October 26 published in the Government gazette (Narodne Novine) a 100-question supplement rule-book for citizenship applicants to fill in (answer). Applicants must answer correctly at least 10 out of 15 randomly...
Ayşe Özer: ŞAMİL’İN ŞÜMULÜ
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ŞAMİL’İN ŞÜMULÜ Bu Pazar SKY Türk’te yayınlanan Renkler programının sunucusu Nürnberg’de Almanya’nın en büyük müzesini gezerken, “Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa olmasaydı, Nürnberg’de camilerde dolaşıyorduk şimdi” ded...
Turkey Will Gain Nothing from Criticizing the EU
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Turkey is doing itself no favors if it wants to maintain what supporters it has left in the EU.
Turkey’s Kurdish policy: sleepwalking to crisis
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Article by Bill Park published on openDemocracy.net on October 31, 2012 Turkey’s domestic Kurdish difficulties show no signs of abating. Indeed, they are worsening. Just one symptom is that more than 600 Kurdish prisoners are entering the eighth we...
The Clinton-Ashton Double Act
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It’s probably the last time we see them shuttle together but you have to grant it to Hillary Clinton and Catherine Ashton: they are doing a good job as a two-piece team. (if only the Baroness hadRead more…...
Turkey’s Erdogan Hints at ‘Lira Zone’
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Turkish news outlets are fizzing with debate about the possibility of a lira currency zone, following an ambiguous comment from Turkey’s outspoken Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Croatia: Call for government advisors on diaspora may prove to be a dud
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If you live outside Croatia and have had urges to want to contribute in an official capacity to the process of strengthening the ties between Croatia and the Croatian diaspora then this could very well be your chance and opportunity. You have until...
Bulgaria joins Greece in vetoing Macedonia’s EU talks
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The Bulgarian President Rossen Plevneliev told Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle yesterday (31 October) that Macedonia is “not ready” to start accession negotiations. Thus, Bulgaria joined Greece in vetoing the opening of the talks, which in...
Not the best welcome for Tayyip Erdoğan in Germany… a FP roundup…
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Merkel reassures Turkey on EU talks, Erdogan raps Cyprus from Yahoo news BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday the European Union (EU) would pursue accession talks with his co...
TESEV ANAYASA İZLEME ÇALIŞMASI’NIN İKİNCİ İZLEME RAPORU YAYINLANDI
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TESEV ANAYASA İZLEME ÇALIŞMASI’NIN İKİNCİ İZLEME RAPORU YAYINLANDI TESEV Demokratikleşme Programı’nın yeni Anayasa sürecini izlemek ve kayıt altına almak üzere başladığı Anayasa İzleme Çalışması’nın Şubat-Haziran...
Beyond enlargement, does Turkey matter? An EU neighbourhood policy perspective
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As the prospect of EU membership seems to fade away, EU leaders should not look away from Turkey, which is more than ever of precious help to the EU when taking up neighbourhood policy challenges. It’s not a good time to be a European or Turkish ne...
Whatever happened to the Turkish Republic
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Today’s celebrations of Turkey’s Republic Day are a vivid reminder of the fractures tearing apart the body politic. Main opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) said it would join the rally ofRead more…...
News of police intervention in Ankara against Republic Day marchers… to be updated…
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Google’s doodle for the Republic Day. Thanks to AKP leadership’s provocative approach, Kemalists are becoming another victim of Turkish State… A few photos here. Even the main opposition party leader, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu has...
"Why Turkey would still benefit from EU Accession" by Soli Ozel
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While the EU continues to work toward a solution to the eurozone crisis, Turkey has experienced a period of strong economic growth. Soli Özel argues that although Turkey’s interest in EU membership has declined in the wake of the crisis, the cou...
A video: Crowd whistling Turkish bureucrats in WTA Year-End Tennis Championships Istanbul 2012
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Related posts: Istanbul in 1967. A BBC video and an Istanbul news roundup… Taken 2 (2012): Orientalising Istanbul… A video: A Traditional İstanbul Song: “Dondurmam Buz Gibi” by MEHTAP DEMİR 2012 Chess Olympiad in Istanbul be...
Orhan Pamuk: Europe is turning away from Turkey – and the rest of the world
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Europe is turning away from Turkey – and the rest of the world | Orhan Pamuk from World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Orhan Pamuk Whatever happened to liberté, égalité, fraternité? Fear of Muslims is putting Europe’s secular...
Croatian foreign pension tax law: de jure and de facto discrimination
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Foreign pensions were excluded from income tax prior to March 2012 but now, anyone from the U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand etc., in receipt of pension wanting to live in Croatia can only do so as targets of extreme discrimination and material losses.
Europe is turning away from Turkey – and the rest of the world | Orhan Pamuk
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Whatever happened to liberté, égalité, fraternité? Fear of Muslims is putting Europe's secular tradition at riskI have spent my entire life at the borders of continental Europe. From the window of my home or office, I've looked out over the Bosph...
A belated Fazıl Say trial roundup
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Renowned Turkish pianist’s trial postponed from Hurriyet Daily News Famous Turkish pianist Fazıl Say’s trial for remarks he made on Twitter allegedly supporting atheism.. Renowned Turkish pianist to appear on trial for insulting religion...
Bayram gift from CPJ to Turkish government: “Turkey’s Press Freedom Crisis”
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Turkey accused of pursuing campaign of intimidation against media from World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Simon Tisdall Two independent reports have found evidence of a pattern of harassment against writers and broadcasters Ankara is pursuin...
Croatian Watergate – or is it? ‘Allo, ‘allo!
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Croatian Vecernji List newspaper dropped a “bomb” on Saturday October 20 as it uncovered a privacy breach scandal dubbed “Croatian Watergate”, spinning the government and the president into top gear of political manoeuvrings designed to take...
X. v. Turkey: Why a Ruling on the Basis of Discriminatory Effects Would Have Been Preferable
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A few weeks ago, the European Court of Human Rights released its judgment in X. v. Turkey. The case concerned a homosexual detainee who was put in an individual cell and under a very restrictive detention regime, after he complained about intimidatio...
Cengiz Aktar: Doğu’nun modernite paradoksu
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Doğu’nun modernite paradoksu Başbakan’ın Dışpolitika Başdanışmanı İbrahim Kalın nisanda Yeni Şafak mülâkatında şöyle diyor: “Klasik modernite paradigmasının yerini küreselleşmeye bırakması ve Soğuk Savaş’ın so...
Civil Society Dialogue between the EU and Turkey - III Program (CSD-III) to be launched in Autunm 2012
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Strengthening the social and cultural dialogue between the EU and Turkey is a component of the accession process which is equally crucial as the reform process in Turkey and the framework for accession negotiations. The social and culture dialogue be...
Syria: Why NATO Stands Aside
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Surely, despite all the reasons for justifying no intervention of any kind in Syria, it is time for NATO to stop sitting on the sidelines.
Croatia: EU accession – “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings”
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Nothing is irreversible until the final act is played out – says the proverb in the title of this post. When it comes to Croatia becoming a member of the EU then that final act, in everyone’s mind, is the ratification of Croatia’s accession Tre...
Call to the PM Erdogan: Stop your government’s proposed “Death Camps” for stray animals!
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I just signed the following petition addressed to: The Prime Minister of Turkey Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan. —————- Stop Turkey’s proposed Death Camps for stray animals! Dear Mr Prime Minister We have been shocked and outr...
Erkan’s Berlin/Germany trip starts tomorrow (22-28 October)
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I will attend a workshop that I am really excited about. The first part took place two years ago in Istanbul, Boğaziçi University and now comes the part 2 at Humboldt University at Berlin, Department of European Ethnology and Collaborative Research...
Jerry Blaskovich M.D.
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Reblogged from Croatia Business Report: The great Croatian-American, Jerry Blaskovich passed away on 8 October. Born on 20 April 1934, Jerry was a humanist who served both the United States and Croatia. A Korean War veteran, he had studied medici...
Taken 2 (2012): Orientalising Istanbul…
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After all debates on Orientalism, not much progress in American blockbusters. Istanbul that is represented in Taken 2 looks like somewhere from 1970s. Check out the police cars. Such old cars…. and you will throw grenades in one of the most cro...
2013 European Year of Citizens
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The Commission has proposed to make 2013 the Year of Citizens in order to raise awareness of their rights and responsibilities. Particular attention will be devoted to the right to move and reside freely in another Member State and to non-discriminat...
Cengiz Aktar: Yeni siyasî tutuklu tanımı
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Yeni siyasî tutuklu tanımı 3 Ekim’de Avrupa Konseyi Parlamenterler Meclisi (AKPM) yeni bir siyasî tutuklu tanımında uzlaştı. Amaç koloni döneminde Namibya için tarif edilmiş siyasî tutuklu halini güncellemek ve bazı üye ülkelerdeki...
Croatia: Small business red tape cut in efforts to stimulate self-employment
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Although received with a fair amount of skepticism and confusion by many in Croatia the government’s seemingly swift move to cut red tape, simplify small business registration and make it affordable to any entrepreneur or person with a view to ente...
Istanbul's criminal, cosmopolitan activity to sit outside bars
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The local council of Beyoglu, an area sandwiched in between Taksim and the waters of the Golden Horn, closed off all outdoor seating on bar terraces in the popular neighbourhood of Istanbul in June 2011. Over a year later, the ban is announced to be...
Turkey and the EU (13 November 2012)
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An event kindly hosted by the Ambassador of Turkey on the future of relations between the EU and Turkey. More details will follow soon.
Alternatif Bilişim’in TTNET ve Phorm aleyhine yaptığı Suç Duyurusu
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18.10.2012 Sayın basın mensubu Phorm firmasının Türkiye’de faaliyetlerinin yasaklanması için enphormasyon.org adresinde kampanya başlatan Alternatif Bilişim Derneği TTNET ve Phorm firması hakkında suç duyurusunda bulundu. Alterna...
Erasmus students in Izmir discuss Turkey-EU accession
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The French head of state is to honour the invitation to Istanbul made by his Turkish counterpart this summer. Among the joyous topics for discussion will be Syria, the crisis and Europe – but only a little. Once a declared candidate for membership...
Turkey Upgrade Talk Spurs Banks, Companies to Bond Market
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Banks in Turkey are spearheading bond issuance in the international markets this week, with a trio of banks testing the waters ahead of the first-ever Turkish investment-grade corporate bond, spurred on by expectations that the government's rating ma...
The Croatian foreign minister speaks
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CROATIA’ foreign minister is in London today, October 17th, and tomorrow. Vesna Pusic is meeting William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary and parliamentarians. She is giving a lecture at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Developmen...
Hundreds of Prisoners in Turkey go on Hunger Strike…EFD Rights Watch…
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Turkey: Hundreds of Kurdish Political Prisoners go on Hunger Strike from Global Voices Online by Ruwayda Mustafah Rabar Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners have entered an indefinite hunger strike, challenging Turkey’s treatment of Kurdish...
“LA, Istanbul top most-congested cities lists” NYT blog post on Istanbul Biennial… Istanbul news roundup…
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An image from the proposed Taksim Square plan…via People Powered | Istanbul Design Biennial New York Times (blog) There are few places more perfect to weigh the value of imperfection than Istanbul. And imperfection is the theme of the Ista...
ЕВРОПСКИ РОЗОВИ ОБЛАЧИЊА – КОМПАРАТИВНА АНАЛИЗА НА ИЗВЕШТАИТЕ НА ЕВРОПСКАТА КОМИСИЈА 2009-2012
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Македонскиот центар за европско образование (МЦЕО) и Фондацијата Отворено општество – Македонија (ФООМ) подготвија компаративна анализ...
Where were you in 1992?
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I was 9 years old when the first explosion happened in my hometown which announced dark clouds of war in my country. For a kid who was in school one day and next one in the shelter, that become my … Continue reading →...
Back to the future
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ACROSS Podgorica opposition activists have stenciled the name of Montenegro’s two main ruling parties on walls and underneath them have added the words: “Game Over”. It is not. The general election on October 14th has produced a result which me...
Majority against EU membership for three years
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Most Icelanders have opposed joining the European Union for more than three years now according to every single opinion poll which has been published in the country regardless of who has produced it or for whom.The newest opinion poll was published t...
Montenegro: General Elections 2012
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BalkanInsight's live blog [en] of this past Sunday's parliamentary elections in Montenegro ends its coverage with this summary: […] No surprises in the Montenegro elections, if the preliminary results are confirmed. [Milo Djukanovic] lo...
EU Nobel Peace Prize, Croatian and Serbian Medals of Tolerance – the bubbles in “bubble and squeak”
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The European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week; a feel-good moment, froth and bubble rising above, obscuring for a moment or two, the economic distress and national disquiet within the several of its member states (Greece, Spain, Port...
Today at 17 at RadyoVesaire, the first live Kurdish radio program at a university station begins…
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the program is called Pine. the programmers: Denız Gündüz ve Mehmet Yeşilmen Listen to Radyovesaire here: http://radyovesaire.bilgimedya.org/ Related posts: Erkan’s new attaction: Radio. Today his very first program begins: Metalkafa [Metal...
Ottoman was Geeky. Berk Sentürk’s gallery. Super heroes in Ottoman style…
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Click here to see in details Related posts: Life in Turkey. A photo gallery: Houshamadyan: A project to reconstruct Ottoman Armenian town and village life. FP asks: “Is the U.S. doomed to a Greek-style meltdown? Heroes are back. “Some Ott...
Açık Toplum Vakfı: “Türkiye’de Muhafazakarlık” ve “Türkiye’de Orta Sınıfın Profili” araştırma sonuçları açıklandı.
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Açık Toplum Vakfı olarak, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ile birlikte destek verdiğimiz, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Siyaset Bilimi Bölümü Öğretim Üyesi Prof. Dr. Hakan Yılmaz’ın yürüttüğü “Türkiye’de Muhafazakarlık” ve “Tü...
Turkey now angry with UN. New drama at the Turkey vs. Syria story…
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Turkey condemns UN for inaction in Syria from turkey – Yahoo! News Search Results (Images) As fighting continues to rage in Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan labels the UN Secutity Council as ‘unjust’ for its inaction ove...
Turkey, Syria and vicious circles
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Hardly a day passes without a new development in the Turkey-Syrian saga. Last evening, as I was flying from Istanbul to Sofia, Turkish airforce intercepted a Syrian Air passenger plane overRead more…...
Grounding Syrian Plane. Looks like another governmental stunt for domestic purposes, but endangering neighbourly relations…
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Turkey denies accusations over held Syria plane: Foreign ministry from Hurriyet Daily News Ankara took all measures to ensure the safety of the passengers of a Syrian plane intercepted.. Syria accuses Turkey of ‘hostile’ beh...
Brussels to Toughen Rules for Joining EU
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Article by James Fontanella-Khan published on the Financial Times, 11 October 2012 Brussels is to toughen the process for countries wishing to join the EU, after recent violations of the rule of law in some new member states seriously undermined th...
