Turkey News

cnn, atlantic-community.org, telegraph

-Turkey's Islamist Adventure

December 14, 2010

Niklas Anzinger: Turkey’s leading political party is shifting away from its Western orientation. This is a consequential step of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s agenda of de-secularizing Turkish democracy. Ankara’s reorientation remains an obstacle not only to Western influence in the Middle East but also a NATO missile defense shield.
In September 2010, the Turkish government lead by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) won a national plebiscite on constitutional amendments that was in fact designed to remove obstacles to its gaining further power. These amendments attack judicial independence by giving the government control over judicial appointments. The secular independent judiciary has been a stumbling block against the AK party's Islamist ambitions....more...

atlantic-community.org

http://www.atlantic-community.org/index/articles/view/Turkey%27s_Islamist_Adventure

-Why Turkey Is Still European at Heart

Fintan Hastings: Far from drifting closer toward Islamism, Turkey remains very Europe oriented. Its policy of “Zero Problems with Neighbors” means open engagement with surrounding countries of all religions. The EU needs to harness these benefits for greater energy and regional cooperation as Brussels and Ankara share the same long-term security goals.
There has been much discussion and speculation in recent years about the perceived ‘drift’ in Turkish foreign policy away from Europe and towards radical Islam. It has been suggested for instance, that Turkey’s closer relations of late with Iran and its changing domestic political situation at home are evidence of this ‘drift’ away from Europe and the west and towards a new Islamic alliance in the Middle East....more....

atlantic-community.org

http://www.atlantic-community.org/index/articles/view/Why_Turkey_Is_Still_European_at_Heart

-Turkey's booming border town
From Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN
December 14, 2010 -- Updated 1001 GMT (1801 HKT)
CNN's global series i-List takes you to a different country each month. In December, we visit Turkey and look at changes shaping the country's economy, culture and social fabric.
Gaziantep, Turkey (CNN) -- Once considered a charming and provincial border town, business today couldn't be better in Gaziantep, a booming industrial city in southeastern Turkey.
Located on the ancient Silk Road trading route, Gaziantep is enjoying newfound prosperity, thanks to an easing of old regional tensions, which has helped fuel both trade and tourism....more...
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/14/turkey.gaziantep/index.html

-Military 'coup plot' trial opens in Turkey
Around 200 Turkish soldiers, among them senior commanders, went on trial on Thursday in a landmark case over an alleged 2003 plot to oust the Islamist-rooted government.
6:54PM GMT 16 Dec 2010
The case marks the toughest challenge yet to the once-omnipotent Turkish army, which has unseated four governments since 1960 but has seen its clout wane under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The trial started in a huge courtroom inside a prison complex in Silivri town, near Istanbul. ...more...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8207499/Military-coup-plot-trial-opens-in-Turkey.html

-Traffic chaos as snow hits Turkey
Ankara's transport system has struggled to cope as freezing weather brings havoc to the streets with many crashes on the roads.
7:00AM GMT 16 Dec 2010
The State Meteorology Directorate had warned that temperatures could fall below 1 degree Celsius in Istanbul over the weekend.
Cold weather battered many provinces across the country throughout the day reaching the eastern and southern parts of the Marmara region, the northern Aegean and the western Black Sea. ...more...
telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8204661/Traffic-chaos-as-snow-hits-Turkey.html

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cnn, atlantic-community.org, telegraph