‘That is, if Turkey meets the Copenhagen criteria’, says Judith Sargentini, Dutch Green Party representative in the Europarliament. She just attended the first meeting of an informal group of MEP’s who call themselves ‘Friends of Turkey’. They are pro Turkey’s accession to the European Union, but of course, not without the mantra: ‘if Turkey meets the Copenhagen criteria’.
Later this month, …
Prefab houses and tents are being sent to Elazig, the area in the east of Turkey that was hit by an earthquake early yesterday morning. And in the coming months, the people affected by the earthquake will have better houses than they had before. Not built of sun dried mud bricks like before, but of solid concrete.
In all the stories …
I’ve had some emails this week about the House Committee on Foreign Affairs voting on the ‘Armenian Genocide Bill’. Both groups pro and anti informed me about their stance and some asked me to write letters to the Committee to support their point of view.
Now the resolution is accepted. I always thought I was against it mainly because politicians shouldn’t …
Turkish army acknowledges possible coup plan
ISTANBUL – The general staff of the Turkish army has admitted that one of the possible coup plans against the AKP government could be genuine. It concerns ‘Operation Cage’, an action plan against the AK government and the religious Gülen movement that was revealed in June last year. Several Turkish media report this after a declaration was placed on the …
A friend of mine visiting Turkey commented on a squat toilet with the words: ‘Well, things are just less hygienic in Turkey than in the Netherlands, aren’t they?’ I smiled and didn’t bother trying to convince her otherwise. I mean, she had to go back to Holland and still feel okay using public sit-down toilets, so I thought it would …
‘Tensions Turkey are fight for democracy’
ISTANBUL – The current tensions in Turkey are often seen as a power struggle between the army and the government of Prime Minister Erdogan. Unjustified, say several Turkish opinion makers: it’s a struggle for real democracy.
Earlier this week, once again dozens of (high-ranking) military personnel, some retired and some still on active duty, were arrested for alleged links with Balyoz …
ISTANBUL – Does Ilker Basbug, the top general of the Turkish armed forces, want to modernize the army, or is he a hawk who would do anything to keep the institution as powerful as it is? Both, so it seems. He supports the investigation into military personnel supposedly linked to coup plans, but also believes that civilian judges shouldn’t try …
Forty nine so far, and counting. Forty nine (retired) personnel: 17 former generals, 4 navy admirals on active duty, 27 officers and one non-commissioned officer. All under arrest since Monday, because they are supposedly linked to Balyoz (Slegdehammer), an (alleged) coup plan dating from 2003 that has become part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.
When I read about Ergenekon stuff, I …
Turkish press happy with Hiddink
ISTANBUL – The new ‘national chief’ Guus Hiddink makes it to the front pages of several Turkish newspapers. Mostly short articles, but on the sports pages there is a lot of attention for the man who, according to the headline in Vatan, ‘said ‘Yes’ for 8 million lira per year’.
For one of Turkey’s biggest newspapers, Hürriyet, Hiddink’s coming to Turkey …
Now and then it happens to me: I end up in a living room full of women. Last night I found myself in such a situation again: eight women between the ages of 17 and 54, and they were doing all the women’s things you can think of. One was knitting something for a baby. Another asked the others which …
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