Feb 26

‘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 …

Dec 14

New Kurdish party active

ISTANBUL – After the banning of the DTP last Friday, Kurdish activists have formed a new political party: the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The party was founded last year to take over the activiteis of the DTP in case the DTP was closed down. According to DTP leader Ahmet Türk, the BDP is a new party with new people …

Dec 10

The promised land

Turkey is trying to bring its laws on refugees into line with Europe’s. In the meantime, refugees and asylum seekers who reach safety in Turkey live in a legal and social wasteland.

(published December 2009)

Several Turkish newspapers called it a disgrace last spring, when in Didim, a town on Turkey’s west coast, 65 people were forced to camp …

Dec 03

Found: the Kurdish opening

It looks like a postcard, Northern Iraq. The mountains, the plains, the colours, the light. But in these mountains the PKK is hiding. And a bit further south, in the middle of such an empty plain, live ten thousand Turkish-Kurdish refugees in a gloomy camp. They want to go back home.

(published with a big beautiful picture of Northern …

Nov 24

Turkey ponders Wilders visit

ISTANBUL – Turkey’s government is reconsidering the visit of a parliamentary delegation from the Netherlands early January, because Geert Wilders is a delegation member. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is undecided whether to allow PVV leader Wilders entry to Turkey or not.

Daily newspaper Aksam put Wilders’ proposed visit to Turkey on the front page with a big …

Oct 20

PKK group surrenders to Turkey

ISTANBUL (ANP) – A group of 34 men, women and children, some of them members of the Kurdish separatist movement PKK, have turned themselves in to Turkish authorities.  This happened in the village of Silopi, near the Iraqi border. The surrender is seen as a sign that the PKK supports the initiative of the Turkish government to solve the Kurdish …

Oct 07

Closure of websites intensifies ‘homophobic atmosphere’ in Turkey

ISTANBUL – The closure of several internet forums for gays is another example of homophobia and a new step towards silencing gay organisations in Turkey. That’s the view of spokespersons for huge gay forums that were closed this week on the order of a government organisation.

The sites seem to have been closed because of ‘inappropriate content and immoral actions’, but …

Jul 31

Öcalan obstructs Turkish government plan on Kurdish question

ISTANBUL – Ten years after his arrest, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan still has a strong influence on how Turkey handles the Kurdish question. Even though Turkish media on Thursday praise the AKP government for declaring the Kurdish question will be solved by democratic means, the more concrete and far-reaching measures expected were not announced. The possible reason: Kurdish politicians, who …

Jun 07

Gain Wilders boosts EU interest in Turkey

ISTANBUL – The win of the Partij van de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom) seems to have somewhat boosted interest in the European elections in Turkey. That ‘Fitna goes to parliament’, as the headlines announce, causes some excitement.

Wilders’ slogan that Turkey can not become an EU-member ‘in a million years’, is quoted, and the PVV leader is characterised as ‘racist’ and …

Jun 05

Turkey passes disputed mines law

ISTANBUL – The Turkish parliament has passed a controversial law on clearing mines along the border with Syria. According to the law foreign companies will also have a chance to help in clearing the mines, in exchange for the use of the cleared land for several decades. The opposition now threatens to take the law to the Constitutional Court.

Along the …

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