Gül the centre of Turkish attention
Many Turks suspect the just appointed Turkish president Gül of having a hidden agenda. Gül’s task is now to prove he is not an Islamist.
Finally Abdullah Gül is Turkey’s new president. Secular Turks resisted, the Turkish army threatened and manipulated, but to no avail. Yesterday president Gül made his first speech to parliament. So what can …
“So”, asked a colleague in Holland yesterday after Gül was elected president, “what’s the army going to do now?” “Well, not too much”, I replied. “What can they do?” “But”, said my colleague, “they are powerful aren’t they?” Yes, but now you could also say: they were powerful. These last few months the army itself has effectively contributed to making …
Of course, in the end it’s Abdullah Gül who’s going to be the next president of Turkey and not his wife Hayrünnisa. But the country is talking about her. About her headscarf, to be more precise. It’s a religious one, tight around the head, no hair to be seen – a political scarf, many Turks call it. For an article …
Istanbul is not a place to stay
The African community in Istanbul has a high turnover: most of the Africans only stay a few months. Then they leave for Europe, the US or Canada. Their time in Istanbul consists mainly of waiting.Makiyo Ahmed (25) is counting the days. Twentynine since she arrived in Istanbul. She doesn’t want to talk too much about the trip, but about the …
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