It’s almost August, and thats always the month of the military council in which, among other things, is decided about military promotions. That was always sort of a formality: the military decided who would be in charge where, and the President approved. But things have changed. The military somehow has to come to terms with the fact that Turkey is …
Mass circumcision, and then it’s time to party
AKYURT – Ninetyfive boys. In four shifts they have been circumcised in a municipality mass circumcision. In the hospital, so efficient and hygienic. And now that all almost a hundred boys are competently released of their foreskin, its party time in Akyurt, a town close to the Turkish capital of Ankara. The mayor: ‘Your first step towards manhood is taken!’
Summer, …
‘Buy gold now’, says Nick, my American colleague at the office who specializes in economy. My two French colleagues and me stand at his desk. We want to know about the trouble the Turkish lira is in, and he tries to explain it to us. ‘Gold?’, we say, our faces pretty desperate. ‘Gold is extremely expensive, why would anybody want …
Forces behind Hrant Dink’s murder remain unpunished
ISTANBUL – The conviction of Ogun Samast, murderer of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink (photo), and his sentencing to almost 23 years in jail doesn’t mean the case is over. The background to the murder remains a mystery, and important persons involved remain unpunished.
Soon after the murder in January 2007, suspicion …
Microsoft sends successful Turkish dealers to Mecca
ISTANBUL – Microsoft Turkey rewards successful dealers: for $40,000 worth of Microsoft sales, the dealer gets a ticket for the pilgrimage to Mecca. A spokes pseron of Microsoft confirms that.
Every following $25,000 of sales earns the dealer another ticket for the pilgrimage, of Hajj, in November 2012. Winning a trip doesn’t make the pilgrimage free of costs though: not the …
Ulucanlar prison: damp dormitories and flower beds
A flower bed in the courtyard. Thickly plastered walls. A squeaky clean room for visitors. Brand new signs with street names. But also: gallows, and a very dark hallway with small cells on one side where sounds of screaming people and lashes being whipped came out. Damp dormitories, too many beds in too little space.
I visited Ankara Central Closed Prison, …
Turkey continues fight after loss of 13 soldiers
ANKARA – The Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said he is determined to continue the fight against the PKK. He said this after an emergency meeting with the army after thirteen Turkish soldiers died in an attack by Kurdish seperatist movement PKK. Also seven PKK-fighters died.
It was the biggest PKK attack in about a year time. The soldiers prepared an …
About a dead Turk and journalism
So interesting to see the mechanisms in both Turkish and Dutch press after in the beginning of this month a young Turk, ishan Gürz, died in a police station in the Netherlands. The official investigation into his death is not concluded yet and expected next week, but I don’t want to get into the cause of death. I’m a Turkey
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‘They always got back on their feet again’
For monthly magazine OnzeWereld (OurWorld) I regulary contribute to ‘Around the world’, a series in which every month another theme is reported about by several journalists around the world. For July/August the theme was the question: ‘Who do you take as an example in your life?’. I interviewed Delal Seven, and besides that there were stories from Mali, Yemen, Israel …
The ‘oath crisis’ in parliament is still not over. Ever since both CHP and BDP refused to take the oath to be inaugurated in parliament, there is a lot of good will talk going on between different parties, but for now, it all leads totally nowhere. It’s been almost three weeks now, and no (for the …
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