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 …
‘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 …
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 …
Istanbul – The Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals annulled the life sentence of Metin Kaplan, also known in Europe as the Caliph of Cologne. His plans to overthrow the Turkish secular state and install an Islamic state, are, according to the court, not serious enough grounds for a life sentence. This is as reported in Turkish media this weekend.
It’s not …
Al Qaeda suspects arrested in Turkey
ISTANBUL – The police this week arrested more than 150 people in a raid against terror organisation Al Qaeda. The operation was speeded up for fear of terrorist attacks in the country. According to Turkish press agency Anatolia on Friday, around 120 suspects were arrested in more than ten provinces.
Before 2003 Al Qaeda was not known to be present in …
Istanbul starts one year Cultural Capital of Europe
ISTANBUL – Starting tomorrow Istanbul will officially be Cultural Capital of Europe for one year. On seven locations in the city events are planned for Saturday night, for example a big fireworks display in the presence of President Abdullah Gül and a concert by popular singer Tarkan on Taksim, the central square of the city.
Besides Istanbul, Essen (Ruhr Region, Germany) …
Turkish couple married for ninety years
ISTANBUL – Adbullah (112) and Elif (110) Adigüzel from the Central Turkish village of Arguvan have been married for ninety years, according to a report in today’s daily paper Radikal.
The couple met during the Ottoman era and they say they married out of love. They had 10 children and the number of grand- and great-grandchildren has reached 113. The …
The euphoria of a new language
Lots of young people enrol in courses at all sorts of language schools to learn a new language. From business English to Japanese, from Spanish to Turkish and Arabic. Freelance journalist Fréderike Geerdink, herself studying Turkish in Istanbul, explores the backgrounds of this language passion.
Evelien still feels the euphoria when she thinks back: in a supermarket in Utrecht …
ISTANBUL – The in Turkey well known journalist and documentary film-maker Can Dündar will be sued for the film ‘Mustafa’, a biography of Turkey’s founding father Atatürk. The film is said to insult Atatürk, as daily newspaper Vatan writes today.
The documentary drew more than 1 million viewers in Turkey at the end of last year. Immediately debate about the film …
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