Latest Articles about Turkey
IRAQI DIPLOMACY LIKELY TO FORESTALL TURKISH INCURSION
On Tuesday, August 7, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MoU) between Iraq and Turkey. The memorandum does not commit Baghdad to take many of the concrete actions against the Iraq-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) forces that Turkey wanted (Today’s Zaman,... MORE
TURKISH MEDIA TARGET BARZANI AFTER AL-MALIKI FAILS TO AGREE TO CONCRETE MEASURES AGAINST PKK
The Turkish media have targeted Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani following the failure of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamel al-Maliki to agree to take concrete measures against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) during his August 7 visit to Ankara. Prior to al-Maliki’s arrival in Turkey, the... MORE
TURKEY’S KURDS OPT FOR ISLAM OVER THE PKK
The results of the Turkish general election of July 22 suggest that Turkey’s Kurdish minority is looking increasingly to Islam rather than the secular nationalism of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) is generally regarded by both its opponents and... MORE
TURKISH MILITARY EXPELS OFFICERS FOR ALLEGED ISLAMIC ACTIVITY
On August 4, the Turkish military officially announced the expulsion of ten serving officers for alleged Islamic fundamentalist activities. The announcement came one day after the end of a three-day meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS), which traditionally meets at the beginning of August... MORE
NEW GAS PIPELINE TO LINK AZERBAIJAN AND ITALY, VIA TURKEY
Since the 1991 collapse of the USSR, resource-poor but strategically vital Turkey has sought to position itself as a major transit hub for burgeoning Caspian energy exports. For 15 years Ankara looked on helplessly as Russia, invoking its rights under the 1936 Montreaux Convention, turned... MORE
TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TRIGGERS POWER STRUGGLE WITHIN AK PARTY
Debates over its candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections appear to have triggered a power struggle within Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Under Turkish law, the president is elected by parliament. With 341 seats in Turkey’s 550 member unicameral assembly, the AK... MORE
REELECTED TURKISH PM SEEKS NEW, “EUROPEAN STYLE” CONSTITUTION
Fresh from his July 22 electoral victory, returning Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced plans to draw up a new, “more democratic and civilian constitution” (Today’s Zaman, August 1). The planned changes for the new constitution include more limited presidential powers, judicial review... MORE
MILITARY LEADERS, ERDOGAN MEET TO DISCUSS PROMOTIONS AS TENSIONS MOUNT OVER PRESIDENCY
The three-day annual meeting of Turkey’s Supreme Military Council (YAS) opened in Ankara today (August 1). It marked the first time that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the high command of the Turkish General Staff (TGS) have come together on an official platform since... MORE
POORER, LESS EDUCATED VOTERS PREFER TURKEY’S AK PARTY
A close look at voting patterns in the July 22 Turkish general election suggests that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has broadened its electoral base while retaining its grassroots support among lower-income groups and the more conservative sections of society. Yesterday, July... MORE
PKK INSURGENCY GROWS AS AK PARTY RENEWS DEBATE ON CROSS-BORDER OPERATIONS
Fresh from its landslide victory in the Turkish elections of July 22, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has once again begun to increase pressure on the United States to move against elements of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) based in northern Iraq. On... MORE