July 2016 Military Coup in Turkey

[angelburst29]

One could reasonably say that many countries of the Middle East, especially, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have recently been enjoying a period of political and economic peace and tranquility. It can also be said that these states have enjoyed a reasonably good relationship with United State of America, at a time when the price of oil price has been rising.

The Region’s Two Triangles and the Future of the Kurds
http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/opinion/299302

During the years of 1979, 1980 and 2003, several remarkable events have brought changes in the socio-political culture of the Middle East that has had lasting effects in world affairs. Let me briefly outline these historic events.

1- On February 11, 1979 the Shah of Iran was removed from his seat of power and the Shiite sector of that society seized power in the country and established the first Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran.

2- The formation of Al-Qaeda was a product of the Afghan – Soviet war (December 22, 1980 to February 15, 1989).

3- The eight-year war between Baathist Iraq and Khamenei’s Iran (September 22, 1980 to August 20, 1988), ignited the old war between the Shiites and the Sunnis in the region.

4- The Second Gulf War strengthened Iran as well as the Shiite power base in the region, and served to rekindle the war between the Shiites and Sunnis.

The invasion of the United States in 2003 resulted in formation of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (primarily by displaced Baathists) with the aim to target the Shiite power base and with the explicit goal to establish a Caliphate.

The diagrams below reflect the changes that these events brought about and portrays their political effects in the region.

This diagram is intended to portray the fact that the balance of power depends on the good relations of the triad nations of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. This triad’s purpose is to contain Iran and prohibit her undue influence on Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, and the rest of the Gulf countries. A rift in the coalition appeared after the failed coup attempt in Turkey, and the Turks have complained about the United States influence and the pressure of Russia after Turkey shot down the Russian military aircraft. The United States had been blamed for the advance of PYG the Kurdish fighters in Syria, all of which is regarded as a huge threat to Turkey. Turkey had been forced to form new alliances as a result.

After the failed coup attempt in Turkey, the latter sees itself as a player within another triad: that of Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Turkey has normalized its good relationship with Israel, while ignoring the Palestinian issue, for the purpose of protecting its own interests. This relational triad has become a major concern to the United States and Saudi Arabia. Up to the present, it is not clear whether Turkey will remain a member of NATO because it cannot embrace Russia and the United States at the same time. Voices in the United States and Europe are calling for the removal of Turkey from NATO, but Turkey intends to protect its interests and dominant The Justice and Development Party (AKP) power base as it steps across all the red lines to keep the only Brotherhood government in the world in power.

The establishment of ISIS in the region on June 2014 was actually a branch of Al Qaeda, and it changed all manner of disputes in the region. The war turned into a war between Shiite and Sunni factions and the Kurds played an important part as they became entangled in the war as well.

The ISIS war in Iraq is clearly aimed against the Iraqi Government (Iraqi Army) and the popular army, on one hand, and against the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (Peshmarga) and the US-led anti-ISIS coalition on other hand. I have diagrammed this entanglement as follows:

But the fight of ISIS in Syria is most complex as shown below diagram by BBC:

Clear in all of this entanglement that the Kurds are not united. This is why we do not have our own country. Taking a step back to consider the status of the Kurds in the region, we can observe the following:

Kurds in Southern Kurdistan (Iraq): The Kurds in Iraq generally have good relation with the US, Europe, and Turkey. Interestingly, while the Kurds of Iraq have respectable relations with Iran, they have a bad relation with the central government in Baghdad. Under pressure from the United States the Kurds of Iraq have maintained decent military relations with Baghdad and this is for the purpose of fighting ISIS. Unfortunately, however, we have many political problems within the Kurdish political parties in Iraq, causing many to wonder what the future of relations between the Kurds of Iraq and Baghdad once the war against ISIS is over. What the Kurds are generally proud of is that its Peshmarga forces are united in the fight against ISIS in order to protect the borders of Kurdistan from her enemies.

The Kurds in Northern Kurdistan (Turkey): Since 1980’s the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) has been united in its fight against the Turkish Government and all of its abuse of the Kurdish people of turkey. The PKK has spent its full power supporting the Kurds of Syria in their fight for survival, and fighting ISIS in Iraq. They also have a decent relationship with Iran and the Iraqi government.

The Kurds in Western Kurdistan (Syria): The Kurds of Syria People’s Protection Units (YPG) are united in their fight against ISIS as they are united in their cooperation and activities designed in coordination with the same Syrian opposition. The YPG have a civil relation with the Syrian government, but horrible relations with the Turkish government, because the latter regard them as extension of the PKK. The US-backed alliance between the YPG and some Syrian Arabs called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their fight against ISIS, and Turkey views this support as a major threat to its borders. The question has arisen as to what will happen to this support after the war against ISIS is over? It has not been clear up until now what the role and the rights of the Kurds in Syria will be once the ISIS-initiated crisis has concluded. The Kurds in Syria are not politically united, as they have different understandings and interpretations as to how best to rule their region.

The diagram below by BBC shows the status of the Kurds fighting ISIS and it is relation with Turkey:

The Kurds in the Eastern Kurdistan (Iran): In the last few months the Kurds in Iran have begun an armed struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran. A major problem of the Kurds of Iran is that they have not successfully formed alliances among themselves and are quite fractured. Hence, they work in factions and lack the unity to be maximally effective. Today the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran is leading the struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran alone and other parties are merely standing on the sidelines watching. To be fair, however, the Azady Party (Freedom Party) is fighting side-by-side with the Peshmarga in Southern Kurdistan.

If we look at the map of the Greater Kurdistan area, we see that for for the first time in all of their individual histories, the Kurds are fighting at the same time in all parts of Kurdistan. Though they are separated from each other due to each’s relation with their corresponding central government occupying their regions, they are each fighting separate fights against those who oppose Kurdish rights and against those who oppress them.

One might ask if, under these similar conditions, whether this is the right time to ask for, if not demand, independence. The fact is that, while the Kurds of the four regions have many differences in terms of the battles incumbent on them to fight, in order to protect their rights and God-given freedoms, all the enemies of the Kurds are united in their battle against the Kurds. But it should not be forgotten that the Kurds in all their regions are in agreement as to the necessity for each of them to win their battles against the regimes that oppress them.

The hideous situation for the Kurds begs the question as to what the Kurds should do at this time of turmoil where many changes are taking place in the region. How should the Kurds protect their interests in the face of attacks on all sides from there occupiers? The following points may shed light on the best course of action to take, with the first point being the foundation of the others:

- The Kurdish house should be united, where the interests of individual, economic, and political parties are not put above the rights of the Kurdish Nation. This point is a pillar of the other point’s fellow.

- Establish a military and unified political national strategy among all parts of Kurdistan.

- Unite the Peshmarga forces in each region.

- Forbid the fighting among the Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan.

- All meddling’s in the affairs of regions external to Kurdistan should cease at once.

- The Kurds must put the interests of the Kurds above all others.

- The Kurds must do their best to implement democratic forms of government, involving human rights, a free economy, and freedom of law, while developing a Constitution where the rights of all the people of Kurdistan are equally protected by law. Achieving this goal should motivate United States and Europe to support the referendum for an independent Southern Kurdistan and put pressure on the international community to recognize the newly created Kurdish state in Southern Kurdistan.

The Kurdish leadership must finally come to the realization and recognition that if and when the time arrives where the United States is forced to choose between the Kurds and Turkey, they will in a heartbeat choose Turkey. The United States and Turkey share a very strategic relationship, out of which United States is the major backer but in turn secures huge Geo-political influence, control and base in Central Asia.

For the Kurds to be a major player in the region, it must gain the trust and respect of the United States and Europe. The Kurds must therefore work on the above points in order to become an independent a regional power in their own right in the region.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

US should hand over Gulen to Turkey: top Trump adviser

_http://eurasiadiary.com/news/world/83931-us-should-hand-over-gulen-to-turkey-top-trump-adviser

Turkey should by a top priority in U.S. foreign policy, a top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday in an article that slammed Barack Obama for failing to understand Ankara’s geopolitical position.

“We must begin with understanding that Turkey is vital to U.S. interests,” retired Gen. Michael Flynn wrote for the Hill newspaper. He also called Turkey "a source of stability in the region”.

Flynn was a key national security adviser to Trump during his presidential campaign and is expected by many to be appointed to a Cabinet position, possibly as defense secretary.

The veteran general wrote that it was “an unwise policy” for the Obama administration to keep Ankara at arm’s length,

“We need to adjust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority. We need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective,” he wrote.

Noting the extradition request by Turkey of Fetullah Terrorist Organization leader, Fetullah Gulen, as one of the key points of contention between Washington and Ankara, Flynn suggested the U.S. handover Gulen.

Ankara has asked Washington to extradite Gulen for his role in establishing a quasi-state within Turkey that led a failed bloody coup July 15.

“What would we have done if right after 9/11 we heard the news that Osama bin Laden lives in a nice villa at a Turkish resort while running 160 charter schools funded by the Turkish taxpayers?” Flynn asked.

The former chair of the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested that although Gulen presents himself as a moderate Islamic scholar, he is a radical who “has publicly boasted about his ‘soldiers’ waiting for his orders to do whatever he directs them to do.”

Flynn compared Gulen to Ayatollah Khomeini -- the leader of the Iranian revolution – urging the U.S. government not to repeat its mistake by supporting Gulen as it did Khomeini.

“Washington’s silence on this explosive topic speaks volumes when we hear the incredulous claim that the democratically elected president of Turkey staged a military coup, bombed his own parliament and undermined the confidence in Turkey’s strong economy, just so that he could purge his political opponents,” he added.

Flynn also cited allegation of corruption against the Gulen network in the U.S., saying the terror leader has brought more people than Google into the country to teach English but they are not fluent in the language.

Our ally Turkey is in crisis and needs our support

November 08, 2016, 05:46 pm

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/305021-our-ally-turkey-is-in-crisis-and-needs-our-support

German foreign minister to visit Turkey despite criticism of Ankara

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-turkey-idUSKBN1351V2?il=0

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday announced he would visit Turkey next week and said it was important not to "slam the door" on Ankara despite Berlin's unhappiness over its post-coup crackdown.

The German parliament also voted 445 to 139 late on Thursday to extend German military support for the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State through the end of 2017, including deployment of over 250 soldiers at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

In a parliamentary debate in which he said he would visit Turkey on Nov. 15, Steinmeier said cutting off talks with Turkey about joining the European Union would hurt Turkish citizens as well as the government.

"If we slam the door now and throw away the key, then we will disappoint many people in Turkey who are looking to Europe for help and support, especially now," Steinmeier told lawmakers.

But Steinmeier repeated that reintroduction of the death penalty in Turkey would mean the "unmistakable end" of negotiations on Turkish entry into the bloc. He said Berlin would continue to press Ankara to respect the rule of law.

Turkey has detained, dismissed or suspended more than 110,000 soldiers, judges, teachers, journalists and others in the aftermath of an unsuccessful putsch by rogue military last July.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said a "limited measure" could be drafted to restore the death penalty, which was formally abandoned in 2002, and President Tayyip Erdogan has said he would approve such a measure if parliament backed it.

"We want good relations with Turkey, but the reality has changed and we have to adjust our policies accordingly," Steinmeier said.

Ties between Germany and Turkey are also strained over a vote by the German parliament in June labelling as genocide the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces, which had triggered Ankara to temporarily ban German lawmakers from visiting troops at Incirlik Air Base.

German lawmakers spoke critically about Turkey's actions and insisted on the right to continue to visit Incirlik Air Base before approving continued deployment of military resources to support the fight against Islamic State. Germany flies reconnaissance missions from the Turkish base with six Tornado fighter jets.

"Our solders are not at Incirlik because of Turkey, but rather to fight Islamic State," said Julia Obermeier, a member of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats.

Steinmeier told lawmakers that Germany was taking steps to help strengthen Turkish civil society, and would try to enable Turkish academics, journalists and artists who could not work in Turkey anymore to continue their work in Germany.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Belarus, Turkey sign package of cooperation documents

http://tass.com/world/911894

"The presidents stated positive dynamics in the development of all-round cooperation between Belarus and Turkey," the communique said

A package of documents was signed on Friday after talks between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is on an official visit to Belarus.

Among the documents are a joint communique of the two presidents, a plan of actions to develop cooperation between the two countries for 2016-2017, an intergovernmental agreement on the system for promoting bilateral trade, and agreements on cooperation in the spheres of education, science and technologies, and of the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The sides signed memorandums of understanding between the Belarusian Education Ministry and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education, and on issues of cooperation in the agricultural sector. The two countries also signed an agreement on cooperation in the area of preventing and liquidation of emergency situations, and an agreement between the Belarusian state news agency BelTA and Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.

"The presidents stated positive dynamics in the development of all-round cooperation between Belarus and Turkey and demonstrated mutual interest in further maintaining regular bilateral political dialogue at all levels, including at the top level," the presidents said in their communique.

According to the document, the sides noted new possibilities of development of trade-and-economic relations stemming from Belarus’ membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and Turkey’s membership in the customs union with the European Union.

Lukashenko resolutely condemned the attempted coup in Turkey and expressed support for the legitimate, democratically elected government of that country. The Turkish president, in turn, expressed satisfaction over Belarus’ commitment to democratic principles.

The two presidents stressed their commitment to the generally recognized norms of international law, goals and principles of the United Nations Organization, and the policy towards strengthening the central role of this organization in maintaining peace and security, in countering present-day challenges and threats, in peaceful settlement of international conflicts.

The two leaders condemned "any types of terrorism and stressed the importance of international cooperation in rebuffing international terrorism, transnational organized crime, and illegal migration."

Lukashenko and Erdogan called for closer bilateral ties and coordination and development of foreign policy cooperation, including mutual support to candidates within international organizations. The expressed interest in expanding and diversifying mutual trade, in joint search for new areas of economic cooperation, in strengthening industrial cooperation, in promoting the two counties’ products on markets of third countries.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

China, Turkey Agree to Intensify Cooperation in Anti-Terror Fight

https://sputniknews.com/politics/201611141047400885-china-turkey-cooperation/

China and Turkey have agreed to work together to deepen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara.

"The parties agreed on the need to deepen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, to protect common security," the ministry's statement, issued after the meeting, read.

The ministry said that both China and Turkey were the victims of terrorism, therefore, both countries were interested in strengthening anti-terrorism cooperation, as well as partnership in the field of security.

The two countries also agreed on mutual support for the protection of the state sovereignty, security and stability, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the US handling of the conflict in Syria in a TV interview late Friday, saying that he was "disillusioned" with Washington.

Turkish President Disillusioned with US
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950829000984

The president said in interview with CBS that US policies in Syria resulted in a security threat on the Southern border of his country and left Turkey inundated with some three million refugees - twice the number of those in Europe, Tass reported.

"Well, let me be very frank in my remarks and I’ve been known for my candor. I wouldn’t speak the truth if I said I was not disillusioned. Because I am disillusioned," he said.

"We have addressed these issues, discussed them with President Obama and Vice President Biden. They failed to rise to the occasion and handle these issues seriously. This is quite upsetting for us," the Turkish leader added.

Turkey’s ruling government has brought a motion to Parliament that would allow rapists to go free if they marry their victims, as a way to alleviate the legal complications associated with child marriage

Turkish Gov't Supports Bill That Sets Child Rapists Free If They Marry Victim
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950829000295

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) supported a motion, which was brought to the floor of the General Assembly on Thursday night, that would allow the immediate release of more than 4,000 convicted rapists from Turkish prisons if they marry their victim, Turkish Minute reported.

The AKP has defended the motion by saying it is needed to protect couples who had consensual sex and were too young to legally marry.

“When a child is then born from this non-official union, the doctor warns the prosecutor and the man is sent to prison, putting the child and mother into financial difficulties,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ told AFP.

The proposal states that, in the case of child rape, if the act was committed without “force, threat, or any other restriction on consent,” and if the victim agrees to marry the aggressor, the sentence shall be postponed.

“What we are doing is looking to find a solution to an ongoing problem; it is not to protect rape nor protect rapists. We seek the heaviest punishment for rapists,” Bozdağ told Turkish news agency Anadolu.

Members of the parliamentary opposition have criticized the motion, saying it will “encourage forced marriages” and “legalize marriage to rapists.”

"If a 50 or 60-year-old is told to marry an 11-year-old after raping her, and then marries her years later, she will suffer the consequences," member of the opposition party CHP, Omer Suha Aldan, told Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News.

"If you give him a pass by marriage, the young girl will live in a prison for her whole life," Aldan added.

The motion didn’t garner the majority needed to convert it to a bill, because of votes against it from both the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), so a second round of voting will take place on November 22.

If it was to pass, the motion will then progress to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who could bring it into force if he approves.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Erdogan tells Israel: "We see Western weapons in Daesh hands"

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/11/erdogan-tells-israel-we-see-western.html

Half of the weapons that the international anti-terrorist coalition headed by the US drops from the air over Syria end up in the hands of the terrorist grouping known as the Islamic State, or Daesh, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated.

“The question of fighting terrorism needs to be asked first and foremost to the West. We are now fighting against Daesh. The US periodically provides air support but, unfortunately, we see weapons of Western manufacturing in Daesh hands. Of course, the Americans don’t say that they are supporting Daesh, but we see that half of the weapons dropped from their aircraft go to Syrian Kurds, and the other half to Daesh,” the Turkish head of state said in an interview to Second Israeli TV channel.

Ankara remains opposed to the US’ support for Syrian kurds.

 

[angelburst29]

The decision of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) to recognize FETO (Fethullah Terrorist Organization) that Ankara blames for the July coup attempt, as a terrorist organization, is crucial for Turkey, Turkish Deputy Parliament Speaker Ahmet Aydin told Sputnik.

APA Branding FETO Terrorist Organization 'Important Step' – Turkish Official
https://sputniknews.com/world/201612081048302019-apa-feto-terrosrist-organization-important-step/

The FETO was recognized as a terrorist organization during the APA session last week.

"All the participating states expressed support to Turkey in the fight against [FETO]. This decision was reflected in the final declaration. We consider this a very important step," Aydin said on Wednesday.

The APA includes over 40 member-states, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia among them. Over a dozen other countries, including Japan and Qatar have an observer status in the assembly. At the 9th Plenary Session held in Cambodia last week, Turkey was elected chairman of the APA for a two-year period.

There has been an almost 50 percent reduction in the number of Turkish military officers in NATO, a US General has admitted. The scale back is as a result of the ongoing crackdown against Turkish military officers, ordered by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following a failed coup bid on July 15th.

Turkey's Post-Coup Purge Weakening NATO Military Alliance
https://sputniknews.com/military/201612081048328669-turkey-coup-nato-defense/

US General Curtis Scaparrotti admitted at a NATO meeting in Brussels on December 7 that NATO was being out under increasing pressure by Ankara.

One hundred and fifty Turkish soldiers have been forced to leave their positions, as part of the ongoing crackdown on the Turkish military by the government.

General Scaparrotti acknowledged that losing so many seasoned soldiers so quickly had "placed an extra load on our remaining people" and on the organization.

"The Turkish have a fairly sizeable number of officers that were either detained, some recalled from here, that worked for us here, and some retired from active service."

General Scaparotti said that he was worried for the officers:

"My concern is about the care for them and their families as well." In a debacle that is stunting both Turkey's military ambitions in Syria, as well as its role in NATO, Mr. Erdogan is continuing to exact revenge and weed out his nation's military structures.

The Turkish Air Force has been hit particularly hard. At least 300 officers have been dismissed, leading to the grounding of five F-16 fighter squadrons.

In November 2016, Turkey's own Defense Minister, Fikri Isik, said that the Turkish Armed Forces now need to recruit more than 30,000 new personnel, some of them currently just students, over the next four years.

Meanwhile, Turkey still has NATO obligations to maintain. Since its accession in 1952, Turkey has been seen by Europe as a vital bulwark against threats to the continent's outer borders. Its strategic geographical location hosts important military bases, and in 2015 Turkey paid 2.1% of it's GDP into the military alliance — that's a significantly higher percentage than many of its fellow NATO members, including Germany (1.2%) and Canada (1%).

Indeed, the admission of the strain on Turkish military personnel comes shortly after NATO chief General Jen Stoltenberg highlighted the importance of Turkey in NATO, particularly with regards to relations with Russia. On Monday 5th December, General Stoletenberg said: "The fact that Turkey's talking to Russia is not contradicting the fact that Turkey is a committed and key NATO ally, actually, for NATO it is a part of our approach to Russia that we talk to them."

So, now NATO is facing an existential crisis on several fronts. There are serious uncertainties over the recently approved "EU Army" and how it may undermine the clout of NATO.

Furthermore, US president-elect Donald Trump has displayed a stony antipathy towards the military alliance, hinting that he may withdraw support for NATO, if other members do not pay more into the organization themselves.

The forced removal of experienced Turkish soldiers, will do little to improve morale or provide stability.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is obsolete, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump told a rally of 10,000 people in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut.

Trump Says NATO 'Obsolete', US Paying Too Much for Joint Defense
https://sputniknews.com/military/201604161038109012-trump-nato-joint-defense/

"NATO: It's obsolete and the United States is paying too much [to sustain it]," Trump told the rally, which was held on Friday night.

In the past, Trump has repeatedly said that if elected president he would require major US allies to pay a larger portion for joint defense.

A Greek appeals court refused to extradite two soldiers, who had fled Turkey following the July thwarted coup, Turkish media reported Thursday.

Greek Court Rejects Extradition of Two Turkish Servicemen Accused of Coup Links
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201612081048326445-greece-extradition-turkey/

According to the Hurriyet Daily News newspaper, a Greek appeals court made a decision to reject Turkey's extradition request.

 

[happyliza]

The Minister of Forestry and Water here in North Cyprus wanted to friend me on FB - he has been helping me with outline planning permission application.
Anyway I checked out his site and found a very disturbing video from July coup. Did anybody else come across this site:

https://www.facebook.com/1502230130096376/videos/1651295295189858/

Sadly I cannot post much about Turkey any more. I have had too many warnings from people here and I can get deported immediately so far too risky now. But others can post. I have shared the site with Yusuf Salih a friend who has a group page here called 'Free Thinkers in Cyprus' - He is Cypriot. And thanked me for the site.

I don't know whether anybody else notices but for some reason I asked myself how come nearly the majority of these semi stripped humiliated army guys have what appears to be 'breasts' - am I imagining something here? If not either they are being paraded for being gender changing or possible this could be side effects of 'medication'?? It is just all sooooooo strange but scary.

 

[angelburst29]

The Turkish Parliament passed in a first reading the bill about a constitutional reform to sharply expand presidential powers in Turkey.

Turkish President Erdogan to be declared 'great sultan'
http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/asia/turkey/16-01-2017/136625-erdogan_sultan-0/

According to Anadolu Agency, the discussion of 18 articles of the bill continued from January 9 and caused quite a commotion in the Parliament of Turkey.

The amendments expand the powers of the president. The president will thus be able to chair the the cabinet or individually appoint the head of the government. In accordance with the new amendments, the president will be able to issue decrees and submit issues of constitutional changes to referendum. The president may not suspend his party membership.

If the document is adopted, the armed forces and intelligence agencies of Turkey will fall into direct subordination to president. Currently, both the armed forces and intelligences agencies of Turkey are subordinated to the Supreme Military Council.

The amendments may reinstate death penalty in Turkey too. In addition, according to the draft Constitution, the lower age limit for the nomination of MPs will be reduced from 25 to 18 years, and the number of MPs will increase from 550 to 600. Those related to military service will be deprived of eligibility to vote.

As soon as the amendments are finally adopted, the Turkish Parliament will submit them to a referendum, should more than 330 MPs vote for such an initiative. The referendum about the new draft of the basic law may take place in the summer of 2017.

The attempted coup in Turkey, which took place in the summer of 2016, has resulted in a lot more consequences than expected. Mass purges of the military and judiciary are in full swing in Turkey, death penalty is likely to be introduced, while the constitution is expected to be changed.

"Some people, of course, have taken the coup as an unacceptable form of solving political problems in Turkey. Yet, many people do not approve of the policy of the ruling party and President Erdogan. Now, there is a second phase of these events unfolding - a second coup to scour the Turkish society. Tensions in Turkey are high because of large-scale repressions.

"Erdogan's supporters rightly believe that the idea of ​​a military coup in a modern democratic society is unacceptable. Their opponents say that the authorities should not go too far. In today's Turkey, they arrest teachers and journalists, and this is not a part of activities to eliminate the consequences of the coup, as the authorities say," the head of the St. Petersburg Center for Middle East Studies, Gumer Isaev told Pravda.Ru

Turkish President refuses to withdraw troops from Cyprus in order to get maximum support on the constitutional referendum on introducing a full presidential system in Turkey.

Erdogan Keeps Troops in Cyprus to Get Support on Constitutional Reform Vote
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201701161049630494-erdogan-cyprus-turkey-military/

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to withdraw troops from Cyprus in order to get maximum support on the constitutional referendum on introducing a full presidential system in Turkey, Hisyar Ozsoy, the deputy co-chair of the Turkish left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), responsible for foreign affairs, told Sputnik.

On Monday, the Turkish parliament adopted the last article of a constitutional reform package, enlarging the powers of the president. The changes include allowing a partisan president, so that the president does not have to break off the ties with his or her political party, while the presidential powers include passing bills, appointing ministers and others. The second round of voting on the constitutional reform package is scheduled for January 18. "The questions of sovereignty, security and guarantees are the issues over which Turkish nationalist sentiments are powerful. Turkey is in a very complicated process of amending the constitution and establishing a presidential system. For this President Erdogan needs the support of Turkish ultra-nationalists, who are critical of the Turkish government's possible compromises over the Cyprus issue," Ozsoy said.

The police death toll in the explosion in the city of Diyarbakir in southeastern Turkey has risen to three, another three police officers were wounded, Turkey's NTV television channel reported Monday.

Police Death Toll in Explosion in Turkey's Diyarbakir Rises to Three - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201701161049649865-diyarbakir-explosion-death-toll/

The channel reported earlier Monday that a homemade explosive device planted on the road had been blown up remotely when a police vehicle was passing by. The report said the blast occurred during the demolition of a building in the Sur area, where the Dicle University campus is located.

 

[happyliza]

The Turkish Parliament passed in a first reading the bill about a constitutional reform to sharply expand presidential powers in Turkey.

Turkish President Erdogan to be declared 'great sultan'
http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/asia/turkey/16-01-2017/136625-erdogan_sultan-0/

According to Anadolu Agency, the discussion of 18 articles of the bill continued from January 9 and caused quite a commotion in the Parliament of Turkey.

The amendments expand the powers of the president. The president will thus be able to chair the the cabinet or individually appoint the head of the government. In accordance with the new amendments, the president will be able to issue decrees and submit issues of constitutional changes to referendum. The president may not suspend his party membership.

If the document is adopted, the armed forces and intelligence agencies of Turkey will fall into direct subordination to president. Currently, both the armed forces and intelligences agencies of Turkey are subordinated to the Supreme Military Council.

The amendments may reinstate death penalty in Turkey too. In addition, according to the draft Constitution, the lower age limit for the nomination of MPs will be reduced from 25 to 18 years, and the number of MPs will increase from 550 to 600. Those related to military service will be deprived of eligibility to vote.

As soon as the amendments are finally adopted, the Turkish Parliament will submit them to a referendum, should more than 330 MPs vote for such an initiative. The referendum about the new draft of the basic law may take place in the summer of 2017.

The attempted coup in Turkey, which took place in the summer of 2016, has resulted in a lot more consequences than expected. Mass purges of the military and judiciary are in full swing in Turkey, death penalty is likely to be introduced, while the constitution is expected to be changed.

"Some people, of course, have taken the coup as an unacceptable form of solving political problems in Turkey. Yet, many people do not approve of the policy of the ruling party and President Erdogan. Now, there is a second phase of these events unfolding - a second coup to scour the Turkish society. Tensions in Turkey are high because of large-scale repressions.

"Erdogan's supporters rightly believe that the idea of ​​a military coup in a modern democratic society is unacceptable. Their opponents say that the authorities should not go too far. In today's Turkey, they arrest teachers and journalists, and this is not a part of activities to eliminate the consequences of the coup, as the authorities say," the head of the St. Petersburg Center for Middle East Studies, Gumer Isaev told Pravda.Ru

Turkish President refuses to withdraw troops from Cyprus in order to get maximum support on the constitutional referendum on introducing a full presidential system in Turkey.

Erdogan Keeps Troops in Cyprus to Get Support on Constitutional Reform Vote
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201701161049630494-erdogan-cyprus-turkey-military/

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to withdraw troops from Cyprus in order to get maximum support on the constitutional referendum on introducing a full presidential system in Turkey, Hisyar Ozsoy, the deputy co-chair of the Turkish left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), responsible for foreign affairs, told Sputnik.

On Monday, the Turkish parliament adopted the last article of a constitutional reform package, enlarging the powers of the president. The changes include allowing a partisan president, so that the president does not have to break off the ties with his or her political party, while the presidential powers include passing bills, appointing ministers and others. The second round of voting on the constitutional reform package is scheduled for January 18. "The questions of sovereignty, security and guarantees are the issues over which Turkish nationalist sentiments are powerful. Turkey is in a very complicated process of amending the constitution and establishing a presidential system. For this President Erdogan needs the support of Turkish ultra-nationalists, who are critical of the Turkish government's possible compromises over the Cyprus issue," Ozsoy said.

And sadly this will now mean that he will have full power and control over Turkey and most probably over Cyprus I (which none of the Cypriots want) until 2029!! And because of his power hungry need for control of everything in Turkey, (at a crucial time when Cyprus needs the genuine input from Turkey regarding the Geneva Conference Cyprus Solution) he is too busy concerned about power at 'home' and his political 'popularity' to allow the Cyprus 'talks' to intervene in his dream of being Sultan. Thus any chance we have here - and the Cypriots - including the Turkish Cypriots - do NOT want Turkish control here (though after being genocided not once but but twice by Greece, they need to know that it will NOT happen again), it looks very likely that 'politics at home in Turkey' will take precedence over the best chance Cyprus has EVER had of genuinely (thanks to the wishes of our Cypriot leaders), of resolving and uniting our island!

It certainly didn't help the Geneva talks - according to the Greek Cypriot local paper Cyprus Mail - that the Greek MInister for foreign affairs took it upon himself to determine a later date for the talks to reconvene - unbeknownst to everyone else present at the conference!

Anyway everything truly hangs in the balance. And the picture on the ground here, is that whatever they resolve outside the island - both sides still don't trust each other - despite the media and political hyping - and neither will vote for whatever they propose come the internal referendums on both 'sides'.

The general consensus here is that we have lived in peace for many years now (apart from hardliners causing disruption and violence to Turkish Cypriots driving south with Turkish Cypriot number plates) and that it is purely POLITICS that is trying to disrupt the peace that has been here for decades. And I am witness to that!

Weekly the local papers deride the years of 'peace' and 'settlement' plans that are 'ongoing' for this island - Nobody takes this seriously - in fact they are totally fed up with the continual political snipes knowing full well that 'we are quite happy as we are thank you - please do not intervene again and again'. all is purely of a political nature from outside. The only problems is the 'isolation' of the Turkish Cypriots from the rest of the world. But even then Kerry told the Greek Cypriots, we only have to fly a plane from USA to Ercan ( in the north) and the world will recognize Northern Cyprus.

Well even that is not needed now. As I have lived here - as North Cyprus is my home - for 12 years now. In 2004 there was great development going on over the north. Well today I can vouch that I have NEVER seen such development happening in ANY country and property development is in my DNA since 19 in Abu Dhabi when similar happened taking it from a purely fishing village to technocrats descending on the place like no other - (similar to the petrocarbons all around Cyprus now).

I can vouch I have NEVER witnessed so much development going on in the North of this island in 14 years. In 6 months there will not be one PLOT of land that is not being developed with high rise buildings or hotels in the whole of the Kyrenia district. There will not be any land left to develop. More than that all is ALREADY sold off plan before the foundations have even been dug! Marry that with the fact that North Cyprus is the safest place to live - NO 10 in the world and that the Lira is low against every major currency and you can understand why North Cyprus is an investors Dream! And there is no shortage of them here. Example ACACAN building contractors have one site (of many) where they are building 4 x 10 storey square buildings and two rotunda buildings - in one 'wall' facing the sea. There are nearly 1000 flats in that complex that is only half built - BUT there are only 13 flats left to sell when I enquired.

When I had a personal meeting with the developers, and mentioned that Turkey could pressure the Turkish Cypriots into doing what Turkey wished in a referendum by withholding the much needed funding that Turkey supplies the Turkish Cypriots with. The answer came straight back - but there are so many hotels now with casinos that the amount of money Turkey provides to North Cyprus is miniscule to the taxes that the Turkish Cypriot government gets from the taxes from all the casinos now., I I totally believe this.

I have never seen such development like for broke anywhere ever - in every street there is a high rise going us - mostly about 4! And they are all sold before construction. So somebody knows something!!

Again I reiterate, the general consensus here is we get on fine together apart from political interference. Leave us alone and we will do just fine! That is the genuine generalization from both sides (apart from the die - hard political problem makers) I know I live here and witness this on a daily basis. There are many inter-communal initiatives taking place now. Even many mutual 'peace' gatherings especially at the 'borders' of which there are many opened now.

I lived 10 years in London but the culture here is a far higher standard that I could experience there and far cheaper. North Cyprus is a very vibrant place in all aspects. The only downside is the dirt from the massive development, concommitant traffic delays and problems ( as most families have two very expensive cars now) and the rubbish that they enjoy discarding everywhere as there is no recycling programme.

So far nobody will name a price for apartments - which they sell in sterling - as they are increasing monthly by approximately 7%. And there is no shortage of buyers! Or of huge multi-million projects around the island planned and in construction.

So whatever the 'outcome' of the 'Cyprus Talks' I truly don't think it will make any difference to the average person on the street here - other than the fact that everything is going up in value and bills accordingly. The government has now jumped on the bandwagon and has put 25% minimum on all utilities and of course we are getting water,,and shortly electricity from Turkey. Which means Turkey will always control this island no matter what. Soon Turkey will control all the private wells so that nobody will have any access to their own water! So you can see where all this is leading.

But on the whole for the average Joe the standard of living has certainly increased and the minimum wage is now over 1800tl which is about 450 pounds sterling a month and the bills are still low compared to Europe. Which is why should North Cyprus have to join Europe it would immediately put everything financaily out of reach for the locals. NC is still a relatively cheap place to live but European directives is what most of us tried to escape from - the nanny state! ATM everyone enjoys a fair standard of living - EU would mean the end to that. We see the result when we cross the border to the south with all the businesses closing and what happened to the stealth of their funds in the banks! Yes corruption is very rife on the whole island as is nepotism and a very swollen and unproductive civil service!

There is much Israeli interference in the South which we do not experience to that extent here as well as the Levantine cunning. Which most people just cannot and never will beat or understand. I was victim too! Luckily I have lived here long enough to know most 'games' played on innocent people and can guide them through the minefield now!

But what I am wishing to share here is that life has been going on regardless of what the media are reporting. There is never a need for a 'peace' agreement because peace has reigned for many decades here. The only 'settlement' required is a political one as apart from the usual sharks nobody will benefit from whatever 'agreement' is obtained. Local people will only suffer from the increase of costs and accommodation etc all round. Benefits will take years to filter down and any loans will take years to pay off when the utilities here are still suffering from the hotels and government not paying their bills into the millions!

The general consensus here is that people are so jaded about reading/hearing about the next 'round' of 'peace' agreements that nobody takes any notice anymore. Like 'have you nothing better to write about in the papers?'. Regardless of what is 'agreed' outside the island at the last poll 85% of people here will vote NO to any referendum and very similar in the South.

So the only means of a 'settlement' would be the Nuland way which amounts to a 'coup' and the usual faked referendums.
The majority here like and accept the status quo here and don't want any external interference. Only the businesses - of which the government does nothing for - wish to see 'change'. But the majority start and last 6 months here anyway due to no business acumen!

There is also a very increasing university student growth here as well as health tourism as there are so many new state of the art hospitals being built. The increase is about 15% per annum. The new designs for projects are akin to those in Dubai - very daring architecture - even swimming pools on balconies! So in all honesty, as things stand - overshadowing all that is happening in the south - other than the prices thankfully - though they are going up incredibly fast!

I feel it will be a miracle if any agreement is passed and as I said before, the majority of people here are antagonistic to the intervention, they prefer the status quo. We have two totally opposed different cultures here who don't trust each other from history past, but do their genuine best to get along barring any political interference. There are many inter-marriages now and many generations who do not wish to move from where they are despite what the media says.

I also know that the majority of Turkish Cypriots wish to be autonomous and have nothing to do with Turkey. They are Cypriots at heart and don't wish for Turkey to dictate to them ( though they dont throw back the finance). Plus they truly don't feel safe - from proven history - not once but twice, so will never agree to not having 'protection' because there is still the inherent indoctrination - like the Israelis to the Palestinians - whereby there are hardcore 'believers' that the island belongs purely to the Greeks, which is not true. Many empires have claimed this island sadly including the Ottomans - who we know were very bloodthirsty barbarians especially to the Italian nobles here.

But sadly the true fact of the matter is that nobody but the Cypriots have such long standing grudges and memories of the past that they refuse to let go of no matter what. Some are genuine, others are just pure family disputes. But it seems to be in their DNA! So there will be absolutely NO way that the Turkish Cypriots would wish to leave themselves vulnerable again, which I can truly understand, but which Turkey is using for its own control of the island.

Given all of the above, and witnessing and hearing everything all around me, I don't see any genuine 'solution' to the made up 'problems' of Cyprus given all of the above. The British and Americans have a lot to answer for - as usual. So if you hear that a resolution has come about I can guarantee that is is not with the agreement of the genuine Cypriot people. USAID and the usual NGO's are doing their normal here. But despite the reports from the 'UN' and NATO etc there will always be the mis-trust on both sides and the wish to keep the status quo.

Edit: Added quotes where needed.

Mod edit: removed duplicate text, fixed quote boxes

 

[angelburst29]

About 40 Turkish soldiers assigned to NATO sought asylum in Germany, a media report said Saturday, quoting officers who said they fear jail and possibly torture back home.

Report: 40 Turkish NATO Soldiers Seek Asylum in Germany
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951109001496

Around 43,000 people are under arrest in Turkey on charges or links to last year's failed military coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Deccan Chronicle reported.

"About 40 Turkish troops, mostly of high rank and stationed in NATO bases, applied for asylum in Germany," Der Spiegel magazine and the ARD television station said in a joint report.

One officer, who insisted he had no connection to the coup attempt or sympathy for those behind it, was quoted as saying: "If I return to Turkey I risk imprisonment, or perhaps torture."

The report quoted Germany's interior ministry and Office for Migrants and Refugees as saying the soldiers would be treated no differently as other people who apply for asylum.

Turkey has been vital to European Union (EU) plans to stop the mass flow of migrants from the Middle East and Africa into the bloc, especially to Germany.

Relations between Ankara and Berlin deteriorated in the aftermath of the attempt to topple Erdogan but German Chancellor Angela Merkel is planning to visit Turkey on February 2.

The German government has expressed alarm about the crackdown on alleged plotters linked to the coup while Turkey has criticized Berlin for failure to extradite alleged terror suspects.

Turkey blames the coup effort on US based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen. He denies the charges. Around three million Turkish people live in Germany.

German army recruits in southwest Germany were subjected to violence and sadistic sexual practices, German magazine Der Spiegel reports.

Allegations of Violent Sexual Abuse of New Recruits Rock German Army
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701281050107377-german-army-recruits-abuse/

The German army has been rocked by a scandal at its barracks in Pfullendorf, in the southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg, German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday.

According to the report, new recruits to the army ambulance service were subjected to violence, humiliation and sexual assault by their superiors.

"Internal and hitherto secret investigations have confirmed that in the training of paramedics, or 'Combat First Responder,' sexually sadistic practices were apparently the order of the day. Investigations have also revealed abject ritual violence among sentries at the barracks," the magazine reported.

The investigation began in October 2016 when a female lieutenant raised the alarm with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Hans-Peter Bartels.

She described abuse during the training of ambulance recruits at Pfullendorf. For example, recruits were forced to strip naked in front of their colleagues, who filmed them.

She also said that army instructors had forced them to carry out unnecessary and sexually abusive exercises such as the insertion of tampons into the anus of male and female recruits, which was also photographed.

Sources in the Bundeswehr told Der Spiegel that indications of poor training practices and harassment of women first came to light in 2015, but were dismissed by the leadership at the barracks.

Commander of the barracks, Colonel Thomas Heinrich Schmidt, and two officers and two sergeants have been moved to positions away from the barracks, "to enable a new beginning."

"This series of events shows serious deficits in leadership," a Bundeswehr source said.

Since finding out about the allegations, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and Bundeswehr Chief of Staff Volker Wieker have ordered a comprehensive investigation into the allegations, and seven officers have been dismissed so far.

"The ministry is shocked by the results of the investigation. In addition to the shocking practices at medical training, it also became apparent that bizarre humiliation rituals were the order of the day among soldiers."

"The soldiers bound each other to chairs, had to stand for hours and were hosed with water. They also recreated scenes from the Hollywood film 'A Few Good Men,' and regularly took photos," the German newspaper wrote.

The allegations come as an embarrassment to von der Leyen, who has tried to promote a better image for the German army with a multi-million euro PR campaign to attract new recruits.

The issue will be discussed by von der Leyen and senior military figures at a conference on Tuesday. German media noted that the forum is called "Sexual orientation and identity in the Bundeswehr," and had actually been planned to highlight the army's modernization.

However, the conference is now set to be dominated by concerns about the extent of physical and sexual abuse at army barracks in Germany, with new cases expected to come to light as the investigation continues.

Ankara has urged Athens to again try eight Turkish soldiers that fled to Greece after the recent failed coup attempt. Turkey is reportedly considering breaking the EU-Turkey migrant deal, should Greece refuse, and this decision might have repercussions all across Europe.

Will Turkey-Greece Tensions Over AWOL Soldiers Threaten EU, NATO Unity?
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701281050092859-turkey-greece-eu-nato-unity/

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Ankara has urged Athens to retry eight Turkish soldiers that fled to Greece after the failed coup attempt last year. Earlier on Thursday the Greek supreme court ruled that the soldiers would not be extradited. This decision cannot be appealed.

"We demanded that the eight soldiers be tried again. This is a political decision, Greece is protecting and hosting coup plotters," Cavusoglu said in an interview with a Turkish TV station.

"As a country which experienced coups in its past, Greece, with this decision, has unfortunately become a country which protects coup plotters," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a separate statement.

Turkey has threatened to cancel its commitment to the migrant deal, intended to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants to the European Union, over the matter.

"We are evaluating what we can do. There is a migration deal we signed, including a readmission deal with Greece, and we are evaluating what we can do, including the cancellation of the readmission deal with Greece," Cavusoglu added.

European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud, refuting the threats, said that she was confident that the migrant deal would remain in place.

"The EU-Turkey statement continues to be applied by both sides and we are confident that it will remain the case."

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has observed that the Greek justice system is independent from the government and its decisions are binding, even when it comes to international affairs.

"The Greek government has vehemently condemned […] the coup attempt and supported the democratically elected government in our neighboring country," Tsipras noted.

He also added that, "those responsible for the coup are not welcome in our country."

The soldiers, who remain in police custody "for reasons of national security," according to Greek state agency ANA, claim that they had nothing to do with the attempt to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stating that they fled because they were afraid for their lives.

Ankara has become skeptical of the migration deal it signed with the EU, since the bloc has not fulfilled a part of the bargain which includes providing Turkish citizens visa-free travel. Recent developments may become a cause for the termination of the deal.

According to Deutsche Welle, a number of Turkish citizens are currently hiding in various NATO countries, of which both Greece and Turkey are member states. Despite that relations between the two countries has improved recently, memories of a 1996 crisis are still vivid.

"The fate of [the soldiers] is likely to be a test marker for the rest of the military alliance," according to a Deutsche Welle report.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated that Ankara sees a positive approach to the extradition of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen suspected by Ankara of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt.

Trump Administration Shows Positive Approach to Gulen Extradition - Turkish PM
https://sputniknews.com/world/201702221050948524-trump-gulen-us/

The administration of US President Donald Trump shows a positive approach to the extradition of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen suspected by Ankara of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday.

We see a positive approach of the US leadership to this issue. We hope for a positive outcome," Yildirim said, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

He added that the new administration had a better understanding of the importance of the issue for Ankara.

Armenia's defense minister accused Ankara of pursuing "extremely destructive" policies in the South Caucasus region.

Turkey's 'Destructive' Caucasus Policies Lead to Ankara's Isolation - Yerevan
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702221050929404-turkey-armenia-relations/

Turkey's "extremely destructive' policies in the South Caucasus continue to isolate it from regional processes and normalizing ties with Armenia, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told Sputnik.

Turkey behaves extremely destructively in the South Caucasus: it continues the blockade of Armenia, it continues to deny the obvious — the fact of Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire," Sargsyan said.

The minister accused Ankara of "retreating" from the 2009-2010 Zurich Protocols, a scrapped agreement aiming to normalize diplomatic relations and opening borders.

"And with its biased attitude toward the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey continues to effectively isolate itself from the regional processes," Sargsyan pointed out.

Around 1.2 million Armenians were killed or starved to death by the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I. Turkey has repeatedly denied accusations of committing mass murder of Armenians, claiming that the victims of the tragedy were both Turks and Armenians.

Armenia insists on the recognition of the Armenian genocide by the international community. The Armenian genocide has already been recognized by Russia and numerous EU countries, as well as the European Parliament.

In early April, the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated and turned violent. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will inevitably return to Azerbaijan. On April 5, Baku and Yerevan signed a ceasefire in Moscow following Russian mediation.

The Greek navy and coast guard monitored that Turkish coast guard vessels entered Greek territorial waters near the disputed islet of Imia in the southeast Aegean, according to local media reports.

Turkish Coast Guard Vessels Enter Greek Waters Near Imia Island
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702221050951182-turkey-greece-imia/

Turkish coast guard vessels entered Greek territorial waters near the disputed islet of Imia in the southeast Aegean, local media said Wednesday.

The breach was monitored by the Greek navy and coast guard, the Kathimerini newspaper reported.

The Aegean dispute has been a major source of tension between Greece and Turkey since the 1970s, bringing the two countries to the brink of military confrontation in 1987 and 1996. The dispute revolves around a set of issues involving the delimitation of territorial waters, airspace, demilitarized zones and the status several Aegean Sea islands.

Talks to resolve the issue began after 1999, when Turkey agreed to resolve the bilateral dispute as part of its accession deal with the European Union.

The 1996 standoff was triggered by a dispute during a Turkish-Greek cargo ship salvaging operation on the Imia islet, which lies with around just 4.5 miles off the Turkish coast. Turkey claimed sovereignty over the islet for the first during the incident.

Tensions were again stoked last month, when a Turkish missile boat approached the islet before being blocked by the Greek coast guard. The incident took place after Greek Supreme Court’s ruling against the extradition of eight Turkish soldiers involved in a failed coup against the Turkish government last year.

Six Turkish aircraft violated the airspace of Greece at least 138 times on Wednesday, Greek media report.

Rising Tensions: Greece Reports Over 130 Airspace Violations by Turkey
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702021050258740-greece-airspace-violations-turkey/

The Turkish planes, one pair and four single aircraft, entered the Greek airspace on Wednesday morning, violating it a total of 138 times during the day, including eight times over the Imia and Kalolimnos islands, the Ethnos newspaper said on Wednesday.

"Greece wants calm and peace between the countries of the region. We do not seek … trouble," Greek Minister for National Defence Panos Kammenos stressed on ANT1 TV on Wednesday, saying, nonetheless, that Greece is ready to respond to any provocations.

The violations came after Kammenos threw a wreath of flowers from a helicopter on Wednesday over the Imia waters to commemorate Greek pilots who died during the 1996 conflict between Turkey and Greece over the ownership of the islets.

 

[angelburst29]

The Netherlands has canceled a flight clearance for Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Netherlands Cancels Flight Permit for Turkish FM
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951221001081

The Dutch government has withdrawn landing permission for the Turkish foreign minister's aircraft, escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two NATO allies over campaigning for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform, AP reported.

The police of the Swiss canton of Aaargau reported that the meeting of the Union of European-Turkish Democrats related to the proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution was cancelled.

Swiss Police Cancels Turkish Diaspora Constitution-Linked Rally
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703111051468569-swiss-police-cancels-turkey-rally/

The meeting of the Union of European-Turkish Democrats (UETD) related to the proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution is cancelled over security concerns, the police of the Swiss canton of Aaargau said Friday.

"The cantonal police of Aargau found out today that a meeting of the Union of European-Turkish Democrats (UETD) in connection with the constitutional referendum in Turkey was scheduled to take place at a site in [the town of] Spreitenbach on Friday evening… [The police] has come to the conclusion that there are considerable security risks… [and that] holding the event is not justifiable," the police said in a press release.

According to the law enforcement, the decision was made after a consultation with Cantonal Councilor in charge of the Department for the Economy and Internal Affairs Urs Hofmann and the organizers of the meeting had been notified.

This cancellation comes on the heels of several others across Europe as Dutch and German authorities called off a few campaign meetings of Turkish Family and Social Affairs Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya.

According to the Daily Sabah newspaper, Kaya’s meetings in the Dutch towns of Hengelo, Enschede and Wehl as well as the German city of Cologne were canceled due to "security reasons."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan branded the Netherlands "Nazi remnants, fascists" on Saturday after the Dutch government withdrew permission for his Foreign Minister to land there.

Turkish President Erdogan Calls Netherlands "Nazi Remnants, Fascists"
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951221001162

Support for President Tayyip Erdogan's plans for extended powers, to be put to a referendum next month. Several other Euroepan cities have banned such meetings to be attended by Turkish officials, Reuters reported.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Saturday said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's remark comparing the Dutch to the Nazis was "way out of line."

Dutch PM Rutte: Erdogan's Nazi Remarks 'Way Out of Line'
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951221001452

Erdogan denounced the Netherlands as "Nazi remnants, fascists" after the Dutch government withdrew permission for his foreign minister to land there, Reuters reported.

"It's a crazy remark of course," Rutte told journalists during campaigning for the March 15 election. "I understand they're angry, but this of course was way out of line."

Turkey's family minister has arrived in the Netherlands by land from Germany after her country's foreign minister's plane was denied landing permission.

Turkish Family Minister Arrives in Netherlands by Road Amid Rally Row
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703111051489520-turkish-minister-overland-to-netherlands/

Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya was in Germany for different meetings. Though several of her events in the Netherlands have been cancelled, she intended to travel to the country anyway, and arrived earlier today, Reuters reports.

Early on March 11, the Dutch government cancelled landing permission for Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, citing security concerns.

Cavusoglu was to meet with Turks in the Netherlands to drum up support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the coming Turkish referendum that would give more powers to the presidency.

The Dutch government's decision prompted Erdogan to call them "Nazi remnants."

Prime Minister Mark Rutte had previously said they did not want Cavusoglu holding rallies in the Netherlands. On Saturday, Rutte called the Turkish president's remarks "crazy."

"I understand they are angry but this is of course way out of line," he said during a campaign rally in the southern Netherlands, AP reported. Rutte maintained that it was incorrect "for Turkish ministers to campaign in the Netherlands among Dutch people —with potentially a Turkish passport, yes — but first of all Dutch people."

He also said that despite the tensions, the Netherlands wants a good relationship with Turkey. "We will do everything to keep the relations with Turkey as good as possible, as strong as possible," Rutte said.

According to the Daily Sabah, Kaya was originally scheduled to speak with the Turkish community in the Dutch towns of Hengelo, Enschede and Wehl as well as in Cologne, Germany. She then was expected to meet with the Turkish community in Cavusoglu's place. However, the street in front of the Turkish consul's residence in Rotterdam, where the foreign minister was due to address Turkish citizens, has been blocked by Dutch police.

Organizers of the cancelled Rotterdam rally with Cavusolglu called for calm and asked Turkish citizens to stay home. They also called the decision to block the Turkish minister "undemocratic and counter to the freedom of assembly and freedom of expression."

Cavusoglu later on Saturday, speaking at Istanbul's international airport, called the decision to deny his landing rights and cancel his rallies "a scandal in every way" that "cannot be accepted."

"So they cancelled it due to security concerns, what, so is the minister a terrorist?" he asked the crowd, AP reported.

Both the rally organizers and the foreign minister have suggested that Turkish voters will in response vote to give Erdogan more powers in the upcoming referendum the rallies intended to support. Most of Europe sees the move as bad for democracy in Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu plans to visit France on Sunday despite the cancellation of his visit to the Netherlands for a meeting with the Turkish expats in the the country, media reported Saturday citing its source.

Cavusoglu to Visit France on Sunday Despite Cancellation of Visit to Netherlands
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201703111051490024-cavusoglu-visit-france/

According to the Daily Sabah newspaper, Cavusoglu's visit to the eastern French city of Metz was confirmed by the French Foreign Ministry and the meeting is scheduled to take place at 11:00 GMT.

Earlier in the day, the Dutch authorities refused to let Cavusoglu land over security concerns. The foreign minister had planned to hold a Turkish expat rally at the Turkish embassy in the run up to April's constitutional referendum. The incident followed rally bans in several other European countries.

Ankara has been seeking support from Turkish expats for a constitutional change that would increase the president's powers. Despite the Turkish leadership's efforts a number of pre-voting rallies were cancelled in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated that the decision to legislate the commemoration day of the 1950 referendum, in which voters chose the union with Greece, undermined the negotiations, adding that the failure of talks would not affect Turkey or Turkish part of Cyprus.

Turkish PM Accuses Greek Cypriots of Insincerity During Reconciliation Talks
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703111051485726-cyprus-negotiations-yildirim/

Greek Cypriots have been insincere since the beginning of the talks on reconciliation between the two parts of Cyprus, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday.

"In my opinion, the Greek Cypriots were never sincere from the beginning. They regard the Turkish Cypriots as a minority. How will you establish a bi-communal, equal and fair government if you regard one part as a minority?," Yildirim said in an interview with the Hurriyet newspaper.

The prime minister stressed that the decision to legislate the commemoration day of the 1950 referendum, in which voters chose the union with Greece, undermined the negotiations, adding that the failure of talks would not affect Turkey or Turkish part of Cyprus.

The latest round of Cyprus reconciliation talks on February 16 ended abruptly, with the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots blaming each other for the early departure.

Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkey occupied the island's north, later proclaiming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) there. The TRNC is recognized only by Turkey, which maintains its military presence there.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades of disrupting the UN-brokered talks on Cyprus settlement on Thursday.

Turkish FM Blames Cyprus President for Breaking Up Reconciliation Talks
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702171050769181-cavusoglu-anastasiades-cyprus-talks-disruption/

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said earlier in the day that Anastasiades had left the negotiation table claiming that he had "nothing else to say." Anastasiades, on his part, said that the Turkish Cypriot delegation left the talks first.

"The Greek Cypriot leader left the talks banging the door. The actions of the Cypriot Greek community affirm [its real] position regarding the talks on settlements on the island," Cavusoglu said, as broadcast by Turkish NTV broadcaster.

The amendments to the Turkish constitution that are going to be on the agenda of the forthcoming referendum could hinder the country's democracy, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe said in a Friday statement.

Constitution Changes to Plunge Turkey Into Authoritarianism - Council of Europe
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201703101051452143-turkey-constitution-referendum/

On April 16, the Turks would vote on the issues of constitution amendments that could result in expanding the country's presidential powers.

The Venice Commission warns that by removing necessary checks and balances, the amendments would not follow the model of a democratic presidential system based on the separation of powers, and instead would risk degeneration into an authoritarian presidential system," the statement said about the proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution.

The commission added that the approval of the amendments would vest the Turkish leader with "unsupervised authority" to appoint and dismiss high-ranking officials, including ministers, to have influence over the parliament and would decrease the powers of legislative and judicial branches of power.

In January, the Turkish parliament supported the corresponding constitutional amendments. In February, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved the amendments. At the same time, the country's opposition has repeatedly voiced protest against the package, saying that it was Erdogan's attempt to grab more power.

Supporters of the amendments consider that the package should be adopted, because the current constitution is out-of-date while the amendments would bring the stability to the country’s politics. According to Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the referendum would end conflicts between the branches of government.

According to a ferry service operator, Ferry traffic between Crimea and Turkey has been suspended by Ankara for two weeks.

Turkey Suspended Ferry Traffic With Russia's Crimea 2 Weeks Ago - Operator
https://sputniknews.com/world/201703111051475115-russia-turkey-crimea-ferry/

Ferry traffic between Crimea and Turkey has been suspended by Ankara for two weeks, a ferry service operator said Saturday.

"Ferry services to Turkey have been suspended… Ferries from Crimea are not being accepted, this has been going on for two weeks," Crimean Maritime Agency director Stanislav Gvozdilov told Sputnik.

The Turkish side has not given any reasons for the suspensions, he added, noting that the situation has impacted supplies of Turkish food and other products to the peninsula.

Russia restored ferry services across the Black Sea between the city of Sevastopol in Crimea and Turkey's Zonguldak in late October amid rapprochement with Turkey.

The United Nations has accused Ankara of numerous killings and large-scale destruction in the Kurdish-dominated areas in southeastern Turkey.

UN Blames Ankara for Mass Killings, Torture and Destruction in Kurdish Areas
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703101051443052-turkey-kurds-violence-diyarbakir-nusaybin/

Turkish security forces have taken part in numerous killings and large-scale destruction during operations in the Kurdish-dominated areas in the southeast of the country, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Friday.

"Between July 2015 and December 2016, some 2,000 people were reportedly killed in the context of security operations in South-East Turkey… OHCHR documented numerous cases of excessive use of force; killings; enforced disappearances; torture; destruction of housing and cultural heritage," an OHCHR report on the human rights situation in South-East Turkey said.

Incitements of hatred, emergency care denial, prevention of food and water access and freedom of speech curtailments were also a cause for concern over the same period, during which tensions between Turkey's Kurdish minority and Ankara reached a peak, according to the report. The situation was particularly alarming during extensive curfew periods imposed over entire districts and cities, the UN added.

The OHCHR reviewed "alarming" satellite images indicating an enormous scale of destruction caused by shelling in Kurdish cities such as Nusaybin and Diyarbakir. Damage was also widespread in Cizre, where nearly 200 died as a result of fires and shelling of entire neighborhoods.

The report also mentioned attacks against security personnel, politicians and members of the public by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The UN went on to state that the government response was disproportionate and expressed concern over the absence of any investigation or persecution over unlawful killings in the region.

 

[lilies]

What are our thoughts about the new developments with Turkey vs. Netherlands?
Assad appears to be losing confidence with Erdogan. Netherlands completely botched the MH17 report, it could happen only on command from US. So what now? Pentagon sees they are losing in Syria with their ISIS dears and now they attempt to start a war in Europe? What do you think?
Oh, I just read Best of Web: Washington and America Implode at the Hands of a Treasonous, Obama-Led Shadow Government
https://www.sott.net/article/344356-Washington-and-America-Implode-at-the-Hands-of-a-Treasonous-Obama-Led-Shadow-Government

The Minister of Forestry and Water here in North Cyprus wanted to friend me on FB - he has been helping me with outline planning permission application.
Anyway I checked out his site and found a very disturbing video from July coup. Did anybody else come across this site:

https://www.facebook.com/1502230130096376/videos/1651295295189858/

Sadly I cannot post much about Turkey any more. I have had too many warnings from people here and I can get deported immediately so far too risky now. But others can post. I have shared the site with Yusuf Salih a friend who has a group page here called 'Free Thinkers in Cyprus' - He is Cypriot. And thanked me for the site.

I don't know whether anybody else notices but for some reason I asked myself how come nearly the majority of these semi stripped humiliated army guys have what appears to be 'breasts' - am I imagining something here? If not either they are being paraded for being gender changing or possible this could be side effects of 'medication'?? It is just all sooooooo strange but scary.

On the video just the usual, limp, untrained bodies with bellies and man-tits characteristic of males, [if in military] in a regular army they are used for cannon fodder.

The human body, going untrained for a long time, goes limp, loses muscle tone. Muscle tone acts like a spandex, it keeps the reduced fat [from strenuous exercise] on the body tight. Even people, who have shorter spines [and usually longer legs], but exercise fairly regularly can appear to have man-tits, due to not telegenic shape of their pectorals: there are lots form variations due to genetics. You learn this quickly talking to professional body builders.

No wonder Turkey was losing badly in Syria, until they made an agreement with or benefited from ISIS leaving Al-Bab in a hurry. Check out some Spetznaz videos, how trained soldiers' upper bodies look like.

 

[bozadi]

I feel that Erdogan's climbing tension with European powers has some good potentials for Turkey.

Following the Gulenist coup attempt, there was a rare (but short-termed) harmony against the conspirators between Erdogan's ruling party and the opposition. This is really rare and extremely important for the future of the Turkish society in general, I believe.

And now, although the CHP, the main opposition party, struggles with full force against the presidential referendum that will be made in April, its leaders supported AKP's fiery attitude against the European forces which resist AKP's political efforts in Europe for securing the support of Turkish citizens living in Europe for the referendum.

Despite the long list of ill-doings of the AKP, they seem to do one very critical thing right; a slow but seeminly stable development of resistance and opposition against some outright evil policies of the US and its European allies. And this goes in parallel with the surprisingly fast developing cooperation with Russia. I think that all of these amazing developments on the part of the Turkish government have been closely related to the Syrian defeat. I wonder if Assad could have been this much determined in his struggle against the invaders of Syria if it was not for the dirty involvement of the Sunnist Turkish government. And we know that Russia's much-needed intervention was one of the most critical factors for the Syrian defeat of the Turkish government. And it was the promise of the US and its European allies in the successfully devastating process of the Arab Spring that Erdogan relied on mostly in his greedy involvement, although Gulen through Davutoglu was also very influential in this invasive Syrian policy.

So, the infuriating Syrian defeat was such a most critical development for Erdogan's on-going process of conversion from the US to the Russian led bloc. I still believe that Erdogan is an OP or that he's just newly awakening his soul, and that he might be polarizing more positively than negatively, and/or that, he's being used by divine forces somehow.

If Erdogan is really an OP being newly enspirited, it might considered that he's kind of innocent in some of his ill or ill-looking interventions in and around Turkey because his perception and knowledge is very primitive or naive. For instance, looking from the view point of the Sunnist circle from which he came from, Assad really seemed to be an illegitemate leader because he's a kind of dictator Alawi secularist leader standing firm against a possibility of Salafist government in a country a majority of which are Sunni Muslims who are or can be inclined towards Salafism. His father was extremely destructive especially against some certain pro-Sharia or Salafi Sunnist circles. Yes, none of these change the fact that Assad has resisted strongly and honorably against US-Israeli interventions and that's why he's gained a vital support of his people and army.

Considering Erdogan's very low level of knowledge or consciousness, also including the natural/collective STS influences, he might have considered his interventionist policies to be very virtuous and for the good of people. Of course, he's also childishly narcissist, and this is also fed by the amazing support he enjoys from millions of Turkish citizens. He with his political party has done and still does so many wrongs but many if not all of these wrongs can, and maybe does, actual lead to some positive results in the long term. For instance, the intervention into Iraq has actually increased Iraqi's nationalistic feelings about defending their country and resisting against any foreign invasion. I don't claim that this is what Erdogan has intended but this is a significant part of the result anyway.

Yeah, Erdogan has oppressed the opposition heavily but a significant part of the opposition has opposed him blindly and made him go crazy or crazier. Turkish opposition is not all STO-oriented. Sure, I don't claim that there is nothing to oppose about Erdogan's AKP, on the contrary, they do so many wrongs but some part of opposition blindly criticizes and opposes "anything" done by the government and refuses to settle on anything but just to topple it at all costs.

Erdogan's AKP has literally crushed Kurdish opposition, killing many civilians and traumatizing thousands of them but this was also helped by Gulenist control, again through Davutoglu, in the police/military force. This certainly doesn't make Erdogan or the AKP innocent in this matter but Kurdish opposition is not so much innocent either. They need to counteract PKK's many terrorist acts but most of them are inclined (due to fear and other complicated reasons) to be identified with the PKK at all costs.

Erdogan's open oppression against opposition circles force them to question themselves about why can't they, as many distinct groups, effectively come together and act for their common rights. As can be easily observed, Erdogan doesn't or can't annihilate or stop the general opposition against him or his party. On the contrary, in recent years, the opposition has been getting unprecedentedly livelier and gradually more organized. Erdogan's innumerable clumsy acts make a reassuring effect on them. This is what enabled the Gezi Park protests, which is really an unprecedented event in the near history of Turkey, proudly so for the opposition. It kind of signifies the break of the spell cast by the dominators behind the coup of 1980. I believe that Erdogan unknowingly helps the nation in very unexpected ways. The defeat of the Gulenist military coup is also unprecedented and sends unbelieably healing signals to the subconscious of the nation, who are accustomed to be silenced by the overt and covert armed forces of the State, led by global fascist forces. And the supposedly progressivist and leftist main opposition party, the CHP, which is the party established by Ataturk himself, and the Turkish Armed Forces, which is known to be strictly Kemalist, have surrendered to and even openly cooperated with the demonic control of the US and its allies on Turkey for a long time. They have been sooo far from being innocent! This is not to accuse the Kemalist civil base, I think that they were manipulated signficantly also by direct and indirect threats. But, consequently, supposedly Kemalist and progressivist political and military organizations have tortured the nation so much and this is the very reason that the AKP has climbed to the power thanks to the reaction by a significant part of nation against many evils of the CHP and the TAF. I'm sure that the AKP was established by the same Global Psychopaths to punch the nation's face from the opposite side, but I think that somehow the AKP is gradually drawing away from that evil control. The significant support to Erdogan makes him to find the courage to oppose the global forces. And surely, Putin's Russia also suports this and hopefully this will also be humbling and guiding Erdogan's AKP.

And AKP's current developing clash with the US and its allies has the potential to unite the public bases of many different circles of the nation against the control by psychopatic global blood-suckers under the help and guidance of Russia. This can be a new and needed War of Independence for Turkey that can unite the nation once again and more consciously this time.

These are my current opinions regarding these issues but I can't be sure about every detail of it. Just what I tend to believe, or want to believe, these days.