July 2016 Military Coup in Turkey

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Saturday, July 15, is the first anniversary of the launch of the failed coup in Turkey, which has led to the purge of thousands by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. The coup collapsed in the early hours of July 16 after Erdogan did an interview on Facebook Live with a TV host, and told people to come onto the streets.

Turkish Coup Anniversary: Erdogan Accused of Using It to Create 'Dictatorship'
https://sputniknews.com/military/201707141055550196-turkish-coup-first-anniversary/

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara will propose to extend the state of emergency in the country for three more months.

Turkish Government Intends to Extend State of Emergency for Three More Months
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707141055541342-turkey-state-emergency/

"We shall propose to extend the state of emergency for three more months," Yildirim told reporters, adding that speaking of specific dates for lifting of the state of emergency was premature.

7,348 people have been dismissed from their jobs with the Turkish government as part of the latest crackdown from Ankara against those suspected of sympathy for or involvement in the failed coup attempt by members of the Turkish military. The one-year anniversary of the coup will occur on July 15, 2017.

Turkey Dismisses 7,300 Public Servants on Eve of Failed Coup Anniversary
https://sputniknews.com/world/201707141055559333-turkey-dismisses-public-servants-anniversary/

Those dismissed were primarily police officers, civil servants, and academics. They are accused of disloyalty and membership in the Gulen movement, led by Turkish exile Fethullah Gulen who now lives in Pennsylvania. Gulen was once a close ally of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but is now one of his most vocal and visible critics.

Erdogan accused Gulen of organizing the coup attempt against him, a charge Gulen denies.

Since the failed coup, 50,000 Turks have been arrested and another 150,000 sacked under suspicion of being involved in the coup.

Ankara banned German lawmakers from a visit to a NATO military base in the Turkish province of Konya, where German military personnel are stationed, according to media reports.

Turkey Bans German Lawmakers From Visiting NATO Base in Konya
https://sputniknews.com/world/201707141055556144-turkey-germany-visit-ban/

Turkey banned German lawmakers from carrying a visit to a NATO military base in the Turkish province of Konya, where German military personnel are stationed, media reported on Friday.

According to the Spiegel newspaper, citing its sources, the German Foreign Ministry earlier in the day informed the lawmakers of the parliament’s defense committee that the visit, set for July 17, was banned by Ankara.

The newspaper added that the ban was transmitted through a note verbale, saying that the relations between the two countries were too tense to enable such a visit.

Germany started on Sunday the withdrawal of its forces from the Turkish Incirlik airbase, what was approved by Bundestag in June following Berlin's row with Ankara, German media reported.

Germany Starts Military Withdrawal From Turkish Incirlik Airbase
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201707091055386573-germany-incirlik-airbase/

First of all, Berlin will pull out tanker aircraft and reconnaissance Tornado jets, Der Spiegel magazine reported, citing its sources.

The Tornado jets will reportedly be withdrawn from Turkey to Germany until the end of July. After that, in a month and a half, the aircraft will be moved to a base in Jordan.

The conflict between Berlin and Ankara dates back to May, when Turkey blocked a group of German lawmakers from visiting servicemen stationed at Incirlik, which has been used by Berlin to carry out reconnaissance flights as part of the international operation against against the Daesh (outlawed in Russia) terrorist organization. Mustafa Yeneroglu, a Turkish lawmaker representing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), told Sputnik that the decision to ban German lawmakers from entering the base was made due to the threat posed by politicians who supported the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey.

To resolve the dispute between the two states, the German government backed the relocation of German troops from the Incirlk base. According to German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, the German military airplanes and equipment will be moved to airfield Azraq in northern Jordan.

 

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Turkey is set to replace the leaders of its military forces for land, sea and air, local media say. The decision, to be approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, comes just over a year after a failed military coup.

Turkey replaces army, air force and navy leaders
http://www.dw.com/en/turkey-replaces-army-air-force-and-navy-leaders/a-39941207

The Supreme Military Council (YAS) on Wednesday decided to replace the heads of its three main armed services with other top members of the military, according to Turkish television channels.

The YAS held a four-hour meeting chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Wednesday, with the decisions to be presented later in the day to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for approval.

On the way out - according to the CNN Turk channel and NTV network - are land army commander General Salih Zeki Colak, navy chief Admiral Bulent Bostanoglu and air force commander General Abidin Unal.

All three are to be replaced with other top members of the military. The new army chief was said to be General Yasar Guler, currently head of the gendarmerie who was abducted for several hours during last year's coup effort.

Since Erdogan came to power, the influence of the once-powerful military - which has overthrown four civilian governments since 1960 - appears to have been waning.

The council - which normally only meets only once a year - was meeting for the third time since the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Since the failed putsch, the Turkish government increased the civilian component of the council, giving more places to government ministers than military figures. Previously, meetings were held at military headquarters, but they are now hosted by the prime minister.

Hundreds of officers were purged from the military. More than two-thirds of those serving as NATO officers were labeled as suspects linked to Erdogan's enemy, Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in exile in the US. Many feared to return home amid the new atmosphere.

On Tuesday, court proceedings began against nearly 500 suspects, including another former head of the air force and pilots. The suspects are accused of running the coup bid from Akinci air base outside Ankara.

One of the most important coup trials against the alleged leaders of last year's coup attempt has begun in Turkey. The suspects are accused of running the coup bid from Akinci air base outside Ankara.

Main coup trial begins in Turkey against nearly 500 suspects
http://www.dw.com/en/main-coup-trial-begins-in-turkey-against-nearly-500-suspects/a-39919854

Nearly 500 suspects, including the former head of the air force and pilots, entered a court outside Ankara on Tuesday in one of the main trials against those accused of leading last year's failed coup attempt.

In all, 486 suspects face charges including murder, membership of a terrorist organization, attempting to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, trying to overthrow parliament and damaging public property, according to state-run media Anatolia Agency.

If convicted, most of the accused face life sentences in solitary confinement with no possibility of parole.

The "number one" defendant is Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the Islamic movement that Turkish authorities blame for the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

Gulen, who has lived in exile in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, denies giving any orders for his followers to carry out the coup.

Coup headquarters - Of the suspects, 461 are currently in prison, 18 have been released under supervision and seven are fugitives. Many of the suspects in the trial also face charges in other coup-related trials.

Video on CNN Turk showed about 40 of the defendants being brought to the court outside Ankara built especially for the coup trials, each suspect handcuffed and accompanied by two gendarme police and flanked by an armed solider.

Crowds held signs and yelled outside the heavily guarded prison complex in Sincan demanding the death penalty for the suspects. The death penalty has been banned in Turkey since 2004, but Erdogan has said he supports bringing it back.

The suspects are accused of running the coup from Akinci air base, the alleged coup headquarters from where F-16 jets flew low over Ankara sending out sonic booms before later bombing parliament and other government buildings. The air base was also bombed by the Turkish air force as it put down the coup attempt.

Coup perpetrators' identities unclear - Chief of the General Staff General Hulusi Akar and other commanders were held hostage at the base during the coup, which killed nearly 250 people.

Another key figure in the trial is former air force chief Akin Ozturk, who also faces charges in other coup related trials. He has denied the coup charges.

The trial also brings charges against so-called "civilian imams," shadowy non-military figures alleged to be key coordinators between Gulen and the putschists.

The chief "civilian imam" is alleged to be theology academic Adil Oksuz, who was arrested at Akinci air base once the coup bid collapsed. Oksuz was released shortly after the coup by an alleged Gulenist judge, who himself has since been arrested, and is now one of Turkey's most wanted fugitives.

Another "civilian imam" on trial is businessman Kemal Batmaz, said to be Oksuz's assistant.

The trial is expected to last 29 days.

Many questions surrounding coup - Erdogan's critics accuse the president of enabling the Gulen - one of his former allies - to infiltrate key state institutions before the two began to clash in 2013 in an open power struggle.

Much remains mysterious about how failed coup attempt unfolded.

One likely scenario is that Gulenist officers carried out the coup, which was then joined by anti-government officers and soldiers believing they were simply following orders.

Under this scenario, non-Gulenist officers would not have known that the coup was led by Gulenists. Traditional secular-nationalists within the military had always been weary of the Gulen movement, due to previous bogus coup trials against officers led by Gulenist prosecutors with the support of Erdogan to weaken the military.

However, Turkish authorities have yet to present any evidence Gulen gave a direct order.

EU intelligence and many Turkey analysts have suggested suspected Gulenist officers were prompted to carry out the coup a month before a High Military Council meeting that was expected to dismiss many Gulenist officers.

It also remains unclear at what point intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, Erdogan and other senior figures learned about the coup. Some analysts and the opposition have suggested Erdogan allowed a "controlled coup" that could be put down in order to later strengthen his authoritarian rule through a second "palace coup" implemented through a state of emergency.

More than 50,000 people have been arrested and at least 120,000 more dismissed from their jobs under a state of emergency in effect since the coup attempt. Only a small fraction of those arrested had a direct role in the coup attempt. The mass purges have raised concerns over human rights and the rule of law.

Suspected coup plotters will wear new almond-colored uniforms before Turkish courts, according to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Previously, Erdogan said he would like the uniforms to be "like in Guantanamo."

Turkey's Erdogan wants uniforms for coup suspects in court
http://www.dw.com/en/turkeys-erdogan-wants-uniforms-for-coup-suspects-in-court/a-39981536

Turkish authorities would require the suspects two wear two kinds of uniforms – a brown jumpsuit for "coup plotters" and jackets and trousers in the same color for "terrorists," Erdogan said at a rally in the city of Malatya on Saturday.

"From now on, there is no coming dressed as they want," the Turkish strongman told his supporters at a stadium opening ceremony.

"They will be introduced to the world like that," he added, describing the color of the uniform as "almond."

'Hero' or villain - The new dress code comes in response to a controversy last month, when one of the defendants showed up in an Ankara court wearing a T-shirt with the word "Hero" on it. The images of the suspect triggered outrage on social media, with users claiming the shirt insulted the 249 victims of the failed coup in 2016. However, dozens of people were subsequently detained by the police for wearing similar T-shirts. On one occasion, police chased down a young couple riding a motorbike after they noticed their "Hero" shirts.

Commenting on the Ankara incident in July, Erdogan said that suspects for coup-related crimes should wear uniforms "like in Guantanamo," referring to the infamous US military prison that dresses their inmates in bright orange jumpsuits. At least 50,000 people have been detained in the crackdown after the coup attempt.

 

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The United States has rejected Ankara's request to send F-16 training pilots in order to fill the gap of pilots dismissed after last year's military coup attempt in Turkey, according to the media reports.

US Refuses to Send F-16 Trainers to Turkey to Fill Lack of Fired Turkish Pilots
https://sputniknews.com/military/201708301056938957-us-f16-pilots-training-refuse/

The United States has rejected Ankara's request to send F-16 training pilots in order to fill the gap of pilots dismissed after last year's military coup attempt in Turkey, media reported Wednesday.

If you send your F-16 pilots to the U.S., we can train them here," the US response said, as quoted by Hurriyet Daily News.

Turkey, on its part, insisted on pilots operating in its own bases.

According to the media outlet, Ankara has sent similar requests to some other states, however, Pakistan was the only country to accept Turkey’s request, but Washington has opposed this move, as any US military equipment purchase, sale, maintenance and training between third countries needs US approval.

The Prosecutor's Office in the western Turkish province of Izmir said in a statement on Thursday that the recent explosion that targeted a prison service vehicle had been caused by a homemade bomb.

Turkish Prosecutors Say Explosion in Izmir Province Caused by Homemade Bomb
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201708311056967236-tuizmir-blast-homemade-bomb/

The explosion in Izmir province occurred on Thursday when a prison service vehicle was driving by a garbage container laden with explosives. According to media reports, at least seven people were injured in the incident.

"Seven people were injured as a result of the explosion of a homemade explosive device planted in a waste container during the journey of a prison bus of the Buca district penitentiary," the statement said.

The statement added that six of the victims had already been released from hospital.

European Commission President Juncker lashed out at Turkish President Erdogan blaming him for the deterioration of Ankara's relations with Brussels.

Juncker Blames Erdogan for Turkey 'Moving Away From Europe by Leaps and Bounds'
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201708291056887292-juncker-erdogan-eu/

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that Turkey is rapidly moving away from the European Union, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is fully responsible for this.

"Turkey is moving away from Europe by leaps and bounds. I suspect that Erdogan, who I have always had friendly relations with and whom I maintain a good relationship with, expects Europe to make statements about the termination of negotiations [about Turkey's membership in the bloc] in order to show that the EU is responsible for this, but not Turkey. The Turkish side bears full responsibility for this," Juncker said.

According to Juncker, the European Union should behave in a manner which demonstrates to Turkey that "it is [Ankara], and Erdogan’s system, which made it impossible for Turkey to enter the European Union."

Relations between Brussels and Ankara became strained after Turkey’s crackdown on opposition journalists, as well as public servants and judges, in the wake of the July 2016 coup attempt which prompted EU disapproval in the form of its suspension of accession talks.

Turkey signed an association agreement with the then-European Community in 1963 and submitted a membership application in 1987.

 

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Erdogan regime makes its first payment for Russian S-400 missile system after being granted $400 million loan by the World Bank
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/09/erdogan-regime-makes-its-first-payment.html

The head of the Turkish regime Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said Ankara made its first payment for the installation of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, according to Turkish Hurriyet newspaper.

Yesterday, Turkey’s Treasury announced that the World Bank has lent $400 million loan to the country as part of the Resilience, Inclusion and Growth Development Policy Financing (RIG-DPF) program.

The total value of the contract is estimated at $2.5 billion.

For his part, Vladimir Kogan, a senior adviser to the Russian President Vladimir Putin on affairs involving military and technical cooperation, said Russia and Turkey signed an agreement to export Russian S-400 missile system to Turkey.

“The S-400 is one of the most advanced and complex missile systems with a range of technical means. I can guarantee that all decisions regarding the contract were made in full accordance with our strategic interests. In light of this, we understand the reaction of a number of Western countries that are trying to put pressure on Turkey.”

The S-400 Triumf system is an anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile system capable of carrying hypersonic missiles. Developed in the 1990s, it has been in use since 2007. It is often regarded as “one of the best air-defense systems available.”

US to accelerate missile defense system delivery to Turkey - Pentagon

Pentagon races to get US ABM system to Turkey as Turkey buys Russian S-400s
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/09/pentagon-races-to-get-us-abm-system-to.html

The United States will speed up the delivery of anti-missile defense systems (ABM), which are compatible with NATO standards, to Turkey. This was stated by Pentagon spokesman Johnny Michael.

"We brought our concern to Turkish officials about the potential purchase of the S-400. A NATO-compatible missile defense system remains the best option to protect Turkey from the full range of threats in its region," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

He also noted there is "an open dialogue on this issue" and stressed the importance of "maintaining compatibility with NATO in the procurement of any serious defensive systems."

"The US and Turkey have deep and significant relations in the sphere of defense and military trade. Turkey continues to use anti-missile systems with NATO allies, including the United States, for broader, longer-term missile defense needs. The United States is committed to accelerating the delivery of the systems purchased by Turkey as much as possible," Michael added.

He also stressed that Turkey "is a key ally of NATO."

"We are committed to a close partnership in the field of defense," the Pentagon official concluded.

Earlier, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey has made the first installment in the framework of the agreement on the delivery of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.

At the end of July, the US Defense Department announced that they are concerned about the incompatibility of the Russian S-400 anti-missile systems that Turkey can buy from Russia.

Detention of two German citizens in Turkey could result in the revision of bilateral ties, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday, adding that Germany should firmly respond to the issue.

Merkel Mulls Revision of Relations With Ankara as Two Germans Detained in Turkey
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201709011057010284-merkel-turkey-relations/

Turkish police detained two German citizens in the country's resort city of Antalya, local media reported on Friday, citing spokeswoman of the German Foreign Ministry Maria Adebahr.

"Once against two German citizens were detained in Turkey … We believe that in most cases [German citizens] are detained groundlessly. We must decisively react to the issue… Following today's events, we should probably further review [policy toward Turkey]," Merkel said as quoted by the N24 media outlet.

The information about the detentions was obtained from non-governmental sources and later confirmed by the airport police, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported, adding that the reasons behind detentions were unknown.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed hope that tensions with Ankara would not continue growing, however, she also hinted at the possibility of new steps against Ankara.

Merkel Hints at Possible Measures Against Turkey Over German Nationals Detention
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201709131057340738-merkel-possible-measures-against-turkey/

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said she has not ruled out new measures against Turkey over the detention of German nationals, but hopes that the situation between Berlin and Ankara will not escalate.

We reserve the right to take further steps… Since the problems are really significant. Especially, in relation to those who had been under investigation during several weeks and without a reason, from our perspective," Merkel said in an interview with the NDR broadcaster.

Turkey continues operations to detain suspects allegedly connected with the failed 2016 coup attempt, including former national intelligence agents.

Ankara Authorizes Detention of 63 Suspects Over Alleged Links With Gulen
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201709121057309356-turkey-coup-attempt-gulen/

Turkish security forces are carrying out an operation to detain 63 people, including 45 former members of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) suspected of having links with the movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, which is designated in Turkey as the so-called Gulenist Terror Organization (FETO), local media reported Tuesday.

According to the Anadolu news agency, the operation is underway in 21 provinces of the country. The suspects were sacked from the MIT in a series of purges in the state agencies after a failed coup attempt in 2016, the news outlet added.

 

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Several months after an unprecedented collapse in relations between two NATO member states, on Thursday Germany’s military announced it has finished its withdrawal from Turkey’s strategic airbase Incirlik, which as a reminder was prompted by Ankara’s refusal to allow visits by German parliamentarians. Going forward, Bundeswehr planes will instead be based in Jordan.

NATO Splinters: Germany Completes Withdrawal From Turkey's Incirlik Airbase
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-28/nato-splinters-germany-completes-withdrawal-turkeys-incirlik-airbase

As we reported at the time, in June Germany’s parliament, which ultimately decides on deployments, voted overwhelmingly to leave Incirlik amid a multifaceted dispute with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his post-coup crackdown. As a "parliamentary army," the Bundeswehr requires a vote of approval from Bundestag lawmakers for each foreign deployment and a parliamentary committee regularly evaluates Germany missions abroad.

As Deutsche Welle reports, Germany’s transfer of reconnaissance and refueling aircraft from Incirlik to Jordan’s al-Asrak airbase had been "an unprecedented, mammoth task" according to German contingent commander Stefan Kleinheyer said Wednesday.

The Bundeswehr relocated a set of Tornado reconnaissance jets, a German refueling aircraft, logistical equipment and 260 personnel to Jordan. The troops are involved in oversight of the US-led aerial campaign against "Islamic State" (IS) militia in adjacent Syria. According to German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen the unit was being redeployed to a Jordanian air base used by numerous NATO partners.

The two countries tried to patch up badly damaged relations In early September, when seven German parliamentarians visited NATO’s Konya airbase in central Turkey under a compromise access arrangement via the military alliance. At the time, Germany’s Foreign Ministry said that visit was only a temporary compromise, adding that Berlin would endeavor to arrange politically "smoother" parliamentary oversight in Turkey in the future.

However, despite detente attempts, the tensions have remained after Turkish military officers who sought asylum in Germany were deemed by Erdogan to have been among plotters of the failed coup. Amid high German-Turkish tension, several German cities barred rallies by pro-Erdogan politicians.

Separately, also on Thursday, in a tit for tat "hostage" exchange, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Ankara could free a detained US pastor if Washington extradites Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accuses of being behind last year's failed coup attempt. “‘‘Give us the pastor back,’ they say. You have one pastor as well. Give him (Gulen) to us," Erdogan said during a speech to police officers at the presidential palace in Ankara.

"The (pastor) we have is on trial. Yours is not - he is living in Pennsylvania. You can give him easily. You can give him right away."

Erdogan was referring to pastor Andrew Brunson, who was detained in Turkey on terrorism charges last October. According to Turkish media, Brunson's charges include being part of Gulen's network. However, the US says the pastor has been wrongfully imprisoned and has called for his release. Previously, Trump asked Ankara to return Brunson to the US in May, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, Turkey continues to have an increasingly tense relationship with the EU, which criticized Erdogan's actions following the coup. The crackdown negatively impacted Turkey's lengthy efforts to receive EU membership, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel making her opinion clear that Turkey should not become a member of the bloc. Erdogan has responded with his own thoughts on the EU, telling Reuters last week that the bloc has "never kept their promises" when it came to Turkey gaining membership.

As a result, Erdogan has broadly pivoted toward Russia, recently completing the purchase of an advanced S-400 missile batter from Moscow.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested that Ankara could free a detained US pastor if Washington extradites Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accuses of being behind last year's failed coup attempt.

Erdogan proposes release of US pastor in exchange for coup suspect Gulen
https://www.rt.com/news/404890-erdogan-gulen-us-pastor-swap/

“‘Give us the pastor back,’ they say. You have one pastor as well. Give him (Gulen) to us," Erdogan said during a speech to police officers at the presidential palace in Ankara.

"Then we will try him and give him to you.

"The (pastor) we have is on trial. Yours is not - he is living in Pennsylvania. You can give him easily. You can give him right away."

The US pastor referred to by Erdogan is Andrew Brunson, who was detained in Turkey on terrorism charges last October.

According to Turkish media, Brunson's charges include being part of Gulen's network. However, the US says the pastor has been wrongfully imprisoned and has called for his release.

President Donald Trump asked Ankara to return Brunson to the US in May, according to the White House.

 

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Turkey opened its largest overseas military base overseas in conflict-ridden Somalia, media reports said.

Turkey Opens Largest Overseas Military Base in Somalia
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960709000368

Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khyare, was joined by the Turkish army chief, General Hulusi Akar and other top officials during the opening ceremony on Saturday in the country’s capital, Mogadishu, Al Waght reported.

"My government and our Somali people will not forget this huge help by our Turkish brothers. This academy will help us train more troops," Khaire said at the inauguration ceremony.

For his part, Hulusi Akar said the Turkish government would "continue to support our Somali brothers until their country becomes militarily stronger".

Located south of Mogadishu, the training facility had been under construction for the last two years. The facility is spread over 4 square kilometers (1.54 square miles) and has the capacity to train more than 1,500 troops at a time, according to the Somali government.

Turkish President Erdogan last year opened the country’s new embassy also in Mogadishu, the country’s largest diplomatic compound in the world.

The Horn of Africa region given its strategic location is a choice location for military bases by foreign powers. Neighboring Djibouti for instance hosts bases for China, France and Japan. Neighboring Eritrea also hosts military bases for the Israel.

The Turkish military base which is touted as the biggest military base in the Horn of Africa was deployed to up to 200 military trainers who will reportedly take the training of the Somali soldiers.

Its planned that the new training center will have the capability to train 1000 soldiers at a time. Somalia was plunged into anarchy in the early 1990s following the toppling of military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Over the past decade the country has been targeted by al-Qaeda and ISIL affiliated al-Shabab terrorist group.

Al Shabab regularly carries out attacks in the country despites the presences of African Union Peace Keeping Mission, AMISOM, which is made up of about 22,000 military personnel from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and other African countries to support Somalia’s government and army.

 

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According to reports, Turkish court started issuing verdicts on Wednesday in the trial of soldiers accused of attempting to kill President Tayyip Erdogan during last year's coup.

Turkish Court Sentences 31 to Life in Prison for Plotting Coup Attempt - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710041057938434-turkey-erdogan-court/

Turkish Mugla province court on Wednesday sentenced 31 people accused of preparing an assassination attempt on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the 2016 failed coup attempt, to life imprisonment, the NTV broadcaster reported Wednesday.

As many as 47 supporters of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara believes was the mastermind of the coup attempt, were among the defendants in the case.

Forty people were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of plotting to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a luxury Aegean hotel during last year's failed coup.

Turkey Sentences 40 to Life over Erdogan 'Death Plot'
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960713000857

Thirty-one defendants, including senior military officers, were each given four life sentences at the trial in the southwestern city of Mugla, Dogan reported.

They include former brigadier general Gokhan Sahin Sonmezates who was accused of directing the plot. Former elite commando Zekeriya Kuzu, who was famously found hiding in a cave four days after the failed coup, also received a life term. A further nine defendants each received a single life sentence, Dogan added.

Another key figure in the trial, Erdogan's former military aide-de-camp Ali Yazici, was sentenced to 18 years in jail. Just one suspect out of 47 in total, former lieutenant colonel Huseyin Yilmaz, was acquitted.

The trial began on February 20 and is one of many such processes taking place across Turkey to try those who allegedly took part in the failed bid to oust Erdogan on July 15, 2016.

Some verdicts have already been handed out in lower-profile cases but it is the first ruling involving alleged top plotters.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara would impose further sanctions on Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in light of the September 25 referendum on the independence of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Turkish President: Ankara to Impose More Sanctions on Kurdistan over Secession Vote
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960712001267

“The referendum crisis in Northern Iraq is a new attempt to strike the heart of our region with a dagger. We hope the KRG administration comes to its senses soon,” Erdogan said at a parliamentary weekly group meeting with Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmakers in Ankara on Tuesday, presstv reported.

He also urged Iraq's Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani, to annul the results of the referendum.

Erdogan further noted that sanctions against the KRG would increase in the near future.

“We have made every effort to resolve the crisis in the region through wisdom and compromise, and we will [continue our efforts]. For now, we are just content with embargoes in certain fields," he added.

“If they do not come to their senses, we will not hesitate to take further steps in accordance with the status quo,” the Turkish president pointed out.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Iran on Wednesday for talks with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Political analysts interviewed by Sputnik Turkiye commented on the possible outcome of the visit and what it could actually signal.

Strategic Alliance or Temporary Amity? What Erdogan's Trip to Iran May Signify
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201710041057937590-iran-erdogan-visit/

Turkish political scientist Rafet Aslantaş, director of the Institute for Strategic Studies ANKA (Ankara), pointed out that although Erdogan's trip to Tehran is being presented as a reciprocal visit after President Rouhani came over to Turkey in April of 2016, given the current escalation of tensions in the region, it is of much more importance than just a mere "courtesy visit."

He noted that the leaders' meeting comes in the wake of the recent independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and amid the ongoing Astana peace process, aimed at settling the Syrian military conflict. This demonstrates that Ankara and Tehran have a common understanding of the joint aims, tasks and threats the two countries are currently facing.

"The processes which have been developing under the leadership of Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani before and after the referendum affect the issue of security, which is very sensitive for both Turkey and Iran. Neither country finds Barzani's statements that the voting poses no threat to the two states convincing," he told Sputnik.

Hormoz Jafari, an Iranian expert in Middle Eastern affairs, pointed out that although Iran and Turkey differently interpret the threats emanating from Iraqi Kurdistan, historically the two countries were always able to join Arabic Iraq and Syria in finding right responses to Kurdish nationalism. He also noted that the issue is now of more concern to Turkey than to Iran.

On Tuesday, Iran announced that it has closed border checkpoints with Iraqi Kurdistan in order to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Commenting on the move, Rafet Aslantaş said that Iran regards the Iraqi territory and the zone increasingly interesting in terms of the further extension of its influence.

"Iran has been exerting certain influence on the central governmental institutions of Iraq. By doing so, Tehran tried to safeguard, first of all, its border security and, to the extent possible, tried to spread the so-called "Shia crescent" strategy. Iran apparently does not want to lose these advantages," he told Sputnik.

Besides, he went on to say, Tehran is concerned that after the referendum, chances are high that the Kurdish state could be established on its borders, which could facilitate separatist sentiments within Iran.

As for Turkey, amid its 30-year-long confrontation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the setup of governmental structures in Kurdish territories in the north of Syria and Barzani's vote, Ankara is concerned that the situation in the region is getting out of control and becoming more unpredictable, he said, adding that it is becoming evident that there are very serious powers behind these processes.

"Taking into account all the above, Ankara and Tehran have realized the importance of the joint cooperation and joint counteraction to the regional threats. Moreover, cooperation has become, in fact, inevitable. The most important thing for the two countries to do now is to demonstrate the sincerity of their intentions and the continuity of their allied ties," he said.

Rafet Aslantaş also pointed out that the Astana peace process had also played a certain role in rapprochement between the two countries. The strong influence of Russia's decisive stance prompted Ankara and Tehran to start searching for common grounds in their geopolitical interests. It would come as no surprise if they now decide on the settlement of the crisis in the northern territories of Iraq.

Moreover, he said, the two countries should act in cooperation in order not to become losers in the geopolitical game.

"There are factors which impede the cooperation between Turkey and Iran. Global players are now redrawing the zones of their influence in Syria and Iraq, which affects all the countries of the region. In the nearest future, it's very probable that we could see major bargaining for the Caucasus. In such conditions, the countries of the region should join in their efforts to avoid being a losing party," the expert said.

Hormoz Jafari meanwhile noted that Turkey has shifted its priorities from the ousting of President Assad towards protecting its national security from Syrian Kurdistan and its People’s Protection Units (YPG), which it has branded a branch of Turkey's PKK. This prompted Ankara to join the Russia-Iran partnership, which has been clearly demonstrated in discussions of operations to liberate Idlib and Syria's northern territories from terrorists.

The expert also suggested that Turkey and Iran could cooperate on the settlement of the Qatari crisis. Doha is becoming a regional rival of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, which is acting as a senior in the region, demands the submission of the neighboring countries, which have resulted in the tensions between the two countries and the crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Iran has become Qatar's only ally in the region, he said. However, Turkey is also on good terms with Doha; it has a military base in this country and provides assistance to it. Thus Turkey and Iran could cooperate on the issue.

Further discussion could be on the agenda for President Erdogan's trip, the experts concluded.

 

[angelburst29]

Things are heating-up between Turkey and the U.S. - Erdogan isn't afraid "of playing hard ball"?

The Turkish embassy in Washington has suspended all non-immigrant visa services, just hours after the US mission in Ankara said it was halting the issuance of visas to Turkish nationals in a tit-for-tat move, which comes amid a brewing diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

Tit-for-Tat: Turkey Mirrors US Move, Suspends Visas As Tensions Mount
https://sputniknews.com/us/201710091058064522-turkey-suspends-us-visas-embassy/

"Recent events have forced the Turkish Government to reassess the commitment of the Government of the United States to the security of Turkish Mission facilities and personnel," the Turkish embassy said in a Twitter message posted on its website on Sunday.

​The embassy said the measure would "apply to visas in passports as well as e-Visas and visas acquired at the border."

The message was a carbon copy of the earlier announcement by the US embassy in Ankara.

​How It All Began - On Sunday, the US mission announced it was suspending the handling of all regular visa applications following last week’s arrest of a US consulate worker in Istanbul for alleged links to US-based opposition Muslim leader Fethullah Gulen.

The state-run Anadolu news agency identified the US consulate employee arrested on Wednesday on charges of espionage and attempts to overthrow the Turkish government as Metin Topuz.

Topuz, who is a Turkish citizen, is also accused of links to Zekeriya Oz, the former chief prosecutor of Istanbul, who investigated cases of top-level corruption in 2013.

Failed Coup - On the night of July 15, 2016 a group of soldiers and law enforcement officers, who referred to themselves as the Council for Peace in the Homeland, took Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, two bridges over the Bosphorus and major Turkish broadcasters under control in an attempt to unseat President Erdogan and his government.

The coup was quickly put down by forces loyal to the government. More than 50,000 people were arrested and over 140,000 state employees were fired.

The authorities blamed Fethullah Gulen for orchestrating the coup and demanded his extradition from the United States.

Gulen condemned the mutineers and denied any role in the attempted takeover.

The move adds a new twist to the crisis in relations between the NATO allies, which have been going downhill since last year’s failed military coup in Turkey.

Amid US-Turkey tensions over the arrest of a US consulate employee in Instanbul over alleged links to an Islamic cleric accused of plotting the failed military coup attempt last year, a warrant for another worker has been issued after the US suspended visa services in Turkey.

Turkey Reportedly Issues Detention Warrant for Another US Consulate Employee
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710091058068420-turkey-arrest-warrant-us-consulate/

Turkey has allegedly issued a detention warrant for another US consulate employee, according to local media reports.

Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that the suspect is still being sought by security officials, while his wife and child are being questioned by Turkish police.
The reason for the arrest warrant has not yet been revealed. However, Ankara has yet to confirm the media reports. The Turkish justice minister said earlier he had no information about a new warrant being issued.

Media speculations of another arrest warrant comes amid the deterioration of relations between NATO allies over the arrest of a US consulate employee in Istanbul over alleged links to Islamic cleric Gulen, accused by Ankara of being behind the failed coup attempt in 2016. On Sunday, the US said it has suspended visa services in Turkey in all its diplomatic facilities in the country to "reassess Turkey's commitment to security" of the US mission. Shortly after, Ankara responded with tit-for-tat measures and suspended visa services in the US, while the following day the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the undersecretary of the US embassy over the issue.

Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen locally employed at the US consulate, was detained in Turkey last week, prompting Washington's condemnation. The US Embassy in Turkey said that it was "deeply" disturbed over the "baseless, anonymous allegations" undermining "this longstanding partnership" between NATO allies. In its turn, Ankara said that the employee of the US Consulate General in Istanbul arrested by Turkish authorities had no diplomatic immunity.

Flash-back: 18.09.2017

Thanks, But No Thanks: US Axes Gun Deal With Turkey Following Embassy Brawl (Photo - Videos)
https://sputniknews.com/us/201709181057499352-us-axes-gun-deal-with-turkey-after-embassy-brawl/

As retribution for the violent attack on peaceful protesters outside of the Turkish embassy in May, the Trump administration is withdrawing from a deal to sell $1.2 million worth of weapons to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail.

Announced Monday, the now-defunct proposal would have authorized Sig Sauer, a New Hampshire-based firearms maker, to sell roughly 1,600 semiautomatic pistols to the Turkish state, the New York Times reported. The weapons would have then been given to an intermediary in Turkey for use by Erdogan's bodyguards.

Though the withdrawal was initiated at the request of Sig Sauer, the hefty deal was first brought to the attention of Congress just a day before the May 16 clash by the State Department.

​"The United States government is prepared to license the export of these items having taken into account political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations," Mary Waters, the acting assistant secretary for legislative affairs, wrote in a May 15 letter obtained by the Times.

​Since the bloody altercation, a total of 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, have been indicted for attacking protesters during Erdogan's visit. Sixteen of the defendants were charged June 13, three more defendants — all Turkish security personnel — were added to the list in late August.

​The announcement to forgo the exchange was released as Erdogan arrived for the annual UN General Assembly gathering in New York Monday.

Reports said nearly a dozen prominent rights activists in Turkey, including two foreign nationals, are facing up to 15 years in prison over charges of membership in terror groups and aiding them some three months after they were detained in Istanbul.

Turkish Prosecutors Seek Prison Terms for Amnesty Turkey Chief, 10 Other Activists
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960717001083

Turkey's Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul had completed its investigation into nine Turkish activists, including Taner Kilic, Amnesty International’s Turkey chief, and German Peter Steudtner along with Swede Ali Gharavi, Anadolu reported.

thatThe suspects were detained at a workshop, organized by Amnesty, on digital security at a hotel in Buyukada of Istanbul's Princes' Islands on July 5 on charges of taking “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and “aiding an armed terrorist organization” in the meeting.

In a 17-page indictment, which was approved by Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Irfan Fidan, prosecutors sought prison terms from seven-and-a-half to 15 years. The indictment was later sent to the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court.

The indictment charged Kilic with armed terror group membership, whereas the rest of the suspects were charged with aiding an armed terror group.

According to the indictment, the suspects allegedly tried to incite violent and chaotic mass public protest rallies when Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party, held “Justice” march between June 15 and July 15.

Kilicdaroglu and his fellow party members marched from the capital Ankara to Istanbul, calling for justice for people jailed for their purported connections to US-based opposition figure Fethullah Gulen.

The German foreign minister slammed the demand of the Turkish prosecutor’s office to sentence the Amnesty International activists to 15 years in prison.

German FM Slams Turkish Prosecution's Request for Imprisonment of Activists
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201710081058056073-germany-fm-imprisonment-activists/

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel condemned on Sunday the demand of the Turkish prosecutor’s office to sentence activists of the Amnesty International human rights group to 15 years in jail.

“The demand for up to 15-year imprisonment is, from our point of view, absolutely inconceivable and unacceptable. In that context we, of course, immediately established a contact with the Turkish government,” Gabriel said, as quoted by the Foreign Ministry’s statement.

Gabriel vowed to do everything possible for releasing German citizens jailed in Turkey including Peter Steudtner, who is one of the arrested Amnesty International activists.

Earlier in the day, the Turkish prosecutor's office requested an imprisonment of 15 years for 11 activists of Amnesty International, who were charged with "membership of a terrorist organization."

Amnesty International's Turkey Director Idil Eser alongside other 10 activists of the human rights organization was detained on the island of Buyukada off Istanbul's coast during a human rights conference on July 5. Ankara believes that the Amnesty International activists were associated with the movement of US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Turkey of masterminding the 2016 failed coup attempt.

The Turkish foreign minister said that Ankara may cancel the deal on the acquisition of the S-400 air defense systems if Russia does not agree to jointly produce the military equipment. The Kremlin has commented on the issue.

Kremlin Comments on Turkish FM's Remark on Possible Cancelation of S-400 Deal
https://sputniknews.com/military/201710091058067859-kremlin-turkey-s400-technology/

Russia and Turkey are holding expert level talks on a possible deal to transfer technology for production of Russian S-400 air defense systems, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday.

"I can tell you that contacts and negotiations at the expert level in the context of this deal continue," Peskov said when asked whether Russia was ready to transfer to Turkey technology to jointly manufacture S-400 systems on the country's territory.

The statement comes as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier in the day that Ankara expects that Russia and Turkey will launch joint production of S-400 missile defense systems, but if the Russian side refuses to cooperate, Turkey will have to find other partners.

"We have agreed in principle on joint production in the middle- and long-term. If Russians do not agree, we will sign an agreement with another country. But we have not received any negative messages [from Moscow] regarding this issue. Putin said that the two sides could take steps to launch a joint production," Cavusoglu said in an interview with the Aksam newspaper.

On September 12, Moscow and Ankara reached an agreement on the delivery of S-400 systems to Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara had made its first payment for the air defense systems.

The S-400 Triumph is Russia's next-generation mobile surface-to-air missile system carrying three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at a short-to-extremely-long range. It integrates a multifunctional radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and a command and control center.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that Turkey will not allow 'terror cantons' to be established at its border with Syria.

Erdogan: Ankara Not to Allow Terror Corridor along Turkish Borders
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960716001640

Speaking at the 26nd Consultation and Assessment meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Central Afyonkarahisar province, Erdogan emphasized that developments in Syria and Iraq are directly related to Turkey's national security, Daily Sabah reported.

"There is a strong struggle for the establishment of a new terror state at our border, and we will not remain silent to this," Erdogan said amid an ongoing operation by the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Northeastern Syrian province of Idlib targeting terrorist groups.

Turkish media outlets reported that one of the targets of the operation is to encircle the Afrin area, which is controlled by PKK's Syrian offshoot Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing People's Protection Units (YPG).

"Millions of people escaped from the barrel bombs in Aleppo to find refuge in Idlib. There are millions of people in Idlib, and we will protect Idlib," Erdogan said.

The President also said that Turkey will cooperate with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) within Idlib, and with Russia outside the bounds of Idlib.

 

[angelburst29]

The Turkish surgeons and ISIL terrorists have been engaged in taking Syrian patients' body organs out in ISIL-held Raqqa city's state hospital in Northeastern Syria and trafficking them to black markets for transplantation in different countries, a Kurdish media outlet reported on Wednesday.

Turkish Doctors, Terrorists Engaged in Trafficking Organs of Syrian Patients
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960719000980

The Kurdish-language Hawar news quoted local sources as disclosing that the ISIL terrorists took out Syrian patients' body organs in cooperation with the Turkish surgeons to trade them in other countries.

It said that ISIL had embarked on training female nurses in Raqqa's state hospital to cure its own members that were sick, adding that the ISIL, in cooperation with the Turkish doctors, was using the blood of the Syrian patients to save the injured terrorists' lives.

Hawar news further said that the ISIL and the Turkish doctors were cooperating to take out the patients' body organs to sell them.

Local sources told Hawar news that a large number of Syrian patients lost their lives in Raqqa hospital, while their bodies were not handed over to their family members.

Relevant reports said in December 2016 that terrorist groups in Idlib province abducted tens of Syrian children and trafficked their body organs.

The Arabic-language Al-Hadath news website quoted the sources as saying that some specific groups that trained medics kidnapped the children, mutilated their body organs and then left their corpses in remote areas or buried them.

According to them, an Israeli officer in Turkey was waiting for the children's organs to be transferred to the black market for transplantation.

The sources said that the medical teams of these groups anesthesiologists, surgeons and a number of armed forces who abduct children and transfer them to safe areas for surgery in brand-new and fully equipped ambulances. (The White Helmets?)

The US Ambassador to Turkey confirmed that the Turkish authorities did not react on the detention and arrest of a US embassy staff member.

Washington Still Seeking Explanation for Arrest US Ankara Embassy Staff
https://sputniknews.com/world/201710111058147009-us-turkey-detention-staff-ambassador/

“Unfortunately… the U.S. government still has not received any official communications from the Turkish government about the reasons why our local employees have been detained or arrested,” the US Ambassador to Turkey told reporters at the embassy in Ankara.

Meanwhile, on Monday the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the undersecretary of the US embassy in the country over Washington’s decision to halt visa services in Turkey, the Hurriyet newspaper reported. Washington says two locally employed staff were arrested in Turkey this year. In May, a translator at the consulate in the southern province of Adana was arrested and last week a Drug Enforcement Administration worker was detained in Istanbul.

Turkish officials have ignored a farewell reception for outgoing US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass as Ankara-Washington tensions over the visa standoff mount.

Ankara Boycotts US Ambassador's Farewell Reception Amid Visa Row With Washington
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710111058133556-ankara-boycotts-us-ambassador-farewell-reception/

Bass's reception was shunned not only by the representatives of the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) but also by the opposition, A Haber, a broadcaster, reported.

The development comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Ankara did not see Bass as the US representative in Turkey, adding that he should be dismissed if he was behind the decision to suspend visa services in Turkey.

The US embassy has suspended non-immigrant visa services at US diplomatic facilities over the recent arrest of Metin Topuz, an employee of the US Consulate General in Istanbul.

Topuz was accused of undermining the constitutional order, espionage and an attempt to overthrow the Turkish government. He is deemed to be linked end to the movement of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, sometimes referred to as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). In Turkey, the organization is considered to be behind the 2016 failed coup attempt and is designated as a terrorist organization.

In response to the move, Turkish authorities have suspended visa applications for US citizens.

Bass has been recently confirmed for his next post as US ambassador to Afghanistan.

Four workers were killed and two injured Wednesday when an explosion rocked an oil refinery in western Turkey, local officials said.

Four Workers Killed in Blast at Turkish Oil Refinery in Izmir
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960719001361

The explosion at the Tupras oil refinery in the Izmir region was an "industrial accident, there was no external interference or attack", said Bayram Yilmaz, the senior local official in the area, Anadolu reported.

Investigators were at the scene to find out what technical issue had caused the blast at the plant of Tupras, Turkey's only oil refiner which is owned by the giant Koc industrial holding company. Reports said the accident was caused by a build-up of gas during maintenance.

Turkish officials acknowledge the country has shortcomings in industrial safety but legislation had been tightened since 301 miners were killed in May 2014 following a fire at the Soma coal mine in western Turkey.

Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic treated Turkish President Erdogan to a tune during the latter's two-day visit to this country: he sang a well-known Turkish folk song in President Erdogan's native language.

Special Treat: Serbian FM Sings to President Erdogan in Turkish (VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/world/201710111058133939-serbia-dacic-erdogan-song/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-Nt6H7G84 (1:21 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0GOJsHcKDo (1:35 min.)

At Tuesday's dinner, which was held in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's honor in the Serbian capital Belgrade, Ivica Dacic performed Osman Aga, a Turkish folk tune which is well-known by many nationalities in the Balkans and Thrace (an area which is split between Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey).

However what came as a special surprise is that the top Serbian diplomat sang it in Turkish, causing heated applause in the audience, namely the Turkish leader and his wife Emine and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his wife Tamara Djukanovic.

​It seemed to inspire the Serbian politician to sing more, so he performed Serbian song Miljacka. The mufti of Belgrade, Mustafa Jusufspahic, seemed to like this one the most, and tipped the singer.

Being a diplomat, the Serbian Minister seems to be quite fond of singing in public in foreign languages: last summer in Greece, he sang a dozen songs in Greek and one in Russian, while during Vucic's inauguration in June he and former Italian FM and adviser to the Serbian president Franco Frattini sang a duet: "O sole mio."

During the dinner, Erdogan and Vucic exchanged gifts: the Serbian President got a Turkish hand-made kilim rug, while his Turkish counterpart was given a chess set and a bicycle.

 

[angelburst29]

Over 600 high-ranking Turkish officials, including diplomats, have asked for asylum in Germany since the coup attempt last year amid ongoing purges in the country.

Over 600 Senior Turkish Officials Asked for Asylum in Germany Since Coup Attempt
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960722000877

According to the data obtained by the German Funke media group from the country's Interior Ministry, a total of 250 diplomats and 380 officials have asked for asylum through mid-September 2017.

A failed military coup attempt took place in Turkey in July 2016. Over 240 people were killed, while nearly 2,200 people were wounded. Ankara accuses the movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the coup, and has arrested thousands of military personnel, activists and journalists over suspected links to Gulen, who has been living in the United Statessince 1999. The cleric has repeatedly refuted all allegations.

Following the coup attempt, relations between Germany and Turkey have witnessed a setback, as Ankara believes Berlin was providing asylum for coup plotters, while Berlin has been criticizing the detention of German journalists and human rights activists in Turkey.

Sources from the terrorist group Free Syrian Army (FSA) claim that the Supreme Military Command of the Turkish Armed Forces made a secret deal with Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (Al Nusra Front) on relocating its terrorists from the countryside of Idleb province to Hama.

"Turkey collaborates with Al Nusra Front, plans a large-scale offensive against the Syrian Army" - FSA
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/turkey-collaborates-with-al-nusra-front.html

In addition, a large-scale offensive against the Syrian Army positions in Masyaf and As Suqaylabiyah, located northwest of Hama, is also planned.

The developments come right in time as the Syrian Army and its allies continue with advancements towards Idleb province.

Several fierce clashes already broke out, and during which, Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (Al Nusra Front), suffered heavy losses.

It is no longer a secret that the Turkish regime is trying to take over northern Syria.

Although Turkey is, along with Iran and Russia, one of the three guarantor states of security and stability in de-escalation zones in Syria, it nonetheless decided to support the terrorists against the Syrian Army. This is nothing surprising, considering the fact that in the past the Erdogan regime armed and funded pretty much all of the terrorist groups that were fighting against the Syrian Army.

On October 7th, the Turkish regime officially began with invasion of the northwestern Syrian province of Idleb, under the pretext of protecting the province from Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (ex-Al Nusra Front) terrorists.

The next day, it was reported that Turkish officers were escorted into Syrian territory under protection of Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (Al Nusra Front) terrorists.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkey issued arrest warrants for 100 former police officers as part of the government’s widening crackdown following last year’s attempted coup.

Turkey Orders Detention of 100 Ex-Police Officers
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960723001208

So far, 63 of the former officers have been detained pursuant to the arrest warrants, which were issued on Saturday, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Security forces are searching for the suspects in 19 Turkish provinces, the report said.

The suspects are believed to be users of ByLock, an encrypted messaging app which Ankara says was used by the network of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the government accuses of having orchestrated the July 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an allegation that the self-exiled opposition leader vehemently denies.

Turkey has called on the US to extradite Gulen, but the demand has not been taken heed of.

Over 600 high-ranking Turkish officials, including diplomats, have asked for asylum in Germany since the coup attempt last year amid ongoing purges in the country.

Over 600 Senior Turkish Officials Asked for Asylum in Germany Since Coup Attempt
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710141058226688-turkey-officials-germany-asylum/

According to the data obtained by the German Funke media group from the country's Interior Ministry, a total of 250 diplomats and 380 officials have asked for asylum through mid-September 2017.

 

[angelburst29]

This article states that more than 50,000 people have been arrested since the failed Coup. I wonder, if many of these arrests involve some kind of deal, where by, instead of jail time ... the individual agrees to be placed in the Arm Services, so Erdogan can increase his number of ground troops?

Turkey’s Interior Ministry announced that more than 1,200 people have been arrested over the past week on suspicion of links to terrorist groups.

Over 1,200 Detained in Turkey in Last Week for Links to Militant Groups
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960725001563

The ministry said Monday that the bulk of those arrested, a total of 947 people, a total of 947 people, had links to Fethullah Gueln, the US-based cleric whom Ankara blames for the July 2016 coup attempt, World News reported.

It said 205 suspects had ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey says has intensified its militant attacks against civilians and security forces over the past two years.

The ministry added that 49 of those arrested were detained over links to Daesh, a Takfiri group mainly operating in neighboring Syria and Iraq which has claimed several high-profile attacks in Turkey over the past years.

Nine suspects had links to “leftist terrorist groups,” said the Interior Ministry, without elaborating.

More than 50,000 people have been arrested in Turkey since a state of emergency was imposed after the failed coup. Turkish authorities have also suspended or sacked three times the number of those arrested.

Gulen has denied any involvement in the coup, warning that the crackdown on his supporters is part of a broader plot by the Turkish government to silence dissent.

The Turkish government decided to extend state of emergency for more three months, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.

Turkey Decides to Extend State of Emergency for 3 Months
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960725000107

"The government made a decision to extend the state of emergency in the country for free more months. It was sent to the parliament for approval," Bozdag told reporters, Xinhua reported.

Bekir said the government made this decision upon a suggestion of the National Security Council.

 

[angelburst29]

A Turkish former interior minister once dubbed as Turkey's Iron Lady and seen as a potentially strong challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a political party Wednesday after months of speculation.

Erdogan Opponent Launches New Political Party in Turkey
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960803001674

Meral Aksener delivered a defiant speech promising a "strong, happy" Turkey at the official launch of the Iyi ("Good" in Turkish) Party in the capital Ankara, Daily Star reported.

"We have hope. We have dreams. We want a rich Turkey. We have strength. We want a fair Turkey... we want a free society. We want a happy Turkey," she said during a spirited speech filled with nationalism and an audience waving Turkish flags.

She was cheered by thousands of supporters and founding party members in a hall surrounded by the party's blue and yellow sun logo and banners of modern Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Aksener, 61, was a former member of the country's third largest opposition right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) until she failed to remove Devlet Bahceli as MHP leader in early 2016 and was later expelled from the party in September 2016.

Bahceli has led the MHP for over 20 years but opponents wanted a fresh face.

There has been frenzied talk of Aksener running against Erdogan in the presidential election in November 2019 when Turkey's parliamentary system will formally become an executive presidency after the referendum on constitutional changes earlier this year.

Turks approved giving the president greater powers including appointing ministers in the most radical political shake-up in the country's recent history.

Aksener has been described in various ways, from Turkey's Iron Lady in a nod to the late British premier Margaret Thatcher to the mythical she-wolf Asena. She has also been compared to the French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, with both enjoying support from nationalist parties.

She served as interior minister for less than a year between 1996 and 1997, but was notably critical of the 1997 ousting of the then Islamist government by the military.

A lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Aytun Ciray, resigned on Monday to join Aksener's new party, which came as reports suggested she wanted to form a parliamentary group with MPs who are prepared to switch their allegiance.

Aksener has denied the reports, but said Monday the party's "doors would be open" to people of any political viewpoint.

The party's supporters believe it can win over CHP and AKP voters.

Aksener has now submitted a formal application to the interior ministry for the establishment of the party, Dogan news agency reported.

 

[angelburst29]

A senior Turkish opposition figure was captured by the country's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in a joint operation with Sudanese intelligence, security sources said.

Senior Gulenist Figure Captured by Turkish Intelligence in Sudan Tue Nov 28, 2017
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960907000482

Two months ago, a special team of intelligence officials determined the whereabouts of Memduh Cıkmaz, who is responsible for the group's finances and being referred to as the "safe box" of Fethullah Gulen organization, Daily Sabah reported.

He was sought with an arrest warrant for "leadership of an armed terrorist group."

Çıkmaz was immediately brought to Turkey after the operation, sources said.

A security official who spoke on condition of anonymity to state-run Anadolu Agency said the MİT pinpointed Çıkmaz's whereabouts two months ago. AA reported that the agency created a team of specialists to track down members of Gulen' group who have fled abroad before and after last year's deadly coup attempt by the group's infiltrators in the military.

Sudan in January 2016. The security official said Çıkmaz had transferred millions of dollars to the Gulen's movement from Sudan.

He had also collected "forced" donations to the group, for the personal use of the movement's cadres.

Çıkmaz appeared at a court hearing in Çorum via video link as he was being transferred to Bakırköy Court in Istanbul from the city's Atatürk International Airport.

It was unclear exactly when he was arrested but Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service is believed to have assisted in his arrest and repatriation.

When asked in court his place of residence place and occupation, Çıkmaz said he had been living in Khartoum and was a partner in a brick factory.

The court remanded him in custody, saying there was "strong evidence of crime" and suspicion "he may flee".

Turkey accuses Gulen's organization of launching the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which led to the deaths 250 people and left more than 2,200 others injured.

Ankara also accuses the group of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

A high-ranking member of the movement of Pennsylvania-based opposition figure Fethullah Gulen, whom the Ankara government accuses of having masterminded the failed July 2016 coup, has been captured by Turkish intelligence agents in a joint operation with their Sudanese counterparts.

Senior Gulenist captured by Turkish agents in Sudan
http://www.iran-daily.com/News/205112.html

Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Memduh Cikmaz, who is referred to as the “money vault” of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), appeared at a court hearing in the northern city of Corum via video link as he was being transferred to Bakirkoy Court in Istanbul from the city’s Ataturk International Airport.

The security sources said agents from Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) found about the whereabouts of Çıkmaz two months ago. He has apparently transferred millions of dollars to FETO from Sudan.

Senior FETÖ Figure Captured by Turkish Intelligence in Sudan
http://www.turkishamericannews.com/headline-news/item/26453-senior-fetoe-figure-captured-by-turkish-intelligence-in-sudan

 

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Since the thwarted coup in Turkey, the authorities have arrested hundreds of military personnel, activists and journalists on suspicion of having links to the Fethullah Terrorist Organization.

Ankara Issues Arrest Warrant for Ex-CIA Employee Over Coup Attempt - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712011059610139-ankara-warrant-cia-coup/

Turkish prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Graham Fuller, a former employee of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), over his alleged involvement in the 2016 coup attempt, the Hurriyet newspaper reported Friday.

Graham, who served as vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council of the CIA, resided in Turkey during the attempted coup in July 2016 and left the country after it failed, according to the newspaper.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office reportedly believes that Fuller obtained sensitive information for political and military espionage. He is also suspected of having contacts with Henri Barkey, the former director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, as well as accused of organizing and orchestrating the coup alongside other suspects.

The Turkish president goes on the defensive as charges mount in Ankara international corruption case.

You Gon’ Get Caught: Financial Misdoing Charges Mount Against Turkey’s Erdogan
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712031059644768-erodgan-sees-new-corrutpion-accusations/

Adding fuel to the fire of mounting charges and financial misdeeds by the increasingly autocratic Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his close political allies, Ankara's primary political opposition party has brought new charges of ethical corruption against the Middle Eastern strongman.

The Turkish Republican People's Party (CHP), the primary political opposition to the dictatorial Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AK Parti),
has released documents that allegedly reveal large-scale money transfers by the Turkish president — and his representatives — to British-held offshore tax havens, in what many in Ankara have said are an outright theft of the nations funds.

The embattled Turkish president quickly went on the defensive, claiming that documentation detailing millions of dollars of transfers made by members of his inner circle to offshore accounts were fake and calling CHP representatives liars, cited by Middle East Eye.

CHP spokesman Bulent Tezcan, during a Friday news conference held within the Turkish parliament, detailed the allegations against Erdogan and his coterie, suggesting openly that the transfers could only serve to facilitate two needs: "money laundering or tax evasion."

The publicly-made allegations include bank receipts detailing some $15 million transferred between Bellway Limited, a shell corporation created by an unnamed person or persons in 2011 in the UK-owned Isle of Man — a known tax haven for the wealthy — and members of Erdogan's inner set.

The new charges follow hot on the heels of testimony by Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab involving former ministers of Erdogan's administration who are criminally charged with evading government sanctions so as to profit in the trade of precious metals, as reported by the Middle East Eye.

Erdogan earlier declared that if the allegations were proven to be true, he would resign, and threatened CHP head Kemal Kilicdaroglu, claiming that the latter would "pay the price."

The statement by the Turkish president was made after the order by the country's prosecutors to seize the assets of Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab currently charged in the US.

Erdogan Says US Courts Cannot Put Turkey on Trial Amid Row Over Trader's Charges
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712021059635976-turkey-erdogan-trial/

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has slammed US claims of alleged Turkish evasion of sanctions against Iran, saying that the US cannot put Turkey on trial and stressing that this step was an attempt to undermine Ankara and its economy.

Reza Zarrab, recently charged in the US for violating US sanctions against Iran, has accused a number of Turkish officials, including Erdogan of alleged participation in the scheme for evasion of these sanctions.

The move was followed by the order of Turkish prosecutors to seize the assets of Reza Zarrab and 22 others as they investigate claims of "espionage for a foreign country" and an "attempt to smuggle assets."

Zarrab's testimony also included accusations against the ex-manager of state-owned Halkbank and an ex-economic minister, claimed to be a fixer for moving Iranian money through world banks.

However, Halkbank executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla was pronounced not guilty by the US court.