Country:Turkey - Seenthis

Israel has highest poverty rate in OECD | The Times of Israel

2013-05-15T22:40:18Z

Israel has highest poverty rate in OECD | The Times of Israel
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-has-highest-poverty-rate-in-oecd-data-shows

Israel has a poverty rate of 21 percent, the highest among all OECD countries, a report by the economic development organization revealed Wednesday.
The report, aimed at investigating the impact of the global financial crisis on developing countries, also found that the gap between the rich and the poor was very high in Israel, with only Chile, Turkey, Mexico and the United States exhibiting a higher gap.

Bombings Lead to Anger, Questions Over Turkey's Syria Policy - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle…

2013-05-15T06:41:20Z

Bombings Lead to Anger, Questions Over Turkey's Syria Policy - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/turkey-bombing-anger-syria-policy.html

But the haste with which the arrest of the alleged perpetrators was announced, together with persistent declarations that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is not involved in these attacks, has only increased public suspicions, and the official news blackout on reporting from Reyhanli has not helped the government's credibility either.
The news blackout has not prevented the social media from being overtaken with rumors spread by angry people accusing radical elements within the armed Syrian opposition of carrying out the attacks on the eve of Erdogan's visit to Washington . The speculation is that the attacks were carried out to influence the Erdogan-Obama talks to the advantage of the Syrian opposition.

Les réseaux sociaux en Turquie doutent de la version officielle sur l'attentat de Reyhanli... La « sagesse populaire » y verrait bien l'acte de rebelles radicaux...

Asharq al Awsat relate des poussées irrédentistes sur le sandjak d'Alexandrette (semble-t-il…

2013-05-14T12:14:10Z

Asharq al Awsat relate des poussées irrédentistes sur le sandjak d'Alexandrette (semble-t-il fomentées par le régime pour mettre la Turquie dans l'embarras).

“In the Syrian coastal areas adjacent to the Turkish borders, some armed men are actively fighting alongside the regime of President Bashar al-Assad against the units of the Free Syrian Army present in the region. These fighters call themselves “The Syrian Resistance – The Popular Front for the Liberation of the Iskenderun Territory,” in reference to the lands located in the Syrian Northwest and that France gave to Turkey in order to guarantee the latter's siding by the allies in the World War II.
“According to its Facebook page, the Front was established on November 4, 2012 and aims at liberating the territory that was snatched by the Ottoman Authority and restoring it to Syria. The front's media bureau indicates that this is an armed resistance group from the occupied Iskenderun territory led by Ali Al-Kayali under the following slogan: “The Iskenderun territory has been Syrian forever and it will remain so.” The media bureau further indicated that the Frint took part in several operations against the terrorist armed gangs and served in aborting several infiltration attempts by the terrorists from Turkey to Syria. The Front reportedly has many supporters within Turkey and most of its members come from Antakya and the Iskenderun territory.

http://aawsat.com/details.asp?section=4&issueno=12580&article=727685&feature=

McClatchy : DC : Bombs in Turkish border town kill dozens, intensify Turkish-Syrian tensions

2013-05-12T18:58:30Z

McClatchy: DC : Bombs in Turkish border town kill dozens, intensify Turkish-Syrian tensions
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/05/11/191003/bombs-in-turkish-border-town-kill.html

....
Some Turkish residents of Reyhanli vented their anger toward Syrians after the blasts. Turks and Syrians both were reportedly among the dead.
“Damn all of you!” one Turkish man shouted at a Syrian man near the site of the second blast, before becoming slightly calmer and urging him to get off the street before someone attacked him.
Down the street from the site of the first explosion, members of the media office for a Syrian rebel group preemptively drew and locked their shutters as Turkish men across the street chased a Syrian man and one person could be observed throwing rocks at cars with Syrian license plates.
...
About 200,000 Syrians live in refugee camps run by the Turkish government in southern Turkey, and tens of thousands more have come to the area. That's created tensions particularly in Hatay Province, where Reyhanli is located.
Until 1939, Hatay was a part of Syria, and contains a significant population of Alawites, adherents of the same sect of Islam to which Syria's ruling family belongs. Perhaps nowhere in Turkey is there greater opposition to the Turkish government's support of the Syrian rebellion than in Hatay, and particularly so in Antakya, the provincial capital, west of Reyhanli.
Reyhanli, however, does not have a significant Alawite population , and the anger directed at Syrians today was indicative of a more general feeling amongst Turks here that the refugees have brought trouble with them. Some landlords refuse to rent apartments to Syrians, and last year the Turkish government moved to restrict Syrians to the refugee camps, a decision that quickly fell by the wayside as difficult to enforce.
...

Blurring the Borders : Syrian Spillover Risks for Turkey ❝As the humanitarian crisis reaches…

2013-05-07T08:36:24Z

Blurring the Borders: Syrian Spillover Risks for Turkey

As the humanitarian crisis reaches catastrophic proportions, Syria needs to open its borders to external aid, while Turkey and its international partners need more long-term planning to meet growing refugee needs and avoid having instability spill over the porous border.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2013/europe/blurring-the-borders-syrian-spillover-risks-for-turkey.aspx

#frontière #migration #réfugiés #asile #Syrie #Turquie

Is Erdogan Calling for Jihad In Turkey ? - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East

2013-05-07T06:45:16Z

Is Erdogan Calling for Jihad In Turkey ? - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/erdogan-baniyas-syria-speech-jihad.html

Is Erdogan Calling for Jihad In Turkey?

. Deux articles (le second ici http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/turkey-syria-policy-backfire-sectarian.html qui commentent en abondance un discours d'Erdogan avant-hier (le 5), discours qui semble bien inquiéter certains en Turquie...

Israel may join defense pact with Saudi Arabia, UAE-

2013-05-05T08:42:24Z

Israel may join defense pact with Saudi Arabia, UAE- http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-reportedly-may-join-defense-pact-with-saudi-arabia-uae

Israel is working on joining an anti-Iran defense alliance with a number of moderate Arab states that would involve sharing Jerusalem's newly developed anti-missile technologies, a British newspaper reported Sunday.
The plan would see Israel join with Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to create a Middle Eastern “moderate crescent,” according to the Sunday Times, which cited an unnamed Israeli official. Israel does not currently maintain formal ties with Riyadh or Abu Dhabi, and relations with Ankara have been strained since 2009.
According to the report, Israel would gain access to radar stations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and in exchange share its own early warning radar information and anti-ballistic missile defense systems, though it's not clear in what form. The report details that Jordan would be protected by Israel's Arrow long-range anti-missile batteries.
The so-called 4+1 plan is being brokered by Washington, and would mark a sharp shift in stated policy for the White House, which has insisted the US is not interested in containing Iran but rather stopping it before it reaches nuclear weapon capability.
The Sunni states of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan are all opposed to Tehran shifting the regional power balance. Though Turkey maintains strong trade ties with Iran, it has found itself opposed to Tehran over the issue of Syria.

Japan signs nuclear plant deal with Turkey

2013-05-04T09:33:28Z

Japan signs nuclear plant deal with Turkey
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/05/20135473517628330.html

Japan and Turkey have signed a deal to build a major nuclear power plant on Turkey's Black Sea coast, a milestone for the Japanese nuclear industry as it recovers from the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
On Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the $22 billion contract as a “very important step” that would transform bilateral relations with Japan into a “strategic partnership.”
A Japanese-French consortium won the giant contract to build Turkey's second nuclear plant, Japan's first successful bid on an overseas nuclear project since a tsunami wrecked the power station in Fukushima.
Turkey weathered criticism for teaming up with Japan in light of the catastrophe, but “despite that, we have taken this step,” Erdogan said.
“What happened at Fukushima upset all of us,” he said, adding that “successful steps are being taken now with the use of improved technology.”
Like Japan, Turkey lies in a part of the world that is prone to earthquakes, making it essential that nuclear plants are designed to resist the effects of such events.

Pour la dernière phrase, c'est moi qui souligne.

Turkey's gold export to Iran rises again

2013-05-02T06:15:17Z

Turkey's gold export to Iran rises again

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-gold-export-to-iran-rises-again-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=4600

Turkey's gold exports Iran has rose more than twofold through March during a time its overall gold trade receded, suggesting the two countries' trade of gold for natural gas has been continuing increasingly after a one-month halt in January.
Turkey exported almost $381 million worth of gold to Iran in March, Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK) data showed, while the overall Turkish gold exports declined by 15 percent to $467.6 million.

Quand le cinéma turc évoque l'histoire immédiate CINEMA-TV - Turkish cinema digs deep into recent…

2013-04-29T07:24:03Z

Quand le cinéma turc évoque l'histoire immédiate

CINEMA-TV - Turkish cinema digs deep into recent history

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-cinema-digs-deep-into-recent-history.aspx?pageID=238&nID=

The ‘postmodern' coup of Feb. 28, 1997 continues to have repercussions in Turkey's political and everyday life. Two new movies this week focus on the events leading to the coup and its late aftermath respectively

Jadis les relances du processus de paix étaient médiatisées longtemps à l'avance de manière à ce…

2013-04-25T11:36:11Z

Jadis les relances du processus de paix étaient médiatisées longtemps à l'avance de manière à ce que l'on puisse dire que, cette fois-ci, « c'était la bonne ! ». Tout concourait à susciter les espoirs, voire les enthousiasmes, et même à prévenir les frustrations en cas d'échec. Rude tâche d'ailleurs tant l'incrédulité prévalait. Dans ce cas, la rumeur d'un « plan B » pouvait entretenir la flamme. Aujourd'hui rien de tel. C'est presque par surprise qu'on a appris l'initiative américaine. Depuis, c'est peu de dire que les navettes diplomatiques de John Kerry sont discrètement annoncées. C'est d'ailleurs une bonne chose, la retenue en diplomatie étant l'une des rares vertus qui souffre les excès, sans en souffrir.

L'auteur de l'article fait lui aussi montre de prudence en précisant in fine que l'objectif de Washington est de conforter l'Autorité palestinienne et son président. On voit l'ambition. Ce sera vrai si l'initiative américaine rencontre la réussite. Ce sera contreproductif à la fois pour l'Autorité palestinienne et pour Mahmoud Abbas en cas d'échec. Il n'y a pas que les échecs des précédents processus de paix qui ont peu à peu décrédibilisé le président aux yeux des Palestiniens, mais ils y ont leur part.

L'article indique que les références habituelles seront bien prises en compte : l'Initiative de paix arabe de 2002 ; le renoncement par les Palestiniens à leur exigence de voir geler la colonisation ; des négociations directes entre Israéliens et Palestiniens ; le principe de deux Etats pour deux peuples et, enfin, la perspective d'une dotation économique et financière pour les Palestiniens. Ces "termes de référence" sont traditionnels depuis quelques années. Ils n'ont jamais rien produit sinon de donner du temps au temps.

L'article mentionne bien les parties au conflit (Israël, Palestine), l'un de ses « mandataires » (Amman, qui a signé un accord de paix avec Israël. Le Caire aurait dû entrer dans cette catégorie mais le pays est engagé dans une crise constitutionnelle qui ne renforce pas sa crédibilité), ceux qui les soutiennent (le Caire et d'autres capitales arabes non mentionnées dans l'article), ceux qui se sont récemment rendus indispensables dans les équilibres régionaux (Ankara, nouvel invité) et, bien entendu, Washington qui reste le seul maître d'œuvre d'un ouvrage inachevé (la paix ? l'Etat palestinien ? la stabilité ? etc.)

Mais à ce mariage pour tous, il manque un partenaire, du moins dans l'article du Haaretz : l'Union européenne. Gageons qu'elle aura son mot à dire.

U.S. seeks to convene 4-way Mideast summit in June
Kerry working with Palestinians, Israel and Jordan to formulate basis for summit that would launch new peace talks and herald economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority ; Turkey and Egypt may also be invited to participate in summit.
By Chemi Shalev | Apr.25, 2013 | 7:31 AM |
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-seeks-to-convene-4-way-mideast-summit-in-june.premium-1.517473
U.S. seeks to convene 4-way Mideast summit in June : The American Administration plans to convene a four way Middle East peace summit in which U.S. President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah will participate.

Well-placed U.S. sources said the summit is slated to convene in Washington during the month of June- with thought already being devoted to avoid a scheduling clash with the 2013 Israeli Presidential Conference and the 90th birthday celebrations of President Shimon Peres.

The sources said that Turkey, Egypt and other Arab countries may also be invited to participate in the summit, though it's not clear yet at what level. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the planned summit in his meetings in Istanbul this week with the Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers as well as with Abbas.

The summit is also expected to be discussed at Friday's White House meeting between Obama and King Abdullah, as well as in a mid-May Washington visit by Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. U.S. sources said that Israel is also aware of the plan.

The Administration, according to the sources, has yet to decide whether it will convene the summit in any case, or only if Kerry achieves a breakthrough that will allow a resumption of peace talks. Kerry has met with Abbas five times in recent weeks in an effort to circumvent the Palestinian leader's insistence on a settlement freeze as a precondition to resuming negotiations.

The Administration is said to be contemplating a letter of invitation or “terms of reference” for the summit that will include the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which was reaffirmed by the Arab League meeting in Doha at the beginning of April, as well as the principle of “two states for two people” and a substantial economic package for the Palestinian Authority.

According to the sources, in his meeting Kerry has asked his interlocutors to propose ways that would make the convening of such a summit feasible. The “best case scenario” for the U.S. is that it will be able to announce a venue and format for resuming direct talks.

“We have two or three weeks left to see if this thing is doable,” one source said. “The Americans believe it is – but they may be naïve.” Kerry, the source added, is “working night and day” to get the peace process moving.

The Administration views the resumption of the peace process, among other things, as a way of strengthening the Palestinian Authority and the personal stature of President Abbas.

Kerry compares Boston Victims to Mavi Marmara victims

2013-04-22T20:22:26Z

Kerry compares Boston Victims to Mavi Marmara victims
http://mondoweiss.net/2013/04/likens-victims-marmara.html

At a press conference in Istanbul yesterday, attempting to bring about rapprochment between Israel and Turkey, US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed empathy with Turkey's loss over the murder of its citizens on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010 by comparing it to the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon.

Secretary of State John Kerry pushes Turkey-Israel rapprochement - Washington Times

2013-04-21T21:23:46Z

Secretary of State John Kerry pushes Turkey-Israel rapprochement - Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/21/secretary-state-john-kerry-pushes-turkey-israel-ra

Mr. Kerry said he understood the anger and frustration of those Turks who lost friends and family in the raid. Mr. Kerry, a former Massachusetts senator, said last week's Boston Marathon bombings made him acutely aware of the emotions involved.

Obama accused of nuclear U-turn as guided weapons plan emerges | World news | guardian.co.uk

2013-04-21T21:13:45Z

Obama accused of nuclear U-turn as guided weapons plan emerges | World news | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/21/obama-accused-nuclear-guided-weapons-plan

Barack Obama has been accused of reneging on his disarmament pledges after it emerged the administration was planning to spend billions on upgrading nuclear bombs stored in Europe to make the weapons more reliable and accurate.
Under the plan, nearly 200 B61 gravity bombs stockpiled in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey would be given new tail fins that would turn them into guided weapons that could be delivered by stealth F35 fighter-bombers.
“This will be a significant upgrade of the US nuclear capability in Europe,” said Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons expert at the Federation of Nuclear Scientists. “It flies directly in the face of the pledges Obama made in 2010 that he would not deploy new weapons.”

#oblabla

Israeli visit another sign of thaw with Turkey | Reuters

2013-04-19T19:42:33Z

Israeli visit another sign of thaw with Turkey | Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/18/us-turkey-israel-idUSBRE93H0UH20130418

The prospect of a rapprochement has also piqued the interest of energy investors, who see potential for a radical change in the geopolitics of the eastern Mediterranean, allowing newly-discovered Israeli gas to be pumped to energy-hungry Turkey and on to other markets, undermining Russia's supply dominance.
“Everything depends on our ties with Israel,” said a senior Turkish official, asking not to be named. “We can consider such a proposal if ties are restored. But until then, all such deals have to wait.”

11 mois plus tard, les otages libanais en Syrie n'ont toujours pas été relâchés.

2013-04-16T15:03:39Z

11 mois plus tard, les otages libanais en Syrie n'ont toujours pas été relâchés.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/families-kidnapped-lebanese-protest-outside-turkish-embassy

Families of nine Lebanese kidnapped in Syria last year set up tents outside the Turkish embassy near Beirut Tuesday morning after a brief scuffle with security forces.
They accuse Turkey of playing a role in their relatives' captivity. In an interview with Lebanese-based Al Mayadeen TV, family members said they believed their relatives were being held with the Turkish government's complicity.
They vowed to remain camped outside the embassy until the kidnapped men are returned to Lebanon.
An armed group seized 11 men in May 2012 as they travelled by bus through Syria on their way back from a pilgrimage in Iran. Two have since been released.
“For 11 months now we have been suffering from the absence of our kidnapped family members, and [Turkey's premier Receb Tayyip] Erdogan, with just one word, can prompt the release of the nine kidnapped men,” Adham Zgheib, speaking on behalf of the families, was quoted by the National News Agency as saying.

Turkey and Egypt nix NATO meet with Israel

2013-04-14T15:32:17Z

Turkey and Egypt nix NATO meet with Israel

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-and-egypt-nix-nato-meet-with-israel.aspx?PageID=238&NID=44

An initiative to bring Israel and six Arab countries' ministers together under NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue group for the first time since 2008 has been nixed by Turkey and Egypt, who said “it was not the right time” for such a meeting.
“The general-secretary was planning to invite the foreign ministers of the Mediterranean Dialogue countries on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers meeting scheduled for April 23 but Turkey objected to the idea,” a Western diplomatic source told the Hürriyet Daily News on the condition of anonymity.

Iron Curtains : dividing countries ❝Greece has completed a fence along its border with Turkey,…

2013-04-11T07:52:20Z

Iron Curtains: dividing countries

Greece has completed a fence along its border with Turkey, similar to Israel's concrete barrier against Palestine. Now, Iran eyes doing the same along its border with Pakistan. This made terrified experts talk about the revival of feudalism and border locking.

http://m.ruvr.ru/2012/12/24/1283353988/h_50637539.jpg.1000x297x1.jpg

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_12_24/Iron-Curtains-dividing-countries

#mur #frontière #Grèce #migration #barrière_frontalière #Evros

The 'Great Game' in Levant

2013-04-09T20:19:44Z

The 'Great Game' in Levant
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/gas-reserves-mediterranean-great-game-levant.html

On the other hand, a Turkish-Israeli rapprochement does not mean that the two countries will have an easy ride in realizing their joint pipeline project, if this is decided on. Haaretz recently quoted industry sources saying that such a pipeline would have to pass through the economic zones of Lebanon and Syria before reaching Turkey, which is bound to be problematic.
The future of Syria, however, is in the balance today. Meanwhile, Lebanon is also searching for the vast offshore reserve it believes exists in its own economic interest zone in the Eastern Mediterranean. If proven, these reserves will have to be exploited with international cooperation.
A Turkey, that has consummated its ties with Israel by means of a strategic pipeline will have every reason to use its influence over Lebanon in order to convince it to join the network of cooperation in the Levant Basin for the sake of its own economic future and regional stability.
This may appear a long shot from today's perspective, but it is clear that the region is on the threshold of major developments today. It is seems therefore to be in the best interest of regional countries to play their cards right as the new “Great Game” unfolds at a time when it is clear that energy can be a cause for conflict as much as it can be a medium that catalyzes peace and cooperation.

Turquie. L'ambition du Premier ministre Erdogan de régler la question kurde doit être comprise dans…

2013-04-08T18:18:19Z

Turquie. L'ambition du Premier ministre Erdogan de régler la question kurde doit être comprise dans le cadre de sa politique vis-à-vis de la Syrie et de l'Iraq.

Turkey's Kurdish Initiative In Regional Context

By: Cengiz Çandar for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. Posted on April 7 (2013)

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/syria-iraq-aspects-turkish-kurdish-peace.html#ixzz2Prjl2dS8

“One of the most striking successes of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in Turkey has to be its masterful management of the most exciting agenda item of the country which the public refers to as the “peace process” instead of the “solution process.”

As with many other issues, here too, the great communicator is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself. In an appeal to the news media — that sounded more like an instruction — Erdogan wanted the steps he is taking to be seen as a “solution process.” Now he is working on being perceived as the leader who is taking his country step-by-step toward much desired peace. As perception becomes a reality, it will undoubtedly be added to Erdogan's accomplishments.

At the moment, Erdogan on stage and Abdullah Ocalan off stage from his prison island are taking Turkey toward peace with seemingly choreographed moves. Questioning this captivating dream is not allowed, even if prompted by intellectual curiosity, because it might spoil the dream of peace. Erdogan, the ultimate arbiter, announced 63 names of people who will make up the “Commission of Wise People,” which will take on the initiative to enlighten the public on the peace process through meetings, symposiums, panels, etc., in seven different Turkish regions. The group includes some well-known journalists, prominent leaders of nongovernmental organizations, celebrities such as movie stars and popular singers, and several academic experts.” (…)

John Kerry seeks to bring Turkey into the Israeli-Palestinian peace process - Diplomacy & Defense -…

2013-04-07T08:46:47Z

John Kerry seeks to bring Turkey into the Israeli-Palestinian peace process - Diplomacy & Defense - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/john-kerry-seeks-to-bring-turkey-into-the-israeli-palestinian-peace-process

The U.S. wants to use Erdogan's connections to Hamas to get Meshal to recognize Israel and declare an end to the armed struggle; Egypt opposes any moves by Turkey to mediate Mideast talks.
By Zvi Bar'el

The west's alliance against Assad is riddled with contradictions Claire Spencer The Guardian,…

2013-04-03T20:24:09Z

The west's alliance against Assad is riddled with contradictions
Claire Spencer
The Guardian, Tuesday 26 March 2013 19.36 GMT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/international-community-fails-syria-local-agendas

The tragedy in Syria lies as much in the dysfunctional international response as in the war on the ground
Over the past week there has been much wringing of hands over Syria, and rightly so. At every turn, the Gordian knot has been tightening, with little prospect of it being cut.

Monday's grim news was that the founder of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the erstwhile Syrian army colonel Riad al-Asaad, was seriously wounded in a targeted car bomb just before the Syrian National Coalition assumed Syria's seat in place of the Assad regime at the Arab League meeting in Doha.

In war things rarely run smoothly, but the tragedy of Syria lies as much in the fragility of the coalition supporting the rebels as in the inconclusiveness of the rebels' own political and military battles. Since the Russian and Chinese vetoes at the UN in early 2011, there has been no single “international community” voice on Syria. On team A we have the US, EU, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Russia, China, Iran and sundry others make up team B. Far from resolving the crisis, these competing actors cancelled out each other's efforts over the ensuing two years. As the main instigators of Libya's liberation from Muammar Gaddafi, the French and British clearly want to do more than train rebel soldiers in Jordan, or increase humanitarian assistance to refugees. In pushing for arms to reach the FSA in Syria, however, they are failing to manage their own allies, much less the opposing team.

The Arab League, meeting this week, is once again calling for more robust UN action, but this reflects neither diplomatic realities nor developments on the ground. Journalists covering Syria from the inside have revealed how Turkey and the Gulf states are already training, funding and arming rebel groups; but from a Franco-British perspective, they are clearly the wrong ones. Last week's news that a low-level, chlorine-based chemical weapons may have been deployed from an area controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra, the Islamist militia supported by Qatar, sits uneasily with the more secular FSA's appeals for hardware from the west.

So far, the US is sitting on the fence – the new secretary of state, John Kerry, having failed to convince President Obama that inserting more weaponry into Syria will save lives down the line. The alliance struck with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey over Syria remains circumstantial. It is not clear that all of team A wants the same thing. Opposing Iranian, or indeed Russian, influence in Syria is not the same thing as securing the best outcome for the Syrian people. With the shadow of 2003 Iraq hanging heavily over western intervention, which lacks domestic support in both Europe and the US, the next best options remain no-fly zones and humanitarian corridors. Neither is anywhere close to being legally viable or practical on the ground.

What worked in Libya in 2011 now looks like a fortuitous sleight of hand. Given the EU's tensions with Russia over Cyprus, the solid veto of China, and the regional activism of Qatar and Turkey, the Nato-led Libyan campaign may go down in history as one of the last actions of a consensus-based “international community”. The closer the crisis, the more local agendas prevail. Whether this means the Gulf favouring jihadist strongmen over democracy, or Turkey backing some of Syria's ethnic and sectarian communities over others, it is not the Syrian people who will emerge victorious in any of the senses championed by the US and EU.

Facing up to the dysfunctionality of its own alliance over Syria should now be the priority of any UK-French plan. The alternative is to continue to back one increasingly narrow, divided and poorly resourced set of Syrians against another armed and championed by the west's own regional allies

Reprise des relations bilatérales entre Israël et la Turquie. Israeli envoys heading to Turkey next…

2013-04-03T19:53:23Z

Reprise des relations bilatérales entre Israël et la Turquie.

Israeli envoys heading to Turkey next week to begin process of restoring bilateral relations - Diplomacy & Defense - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-envoys-heading-to-turkey-next-week-to-begin-process-of-restoring-bi

Talks to focus on compensation for families of Mavi Marmara victims, demand to pull lawsuits against IDF soldiers involved in the Gaza flotilla incident.
By Barak Ravid
A senior Israeli official said these talks are expected to go smoothly and to be wrapped up relatively quickly. He said Israel has agreed to pay each family between $100,000 and $200,000, which he said was comparable with the amounts in comparable cases in the past. Israeli officials say they believe the Turks will demand more money.
Arınç and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met Tuesday with representatives of the families and their lawyers to discuss the compensation talks and to ask them to retract their lawsuits against Israeli military personnel.
Arınç told a Turkish television station Tuesday that any family that does not agree to drop its lawsuit will not receive compensation.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to arrive in Turkey on Saturday, a few days before Ciechanover and Amidror.
Kerry, who played a key role in the final stage of the talks that ended the Turkish-Israeli crisis, is to meet with between Turkey and Israel, will be visiting Istanbul on his way to Jerusalem.
He will meet with Davutoğlu on Sunday to discuss the normalization process, before continuing on to Jerusalem.
The Israel-Turkey crisis strained relations between Ankara and Washington. After it was resolved, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received his first invitation to visit the White House since the disruption. He is scheduled to arrive in Washington on May 16, where he will meet with President Barack Obama.

Syrian Newspapers Emerge to Fill Out War Reporting By NEIL MacFARQUHAR The New York Times…

2013-04-03T11:59:03Z

Syrian Newspapers Emerge to Fill Out War Reporting

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
The New York Times
Published: April 1, 2013

“ANTAKYA, Turkey — Absi Smesem became the editor in chief of a new weekly Syrian newspaper hoping to leave behind what he disparaged as the “Facebook phase” of the uprising. The tall tales and outright misinformation that tainted so much reporting from Syria convinced him that more objective coverage was essential to bolster the effort to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Too often, he said, he could not believe what passed for news on popular satellite channels, like the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera and the Saudi-runAl Arabiya, both staunch opposition supporters. The two channels relied heavily on unfiltered reports from local activists hired as correspondents, or, failing that, grabbed whatever they , Binnish, in northern Syria, was under siege by the Syrian Army, he said, one activist-cum-correspondent used the local expression “Dabahoona dbah,” which in Arabic literally means “We are being slaughtered” — but which the people of northern Syria use to mean “We cannot breathe.” Within minutes, a breaking-news headline scrolled across the television screen saying Syrian government forces were committing a massacre in Binnish. “There are no objective sources of information on either side, neither with the regime nor the rebels,” said Mr. Smesem, 46, a veteran reporter with graying hair and an easy laugh.” (…)

Hala Droubi contributed reporting from Antakya, and Sebnem Arsu from Gaziantep, Turkey.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/world/middleeast/syrian-newspapers-emerge-to-fill-out-war-reporting.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0

#Facebook #Sham_newspaper #Al_Ahd #Free_Syria #Brigades

Lettre ouverte du commandement de l'Armée libre syrienne adressée aux Frères musulmans accusés de…

2013-04-01T17:41:15Z

Lettre ouverte du commandement de l'Armée libre syrienne adressée aux Frères musulmans accusés de retarder la chute du régime, de diviser l'opposition pour mieux préparer l'après-Assad, et de s'approprier la révolution.

Syrian rebel fighters blast Muslim Brotherhood for 'delaying victory'
Phil Sands
Apr 1, 2013

►http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syrian-rebel-fighters-blast-muslim-brotherhood-for-delaying-victory

“ANTAKYA, TURKEY // Syrian rebel fighters have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of undermining the revolt against Bashar Al Assad and trying to dictate opposition politics.
Rebel officers said the Brotherhood was putting narrow factional politicking over the broad interests of the revolt. “We hold you responsible for delaying victory of the revolution and the fragmentation of the opposition,” the Joint Command of the Free Syrian Army said in an open letter to the Muslim Brotherhood. There was a “deep confrontation” within the opposition between the Muslim Brotherhood and other secular, national and military factions, the FSA said. Anti-Brotherhood sentiments, particularly in Damascus, were running high, the FSA warned, with growing anger at efforts by the group to control military and humanitarian relief efforts administered by the Syrian National Coalition, the opposition bloc given Syria's seat in the Arab League at a summit last week.”
#Muslim_Brotherhood #Free_Syrian_Army

Syrian rebel fighters blast Muslim Brotherhood for 'delaying victory'-

2013-04-01T16:38:51Z

Syrian rebel fighters blast Muslim Brotherhood for 'delaying victory'- ►http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syrian-rebel-fighters-blast-muslim-brotherhood-for-delaying-victory

ANTAKYA, TURKEY // Syrian rebel fighters have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of undermining the revolt against Bashar Al Assad and trying to dictate opposition politics.
Rebel officers said the Brotherhood was putting narrow factional politicking over the broad interests of the revolt.
(...)
Just as the Brotherhood's critics can accuse it of having little sway on the ground inside Syria, so the Joint Command of the FSA is, to a greater or lesser degree, something of a fiction.
Despite the corporate branding of the FSA, it is really more of a loosely knit umbrella organisation containing various armed factions that pay only lip service to the idea of a unified chain of command.
The most powerful and effective fighting units, controlled and manned by Islamists, do not take orders from distant FSA commanders.
“It's true that some FSA units, especially in Damascus, are unhappy with the Muslim Brotherhood but there are armed units elsewhere which are backed by the Brotherhood and which are loyal to them,” said a leading activist in the Syrian capital.
“The divisions inside the opposition are real and seem to be getting worse, they have started breaking out into the open more and more,” he said.

Fear of bigotry, not Islam - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews

2013-03-30T06:20:29Z

Fear of bigotry, not Islam - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4362070,00.html

Fear of bigotry, not Islam
Op-ed: Extremists spreading anti-Jewish, anti-Western propaganda worldwide are not true Muslims
I want to cry out that there is no Jew-hatred in the Islamic world; that the anger we see is confined to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Sadly, the facts say otherwise. All over the Arab world, television broadcasts - even children's programs - teach Muslims to hate Jews. How can a small kindergarten-aged child know to hate Jews, and why; for what reason? Living in Turkey, far removed from this kind of blatant anti-Semitism, I would be disinclined to believe this kind of systemic hatred; but it is not one or two isolated and extreme voices. It is far too widespread.

I watch with shame some Arab “Hodjas” praying for the destruction of Jews and other Arab leaders saying how well the Germans did when referring to the massacres of the Holocaust. A disturbingly high proportion of this horrific anti-Jewish propaganda is aimed at small children, with the obvious goal of indoctrination. I feel it is my duty to protest loudly that this is NOT Islam: These people are misusing the Koran for their corrupt convictions and they claim to do so in the name of Islam either, out of ignorance or hypocrisy. These broadcasts are disseminated worldwide; they do not exist in some vacuum. It goes without saying that when others in the Western world, or Israel itself, get wind of these broadcasts, the inevitable result is Islamophobia.
Anti-Semitism?

Islamophobia is defined as the irrational fear and intolerance of Muslims. But is it really irrational and baseless? Most Muslims are critical about the suspicions, concerns and sometimes prejudiced attitudes displayed toward them because of their religious identity, but for how much of this are the Muslims responsible? And do we, as Muslims, genuinely take into consideration the justified reasons behind this fear and take steps to eliminate them?

The concerns in Israel and the Western world are primarily based on these kinds of people; people who want to “convert” non-Muslims compulsively or coerce them into living in a specific way in societies where there is a majority Muslim population, or persecute non-Muslims, or use terrorism or violence to reach their goals. The aforementioned are crimes that Islam clearly opposes, and those who resort to these cruel methods are also proving that they are not true Muslims. Then who are they? I call them 'bigots'

Today bigotry, backwardness, radicalism, fanaticism or extremism – whatever you want to call it - is the biggest problem confronting the Muslim world. It is a huge threat, spreading like a virus, ruining otherwise good people, stripping them of their humanity and turning them into loveless, violent, rigid extremists. That is why so many in the world have an openly hostile, or at least deeply ambivalent, attitude towards Islam and Muslims.

Bigotry, which is one of the greatest barriers to beauty, love, friendship and happiness, is an all too prevalent common mentality. Every religion, every thought, every ideology has its bigots and fanatics; however the Muslim world has been wrestling with the dangers of bigotry and radicalism for far too long and on far too wide a scale. Were this simply an internal issue, confined to a single tariqah (school of thought) or an isolated geographic location, the issue could be resolved easily enough. What we have seen, however, is a virulent strain of fanaticism that has been unleashed across the Islamic world and has spread with the rapidity of a pandemic. Fanatics who claim to be Muslims have introduced their pseudo-religion made up of their own rules as Islam; in truth, this false religion has no relation to Islam whatsoever.

They both might carry identity cards that states “Islam” on them, but the bigots have very distinctive qualities which separate them from true Muslims. As I tell my non-Muslim friends, “Do not try to understand Islam by looking at the bigots; instead learn Islam from those true Muslims who live by Islam in compliance with the spirit of the Koran.”

To highlight but a few of the differences;

While a true Muslim is joyful, open and full of life, a bigot is sulky, with no expression of love in his/her eyes.

While a true Muslim likes everything that is beautiful, appreciates a woman's value and loves all living beings, a bigot hates women, and is against aesthetics or beauty in general.

While a true Muslim likes the arts and has a very strong sense of aesthetics, a bigot not only disdains the arts and aesthetics, but actively opposes them.

While a true Muslim attaches great importance to science and contributes to scientific progress, a bigot is against science.

Perhaps what is most important for everyone to know is that a true Muslim is loving, compassionate and sincerely desires peace, love and friendship to be the prevailing moral values. On the other hand, a bigot is aggressive, full of hatred and rage, and they see violence, the use of brute force, war and conflict as sacred concepts.

As known to the Western world, bigots are hostile towards Christians and Jews and do not tolerate different schools of thoughts. Their rigid fanaticism alienates them from the universal precepts shared by all mankind.

Moreover, while a Muslim uses his wisdom and thinks deeply, a bigot does not reason, but rather acts in compliance with the dogmas he has learned by heart, and offers a completely different perspective on religion. These dogmas, on close examination, are frequently found to be riddled with superstitions and inventions that are in complete contradiction with the true faith.

Because of this bigoted mindset, Islamophobia has taken hold throughout the world. A human model that does not enjoy art, kindness or beauty, that has a harsh and narrow mindset, is of course not only a threat to the West, but to Muslims as well. For me, being a Muslim means being of the highest level of modernity; being the most knowledgeable, most joyful, most outward-looking and loving person in the world; someone who beautifies his surroundings, delights in beauty and is full of an internal fervor.

Of course, the world would never accept such a system that bans happiness, belittles women, and disregards quality and beauty. So what do these people offer? Nothing; no music, no art, no sculpture, no quality people, no quality of life, no compliments, no nice words, no laughter, no positive atmosphere, no beautiful architecture, no democracy, no freedom of thought, no happy people - we can continue to count these “no”s almost infinitely.

What is more, they bring compulsion, coercion, suppression, violence and bloodshed. So as Muslims, we need to make it very clear to the world - particularly to Jews and Christians - that we are their friends; that true Muslims do not shed blood. We should make people forget about crazed fanatics wielding swords and axes when they hear the word Muslim. For that reason, one of the goals of true
Muslims should be to show people how enlightened and peaceful Muslims are when Islam is embraced in its pure form and lived with its true spirit, removed from superstitions and innovations.

The world needs to not just hear but also witness how values such as love, affection, compassion, respect, profound thought and sincerity lie at the heart of Islam. If Muslims make this clear to the world, the world will feel less threatened by Muslims and hopefully change its policies.

The author is a political and religious commentator from Turkey, and an executive producer at a Turkish TV. She is also the spokesperson of a prominent international interfaith organization. She can be reached on Facebook and Twitter

C'est notre AFP qui informe les Israéliens que leur armée a installé un hôpital dans le Golan pour…

2013-03-29T09:43:52Z

C'est notre AFP qui informe les Israéliens que leur armée a installé un hôpital dans le Golan pour les rebelles syriens !

Events in Syria pushed Israel to apologize to Turkey - Diplomacy & Defense - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/events-in-syria-pushed-israel-to-apologize-to-turkey-1.512388

The Israeli apology to Turkey, made before the Passover holiday under heavy pressure on both sides by President Barack Obama at the end of his visit to Israel, was justified by the prime minister's bureau mostly due to the new conditions in Syria. The seriousness of the situation of our northern neighbor, explained Netanyahu's staff, requires the renewal of cooperation with Ankara.
Wednesday, less than a week later, a French news agency report from the Golan Heights said the IDF had opened a field hospital on the Syrian border in the northern part of the Golan. This report quickly followed another report that Israel had for the third time in a month allowed Syrian rebels to enter Israel to receive medical treatment for the wounds they received in fighting the regime.
According to the French news agency AFP, the hospital is situated at Fortification 105 in the northern section of the Golan Heights. The army has declined to comment on the AFP report, but the IDF senior command has for some time been weighing the possibility of establishing a field hospital in a Golan Heights army base, in light of the increasing number of wounded Syrians being sent to the border with Israel.

Mideast states, US step up arms shipments to Syrian rebels

2013-03-28T19:22:10Z

Mideast states, US step up arms shipments to Syrian rebels
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/mideast-states-us-step-arms-shipments-syrian-rebels

Mideast powers opposed to President Bashar Assad have dramatically stepped up weapons supplies to Syrian rebels in coordination with the US in preparation for a push on the capital of Damascus, officials and Western military experts said Wednesday.
Four sources, including an Arab official, a diplomat and a military expert, described a system in which Saudi Arabia and Qatar provide the funding for the weapons. Jordan and Turkey provide the land channels for the shipments to reach the rebels, while all coordinate with the US and other Western governments on the shipments' destinations.
All must agree for a shipment to go through. The Arab official said some of the arms are being purchased from Croatia, or from US draw-downs in unspecified European countries. He said other sources were black market arms dealers across Europe and the Mideast.
A carefully prepared covert operation is arming rebels, involving Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, with the United States and other Western governments consulting, and all parties hold veto power over where the shipments are directed, according to a senior Arab official whose government is participating. His account was corroborated by a diplomat and two military experts.

Islamists, secular rebels battle in Syria over Nusra Front's call for Islamic state | McClatchy

2013-03-26T21:39:23Z

Islamists, secular rebels battle in Syria over Nusra Front's call for Islamic state | McClatchy
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/03/26/186970/islamists-secular-rebels-battle.html

Des combats meurtriers entre rebelles syriens à la frontière turque.

TAL ABYAD, Syria — Two Syrian rebel groups – one seeking an elected civil government, the other favoring the establishment of a religious state – are battling each other in the city of Tal Abyad, on the border with Turkey, in a sign of the tensions that are likely to rule this country if the government of President Bashar Assad falls.
Four people were killed Sunday in fighting here between the Farouq Battalions, which favors elections, and Jabhat al Nusra, or the Nusra Front, which the United States has declared an al Qaida-affiliated terrorist group. Since then, Farouq has been massing men here in an example of the growing friction that's emerged in recent months as Nusra has captured strategic infrastructure across Syria's north and east, including oil and gas installations, grain silos and a hydroelectric dam.
Raqqa province, where Tal Abyad is, and Hasaka province, to the east, are poverty-stricken but vital to Syria's agriculture. Hasaka and Deir el Zour province to the south are the center of the country's oil industry.
“They want to control the border crossing here,” said Abu Mansour, a member of Farouq in Tal Abyad. Like other rebels, he uses a nom de guerre to hide his identity from the government.
The rivalry between the groups is a reminder of how divided Syria's rebel factions are and how inaccurate it is to refer to the anti-Assad forces as if they were a single group, with a single goal. Indeed, while news stories for months often referred to rebels as the Free Syrian Army, that term is more an idea than an organization. Instead, the rebel movement comprises dozens of groups whose ideologies have only one common goal: the toppling of the Assad regime.

Turkish paper releases 'censored' photos of beaten Israeli commandos - Israel News | Haaretz Daily…

2013-03-26T20:01:20Z

Turkish paper releases 'censored' photos of beaten Israeli commandos - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkish-paper-releases-censored-photos-of-beaten-israeli-commandos-1.294443

Turkey's highest circulating paper, Hurriyet, reports that photos were deleted by Israel, but restored by Turkish activists.

Syria crisis : rebel commander targeted in car bombing - live updates | World news | guardian.co.uk

2013-03-25T13:22:04Z

Syria crisis: rebel commander targeted in car bombing - live updates | World news | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/mar/25/syria-crisis-rebel-commander-targeted-live?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487#block-51

31m ago Arming extremists
Some of the Croatian weapons shipped to Syria via Jordan and Turkey are falling into the hands of extremists, according tot he latest post by weapons blogger Eliot Higgins.
It points to photographs of the new weapons in the hands of the al-Qaida linked group Jabhat al-Nusra and the jihadi group Ahrar al-Sham.

http://brown-moses.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/evidence-of-jabhat-al-nusra-with.html

http://im42.gulfup.com/sKCvG.jpg

http://im42.gulfup.com/My6ec.jpg

Netanyahu phones Erdogan to apologize for deaths of Turkish citizens on Gaza flotilla - Diplomacy &…

2013-03-22T15:47:27Z

Netanyahu phones Erdogan to apologize for deaths of Turkish citizens on Gaza flotilla - Diplomacy & Defense - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-phones-erdogan-to-apologize-for-deaths-of-turkish-citizens-on-gaz

The two leaders spoke for first time since 2009; U.S. President Barack Obama releases statement shortly before boarding Air Force One to depart from Israel, welcoming the phone conversation and stressing the 'great importance' of restoring Israel-Turkey ties.

Officials Turn Blind Eye to Abuse of Asylum Seekers | ReliefWeb

2013-03-20T02:12:24Z

Officials Turn Blind Eye to Abuse of Asylum Seekers | ReliefWeb
►http://reliefweb.int/report/greece/officials-turn-blind-eye-abuse-asylum-seekers

L'Opération « Aspis » (bouclier) pour empêcher les réfugiés (syriens et autres) de passer la frontière gréco-turque, l'opération « Zeus Xenios » (protecteur des étrangers) pour rafler les migrants dans les rues, et les conditions de détention dans les centres de rétention grecs.

Last August, Greek police deployed 1,881 new officers along the river Evros in “Operation Aspis”, an attempt to seal the border with Turkey, through which Syrian refugees were pouring into Greece.
Meanwhile, the continuing countrywide “Operation Xenios Zeus” has led to 4,849 arrests of irregular migrants or refugees and over 90,000 apprehensions based on heavy racial profiling by authorities.
Commencement of these operations coincided with the beginning of a major humanitarian crisis in Syria, with fighting transferred into big urban centres and the number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries skyrocketing.
In order to accommodate arrested migrants, the government has begun transferring detainees to improvised camps that were former police academies and old army depots, such as Xanthi and Komotini in northern Greece, Korinthos in the Peloponnese, and Paranesti in the northeastern region of Drama. These buildings, as former inmates like Alhamauun disclosed to IPS, are often black holes for human rights.

#Grèce #Camps #Droit_d'asile #Syrie #Réfugiés

Syrians Find No Refuge in Greece - WSJ.com

2013-03-20T02:04:25Z

Syrians Find No Refuge in Greece - WSJ.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324096404578354100202130318.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Les réfugiés syriens meurent en tentant de rejoindre les îles grecques par la mer.

Over the past year, 6,500 Syrians were detected crossing into Greece illegally—about six times the level of the previous year—according to Frontex, the European Union border agency. More still went undetected, say Greek officials. An additional 1,500 were found living in Greece without the necessary permits.
An increasing number are attempting to enter by sea from Turkey's Aegean coast, meanwhile, after Athens erected a 10-kilometer (7-mile) “security fence” along the porous northern section of the Turkish border.
Smugglers crowd migrants onto flimsy plastic or inflatable boats, often offering one of them a discount to pilot the craft, according to the Hellenic coast guard. While the distance between Turkey and the border Greek islands around here can be as short as a few miles, local currents and winter storms can be vicious. Journeys are usually made at night.
Since November, more than 100 migrants have drowned and at least a dozen bodies of Syrians have washed up on north Aegean islands, according to coast guard estimates.

#Grèce #Syrie #Réfugiés #Frontex #UNHCR

Turkey is economic winner of Iraq war - The Washington Post

2013-03-13T22:15:58Z

Turkey is economic winner of Iraq war - The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkey-is-economic-winner-of-iraq-war/2013/03/12/ec046746-8b47-11e2-9f54-f3fdd70acad2_story.html

Turkey, which blocked the deployment of U.S. troops through its territory during the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, is emerging 10 years on as one of the prime beneficiaries of the battle for the Iraqi market.

Why Are Turks Intolerant ? - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East

2013-03-10T19:56:12Z

Why Are Turks Intolerant? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/03/turkish-society-intolerant-others-nationalism.html

1) Were Turks always like this, or was this intolerance something new?
2) What was the underlying reason behind this intolerance? Was it really “an Islamic outlook, or a nationalist outlook that has Islam at its core,” as Mr. İdiz argued?
On the first question, I can confidently argue that the anti-Christian (and in fact, anti-non-Muslim) attitude in Turkey is a new phenomenon, if we speak within the long-term perspective of history. Because the land that we call Turkey was for centuries ruled by the Ottoman Empire, which was a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, in which diverse communities lived side by side. In other words, having a Christian or Jewish neighbor would not be disturbing at all for the traditional Ottoman Muslim; it was a simple fact of life. In the late 19th century, an era of liberal reforms, even seeing Christians or Jews among the ruling elite had become a fact of life. One third of the Ottoman Parliament, which first convened in 1876, consisted of non-Muslims — a large representation that is unthinkable in today's Turkey.
What really destroyed this Ottoman pluralism, and the underlying tolerance, was not “an Islamic outlook,” but a modern, secular ideology: nationalism. (In fact, the Islamic outlook had nurtured tolerance, by its traditional respect for “the People of the Book.”) One of the many academic studies that confirm this view is a fresh new title by historian Nicholas N. Doumanis: Before the Nation: Muslim-Christian Coexistence and its Destruction in Late-Ottoman Anatolia. In his Oxford University Press book, Dr. Doumanis, referring to an “oral archive containing interviews with over 5,000 refugees,” shows that there was an age in Turkey where Muslim and Christians “worked and drank coffee together, participated in each other's festivals, and even prayed to the same saints.”

ekathimerini.com | Turkey's tentative EU springtime

2013-03-06T19:30:01Z

ekathimerini.com | Turkey's tentative EU springtime
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_05/03/2013_485687

The legal system is crying out for change. Outdated terrorism legislation meant that one third of all the world's terrorism arrests made between 2001 and 2011 were in Turkey, including several thousand non-violent Kurdish activists placed in preventive detention.

Erdogan was correct – Zionism is racism

2013-03-03T12:35:06Z

Erdogan was correct – Zionism is racism
http://www.bariatwan.com/english/?p=1413

Frankly I don't understand the cause of this uproar and the merciless attack Turkey has faced from an ally in the US or United Nations Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.
Plenty of UN resolutions have been passed condemning the Zionist movement's criminal acts against the Palestinian people.
Yes, Zionism is a crime against humanity. It has stolen land and displaced people from it – the Palestinians. It has committed ethnic cleansing, leaving six million people as refugees in neighbouring countries or as international exiles.
Zionism is not a sacred cow exempt from criticism. Israel was born out of a systematic policy of ethnic cleansing that it used to gain domination of the Palestinian Territories. This is all documented in a book by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe – The Ethnic Cleansing Of Palestine.
Turkey's Prime Minister has not told a single untruth.
In fact, Erdogan should go further and detail the crimes Zionism has committed in the last 80 years: the Deir Yassin massacre, Sabra and Shatila, dropping white phosphorus on civilians as well as other activities in the Gaza Strip which international legal expert Richard Goldstone described as war crimes.
Turkey has itself suffered at the hands of this terrorism, when Israeli naval forces attacked the Mavi Marmara humanitarian convoy which was trying to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, medicine and other medical equipment. Nine activists died.
Strange that the US did not offer its sympathy when Israel attacked the Turkish convoy.
I respect freedom of expression. I support rational criticism based on historic fact. I also condemn people who are selective about which political movements they criticise – be it Zionism or otherwise.
But there is a difference between Judaism and Zionism – one is a religion, the other is a political movement founded on and dedicated to the displacement of the Palestinian people.

Kerry : Turkish PM's comments complicate Mideast peace process - Israel News | Haaretz Daily…

2013-03-01T18:16:18Z

Kerry: Turkish PM's comments complicate Mideast peace process - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/kerry-turkish-pm-s-comments-complicate-mideast-peace-process-1.506681

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says comments by the Turkish prime minister equating Zionism to a crime against humanity complicate the efforts to find peace in the Middle East.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Kerry stressed the “urgent need to promote a spirit of tolerance, and that includes all of the public statements made by all leaders.”
Kerry said he had raised the comments “very directly” with Davutoglu and would do the same when he saw Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Friday.
Addressing the UN Alliance of Civilizations conference in Vienna this week, Erdogan complained of prejudices against Muslims. He said Islamophobia should be considered a crime against humanity “just like Zionism, like anti-Semitism and like fascism.”
Kerry said the on the U.S. side, “we not only disagree with it, we found it objectionable.”

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11 mois plus tard, les otages libanais en Syrie n'ont toujours pas été relâchés.

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C'est notre AFP qui informe les Israéliens que leur armée a installé un hôpital dans le Golan pour…

Mideast states, US step up arms shipments to Syrian rebels

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