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Turkey Tag

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 15, 2016 7 Comments
I guess this is now a continuing series. Turkey's Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is gutting any remnants of opposition by attacking numerous aspects of civil society, including particularly academia. Yet *shockingly* none of the progressive professors who demand a boycott of Israeli universities and academia are organizing a boycott of Turkish Universities. We have covered this hypocrisy many times: According to Turkish journalist Mahir Zeynalov, the crackdown on academics continues:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 05, 2016 7 Comments
The purge of Turkish academia has been extensive, as we documented in several posts since the July 15, 2016 failed coup. That purge met with some letters of criticism from American academic groups, but no calls for boycotts of Turkish academia of the sort that are pushed aggressively against Israel. We noted that hypocrisy previously: If you thought that Erdogan was done with the purge, you would be wrong. It continued this week, Turkey detains another 15 academics over use of ‘suspected’ mobile app:

Posted by Mary Chastain on September 04, 2016 13 Comments
In July, the Turkish military attempted a coup to take out President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's regime. They failed, which led to a crackdown by the government and a purge of anyone the government felt had ties to scholar Fetullah Gulen, who they feel devised the coup. Erodgan has railed against the West for not standing with its NATO ally, but that all changed this weekend. President Barack Obama met with Erdogan and promised the U.S. will help bring the coup plotters to justice.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on August 25, 2016 15 Comments
The Obama Administration told Kurdish forces in Syria to move back from their positions after they seized control of the ISIS-held Syrian town of Manbij. “We’ve made it absolutely clear [to the Kurdish forces that] they must move back across the river,” Vice President Joe Biden said during a visit to Turkey on Wednesday. “They cannot — will not — under any circumstance get American support if they do not keep that commitment.” Biden's stance is widely seen as an attempt to pacify Erdogan’s Turkey, alarmed by recent Kurdish gains against ISIS in Syria. Erdogan’s Turkey, after maintaining long tacit alliance with the Islamic State, has recently dispatched military troops into Syria -- not to fight ISIS but to hold the line against Kurds. In contrast, Kurds of Syria and Iraq have proven themselves as the most reliable fighting force in war against the Islamic State. The Associated Press reports:
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is calling on Syrian Kurdish forces to move back across the Euphrates River, telling them they will lose U.S. support if they don't.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 21, 2016 6 Comments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a suicide bomber aged between 12-14 murdered 51 people at a wedding late Saturday night in Gazientep, which is located only 60 miles north of Aleppo, Syria. He also said the authorities believe the Islamic State was behind the terrorist attack:
"The initial findings of the governor and our police forces indicate the attack has been perpetrated by Daesh," said Erdogan, using another term for the terror group.
Mahmut Tagrul, lawmaker with the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, said the majority "of the victims that died were children."

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on August 18, 2016 4 Comments
A newly leaked German intelligence report dubbed Turkey as a major hub for Jihadi groups operating worldwide. The confidential document belonging to German Interior Ministry published by several German newspapers says that Erdogan-ruled Turkey has "developed into a central platform of activity for Islamist groups in the Middle East." The latest revelations should not come as a surprise to anyone, however the publication of confidential document puts more pressure on German government to take a tougher stand against Erdogan's Islamist Regime. The internal assessment drawn by Germany's intelligence service, BND, sees “ideological affinity” between Erdogan Regime and Islamist terror groups. The report specifically focuses on Turkey's ties to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Gaza-based Hamas. Erdogan Regime has been one of the strongest backer of Hamas -- ever since the terrorist group took hold of Gaza in 2006.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2016 3 Comments
I have been searching for evidence that supporters of the academic boycott of Israel will now launch an academic boycott of Turkey in light of the widespread purge of Turkish academia after the failed coup, destruction of civil society including the judiciary and media, suppression of Kurdish self-determination, and complicity in the Syrian civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands, among other offenses. But so far, no luck in my search, just some hot air by American academics expressing outrage: That purge now has passed 5,300 employees of Turkish higher ed, as reported by Inside Higher Ed:

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 08, 2016 6 Comments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced at a rally that he would approve the death penalty if parliament votes to bring it back:
“If the parliament accepts the reintroduction of death penalty, I will accept it,” he told the crowd, adding that the death penalty exists in the U.S., Japan and “many other countries.” “If the people want death penalty, I think the political parties will also accept it,” he also said, as he noted that the death penalty existed until 1984 in Turkey.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 05, 2016 3 Comments
A Turkish court has officially issued an arrest warrant for Fehtullah Gülen, an Islamic scholar who resides in Pennsylvania, over the failed coup a few weeks ago. The government insists he and his followers coordinated it even though they have not given out concrete evidence. Officials have sent extradition documents to the U.S. over Gülen at least twice.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on August 03, 2016 3 Comments
As a recent immigrant to Germany, it was all the more painful for me to watch 30,000 demonstrators in the city of Cologne -- majority of them second or third generation migrants of Turkish-origin -- marching in support of Erdogan’s takeover of Turkey. Thousands chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as they welcomed dignitaries belonging to Erdogan’s Islamist party AKP. For millions like them, more than 50 years of state-sponsored project of Multiculturalism has neither created a bond loyalty to their adopted home nor a sense of value for the liberties and freedoms that one so naturally enjoys in the West.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 02, 2016 13 Comments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has continued his rhetoric that the West had a hand in the failed coup three weeks ago. Why is all of this important? Turkey is still a member of NATO and the U.S. uses their base to strike ISIS in Syria. He said:
"The West is supporting terrorism and taking sides with coups," Erdogan said, adding that forces unhappy with Turkey's rise as a regional power were behind the coup.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2016 11 Comments
On Saturday night, Turkish forces and protestors surrounded the Incirlik Air Base, which the U.S. uses to conduct airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. The government claims the incident was merely a safety inspection. https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/759530079076712448

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 29, 2016 2 Comments
Turkish journalist Mahir Zeynalov spent this morning tweeting pictures and bios of some of the journalists detained by the Turkish government. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seems to think they have connections to Fehtullah Gülen, who he blames for the coup, or at least that is the excuse for the round up. https://twitter.com/MahirZeynalov/status/759021471045980160

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 28, 2016 6 Comments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has shut down over 130 media outlets as he continues his crackdown on a failed coup two weeks ago. Erdoğan believes Fethullah Gülen's followers orchestrated a coup that failed miserably. Now anyone he suspects supports the scholar will lose their job or be detained without any proof.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 25, 2016 8 Comments
Turkey continues to purge people after a failed coup two weeks ago. Authorities said ambassadors are next while Amnesty International reported authorities have raped and tortured the detainees already behind bars. Turkey blames the Gülen Movement and have said everyone purged has connections to the group. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said they are no concentrating on his department:
"Some personnel in the ministry had been given answered questions... and some personnel were placed in key positions in the ministry," he told broadcaster France 24.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 23, 2016 5 Comments
The Turkish purge of academia, which has been ongoing long before the recent failed coup, has accelerated since the coup attempt. Over 1500 university Deans were dismissed, travel for faculty restricted, and faculty abroad ordered home. On Saturday, July 23, 2016, President Erdogan expanded the purge, as we reported earlier. The Christian Science Monitor further reports:
President Tayyip Erdogan tightened his grip on Turkey on Saturday, ordering the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions in his first decree since imposing a state of emergency after the failed military coup....
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