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Turkey Tag

Posted by Leslie Eastman on May 15, 2018 23 Comments
Earlier this week, I pondered the lack of American ambassadors to 32 countries, including some critical regional or economic allies. Now, we are down a Turkish ambassador, albeit temporarily, as that nation has pulled its envoy in response to the opening of the American embassy to Israel in Jerusalem.
The Turkish Embassy in Washington says the Turkish ambassador to the United States is being called home over the Trump administration moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 22, 2018 9 Comments
Last year, tensions between America and Turkey rose after members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail attacked and beat up protesters outside of the Turkish embassy. Those tensions may ease since federal prosecutors have decided to drop charges against 11 of the 15 men charged...even though people caught the brawl on tape.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on December 27, 2017 4 Comments
A week after voting against Israel at the United Nations, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel is proposing an ambitious plan to strengthen relations with the Erdogan regime in Turkey. Gabriel, who also serves as Germany's Vice Chancellor, wants an EU-wide customs union with Turkey, a move aimed at bringing the Muslim-majority country 'as close as possible to the bloc', media reports claim. The German proposal will treat Turkey, presently run by the Islamist strongman Recep Erdoğan, at par with Britain after it leaves the EU at the end of the ongoing Brexit negotiations.  President Erdogan, who took office in 2003, has assumed authoritarian powers by amending the country's constitution following a controversial referendum in April this year.  Since then, Erdogan has been busy purging the opponents of his regime from the military, judiciary and civil services.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 10, 2017 20 Comments
In March, I blogged about a report in The Wall Street Journal, in which former CIA Director James Moosley claimed he attended a meeting with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Turkish Foreign Ministers to discuss removing Fehtullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in Pennsylvania. This meeting happened when Flynn worked on Trump's presidential transition team. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed Gulen for numerous "coups" that have taken place. Now that alleged plan between Flynn and the Turks has come under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on November 05, 2017 25 Comments
Earlier this week, Professor Jacobson noted that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is focused on process crimes and other things unrelated to the purpose of the Trump campaign-Russia collusion investigation. He wrote:
So I’ve had to watch several news cycles without being able to jump in. One of those cycles was the indictment of Paul Manafort and the guilty plea disclosure for George Papadopoulos. Certainly this is not the end of the Mueller investigation story, but so far, it’s proceeding as predicted: Rounding up the usual suspects close to Trump and process crimes.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on October 01, 2017 10 Comments
We blogged about the Kurdish Independence vote held last week and about the resulting international threats and tensions, including the closing of Kurdish airports. Pro-western Iraqi Kurds are disappointed by the lukewarm European response to their overwhelming victory, and can't be too happy with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's statement that the U. S. does not recognize their independence referendum. Turkey, Iran, and Iraq are stepping up their disapproval of the referendum and moving to isolate the Kurdish region of Iraq.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on September 25, 2017 10 Comments
Last week, we blogged about today's Kuridsh Independence referendum.  Yesterday's Kurdish independence rally attracted an enormous crowd, perhaps foreshadowing nearly 80% of the reported 3.9 million registered voters turning out at the polls today. Jubilant Kurds described today as "the best day of their life" and some even took to flying the Brazilian flag because there were no Kurdish ones left.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on September 02, 2017 19 Comments
NATO ally Turkey seems to be going out of its way to tweak German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  Last month, Turkey arrested, among others, a German citizen, and Merkel called the move "unacceptable." Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to have been unimpressed because his government just arrested two more Germans.  Merkel has now declared that "decisive action" must be taken.  She does not specify what action she means, though she does threaten to "rethink" Germany's relations with Turkey.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on August 04, 2017 8 Comments
Israel's security service, Shin Bet, has busted a major money laundering ring run by Hamas that funnelled hundreds of thousands of dollars into building terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. Hamas operatives were using Turkey as a base for their terror financing operations, revealed a press release issued by Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The complex money-laundering operation was uncovered in a joint operation by the Shin Bet, IDF, and Israel Police. The investigation led to several arrests in Judea and Samaria, and identified terror operatives in Hamas-controlled Gaza and Turkey, Jerusalem Post wrote. One of the operatives captured by the Shin Bet was previously released from an Israeli prison "as part of the deal to release captured soldier Gilad Shalit, an agreement that saw over 1,000 convicted Palestinian terrorists set free," confirmed the newspaper Times of Israel.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 6 Comments
Over the weekend, females gathered in Istanbul's Maçka Democracy Park to protest against harassment other females have received for not dressing conservatively enough. The Hürriyet Daily News reported:
Women shouted slogans, chanting, “Do not mess with my clothes, my shorts, my life” and “Women are powerful together.” People sitting in the park showed their support to the protest with applauses. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Selina Doğan also attended the protest.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on July 23, 2017 9 Comments
NATO ally Turkey seems intent on alienating its western allies from the United States to Germany and the UK. Turkey has arrested German citizens at London-based Amnesty International and released the locations of American military bases and assets. Additionally, Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is stepping up his anti-Israel rhetoric, a stance that will put him at further odds with the U.S. in light of President Trump's vocal support for Israel.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 19, 2017 2 Comments
We at Legal Insurrection have covered the atrocities in Turkey, which include crackdowns by those whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan deem a threat to his authority. Last July, Erdogan blamed a failed "coup" on his nemesis Fethullah Gülen. He went on a rampage and arrested anyone he considered an ally of Gülen, including numerous journalists. A year later, 17 of these journalists will stand trial on Monday.
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