Category: Turkey

"Flotilla Focus Turning to Terror Ties"

August 16, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"The fallout from the ill-fated 'Freedom Flotilla' appears far from over. The initial reaction focused on Israel's raid of the ship attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, which killed nine. Now, however, the Turkish charity that sponsored the flotilla is being investigated by the United States for its possible ties to terrorism."

"'Turks hit PKK with chemical weapons'"

August 13, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"German politicians called on Thursday for an international investigation into the reported use of chemical weapons by the Turkish military. The weapons were used against members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to the online edition of the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel. . . . Read more »

"Coping with Turkey's Islamist Lurch"

August 9, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"As Congress wakes up to Turkey's terrorist alliances, Britain's new Prime Minister made a fool of himself in Ankara. David Cameron, on his maiden official visit to the Middle East last week, proved himself to be a brazen liar or a clueless fool -- or both. His gaffes were all the more stunning because they were uttered just as our Congress began waking up to the menace of Turkey's embrace of terrorist forces."

"Losing Turkey to the Islamists"

August 2, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"A look at Turkey’s history shows how very un-Turkish is the mindset of its current Islamist rulers."

"Israel fears Turks could pass its secrets to Iran"

August 2, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak has voiced concern that once-stalwart ally Turkey could share Israeli intelligence secrets with Iran, revealing a deep distrust as Ankara's regional interests shift. . . .

"In a closed-door briefing to Israeli community leaders at a kibbutz outside Jerusalem on July 25, Barak still described Turkey as a 'friend and major strategic ally'.

"But he called Hakan Fidan, the new head of its National Intelligence Organisation, a 'friend of Iran'."

"Egyptian Journalist Describes 'Absolute Prosperity' in Gaza"

July 30, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"With Hamas telling tales of deprivation and suffering in Gaza, Egyptian journalist Ashraf Abu al-Houl has added his report to others who were surprised to discover a 'prosperous' Gaza in which prices are low and luxury businesses  are booming. Al-Houl's story of his trip to Gaza and his realization that 'in actual terms, Gaza is not under siege' was written up in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)."

"No, Prime Minister"

July 30, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

David Cameron is pushing a pro-Turkey agenda contrary to the British public's opinion.

"What David Cameron Doesn't Know About Turkey"

July 30, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Turkey is sponsoring the jihadists, not guarding against them."

"Israel to return Marmara to Turkey"

July 23, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Israel has decided to return the ships that took part in the May 31 Gaza-bound flotilla to Turkey, including the Mavi Marmara, on Friday to prevent further deterioration in relations between the two countries. As part of the return agreement, Israel received an agreement from Turkey that the ships would not participate in any fu Read more »

"Israel's southern border wide open and undefended"

July 21, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Turkey's foreign minister Ahmed Dagutoglu met secretly in Damascus with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal Monday, July 19, as well as getting together with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al Hariri to synchronize their operations against Israel, focusing for now on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Read more »

"Turkey in Cyprus vs. Israel in Gaza"

July 21, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Turkish policy toward Israel, historically warm and only a decade ago approaching full alliance, has cooled since Islamists took power . . . . Their hostility became explicit . . . during the Israel–Hamas War. . . . This Turkish rage prompts a question: Is Israel in Gaza really worse than Turkey in Cyprus? A comparison finds this hardly to be so. Consider some contrasts: . . . "

Luxury Mall Opens in Gaza

July 19, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"While Hamas continues to complain that Gaza lacks building materials, a luxury mall in Gaza City held its grand opening over the weekend. Among the goods on sale are Israeli men's clothing, and items from Turkey, France, and the United States. . . .

"Hamas has often accused Israel of creating a 'siege' by keeping its border crossings to Gaza closed. According to Hamas, Gaza lacks electricity and building supplies. Read more »

"Will Obama make Israel apologize to Turkey?"

July 6, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Er, shouldn’t this be the other way around?  After all, Turkey allowed a flotilla of ships to attempt to run a blockade imposed not just by Israel, but also by Egypt, on an area used for launching rocket attacks on civilian populations.  Israel and Egypt both accept humanitarian supplies for Gaza in their own ports.  Under those circumstances, Turkey committed an act of aggression against Israel, and not the other way around. Read more »

"Turkey: America's New Armorer?"

July 1, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"How smart is it . . . to build up the industrial base, specifically geared to armament, of a country that shows every indication of turning against you? How smart is it to do this when your own domestic industrial base is, by every indicator, declining?"

"The Mussolini of the Middle East Stabs America in the Back"

June 24, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"Obama's Turkey bind"

June 23, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"As Turkish-Israeli relations deteriorate, the Obama administration is in a bind."

"The Return of the Ottomans"

June 23, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"The sick man of Europe is back and causing ­trouble again."

"Turkey's State of Terror "

June 23, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"This week Turkish forces invaded Iraq and its warplanes bombed 7 Kurdish villages killing a teenage girl and wounding her mother and 3 year old sister. A week ago Iran had done the same things, killing a 14 year old girl and a 45 year old woman. There are no shouts of protest. No worldwide demonstrations. The Obama administration and the media did not deliver any lectures on disproportionate force. Not even when Erdogan vowed to drown the Kurdish rebels 'in their own blood'."

"A Visit Inside Turkey's Islamist IHH"

June 21, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"A journalist's trip to the headquarters of the extremist group that sponsored the Mavi Marmara."

"Israel on Trial"

June 21, 2010 by Richard E. Coleson

"In acquiescing to this latest anti-Israeli campaign if not helping to propel it, the U.S. administration and its European allies are in effect contributing to heating up the Middle East and increasing the chances of war. Perhaps they can summon enough rationality to recognize that this is not in their interest."