COLUMNISTS
October 09, 2015, Friday
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Terrorism through cartoons
I have just unsubscribed from the Digitürk TV cable network, of which I have been a member for many years. When I heard that Tivibu, an online streaming service, dropped Bugün TV, Samanyolu TV and other channels because of their affiliation with the Hizmet movement, it came as just news for me, albeit bad news. Yesterday, I learned that Digitürk did the same. They removed these TV channels from their package. I checked in the morning and saw that all -
Game is over
Russia's persistent violation of Turkish airspace along the Syrian border in the past couple of days, harassing fighter jets, has the potential to turn into a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO member Turkey. Furthermore, Turkey appears to have been pressed by the Russian-backed regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a surface-to-air missile system based in Syria locked radar on Turkish warplanes on Oct. 4 while eight F-16 jets were on -
TV channels removals violate law
Digital satellite platform Digitürk on Thursday joined two other media platforms that previously banned critical media in a government-backed move to stop broadcasting TV channels Bugün TV, Kanaltürk, Yumurcak TV, Mehtap TV, Irmak TV, Shaber and Samanyolu. These TV channels are known for their critical stance against the government. TV service provider Turkcell TV and online streaming service Tivibu had previously banned the same seven channels. The legal reasoning decl -
This is a dirty war...
When the clashes began again recently in the Southeast, I wrote about how “war is an extraordinary situation and has its own unique psychology.” Those overseeing wars try to convince their supporters of the necessity of the war at hand; the next stage is to try and convince the global arena. If you don't motivate your warriors well, they don't fight well. If you can't convince the public, whose support you rely on, of the imperative necessity -
’It’s not me, it’s the uniform’
Like all of us, I saw the first picture. A human body attached to an "akrep" (scorpion), the infamous multifunctional police vehicle. This seemingly dead body was ready to be dragged along the road. Red shirt, dark pants, face down and nose on the rough asphalt. In the middle of the night. Then I saw a clumsy Photoshopped image on the Internet from Justice and Development Party (AKP) supporters who tried to erase this human from this world for the sec -
Shanghai out, NATO in
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is making sure that we are all sitting on the edges of our seats. Indeed, he has again managed to make a full U-turn without any qualms or conflict with his inner self whatsoever. Informed analysts knew that the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdoğan was not as good as it used to be, but few were expecting the mutual statements that we have seen in recent days. The Syrian conflict had been effectively compart -
Is Lenin heading out, to be replaced by Tsar Nicholas II in Russia?
I recently toured Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery. The most prominently placed paintings in this renowned gallery are those that highlight Russian nationalism and the Orthodox past of the country; these are paintings whose themes are found firmly rooted in Russian schoolbooks and people's minds as well. Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov (1862-1942) was a Russian painter who used religious symbolism in his works. Nesterov's 1917 painting “Philosophers” -
Life like back home!
It is a misconception that all those who stay abroad have adapted to the local culture. I am afraid that nothing could be further from the truth. It is not uncommon for people who go abroad to want it to be like home. An expatriate needs to be willing to adjust and be flexible in his or her new environment. After all, this is true for all of us in any situation, be it a new job, a new location, a new church or a new social group; whenever there is a change -
How can Turkey ride out the storm?
Turkey has been going through a turbulent period for the last three years. We experienced a similar period in the wake of the 1980 coup. For the last three years, people have naturally been asking how Turkey will weather this crisis. This is the question put to me whenever I meet someone: "How will this process end?" We need to be objective. Crises happen in a democracy. The remedy for a crisis in a democracy is democracy itself. But despite the -
Erdoğan returns from Brussels empty-handed
While there's little doubt those who arranged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Brussels trip were aware of the symbolism, they probably thought no one would much notice: 10 years ago -- the wee hours of Oct. 4, 2005 -- marked the start of Turkey's EU accession talks. Turkey's foreign minister at the time, Abdullah Gül, had not wanted to leave Ankara for Brussels before all the major flaws to the agreement had been ironed out. In the meantime, A -
In Syria the strong do what they can
It is clear by now that the Russian strategy in Syria is not to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) but to strengthen the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. When Russian jets and tanks showed up in the Latakia region, Washington and its NATO allies were surprised and dismayed by Moscow's military buildup in Syria. Russia cleverly sold this military policy as part of an effort to fight jihadists in the country. Now that Russian jets ar
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