Turkey

NOVANEWS   Zionist puppet Turkish FM Davutoglu tells Assad violence must end immediately and unconditionally, otherwise ‘steps will be taken’ ynet Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday told Bashar Assad military operations against civilians must end immediately and unconditionally, warning the Syrian president that these were Ankara’s “final words”. “This is our final word to the Syrian authorities, our first expectation is that these operations stop immediately and unconditionally,” Davutoglu told a news conference. “If these operations do not stop there will be nothing left to say about the steps that would be taken,” he said, without elaborating. Turkish leaders, who once backed Assad, have repeatedly urged him to end violence and make reforms after street protests...

NOVANEWS Turkey has lost patience with Syria, according to Turkish officials quoted in the Hurriyet newspaper, and has issued an ultimatum to Assad. Turkey may consider cooperating with international powers in the event they decide to intervene militarily in Syria, according to a report in the Turkish “Hurriyet” newspaper on Saturday Turkey has lost its patience with Syria, according to Turkish officials, and Turkish President Abdullah Gul has issued an ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar Assad via Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who visited Syria on Tuesday. Syria President Bashar Assad meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Damascus August 9, 2011. According to officials, the Turkish foreign minister made it clear to Assad that in the event that Syrian forc...

NOVANEWS  By: KhaIid Iqbal Pakistan and Turkey have been emulating each other’s civil-military relations model in a somewhat cyclic pattern. Both countries have had an equal number of military takeovers to their (dis)credit; and unfortunately, both also went through the gruesome saga of hanging an elected Prime Minster each. Two countries have political and national security structures with identical strengths and weaknesses. Some of Pakistan’s military rulers idealized the Turkish model; and some Turkish coup makers took cues from military take overs in Pakistan. Recent low intensity mutiny in Turkey manifested in the form of collective resignation of top brass has stimulated an academic interest to gauge the possibility of achieving a sustainable civilian supremacy in Pakistan ...

NOVANEWS Speaking at a conference in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterates his demand for an apology and compensation for those killed on the Gaza-bound ship last year. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that his country will not normalize its relations with IsraHell as long as IsraHell does not apologize for the killing of nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists during the takeover of the Mavi Marmara ship last year. Erdogan, who spoke at the “Palestinian Ambassadors’ Conference” in Istanbul, added IsraHell should compensate the families of those killed and end the blockade of the Gaza Strip. “No belief can make killing innocent people legitimate,” Erdogan said. “I salute the Palestinians, and those who are dedicated to the Palestinian cause. I remember th...

NOVANEWS In announcing his intention to visit the Gaza Strip, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has raised the stakes in an ongoing crisis with Israel, observers say. Quoting unnamed foreign ministry sources in Ankara, the Turkish daily Radikal reported yesterday that Turkish diplomats had told their Israeli counterparts they expected an Israeli apology for the death of nine Turkish activists during a raid on a flotilla of ships carrying aid for Gaza last year by July 27. That day, a panel of the United Nations is expected to publish its report on the Israeli raid. In case Israel does not issue an apology before that date, Turkish-Israeli relations could sink even deeper into crisis, Radikal said. “If Israel apologises, [Mr Erdogan's] Gaza trip will not take place,” th...

NOVANEWS Sources say Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein believes apology would convince Turkey not to file lawsuits against IDF officers who took over the Mavi Marmara in 2010. Haaretz Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should apologize for the deadly takeover of the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara ship last year, in which nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists were killed, sources in Jerusalem said Thursday. According to the sources, Weinstein believes the UN investigation into the 2010 flotilla incident might prompt lawsuits against IDF soldiers. Therefore, he recommends reaching an understanding with Turkey, even if that means issuing an apology. The Justice Department declined to comment on these details. The sources added that Weinst...

NOVANEWS   A Turkish woman shouts slogans on March 8, 2009 in Istanbul where more than 5,000 women gathered to mark International Women's Day. Purple symbolizes feminism in Turkey. In Turkey, 42 percent of women have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of their husband or partner, according to a study by a leading Turkish university. While the government can be credited with passing strong laws to protect women, these laws are rarely enforced, and additional protections are needed. As told by Gauri van Gulik, researcher and advocate, Women's Rights Division Unlike some of the other women I spoke with, Hamiyet was not injected with poison, thrown from the roof or stabbed by her husband. But her story seemed just as desperate when she des...

NOVANEWS   Ankara Prosecution sends Israeli Justice Ministry letter demanding to receive names of all Naval, military and ministerial officials involved in decision to raid Marmara in May 2010 The Turkish Prosecution demands Israel divulge the identity of the Naval Commandos who participated in the deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara, in May of 2010. A Justice Ministry official said Israel was unfamiliar with the demand. The Marmara was the lead vessel in last May’s aid sail to Gaza Strip. Israeli commandos attempting to stop the ship from breaching the Gaza blockade boarded the ship after it refused the Navy’s hails to stop. The ensuing violence resulted in the death of nine Turkish activists. Diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkeys have been extremely tense ever since. Acco...