Politics

President again rebuffs claims Turkey would move towards federalism after referendum Ahead of Sunday’s historic referendum, the nation’s president again ruled out any plans for a federal system in Turkey. A federal system “is not on our agenda, it will not be,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday. “We are the greatest advocate of the unitary structure of Turkey,” Erdogan told in a rally in the central province of Konya. Turkey is a Read More

The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party said Sunday that the Netherlands should apologize to Turkey for its recent mistreatment of Turkish government ministers. “If a minister of Turkey was refused, the Netherlands should apologize to us,” Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu told a rally in Istanbul. “It’s that simple.” He also said the Turkish people need to “come together” on Turkey’s foreign policy interests, saying, “There is no right, left, or middle. Read More

Turkish Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya told a UN session Wednesday she recently endured “inhumane treatment” from the Netherlands government, in contravention of diplomatic protocols. “The Netherlands violated several European and UN conventions by restricting the freedom of speech and movement of a woman minister who has diplomatic immunity,” Kaya told the session on the status of women. Kaya was barred Saturday from meeting the Turkish community in Rotterdam, and was barred entry to Read More

The leader of Turkey’s opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has called on the Greek people to teach “tactless” politicians — who he accused of ignoring neighborly values — “their place”. Devlet Bahceli, speaking at his party’s group meeting on Tuesday, harshly criticized recent remarks by Greece’s defense minister on the Kardak islets in the Aegean Sea. “The Greek people should warn their administration and teach the tactless, who ignore neighborly values and are waiting to Read More

Even if Cyprus reunification talks went off track Thursday, the Turkish Cypriot president said they support a bi-zonal and bi-community federal state and have never given up on the reunification talks. “We have a week until [next] Thursday,” when talks are due to resume, said President Mustafa Akinci after receiving a delegation from the Bi-communal Peace Platform on Friday. “We will wait to see the next steps,” Akinci said. “We want a resolution and peace Read More

French-Muslim group says recorded Islamophobic attacks, threats fell by around 50 percent There was a decline in Islamophobic attacks on Muslims in France since January, the country’s National Observatory Against Islamophobia claimed on Thursday. However, the group warned that growing “cyber hate” against Muslims remained a serious issue. Some 149 anti-Muslim acts were recorded between January and September 2016 compared to 323 incidents in the same period last year, according to Abdallah Zekri, head of Read More