Mediaboss Marketing

Turkeys Erdogan and Russias Putin in Zhukovsky, Russia, on August 27, 2019(Sputnik / Aleksey Nikolskyi / Kremlin via Reuters)

Putin and Erdogan are meeting in Sochi. That resort town is for more than the Olympics. The meeting, said the New York Times, is an opportunity for Putin and Erdogan to consolidate their gains in Syria in the wake of President Trumps sudden withdrawal of American troops. Talks between the two men highlight the loss of American influence in the days sinceMr. Trump ordered troops to withdrawfrom northeast Syria.

At the airport in Ankara, before he left for Russia, Erdogan said something almost touching: With my dear friend Putin, we will discuss the current situation...

It is a new world, yes, one that some Americans like, a lot, and one that others of us think is ominous. Last year, after his latest fraudulent election, Erdogan staged his latest inauguration. The list of attendees was instructive, and predictable: Medvedev of Russia (standing in for Putin). Orbn of Hungary. Maduro of Venezuela.

Maduro pronounced Erdogan a leader of the new multi-polar world which is accurate.

The year before, Orbn had said, We all sense its in the air that the world is in the process of a substantial realignment. He was meeting with Putin who hailed Hungary as an important and reliable partner for Russia in Europe.

That is certainly true.

After the Americans cleared out and Erdogan invaded Syria, Erdogan met with Orbn, in Baku. The Turk thanked the Hungarian for his support on the world stage as well he might have. Orbn has, for example, blocked EU resolutions against Turkey.

Two articles this week tell us about Putin and Orbn, and their influence on Trump their influence on him when it comes to Ukraine, in particular. For a Times report, go here; for a Washington Post report, go here. Putin and Orbn hate Ukraine, of course. Ukraine is a new democracy under siege. Indeed, Putin is warring against Ukraine, literally.

A State Department official, George Kent, testified before Congress on Ukraine. Specifically, he addressed the question of why our president is thinking and acting the way he is. Putin and Orbn have filled Trumps head a receptive head, to be sure.

Let me bless the names of two other officials: John R. Bolton and Fiona Hill. Bolton, as you know, was until recently Trumps national security adviser; Hill, until recently, was the leading Russia expert on the National Security Council staff.

Earlier this year, Trump received Orbn at the White House. According to the Times, Bolton and Hill opposed this development. They believed that Orbn did not deserve the honor of an Oval Office visit, which would be seen as a huge political coup for an autocratic leader ostracized by many of his peers in Europe. Mick Mulvaney, the chief of staff, or acting chief of staff, was enthusiastic about the visit, as he is about Orbn.

No one is more enthusiastic than Trump. Its like were twins, Trump said to Orbn. We learned this from David Cornstein, an old friend of Trumps who is now our ambassador in Budapest. Orbn has built an illiberal regime that some find enviable. Listen to Ambassador Cornstein: I can tell you, knowing the president for a good 25 or 30 years, that he would love to have the situation that Viktor Orbn has, but he doesnt.

Finally, listen to Mark Esper, our new secretary of defense: We had no obligation, if you will, to defend the Kurds from a longstanding NATO ally, meaning Turkey. So now NATO is important, in the minds of the Trump administration? We must oblige the anti-American, Islamist dictatorship of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but were not so sure about the liberal democracies of Europe?

It is a new world, ladies and gentlemen, and as conservatives know all too well, new is not necessarily good.

Go here to see the original:
Trump, Putin, Erdogan, and Orbn, and Our New World ...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called for a solution through dialogue for the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India.

In his address at the UN General Assembly session in New York, Erdogan criticised the international community for failing to pay attention to the Kashmir conflict, which, he said, awaits solution for 72 years.

The president said the stability and prosperity of South Asia cannot be separated from the Kashmir issue.

"In order for the Kashmiri people to look at a safe future together with their Pakistani and Indian neighbors, it is imperative to solve the problem through dialogue and on the basis of justice and equity, but not through collision," said Erdogan.

"Despite the resolutions adopted, [India-occupied] Kahsmir is still besieged and eight million people are stuck in Kashmir," he said.

"The invasions, conflicts and terrorist activities for almost four decades in Afghanistan have led to instability in the region," he said while talking about the region.

The India-occupied region has been facing a clampdown since August 5, when the Indian government nixed Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which conferred a special status on it.

Hundreds of people, mostly political leaders, have been detained or arrested by authorities since the Indian government made the move.

India and Pakistan hold Kashmir in parts and claim it in full.

Following Erdogan's remarks, Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked him for raising the issue of occupied Kashmir at the UNGA and for calling for a solution to the long-standing dispute.

In a subsequent tweet, the premier said: "I appreciate President Erdogan's statement that the stability and prosperity of South Asia cannot be separated from the Kashmir issue."

See the original post:
Erdogan calls for dialogue to end Kashmir dispute - World ...

According to a recent survey by the pollster Konda, a growing number of Turksidentify as atheists. Konda reports that the number of nonbelievers tripled in the past 10 years. It also found that the share of Turks who say theyadhere to Islam dropped from 55 percent to 51 percent.

"There is religious coercion in Turkey," said 36-year-old computer scientist Ahmet Balyemez, who has been an atheist for over 10 years. "People ask themselves: Is this the true Islam?" he added. "When we look at the politics of our decision-makers, we can see they are trying to emulate the first era of Islam. So, what we are seeing right now is primordial Islam."

Balyemez said he grew up in a very religious family. "Fasting and praying were the most normal things for me," he said. But then, at some point, he decided to become an atheist.

Balyemez said atheism provided an attractive alternative to religious coercion

Diyanet, Turkey's official directorate of religious affairs, declared in 2014 that more than 99 percent of the population identifies as Muslim. When Konda's recent survey with evidence to the contrary was published, heated public debate ensued.

The theologian Cemil Kilic believes that both figures are correct. Though 99 percent of Turks are Muslim, he said, many only practice the faith in a cultural and sociological sense. They are cultural, rather than spiritual, Muslims.

Kilic said Muslims who regularly pray, go on pilgrimages or wear veils could generally be considered pious, though, he added, being true to the faith means much more than just performing rituals or opting for certain outerwear. In his view, "judging whether a person is religious should also be based on whether he or she subscribes to certain ethical and humanitarian values." When only taking into account people who practice Islam, he said, "no more than 60 percent of people in Turkey can be considered Muslim."

"The majority of Muslims in Turkey are like the Umayyads, who ruled in the seventh century," Kilic said. "The prayers contained in the Koran reject injustice. But the Umayyads regarded daily prayer as a form of showing deference towards the sultan, the state and the powers that be."

In Turkey, Kilic said, the relationship between organized religion andthe state endures. "Regular prayers have become a way to signal obedience toward the political leadership," he said. "And prayers in mosques increasingly reflect the political worldview of those in power."

Kilic said a lack of belief did not, of course, mean the lack of a moral compass. "Some atheists are more ethical and conscientious than many Muslims," he said.

For nearly 16 years under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, first as prime minister and since 2014 as president, Turkish officials have increasingly used Islam to justify their politics possibly increasingthe skepticism surrounding faith in government. "People reject the predominant interpretation of Islam, the sects, religious communities, the directorate of religious affairs and those in power," he said. "They do not want this kind of religion and this official form of piousness." This, Kilic said, could help explain why so many Turks now identify as atheists.

Kilic said atheists' morals were often more consistent than those expressed by the pious

'Questioning their faith'

Selin Ozkohen, who heads Ateizm Dernegi, Turkey's main association for atheists, said Erdogan's desire to produce a generation of devout Muslims had backfired in many ways. "Religious sects and communities have discredited themselves," she said. "We have always said that the state should not be ruled by religious communities, as this leads to people questioning their faith and becoming humanist atheists."

Ozkohen citedthe unsuccessful coupin 2016,in which followers of the preacher and religious scholarFethullah Gulen are accused of rising up against Erdogan, a former ally of the theologian's. The coup, she said, was a clash between opposing religious groups which was followed by a major crackdown by Erdogan. "People have noticed this and distanced themselves," she said. "Those who reflect rationally on this turn to atheism."

As a result, Ozkohen said, "today, people are more courageous and willing to openly say they are atheists." But the government continues to coerce people to conform to perceived religious standards. "Pressure is exerted in the neighborhoods and mosques," she said. "And the most visible sign of this is that in 2019, schoolchildren are still obliged to study religion."

Having lived and worked in Turkey since early 2012, DW's Bradley Secker has traveled extensively around Turkey. Driving from Izmir city from the airport, this huge bust of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on the outskirts of the city is hard to miss.

A waxwork of Ataturk dressed in a military uniform sits at a desk in his former home in Istanbul, which is now a museum.

A sculptor makes the final touches to a cast of Ataturk before varnishing it at a workshop in the northern Istanbul area of Levent. It will be placed in a school playground.

Carpets depicting Ataturk hang alongside other well-known figures, such as Che Guevara, Bashar Assad, Imam Hussein and the Virgin Mary at a market in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, close to the border with Syria. The city is ethnically and religiously mixed, and a proportion of the population supports Assad for ideological, political or religious reasons.

Turkey has one remaining Ataturk lookalike who works professionally in television, film, and at public events. Goksal Kaya, who's from Izmir, travels around Turkey and Europe for various events where he appears as a symbolic, personal version of Ataturk. Everywhere he goes he's surrounded by people asking for selfies, with some even crying when they see him.

During a rally of the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), a man in the crowd shows his allegiance to Ataturk.

Along a quiet stretch of the central Istanbul coastline, near the tourist hub of Sultanahmet, Ataturk looks out over the city toward the Bosporus, the strait which separates the western European side of the city from its eastern Asian part.

For almost a month every year in Ataturk village, a short drive from Turkey's eastern border with Georgia, the sun sets at a certain position casting a shadow over a valley. For around an hour, that shadow perfectly resembles Ataturk's profile. The local council has built a viewing area.

For a while, during the Gezi park protests in Istanbul in 2013, an elderly man walked around the city drawing portraits of Ataturk like this one, inside the shape of a heart. Because defacing or destroying an image of Ataturk is frowned upon in Turkey, the drawings mostly remain around the city.

A portrait of Ataturk and Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan hang next to a Turkish flag in Erdogan's former football club in Kasimpasa, Istanbul. The neighborhood in which Erdogan grew up is predominantly working class, and Erdogan's supporters see him as one of their own due to his humble roots.

Author: Bradley Secker (Turkey)

At 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of news and features. Sign up to receive it here.

Go here to read the rest:
Atheism grows in Turkey as Recep Tayyip Erdogan urges ...

Less than a month ago the Turkish states mouthpiece the daily Yeni afak ran an article for Erdogan titled A call for urgent action and on the newspapers website headlined What if an army of Islam formed against Israel?

It called for the 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to form a joint army to simultaneously attack Israel from all sides.

The article said: If the member states of the OIC unite militarily, they will form the worlds largest and most comprehensive army.

The number of active soldiers would be at least 5,206,100, while the defence budget would reach approximately $175billion (124billion).

This was accompanied by an interactive map providing formation of military forces for a joint Muslim attack on Israel.

The article provided additional details of the plan, saying: It is expected that 250,000 soldiers will participate in the first of a possible operation.

Land, air and naval bases of member states located in the most critical regions will be used.

Joint bases will be constructed in a short period of time It is possible for 500 tanks and armoured vehicles, 100 planes and 500 attack helicopters and 50 ships to mobilise quickly.

Erdogan did not deny his support for the report and has on several occasions said he would like to resurrect the Ottoman Empire.

The tyrant has established military bases in Qatar and Somalia and recently reached an agreement with Sudan to acquire a Sudanese island in the Red Sea to be used as a military base.

He has also repeatedly threatened to invade Greek islands in the Mediterranean and has recently invaded Syria under the pretext of fighting Kurdish terrorism.

Erdogan has also locked up journalists and activists who have spoken out against his regime.

But the European Union is urging members to approve a further 3.7billion (3.28billion) to help Turkey deal with Syrian refugees who arrived in their country.

Brussels will now push to get Turkey the extra 2.7 billion (2.4billion) from national governments, some of whom may be unwilling to pump new cash into the country.

Europe's relations with Erdogan has been fraught in recent years but the EU depends on Turkey to keep a tight lid on immigration from the Middle East, where the war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands and pushed millions from homes.

However, a draft document seen by Politico notes that if countries do not contribute and order the money be taken from the EU budget only, standard EU rules would apply and the member states would be excluded from the governance of the facility (for refugees in Turkey).

Top EU officials will meet Erdogan on March 26 in the Bulgarian city of Varna despite misgivings among many on the European side.

The bloc's top migration official Dimitris Avramopoulos will announce on Wednesday that the European Commission proposes the extra funding on projects benefiting Syrian refugees in Turkey.

Turkey has accepted 3.5 million refugees from Syria, and the EU is already spending a first 3billion (2.1billion) instalment to help them.

See the article here:
World War 3: Turkey President Erdogan calls for army of ...

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will overcome the coronavirus outbreak in two to three weeks through good measures, with as little damage as possible, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as Ankara extended the closure of all schools until April 30.

FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan talks during a news conference following a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) meeting in Ankara, Turkey, March 18, 2020. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

Turkeys death toll from the coronavirus jumped by 15 to 59 on Wednesday, and the number of confirmed cases increased by 561 to 2,433. Around 33,000 tests have been conducted in Turkey in the two weeks since the beginning of the outbreak.

In a televised address to the nation, Erdogan said Turkey was prepared for every scenario on the outbreak and urged Turks to show patience, understanding and support.

By breaking the speed of the virus spread in two to three weeks, we will get through this period as soon as possible with as little damage as possible, Erdogan said.

Bright days await us, so long as we adhere by the warnings, remain cautious and careful, he added. Every citizens life is equally valuable for us. That is why we say Stay Home Turkey.

Turkey has taken a series of measures to contain the virus, including limiting the use of public spaces, imposing a partial curfew on the elderly, as well as closing schools, cafes and bars, banning mass prayers, and suspending sports matches and flights.

Earlier on Wednesday, Education Minister Ziya Selcuk said the closure of all schools would be extended until April 30, and said home schooling would continue during this period.

We will enrich efforts and make sure to meet all needs, Selcuk told reporters in Ankara. We can make up for the lost education, but we cant make up for a disease. What is key is our students health.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, speaking alongside Selcuk, said the move was not a break but rather a preventive measure to protect families.

On Monday, Koca said Turkey had imported medicine from China that he said was believed to help with the treatment of coronavirus patients, saying the medication was already being administered to patients in intensive care.

As of today, 136 patients in intensive care have received the medicine, Koca said Wednesday. He said experts and officials would examine the medicines impact in coming days.

Koca also said 26 patients had recovered as of Tuesday, the first figures for recovery announced in Turkey, including two senior citizens.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Alex Richardson, William Maclean and Leslie Adler

Read this article:
Erdogan says Turkey will overcome coronavirus in two-three weeks; school closures extended - Reuters