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Newspaper Yeni Sz, closely aligned to the government, made the outlandish claim on the front page of its daily newspaper.

Carrying the provocative headline "Turkey can occupy Europe within 3 days, the move is the latest in a political spat between Ankara and Berlin.

Turkey has been vying to join the EU for more than a decade, with official negotiants to become a member dragging into their 12th year.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attempted to use the migrant crisis as a bargaining chip, striking a deal with Brussels over the crisis in exchange for political sweeteners, which included kick-starting their membership bid.

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But relations have turned sour with the EU, in particular Germany, and the two countries have been engaged in a public spat over the past few months.

The papers absurd claims appear to be a no more than a childish dig at Berlin, as it is a feat unlikely to be achieved.

Despite the outlandish statement, the paper attempts to back up its declaration by building their theory on a thesis of the American political scientist George Friedman, founder of the geopolitics institute Stratfor.

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The paper said: "Friedman said the Turks could defeat Germany in one afternoon and France in one hour, if they have the courage to fight.

If you believe the international research institute Gallup, that asked people if they would fight for their country, then the Europeans have already taken out the white flags in the event of a war.

"Germany is abandoned by its citizens. If we start in the morning, we can have our evening prayer in Bellevue Castle.

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A police officer talks with the soldiers involved in the coup attempt after they surrendered

The Turks could defeat Germany in one afternoon and France in one hour

Yeni Sz

The paper references a two-year-old survey which reportedly gaged how likely citizens were to fight for their country.

They pointed towards the results which said 18 per cent of Germans would fight for their country, compared to 29 per cent of the French and 27 per cent of the British.

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The barmy jingoism is not far off statements Mr Erdogan himself has made.

In April he described Europe as a "centre of national socialism.

That same month he called the EU a continent that is rotting in every which way.

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And he also made reference to going to war with the EU, saying in another interview: "If you continue to behave like this, not a single European will be able to securely take a step on a road anywhere in the world by tomorrow.

The bitter row between Germany and Turkey has seen relations steadily deteriorate.

Recently Berlin issued new travel warnings for tourists visiting the country, and foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said he could no longer guarantee investment in Turkey following accusations made by Mr Erdogan.

The president accused German companies of colluding with the man he views as his political enemy - and who he suspects was behind the failed coup last year - Fethullah Glen.

And in a painful move for Ankara, Mr Gabriel added he would discuss with other EU leaders the prospect of reviewing pre-accession funds being offered.

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'Germany in three days and France in one hour' Shock threat to EU from Erdogan backers - Express.co.uk

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How Erdogan's Identity Project is Shaping Turkey's Schools - World Politics Review

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Turkish women participating in the march on Saturday, dubbed "Don't Mess With My Outfit", chanted slogans and carried denim shorts on hangers as examples of the type of clothing that some men in the country find unacceptable.

They chanted: We will not obey, be silenced, be afraid. We will win through resistance.

It follows harrowing footage of a woman named Asena Melisa Saglam, who was targeted and attacked on an Istanbul bus for wearing shorts during Ramadan.

The city has seen a spike in attacks against women for their choice of clothing.

One participant said: We will not remain silent and we do not want to stop. We want to put an end to these incidents.

Therefore I call on all women to take to the streets and I support them in defending themselves.

REUTERS

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Riot police use rubber pellets to disperse LGBT rights activists as they try to gather for a pride parade in central Istanbul

The march saw several women protesting against criticism for choosing to wear headscarves.

Another participant told Channel 4 News: As you can see my friend is not wearing a headscarf but I do. I have the right to dress freely as much as she does.

Nobody can mess with their mini skirts and shorts, just like they cant mess with our headscarves.

Istanbul, once revered for its liberalism, has seen increasingly conservative attitudes as the Erdogan regime has eroded decades of secular government.

Human rights groups and government critics say Turkey has been drifting toward authoritarianism for years, a process they say accelerated since the attempted coup last year and a referendum in April which granted Erdogan stronger powers.

The government claims the crackdown and constitutional changes are necessary to address challenges and security threats.

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It follows a rally earlier in July that saw hundreds of thousands of protesters taking to the streets in the biggest protest against Erdogan since the failed coup.

Turkey's main opposition leader told a huge protest rally that the country was living under a dictatorship and pledged to keep challenging the crackdown launched by the authorities after the military failed to seize power last year.

Mr Kilicdaroglu, addressing the crowd, said: "We will be breaking down the walls of fear.

The last day of our Justice March is a new beginning, a new step. We demand justice. We demand justice not only for those who gathered here, not only those who support us but for everyone.

Justice is the foundation of the state. In present-day Turkey, the foundation of the state is at risk. The era we live in is a dictatorship.

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'We will not be stopped!' Women protest against Erdogan regime after spike in attacks - Express.co.uk

The Supreme Military Council, which was once a secretive military body but now consists of senior military officers and cabinet ministers, made the appointments, said Ibrahim Kalin, a presidential spokesman. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is the chairman of the military council.

Mr. Erdogan approved the appointments and met with the commanders later in the day, Turkish news agencies reported.

Murat Kelkitlioglu, editor in chief of a pro-government daily newspaper, Aksam, praised the new form of the military council in a message on Twitter. This is how a civilian Supreme Military Council happens! he wrote. Instead of 4 days, it take 4 hours! It does not keep busy for a week! If it is required, the top command can be changed!

A retired rear admiral, Semih Cetin, offered praise for three other senior naval appointments announced by the council on Wednesday, saying on Twitter that three colonels who had been targets in an earlier purge by opponents of Mr. Erdogan had been promoted to the rank of admiral.

Yet resistance to civilian control remains inside military circles. Nusret Guner, a vice admiral who resigned in 2013 to protest an earlier crackdown on the army, said in a Twitter message that the countrys military had now become totally intertwined with politics.

Turkeys done for, he added.

The military council selected Yasar Guler, currently commander of the gendarmerie, to take over command of the army. It also appointed Vice Adm. Adnan Ozbal to be commander of the navy, and Hasan Kucukakyuz will command the air force.

It is not clear if the departing commanders were scheduled for retirement or are being replaced early.

Mr. Erdogans government has been overseeing a large-scale purge of the army and other institutions since the attempted coup last year, when a renegade group of military officers tried to seize power, sending tanks into the streets and bombing the Parliament building.

In all, 249 people died during the uprising, for which the government has blamed followers of the Islamist cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was once allied with Mr. Erdogan but is now living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. He is being tried in absentia for the plot; he has denied the charges.

The government has discharged 169 generals and admirals, almost half of the senior ranks a year ago, and arrested 7,000 military personnel in a crackdown. Tens of thousands of civilians, including government workers, members of Parliament and journalists, have also been detained and charged with aiding the Gulenists.

A trial of nearly 500 people accused of being involved at the plots headquarters at the Akinci Air Base began on Tuesday at a court in a prison near Ankara, the capital. Among the defendants, in addition to Mr. Gulen, is a former commander of the air force, Akin Ozturk. The charges include murder, violating the Constitution and trying to kill the president.

A version of this article appears in print on August 3, 2017, on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: Turkey Picks New Officers For Top Posts In the Military.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey Replaces Top Military Chiefs - New York Times

Masoud Barzani, center, in the village of Barzan, Erbil, Iraq on July 31, 2017.

Iraqi Kurds run the risk of armed conflict with government forces and alienating neighbors if they push ahead with a proposed referendum on independence, according to a senior adviser to Turkeys president.

Leaders of the semi-autonomous and oil-rich Kurdish region in Iraqs north have for years flirted with a complete break from Baghdads rule. They renewed the calls after a sweeping 2014 offensive by Islamic State routed the Iraqi army, bringing the extremists to the Kurds borders. The plan for a Sept. 25 plebiscite -- to be followed by another for a new parliament and president on Nov. 6. -- drew the ire of Iraqs government, the U.S. and Turkey, which worries sovereignty would encourage its own Kurdish insurgents.

The referendum is a prescription for deepening the areas problems, Ilnur Cevik, who advises Recep Tayyip Erdogan on foreign policy, said in an interview on Wednesday. As well as the potential for war with Iraq, it would also alienate Turkey, Iran, all those who support the Kurds, he said. They will say theres a Kurdish pocket in the heart of Arab land, and they will oppose it.

Sunni power Turkey has enjoyed closer ties to the Kurds than with the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad, which is backed by Iran, providing a key route to market for the Kurdish oil industry. But the chaos that could follow the break-up of OPECs second-biggest oil producer, and Turkeys domestic security concerns, mean it has opposed Kurdish statehood.

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During the 2003 U.S. invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, Turkey came close to sending troops into northern Iraq to prevent the Kurds extending their borders to oil-rich Kirkuk, home to many ethnic Turkmen. Erdogans government showed little concern as Iraqi Kurds took parts of the city and its environs to push back Islamic State, but it is now urging dialogue between Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi to resolve disputes.

Kurdish advances in northern Syria as Islamic State has been pushed back have only strengthened Turkeys determination to oppose independence for Iraqs Kurds.

In a speech marking the third anniversary of a notorious Islamic State campaign, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government,Nechirvan Barzani, said Kurds had tried every way with Iraq but we have completely lost hope. The vote will be a call for freedom from subjugation and slavery, the Kurdish Rudaw news agency on Thursday reported him as saying.

Other senior Kurdish officials have in the past been more circumspect, arguing that the primary aim of a vote would be to ensure greater self-determination rather than outright independence.

Cevik laid much of the blame at Baghdads door, accusing successive Iraqi governments of policy mistakes that first alienated Sunni Arabs and encouraged al-Qaeda and then Islamic State to take over Sunni areas, and also triggered Kurdish disenchantment.

Denying the Kurds sufficient funding has exacerbated financial and social problems in the enclave, he said. Massoud Barzani has been forced into a corner and now mistakenly sees a declaration of independence as the golden prescription to get the Kurds out of this mess, Cevik said.

The Kurds are independently developing oil reserves they say may total 45 billion barrels -- equivalent to almost a third of the deposits in the rest of Iraq, according to BP Plc data.

The U.S. has joined those opposing the plan for a vote in September. Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy to the coalition against Islamic State, said last month the ballot could hamper the war against the extremists and destabilize the region. Weve made those views very clear, he said July 13, a week after meeting Iraqi and Kurdish leaders in Baghdad.

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Kurds' Statehood Vote Could Spark Conflict, Erdogan Aide Warns - Bloomberg