Museum or mosque? Turkey debates future of iconic Hagia Sophia
Source: Los Angeles Time JULY 2, 2020 ISTANBUL, Turkey — In its more than 1,400-year existence, the majestic domed structure of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has served as the Byzantine […]
International donors pledge $7.7B to tackle Syria’s humanitarian crisis
BY DAILY SABAH WITH AGENCIES ISTANBUL POLITICS JUL 01, 2020 11:51 AM GMT+3 European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell addresses a meeting on aid for Syria, in videoconference format at the […]
The Most Popular International and Turkish Drama Now on Netflix: Resurrection Ertugrul
Diriliş: Ertuğrul (Urdu: Ertugrul Ghazi)[1](transl. ”Resurrection: Ertuğrul”) is a Turkish historical fiction[2] and adventure television series created by Mehmet Bozdağ, starring Engin Altan Düzyatan in the title role. It was filmed in Riva, a village in the Beykoz district of Istanbul, Turkey, and premiered […]
Swiss court approves extradition of PKK recruiter to Germany
Swiss court approves extradition of PKK recruiter to Germany A PKK militant stands at a barricade in Diyarbakir, southeast Turkey (2016). Keystone Switzerland’s highest court says it has approved the extradition […]
Turkish contractors ready to build Indonesia’s new capital
BY DAILY SABAH WITH AA ISTANBUL ECONOMY JUN 24, 2020 An aerial view of Sepaku district in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia, Aug. 28, 2019. (Reuters Photo) Turkish contractors […]
Different takes on the Ottoman Empire: A summer reading list
BY LEYLA YVONNE ERGIL EXPAT CORNER JUN 22, 2020 Vintage photograph shows the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque in Istanbul on a foggy day. (iStock Photo) Here is the ultimate […]
Keeping Turkey’s forces occupied aboard has a number of advantages for Erdogan
Moving forces into northern Iraq is the president’s third major military incursion against the Kurds since 2016 Ahmed Aboudouh @AAboudouh Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and army commanders follow the operation in northern Iraq at Air Force Command Control Center in Ankara ( Turkish Ministry of Defense Pres ) The Independent employs reporters around the […]
Burkini ban brings fine to condo administration in Turkey
BY DAILY SABAH WITH AA The state-run Turkish Human Rights and Equality Agency (TIHEK) slapped a TL 5,000 ($729) fine on the administration of a condominium that banned women from […]
Power struggle in East Med and Turkey’s position
BY BURHANETTIN DURAN COLUMNS JUN 17, 2020 12:05 AM GMT+3 Turkey’s drilling vessel, Fatih, sails through the Bosporus as it leaves for the Black Sea, Istanbul, Turkey, May 29, 2020. (Reuters […]
How the Battle of Gallipoli was hijacked by religion
Angels, Muslim saints, and soldiers disappearing into fluffy white clouds. The tour guides are rewriting history and the secularists are none too happy, Robert Fisk reports @indyvoices 11 hours ago […]
Armenian Patriarch calls for Hagia Sophia to become place of worship
SOURCE: DAILY SABAH The Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, Patrik Sahak II, has joined the discussion over the potential re-transformation of the Hagia Sofia into a mosque, voicing his support for […]
Greece misuses Ottoman monuments in major blow to cultural heritage
by DAILY SABAH WITH AA ISTANBUL Politics Jun 11, 2020 Sultan Hortac Mosque, Thessaloniki, Greece. (DHA Photo) Ottoman monuments in Greece are being misused in a major blow to the […]
It is clear how similar Trump and Erdogan are – they are both damaging the unity of their nations
Source: Independent By Sebnem Arsu; Istanbul @sebnemarsu The two men are both looking to protect their strongman image – and clearly share similar ideas about how to deal with protests For […]
Swiss court blocks extradition of alleged PKK functionary to Germany
Jun 4, 2020 – 11:13 The Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona ruled that German authorities had not made enough of a case against the man, who belongs to a group […]
Remains of ‘Lady in the Well’ in Turkey reveal Asia to Med migration began 4,000 years ago
by REUTERS WASHINGTON History Jun 02, 2020 West Asia, which includes Anatolia, the Northern Levant and the Southern Caucasus, is seen in this partial map. The orange marker shows the […]
Istanbul: Reclamation works in Hagia Sophia Fatih Madrasah reach final stage
SOURCE: DAILY SABAH In Madrasah of Hagia Sophia, where Sultan Mehmed II performed the first Friday prayer after the conquest of Istanbul, which opened the doors of a new era, […]
Rise of the civilization state in post-nation-state Middle East
by Rabee Al-Hafidh Op-Ed May 29, 2020 During the COVID-19 crisis, Turkey was able to climb to new international heights in health and wellbeing as Turkey is now a source […]
What Turkey has in store for the UAE
by Yahya Bostan Columns May 27, 2020 Had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic, Turkey would be focused on the situation in Libya, where some very important developments […]
‘I miss my homeland’: fearful Uighurs celebrate Eid in exile in Turkey
Istanbul has become world’s largest diaspora hub for Uighurs fleeing Chinese persecution Bethan McKernan in Istanbul Sun 24 May 2020 Uighur childen attend a Uighur-language school in Istanbul. The […]
Turkey announces nationwide curfew during Eid al-Fitr holidays
From CNN’s Gul Tuysuz Turkey will be under a nationwide four-day curfew for the Eid al-Fitr holiday between May 23-26 as a part of pandemic measures, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan […]