Once-staunch ally turns on Erdogan in Turkish corruption probe
More than 50 people were detained in Turkey, many with government ties, in a corruption probe that could destabilize Prime Minister Erdogan’s power base.
Alexander Christie-Miller
Is Turkey helping international jihadis head to Syria?
The US and European governments worry that Turkey is turning a blind eye to jihadis from their soil seeking to fight in Syria, and fear the consequences when these blooded fighters return home.
Jihadi groups ‘devour’ Syria’s revolutionary children
The influx of brutal foreign fighters into Syria’s war has intensified infighting within the opposition, forcing activists out of the fight entirely.
Emboldened by victory over jihadis, Syrian Kurds push toward autonomy
Syrian Kurds have triumphed in battle over powerful rebel Al Qaeda affiliates. This week, they announced an autonomous government in Syria’s Kurdish region.
In eastern Turkey, a rare renaissance for Middle East Christians
Ethnic cleansing and forced migration drove Assyrian Christians out of eastern Turkey decades ago, but Prime Minister Erdogan’s policies have drawn a number of them home.
Is Erdogan punishing a Turkish business empire for helping protesters?
Turkey’s Koc Holding has been investigated repeatedly since helping antigovernment protesters this summer. Will that chill investment?
Turkish government hunkers down as world spotlight fades
The wedding celebration of two protesters in Gezi Park was violently broken up by police this weekend – a reminder that neither the protest nor backlash are ebbing.
Turkish pianist’s Twitter barbs land him conviction for insulting Islam
Fazil Say’s case highlights a curtailing of free expression in Turkey that has also put 49 journalists in prison. He was convicted of insulting Islam in a series of mocking tweets.
From Turkish jail, Kurdish guerrilla leader offers to lay down arms
After three decades of war, Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan has proposed a cease-fire agreement to jumpstart steps toward limited self-governance.
Istanbul residents rally around their beloved stray dogs
As part of Istanbul’s modernization push, the government wants to kick its dogs off the streets and into parks. Some city residents are howling.
Turkish villagers thrust into center of Syria-Turkey tensions
Residents of the Turkish border town of Akçakale buried their dead and blamed their government in Ankara for not acting sooner to stop Syrian shelling.
Turks turn to Twitter as Erdogan muzzles traditional media
With journalistic freedom diminishing in Turkey, Twitter has emerged as a powerful work-around for independent reporters.
Turkey’s culture wars heat up after PM equates abortion with murder
Thousands of women have protested across the country since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month denounced abortion as “murder.”
Turkey takes lead in rebuilding Somalia
When delegates from 57 nations gathered in Istanbul last week to discuss bringing peace and stability to Somalia, one country’s efforts got special attention: Turkey.