Turkish Forum

Category: Europe

  • In Bosnia, Turkey brings back a gentle version of the empire

    In Bosnia, Turkey brings back a gentle version of the empire

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    View Photo Gallery — A gentler Ottoman empire: Two Turkish-run universities have opened in Sarajevo, Bosnia’s Ottoman-influenced capital city in recent years, bringing an influx of Turkish students and culture to a predominantly Muslim country still reeling from a brutal ethnic war almost two decades ago.

    By Michael Birnbaum

    SARAJEVO, BOSNIA — Turkey conquered the Balkans five centuries ago. Now Turkish power is making inroads through friendlier means.

    Two Turkish-run universities have opened in Bosnia’s Ottoman-influenced capital in recent years, bringing an influx of Turkish students and culture to a predominantly Muslim country still reeling from a brutal ethnic war almost two decades ago.

    With two universities in Sarajevo and investments in the region, Turkey’s influence grows in the Balkans.

    Turkish investment has expanded across the Balkans, even in Croatia and Serbia, where mostly Christian residents think of the sultans from Constantinople as occupiers, not liberators. Turkey also has helped broker talks between formerly bitter enemies in the Balkans. This growing presence has given Turkey an expanding field of influence in Europe at a time when the country’s prospects of joining the European Union appear dubious.

    “Turkish leaders are working at a new Ottoman empire, a gentle one,” said Amir Zukic, the bureau chief of the Turkish Anadolu news agency’s Sarajevo office, which has expanded in recent months. “Turkey, a former regional power, is trying to come back in a big way.”

    Turkey’s presence in Bosnia was largely dormant during the more than 40 years that the Balkan country was part of communist Yugoslavia, which was not receptive to Turkish religious and historical influences. But during the mid-1990s, as Yugoslavia fell apart, Turkish aid started flowing to the Muslims who make up about half of Bosnia. Since then, Turkish funding has helped reconstruct Ottoman-era monuments that were targets of ethnically motivated destruction.

    Now Turkey’s cultural influence is hard to miss. Turkish dignitaries are frequent visitors to Sarajevo. A grand new Turkish embassy is being built near “sniper alley,” a corridor where, during the three-year siege of the capital city in the war, Bosnian Muslims struggling to go about their daily business were frequently shot at by Serbian snipers stationed on nearby hills. Billboards advertise round-trip flights to Istanbul for the equivalent of $74. And this year, a baroque soap opera based on the life of Suleiman the Magnificent, a 16th-century ruler of the Ottoman Empire, has mesmerized couch potatoes amid Bosnia’s dreary winter.

    Student exchange

    The biggest outposts in Bosnia have been the two Turkish-backed universities, which have mostly Turkish students.

    At the International University of Sarajevo, students who enter the main door of the sunny building that opened two years ago have to pass under the watchful eye of Sultan Meh­med the Conqueror, the Ottoman ruler who introduced Islam to Bosnia in 1463. The private university is backed by Turkish businessmen who are close to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political party. The school started in 2004 and has grown to 1,500 students. It is shooting for 5,000, the capacity of its new building.

    Classes are held in English, and there is a Western curriculum heavy on practical subjects such as business and engineering. But both Turkish and Bosnian students say that part of the attraction of the school is the cultural exchange that takes place. Each cohort has to learn the other’s language.

    via In Bosnia, Turkey brings back a gentle version of the empire – The Washington Post.

    More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/in-bosnia-turkey-brings-back-a-gentle-version-of-the-empire/2013/03/24/23cf05f8-84e2-11e2-98a3-b3db6b9ac586_story.html

  • Russia, Iran, Turkey, And The Caucasus

    Russia, Iran, Turkey, And The Caucasus

    March 22, 2013 – 1:44pm, by Joshua Kucera 

  • Tourism and Turkish Culture Office UK is the Co-planner of the Istanbul INN London

    Tourism and Turkish Culture Office UK is the Co-planner of the Istanbul INN London

    BY MATTIN TOURISM — 23 MAR, 2013

    The Istanbul INN London is going to the very first event of its kind and the Tourism and Turkish Culture Office UK is the partner for the planning. The event will be held from the 12th of April to the 15th and it is going to exclusively focus on the cultural Istanbul capital, Turkey.

    Running for 4 days, INN London is going to reveal some of the factors that make Istanbul stand out from the architecture to the contemporary art, food, fashion, drink and the cultural life of the people. the unique cultural and lifestyle experience is set to bring together some of the leading designers, architects, fashion designers, shops, galleries and Chef Silvena Rowe who is going to be the celebrity guest. The programme will include some cultural events and talks, Turkey travel information and the opportunity for those in attendance to buy Turkish products.

    Istanbul INN London is ideal for all prospective travelers and especially those interested in learning what’s new in Istanbul. It is also perfect for people interested in setting up business links. INN is also set to go on tour due to events planned in the Far East, the Americas and Middle East. Some of the exhibitors expected to attend the event include Merkur, Pi Artworks, Merkur, artSumer, Sanatorium, Cda projects, Dirimart and Elipsis. Architects will also be expected to grace the event and they will include Superpool and Emre Arolat Architects while fashion houses are going to include interior designers such as Merve Kahraman and Iksel and Vakko.

    Tolga Tyuluoglu, Tourism and Turkish Culture Office UK director said that INN is one of the most exciting projects they have undertaking and it resonates with their objectives aimed at transforming and promoting the tourist and cultural attractions of Istanbul to a wider audience in the UK and London. Already, they have directed too much research into the INN project and it is clear that they are trying to stay true towards safeguarding the interests of Istanbul. .

    via Tourism and Turkish Culture Office UK is the Co-planner of the Istanbul INN London | Holidays Press.

  • Turkey Arrests Extremist Wanted by Germany

    Turkey Arrests Extremist Wanted by Germany

    By DAVID RISING Associated Press

    BERLIN March 22, 2013 (AP)

    An Islamic extremist wanted by Germany for allegedly calling for terrorist attacks on Europe has been arrested in Turkey and Berlin is negotiating his extradition, an official said Friday.

    Austrian-born Mohamed Mahmoud, 27, was picked up Tuesday in the southeastern province of Hatay near the Syrian border, a German security official with knowledge of the talks said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. He said Germany has already begun preliminary proceedings to have Mahmoud extradited.

    “We are very confident we will get him to Germany,” he said.

    Nina Bussek, a spokeswoman for the Vienna public prosecutor’s office, said Austria was also seeking Mahmoud’s extradition on “suspicion of forming a terrorist organization.”

    Mahmoud was jailed Austria in 2007 for being a leader of the Global Islamic Media Front, which creates and distributes terrorist propaganda videos. Among the accusations, police said he threatened both Austria and Germany with attacks if they did not withdraw military personnel from Afghanistan.

    Following his release in 2011, Mahmoud moved to Germany and became an imam with the ultraconservative Salafi movement, which has been growing rapidly in the country by attracting both Muslims and converts. They have been under close observation since 2010, and that was stepped up further last year after they clashed with police in Bonn last year at a rally of a far-right party.

    His group, Millatu Ibrahim, was banned last June. Officials at the time said it taught followers to reject German law and follow Islamic Shariah law and that “the unbelievers are the enemy.” Mahmoud, who had already been expelled from Germany ahead of the ban, resurfaced in Egypt — where his father is from — and called on his followers to join him. German security officials say dozens of “jihad travelers” responded, traveling to Egypt and then going on to fight elsewhere — largely in Mali, Syria and Yemen.

    While in Egypt, Mahmoud is also alleged to have produced online German-language videos for the Global Islamic Media Front calling for terrorist attacks in Europe.

    It was not immediately clear when he left Egypt or whether he was on his way to Syria when he was arrested in Turkey.

    Police officials in Ankara and Hatay province said they did not have any information on the arrest.

    —————

    Suzan Fraser in Ankara and George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this story.

    via Turkey Arrests Extremist Wanted by Germany – ABC News.

  • The EU’s non-negotiations with Turkey

    The EU’s non-negotiations with Turkey

    The EU’s negotiations, or rather non-negotiations with Turkey, turned out to be tricks, jeopardising the EU’s reputation and respectability. What the Germans and others don’t seem to realise is that they expect more from Turkey than they do from themselves, writes Dr. Petra Erler.

    Dr. Petra Erler is managing director of the European Experience Company GmbH in Potsdam and served as Head of Cabinet of the former EU Commissioner Günter Verheugen in Brussels.

    This article was translated from German.

    “In the enlargement negotiations, Chapter 19 on social policy deals with all questions regarding the adoption of EU law by applicant countries in this area, ensuring that future member states fully comply with Community law.

    For several years now, the progress of negotiations has clearly depended on applicant countries having to meet so-called opening benchmarks, in other words specific requirements formulated by the EU.

    Anyone wishing to delay the negotiations or set the bar extremely high has to get creative with regard to these opening benchmarks, as in the case of Turkey and Chapter 19.

    Unlike other chapters, this chapter is not being blocked for political reasons. Opening this chapter would thus send a strong signal of the willingness of both sides to advance Turkey’s accession process. However, it is precisely this willingness which seems to be lacking.

    Trade union rights

    In chapter 19, the EU requires Turkey to comply with ‘EU standards’ as well as conventions no. 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) before accession talks can begin. These conventions include important trade union rights concerning, inter alia, the right to organise and the right to strike.

    At first glance, one is tempted to genuinely thank the Commission and the member states leading the negotiations for addressing this important issue and thus also influencing the situation in Turkey for the better. After all, only a minority of Turkish workers are organised in trade unions.

    On second look, however, one begins to wonder what exactly is meant by “EU standards”. A closer look at the Commission’s screening report on Turkey shows that this actually refers to articles 5 and 6 of the European Social Charter, which have not yet been ratified by Turkey.

    Sobering comparison with EU member states

    Anyone who concludes from this that all EU members have ratified the articles mentioned would be mistaken. Spain and Germany have issued statements on this. Four other member states have not made commitments to all sections of these articles.

    There’s also the issue of the revised European Social Charter which was implemented in Turkish national law in 2007. Although this revised Charter has long been signed by ten EU member states including Germany, it has not yet been ratified, let alone implemented.

    With regard to the ILO conventions, it could be argued that once a state has entered into international obligations it must fully comply with these obligations. One has to agree with that, and the ILO has indeed criticised Turkey for the poor implementation of the conventions mentioned above.

    ILO criticises right to strike in Germany

    However, the ILO has expressed serious criticism as to the German understanding of who is allowed to strike and who is not. So what are the factors that define an EU standard? Moreover, why is this addressed under the section “adoption of the acquis” rather than in the part covering the political criteria? And why is the full implementation of these important rights considered the basis of the negotiations rather than the result?

    Don’t the Germans and others realise that they demand more from Turkey than they do from themselves? Or is simply that no one bothered to address the issue, relying blindly on the Commission, which is probably more than willing to consider the enforcement of international treaties as Community law. Did all this happen on purpose? Was it designed as a provocation?

    As it happens, Turkey did not complain and complied with the EU requirements. The legislative provisions were critically revised and updated in 2012 by the social partners. By consensus.

    And once again Brussels is not satisfied.

    It is a lesson for all those obliged to conduct negotiations they do not wish to have or doing so without paying attention. No one seems to care that such tricks jeopardise the EU’s reputation and respectability.

    via The EU’s non-negotiations with Turkey | EurActiv.

  • Belgium or Iran, Where’s The Nuclear Threat? Europe’s Five “Undeclared Nuclear Weapons States”

    Belgium or Iran, Where’s The Nuclear Threat? Europe’s Five “Undeclared Nuclear Weapons States”

    Are Turkey, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy Nuclear Powers?

    By Prof Michel Chossudovsky
    Region: Europe
    Theme: Militarization and WMD, US NATO War Agenda
    In-depth Report: Nuclear War
    [This article was originally published by Global Research  in February 2010 under the title: Europe’s Five “Undeclared Nuclear Weapons States” ]

    According to a recent report, former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson confirmed that Turkey possesses 40-90 “Made in America” nuclear weapons at the Incirlik military base.(en.trend.az/)

    Does this mean that Turkey is a nuclear power?

    “Far from making Europe safer, and far from producing a less nuclear dependent Europe, [the policy] may well end up bringing more nuclear weapons into the European continent, and frustrating some of the attempts that are being made to get multilateral nuclear disarmament,”     (Former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson quoted in Global Security, February 10, 2010)

    “‘Is Italy capable of delivering a thermonuclear strike?…

    Could the Belgians and the Dutch drop hydrogen bombs on enemy targets?…

    Germany’s air force couldn’t possibly be training to deliver bombs 13 times more powerful than the one that destroyed Hiroshima, could it?…

    Nuclear bombs are stored on air-force bases in Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands — and planes from each of those countries are capable of delivering them.” (“What to Do About Europe’s Secret Nukes.”Time Magazine, December 2, 2009)

    The “Official” Nuclear Weapons States

    Five countries, the US, UK, France, China and Russia are considered to be “nuclear weapons states” (NWS), “an internationally recognized status conferred by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)”. Three other “Non NPT countries” (i.e. non-signatory states of the NPT) including India, Pakistan and North Korea, have recognized possessing nuclear weapons.

    Israel: “Undeclared Nuclear State”

    Israel is identified as an “undeclared nuclear state”. It produces and deploys nuclear warheads directed against military and civilian targets in the Middle East including Tehran.

    Iran

    There has been much hype, supported by scanty evidence, that Iran might at some future date become a nuclear weapons state. And, therefore, a pre-emptive defensive nuclear attack on Iran to annihilate its non-existent nuclear weapons program should be seriously contemplated “to make the World a safer place”. The mainstream media abounds with makeshift opinion on the Iran nuclear threat.

    But what about the five European “undeclared nuclear states” including Belgium, Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands and Italy. Do they constitute a threat?

    Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy and Turkey: ”Undeclared Nuclear Weapons States”

    While Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities are unconfirmed, the nuclear weapons capabilities of these five countries including delivery procedures are formally acknowledged.

    The US has supplied some 480 B61 thermonuclear bombs to five so-called “non-nuclear states”, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. Casually disregarded by the Vienna based UN Nuclear Watchdog (IAEA), the US has actively contributed to the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Western Europe.

    As part of this European stockpiling, Turkey, which is a partner of the US-led coalition against Iran along with Israel, possesses some 90 thermonuclear B61 bunker buster bombs at the Incirlik nuclear air base. (National Resources Defense Council, Nuclear Weapons in Europe , February 2005)

    By the recognised definition, these five countries are “undeclared nuclear weapons states”.

    The stockpiling and deployment of tactical B61 in these five “non-nuclear states” are intended for targets in the Middle East. Moreover, in accordance with  “NATO strike plans”, these thermonuclear B61 bunker buster bombs (stockpiled by the “non-nuclear States”) could be launched  “against targets in Russia or countries in the Middle East such as Syria and Iran” ( quoted in National Resources Defense Council, Nuclear Weapons in Europe , February 2005)

    Does this mean that Iran or Russia, which are potential targets of a nuclear attack originating from one or other of these five so-called non-nuclear states should contemplate defensive preemptive nuclear attacks against Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey? The answer is no, by any stretch  of the imagination.

    While these “undeclared nuclear states” casually accuse Tehran of developing nuclear weapons, without documentary evidence, they themselves have capabilities of delivering nuclear warheads, which are targeted at Iran.  To say that this is a clear case of “double standards” by the IAEA and the “international community” is a understatement.

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    Those estimates were based on private and public statements by a number of government sources and assumptions about the weapon storage capacity at each base

    The stockpiled weapons are B61 thermonuclear bombs.  All the weapons are gravity bombs of the B61-3, -4, and -10 types.2 .

    .(National Resources Defense Council, Nuclear Weapons in Europe , February 2005)

    Germany: Nuclear Weapons Producer

    Among the five “undeclared nuclear states”, “Germany remains the most heavily nuclearized country with three nuclear bases (two of which are fully operational) and may store as many as 150 [B61 bunker buster ] bombs” (Ibid). In accordance with “NATO strike plans” (mentioned above) these tactical nuclear weapons are also targeted at the Middle East.

    While Germany is not categorized officially as a nuclear power, it produces nuclear warheads for the French Navy. It stockpiles nuclear warheads (made in America) and it has the capabilities of delivering nuclear weapons. Moreover,  The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company – EADS , a Franco-German-Spanish  joint venture, controlled by Deutsche Aerospace and the powerful Daimler Group is Europe’s second largest military producer, supplying .France’s M51 nuclear missile.

    Germany imports and deploys nuclear weapons from the US. It also produces nuclear warheads which are exported to France. Yet it is classified as a non-nuclear state.