Tag: Ankara

Al Qaeda planned to bomb churches in Turkey’s capital

Compass Direct News reports that 11 Al Qaeda militants planned to destroy all churches in Turkey’s second largest city. An article in the daily Taraf newspaper says a home-grown terrorist cell allegedly made plans to attack churches and Christian clergy.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office investigated various documents and CDs that contained revised jihadist plans. The new jihad plan was allegedly to focus attacks in Turkey before moving on to other countries including the United States.

Among the plans and sketches seized earlier this year was a list of Christian workers living in Ankara. Christian leaders in the area were shocked when they heard.

“No one has had any news about this until now,” said one Christian worker.

The Taraf reports that some of the militants were tracked for as long as six months. Along with detailed maps, assault rifles, and ammunition, over 1,500 pounds of explosives were seized over the course of the investigation.

Members of the terrorist group were instructed by Al Qaeda not to enrol in Turkey’s military, send their children to public schools, or recognize the authority of Turkish courts. There were also guidelines for what to do if arrested.

For more information, read Compass’ article here. For more information on the trials Christians face in Turkey, click here.

via The Voice of the Martyrs Canada: Al Qaeda planned to bomb churches in Turkey’s capital.

January 8, 2012
Blast Shakes Turkish Capital

By MARC CHAMPION And JOE PARKINSON

[turkey0920] European Pressphoto Agency

Turkish firemen and police officers searched the area after a blast in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday.

ISTANBUL—A suspected car bomb that killed three people and injured 34 in the center of Turkey’s capital, Ankara, on Tuesday was a terrorist attack, the city’s chief prosecutor said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the apparent bombing. However, suspicions are likely to fall on ethnic Kurdish militants who in recent weeks have come under heavy pressure from the Turkish military.

“This is considered a terrorist action because it has been done in a very public and crowded place, intended to cause great loss of life and property,” the prosecutor’s statement said.

Blast Shakes Ankara

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Reuters

Flames engulfed a street in the capital after the explosion.

More photos and interactive graphics

There were conflicting reports about the nature of the bomb. The prosecutor’s statement said the explosion, which occurred midmorning, was caused by a fragment bomb in a car. Other officials cited witnesses who said they saw a burning gas canister fall from a window onto a liquid propane gas-fueled car, triggering the explosion.

Speaking in New York while attending a session of the United Nations General Assembly, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there was as yet no proof that the explosion was a terrorist strike, the semi-official Anadolu news agency reported.

Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said the car at the center of the investigation had been bought on Sept. 13 and paid for, but not yet re-registered.

Television footage of the tree-lined street in central Ankara where the explosion took place showed cars ablaze and the windows of several nearby buildings shattered. Mr. Sahin said other cars exploded after catching fire because they too were LPG-fueled.

After the blast, a pall of smoke rose from Kumrular Avenue in the capital’s Cankaya neighborhood, a part of town where many municipal offices and the presidential palace are located.

Mr. Sahin said nobody in the street was killed by the explosion, but that three people in the surrounding buildings were killed. It wasn’t immediately clear how they died. Five of the wounded were in serious condition, Mr. Sahin said.

Turkey is engaged in a major military campaign against the Kurdish Workers’ Party, or PKK, a militant Kurdish group that has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984. Turkish aircraft have been bombing the PKK’s base in the mountains of northern Iraq since August. Turkish newspapers have been filled with speculation about a possible land assault to follow.

At the same time, Iran has been conducting a major land campaign against the PKK’s Iranian-Kurdish wing, known as PJAK, since July. Mr. Erdogan told reporters last week that Turkey may cooperate with Iran against the PKK and that he would talk to the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in the margins of the U.N. meeting.

On Monday, the PKK’s wider Kurdish Freedom Movement issued a statement accusing the Turkish state of moving to a policy of “annihilation” against it and ethnic Kurds in general. An estimated 18% of Turkey’s population are ethnic Kurds and many are agitating for greater cultural and political rights, although by no means all support the PKK.

“The Kurdish Freedom Movement and Kurdish people therefore have entered this period with a high degree of decisiveness to defend itself and to resist at all levels,” the statement said.

The PKK at times has carried out terrorist campaigns against civilians, but in recent years it has focused mainly on police and military personnel. At the same time, however, a PKK splinter group calling themselves the Kurdish Freedom Falcons have threatened to attack civilians.

Analysts critical of the government’s military campaign in northern Iraq say it may fail to eradicate the PKK, as previous efforts have failed, while encouraging PKK supporters to take the fight to the streets of Turkey’s cities and tourist resorts. Some 30 million tourists now visit Turkey each year, according to the government, representing a major source of income.

Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Kurds live in Turkish cities such as Istanbul and Ankara, many of them displaced by scorched-earth tactics the military used against the PKK in eastern Turkey during the 1990s.

Write to Marc Champion at marc.champion@wsj.com and Joe Parkinson at joe.parkinson@dowjones.com

via Blast Shakes Turkish Capital – WSJ.com.

September 21, 2011
A Scientific Breakthrough By an ATAA Member

Dear Readers,

Today is truly a “Happy Republic Day!” for all of us, Turks, Turkish-Americans, and Turkic people around the world, indeed…

I have been involved in a momentous development in California in the last 48 hours and I can hardly contain my excitement.

A Turkish-American Professor, a long time personal friend of mine, finally made the ground breaking announcement of invention and other fruits of his multi-year research, after securing his patent, of course, in an email to me yesterday. He wanted me to break the news to the world which I shall do, to the best of my ability. I am hoping that each and every one of you, will do the best you can do to make this unique success story known to the world, while taking credit for the half a million members of the Turkish American community. I am in the process of preparing press releases in four languages and other languages will follow.

Now, a few words about the inventor and his invention…

HOW MOMENTOUS IS THIS INVENTION?

As the scientific community knows well, the issue of gravity is far from settled. It may be, though, after Prof Hasan Sehitoglu’s invention.

Think about THE THEORY OF GRAVITY finally explained completely, removing the heretofore unanswered questions and doubts, through sound experimentation and advanced mathematical modeling.

Better yet, think about the timeline: Isaac Newton —> Albert Einstein —> Prof. Hasan Sehitoglu.

Prof Hasan Sehitoglu has B.S. degree from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey; M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is an expert on matrix-valued dynamic systems and their control and served as an engineering faculty member at several universities including Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge and California State University-Fullerton.

ANOMALIES UNEXPLAINED BY THE CURRENT THEORY OF GRAVITY

Many people may be surprised to hear that the current theories of gravity are far from explaining a growing number of astronomical anomalies and problems that neither Newton’s theory nor Einstein’s General Relativity are able to properly address.

Consider the facts, for example, that…

1- … General Relativity is incompatible with Quantum Mechanics. In other words, Einstein’s theory cannot “quantize” the gravitational field;

2- … General Relativity is unphysical;

3- … there is no universal law for conservation of energy & momentum in General Relativity;

4- … the kind of black holes and gravitational waves predicted by General Relativity have never been observed;

5- … General Relativity cannot even explain an astrophysical system with more than 2 bodies;

6- … there has never been a rational treatment of the Solar System as a unit;

7- … rotation curves of spiral galaxies show flat or increasing velocity distribution;

8- … gigantic clusters of galaxies, called Great Walls, show river-like flow patterns;

9- … formation of these Great Walls would take many billion years more than 13.7 billion years of finite Universal life predicted by the cosmology of General Relativity;

10- … there is a secular increase in the Astronomic Unit. The increase is 15 cm/year.

11- … Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft experience anomalous deceleration.

12- … others.

THE SEHITOGLU GRAVITY THEORY SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLAINS ALL OF THOSE ANOMALIES

Now let’s see how THE SEHITOGLU THEORY is both physically and mathematically correct in addressing the discrepancies listed above:

a) The Sehitoglu Theory is compatible with Quantum Mechanics. Finally, the gravitational field is “quantized”;

b) The Sehitoglu Theory starts with the principal of conservation of energy & momentum and uses this principal whenever possible;

c) The Sehitoglu Theory is compatible with the Theory of Special Relativity;

d) The Sehitoglu Theory is a covariant field theory.

e) The Sehitoglu Theory is independent of the coordinate system employed.

f) The Sehitoglu Theory passes all the experimental tests of gravity.

g) The Sehitoglu Theory answers and solves many challenging questions and problems. For example, it explains

– the origin of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation and why CMBR is isotropic.
– the motion of the Sun and the planets as a dynamic system of N bodies.
– why the rotation curves of spiral galaxies are flat or rising.
– the origin of the gravitational red-shift
– gravitons and the wave/particle duality of gravitational energy.
– why a magnetic charge does not exist in the Nature.

(For more details, please visit the Sehitoglu Theory website at: )

THE THEORY OF GRAVITY

The laws of physics are mathematical equations put together to explain experimentally observed facts. History teaches us that, as technological breakthroughs increase and theoretical advances broaden our knowledge base, there comes a time period during which the best theories fail to explain the most recent observations. New questions, unsolved problems and anomalies begin to accumulate. Since it is impossible to explain and solve the growing number of questions and problems within the original framework of the established theories, some scientists resort to inventions and speculations. Have we reached such an inflection point in our quest for understanding the physical phenomenon called gravity? The answer is a definite “Yes”.

For an explanation as to why there is a need for a correct theory of gravity, please see the PROLOG section of The Sehitoglu website . This section also reviews the criteria for a viable theory of gravity, the elements of which were developed by the late Prof. R. H. Dicke and Prof. C.M. Will. The review is necessary to screen non-scientific or metaphysical theories. Sehitoglu also expresses his respect and appreciation to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein for their incredible accomplishments.

MATRIX-VALUED MATHEMATICS

Although the concept of matrix has an important place in mathematics, science, and engineering, the use of matrices has not been as penetrating as the use of vectors. For example, while we have an extensive catalog of vector-valued ideas and methods such as vector-valued calculus and vector-valued geometry, we don’t see much coverage in the literature concerning matrix-valued calculus and matrix-valued geometry.

The main advantage of using vectors is the fact that vectors enable us to express mathematical and physical relationships in a concise manner. However, for many purposes, the concept of a vector is extremely limited in scope. For example, the solution of equations usually leads to the operation of division, an operation which is not unique in the case of vectors. The matrix-valued algebra and calculus provide the necessary generalizations. The concept of a matrix also brings the advantage of a concise notation. More importantly, the matrix-valued platform allows us to formulate ideas and relationships in such a way that there is relatively easy transition from a given coordinate system to another. There are pages in the website devoted to the foundations of a matrix-valued mathematics.

MATRIX-VALUED SCIENCE

The universal laws must be identical for all observers. This requires that the scientific laws describing Nature must be independent of arbitrary choices of coordinates or reference frames. For example, although we can employ Cartesian or spherical coordinates to describe the inputs (e.g. forces) and outputs (e.g. position and velocity) of a system, the ensuing motion of the system in itself does not depend upon which of these coordinate frames we choose to work within. In other words, the “form” of the universal laws must be invariant under arbitrary differentiable coordinate transformations.

Furthermore, a coordinate free formulation of the universal laws must be such that this formulation is the simplest and the most transparent one available to us. In short, the formulation must be powerful and elegant.

Matrices can be utilized to quantify sets of physical variables. Since transformation rules for matrices undergoing a change of coordinates have been well researched and understood, we can express the universal laws in terms of matrix-valued entities without any explicit choice of a coordinate system. It appears that matrix-valued laws have three main advantages over tensor formalism:

1- Matrix-valued equations are component free, hence they are elegant.

2-Software based computational tools for matrix-valued equations are well established and easy to use. Therefore, they are powerful.

3-Matrix-valued equations can be given geometric interpretation (both Euclidean and Riemannian). This is an important tool because it helps us to visualize higher-order multi-variable systems.

MATRIX-VALUED ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

The Sehitoglu website , in its Engineering & Technology pages, demonstrate how the matrix-valued methods and algorithms can be utilized to create new and innovative hardware and software systems.

For example, it has been about 200 years since J.B.J. Fourier invented his method that transforms data from time domain to frequency domain and vice versa. However, since that time, his method has been confined to the narrow domain of scalar functions. The documents on the first page of the The Sehitoglu website , “MIMO Signal Processing”, disclose algorithms that generalize the Fourier Transform to the matrix domain.

The matrix-valued Fourier Transform has numerous engineering applications. See, for example, The Sehitoglu website “4G Wireless & Beyond” page where Sehitoglu demonstrates a matrix-valued OFDM technology for the 4th generation wireless communications systems .

The Sehitoglu website show that a matrix-OFDM system can easily achieve a multi-Gigabit data rate in UNII band under 6GHz, which is unattainable with the existing technology.

See The Sehitoglu website for a table showing some of the relationships between Sehitoglu methods and algorithms and the various scientific, engineering, and business application areas. The commercialization of the Sehitoglu advanced technologies is an on-going process.

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR SIDES TO THE SEHITOGLU DISCOVERY

First, it presents a modern-day account of matrix analysis and calculus geared towards to the needs of scientists, engineers, and applied mathematicians. In this regard, the Sehitoglu site
describes new matrix-valued methods and algorithms.

Second, it shows how these matrix-valued concepts can be applied to create innovative technologies and next-generation systems that were not possible before.

HAPPY (TURKISH) REPUBLIC DAY!

The Sehitoglu Theory is a Gravity Theory that scientifically explains the heretofore unexplained realities and anomalies observed in space.

Inventor dedicates his timeless discovery to Ataturk, the entire Turkish Nation, and the Turkish-Americans community.

Happy Republic Day to all !

***

Please Note: All references above were quoted with permission from Prof. Hasan Şehitoğlu.

October 29, 2010
Iran drops Russia for Turkey

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Meir Javedanfar: As Ayatollah Khamenei sidles up to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he could learn from Turkey’s leader about balancing his alliances

The famous Chinese strategist, Sun Tzu, wrote in his book, The Art of War: “If an enemy has alliances, the problem is grave and the enemy’s position strong; if he has no alliances, the problem is minor and the enemy’s position weak.”

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is currently witnessing how the US, which he sees as the enemy for his nuclear ambitions, is working hard on building alliances, including with Russia. Khamenei is not happy.

So much so that Iran recently cancelled a deal with Russia to launch its communication satellite, and turned to Italy instead. This is in addition to recent complaints from Tehran regarding delays from Russia in the delivery of the S-300 anti-aircraft system. Until recently, Tehran kept its complaints away from the cameras and behind closed doors. But now that Khamenei sees the Russians as disloyal, his regime is not shy about airing its criticism publicly.

The Iranian government has decided to take the initiative and to look for a new partner to replace the Russians. Judging by the recent flurry of visits between Tehran and Ankara, it seems that Khamenei has found a willing partner in Turkey.

Unlike Russia, Turkey does not have a veto in the UN security council. However, its stock in the Middle East and the Islamic world is certainly rising. Its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is being seen more and more as a credible defender of Islamic and Arab issues. Many people on the Arab street respect his leadership, as he was elected in a genuinely democratic elections. The same can not be said about Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, or King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who received their posts undemocratically.

Erdogan’s relations with the US and the EU also count in his favour. Although he has recently been getting closer to his Muslim and Arab regional neighbours, he has not severed his ties with the west, but is masterfully playing both sides. His relations with the US are also not based on Turkey’s weaknesses. On one occasion, he resisted US pressure and even walked away from a promise of $6bn in grants and $20bn loan guarantees, because he did not find the agreement suitable. And his verbal attacks on Israel after the recent Gaza war have certainly helped his image in the region.

Now that Khamenei has turned down Barack Obama’s nuclear offer, he feels that the prospect of sanctions is greater. Therefore, he needs a change of strategy to deal with the expected difficult time ahead. One strategy is to turn his struggle against Obama into a new west v Islam confrontation. Judging by the recent international TV debate in Qatar, where Iran’s nuclear programme was discussed in front of a select audience from the Middle East, there certainly is sympathy for his position. As far as many people in the region are concerned, Iran’s nuclear programme is the only way to counter Israel’s superior balance of power. Therefore this is a viable strategy. And Erdogan’s rising popularity in the region, and Tehran’s improving relations with his administration, will be a feasible way for Khamenei to improve his own position during the difficult times ahead. The absence of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace track will also help him.

However, the Iranian supreme leader should be careful about how he approaches his relations with Turkey and the price he is willing to pay for it, both at home and abroad. According to the Iranian news website Khabar online, the Ahmadinejad government concluded a secret gas agreement with Turkey in late October, without informing parliament. After the news was recently leaked to the press, parliament launched a full investigation. There are now discussions about cancelling the whole deal if, as the members of parliament say, it is found to be against the country’s interests. Many people suspect that Khamenei offered the deal in unfavourably good conditions to Ankara, as a means of buying its loyalty. Judging by its results it seems to have worked. However, the domestic backlash could damage the legitimacy of his regime even further.

There is also the issue of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Turkey can not complete it. Only Russia can. Khamenei turning his back on Moscow could be even more detrimental to this important and expensive project. Perhaps Khamenei could learn from the Turks, and instead of constantly changing one ally for another learn to balance his alliances.

UTV

November 17, 2009