Greek-Turkish Border: The Killing of Muhammad Gulzar
#International #Europe #EuropeanUnion #Turkey #AsylumandMigration

On March 4, Pakistan national Muhammad Gulzar was shot and killed at the Greek-Turkish border․ Evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the bullet came from a Greek firearm․ An investigation into the tragedy at the edge of Europe․

Erdoğan Risks War with Greece in Border Conflict
#International #Europe #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #Greece #NaturalResources #NaturalGas

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants to redraw national borders in the Mediterranean region and is alienating neighboring countries․ Turkey and Greece, both NATO allies, are mobilizing their navies against each other․

Erdoğans Bad Bank on Trial: Shedding Light on an Alleged Plot to Evade Iran Sanctions
#International #World #RecepTayyipErdogan #Turkey #DonaldTrump #UnitedStates #BarackObama #JoeBiden

A trial starting soon in New York is set to throw light on whether a Turkish bank helped Iran circumvent sanctions․ And how much President Erdoğan knew about it․

John Bolton on Halkbank: “Trump Wanted To Make an Impression on Erdoğan”
#International #World #RecepTayyipErdogan #Turkey #Iran #DonaldTrump

In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, former U․S․ National Security Adviser John Bolton discusses the case against Turkey’s Halkbank, which has been accused of helping Iran circumvent American sanctions․ He says Donald Trump and Turkish President Erdoğan were in close contact about the issue․

Joining the Wolves: Erdogan's Pact with the Ultra-Nationalists
#International #World #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #RightWingExtremism

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is doing what he can to hold on to power – and is following his right-wing extremist coalition partner back to the confrontational style of politics the country saw in the 1990s․ Opposition activists are concerned for their safety․

Interview with Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu: “Parts of the Government Are Mafia-Like”
#International #World #RecepTayyipErdogan #Turkey

As prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu was one of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s closest allies․ In an interview, he now accuses the Turkish president of driving his country into the ground․

Interview with Chief Erdoğan Adviser: “Our Friends in the West Are Acting as if We Are an Occupying Power"
#International #World #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #NATO #Syria #SyrianCivilWar

Ibrahim Kalın is the chief foreign policy advisor to Turkish President Erdoğan․ He sees the Europeans as ungrateful but strives for better relations․ How does he hope to overcome tensions?

Interview with Osman Kavala: Arts Patron at Center of Turkish Diplomatic Dispute Speaks from Jail
#International #World #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #HumanRights #CouncilofEurope

The case of Osman Kavala is causing strife between Turkey and the West․ In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, the imprisoned patron of the arts talks about the government's conspiracy theories – and his hope that he will be released early․

Imagining Life after Erdoğan: Turkish Economic Woes Fuel Speculation of Early Elections
#International #World #RecepTayyipErdogan #Turkey

A lira in freefall and skyrocketing prices: Turkey's economy is in poor shape and much of the population is suffering․ President Erdoğan's weak response is strengthening the opposition and fueling speculation that elections may be held sooner than planned․

Greece: Torture Allegations Against Greek Border Guards
#International #Europe #Pushbacks #EuropeanUnion #AsylumandMigration #Greece #Turkey

Greek officials are resorting to increasingly brutal means to keep asylum-seekers out of Europe․ A young Iranian woman is now fighting back․ She reports of beatings with wooden clubs – and has taken the issue to the United Nations․

The Mayor of Istanbul Could Prove a Dangerous Challenger to Erdoğan
#International #World #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has transformed into a political star, and may be a worthy challenger to the Turkish president in coming elections․ In a DER SPIEGEL interview, he talks about what he is doing right and what Erdoğan is doing wrong․

Death in the Aegean: EU Border Officials Accused of Throwing Refugees into the Sea
#International #Europe #Pushbacks #Frontex #Greece #AsylumandMigration #Turkey

Two refugees are dead and a third has leveled a shocking accusation against Greek border patrols․ DER SPIEGEL reporting points to a brutal new tactic deployed by the country's coast guard․

Orhan Pamuk on Russia's War of Aggression: Turkey Is "Clearly on the Side of the West"
#International #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Russia #Ukraine #Turkey

In an interview, Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk says that autocrats like Vladimir Putin will ultimately lose in the long run․ He argues that the Russian leader is stuck in the Middle Ages․ He also explains why Turkey is on the side of the West in this conflict, even if Recep Tayyip Erdoğan isn't vocal about it․

Nordic NATO Membership: Sweden-Turkey Spat Means Finland Might Take Unilateral Route
#International #World #NATO #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #Sweden #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine

After a right-wing extremist burned a copy of the Koran in Stockholm over the weekend, Ankara is even less likely to approve Sweden's NATO bid anytime soon․ Finland has said it might have to move ahead on its own․

The Earthquake in Turkey and the Question of Guilt
#International #NaturalDisasters #RecepTayyipErdogan #Turkey

After Monday's devastating natural disaster, people in Turkey are living in tents and the mayor of one city is running his office out of a van․ Hundreds of thousands of people are just trying to cope․ Meanwhile, President Erdoğan is facing critical questions as a result of the massive crisis․

Zelenskyy's Heroes: Ukraine's Best Respond to the Earthquake in Turkey
#International #World #Turkey #Ukraine #NaturalDisasters

Rescue workers from Ukraine have been working nonstop since the Russian invasion to save civilians from the ruins of their buildings․ After the earthquake in Turkey, though, some of them took a break from the war to help out in the disaster zone․

The Black Sea Region Is Suddenly Cast in Geopolitical Spotlight
#International #World #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Ukraine #VladimirPutin #Russia #Romania #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #Georgia #Caucasus

For many years, the Black Sea was largely ignored by geostrategists․ But with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its aggressive posturing elsewhere in the region, countries along its shores find themselves on a dangerous fault line․ How are they dealing with their belligerent neighbor?

Waiting in the Wings: Drone Maker Bayraktar Seen as Possible Erdoğan Successor
#International #Europe #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan

Selçuk Bayraktar changed the way modern warfare is waged, and some have begun calling him the Elon Musk of Turkey․ Speculation is growing that he could follow in the footsteps of his father-in-law Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and rise to the top of Turkish politics․

Turkey at a Crossroads: Erdoğan Faces a Real Risk of Losing Election
#International #World #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ruled Turkey for over 20 years․ Now, there is a real chance he could be defeated in Sunday's election․ A journey to disappointed supporters, companies suffering under the beleaguered economy – and to the man who could oust the eternal president․

Life in Assad's Syria: "We Only Exist If People Remember Us"
#International #World #Syria #IslamicState #Turkey #RecepTayyipErdogan #AsylumandMigration #SyrianCivilWar

The Arab League has accepted Bashar Assad back into the fold, but the conflict in the Syrian dictator's country is far from over․ Five Syrians talk about their lives – and their fears of what is to come․