Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan will meet Vladimir Putin tomorrow in Sochi.
Although Turkey continues to fund the jihadist terrorist group FSA in Syria, a group whose aims are competently contrary to those of Syria’s anti-terrorist coalition of which Russia is a member, at a diplomatic level, Turkey has in many ways grown closer to Russia than its own NATO colleagues.

T.S. Eliot said, “April is the cruellest month”. For those who wanted a Trump administration that was anti-interventionist, diplomatic and focused mainly on domestic issues, April was cruel indeed. But now that May has begun, there are several signs which are impossible to ignore, suggesting that Trump may be slowly getting back to his pre-April self.
1. Middle East versus Domestic Expenditure 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wears a pilot’s jacket which was presented to him during his “Talk with the Airmen” on the anniversary of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, Sept. 13, 2016 at the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Manila.

Everyone else’s father is in prison in Istanbul, they want to hang everyone else’s son in the middle of the road, in broad daylight People there are willing to risk the gallows so that everyone else’s son won’t be hanged so that everyone else’s father won’t die and bring home a loaf of bread and … Continue reading Erdogan Gets A Degree from Jamia Millia Islamia and Everyone Else’s Father is in Prison in Istanbul

Turkey has mysteriously and without warning, blocked access to the popular on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia (no relation to Wikileaks). The mass censorship comes as members of Turkey’s secular Kemalist opposition party CHP, move to challenge the legality of President Erdogan’s referendum on expanded powers which he claimed victory in on the 16th of April.

Turkish President Erdogan, fresh from his referendum victory and now Turkey’s uncrowned Sultan, has just confirmed that he intends to go to Moscow on 3rd May 2017, where he will meet with Russia’s President Putin.
This will be President Erdogan’s first foreign trip since he gained constitutional powers as Turkey’s new executive President.

Turkish Defence Minsiter Fikri Isik has told the press that his country is in the final stages of a deal to purchase Russia’s famed S-400 anti-missile defence system.
Isik said,

“It is clear that Turkey needs a missile defence system but NATO member countries have not presented an offer which is financially effective”.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, waves to supporters in Istanbul, on Sunday, April 16, 2017. Erdogan declared victory in Sunday’s historic referendum that will grant sweeping powers to the presidency, hailing the result as a “historic decision.” (AP/Lefteris Pitarakis)
TURKEY— In recent years, and in particular following the unsuccessful coup attempt against the Turkish government on July 15, 2016, power and authority in Turkey have increasingly become consolidated in the hands of one man: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It is difficult to think of a ‘Muslim’ society as progressive, modernist and liberal as Turkey has traditionally been, particularly as it is also a democracy. This makes Turkey a relatively unique society in the world and a positive example of how moderate Sunni Islam and modern democratic and secular government and principles can co-exist […]

One of the more interesting stories from the controversial Turkish Presidential Powers referendum has been the reaction of the extreme-right to Erdogan’s consolidation of power.
Turkey’s traditional far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has for years been something of a national embarrassment for Turkey. The party argues for an ethno-centric Turkish state and the party’s unofficial paramilitary wing, the Grey Wolves, have been responsible for the killings, detentions and abuse of opposition journalists, left-wing activists, Greek and Armenian minorities and Kurds.