News archive of February 2016

The scope for democratic politics has always been limited in Turkey, but apart from during military coup eras it has never been as narrow as it is today. 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an reacted harshly against the release of two journalists, Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, on Feb. 28.

The government's new draft personal data protection law is highly problematic and open to abuse, according to Ak?n Ünver, an assistant professor at Kadir Has University and an executive and supervisory board member of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM).

Turkey's growth rate for last year will be disclosed at the end of March by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜ?K). 

Despite the promising tone of messages sent last week from NATO leaders in Brussels, the bulk of negotiations in overcoming territorial sensitivities between Greece and Turkey on how their ships will help counter the criminal networks smuggling refugees into Europe across the Aegean Sea still lies ahead, with essential questions to be solved according to Turkish officials.

The Berlin International Film Festival, or the Berlinale, has always been hailed as one of the most socially conscious film festivals in the world. Last year's screening of "Fifty Shades of Grey" might have tarnished that image if this year was not one of the most politically-charged editions in the Berlinale's history.

Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey was recently added to the UNESCO World Creative Cities Network in the category of gastronomy. This is a city with a deep history of cuisine with countless stories and legends attached to its numerous dishes. Here is one, and more:

The crisis deepens the despair in the “warehouse of souls” of Greece says Observer in article which describes the living conditions of hundreds of immigrants and refugees who are trapped in Greece and especially at Victoria Square, in the center of Athens.

Israel on Feb. 28 welcomed the fragile ceasefire in neighboring Syria but warned it would not accept Iranian "aggression" or the supply of advanced weapons to Hezbollah.

Stavros Theodorakis on Sunday was re-elected leader of Potami party by a large majority after the completion of the voting procedure for the election of the party’s new leadership.

Theodorakis received 715 votes (88.16%) while the second candidate Pavlos Eleftheriadis received 96 votes.