Latest News from Turkey
When the ballot box is good (and when it’s bad)
Orson Wells was at least partly right when he said: âPopularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in the Senate.â Unfortunately, we donât yet have a better instrument for democracy than the ballot box.
Laws of nature as ‘laws of God’
The Turkey of today, honestly speaking, is a depressing country. The political scene is madly polarized, and the language of hate and vengeance dominates the public scene. Certain civil liberties are shrinking and there is a visible political tendency to diminish them even more.
A pleasant surprise in Kayaköy
Deep off the beaten terrain lies the monastery of Afkule; itâs an adventure getting there, so grab your boots and prepare to mosey down some gravel About a 10 minute drive from Kayaköy (between Dalaman and Fethiye) in the direction of Gemiler Island, you can see a sign reading âAfkule Monastery.â I do not know if you ever go off the beaten track, but I can recommend you to do so e
Greek, Turkish defense ministers pledge to work on improving ties
Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos (photo) and his Turkish counterpart Ismet Yilmaz on Tuesday pledged to work together to boost improving bilateral ties and solve longstanding disagreements in a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels.
Fitch: NBG subsidiary well positioned in Turkish market
Fitch Ratings said in a new report on Tuesday that second-tier foreign-owned Turkish banks are well positioned to face the challenges inherent in Turkeys volatile operating environment.
Finansbank, owned by National Bank of Greece (NBG), enjoys the highest net interest margin among the countrys four foreign-owned lenders, reflecting a business mix more focused on retail banking.
Chambers meet, vow support in Cyprus talks
Turkish and Greek Cypriot chambers of commerce, along with those of Turkey and Greece, met June 2 in the U.N.-controlled buffer zone in a bid to boost the negotiation process with both sides pledging support to the reunification of the divided island.
Gazprom cuts gas export forecast to Europe, Turkey
Gazprom plans to export 158.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas this year to Europe, including Turkey, down from 161.5 bcm shipped in 2013, the state-controlled company said on June 3.
Gazprom added that the average gas price it was charging its clients in Europe, including Turkey, was $387 per 1,000 cubic meters last year.
Paşabahçe starts talks to acquire French glass household good firm
ÅiÅecam, Turkeyâs biggest glassmaker, has said its PaÅabahçe unit, which makes tableware and home furnishings, has started talks to acquire shares in Arc International, a French household goods maker.
In a filing to the Istanbul Stock Exchange, ÅiÅecam stated that PaÅabahçe had signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding the non-binding talks.
Opera-Ballet company breaks record
The 2013-2014 art season in Turkey hosted the highest number of art lovers ever, according to State Opera and Ballet (DOB) General Arts Director Rengim Gökmen.
âAnkara DOB has already broken the record for audiences. It equalized its own record in Ä°zmir, Istanbul, Mersin, Antalya and Samsun, too. When the season is finished, a record will be broken,â said Gökmen.
Bulgarian Border Authorities Intercept 90kg of Heroin
Bulgarian customs authorities have intercepted 90kg of heroin at two border checkpoints over the past days.
On the afternoon of May 31, an Opel automobile was searched by authorities at the Ruse border checkpoint. Thirty packages adding up to 15.5 kg of heroin were found stashed in the tires. The car was abandoned at the transit area, and police are still searching for the driver.
Coal mine collapse in eastern Turkey
One worker was trapped under wreckage when a coal mine collapsed in the southeastern province of Åırnak earlier on June 3.
The mine collapsed due to an unknown reason at around 12:30 p.m.
A search and rescue team has been sent to the scene.
PM Erdoğan labels CNN reporter kicked and detained during Gezi anniversary as ‘agent’
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan toughened his rhetoric against foreign media coverage of the demonstrations in Turkey, blasting CNN Internationalâs correspondent Ivan Watson, who was detained on air during Gezi anniversary protests May 31, for being an âagent.â
Turkey lists al-Nusra Front as terrorist organization
Turkey has listed the al-Nusra Front, a branch of al-Qaeda operating in Syria and Lebanon, as a terrorist organization following an update of a Cabinet motion on June 3.
Top American-Turkish Council officials resign over corruption probe row
Top executives of the main bilateral business association between Turkey and the United States, the Washington-based American-Turkish Council (ATC), announced their resignation June 1 over government pressure in the aftermath of the corruption probe.
Turkey’s unmanned ambitions shift up gear
Despite some false starts, Turkish aerospace engineers are moving ahead at full speed with new unmanned aerial vehicles, including the much anticipated Anka from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Shortly before parliamentary elections in 2011, several election campaign billboards of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) featured blue skies with unidentified aircraft, accompanie