Turkish army

The Turkish military reported Sept. 2 a Turkish troop was killed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in an ambush that occurred in Hakkari, a southeastern Anatolian town bordering Iraq and Iran. 

I know this is an absurd question. The name of our state in all official documents here and abroad is the ?Republic of Turkey.? Well then, why such a question; why such a title? 

Let me explain. 

While he was delivering his Aug. 30 Victory Day message, our new Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar said some interesting things which drew my attention. 

The firing of theater player Levent Üzümcü from Istanbul?s City Theater was in connection with his stance during the Gezi Park resistance and his speech at the Socialist International. 

In his speech in 2013, Üzümcü defined Turkey as ?a country forced to take sides constantly at the street, at school, at work, in front of the computer and during sports events.? 

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has released one customs officials and a driver that it recently took hostage, while ten remain in captivity.

Eleven customs officials and a driver were reported missing after they did not return home from work on Aug. 22, despite taking a shuttle at 4.30 p.m. at the end of their shifts. 

The Turkish government and army have agreed on upgrading its armored vehicles in the aftermath of a landmine blast which caused the death of soldiers inside a lightly armored vehicle in Turkey's southeast. 

The decision to upgrade its fleet of armored vehicles came in yesterday's security meeting headed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, where the defense industry was on the agenda. 

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu struggled to control his emotions at a party event in Ankara on Aug. 14, when he shed tears for a soldier recently killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.

Outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) militants will not disarm or withdraw from Turkey as long as Ankara conducts ongoing airstrikes against PKK camps in Turkey and northern Iraq, according to an umbrella organization of Kurdish groups that includes the PKK.

Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirta? said they wanted peace immediately, adding that guns should be silenced and ceasefire should be reached. 

?Hands should be removed from the trigger. Not tomorrow, not next week, we want peace today, at this hour,? Demirta? said in Turkey?s southeastern province of Mardin Aug. 12, at an event titled ?Arabs discuss peace.? 

President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an says the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) should bury their arms rather than simply put them down, as the Kurdish peace process is already in stalemate.

Turkey?s top business group called on the political parties to continue negotiations seeking to form a coalition government as soon as possible amid rising violence due to terror attacks on Aug. 11.