Politics of Turkey

Turkish officials have confirmed that 10 citizens have been under arrest in Shanghai, with two of them charged with "organizing people to illegally cross the border."

Eight men and two women were taken into custody by local security authorities in Shanghai on Nov. 7, diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Hürriyet Daily News on Jan. 14.

Turkey is rapidly approaching an economic bottleneck because it has not done what it needed to do, especially in the last few years. Recently publicized industry production data has revealed that the 2014 growth rate will not reach 3 percent; it will be a little above 2.5 percent.

It is always nice when a friend or relative fetches you from the airport whenever you visit your motherland. This time it was not my sister who was waiting for me, but a friend that I have known for years, Özkan Gölp?nar. We are friends, really good friends. When he got divorced, he stayed at my place; when I got divorced, I stayed at his.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an undertakes his own myth-making project, as seen in the controversial dress show of the 16 warriors in the presidential palace. His goals, however, seem like they will be more difficult to attain than similar projects by Atatürk several decades ago.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has joined a popular debate on President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an?s dramatic remake of his palace ceremonial guard, as he said he has been curious about Erdo?an?s next costume.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in Wonderland! Just kidding, it?s only Turkey?s new presidential palace.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has said he will allow his lawmakers to freely exercise their consciences in an upcoming parliamentary vote on whether to send four former ministers to the Supreme Council, adding that his MPs are of a "collective mind."

A report submitted by the corruption inquiry panel to the Turkish Parliament has suggested that the voice recordings of four former ministers cannot be counted as legal evidence and therefore there was no reason to send the four to the Supreme Council.

A Turkish court has said that ?slanderous and insulting? slogans cannot be considered freedom of speech, in a ruling on the 11-month jail sentence given to an academic for chanting slogans against then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an during a rally.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an pledged his support to the preservation of historical artifacts on Jan. 12, vowing to closely follow their restoration and revival both at home and abroad.

The president's remarks came during an opening ceremony for the newly-restored sections of the Topkap? Palace Museum in Istanbul.