Declaration from Turkish General Staff against anti-secularists - Page 2

Big K · 04-29-2007, 14:01 PM

and,

infact

i dont want the democracy wins at all costs!!!

yes you read it right,

secularism is not only a component!

on the other hand the problem is not only the secularism!

this govt. did a lot of mistakes. in economical point of wiew and social and in terms of our struggle against PKK terrorism.

and i am also a eye witness of their real passion about demolishing the Republic which we know.

Ray · 04-29-2007, 14:40 PM

SNC

Your views?

snc128 · 04-29-2007, 14:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

They should confine themselves to religion and religion alone.

a man=a husband=an engineer=a father=when it is necessary a society volunteer=a soldier etc. there is not any border for ppl of free world.
ppl r totally free what to do and choose.we r not under control of others,everyone is free in his choices of social life and profeesion.our education is not the sole diagnostic.what is our problem that causes us to dictate ppl what they have to do!

Ray · 04-29-2007, 14:43 PM

PM's wife = headscarf = what a good Moslem should be like = subtle pressure to change mindset = religious indoctrination!

Ray · 04-29-2007, 14:51 PM

SNC,

I have a lot of respect and regards for Turkey and more so for Kemal Ataturk, who is a real great man, a visionary and a brave person to take up the challenge to change Turkey into a modern country. His courage is indeed remarkable and an example to all.

But you want to impress that the Islamic Party in Turkey is doing a gret job.
I did not want to put this on the net because I respect Turkey, but you have forced me.

I apologise to the other secular Turks on the Forum.

Quote:

Saturday, April 28, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: ATATURK'S TURKEY IS FALLING APART, A SAUDI/IRANIAN VERSION OF TURKEY IS EMERGING

Turkey facing political collapse
by Hande Culpan in Ankara

TURKEY is facing a political crisis after the Islamist-rooted Government clashed with the army over the latter's threat of action to defend the country's secular regime.

The row erupted after Parliament began voting on Friday on a new president in a process where the sole candidate is a former Islamist fielded by the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party.

The prospect of the candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, becoming head of state alarmed secularists about Islam creeping into all fields of life and prompted the opposition to boycott the vote, robbing the Government of the required two-thirds majority.

The staunchly secularist Turkish army then issued a harsh warning against questioning the country's secular system and said it would “openly display its position and attitudes when it becomes necessary.”

The Government sharply called the army to order yesterday and the European Union urged it not to interfere in the candidate country's democratic process while Opposition parties called for early elections to resolve the crisis.

“I would like to underline that it is inconceivable in a democratic state based on the rule of law for the general staff, which remains under the orders of the prime minister, to speak out against the Government,” government spokesman and Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said.

“The primary duty in protecting the basic tenets of the state falls on the Government,” he said.

Secularists remain unconvinced by AKP arguments that it has disawoved its Islamist past and fear the Government will have a free hand to implement an Islamist agenda if the party controls the presidency.

...

and

Turkey Gov't Dismisses Military's Claim
By SUZAN FRASER

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- The pro-Islamic government on Saturday rejected a stern warning from the military over Turkey's disputed presidential election, calling it unacceptable in a democracy.

It was a rare retort against powerful institution that has long guarded Turkey's secular traditions - and has intervened before to force out an Islamic leader. The European Union called the election a test of the military's respect for democracy as Turkey seeks to join the bloc.

The ruling party candidate failed to win a first-round victory Friday in a parliamentary vote marked by tensions between secularists and the Islamic-rooted government. Most opposition legislators boycotted the vote and challenged its validity in the Constitutional Court.

The military said it was gravely concerned and indicated it was willing to become more openly involved in the process - a statement some interpreted as an ultimatum to the government to rein in officials who promote Islamic initiatives.

"It is unthinkable for an institution like the military ... to make any statement against the government on any issue in a democratic state," said Justice Minister Cemil Cicek.

The election has contributed to a sense of polarization in a country that has enjoyed relative economic and political stability for years and is seeking entry into the European Union.

Although the post is mostly ceremonial, the president can veto legislation and has been a stronghold for secularists worried about the Islamic tilt of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

In a country founded on secular principles, the ruling party has supported religious schools and tried to lift the ban on Islamic head scarves in public offices.

The government party candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, has promised to uphold secular traditions, and has been an energetic promoter of the EU bid.

But opposition leaders doubt Gul would be a vigorous check on the government. Outgoing President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, a staunch secularist, vetoed a record number of legislative bills and appointments of officials deemed pro-Islamic.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Turkey facing political collapse

2) Turkey Gov't Dismisses Military's Claim

Posted by American Infidel at 4/28/2007 01:31:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, dhimma, e.u., eurabia, europe, turkey, u.s.a., ummah

DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: CHRISTIANS ARRESTED FOR "INSULTING ISLAM" AND "MISSIONARY ACTIVITY"

Turkey Arrests Street Evangelists For "Insulting Islam", Report

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BosNewsLife)-- Turkish police reportedly released an American Christian from prison late Friday, April 27, after he and three other evangelists were detained in Istanbul this week for charges that included "missionary activity" and "insulting Islam."

Compass Direct News, a Christian news agency investigating reports of persecution, said David Byle was released more than 48 hours after he was arrested along with a Korean and two Turkish Christians. The Korean was due to be deported, but more detains were not immediately known, Compass Direct News said.

The arrests come amid a tense national debate over the legitimacy of Christian missionary activity, sparked by the gruesome killing of three Christian men my Muslim militants at a Christian publishing house in southeastern Turkey last week. "Missionaries are more dangerous than terror organizations," Niyazi Guney, Ministry of Justice director general of laws, reportedly commented only a day after the murders.

Police detained the four men after a young woman, angered that her male companion was discussing Christianity with the evangelists, complained to police that the group was "disturbing the peace," Compass Direct News quoted Byle as saying.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Turkey Arrests Street Evangelists For "Insulting Islam", Report

Posted by American Infidel at 4/28/2007 09:09:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, dhimma, turkey, ummah

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: ABDULLAH GUL, MRS. ABDULLAH GUL AND THE "HEAD TO TOE BAGS"

Wife of presidential candidate in Turkey draws controversy because of Islamic attire

ANKARA, Turkey: Much of the controversy surrounding the selection of Turkey's foreign minister as a presidential candidate focuses on his wife, who once challenged restrictions on wearing the Muslim headscarf in an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Hayrunisa Gul, whose husband, Abdullah Gul, was picked as the ruling party's choice for president on Tuesday, dropped her case at the European court in 2004 to avoid disrupting the tenure of her spouse as Turkey's top diplomat. But she remains a troubling symbol for secularists who fear she and her husband will subject the presidency, a secular bastion, to Islamic influence.

The job is ceremonial, but the president — who is elected by the Parliament — has the power to veto legislation.

On Wednesday, the foreign minister was courting support from opposition and independent lawmakers for his presidential bid before voting, which begins Friday. But Gul was virtually certain of victory in the polling process, an outcome that could make Hayrunisa the only first lady in Turkish history to wear the Islamic attire at the presidential palace.

That would be a victory of sorts for the 42-year-old mother of three who has battled for Turkish women's rights to wear the headscarf at government offices and campuses. In 1998, followed by journalists and camera crews, she tried to register as a student at Ankara University but was refused because of her covering.

She then challenged Turkey's headscarf ban at the European human rights court, only to withdraw her complaint, saying she wanted to avoid suing a country whose foreign minister was her husband.

A year later, the court ruled in favor of Turkey's ban on headscarves at universities, saying it did not violate the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Critics said at the time that Hayrunisa Gul withdrew her application after learning the court was likely to rule in favor of the ban.

"My belief in the rightfulness of my case continues," she said at the time. "However, the issue was exploited for political gains. My husband became both the one who put in the complaint and the defendant."

While many Muslims insist their faith dictates that women be covered in public, Turkey's Western-oriented secularists accuse women of wearing headscarves to support a political agenda for Islam.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Wife of presidential candidate in Turkey draws controversy because of Islamic attire

Posted by American Infidel at 4/25/2007 11:26:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, dhimma, e.u., eurabia, europe, turkey, ummah

DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY/IRAN: A STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TURKEY & IRAN, THE UNITED STATES PROTESTS

US criticizes Turkey for strategic partnership with Iran

The United States expressed its concern and objection regarding Turkey's plans to establish a strategic alliance with Iran in the field of energy, according to a diplomatic source from US Embassy in Ankara.

”We're watching the situation with concern,” said a US diplomat.

Turkey and Iran have agreed to build a long-term cooperation in the energy sector, namely drilling oil and natural gas and transferring Iranian oil and gas to Europe. This new step is considered as vitally important by Turkey in order for it to become a global player in the energy market.

Dhimmi idiots running the U.S. government...

Pertinent Links:

1) US criticizes Turkey for strategic partnership with Iran

Posted by American Infidel at 4/25/2007 08:18:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, dhimma, electronic jihad, iran, turkey, u.s.a., ummah

DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: ABDULLAH GUL TO BE TURKEY'S NEW PRESIDENT

President nominee has Islamic heritage

ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Turkey's ruling party on Tuesday chose a presidential candidate with an Islamic background, a move that will extend the reach of the party -- and the devout Muslims it represents -- into the heart of Turkey's secular establishment.

The selection has focused the worries of secular Turks who fear that gender equality, as well as drinking alcohol and wearing miniskirts, could eventually be in danger.

Abdullah Gul, 56, the foreign minister who is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's closest political ally, is expected to be confirmed as president by parliament in several rounds of voting that begins Friday.

Pertinent Links:

1) President nominee has Islamic heritage

Posted by American Infidel at 4/25/2007 07:33:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, dhimma, turkey, ummah

Saturday, April 21, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: FIRST TORTURE, THEN DEATH FOR CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY

Slain evangelists were tortured, says Turkish doctor

MALATYA, Turkey -- Three Protestants murdered at a Christian publishing house in Malatya, Turkey, were tortured for three hours before their assailants slit their throats, a press report said Friday, quoting one of the doctors involved in the grisly case.

Dr. Murat Ugras, a spokesman for the Turgut Ozal Medical center, told the daily Hurriyet of hospital surgeons' fruitless efforts to save Ugur Yuksel, one of the three victims of the massacre at the Zirve (summit) publishing house, which distributed Christian literature.

"He had scores of knife cuts on his thighs, his testicles, his rectum, and his back," Ugras said. "His fingers were sliced to the bone."

"It is obvious that these wounds had been inflicted to torture him," he said. The two others who were killed, Necati Aydin, pastor of Malatya's tiny Protestant community, and German Tilmann Geske, a Malatya resident with his wife and three children since 2003, were also tortured, press reports said.

The abuse lasted for three hours as the five men detained at the crime scene interrogated the three on their missionary activities, they said.

...

and

German, 2 Turkish Converts to Christianity Killed in Turkey Gruesome Attack

A German national and two Turkish nationals, who had converted to Christianity, were slain in the gruesome attack in Malatya, local media reported.

The victims of the attack have been identified as Tilman Ekkehart Geske, 46, Necati Aydin, 35, and Ugur Yuksel.

According to reports, all five of the attackers, who were aged between 19 and 20, were students staying in a dormitory and were preparing to take university entrance exams.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Slain evangelists were tortured, says Turkish doctor

2) German, 2 Turkish Converts to Christianity Killed in Turkey Gruesome Attack

Posted by American Infidel at 4/21/2007 08:14:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, dhimma, turkey, ummah

Thursday, April 19, 2007
DAR AL HARB - TURKEY: ARMS & LEGS BOUND, THEIR THROATS SLIT..THEIR CRIME?!? DISTRIBUTION OF BIBLES IN TURKEY

TURKEY: ITALIAN PREMIER URGES ANKARA TO 'SAFEGUARD' DEMOCRACY IN WAKE OF KILLINGS

Rome, 19 April (AKI) - Italian prime minister Romano Prodi, referring to attacks against Christians in Turkey including Wednesday's murder of a pastor and two of his parishioners in the central eastern city of Malatya, has urged the Ankara government to maintain a greater "surveillance" over the "rules of democracy," in the country. Police in Malatya have arrested some 10 people in connection with the triple murders - the victims were found with their arms and legs bound and with their throats slit - in the Zirve publishing house that has been involved in distributing Bibles.

"My reaction is the same as when [Italian Catholic priest Andrea] Santoro was killed [in February 2006 in the Turkish Black Sea port Trabzon]: on the one hand pain and mourning, on the other a serious invitation to the Turkish government to maintain surveillance over the rules of internatonal democratic cohabitation," Prodi said Thursday speaking from the South Korean capital Seoul which he is visiting.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) TURKEY: ITALIAN PREMIER URGES ANKARA TO 'SAFEGUARD' DEMOCRACY IN WAKE OF KILLINGS

Posted by American Infidel at 4/19/2007 07:36:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, dhimma, italy, turkey, ummah

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: BIBLE PUBLISHING HOUSE ATTACK, THREE DEAD

The responsibility for the deaths must like with Turkey's large Buddhist minority, because there is just no chance at all that the killers might have been adherents to the "Religion of Peace", Islam...

Report: 3 Killed in Attack on Bible Publishing House in Turkey

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Attackers killed three people Wednesday at a publishing house that had been the subject of protests for distributing Bibles in Turkey, the government-run Anatolia news agency reported.

One person who had his throat cut inside the publishing house and another who jumped from the third floor to escape were taken to local hospitals for treatment, the private Dogan news agency said. Anatolia said one of those taken to the hospital later died.

Nationalists previously had protested outside the Zirve publishing house in the city of Malatya, accusing it of proselytizing, Dogan reported.

...

Thanks for the story Babb's...

Pertinent Links:

1) Report: 3 Killed in Attack on Bible Publishing House in Turkey

Posted by American Infidel at 4/18/2007 08:58:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, dhimma, turkey, ummah

Monday, April 16, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: ERDOGAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT?!?

Report: Islamic-rooted Turkish prime minister hints he will run for president

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey's Islamic-rooted prime minister has given strong hints that he intends to run for president, newspapers reported, as the process of nominating candidates for the post formally opened on Monday.

Pro-secular president Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who has been a brake on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government, is stepping down on May 16. Many secular Turks fear that Erdogan may replace him, challenging Turkey's secular principles and inching the country toward Islamic rule.

Erdogan has not yet said if he will run for president. His party commands a majority in parliament and whomever it nominates is expected to be elected. Erdogan has said his party could decide on a possible candidate during a party meeting on Wednesday, but was not likely to make an announcement until just before nominations close.

Daily Sabah and several other newspapers reported that Erdogan — who has so far refused to be drawn in on whether he will run — dropped strong hints that he wants to become president, while speaking to reporters during a flight to Germany.

Asked how his party would fare in the next general elections if he became president, Erdogan replied: "Let them say our leader is dead and may the successor lead the party forward."
Erdogan also said the new president would share a private jet with the prime minister and would travel more. His words were widely interpreted as showing Erdogan's intention to stand for president.

Erdogan, who has pushed predominantly Muslim Turkey toward European Union membership, has denied any Islamic agenda. He has, however, stoked secularist concerns by speaking out against restrictions on wearing Islamic-style head scarves in government offices and schools and taking steps to bolster religious institutions. He also tried to criminalize adultery before being forced to back down under intense EU pressure. Some party-run municipalities have also taken steps to ban alcohol consumption.

On Saturday, more than 300,000 people took to the streets of the capital Ankara to protest against Erdogan's possible bid, in the country's largest demonstrations in decades. Protesters chanted: "We don't want an imam as president! and "Turkey is secular and will remain secular."
Turkey's parliament is expected to hold a first round of presidential elections on either April 26 or May 3, after the process of nominating candidates closes at midnight on April 25.

If Erdogan runs, another pro-Islamic official could then be selected for the premiership.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Report: Islamic-rooted Turkish prime minister hints he will run for president

Posted by American Infidel at 4/16/2007 06:41:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, dhimma, e.u., eurabia, europe, turkey, ummah

Saturday, April 14, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: THE CITY'S ELITE IS EMBRACING THE COUNTRY'S OTTOMAN PAST

Miniskirts Meet Minarets in the New Istanbul
By Annette Grossbongardt in Istanbul

Istanbul, the engine of Turkey's economy, has been reinventing itself for centuries. Now the city's elite is embracing the country's Ottoman past, while the poor dream of ascending the social ladder -- and urban planners simply try to keep the metropolis functioning.

...

Read on...

Pertinent Links:

1) Miniskirts Meet Minarets in the New Istanbul

Posted by American Infidel at 4/14/2007 10:28:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, dhimma, turkey, ummah

Thursday, April 12, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: A NEW PRESIDENT FOR TURKEY, WILL HE BE 'SECULAR' OR WILL HE BE AN 'ISLAMIST'?!?

IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW COMPLETE TURKEY'S BACKSLIDE FROM ATATURK'S CHANGES IS...

I say that it is 99% complete and the president chosen may be the finishing touch...

Tensions over role of Islam in politics dominate Turkey's presidential elections

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey's staunchly secular president ends his seven-year term next month, and lawmakers are preparing to elect his successor in a contest that highlights the divide among Turks over the role of Islam in politics.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, whose tenure ends May 16, is likely to be replaced by someone from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party, and perhaps by Erdogan himself. Supporters of the 66-year-old president plan to demonstrate in the capital, Ankara, this weekend to protest the idea of an "Islamist" taking over the post.

Turkey's secularists, who include the military, fear that if Erdogan — or someone close to him — wins the presidency, the government will be able to implement an Islamic agenda without opposition.

Although largely ceremonial, the president enjoys some power — and Sezer has used it to block Erdogan initiatives that he viewed as threatening Turkey's secular foundations.

With the opposition too weak to block Erdogan's majority in parliament, Sezer vetoed a record number of bills deemed unconstitutional and blocked the appointment of hundreds of officials believed to have Islamist tendencies.

Bills vetoed by Sezer included a public administration bill that some believed would have eased restrictions on the wearing of headscarfs in government offices, and a university bill that would have favored religious school graduates.

The president is elected for a single term by parliament, which is now dominated by lawmakers from Erdogan's Justice and Development Party. Erdogan, 53, has not said if he will stand; he was expected to announce the party candidate for the position this month.

The prime minister is a polarizing figure because of his Islamist background — and even his wife's decision to wear an Islamic style headscarf has political implications. Secularists are aghast at the prospect of a first lady wearing the religious symbol in the presidential palace once occupied by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern, secular republic.

"Are you aware of the danger?" the staunchly secular Cumhuriyet newspaper has warned in an anti-government campaign that claims "clocks will be turned back 100 years on May 16."

Erdogan denies his party has an Islamic agenda. Since coming to power in 2002, his government has promoted Turkey's European Union membership bid, which resulted in the start of accession talks in October 2005.

But many in the military, which views itself as the protector of Turkey's secular identity, distrust Erdogan. In 1999, Erdogan was jailed for reciting an Islamist poem at a political rally. Fiercely secular generals have led three coups since 1960 and pressured a government out of power in 1997 for what they saw as an excessive Islamist bent.

Today, the military is more acquiescent in the face of civilian authority, and unlikely to stage a coup over the presidential election. But politicians step carefully when they deal with the military, which commands widespread respect in Turkey.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Tensions over role of Islam in politics dominate Turkey's presidential elections

Posted by American Infidel at 4/12/2007 09:05:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, dhimma, e.u., eurabia, europe, turkey, ummah

Friday, March 30, 2007
DAR AL HARB - E.U./EURABIA: WELL THE E.U. CONTINUES WORKING ON ITS OWN CONTINENTS DEMISE

EU re-launches talks with Turkey

BRUSSELS: The European Union re-launched membership talks with Turkey yesterday, ending a long hiatus caused by Ankara’s refusal to respect its trade obligations to Cyprus.

After a half-hour meeting, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan welcomed the move and said the government in Ankara would unveil a plan next month to accelerate the process of reform needed to join Europe’s rich club.

“Today’s accession conference has marked another important step in Turkey’s accession process,” he said. “This step testifies to the determination of Turkey to continue with its process of reform and the EU accession process.”

The conference saw the opening of the second of 35 policy negotiating areas – or chapters – with Turkey. It concerns “enterprise and industry policy”.

The move comes three months after the EU froze eight of the policy areas, or chapters, to punish the government in Ankara for failing to fully extend its customs agreement with the bloc to EU member country Cyprus.

Chapters may be opened but not closed until the dispute is resolved.

“The political message is that the process continues, but not under the same conditions as before,” an EU official close to the process told AFP. “We haven’t completely stopped the train, but it’s moving more slowly.”

When the freeze was announced, the Union also criticised Turkey’s human rights record, especially on freedom of religion and women’s and minority rights.

“EU-Turkey relations are in a difficult period,” Babacan told reporters in Brussels. “It is important for both sides to manage the process in a sensible and sensitive way.”

Turkey’s membership talks, which began in October 2005, have been plagued by difficulties and the only policy chapter opened before was “science and research” in June.

The talks have barely moved since then.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) EU re-launches talks with Turkey

Posted by American Infidel at 3/30/2007 07:29:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, dhimma, e.u., eurabia, europe, turkey, ummah

Sunday, March 25, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: WHEN TURKEY SEES A PROFIT, IT WILL OPEN UP CHURCHES

Opening of Agdamar Church profitable for Turkey politically and economically

“It is immoral to thank Turkey for reconstructing historical monuments. We’d better remind that the Armenian church in Kars, which was built in 10th century, has been turned into a mosque. We should not express our delight for reconstruction of the Holly Cross Church in Agdamar,” Director of the Armenian Genocide Institute Hayk Demoyan told a press conference in Yerevan. He said, Turkey is a country, which does not keep international agreements. Particularly Turkey violates 43rd article of Lausanne treaty signed in 1923, according to which it must preserve historical monuments of various national minorities residing in Turkey.

The Armenian historian also stressed that Armenian delegation’s participation in the opening ceremony of Holly Church in Agdamar is one more plus for Turkey. “The matter is not in if the Armenian delegation should attend the ceremony or not. The matter is in the fact that we did not express our stance on that issue. The opening of the Holly Cross Church will bring political and economic dividends for Turkey. But if Ankara really wants to normalize relations with Yerevan, in this respect a more efficient step would be joint reconstruction of the bridge in Ani, which was built by architecture Toros Toromanian,” Hayk Demoyan underscored.

HatTip:

Ummah News Links

Pertinent Links:

1) Opening of Agdamar Church profitable for Turkey politically and economically

Posted by American Infidel at 3/25/2007 09:00:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: aremenia, dar al harb, turkey, ummah

Thursday, March 15, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM: THE NEW CALIPHATE

Mideast needs a new alliance
By Duraid Al Baik, Foreign Editor

The looming war in the Gulf, if it breaks out, will not provide a solution to regional issues, nor will it help to resolve Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Strategists who met last week in Abu Dhabi to discuss the challenges facing the Gulf region, agreed that such a war would rather complicate the situation even further, rather than solve the issue. It will cause damage beyond repair and plunge the region into yet more chaos.

The good news that can be perceived in this gloomy picture is: All parties, including the US have realised that the extent of the problems the region is facing require them to act differently.

The realisation represents a great achievement. The question now: What could these parties do to solve the situation? And are they ready to grab the chance now?

It is evident that the region is suffering from a strategic imbalance or power vacuum resulting from the destruction of the Iraqi regime in 2003. Although Saddam Hussain's regime was not without its defects, it at least acted as a buffer among the conflicting parties.

These parties are finding themselves allied with each other for the first time in their history and having to deal with each other within a perceived balance of power that does not exist.

The failure on the part of the US to rebuild Iraq, as promised, has added to the bitterness of the nations in the region and prevented the US from becoming the godfather of the new Middle East.

...

Political agenda

Four major countries can play constructive roles in moulding the core of a new regional system. Leaders of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey can form a sort of alliance or security and development association for the defence and development of the region.

They have first to reconsider the way they previously pursued their political agendas and establish a new foundation for cooperation.

But where would Iraq fit in the new picture? And what can the so-called elected leaders of the country offer to the new regime?

Unfortunately, the new leaders of Iraq, especially those who came with the US after the fall of Saddam Hussain's regime, can do nothing to help their nation. They failed at every step, right from the beginning of the occupation to the recent law enforcement plan in Baghdad.

As such, the Middle East needs an organisation that can be founded on the model of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Middle East.

It is the need of the nations in the region. The US can act as a guarantor in this system rather than invovling itself in day-to-day issues and its durability and strength can be put to the test in Iraq.

Iraq needs a different formula and a different plan that can be reached through dialogue amongst Iraq's neighbours and through interaction with different components in the country, including the insurgents.

The Baghdad Conference can achieve nothing if the regional powers fail to act on building a viable set-up and the jihadists resort to violence and mayhem.

Iraq can not play a role in the proposed regional system unless its factions agree on who truly represents Iraq and who the legitimate representative of the nation is.

Pertinent Links:

1) Mideast needs a new alliance

Posted by American Infidel at 3/15/2007 12:24:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, iran, saudi arabia, syria, turkey, ummah

Friday, March 02, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: THE TURKISH ISLAMIST PARTY IS INTIMIDATING THE PRESS

Freedom House calls on gov't to respect press freedom
Friday, March 2, 2007

ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News

An advocacy group on Wednesday expressed concern over what it said was recent attempts by the Turkish government to intimidate media outlets, calling on authorities to respect the freedom of the press and expression leading up to presidential and general elections scheduled for later this year.

The non-profit group Freedom House said the Kanal Türk TV station, which is perceived to be critical of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has reported attempts by officials to intimidate it into curtailing critical reporting. Attempts at intimidation have included detailed investigations by the Finance Ministry into the financial activities of Kanal Türk TV, including the examination of tax records, bank accounts and income flow of both managers and employees as well as the personal expenses of family members of the management and guests who have appeared on the station's programs, the group said.

"These subtle forms of intimidation have no place in a democratic society and are inconsistent with the positive steps that Turkey has taken in the past six years to improve its ratings in press freedom," said Karin Karlekar, managing editor of Freedom House's Freedom of the Press survey.

Freedom of the Press 2006, Freedom House's most recent survey of press freedom, categorizes Turkey's media environment as Partly Free. Turkey's current ranking, 103rd out of 194 countries and territories worldwide, reflects a number of positive media reforms that have been passed in recent years in preparation for membership of the European Union.

"Ensuring a free and open media environment is vital to any healthy democracy and is particularly important in the months leading up to an election," said the group's executive director Jennifer Windsor. "We hope that the Turkish government can demonstrate its ability to withstand public scrutiny by respecting all forms of free expression, even those that are critical."

The signs of Turkey's re-islamization have been evident for a while now.

Pertinent Links:

1) Freedom House calls on gov't to respect press freedom

Posted by American Infidel at 3/02/2007 09:21:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, turkey, ummah

Thursday, March 01, 2007
DAR AL HARB / ISLAM - NETHERLANDS / TURKEY: QUEEN BEATRIX SAYS TURKEY HAS TAKE FIRST STEPS TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP

Dutch Queen Tells Turkey "First Steps Taken" On EU Membership Road

ANKARA, 01/03/07 - Queen Beatrix has said on her state visit to Turkey that the first steps towards Turkish membership of the EU have been taken. She did not mention other sensitive issues, such as the Armenian genocide.

In her speech at the state dinner given by President Ahmet Sezer, the queen said she expects much of the mutual relations between Turkey and the Netherlands. "Today, Turkey is seen as a strong NATO ally, which shares common values with the other countries such as respect for fundamental freedoms, and which takes strong action against terrorism and extremist violence."

The monarch said both Turkey and the Netherlands and Turkey and Europe have become closer to one another in recent years. "I am of course thinking in the first place here about the decision taken at the end of 2004 under the Dutch presidency to start accession negotiations between Turkey and the European Union."

The negotiations will "undoubtedly be time-consuming" and "many obstacles" must be overcome, but "the first steps have been taken." The queen added: "Certainly impressive are the many efforts in innumerable areas that your country has in the last few years undertaken to make the achievement of the goal established possible."

The queen praised the role that Turkish immigrants play in Dutch society. "Successful young Turkish Dutch are to be found in innumerable professions and many places in our society: entrepreneurs, students, teachers and politicians. (...) The increasing interweaving of our countries holds a clear promise for the future," Beatrix concluded.

...

HatTip: UmmahNewsLinks.com

Pertinent Links:

1) Dutch Queen Tells Turkey "First Steps Taken" On EU Membership Road

Posted by American Infidel at 3/01/2007 08:32:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al harb, dar al islam, e.u., eurabia, europe, netherlands, turkey

Thursday, February 15, 2007
EARTH: ISLAMIC OTTOMAN TURKS FIRST SLAUGHTERED ARMENIANS AND THEN TRIED TO COLLECT ON THEIR LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

Book Reveals Incriminating records of the Turkish Islamic genocide of Armenians and the efforts of insurance companies to cover up the slaughter

The 20th century spawned the word "genocide," if not the concept, and was marked by unprecedented slaughter: from the Arab Muslim massacres of non-Arab Sudanese in Darfur to Stalinist pogroms and, of course, Hitler's "Final Solution" which resulted in the extermination of 6 million Jews.

But an enlightening new book by Southern California medical researcher Dr. Hrayr S. Karagueuzian makes the disturbing case that it is possible to heap astounding "insult" onto the unimaginable injuries inflicted during genocide.

In his new book, "Genocide and Life Insurance: The Armenian Case," Dr. Karagueuzian, using documents obtained from the U.S. National Archives and those derived from class-action insurance settlements in the past couple of years, chronicles the Armenian genocide orchestrated by Islamic Ottoman Turks from 1915 to 1923.

More than half of the 2 million Armenians in what would become modern day Turkey perished in the slaughter, and the rest fled the country (or were forcefully Islamized) to avoid extermination. And while the details of the Armenian genocide are not as widely known as those of other mass slaughters, Dr. Karagueuzian delves deeply into its diabolical aftermath, as the Islamic Ottoman Turks tried to cash in on life insurance policies held by the families of the murdered Armenians.

"This book is a plea for human justice, perhaps a voice to counter the political control of knowledge," Dr. Karagueuzian said. "I would hope this book will result in legal and political remedies to prevent the victims of genocide, and their survivors, from becoming twice victimized."

Dr. Karagueuzian's quest began when he discovered documents in the national archives that detail what he calls the "cunning, yet spectacular, deceit on behalf of both the insurers and the perpetrators. My book is the first account of life insurance policy claims in the aftermath of the Armenian genocide."

The documents led to the eventual settlement of class action insurance claims in which the heirs of the slaughtered Armenians received from two insurance companies $34 million. That amount is close to the face value of the policies at the time of the genocide, but woefully short of the billions of dollars those policies would have been worth when the settlement was hammered out in 2004 and 2005 in the Los Angeles court system, Dr. Karagueuzian said.

The dispute began when the Islamic Ottoman Turks tried to collect the insurance money and were rebuffed by the insurers who rightly noted that the Turks caused the genocide and should be compensating the victims. But the dispute evolved into what Dr. Karagueuzian argues became a Faustian business deal between the West and Turkey, in which the language and facts of the genocide were whitewashed. All allusions to the Armenians were scrapped and the attorneys involved agreed to delete the word "genocide" from the settlement papers, and to refrain from commenting on the bloody events in the future.

"This self-serving, lawyerly deal is a clear insult to human intellect and a blasphemy to the souls of the victims," Dr. Karagueuzian said. "I would hope that by shining a spotlight on the settlement, and the decades of duplicitous behavior that produced it, that the victims and their heirs will receive some additional recompense in the court of public opinion."

Dr. Karagueuzian's book also offers some lessons for those involved in present-day efforts in the U.S. to hold German and European insurers responsible for the similar injustices done to Jews and others exterminated on the orders of Adolf Hitler.

"Genocide and Life Insurance: The Armenian Case" is "powerfully suggestive of all the work, the scholarship and litigation, and perhaps political activism, facing those who believe that justice can still be done for the memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide and the nation they represented," said Dickran Kouymjian, a professor of Armenian Studies at Cal State-Fresno, who penned the forward of Dr. Karagueuzian's book.

"My book is aimed at universities, genocide scholars, politicians, insurance companies and regulators, Armenian and Jewish charitable associations and any others who may be in a position to learn from this disturbing chapter in human history, and especially those in a position to prevent a recurrence of such injustices in the 21st century and beyond," Dr. Karagueuzian said.

About the author: Dr. Hrayr S. Karagueuzian is a research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a professor of medicine at UCLA. He has spent more than 20 years researching the Armenian genocide at the hands of Islamic Ottoman Turks during the early 20th century.

This story comes to you via UmmaNewsLinks.com .

1) Book Reveals Incriminating records of the Turkish Islamic genocide of Armenians and the efforts of insurance companies to cover up the slaughter

Posted by American Infidel at 2/15/2007 05:28:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: aremenia, dar al harb, dar al islam, turkey, u.s.a., ummah, washington d.c.

Monday, February 12, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - TURKEY: U.S. ISSUES WARNINGS ABOUT JIHADIST ACTIVITIES IN TURKEY

US warns against Islamic insurgency in Turkey

The United States has warned its nationals of an insurgency threat in Turkey.

A State Department report said the Islamic insurgency has been emerging throughout Turkey.

The report said this has included Istanbul, regarded as the largest city in the country.

"Indigenous and international terrorist groups are operating in Turkey, including in the Istanbul area," a report, entitled "Turkey 2007 Crime & Safety Report: Istanbul," said.

The State Department said groups deemed terrorists have turned their attention to Western and U.S. targets. The report said Turkish insurgents have been frequently detonating so-called sound bombs.

Pertinent Links:

1) US warns against Islamic insurgency in Turkey

Posted by American Infidel at 2/12/2007 06:05:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, turkey

Monday, February 05, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - IRAN / TURKEY: IRAN COURTS TURKEY, TURKEY LOOKS TOWARDS THE SHI'ITE CRESCENT

Turkey Eyes the Shia Crescent
Iran clearly seeks to lure Turkey away from its traditional moorings to the West, and the Kurds may be just the wedge it needs.

Feb. 12, 2007 issue - If you were a mullah in Tehran facing a new western "coalition of the willing," there's one country you would try to get on your side: next-door NATO neighbor, Turkey. And lately, the Iranians have been doing this quite well. The reason: Ankara and Tehran increasingly share a cause that unites them: Kurdish guerrillas operating in northern Iraq, and America's failure to do anything about them.

It would be premature to speak of any entente. Yet Iran clearly seeks to lure Turkey away from its traditional moorings to the West, and the Kurds may be just the wedge they need. During visits to Ankara in recent months, Iranian officials and other state representatives—including Ali Larijani, head of the supreme National Security Council—have gone out of their way to stress the troubles created for both nations by the PKK terrorist movement. Despite myriad promises, U.S. troops in the region do nothing to prevent cross-border raids. Suggesting that Turkey should join with Iran and Syria to establish a tripartite platform of security cooperation against the Kurdish separatists, Larijani and others impressed upon their counterparts the advantages of a large-scale Turkish military incursion to clean out the guerillas—possibly in coordination with Iranian forces, according to Turkish and Iranian news reports.

...

You may also be interested in any other stories that I have here that may mention the Shi'ite Crescent...

Here are the results of a search of Thoughts of American Infidel that deal with the subject: search results.

Well, I hope the works, if not, just use the search function and type in 'shiite crescent'...

Pertinent Links:

1) Turkey Eyes the Shia Crescent

Posted by American Infidel at 2/05/2007 12:21:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, iran, iraq, turkey

Monday, January 29, 2007
DAR AL ISLAM - IRAN & TURKEY: THE UMMAH SHOULD BE UNITED AND BOTH TURKEY & IRAN SHOULD HAVE A HAND IN IT

MP urges Iran, Turkey to play effective role in unification of world of Islam

Head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mahmoud Mohammadi here Sunday referred to Iran and Turkey as two powerful regional states and urged the two states to play an effective role in safeguarding the stability of the world of Islam.

According to a report released by Majlis Media Department, he made the remark in a meeting with the Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Husun Gurcan Turkoglu.

Turning to the enemies attempts to sow seed of discord among Muslims, he noted that the political history of the region properly reflects the hostile threats against the two nations aiming to disrupt their relations.

He pointed to the efforts of the common enemies of the two states in the course of history towards leaving a negative effect on their mutual friendly ties and underlined that they should not be allowed to misuse various issues against the brotherly bonds between the two nations.

Mohammadi refereed to Iran-Turkey past common concerns and interests in the region and world of Islam and said, "There are broad grounds for cooperation between the two countries, which have not yet been used properly.

"Measures should also be taken to further strengthen friendly ties in political, economic and security fields at the regional level." For his part, Turkoglu referred to extensive cooperation and relations between the two sides and noted that the significance of such exchanges are not restricted to bilateral relations rather as two big regional powers they should fulfill their responsibilities towards the people of the region and world of Islam.

Underlining Iran's special approach to Turkey's foreign policy, he said that the consultations and regional collaboration of the two states are important in safeguarding the security and stability of the region.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) MP urges Iran, Turkey to play effective role in unification of world of Islam

Posted by American Infidel at 1/29/2007 07:24:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: dar al islam, iran, turkey, ummah
Thoughts of American Infidel: turkey

Ray · 04-29-2007, 14:54 PM

The above is from a blog and I sure hope it is wrong.

But if it is right, then SNC think again!

snc128 · 04-29-2007, 15:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

Let the govt not force someone not to perform his five prayers if he is a Moslem, but at the same time not subtly suggest that wearing a headscarf is what Allah desires by making the PM's wife flaunt it as the height of religious obedience and loyalty. Who is she to suggest indirectly anyone's lifestyle?

u suppose every muslim is identical one another.Islam is the religion but human is the social existence of this world and the creation reason of the universe,and may exhibit different behaviours against different cases.
what i want to mean is,my life philosophy is not build on tyranny,and real muslims' as well.
i advise ppl, the beauties of Islam.because we all have social responsibilities,however dictating is far more irrelevant with Islam.
no one should and can never think of dictating Islamic rules on ppl.
this is one of the main problems of supposedly Islamic Gov.s like Iran.
our responsibility is to share not dictating.if u recognized me closer,u would not set forth such childish comments about Islam.sorry friend but because of being completely against Islam or all religions,caused u to close ur eyes long time ago.it prevents u to think what Islam is,indeed.
my other Turkish brothers would know the Turkish religion understanding is a model for the whole world.
however,no one is perfect,and heretics will exists forever.because religion does not belong to ppl,but belong to Allah directly.we,as Turks did prove the harmony of religion and others many time especiallysince 1923.
Long live Atatürk's free Republic of Türkiye.

i believe we all ,as the Turkish community ,will do whatever we have to do as we did in the past many times.and no one will even dare to interfere us.
we r a rooted community.not a new banana republic

snc128 · 04-29-2007, 16:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

PM's wife = headscarf = what a good Moslem should be like = subtle pressure to change mindset = religious indoctrination!

PM's wife was muslim before the presidency of his husband and there is not any reason to change her beliefs just because of being the husband of PM.again totaliter and bad intended type of thinking.
she had had her scarf long time ago and it would become a shame to dictate her to dispose her scarf.
because religion and government r different issues.

Ray · 04-29-2007, 17:26 PM

Quote:

SPIEGEL: The race for the influential office of the Turkish presidency begins starts this week. Will you run?

Erdogan: I haven't decided yet. I am still consulting with my party, with members of parliament and also non-government organizations. When I come back from Hanover on April 18, the AKP board will meet again. After that I will make my decision public.

SPIEGEL: The headscarf worn by your wife is said to be the biggest hurdle.

Erdogan: No, I don't think this will be an obstacle. Our constitution tells us who is eligible to be president, but there is no mention of the headscarf. That should also be an expression of religious freedom.

SPIEGEL: The race for the influential office of the Turkish presidency begins starts this week. Will you run?

Erdogan: I haven't decided yet. I am still consulting with my party, with members of parliament and also non-government organizations. When I come back from Hanover on April 18, the AKP board will meet again. After that I will make my decision public.

SPIEGEL: The headscarf worn by your wife is said to be the biggest hurdle.

Erdogan: No, I don't think this will be an obstacle. Our constitution tells us who is eligible to be president, but there is no mention of the headscarf. That should also be an expression of religious freedom.

SPIEGEL: You make it all sound so free of conflict. But as a matter of fact, in Turkey you do have a strict headscarf ban in schools, universities and public offices. And your wife Emine doesn't get invited to receptions held by current President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

Erdogan: In that respect injustice has been done to a lot of women, including my wife. Until we came into power, women with headscarves were invited to visit the presidents, including Sezer. But then we won the elections and he didn't invite us. There is no legal basis for this discrimination.

SPIEGEL: But didn't you promise your religious voters that you would ease the headscarf ban?

Erdogan: No. To me, that isn't a question of getting votes -- it's a question of freedom. I said we need a consensus between people in society and among the public institutions, only then can we overcome this problem. My own daughters weren't able to study in Turkey because of their headscarves, so they went to the United States.

SPIEGEL Interview with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan: 'If the EU Doesn't Want Us, They Should Say it Now' - 2 - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

SNC,

Your "Long live Atatürk's free Republic of Türkiye" is a sham and a put on.

Ataturk banned the Fez, beard and headscarves, burkhas etc and brought Turkey on par with modern societies the world over.

He ecven changed the Arabic script to the Germanic or English script.

And your PM is encouraging headscarves!

He is undoing what Ataturk enforced to bring Turkey into the modern age.

And you support him!

What does your PM think he is? Better than Ataturk?

Amled · 04-29-2007, 19:25 PM

Those demonstrations in Turkey were a grand sight indeed. But they do provoke questions.
If Gul and the PK are control the largest block in the legally elected parliament, it is logical to think that a majority of Turks (who voted them in!) agree with their political platform, does it not?
Therefore while the demands expressed by the demonstrators (IMO laudable wishes), are still unfortunately, the wishes of a large minority who do not have enough parliamentary support to enforce their demands.
Democracy is a two-way street.
Algiers is a textbook example.

Ray · 04-30-2007, 01:38 AM

When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

04-29-2007, 14:01 PM	#16 (permalink)
Big K FreeGeneral *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 12-11-06 Location: Istanbul Posts: 1,171 Country:	and, infact i dont want the democracy wins at all costs!!! yes you read it right, secularism is not only a component! on the other hand the problem is not only the secularism! this govt. did a lot of mistakes. in economical point of wiew and social and in terms of our struggle against PKK terrorism. and i am also a eye witness of their real passion about demolishing the Republic which we know. __________________ *I'm not willing to remain silent even there will be no effect when i say.*

04-29-2007, 14:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 27,213 Country:	SNC Your views? __________________ "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination." I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to. HAKUNA MATATA

04-29-2007, 19:25 PM	#25 (permalink)
Amled *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 09-10-04 Location: Denmark Posts: 1,436 Country:	Those demonstrations in Turkey were a grand sight indeed. But they do provoke questions. If Gul and the PK are control the largest block in the legally elected parliament, it is logical to think that a majority of Turks (who voted them in!) agree with their political platform, does it not? Therefore while the demands expressed by the demonstrators (IMO laudable wishes), are still unfortunately, the wishes of a large minority who do not have enough parliamentary support to enforce their demands. Democracy is a two-way street. Algiers is a textbook example. __________________ When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

04-29-2007, 14:43 PM	#19 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 27,213 Country:	PM's wife = headscarf = what a good Moslem should be like = subtle pressure to change mindset = religious indoctrination!

04-29-2007, 14:54 PM	#21 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 27,213 Country:	The above is from a blog and I sure hope it is wrong. But if it is right, then SNC think again!

04-30-2007, 01:38 AM	#26 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 27,213 Country:	When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin