Christian Communities in Northeast Syria Are the Target of a Turkish Attack for the First Time in Over a Century – The National Interest

Turkey plans to use the Syrian National Army, an alliance of Islamist rebels, for its operations in Northern Syria. Church bells rang out across the plains of northeast Syria, warning villagers to seek shelter from incoming air raids. It was the first time in a century that the Christian communities in the region were forced […]

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Defying the World, Turkey Launches a War Against a U.S. Ally in Syria – The New Yorker

In what may have been the first declaration of hostilities on Twitter, the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced that Turkey, a nato ally, had launched an invasion of Syria, to clear out a Kurdish-led militia that controls about a third of the country. The militia, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, has been allied with the United States for the past five years in the war against isis. Both sides have been equipped by the United States, albeit in vastly different ways.

Erdoğan dubbed the invasion Operation Peace Spring. It is anything but. Panic swept across northern Syria as Turkey’s warplanes pounded Kurdish towns and artillery fired across the border, in order to—in ironic military jargon—“soften up” the terrain for a ground offensive. The S.D.F. posted videos on social media of the aftermath, showing fires, destruction, and bodies on the ground.

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Turkish President: “We must reform the UN” – Turkish Journal

The Turkish president told the assembly that the UN has failed in its mission to keep its promises. Erdogan said: “We can’t remain indifferent in the face of current challenges.” He also sharply criticised the UN body for not taking action on resolutions passed by the UN. As Erdogan said: “Under this roof, resolutions are

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Five years with turbulent Turkey’s “militant people” – BBC News

Despite that generosity, there is much paranoia here. It is partly the legacy of the nationalist identity first built by Kemal Ataturk, the modern state’s founder.

“One, two, three, long live the Turks,” goes an old children’s rhyme for learning to count. It continues: “four, five, six, Poland collapsed. Seven, eight, nine, the Germans are pigs. Ten, eleven, twelve, the British are foxes.”

Try Googling “Erdogan slams…” and you’ll be spoilt for choice: Nato, the US, Israel, Europe, “so-called intellectuals” and, of course, the BBC.

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Incitement and Paranoia in the Turkish Press – European Eye on Radicalization

The change of government in Turkey, away from the old secular elite to one dominant by the Islamist party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has brought with it changes in the media environment. One notable feature of this new landscape is the presence of anti-Western paranoia and a general culture of conspiracy theories, including antisemitism.

Given that the media in Turkey is state-dominated, the dissemination of this material, and its potential impact on extremism in Europe and elsewhere, should become an issue in bilateral relations, just as the output of Al-Jazeera has with Qatar.

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‘The Era of People Like You Is Over’: How Turkey Purged Its Intellectuals – The New York Times

For more than a century, one school of political science dominated the education of Turkey’s governing class — until the Erdogan regime set about destroying it. ‘The Era of People Like You Is Over’: How Turkey Purged Its Intellectuals For more than a century, one school of political science dominated the education of Turkey’s governing

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Saudi Journalist: Topple Erdogan – MEMRI

In his July 5, 2019 column in the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, journalist Muhammad Aal Al-Sheikh addressed the waning of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s power in his country, manifested in his candidate’s failure to win the municipal elections in Istanbul and in the increasing dissatisfaction of the younger generation in Turkey with his regime. Assessing

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