Abdullah Gul
All topics-
Protests in Turkey
A Turkish Spring with a Leftist Bent
What began as a protest against plans to build a kitschy shopping centre on the site of a small park in the heart of Istanbul has escalated into a conflict of values. By Ian Buruma
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Mass Protests against Erdogan
On a Knife Edge
Turkey's head of government is finding himself under more and more pressure: Protest against his policies and billion-dollar development projects continue, with sustained criticism even being levelled against him from within his own camp. But the "Sultan of Ankara" is allowing the situation to escalate, as Jürgen Gottschlich reports
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Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan
Erdogan's Kurdish Gambit
Turkey's prime minister Erdogan envisions a new regional order under Turkish leadership, based on a realignment between Turks and Kurds that underpins a strategic partnership for exploiting the region's last untapped energy resources. By Sinan Ulgen
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Erdogan's Authoritarian Drift
Retreat from Democratic Achievements
In the past decade, there were three kinds of Islamist governments: absolute monarchies in the Gulf region, the Mullah dictatorship in Iran and the freely elected government of Prime Minister Erdogan in Turkey. How he is running his country is setting an example for the entire region. But experts believe that his authoritarian leanings are beginning to prevail. By Peter Hauff
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Interview with Nilufer Gole
From Secular Enlightenment to Secular Fanaticism
In the wake of the protests against the anti-Mohammed video, the West should be aware that the principle of freedom of opinion can be abused in order to attack Islam, says the Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole. It is now more urgent than ever before that society takes greater responsibility in addressing religious values, she stresses. Alessandro Lanni spoke with the sociologist
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Turkey's Foreign Policy
From Regional to Global Player
With its growing political influence, Turkey is seeking a stronger role in world politics. However, its domestic political problems, as well as regional crises, pose major challenges to its foreign policy ambitions. By Ayhan Simsek
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Interview with Orhan Pamuk
''The Museum of Innocence'' – A Declaration of Love to the City of Istanbul
Orhan Pamuk is Turkey's most famous writer. In 2006 he also became the first ever Turkish writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He recently presented a very special museum to his home city of Istanbul. An interview by Aygül Cizmecioglu
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Repression of Journalists in Turkey
Fighting Press Freedom with Anti-Terrorism Laws
The detention of Ragıp Zarakolu, a past winner of the International Freedom to Publish Award, shows how Turkish anti-terrorism laws are being misused to curtail freedom of expression. By Semiran Kaya
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Kurdish Language Studies in Turkey
A Radical Change in Quiet Stages
The walls may be ancient, but the students are young: the Zinciriye Madrasa in Mardin already offers a Masters in Kurdish Language and Culture and is now to start offering a Bachelors programme. It's a quiet but remarkable change in the Turkish university system. Sonja Galler reports