Turkey dismisses close to 15,000 more in post-coup probe

Turkey on Tuesday dismissed close to 15,000 more civil servants, military officials, police and others and shut down more than 500 institutions and news outlets in investigations over a failed coup in July, authorities said in two official decrees. More than 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended in the military, civil service, judiciary and […]

Brooklyn man arrested, accused of supporting Islamic State

A Brooklyn man who tried to join the Islamic State and later told an informer that the group wanted to stage an attack in Times Square similar to the one that killed 86 people in Nice, France, last summer was arrested in New York on Monday, the authorities said. The man, Mohamed Rafik Naji, 37, […]

Turkish ruling party sparks uproar with sexual abuse bill

Turkey’s ruling AK Party came under fire from the opposition, rights groups and on social media on Friday over a proposal that critics said could allow men accused of sexually abusing girls to avoid punishment if they marry their victims. The proposal, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, would allow sentencing in cases […]

Depleted by coup, Turkish air force seeks to lure back seasoned pilots

Turkey’s air force in September made a public appeal to hundreds of former pilots to return to its depleted ranks to replace more than 350 airmen purged after July’s failed coup. The call has largely gone unanswered, according to military officials and former pilots, as the deep divisions exposed by the coup attempt in Turkey’s […]

Turkish, U.S. military chiefs discuss Syria and Iraq operations

The heads of the Turkish and U.S. armed forces discussed joint strategies against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq during a meeting in Ankara on Sunday, the Turkish military said in a statement. Turkish chief of general staff Hulusi Akar met his U.S. counterpart Joseph Dunford hours after U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) launched an […]

Shots fired at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, two men detained

Turkish authorities briefly barred cars from entering and leaving Istanbul’s main Ataturk Airport on Sunday after police fired shots when a motorcycle refused an order to stop, CNN Turk said. One of two men aboard the motorcycle was wounded and detained and the second was apprehended by police after a pursuit, the private broadcaster reported. […]

Bombing in southeastern Turkey kills nine and wounds 100

A car bomb outside of a police station in Diyarbakir, Turkey killed at least nine and wounded approximately 100. Out of the nine killed, seven were civilians and two were police officers. The bombing was likely carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and Turkish officials have already blamed the group for the explosion. The bombing comes shortly after […]

Iraq-Turkey tension rises amid battle for Mosul

Iraq’s prime minister has warned Turkey against provoking a confrontation while saying he does not want war. Haider al-Abadi made the comments after Turkey deployed tanks and artillery near the Iraqi border and insisted that any Turkish involvement would be a violation of national sovereignty. Turkey wants a a role in the battle to retake Mosul from the […]

Turkey detains 13 journalists after mass firings of public servants

Turkey has detained 13 journalists in an ongoing wave of government crackdowns following a coup attempt in July. Early Monday morning, Turkish police detained Murat Sabuncu, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet, along with a dozen other reporters in a raid, according to official news agency Anadolu. The Turkish government has accused the journalists of publishing stories […]

The Ottoman Empire Strikes Back: Where is Turkey headed?

Turkey is re-emerging to the Middle Eastern scene playing an actual role in the coming solutions. Whether or not those work for the best and persist is anyone’s guess. The Ottoman Empire comprised most of the areas that are in turmoil in the Middle East, today. One thing can’t be denied – they ruled an […]

US orders families of consulate workers in Istanbul to leave

The State Department is ordering family members of employees posted to the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul to leave because of security concerns. In a statement issued Saturday, the State Department says the decision is based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where […]

Why Turkey Is Bombing Anti-ISIS Fighters in Iraq, Syria

Turkey is a NATO partner that stands with U.S. troops on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, but it’s an ally that’s increasingly turning its guns on fighters the U.S. sees as vital to crushing ISIS. On Wednesday, Turkey launched one of its biggest airstrikes in decades — bombing 18 positions in northern Syria and […]