US orders families of consulate workers in Istanbul to leave

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

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 […]

The Great Myth About U.S. Intervention in Syria

The Great Myth About U.S. Intervention in Syria

As the carnage in Syria continues with no end in sight, it is hardly surprising that many people are redoubling their efforts to get the United States to “do something.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (and likely the next U.S. president) has used the campaign trail to convey that she still supports a no-fly zone (or […]

Explosion hits southern Turkey’s Antalya, some casualties

Explosion hits southern Turkey’s Antalya, some casualties

An explosion outside a chamber of commerce building in Turkey’s southern resort city of Antalya wounded several people on Tuesday but the mayor said there were no life-threatening injuries and the blast may have been an accident. Turkey is on high alert after repeated bombings blamed on Islamic State and Kurdish militants this year. Authorities […]

Pentagon Chief Ash Carter visits Iraq to assess Mosul fight

Pentagon Chief Ash Carter visits Iraq to assess Mosul fight

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s push for Iraq to let Turkey play a role in the Mosul battle encountered resistance Saturday from Iraq’s prime minister, who said his country’s forces will oust Islamic State of Iraq and Syrian militants from the northern city. “I know that the Turks want to participate, we tell them thank […]

Lions led by a lamb, an open letter on 5th Special Forces Group leadership

Lions led by a lamb, an open letter on 5th Special Forces Group leadership

Editors note: the following open letter was penned by a current member of 5th Special Forces Group who wanted to speak out against the current toxic command climate that exists in his unit. Toxic leadership is something that many soldiers and civilians accuse their command of, but rarely is it ever as bad as it […]

Turkish officials found in car trunk, smuggled into Greece

Turkish officials found in car trunk, smuggled into Greece

THESSALONIKI, GREECE:  Police in Greece have detained two Turkish military officers found in a smuggler’s car that had several migrants on board, officials said on Saturday. The arrest took place in the northern city of Xanthi on Thursday evening, local police told AFP.The two Turks were crammed inside a BMW with Bulgarian license plates, alongside two […]

Putin, Erdogan Boost Russian-Turkish Trade Ties

Putin, Erdogan Boost Russian-Turkish Trade Ties

The Turkish and Russian leaders strengthened their rapprochement on Monday by emphasizing new trade deals that boost their ailing economies while minimizing their deep tensions on security matters. On the sidelines of a global energy summit in Istanbul, Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin signed a deal for the long-delayed TurkStream natural gas project that would allow Russia […]

Interview with a YPG/Peshmerga foreign fighter

Interview with a YPG/Peshmerga foreign fighter

PJ and I were in the same Peshmerga units before he left to fight in Syria alongside the YPG. He is an exceptional warrior that embodies the spirit of the Marine Corps with a sense of humor that cannot be matched, Semper Fidelis brother.   Kurt: What’s your military background? PJ: 0351 infantry assaultman UCMC […]

Bomb Kills at Least 18 Near Military Checkpoint in Turkey

Bomb Kills at Least 18 Near Military Checkpoint in Turkey

Kurdish militants detonated a car bomb outside a military checkpoint in southeastern Turkey on Sunday, killing 10 soldiers and eight civilians, the prime minister said. Turkey immediately launched a military operation against the rebels in response. At a news conference in Istanbul, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned the attack. “For the stability of our country, we will […]

Russia shoots down US jet marking beginning of WWIII (This could be a future headline)

Russia shoots down US jet marking beginning of WWIII (This could be a future headline)

Just kidding. But this headline or something like it might be featured on your news feeds.  Russia could shoot down a US aircraft, however, and the response from the West will be a monumental decision. Russia has propped up its air defense capability in Syria. Please remember that Russia, right or wrong, has ground authority […]

‘Motorbike’ bombing near Istanbul police station, at least 10 wounded

‘Motorbike’ bombing near Istanbul police station, at least 10 wounded

A bomb detonated near the police station in the Yenibosna neighborhood of Southwest Istanbul, Turkey. The governor stated that all 10 people that were wounded from the blast were civilians. This past year, several bombings have targeted the police and were carried out by the PKK. However, no one has claimed this bombing yet. Governor Vasip […]