Free Republic

Turkey's high-flying economy, which expanded at a 10 percent annual rate of gross domestic product growth during the first half of 2011,[1] will crash-land in 2012. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan's "economic miracle," to use the Daily Telegraph's admiring words,[2] depended on a 40 percent annual rate of bank credit expansion, which in turn produced a balance of payments deficit as wide as that of southern Europe's crisis countries. Markets have already anticipated a sudden turnaround in the Turkish economy. The Turkish lira (TRY) fell by a quarter between November 2010 and September 2011, making it the world's worst performing...

Russia has sent two nuclear-powered submarines to patrol Eastern Mediterranean waters around Cyprus and enforce the island's right to explore for undersea oil and gas in its territorial seas, according to information from Defencenet.gr, citing a Russian FM spokesman.

As regional powers attempt to rise, other regional powers will react. This is particularly true in this era of globalization. Turkey is now riding a learning curve. Here is how the latest is unfolding. Turkey warned Thursday it will declare a border on the continental shelf if the island of Cyprus proceeds with offshore oil and gas drilling activities. The Foreign Ministry's announcement came a day after Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias announced that U.S. firm Noble Energy will soon begin exploratory drilling to confirm deposits beneath the sea bed off Cyprus' southern coast despite Turkey's attempts to prevent such a...

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad overshadowed his legitimacy. In a televised interview with the Al-Jazeera, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "when we came to the political power nine years ago, there was a 30-year resentment between Turkey and Syria. We made great efforts to improve relations with Syria with which we share 910 kilometres of border. We always proposed al-Assad to release political prisoners, make constitutional amendments and start multiparty system. Unfortunately, none of these reforms were made. I paid a visit to Aleppo earlier this year. I told al-Assad that we were...

Following are excerpts from an interview with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, which aired on the Al-Jazeera network on September 11, 2011. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan: The measures we have taken are only the beginning. As you know, we have taken five measures, and we will see the results of these measures in the days, weeks, and perhaps months to come. Israel must realize that it is accountable for its actions, past and present. It will realize this. We have seen that Israel has never observed any of the resolutions issued by the UN General Assembly or Security Council. Israel...

*** The monument will be higher than the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the Statue of Liberty in USA and the Buddha Statue in ChinaMoscow, September 12, Interfax - 135-meter monument representing an angel with a dove will appear in southern shore of Cyprus near "fruit" capital of the island - town of Limassol. The idea of the project Good Angels of Peace symbolizing peace and charity has appeared in Russia five years ago. The monument will be higher than the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the Statue of Liberty in the USA and Statue of...

Throughout the 1990s, Turkish foreign policy analysts had an easy job. After all, Turkish foreign policy was predictable. Ankara cooperated enthusiastically with Washington, whether in the Middle East or in the Balkans. Turkey aligned itself with Israel and kept at arms length from Middle Eastern neighbors such as Syria and Iran. In Europe, Ankara traded heavily with the European Union (EU) but did not allow the EU to dictate foreign policy. The European Union's frequent allegations and criticism of human rights abuses in Turkey, especially with regard to Turkey's fight against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK, Partiya Karkaren Kurdistan) terrorists, soured...

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - Voicing exasperation at Greek Cypriots for rejecting a U.N. plan to reunite their island, the European Union is looking for ways to reward the minority Turkish Cypriots for backing the plan. EU foreign ministers vented their frustration at Saturday's split referendum result as they arrived in Luxembourg on Monday for their last meeting before the bloc enlarges to admit 10 new members -- including a still divided Cyprus -- next Saturday. "We're all profoundly disappointed that this historic opportunity has been lost," EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten told reporters. "I don't think the leadership of the...

The dissatisfaction in the United Kingdom seems somewhat similar to the rise of the American middle and working class and the ever building support for Donald Trump If you found yourself asking “why” the United Kingdom voted to remove itself from its family within the European Union yesterday, then you are not alone. Many across the globe are trying to understand, predict outcomes and second guess the people of the United Kingdom. To understand this divide, we must start with the most powerful and prominent leader of the European Union, Angela Merkel. Who is she, and what has she done...

Liberal CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour suffered an epic meltdown on Thursday night as it became clear that Britain was asserting its national sovereignty and voting to leave the European Union. The sneering Amanpour repeatedly derided it as an example of “xenophobia” and “white identity” politics. Early in the evening, with the result still in doubt, Amanpour told Anderson Cooper: “A lot of the Leave movements are led by the hard-right, very, very xenophobic, anti-immigrant, very populist, nationalist, white identity politics.” Later, as reality set in, the journalist referenced the current issue of The Economist and raged, “This marks a victory...

(AP) – Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has reverberated through London’s boisterous LGBT pride festival. The flags of European nations flew at the annual Pride in London parade, which ended with a rally in Trafalgar Square. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the crowd of thousands that Europeans in London are “our friends, our families and our neighbors.” Khan says “I recognize the huge contribution you make to our city, you are welcome here. I make you this promise as your mayor. That won’t change.” Voters in London overwhelmingly supported staying in the EU, but a majority outside the...

University of Tartu guest history lecturer Joseph Enge thinks that the UK's vote to leave the European Union is both reasonable and rational, and that it should not come as a surprise. Even more, the current criticism of the voters shows that they are right to leave. Yesterday’s vote for the UK to leave the European Union should not come as a surprise. Their decision is reasonable and rational given the unilateral decisions made by President Obama and Chancellor Merkel without consulting or taking account British concerns or interests. Yet, the hue and cry have been falsely and insultingly directed...

School students must shake their teachers’ hands or their parents will be liable to pay a fine of up to 5,000 francs, authorities in the canton of Basel-Country have ruled. The decision, announced on Wednesday, comes nearly two months after two Muslim schoolboys refused to shake their female teacher’s hand at a school in Therwil, near Basel, because they said physical contact with a woman who wasn’t a family member went against their religion. The incident caused outrage across Switzerland, not only because it was seen as sex discrimination but because their refusal was considered an affront to an intrinsic...

One of Europe’s wealthiest villages is refusing to accept any asylum seekers - and has instead voted to pay a fine of £200,000. Fears women and children could be at risk from sex attacks as well as the disruption to their peaceful way of life has led the super-rich of Switzerland’s alpine resort of Oberwil-Lieli to vote ‘no’ in a referendum to accept just ten migrants. The picturesque village, where 300 millionaires make up 2,200 population, they all used their financial muscle to reject a Government imposed quota.

With the main route (reportedly shut down) being from Turkey to Greece, and up through the Balkans... But now, in response to Balkan countries closing down traditional migrant routes to Europe, Switzerland's military is taking steps to prepare for a potential new wave of immigrants in case it becomes part of a new route. As such, Switzerland has put together a formal emergency preparedness plan, which outlines three scenarios, one of which would call for military intervention.

Dangerous Freedom versus Peaceful Slavery I am often asked what we would do if, for example, the US were to come out with a confiscation order. My reply is: We would do nothing whatsoever! Why? Quite simply, because no one in Switzerland has the political power to execute such an order! Even if Swiss politicians were to support such a confiscation order, the Swiss people would likely have the final vote. I am confident that any such confiscation order wouldn’t have any chance to be supported by a majority in Switzerland, especially one concerning assets held outside the banking system...

Switzerland will hold a referendum to decide whether to ban commercial banks from creating money. The Swiss federal government confirmed on Thursday that it would hold the plebiscite, after more than 110,000 people signed a petition calling for the central bank to be given sole power to create money in the financial system. The campaign - led by the Swiss Sovereign Money movement and known as the Vollgeld initiative - is designed to limit financial speculation by requiring private banks to hold 100pc reserves against their deposits. "Banks won’t be able to create money for themselves any more, they’ll only...

Muslim women can no longer wear the full-body garment in shops, restaurants or public buildings and anyone caught flouting the ban could be struck with a £6,500 fine. The local government of Ticino approved the referendum after the Swiss Parliament ruled that the ban did not violate the country's federal law. Two in three voters in the canton backed the move in an overwhelming result for a referendum, in the wake of heightened terrorist alerts across Europe. The law which MPs voted for only applies to veils which covers the body from head to foot worn by the 40,000 Muslim...

Switzerland has active criminal proceedings against 33 individuals over suspected ties to extremist Islamist groups, but only three people are currently in custody, the attorney general's office said on Sunday. 'Isis cell operating out of Winterthur mosque' (18 Nov 15) Iraqi jailed for posting Isis propaganda online (13 Nov 15) Switzerland extradites French teen jihadist (22 May 15) Some of those cases have been opened in the last two to three months, but the most serious involves a cell of possible Islamist radicals uncovered in the Canton of Schaffhausen last year, said Andry Marty, a spokesman for Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.  ...

Watch any of the TV news talk shows Friday and almost all have ignored one important fact: the Brexit 'Leave' victory was another humiliating loss for President Barack Obama. In fact, some British polls even showed that voter sentiment moved decidedly in favor of Brexit after Obama traveled to Britain and urged a "no" vote. British voters delivered a stinging rebuke to Obama on Thursday when they opted to leave the EU by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin. So strong was the backlash to Obama's blatant attempt to influence the Brexit vote – polls following his April visit...