Free Republic

A high-ranking official from Turkey’s second-largest state-owned bank was arrested in New York City March 27. On the orders of the acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Joon H. Kim, FBI agents arrested Mehmet Hakan Atilla, Halkbank’s vice president for international banking, for violating the US-led sanctions against Iran. The press release from Kim’s office accused Atilla with participating “in a years-long scheme to violate American sanctions laws by helping Reza Zarrab, a major gold trader, use U.S. financial institutions to engage in prohibited financial transactions that illegally funneled millions of dollars to Iran.” Zarrab, a Turkish citizen...

MUSLIM WOMAN tries to set airline seat on fire, threatens to blow up the plane DECEMBER 18, 2019 BY BARENAKEDISLAM The reason? This Turkish Muslim passenger was forced her to extinguish her cigarette. She’s the one in the full-face covering body bag in blue. The SUN A Pegasus Airlines flight from Istanbul to Tymbou, Northern Cyprus airport was canceled after a Muslim woman threatened to blow up the aircraft this morning, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported. According to Hurriyet, the woman argued with other passengers and kept lighting cigarettes in the plane before security forces arrived. She held up a picture...

Anti-Semitism is widespread in Turkey and intensely motivated by Islamic scriptures. Some Turkish authorities and opinion-shapers have chosen the “easy” way: Use the “Jew card” to demonize Gülen and his supporters. Many pro-government news websites and discussion forums, including pro-government newspapers, are filled with columns that claim Gülen is actually Jewish.A columnist with the pro-government newspaper Sabah, Ersin Ramoğlu, for example, wrote a column entitled “Fethullah Gülen: a Karaite Jew,” in which he “described” how “Jewish Fethullah Gülen has destroyed Turkey, such as by poisoning thousands of young people in his schools.” Then he explained why Gülen engages in all...

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday gave the U.S. an ultimatum following Ankara's repeated requests for the extradition of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, accused of orchestrating the defeated July 15 coup. "Sooner or later the U.S. will make a choice: either Turkey or FETO," Erdogan said. "Either the coup-plotting terrorist FETO or the democratic country Turkey. [The U.S.] has to make this choice," he said, referring to the Gulen-led Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) which Ankara says mounted the bloody coup attempt through rogue elements within the military.

(CNN)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States "an ultimatum," demanding the extradition of the cleric he believes is behind the failed July 15 coup attempt. The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that Erdogan had said the US had to choose between its relationship with Turkey and Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania for decades. Turkey has requested his extradition, while Gulen denied involvement in the coup. Breaking down Turkey's rapprochement with Russia Breaking down Turkey's rapprochement with Russia 08:12 While ties with Washington threaten to cool over the Gulen issue,...