Free Republic

Since October 2014, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has regularly referred to the concept of a "Mastermind" (ust akil, "supra-intellect," in Turkish) that, he says, is plotting against Turkey. This concept has been applauded by the Islamist pro-AKP media. Erdogan's December 12, 2014 speech, which focused on this "mastermind" concept, inspired the production of a two-hour "documentary" by one of the leading Turkish television channels, the pro-AKP A Haber. The film, titled "The Mastermind," first aired on March 15, 2015 and has been broadcast repeatedly since then; in addition, the Turkish Islamist pro-AKP media are circulating the film on their...

MOSUL, Iraq: While talk of dividing Iraq along sectarian lines continues to be largely rejected in Baghdad and Washington, forces are already at work that could turn a part of the country into a Sunni-dominated, conservative Islamic enclave. Some insurgents already envision this volatile city, about 200 miles north of Baghdad, as the capital of this new Islamic state in Iraq. Called the Islamic Emirate, insurgents believe they can hold sway and enforce their own laws over the provinces of Salahaddin, Anbar, Diyala, Baghdad and parts of Wasit and Babel. To implement their agenda, the extremists have set up what...