Free Republic

Moscow — Leaders of Turkey and Russia signed a long-delayed deal Monday to build the TurkStream gas pipeline under the Black Sea to deliver Russian gas to Europe's doorstep within three years. The rapid warming trend in Russo-Turkish relations holds deep implications for Syria's immediate crisis, which dominated the talks and the subsequent headlines, but the fallout from that pipeline deal is a potentially crushing blow to struggling pro-Western Ukraine and may be rearranging strategic realities around the region for many years to come. Analysts say that if TurkStream goes ahead it will enable Moscow to cut its former main...

A small town tradition that many animal rights groups have called cruel took place this weekend when six live turkeys were dropped from a plane from 500 feet in the air. One died upon impact. On Friday, one of the turkeys was found dead on the ground after being chucked from the plane. It's unclear how many die each year. Barb Klug, 66, of Bull Shoals collected the dead bird and says she plans to serve it for Thanksgiving dinner.

It may not be the reunion fans were hoping for, but Pink Floyd have come together to support a pro-Palestinian activist group. The Women’s Boat to Gaza is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. It contains 13 women, including the 1976 Nobel peace laureate from Northern Ireland, Mairead Maguire, and it journeyed from Barcelona to Gaza in September in order to bring attention to the Israeli’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The organization posted on its website that they lost contact with the boat on October 5th, and presume that the Israeli Occupation Navy has surrounded it in international...

The EU launched its beefed-up border force Thursday in a rare show of unity by the squabbling bloc as it seeks to tackle its worst migration crisis since World War II. European Union officials inaugurated the new task force at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, the main land frontier for migrants seeking to enter the bloc and avoid the dangerous Mediterranean sea crossing. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCG) will have at its disposal some 1,500 officers from 19 member states who can be swiftly mobilised in case of an emergency, like a sudden surge...

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Turkish authorities have detained a brother of Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based cleric they accuse of orchestrating a coup attempt in July, and issued arrest warrants for 115 other people as part of nationwide investigations into the abortive putsch. Kudbettin Gülen was taken into custody on Sunday by Turkish counter-terrorism police in the Gaziemir district of the Aegean province of Izmir following intelligence that he was staying at a relative’s house, state-run Anadolu Agency said. […] Several of Gülen’s relatives, including a nephew, niece and cousins, have been arrested since the July 15 coup. …

A (mostly) daily posting for those interested in history and the day to day news, politics and culture of a bygone world; the full edition of the New York Tribune from today's date in 1896 (digitized).

Erdogan: Mosul offensive will commence October 19 By Zhelwan Z. Wali yesterday at 07:30 Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. AP photo ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed on Sunday that the battle to push the Islamic State (ISIS, Daesh) out of their stronghold of Mosul will commence on October 19. “It is said that the battle for Mosul against Daesh will kick off on October 19 and that we all have to be prepared for this event,” Erdogan said in a meeting with...

Ankara’s tanks have been in the news a lot this year, whether prowling the streets of the Turkish capital in a failed coup attempt, or taking missile fire from rebel fighters on the Syrian border. Recently, Turkish armor crossed over into Syria and drove the Islamic State terrorist group from its last holdings along the Turkish border — and also fought with U.S.-backed Kurdish rebels, creating a frustrating diplomatic quandary for the White House.

The evidence is scant that Arcan Cetin, a Muslim migrant from Turkey, murdered five people in Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington last Friday night in the name of jihad and Islam, but the evidence that does exist is striking. Amid his busy online activity, Cetin posted admiration for the Islamic State caliph al-Baghdadi and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei and a call for Muslims to repeat “SubhanAllah” multiple times.

The European Union launched a program on Monday to issue monthly electronic cash grants to benefit a million refugees in Turkey, as part of a deal under which Ankara will curb the numbers trying to enter Europe. The Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) will give refugees pre-paid cards for food, housing, schooling or medical expenses in Turkey. Earlier this year, EU countries approved a fund of 3 billion euros ($3.37 billion) to help Turkey improve living conditions for some 3 million Syrian migrants on its territory. The ESSN is part of that deal.

A (mostly) daily posting for those interested in history and the day to day news, politics and culture of a bygone world; the full edition of the New York Tribune from today's date in 1896 (digitized).

The Muslim Brotherhood's Conquest of Europe by Lorenzo Vidino Middle East Quarterly Winter 2005 Since its founding in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood (Hizb al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) has profoundly influenced the political life of the Middle East. Its motto is telling: "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."[1] While the Brotherhood's radical ideas have shaped the beliefs of generations of Islamists, over the past two decades, it has lost some of its power and appeal in the Middle East, crushed by...

A witness has a picture of the police raid arresting the suspected Washington mall shooter. She has identified him as Arcan Cetin. Arcan Cetin's Facebook profile has his hometown listed as Adana, Turkey.

Moody’s has downgraded Turkey’s credit rating to “junk” status, a further blow to an economy shaken by terrorist attacks, a failed military coup and a diplomatic spat with Russia. The rating agency on Friday lowered its rating on Turkey’s debt one notch, stripping it of investment-grade status. The move could mean higher borrowing costs as investors demand steeper interest rates to take on riskier Turkish debt. …

A (mostly) daily posting for those interested in history and the day to day news, politics and culture of a bygone world; the full edition of the New York Tribune from today's date in 1896 (digitized).

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one...

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. (Daniel 8:1-2)In Daniel’s vision, the Prophet sees himself at “Shushan in the Palace” in Elam, by the river Ulai. th-8 This is interesting in itself, because the vision tales...

And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai . Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand...

The focus turns back to culture and geopolitics this week as John talks about "The Handwriting Is on the Wall". The attack on the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Religion is now being waged by the Civil Rights Commission of the federal government. Churches need to be prepared to deal with this issue and stand strong. In geopolitics, the focus is on Israel, Russia, Turkey and what used to be called Syria. You will see, that, indeed, the handwriting is on the wall.