Free Republic

Muslim leaders were in unison at the United Nations this week arguing that the West was hiding behind its defense of freedom of speech and ignoring cultural sensitivities in the aftermath of anti-Islam slurs that have raised fears of a widening East-West cultural divide. A video made in California depicting the Prophet Mohammad as a fool sparked the storming of U.S. and other Western embassies in many Islamic countries and a deadly suicide bombing in Afghanistan this month. The crisis deepened when a French magazine published caricatures of the Prophet. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was time to...

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced his resignation on Thursday, paving the way for the country’s president to pursue a tighter grip on power. “I decided that for the unity of the (ruling party) a change of chairman would be more appropriate. I am not considering running at the May 22 congress,” Davutoğlu told the nation. Davutoglu, who had fallen out with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has dominated Turkish politics since 2002. …

TURKISH warplanes have shot down a Russian jet which they claim flew into the country's airspace. The aircraft was shot down after it was warned 10 times in five minutes to leave Turkish airspace, a Turkish military official has said. It was just over the Syrian border in Turkey when it was downed by F16 Fighting Falcon jets belonging to Turkey, the official added. But Russian President Vladimir Putin said the plane was 4km into Syria and had not violated Turkey's airspace as it flew at an altitude of 6,000 metres - and claimed it was shot down from the...

By AllahÂ’s will, Jerusalem belongs to the Kurds, the Turks, the Arabs, and to all Muslims. And as our forefathers fought side by side at Gallipoli, and just as our forefathers went together to liberate Jerusalem with Saladin, we will march together on the same path [to liberate Jerusalem]. These are the words just declared by Dovutoglu, the Prime Minister of Turkey. You would think its coming straight from the mouth of the Antichrist. The amazing speeches by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu were given at the inauguration ceremony at the countryÂ’s 55th airport...

Turkey's prime minister on Sunday delivered his most virulent attack so far on Bashar al-Assad, calling the Syrian president a "butcher" and warning that he will be held to account for the deaths of tens of thousands of his citizens. "If God permits, we will see this butcher, this murderer receive his judgement in this world ... and we will praise (God) for it," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. "You will pay a very, very heavy price for showing your courage to the babies in the cradle, the courage you cannot show others," he told a cheering crowd of lawmakers and...

Justice Minister Tzippy Livni on Sunday spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, discussing the possibility that Israel would pay reparations to the families of nine Turkish supporters of Hamas who were killed in 2010 aboard the Mavi Marmara, after they attempted to attack and murder IDF soldiers as part of the Gaza flotilla. Turkey's vice-premier, Bulenbt Arink, told Turkish media Sunday that a meeting and discussion in compensation had taken place, but gave no details. Turkish media reported Sunday that the families were due to receive “tens of millions of dollars” in compensation. Israel has named former director general...