Free Republic

NOTE: THIS IS THE NEW FLOTILLA/CONVOY/"HUMANITARIAN AID"/"HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS" THREAD. SNIPPET: "While the debate over mosque development in New York continues to dominate the news cycle, opposing sides in the Israeli blockade on Gaza are gearing up for a new round of confrontations that could take place as soon as next month. Although the list of items restricted from entering Gaza has been dramatically reduced, George Galloway, the ex-British MP who runs the group Viva Palestina, promises a new land convoy leaving from London, Casablanca and Doha September 18. Galloway has made it clear his mission has more to do...

ISTANBUL, Feb. 4, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates left the Washington, D.C., Beltway yesterday, putting the politics of war spending behind him, only to land squarely in the middle of the same debate among the NATO partners here. Turkish officials greet Defense Robert M. Gates upon his arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Feb. 4, 2010. Gates is attending a two-day conference of NATO defense ministers. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Gates flew overnight to spend today and tomorrow working with U.S. allies to help in prioritizing the organization’s spending and at...

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey and Iran have been carrying out coordinated strikes on Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq, a top Turkish general said Thursday in the first military confirmation of Iranian-Turkish cooperation in the fight against separatists there. Gen. Ilker Basbug, Turkey's land forces commander, said the two countries have been sharing intelligence and planned more coordinated attacks in the future against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and PEJAK, the group's Iranian wing.

Yesterday’s headline of the new Turkish daily Taraf read, “A secret meeting in Syria”. The liberal daily wrote that a large Turkish delegation flew to Syria before Turkey began its raids against the terrorist bases in northern Iraq. Officials from the General Staff, the Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), as well as officials from the US, Syria, Iran and Iraq, discussed the details of cooperation against the PKK in northern Iraq. The daily quoted its sources as having said that not only the operation, but also its aftermath was planned out during the top-secret meeting.

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Eight Turkish troops taken hostage by Kurdish rebels after a deadly ambush have been charged with neglecting their duty during the clash, a defense attorney said Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT The Oct. 21 ambush, which killed 12 other soldiers, had increased pressure on Turkey's government stage a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq — an operation the U.S. has discouraged for fear of destabilizing a relatively calm part of Iraq. Rebels released the eight captive soldiers earlier this month. They were charged Saturday with "disobedience that could lead to a major catastrophe" and "undermining military discipline,"...

KASSEL, Germany, SEPT. 14, 2006 (Zenit.org).- A Turk has been arrested in the stabbing of a 70-year-old Salesian parish priest who was attacked at the door of his rectory. Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the attack last Monday on Father Aloys Weber. The Salesian International News Agency (ANS) reported the incident Wednesday, detailing that the assailant repeatedly accused the priest of being "the incarnation of evil." On Monday afternoon, the assailant went to the door of the rectory. When Father Weber opened the door, he was stabbed three times, twice in the abdomen and once near...

14 June 2004 -- Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told Muslim countries that democracy is inevitable in the Middle East and that each nation must determine the pace of its own democratic reforms. Sezer's remarks were addressed to the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting today in Istanbul. He said the group's members need to consider the future of the Islamic world. "We have observed that recently the attention of the international community has been directed towards the Islamic world. Discussions that have intensified over the question 'What went wrong?' should not only be limited to scholars. We...

ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday, ''we are on a road of no return about European Union (EU) issue. The reason of our request for a general discussion was that we reached a very critical period about the EU issue.'' Pre-discussion on motion for a general discussion on the EU was started at the Parliamentary General Assembly. Speaking on behalf of the government, Gul said, ''the government requested a general discussion to be held by taking into consideration the critical period Turkey reached in its EU membership process. The general discussion coincided with...