Ankara On High Alert As Mega-Terror Attack is Foiled

A citizen’s report to security authorities of a suspicious Mercedes Vito van parked in a multi-story car parking in the heart of the capital helped foil a mega terror attack in Turkey, on the anniversary of 9/11.

The car park, that is located in a busy district near school grounds, hospitals and many businesses was isolated, and all surrounding buildings were evacuated before the 700 lb. explosive was destroyed by security forces that employed every precaution.

The first evaluation by bomb experts was that this was a “mini atomic bomb”, of the same kind used in 2003 bombings of two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British Bank in Istanbul by Islamist Turks affiliated with Al Qaeda, that had killed over 60 people.

There is a massive search going on in Ankara to hunt down the three suspects that were recorded by the parking cameras as they were leaving the vehicle.

It is reported that authorities had been receiving warnings for a major terror attack in Turkey. High ranking military officials had in their recent speeches also warned about the possibility for such attacks in major Turkish cities.

Source: Hurriyet, Turkey, September 11, 2007

Gul Elected President To A Divided Turkey

Abdullah Gul is elected as the 11th president of Turkey. In the third round of the election Gul received his own party AKP’s 339 votes out of the 448 MPs present on the floor of the parliament. The main opposition party CHP did not participate.

The parliament is in recess for about two hours after which it will reconvene for the swearing in ceremony of the new president. Gul will take over the presidency tonight in Cankaya (the presidential palace) from Ahmet Necdet Sezer with a modest ceremony.

While massive celebrations are planned in Abdullah Gul’s hometown Kayseri and other places, half of the nation is sad and concerned.

Source: All Turkish dailies, August 28, 2007

Turkish Armed Forces Issued a Stern Statement to Mark Victory Day - One Day Before Gul Becomes President

Turkish Chief of General Staff General Yasar Buyukanit’s written statement came three days before the 85th anniversary of August 30 ‘Victory and Armed Forces Day’ in Turkey.

In his strongly worded message General Buyukanit said, “Sinister plans to destroy the unity of our people and the democratic, secular nature of our country are emerging every day in different shapes and forms. Turkish Armed Forces as it has in the past will continue to guard and protect Turkey as a democratic, secular, social state of law, without compromise.”

Read it all at The MEMRI Turkish Media Blog.

New MEMRI spin-off

Introducing MEMRI's Turkish Media Blog

In view of the historical developments taking place during this time in Turkey – developments that will determine the future of the Turkish republic, its relations with its neighbors in the region, and its positioning vis-à-vis, or its alignment with, the E.U. and the U.S. – MEMRI is announcing the launch of its Turkish Media Blog (www.thememriblog.org/turkey/).

The blog will provide firsthand primary-source material translated from the Turkish media – left, center, right, and Islamist, as well as original analyses.

One of the components of the Turkish Media Blog will be translations of speeches, interviews, sermons and segments from TV and movie programs in Turkish, found on youtube and other online video sites.

The MEMRI Turkish Media Blog will supplement MEMRI's Turkish Project's Special Dispatch and Inquiry & Analysis series.

Visit daily to see news before it appears anywhere else in the Western media.

Screw the Kurds, Act IV

From Novak-


The morass in Iraq and deepening difficulties in Afghanistan have not deterred the Bush administration from taking on a dangerous and questionable new secret operation. At a high level, U.S. officials are working with their Turkish counterparts on a joint military operation to suppress Kurdish guerrillas and capture their leaders. Through covert activity, their goal is to forestall Turkey from invading Iraq.


Preventing an invasion by doing the invaders work for them. Nice

Secularism rules the day in Turkey

Turkey's presidency vote annulled

"The constitutional court in Turkey has annulled last Friday's parliamentary vote to elect a new president.

The only candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, failed to win the required majority after a boycott by secularist opposition parties.

The parties, which accuse Mr Gul of a hidden Islamist agenda, asked the court to rule that there was no quorum."

Read it all at BBC News.

"We are all Mustafa Kemal's soldiers"

Democracy In Action: Sea of Flags in Istanbul in Giant Demonstration Against AKP

"Over a million demonstrators from all over Turkey - mostly women and young - flooded Istanbul for the giant demonstration against AKP government, against PM Erdogan and FM Abdullah Gul's presidency. It is reported that the participation in the rally at Caglayan district of Istanbul surpassed the massive rally that took place in Ankara on April 14 - which according to reports was attended by one million people. Ataturk's famous 'speech to the Turkish youth' was read and patriotic songs were sung by Turkey's famous actors and singers accompanied by a massive choir of demonstrators."

Read it all at The MEMRI blog.

"We don't want a covered woman in Ataturk's presidential palace, we want civilized, modern people there."

Turks protest Islamic-rooted government

'Another demonstration against the spread of Sharia in Turkey. This time 700,000 people participated. Apparently Turkish secularism will not go gentle into that good night.

By Benjamin Harvey for Associated Press, with thanks to all who sent this in:

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Some 700,000 Turks waving the red national flag flooded central Istanbul on Sunday to demand the resignation of the government, saying the Islamic roots of Turkey's leaders threatened to destroy the country's modern foundations.

Like the protesters — who gathered for the second large anti-government demonstration in two weeks — Turkey's powerful secular military has accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of tolerating radical Islamic circles.

"They want to drag Turkey to the dark ages," said 63-year-old Ahmet Yurdakul, a retired government employee who attended the protest.'

Read it all at Jihad Watch.