Stories about Turkey from July, 2008
Turkey is Typing….Bomb Blasts in Istanbul
While the city of Istanbul enjoyed itself with a Metallica concert, the party died down with the news of a bombing in the Istanbul neighborhood of Güngören, leaving at least 17 people dead and over 150 people injured. Reactions to the news in the Turkish blogosphere were slow, but between speculation as to who is behind the attacks and protests against terrorism, one thing has become quite clear....this hasn't been the first time, and it sure won't be the last.
Arabeyes: Head Over Heels for Muhannad
A strange phenomenon has gripped the Arab world and Arabs seem to agree on something. It is an infatuation with a Turkish soap opera, dubbed in Arabic, and its stunning star Muhanned (played by Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ), whose romantic trysts are beamed on television screens across the region. The obsession of some people with the soap has also prompted the Grand Mufti of the Islamic world, Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh, from Saudi Arabia, to issue a fatwa (religious edict) banning the drama, saying watching it is Haram (a sin).
Turkey: Disgusting Bombings
“Every news channel right now is running the breaking news on Istanbul’s bomb blasts, in what the city governor calls a ‘terrorist attack.’ Whoever did it, and whatever message they are trying to convey, this is certainly a disgusting way of doing it,” remarks Mideast Youth, on the latest bomb...
Turkey: First Gay Honour Killing Victim
Turkish Erkan's field dairy posts and photograph and news article of a young man who has now become known as Turkey's first gay honour killing victim.
Bahrain: Obsessed with a Turkish soap opera
A Turkish soap opera, Noor, has become a hit in the Arab world, with reports of fights and even divorces occurring because of the obsession of many women with the handsome male star, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, who plays Muhannad. Some Bahraini bloggers have been examining the popularity of the drama series amongst Arabs.
Armenia/Turkey: Reconciliation?
Unzipped says that while the first 100 days of the new Armenian president, Serge Sargsyan, were a missed opportunity to implement major changes in the country, they were notable for what appears to be an unprecedented opportunity for reconciliation with Turkey. Commenting on news reports, the blog says that there...
Turkey:Ants and Earthquakes?
Metroblogging Istanbul reports on a Turkish researcher who believes that by observing ant behavior that earthquakes can be predicted up to 24-hours in advance.
Turkey: Freedom Train
“My main objection is why the newspaper needs such a campaign,” writes Erkan's Field Diary in response to a recent “Freedom Train” campaign started by the Hürriyet newspaper to draw attention to human rights in Turkey.
Turkey is Typing…Terrorists and Other Threats to the Nation
The past two weeks have been tough for the Republic of Turkey as they have been dealing with enemies from within. On July 9th, a terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Istanbul has the authorities stumped as to who is responsible and why. And on Monday the 14th, Istanbul’s chief prosecutor filed a long-awaited indictment on the controversial Ergenekon case against 86 defendants charged with forming a terror group with the aim of a government coup.
Armenia: Relations With Turkey
The Armenian Observer comments on new moves to promote dialogue with Turkey. The two countries have no diplomatic relations and the border remains closed. However, the blog notes that the response inside Armenia to moves to promote reconciliation between the two neighbors is disappointing.
Armenia: Genocide Literature
The Armenian Odar comments on a blog post dealing with literature on Genocide. In a second post, the same blog provides information on a book by a Turkish Human Rights Lawyer who discovered her Grandmother was actually Armenian and a survivor of the 1915 massacres in Ottoman Turkey.
Armenia: Political Football
Unzipped comments on an opinion piece by Armenia's new president published by the Wall Street Journal in which Serge Sargsyan hopes that September's Armenia-Turkey football World Cup qualifying match in Yerevan can be the catalyst for amicable relations between the two countries. Currently the border between Armenia and Turkey is...
Kurdistance: Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?
Where have all the Kurdish bloggers gone?, asks Deborah Ann Dilley, in this post that revisits the beginnings of Kurdish blogosphere coverage on Global Voices and examines the whereabouts of the Kurdish voice on the internet.
Armenia/Turkey: Cultural Overlaps
Writing on the blog of the US-based Ari Foundation, Selvin Akkus comments on the current state of Armenian-Turkish relations. The blogger says that despite the lack of political will from the governments of both countries, people living in the respective territories of the two estranged neighbors share many cultural similarities.
About our Turkey coverage
