TurkishpresidentErdogan – European Affairs Magazine

Beginning in relations between United States and Turkey

13 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that his visit to the United States next week would herald a new beginning in relations between the two countries. Relations between the NATO allies have been strained by differences over Syria policy. U.S. President Donald Trump approved a plan on Tuesday (May 9) to arm the Syrian Kurdish YPG in the fight against Islamic State (ISIS), a move which was strongly objected by Turkey, which sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Erdogan told a news conference at the capital Ankara that he believed the United States was still going through a “transition period”, and that decisions such as the arming the YPG dated back to policies from the previous administration. He also said he would pursue Turkey’s demand for the extradition of the U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind a failed military coup last July. That was followed by a purge of tens of thousands of Turkish state employees accused of links to Gulen, who has denied any involvement in the coup attempt.

KRG premier meets Erdogan in Istanbul.

29 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, three days after Turkish warplanes launched air raids in Sinjar that killed five Peshmerga. The 45-minute meeting was held at Yildiz Palace in Istanbul. Barzani held talks at Yildiz Palace in Istanbul at 4 p.m. on Friday (April 28), according to Anadolu Agency, yet the content of the meeting was not then revealed. Yeni Safak news reported the leaders discussed Turkish operations to eliminate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sinjar and that Turkey and the Kurdistan Region are against the PKK camps in the region. Barzani said new operations would be carried out against the PKK, Yeni Safak reported. Barzani and the KRG Minister of Natural Resources attended the two-day Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit 2017 April 28, which began on April 27. The Atlantic Council hosts world leaders for the eighth time in Turkey, focusing on regions from Syria to Africa and the Black Sea region to the eastern Mediterranean. Issues on the international agenda regarding the economy, national security, energy, trade and the Syrian refugee crisis are discussed. Erdogan said during the summit that Turkey would not allow any political party to be created in Rojava (Kurdish controlled areas in northern Syria). Turkish military jets launched airstrikes on Kurdish fighters in Sinjar and northern Syria on April 25, killing five members of Peshmerga forces, one fighter of Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) and 20 members of People’s Protection Units (YPG). The airstrikes have raised the concern of the United States, Russia and the Coalition forces as well as Iran and Egypt.

AKP plans Erdoğan’s return to the party as leader on May 21.

28 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is planning to hold an extraordinary convention on May 21 to elect President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as its chairman in line with constitutional amendments that now permit the head of the nation to retain links with his political party.The decision to stage the extraordinary convention is likely to be taken during a meeting of the AKP’s central-decision making body (MKYK) next week amid plans to hold the convention on May 21. The cabinet is also expected to be reshuffled at the end of next week, according to sources.

Kurds in Diyarbakir say they want peace after defeat of referendum "No" vote .

17 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

As Turkey reached the final stages of counting the results of its referendum on Sunday, Kurds living in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir said they were looking forward to peace in the country. As they watched the results on television inside a traditional tea house, many said they were accepting of a move from Turkey’s parliamentary democracy to an all-powerful presidency that may see Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in power until at least 2029, in the most radical change to the country’s political system in its modern history. Diyarbakir is dominated by Kurds, many of whom support the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP). The referendum vote was strongly in favor of “No” at 67.58 percent against 32.42 percent in favor of “Yes”.

Erdoğan says government should reinstate death penalty after April 16 referendum.

13 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he believes the government should submit a draft on reinstating the death penalty in the event that the constitutional amendments are approved in the upcoming referendum on April 16. “After April 16, with God’s permission, the draft would be brought to parliament. If it passes in parliament, I will approve it”, Erdoğan said at a rally in the eastern province of Erzurum on April 12. Although the death penalty has not been in effect since 1984, Turkey abolished the capital punishment in 2004 as a part of reforms to ease Turkey’s accession into the European Union. The move was initiated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and supported by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Europe today is no longer the center of democracy, human rights and freedoms but it is one of oppression, violence and Nazism”, Erdoğan said .

7 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Europe is no longer the center of democracy and human rights but it is one of Nazism and oppression, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, accusing European leaders of being surrounded by far-right politicians. “Europe has reached such a point. It’s finished; wasted away. But it will pay for it dearly, very dearly. All [the values] they have been defending for centuries have collapsed. I am clear on this. In the eyes of billions of people, Europe today is no longer the center of democracy, human rights and freedoms but it is one of oppression, violence and Nazism”, Erdoğan said at a rally in the western province of Balıkesir on April 6. He said Europe is a rotten continent. “Racist parties are twisting European leaders and governments around their fingers. Europe has nothing to tell us or the world”.

President Erdoğan vows new cross-border operations of Turkey’s military operation in Syria

4 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the first phase of Turkey’s military operation in Syria, dubbed the Euphrates Shield, has ended while heralding that new operations will follow. “We have completed the first phase of the Euphrates Shield Operation with the cleaning of Syria’s al-Bab from terrorists. It is now over and there will be [operations] from now on. Right now, we are preparing for new operations to walk all over terror organizations in other regions. We will give new names to new operations. We have very good surprises for all terror groups, including the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] YPG [the People’s Protection Units], DEASH [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], FETÖ [Fethullahist Terror Organization], waiting for the spring. With God’s will, the upcoming months will be the dead winter of terrorists while it will be the spring of Turkey and the Turkish nation”, Erdoğan said April 3.

Erdoğan: EU is ‘Crusader Alliance’ lying to us.

3 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A meeting last week between EU leaders and Pope Francis in the Vatican is evidence that Europe’s most important union is a “Crusader Alliance” and was consequently avoiding admitting Turkey as a full member, Turkey’s president has said, declaring that the upcoming referendum on charter changes will also stand as a vote on Ankara’s ties with Brussels. All the leaders of the EU countries went to the Vatican and listened to the pope submissively. Do you now understand why they have not been taking Turkey into the EU for 54 years? The situation is quite loud and clear, it is a Crusader Alliance. April 16 will also be the day to evaluate this”, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a rally in Ankara on April 2.

Erdoğan blasts ‘delusional’ one-man regime accusation ahead of referendum.

24 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Claims that the constitutional change shifting Turkey to an executive presidential system will introduce one-man rule are “delusional”, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said. “This accusation is a fallacy, a delusion that arises from having nothing to say to the public”, Erdoğan said in a speech in the capital Ankara on March 23, addressing words from main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. “Let’s assume that the president goes astray and tries [to establish] one-man rule. Before all, the nation will come down on him. We will be asked to give an account by two: The people and God”, Erdoğan said.

Turkey’s Erdoğan said: "I will call Europe fascist as long as they call me dictator"

24 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he would call the European countries fascists as long as they continue to call him a dictator. “You have the freedom to call Erdoğan dictator but Erdoğan does not have the freedom to call them fascist or Nazi. Take no offense but I will call them fascist as long as they call Erdoğan dictator,” Erdoğan told in a live interview with Doğan TV Ankara representative Hakan Çelik aired on CNN Türk and Kanal D on March 23. Erdoğan also said he deplored the newly-elected German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s remarks targeting himself