Despite heavy political and diplomatic problems in Turkey, there are signs of a boost in cultural life in the country, showing the desire of at least some Turkish people to stick with universal values.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sept. 11 that his government has put all major arms exports to Turkey on hold due to the deteriorating human rights situation in the country and the escalating tension between the two NATO allies. Chancellor Angela Merkel later said this does not mean a total ban on exports.
On his way back from Kazakhstan on Sept. 10, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters on board his plane that his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump would be a good opportunity to cover all the issues between them.
I received a letter two days ago, seemingly sent to many other colleagues by Selahattin Demirtaş, the co-chair of the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) who has been in jail in the western province of Edirne for more than 10 months without having appeared before a judge.
Sometimes when you read stories in papers separately, they are just news items.
An incest debate is still going on in Turkey, amid all the other political and diplomatic issues facing President Tayyip Erdoğan.
İsmail Rüştü Cirit is a senior judge chairing Turkey’s High Court of Appeals (Yargıtay).
It all started with a news report two weeks ago. A half-famous, minor jet-set TV personality called Murat Başoğlu was “caught” by paparazzi in a boat off the Aegean coast cavorting with a woman who is not his wife.
Only a handful of people in judicial circles and the media criticized Constitutional Court head Zühtü Arslan for bowing before President Tayyip Erdoğan out of respect during Turkey’s Victory Day celebrations on Aug. 30.
