About: Fetullah Gulen
Turkish FM says the EU has ‘over-politicised’ accession negotiations
The EU has “excessively politicised” the negotiations between Ankara and Brussels, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told EURACTIV’s partner EFE in a written interview, calling on the bloc to take a more positive approach. He reiterated his country’s...
Hundreds face life in prison in trial over Turkey’s 2016 attempted coup
A Turkish court will hand down verdicts Thursday (26 November) to nearly 500 suspects in one of the main trials stemming from the bloody 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
A Biden administration is bad news for Turkey’s Erdogan
Donald Trump’s lackadaisical approach to Turkey's President Recep Erdoğan gave him an opening for an aggressive and revisionist set of policies that pushed the boundaries of Turkey’s relations with America and Europe, writes Henri J Barkey.
EU slams Turkey over re-arrest of journalist
The European Union on Wednesday (13 November) criticised Turkey over the re-arrest of the journalist and novelist Ahmet Altan, saying the move damaged the credibility of the judiciary.
Trump prepares to drop sanctions hammer on Turkey
President Donald Trump’s administration is set to impose economic sanctions on Ankara, potentially as early as this week, for its incursion into northern Syria, one of the few levers the United States still has over NATO-ally Turkey.
Erdogan’s Turkey: ‘You are either with us or you are terrorists’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who famously called the coup attempt of 15 July 2016 ‘a gift from God’ has held the Gülen movement solely responsible for the putsch without presenting any compelling evidence, writes Ramazan Güveli. Ramazan Güveli is Director...
Ankara presses Prague to extradite Kurdish leader
The Turkish government wants the Czech authorities to extradite a Syrian Kurdish leader detained this weekend at Ankara's request to face terror charges in Turkey, it said on Sunday (25 February).
Turkish courts reject jailed journalists’ request to be released
Turkish penal courts decided to keep two jailed journalists in detention, state-run news agency Anadolu said yesterday (11 January), hours after a top court had requested they be released because their rights had been violated while in custody.
Germany says EU aid to Turkey could be halted over arrests
Germany raised the possibility on Wednesday (19 July) of suspending European Union aid payments to Turkey after summoning Ankara's ambassador to Berlin to protest over the arrest of six human rights activists including a German citizen.
Tense trial begins for alleged 2016 Turkey coup ringleaders
More than 220 suspects, including over two dozen former generals, went on trial yesterday (22 May) accused of being among the ringleaders of last year's attempted coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Erdogan back as AK Party head, pledges to fight enemies
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged to fight Turkey's enemies at home and abroad yesterday (21 May) as he was elected leader of the ruling AK Party, a move enabling him to reassert his grip on the party and its legislative work.
US, Turkish leaders put best face on ties amid tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told US President Donald Trump yesterday (16 May) his country would not accept Syrian Kurdish fighters in the region but stopped short of directly criticising a US decision to arm them.
Victims of Turkish purges fear heavier crackdown after referendum
Mehtap Yoruk used to teach in a nursery school in south-east Turkey, until she was sacked last year in a purge of tens of thousands of state employees. Now, she ekes out a living selling chicken and rice from a food cart, dreaming of being reunited with her classroom.
Germany investigating 20 Turks on suspicion of spying
German authorities are investigating 20 Turkish citizens on suspicion of conducting espionage in Germany, a newspaper reported yesterday (5 April).
Germany rejects Turkish request to spy on Gulenists
Germany launched a second investigation yesterday (28 March) into suspected spying by Turkey and its interior minister said Berlin would not tolerate foreign espionage on its soil.
Erdogan says Turkey will review EU ties ‘from A to Z’
Turkey will review all political and administrative ties with the European Union after an April referendum, including a deal to curb illegal migration, but will maintain economic relations with the bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said yesterday (23 March).
Erdogan tells Merkel to abandon ‘Islamist terror’ phrase
Ahead of today’s EU summit in Malta (3 February), German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid a visit to Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lectured her not to use the expression “Islamist terror."
Over 5,000 Turks file cases at European court over purge
More than 5,300 Turks have filed complaints before the European Court of Human Rights over their government's purge following a failed coup last July, the president of the court said Thursday (26 January).
Turkey dismisses over 8,000 in new wave of post-coup purges
Turkey on Saturday ordered the dismissal of almost 8,400 civil servants and the closure of over 80 associations, including sports clubs, in the latest round of purges after the July failed coup.
EU, US ‘shocked’ by killing of Russian ambassador in Turkey
Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was shot in the back and killed as he gave a speech at an Ankara art gallery yesterday (19 December) by an off-duty police officer who shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar" as he opened fire.
EU ministers criticise Turkey but not ready to halt membership talks
European Union foreign ministers yesterday (14 November) criticised Turkey's crackdown on alleged supporters of a failed military coup in July but Austria's call to suspend Ankara's EU membership bid failed to garner enough backing.
Asselborn: Turkey’s treatment of dismissed officials reminiscent of Nazis
Luxembourg's Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn said today (7 November) that the Turkish government's handling of dismissed civil servants reminded him of methods used by the Nazis, and that, sooner or later, the EU would have to respond with sanctions.
Compromising in the Caucasus
A change in the status quo of the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would affect all regional players, writes Antonia Colibasanu.