Discrimination in Turkey

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is prepared to take steps in order to contain likely criticism in regards to inaction regarding the expansion of fundamental freedoms and rights amid an agenda dominated by terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations.

The Economic Development Foundation (?KV) has been conducting an eye-opening series of studies on Turkey-EU relations. The first, examining the "mathematics" of the European Commission's progress reports on Turkey, was released last year; the second, examining the "linguistics" of the reports, was recently made public.

Turkish Airlines (THY) canceled at least 72 domestic and international flights due to the heavy storm that took effect in Istanbul starting from late Nov. 20, as inner-city and inter-city ferry lines were also halted.

Morning ferries to Turkey's western islands of Gökçeada and Bozcaada off the coast of Çanakkale have been canceled on the day of the Nov. 1 snap elections due to bad weather. 

A strong northeastern storm on the northern coasts of the Aegean Sea have caused the suspension of ferry services from Çanakkale to its Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) districts since Oct. 31. 

A group of representatives from several minority advocate groups gathered on Istanbul's ?stiklal Avenue to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Istanbul pogrom, anti-Greek riots in Sept. 6 and 7 in 1955 that left 15 people dead, many others injured and a large number of Greek homes and buildings looted.

The Istanbul pogrom, known in Greece as Septembriana, took place on September 6-7, 1955. Anti-Greek riots were orchestrated by the Tactical Mobilization Group, the Counter-Guerrilla and the National Secuρity Service.

Orthodox Greeks have gathered at the Ayazma Monastery on Tenedos island, known Bozcaada in Turkish, in the Aegean province of Çanakkale for a religious ceremony to celebrate Hagia Paraskevi Day.

A number of Greek families who had fled to Greece from the Turkish island of Gokceada, known to Greeks as Imbros, are now returning to their homeland to escape the economic crisis. Turkish Hurriyet Daily News states that the local Mayor Unal Cetin is congratulating returning Greeks for helping boost the economy with repatriated Greeks having started boutique hotels and other businesses.

The first residents of Imbros, known as Gökçeada in Turkish, in the Aegean province of Çanakkale migrated from Anatolia some 8,500 years ago, according to archeological research which has been carried out on the island for the past six years. 

“Turkey is supporting the immediate reopening of the Halki seminary if Greece allows at least one mosque to operate in Thessaloniki”, stated Turkish President Erdogan, in a meeting on the Armenian genocide issue.

A Turkish writer, however, stated that Greece does not seem willing to let a mosque operate in Thessaloniki.