Watchdog: Western tech used for hacking in Turkey, Syria

phys.org, Watchdog: Western tech used for hacking in Turkey, Syria"A Canadian company's hardware is being used to hack internet users along Turkey's border with Syria, researchers said Friday, adding that there were signs that Kurdish forces aligned with the United States might have been targeted.

Russian ambassador killing

BBC News, Russian ambassador killing: Photographer who captured the scene, 20 Dec 2016

Telegraph, Turkey claims followers of US-exiled cleric killed Russian ambassador

Istanbul hit by suicide bomb attack

Guardian, Istanbul hit by suicide bomb attack

Imam, cats and social media

Independent, i100, An Imam in Istanbul has opened up his mosque to the city's stray cats, 17 Jan 2016 "Efe is well known in the city for his "good humour and diligence", the Daily Sabah reports - but a video Efe took of a mother cat taking her kittens from the street into the safety of the mosque has given his everyday acts of compassion a global audience."

'The battle for Turkey'

Christopher de Bellaigue, The Guardian, The battle for Turkey: can Selahattin Demirtas pull the country back from the brink of civil war? 28 Oct 2015



Interesting and detailed article on the current situation in Turkey

Mehmet Görmez

todayszaman.com, Turkey's top cleric calls new Islamic ‘caliphate' illegitimate "[Mehmet] Görmez said death threats against non-Muslims made by the group, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), were hugely damaging. "The statement made against Christians is truly awful. Islamic scholars need to focus on this [because] an inability to peacefully sustain other faiths and cultures heralds the collapse of a civilization," he told Reuters in an interview."

Turkey publishes Islamic Encyclopedia on the internet

World Bulletin, Turkey publishes Islamic Encyclopedia on the internet "The Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation’s Islamic Encyclopedia, arguably one of the most important collections of Islamic knowledge published in contemporary times, is now available on the internet."

'The Last Ottomans are Gathering on Facebook'

Sabah English, The Last Ottomans are Gathering on Facebook "The last 77 members of the Ottoman dynasty, which are spread out throughout a wide geography spanning from the United States to Jordan, are now in communication with one another through a group formed on the popular social networking website Facebook."

‘Internet assassin’ joins swap arrivals in Turkey

Hurriyet Daily News, ‘Internet assassin’ joins swap arrivals in Turkey, 19 Oct 2011 "Eleven former Palestinian released by Israel arrived in Ankara yesterday. Amina Muna, known as the ‘Internet assassin,’ unexpectedly joined the group at the last minute after she refused to go to Gaza."

Turkey and technology

Ashley Perks, Today's Zaman, What if?, 3 Jul 2011

"To some extent, modern technology has changed the paradigm as the Internet has now provided Arabs with the tools to motivate and mobilize the masses in favor of democratic reform, as we are currently witnessing from Tunisia to Syria. That Turkey stands out as an example in the 21st century of an increasingly democratic Muslim country is something of a major achievement."

Turkey: 1000+ websites hacked

Alastair Stevenson, ibtimes.com, Hacking Boom: On the anniversary of the Sivas Katliamı Anonymous and allies RedHack deface 1000 websites, 5 Jul 2011 "As a part of Anonymous Operation Anti-Security and to mourn the anniversary of the Sivas Katliamı, the RedHack hacker Group has claimed responsibility for a slew of hacks defacing 1000 websites."

Turks stand up to internet censorship

Jillian York, aljazeera.net, Turks stand up to internet censorship, 22 May 2011 "From Ankara to Istanbul, and in numerous cities in between this past Sunday, thousands of citizens took to the streets in protest of proposed new internet filters. In Istanbul's Taksim Square alone, more than 50,000 people, largely organised on social networks, gathered in protest. More than 600,000 people joined a Facebook page called "Internetime Dokunma!" or "Don't Touch My Internet!""

For more information, see Facebook, Internetime Dokunma!

'Al-Qaeda ideologist asks Kyrgyzstan for political asylum'

eng.24.kg, Al-Qaeda ideologist asks Kyrgyzstan for political asylum, 11 May 2011: "“Delo №.” reported, referring to the information released in Internet, that Ali Osman Zor used to issue “Al-Qaeda” magazine, “which could be freely bought in Turkey”. He also was a member of “Great East Islamic Raiders Front” extremist group. According to the newspaper, Ali Osman Zor served a term for attempt to overthrow Turkey’s secular system and later was released under an amnesty."

Turkish journalist arest

Jürgen Gottschlich, Spiegel Online, 'The Imam's Army': Arrested Journalist's Book Claims Turkish Police Infiltrated by Islamic Movement, 6 Apr 2011: "Islamic theologian Fethullah Gülen is one of the most powerful men in Turkey, even though he lives in exile in the US. The recent arrest of prominent Turkish journalist Ahmet Sik shows what can happen to those who cross his Gülen movement. Sik was about to publish a book alleging that Gülen sympathizers have infiltrated Turkey's police force ...

" ... Reaction to the book has been so overwhelming that public prosecutors had to declare that they would not -- at least initially -- pursue people who had downloaded the book via the Internet."

"Unbanning" of YouTube update

OpenNet Initiative, Turkey: "Unbanning" of YouTube Short-Lived Indeed, 3 Nov 2010: "Less than a week after the media declared YouTube accessible in Turkey, the country has again blocked the site, this time in response to a video purportedly showing former opposition leader Deniz Baykal in a hotel room with a woman who is not his wife."

Turkey allows YouTube access

CNN.com, Turkey lifts YouTube ban, 1 Nov 2010 "For the first time since 2007, internet users in Turkey have access to YouTube.

"The Turkish government blocked the popular video-sharing website nearly two and a half years ago. That decision stemmed from complaints about videos on the site that ridiculed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the much-revered founder of the Turkish republic. According to Turkish law, it is illegal to insult Ataturk."

Islamic Jihad

UPI, Turks meet with Islamic Jihad in Gaza, 26 Oct 2010 "The Islamic Jihad Web site published photos of Turkish activists brandishing weapons, including rocket launchers, in a recent visit to the Gaza Strip."

German imam training

Andrea Brandt and Maximilian Popp, Spiegel Online, Will Efforts to Train Homegrown Muslim Leaders Fail?, 16 Sep 2010 "The German government plans to enlist imams educated at German universities to improve the integration of young Muslims in the future. The program, however, threatens to create a conflict between Germany and Turkey and with Muslim organizations."

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Middle East Online, Qaeda's Zawahiri slams Turkey's ties with Israel, 15 Aug 2010 "The Turkish people must "stand up against those crimes committed by your government and army against Islam and Muslims," said Zawahiri, urging Turkey to return to the days of the Muslim caliphate.

""Turkey, the Islamic caliphate, used to protect us ... Now, the secular Turkey hands us over to the enemies of Islam and those who insult the Koran and our Prophet Mohammed."""

International State Crime Initiative

Melanie McFadyean, Times Higher Education, Research intelligence: Big Brother backlash, 10 June 2010 "Mention the study of state crime and people tend to ask what it entails. Put simply, it is a relatively new branch of criminology focusing on states as perpetrators of crime."

"Now its profile is set to be raised by Penny Green, head of research at King's College London's School of Law, and Tony Ward, reader in law at the University of Hull, who have set up the International State Crime Initiative (ISCI), a website with grand ambitions."

See statecrime.org for more info. on archives and resources.

The site was launched by Robert Fisk. Yusuf Sayman's film "You are Turkish" and the Sayman Photo Essay on Turkey & Iraq also featured in the launch.