The joy of circumcision for Somalian children

Kimse Yok Mu

KYM is sharing the excitement of Somali children's circumcisions. The project was started on the 1st of November 2011, when Somalian families applied to KYM Association's Somalia branch to perform the operations on their children, and these operations are taking place.

Turkey moves far beyond Europe

Soner Çağaptay

The Turks are selling pasta to the Italians, educating Papua-New Guineans in their universities, building airports in Egypt, running schools in Nigeria and establishing diplomatic missions in Latin America. Turkey has not felt and acted like the confident global player it is today since the heyday of the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century.

The Journalists and Writers Foundation’s suggestions for a constitution

İhsan Yılmaz

Several civil society organizations have been presenting their suggestions for a new constitution to a parliamentary sub-committee. A few days ago, the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) was received and listened to by the committee. The GYV did not present a full package but summarized its understanding on the most sensitive issues that have been hotly debated in the country.

Fethullah Gulen

I find this development very important for two reasons. The first one is related to the identity of the GYV. As is well known, its honorary chairman is an influential Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen, who is widely respected in Turkey. Gülen has inspired a worldwide faith-based movement of volunteers known as the Hizmet movement, which is very influential in the country. Thus, what the Hizmet says about the new constitution is very important.

Turkey makes inroads into Africa

Menekse Tokyay

As part of Turkey's opening to Africa, on Friday (December 16th) the ministers of 54 countries of the African Union and representatives of African institutions concluded the first Ministerial Review Conference of the Africa-Turkey Partnership to improve ties between the continent and Turkey, following a similar summit in 2008.

Turkey's budding relationship with Africa helped it win
a seat in the UN Security Council in 2009-14 and
may yet secure it another in its 2015-16 bid. [Reuters]

Having gained observer status in the African Union in 2005, Turkey has been acting as a voice for Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) at international platforms such as the G20 and Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Emphasizing “We” in Fethullah Gulen’s Thought

Stuart William

While reading an article about Robert Putnam’s ‘hunkering down’ theory, I was struck by how close Putnam comes to one of the most vital points at the core of Fethullah Gulen’s teachings on dialogue.

‘Hunkering down’ is the phrase Putnam used to describe how people can react when they are exposed to others of different cultural heritage and ethnicity. He developed this idea after extensive observation of what was really happening in urban areas where large numbers of immigrants had settled among the ‘host’ community.

African Union President demands more Turkish schools

Ayten Çiftçi

African Union President and Equatorial Guinea Foreign Minister Eustaquio Nseng Esono, speaking to Today's Zaman on Sunday, said he would like to see the number of Turkish schools on the African continent rise.

After attending the Turkey-Africa Partnership Ministerial Review Conference held on Friday in İstanbul, Esono said Africa can only solve its current problems through education and that the number of Turkish schools in various countries in Africa should be increased. Being president of the Africa Union, which consist of 54 African countries, Esono said the demand for schools is increasing day by day, Turkish schools play an important role in meeting this demand, but more Turkish schools are needed.

Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival Attracts Thousands in Los Angeles

Medialog Platform

A four-day Turkish festival, the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival 2011, organized by the Pacifica Institute, opened its doors to visitors in southern California on Thursday [October 6] and continued attracting masses at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on its last day [Sunday, October 9] this year, as was the case when the event was organized for the first time in 2009.

Medialog Platform from Journalists and Writers Foundation also attended the festival along with a group of journalists from Istanbul, Turkey.