February 5, 2014

Is the March 30 referendum in danger?

İhsan Yılmaz

Yes, I know that Turkey will have local elections on March 30, 2014, but Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already turned it into a referendum in which the public will make a decision about the corruption allegations against him and his friends.

Reuters: Gülen's followers pose biggest threat to Turkey's Erdoğan

At the FEM University Preparation School in Üsküdar, a conservative district on the Asian side of İstanbul, young men are quietly receiving specialised coaching in how to pass the exams that give access to the most important jobs in Turkey.

President Gül dismisses calls to help tackle political turmoil

President Abdullah Gül has dismissed calls for him to be more active in tackling the political turmoil Turkey is facing due to a recent graft scandal that has implicated prominent businessmen and the sons of ministers.

Pakistani Education Minister hails Turkish schools

The Turkish schools abroad continue to establish bridges of friendship around the world. Muhammad Baligh Rahman, the Pakistani Minister of Education, said his fellow citizens have embraced their local Turkish schools.

The Gülen Movement and Turkish Soft Power*

Bayram Balcı

For more than a decade, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has enjoyed unwavering support from the religious and social movement of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar. Through a unique, transnational approach, Gülen and his followers have built up a global web of influence, creating schools, business associations, and cultural institutions on virtually every continent.