Erdogan’s Turkey

Optimistic expectations that the Turkish system established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, republican, nationalist, secular, and modernized, would continue have been frustrated. Hopes for a successful multiparty democracy ended because of chaotic politics and military coups.

Syria: Regime victory as Thousands of Rebel Fighters bused out of Daraa, Quneitra

More rebel fighters with their families boarded buses to leave southern Syria on Saturday under deals with the regime, a war monitor said, after hundreds reached opposition territory in the north. On Saturday evening, a second bus convoy prepared to leave Quneitra province, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Ceasefire Announced After Massive Israeli Gaza Onslaught

Gaza's militant Hamas rulers said Saturday they had accepted a cease-fire ending a massive Israeli onslaught on militant positions after a soldier was shot dead, once again pulling the sides back from the brink of a full-fledged war. Israel and Hamas have fought three such wars over the past decade and Hamas agreed to the second such cease-fire in a week under heavy Egyptian and international pressure.

NBC: US, Taliban in secret “indirect” talks to end war

Is America's longest war heading to a quiet end? NBC News reported earlier today that Taliban sources claim to have engaged in "indirect negotiations" with the US, primarily through former commanders forced out of the conflict. The talks are fraught with risks, particularly from some surprising sources: U.S. officials are meeting with former Taliban members amid intensifying efforts to wind down America's longest war, three of the militant group's commanders told NBC News.

US delegation en route to Ankara to discuss Iran sanctions

A U.S. delegation of Treasury and State Department officials will meet Turkish authorities on July 20 to discuss sanctions targeting Iran , an official from Turkey 's foreign ministry has said. "A U.S. delegation currently holding talks in India will be visiting Ankara on July 20 regarding sanctions against Iran ," a foreign ministry official told Reuters.

Trump places Russia meddling on Obama

Two days before a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump played golf at one of his namesake resorts, where he blamed his predecessor for allowing Russian election meddling. "I have arrived in Scotland and will be at Trump Turnberry for two days of meetings, calls and hopefully, some golf - my primary form of exercise!" he tweeted early Saturday, referring to his seaside golf resort.

Senator Cruz: US stands ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ with Israel

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz issued the following statement in response to the terrorist organization Hamas firing rockets and mortars into Israel: "The Palestinian terror group Hamas fired over 100 rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians today, sending tens of thousands of men, women, and children running into bomb shelters. These are the latest in what have become near-daily attacks by Iran-backed terrorists and forces on Israel's northern and southern borders.

A Neoconservative Plan for Punishing Iran

President Donald Trump makes a point of insisting that he has nothing against the Iranian people and is only interested in opposing what he regards as the dangerous activities of their government, but his own record in office belies that claim. It is clear that what he is trying to do is put pressure on the people of Iran to rise up and force a change in government, a process otherwise referred to as regime change.

Pilot warns of ‘sustained FETO threat’ in Turkish military

A Turkish military pilot, who is cooperating with prosecutors after being dismissed from the service over his links to suspected plotters of the July 2016 coup attempt, has warned about the "sustained threat" posed by "disguised members of [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] FETA- ." The Turkish authorities refer to the movement of U.S.-based leader Fetullah GA1 4len as FETA- , which is widely believed to have orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, which left 250 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Congressman: Jewish Settlers Are Like Termites

A Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee compared Jewish Israeli settlers to termites on Monday while speaking at an event sponsored by an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts of the Jewish state. Rep. Hank Johnson launched into a tirade against Israel and its policies toward the Palestinians, comparing Jewish people who live in disputed territories to "termites" that destroy homes.

Trump sidelined as UN Security Council plus Germany Meet Iran’s Rouhani in Vienna

The five foreign ministers, minus US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, of the countries signatory to the 2015 Iran deal on curbing its civilian nuclear enrichment program, will meet in Vienna on Friday to explore ways of preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action after the treaty was violated by the Trump administration. The JCPOA was signed by Britain, France, Russia, and China on the UN Security Council plus Germany as an informal representative of the European Union.

Israel arrests 9 Bedouin Protesters at it Prepares to Bulldoze their Village

Scuffles broke out on Wednesday between Israeli authorities and protesters who feared preparations were underway to raze a Bedouin village in a strategic part of the occupied West Bank, despite international calls for a reprieve. Protesters, including some waving Palestinian flags, tried to block a bulldozer and scuffled with police at Khan al-Ahmar on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem.

US Supreme Court Justice receives lifetime award in Israel

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg received a lifetime achievement award Wednesday from a prominent Jewish organization in Israel. Ginsburg cited Holocaust diarist Anne Frank among others in a speech at a ceremony in Tel Aviv that touched on her fight for women's rights and quoted from Jewish traditions and history.