Turkey

Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia has opened for Muslim Friday prayers for the first time since the museum was changed back to a mosque. High profile guests joined the crowds of worshippers at the ancient site. Thousands of worshippers flocked to Turkey’s…

As the Turkish President signed a decree on Friday converting the ancient Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a mosque, the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) said that it “deeply regrets the decision” made “without prior discussion”, having earlier in the day called…

By Nils Muiznieks, Amnesty International’s newly-appointed Europe Director “From the start, this has been a politically motivated trial aiming to silence those in the dock and send a message to the rest of society: fight for human rights or speak the…

Elise Boyle Espinosa, University of Aberdeen For The Conversation Kobanî, in the de facto autonomous region of northern Syria known as Rojava, was at the forefront of the battle against Islamic State (IS) back in 2014. With the aid of…

As reported by The Guardian “Turkish troops have advanced into north-eastern Syria, following airstrikes and artillery barrages aimed at US-backed Kurdish forces who control the region. ”The Turkish military confirmed on Wednesday it had “launched the land operation into the east…

By Abdus Sattar Ghazali Turkey has an ambitious plan to settle two million displaced Syrians in a 30 kilometer wide safe zone in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyi  Erdogan unveiled the plan at the 74th session of the United…

Gemma Bird, University of Liverpool for The Conversation The hotspots on the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros are struggling to manage an increase in the number of refugees and migrants crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey…

A new form of economic terrorism against self-government. [Rojava, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria] Simona Deidda’s testimony when she spent 20 days in Syria with a delegation of supportive women. Article by Daniele Barbieri. After the defeat of…

Drop Bogus Charges, Free Kavala and Aksakoğlu The trial of 16 people accused of organizing and financing peaceful protests which began in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in 2013 is scheduled to begin on June 24, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today,…