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{ Category Archives } Turkey

James Fallows on the Mevlevi Dancers

James Fallows, “The Ottoman Mystique,” Atlantic (online), Dec., 2008
More on Sufism

2009 01 01 Ted Thornton Culture
Islam Comments (0)

A Pessimist’s Perspective on Turkey’s Future

Thanks to J.B. for this recent piece which forecasts a not so bright future for Turkey:
Claire Berlinski, “The Looming Crisis in Turkey,” The American, Dec. 19, 2008
Excerpt: :
“So long as Turkey’s institutions remain rotten, Turkey will be vulnerable to political Islam, anti-Western authoritarianism, and violent civil unrest of the kind seen in the 1970s.
It is [...]

2008 12 30 Ted Thornton Economic Issues
Foreign Policy
Islam and the West Comments (0)

Turkey’s New Muslim Elite

Turkey has a new elite class of observant Muslim business people who have helped transform the country’s social, religious, political, and economic life.  This class helped bring an Islamist political party to power in a fiercely secular country, and, it is largely responsible for making Turkey the seventh largest economy in Europe (if, indeed, Turkey should be [...]

2008 12 26 Ted Thornton Islam
Islam and the West Comments (0)

Recent Articles from the Smithsonian on Turkey, Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia

Fergus M. Bordewich, “A Monumental Struggle to Preserve Hagia Sophia,” The Smithsonian Magazine, December, 2008.  See also the pictures that accompany the article.  The article indicates that the monument is rapidly falling into disrepair, and, that commitment by the Turkish government to restoration work has been spotty. Moreover, the building is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.  Meanwhile, the monument is [...]

2008 12 05 Ted Thornton Comments (1)

The Woes of Turkey’s Ruling Party and its PM Erdogan

The Economist, “The Worrying Tayyip Erdogan,” Nov. 27, 2008

2008 12 05 Ted Thornton Comments (0)

Growing Troubles for Turkey’s Ruling Party

Turkey’s ruling AKP is facing mounting political challenges:
Sabrina Tavernise, “Turkey’s Liberals Speaking Out as Reform Stalls, New York Times, Nov. 24, 2008

2008 12 03 Ted Thornton Comments (0)

Merhaba From Turkey!

Merhaba (Hello!) from Turkey to friends at PA and NMH!  We are in Bursa on the final night of our tour of the interior.   There is a wild wind and rain storm raging as I write. 
We have seen, heard, and learned so much.  We look forward to telling you all about it upon our return!
All [...]

2008 11 22 Ted Thornton NMH-PA Collaboration Comments (0)

WMR4 - “A Risky New Film on Ataturk”

•Jordan Bach-Lombardo, 11/16/08

 

•”A Risky New Film On Ataturk”, video report from the New York Times
 

 

•http://video.nytimes.com/, specific video link in scroll box on upper right

 

• Turkish director Can Dündar recently released a documentary about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey.  To us in the United States, this may not seem monumental, but in [...]

2008 11 18 Jordan Bachlombardo NMH-PA Media Reports Comments (1)

Welcome to Turkey.

Merhaba–shake off the jet lag, hit the deck running.  You can sleep when you return.  Have a Turkish coffee and some Turkish delight (with pistachios) for me.  Cheers, Dick

2008 11 07 Dick Schwingel Comments (0)

Islam, Democracy, and Politics in Turkey

In NMH’s Islamic Middle East course, we turn our attention fully at this point toward Turkey and some of the critical questions that nation is facing in its political and social life. 
J.B. has put in our hands a terrific collection of remarks by Turks from a variety of walks of life taken from the Summer 2007 issue of [...]

2008 11 01 Ted Thornton Islam and Politics
Islam and the West
Pamuk Comments (0)