ALEN J. SALERIAN: If only Turkey adopted Dink legacy Jun 12, 2007
Recently, when it looked like the Turkish parliament might elect Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to the presidency, tens of thousands of flag-waving secularist Turks took to the streets of Istanbul, Ankara and Manisa, chanting "No way for Shariah."Meanwhile, European leaders, who had been nervous about admitting Turkey to the European Union, are viewing these developments with increasing apprehension. The emergence of Islamist or nationalist factions, the assassination of Dink and three Christian... (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
First step for Turkey reform plan May 8, 2007
On Saturday, ahead of the vote, tens of thousands of secular Turks had protested in the towns of Manisa and Canakkale. Earlier demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul drew more than a million people. (BBC News -- Europe)
Gul drops Turkey presidential bid May 7, 2007
On Saturday, more than 10,000 Turks gathered in the cities of Canakkale and Manisa, in western Turkey, to protest the Islamic-rooted government, calling for Turkey's secular system to be preserved. They followed pro-secular demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul that were attended by more than a million people. (Yahoo News -- Turkey)
Turkey's ruling party courts poor voters May 6, 2007
rk, during a prosecular rally yesterday in Manisa ... The role of religion in the country's politics was the source of conflict again yesterday, in the western city of Manisa , where tens of thousands of secularist Turks rallied for the third big antigovernment protest in a month. (Boston Globe)
WP: Turkey struggles to remain on secular path May 6, 2007
Demonstrators hold aflag picturing Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, during a rally in support of secularism inManisa, Turkey on Sunday ... MANISA, Turkey - Tens of thousands of flag-waving Turks demonstrated on Saturday in the third anti-government protest in a month amid a bitter conflict over the role of religion in the mostly Muslim countrys politics ... Turkey is secular and will remain secular, they chanted in the western Turkish city of Manisa. (MSNBC -- International)
Turkey retries presidential vote May 6, 2007
Mr Gul's promise was not enough, however, to stop further protests by tens of thousands of secular Turks against his candidacy in the towns of Manisa and Canakkale on Saturday. Earlier demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul drew more than a million. (BBC News)
New rally raises Turkish tensions May 6, 2007
MANISA, Turkey (Reuters) -- Tens of thousands of secularist flag-waving Turks rallied for the third big anti-government protest in a month on Saturday as conflict rages over the role of religion in the Muslim country's politics ... Marchers in the western city of Manisa, estimated by police to number 60-70,000, called on Saturday for the withdrawal of Gul's candidacy ... Protesters, who included headscarved women and men in military attire, packed the streets of Manisa with tight rows of red... (CNN -- International)
Turks rally to support secularism May 6, 2007
Crowds in the Turkish town of Manisa shouted "Turkey is secular and will remain secular" ... Saturday's protests in Canakkale and Manisa, near the Aegean coast, follow huge pro-secular rallies in Ankara and Istanbul attended by more than a million people ... In Manisa, crowds shouted: "Turkey is secular and will remain secular. Count how many of us there are, Tayyip [Turkey's prime minister]." Snap elections. (Aljazeera.Net)
Turkey's Coming Offensive Against the Iraqi-based PKK Apr 13, 2007
With Turkish presidential and general elections approaching, Turkish security forces have carried out mass arrests of alleged PKK terrorists in Istanbul and have detained 19 members of the Kurdish Democratic Society Party in Izmir and Manisa (The New Anatolian, March 21). Turkey has been busy resupplying army divisions along the Iraq border and has cancelled all leave for these formations for the next three months (Zaman, March 20). (Ocnus.net)
