NEWS

WORLD Robert Fisk: The Syrian War has occupied Turkey

In a recent article, Robert Fisk, the senior Middle East correspondent of the Independent compared Turkey to Pakistan in the 1980s and said that the recent air bombardment was no surprise given that all powers in the region have betrayed the Kurds. We spoke to Fisk both about the details of the matters he touches on in his article, and whether power balances have changed in the Middle East. Fisk comments that Turkey has become a market place and when seen from this perspective there are more important issues at stake besides whether or not Turkey will enter the war in Syria: “I believe that Syria has started penetrating Turkey. Suruç is an example of this. From this view, the Syrian War but not the Syrians have occupied Turkey. It is not the reverse.”
TURKEY Civil society organizations voice concern: War is not a solution

Following the Suruç Massacre, and the murder of two police officers in Ceylanpınar, military operations and clashes have resumed. A wave of police operations across Turkey continues. İHD (Human Rights Association) has announced that 41 people lost their lives in the week from 21 to 28 July, and that 1038 people have been detained. Reports of deaths continue to come in every day. President Erdoğan’s demand that the HDP MPs’ parliamentary immunity be lifted has caused further alarm. Human rights organizations and civil society organizations have expressed deep concern regarding recent developments.
NEWS Peace March banned

Rally planned for Sunday in Istanbul by Barış Bloku, the Peace Block, has been banned by the Istanbul Governorate.
NEWS PKK and ISIS camps bombed

Turkish Armed Forces fighter jets departing from the Diyarbakır 8th Main Jet Base have targeted PKK camps located within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq.
TURKEY The story of a photograph

A selfie of three friends, Ezgi Sadet, Polen Ünlü and Dilan, taken at the celebrations in Bakırköy following HDP’s success in the general election when it won 80 seats in parliament, has become widely shared on social media following the Suruç Massacre.
TURKEY Bomb attack in Suruç: Many dead and injured

An explosion has taken place at the Amara Cultural Centre in Suruç, Şanlıurfa, where 330 Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) members had gathered. The SGDF members were waiting to cross into Kobane where they were to support the reconstruction efforts of the town.