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Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Do 'Turkish toilets' deserve their name?
There are many clichés that Europeans attribute to the Turks. One which emphasises a common and biased stigma comes from the French language - about a facility called the 'squat toilet' which technically also has Bulgarian, Greek or Japanese roots...
mustafa kemal atatürk, tower of babel, lifestyle, stereotype , france, turkey
Easter in Istanbul with Turks and Turkish Armenians
When Turkish Armenian soldier Sevak Shahin Balikci was accidentally shot dead by an army colleague on 24 April, both Turks and Armenians came together to pay their respects. 24 April also marks the fact that easter coincides with the commemorations for the Ottoman-era genocides of Turkey's Armenian minority for the first time. There are positive signs that relations may be improving in Istanbul, especially since assassinated Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink's killer was sentenced on 25 July
mustafa kemal atatürk, armenian genocide, human rights, hrant dink, armenia, society, stamboul
An Albanian in Istanbul on children’s day
Whilst hundreds of Turkish students protest against internet censorship, fight for more resources for public universities and sign petitions for history books telling the truth about the Ottoman empire that the country was once part of, an annual children’s festival takes place. Created by the modern secular nation’s founder Ataturk in 1920 to celebrate the first national assembly of Ankara, games and dance celebarte the ‘father of the country’
mustafa kemal atatürk, nationalism, children, orient express, istanbul, politics, turkey
In Turkey, only 'rotten' boys escape military service
It's an obligatory rite of passage for all Turkish men between the ages of 19 and 40. Ahmet, 32 and Murat, 28, will gain the respectability necessary for employment and marriage from it. Those exempt from military service are certified 'rotten', being physically or mentally disabled - that includes the obese and homosexuals. This group of young voters are also being targetted in the upcoming general elections in Turkey on 12 June
mustafa kemal atatürk, homosexuality, youth, job seekers, gay, society, turkey
Istanbul 'sex bus': student beaten for defending couple speaks
On 17 April a young Turkish couple were asked to leave a city bus because the driver considered their kissing and hand-holding as too obscene. Events worsened: whilst arguing with the driver at the stop in Taksim Square stop in the couple's defence, fellow passenger and politics student Gökçe Koç, 28, was assaulted by a stranger getting on the bus. We meet via facebook where Koç started a protest group, Seks Otobüsü (‘Sex Bus Number…’): 34 TN 1992 25T
mustafa kemal atatürk, best of cafebabel.com, taksim, sex, interview, iran islamic republic of, recep tayyip erdogan
EU-Turkey: Atatürk and Charlemagne on your euro notes
It is simply accepted that any new member will fit into and accept EU symbols as their own. Turkey will have to accept this, just like others member states have done in the past and will do in the future...but here are some ideas for a future European Union and Turkey via branding national myths and symbols
mustafa kemal atatürk, currency, advertising, greece, byzantine empire, european union, european symbols
German erasmus student on life in Istanbul
Who speaks English? Why don't men look me in the eye? Why do people still wear headscarves? A score of questions hit the European newcomer studying in the Turkish city
mustafa kemal atatürk, university, religion and democracy, students, istanbul, party, erasmus
Reporters Without Borders: Bulgaria ‘worrying’
Luxembourg, Iceland and Norway rank joint first in the 2008 worldwide press freedom index - but why is Bulgaria lagging behind the rest of Europe? Interviews
mustafa kemal atatürk, freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, bulgaria, reporters without borders, croatia, society
Quotes: EU heads of state talk Turkey
European leaders from Germany to Greece express their positions on the possible adherence of the member candidate to the European Union. Quotes
Army and Islam makes Turkey lose out to Europe
Slovakian experts have their take on what problems the EU member candidate has
mustafa kemal atatürk, turkish army, justice and development party , fugen ok, jyllands posten, prophet muhammed, koran
Turkey and the Dervish’s Islam
A tale of experiences and impressions from Anatolia - a place where there are not just Arabs, and finding a symbol of the EU
mustafa kemal atatürk, ankara, kurdos, stamboul, europe, turkey
Brian Aldiss: 'I told Kubrick it was impossible he make a film of my story'
The British science fiction author, 82, on working with Hollywood greats, being caned for 'telling stories' at school and Europe being a 'wonderful idea'
mustafa kemal atatürk, literature, cinema, brunch, oxford, steven spielberg, culture
Turkish Intellectuals and Europe
Europe represents a slippery and elusive object of desire for Turkey, but Turkish intellectuals are wondering whether it might not be best to define Europe before beginning to covet it.
Turkish intellectuals and Europe
Europe represents a slippery and elusive object of desire for Turkey, but Turkish intellectuals are wondering whether it might not be best to define Europe before beginning to covet it.
mustafa kemal atatürk, secularity, ideology, candidate countries, akp, books, islam
