[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Turkey and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Turkey Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to turkey@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]

English

Migration

AIDA 2017 Update: Turkey The Asylum Information Database's updates for Turkey touch on push-backs of refugees along the Turkey-Syria border, exceptions to the principle of non-refoulement, and Turkey's expanding migrant detention infrastructure.

Raw Deal A report for EIC network on funding for the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey; some key points are the lack of transparency surrounding projects, the inability of Turkish NGOs to apply for funding, and the intimidation of INGOs inside Turkey. See here for a report on leaked EU discussions, and here for all reports from this investigation.

No more settlement for Turkish businesspeople under the Ankara Agreement The UK has put an end to Turkish businesspeoples' ability to apply for indefinite leave to remain after four years of residence.

Syrian refugees in Turkey face calls to return as public mood changes In response to negative public opinion surrounding Syrian refugees' staying in Turkey, the Turkish government has shifted towards rhetoric that suggests a possibility for their return.

Kosovo Arrests

Kosovo investigates seizure of Turkish nationals The prime minister of Kosovo has fired the interior minister and secret service chief, and opened an investigation into six state structures, over the arrest and deportation of six Turkish nationals at Turkey’s request.

Turkey's Bahceli lauds intelligence operation in Kosovo The leader of the MHP has praised the forcible return, coordinated by Kosovar intelligence and the MIT, of six Turkish nationals accused of being Gulenists, and says that Turkey should do the same in other countries, namely, the US.

Afrin

Syria’s fifth “province” to be attached to Hatay An Afrin Liberation Congress Spokesman has said that Afrin's deputy provincial governor would be appointed by Turkey and act in coordination with the governor of Hatay.

Turkis h celebrities visit Hatay in support of Afrin operation Turkish celebrities such as İbrahim Tatlıses, Hülya Koçyiğit, and Necati Şaşmaz visited Hatay in solidarity with Turkish soldiers taking part in Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch”.

French Special Forces to be deployed in Manbij very quickly: Macron to Syrian Kurdistan delegation During a meeting with a delegation from Rojava, French president Emmanuel Macron said that French troops would be deployed to prevent Turkey from expanding its operation east of Afrin.

Domestic Politics

Turkey’s growth more than doubles to 7.4% on spending surge Consumer and goverment spending have fueled Turkey's 2017 growth rate of 7.4%, however, this growth has been accompanied by higher inflation and rising imports.

Turkey’s first nuclear plant kick-started by Erdoğan, Putin The Akkuyu nuclear power plant opened on April, 3rd in Mersin, for a price tag of $20 billion. Russia has a 51% share in the power plant, while negotiations on who the Turkish shareholders will be are still underway after two out of the three Turkish conglomerates involved pulled out of the project

More real than the news: Turkey's satire magazine coats truth in humor Humor allows Zaytung, Turkey's largest online satirical news site, to address controversial issues more openly than conventional news outlets.

Police roam university campus in Istanbul after students criticized government A group of Boğazici University students have been detained after protesting Turkey's Afrin intervention. For more details, please see Sinem Adar and Gulay Turkmen's article for Jadaliyya.

Who Is a Turk? It’s Complicated Kaya Genc writes on the history of Turkish ethnic politics; from the Ottoman millet system, to Kemalism's mono-ethnic nationalism, to the Muslim nationalism of the AKP.

Turkey's exports hit record $15.1 billion in March: economy minister The Turkish economy minister said that Turkish exports rose by 10.5% over the past five months, adding that tourism also saw a sharp increase in 2017.

International Politics

Does Turkey favour good relations with Moscow over Nato, the EU? Nick Ashdown writes that Turkey's decision not to expel Russian diplomats over the Skripal incident, its purchase of Russia's S-400 defense systems, and Turkish and Russian cooperation in Syria point to Turkey prioritizing its relations with Russia, at least in the short term.

Turkey is falling into the Russian trap Barçın Yinanç writes that with the opening of the Akkuyu Nuclear plant, Turkey is sinking further into its trade imbalance with Russia, while its military activities in Syria are aiding Russia, Iran, and Syria by creating a safe haven for jihadist groups along Turkey's border.

Countdown begins to Putin-Erdogan-Rouhani talks The three leaders will meet in Ankara to continue negotiations for resolving the conflict in Syria; Idlib is likely to be a major topic.

Erdoğan to Israeli PM: You are a terrorist and an occupier Following the Israeli PM's remarks on Afrin, Erdogan condemned the death of 16 Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli army, and said that Israel is in no position to criticize Turkey.

Other Pertinent Pieces

Young directors doing wonders for Turkish TV on YouTube Ali Abaday writes that talented amateur filmmakers are able to attract a wide following on Youtube, citing the mafia drama Zero One, the crime spoof Gunpowder, and the female driven sitcom No Deal.

Turkish

Migration

Suriyeliler İçin Danışma Merkezi Açıldı A support center and hotline have been opened in Sanliurfa to assist Syrian refugees in the province.

Ağrı Otogarı'nda mülteci dramı A group of Afghan, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi asylum seekers who crossed over from Iran with hopes of reaching Europe have been stranded in Ağrı's bus station for months after being abandoned by smugglers.

Afgan mültecilerin "Büyük Baba"sı Güzel: Binlerce insan yollara dizilmiş geliyorlar Erdal Güzel, the president of the Erzurum Development Foundation, explains that the number of Afghans crossing from Iran into Eastern provinces such as Erzurum and Ağrı is on the rise, warning that these provinces do not have the capacity to manage migration flows.

Domestic Politics

7.4'lük büyüme rakamı: Etkisi küçük, faturası ağır! Bülent Falakaoğlu writes that despite Turkey's high growth rate in 2017, there has been little in the way of visible improvements, citing high unemployment, credit card debt, and the rising exchange rate.

Hangi dil seni konuşuyor? Can Soyler writes about the AKP's use of anti-imperialist and democratic discourses to legitimize its policies.

45 Kadın Örgütünden Ortak Açıklama 45 women's organizations have condemned the last minute refusal to allow female actors to appear on stage during a play at Turkey's Grand National Assembly, after the Assembly's speaker, Ismail Kahraman, objected to their presence.

Zaman Çizelgesiyle AKP’nin Toplumsal Cinsiyet Politikaları Veritabanı Yayında The team at Çatlak Zemin has released an interactive infographic documenting the AKP's gender related policies and discourses during its time in power. The infographic can be accessed here.

On milyonlarca ‘vatan haini!’ A. Cihan Soylu writes that the practice of labeling those who question government policies as "traitors" has achieved a cult-like prevalence, adding that this "cult" plays an important role in silencing dissent.

Hakkari'de köylüler isyan ediyor: Hani yayla yasakları kaldırılacaktı? Villagers in Hakkari say that the ban on going out into the countryside due to security operations has prevented them from earning their livelihoods, which the majority do through animal husbandry, and say that this has contributed to many villagers being forced to leave.

Culture and History

Neden geldim New York’a An interview with Mustafa Avcı on the oriental music scene created in 1920's New York by the Post-Ottoman diaspora, who brought a diverse cultural heritage with them.

Kürd Mona Lisa – Keça Kafroş It is known that Keça Kafroş, the subject of a popular painting, was an Iranian Kurdish woman who lived in Iraqi Kurdistan during the 1920s. However, according to legend, she also ran away to England after falling in love with a British officer.

"Van Kedisi Güzellik Yarışması" yapıldı A photo gallery of the third annual "Most Beautiful Van Cat" competition.