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United States, urging U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to Turkey “due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions.

January 12, 2018 By administrator

The U.S. cited two justifications for its strong travel warning on Turkey: The continued risk of terrorism and the arbitrary detention of individuals under the ongoing state of emergency.

It called on U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to any areas along the Turkey-Syria border, as well as the southeastern provinces of Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Diyarbakır, Van, Siirt, Muş, Mardin, Batman, Bingöl, Tunceli, Hakkari and Bitlis due to terrorism.

“Terrorist groups continue to plot possible attacks in Turkey. Terrorist organizations explicitly target Western tourists and expatriates,” it stated, stressing that tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas may be potential targets.

It also added that these areas have been vulnerable to terrorist activities as well as kinetic actions by the Turkish security forces, recalling that “large-scale terrorist attacks including suicide bombings, ambushes, car bomb detonations, improvised explosive devices, as well as kidnappings for ransom, shootings, roadblocks and violent demonstrations” have occurred in these areas.

‘Politically motivated detentions’

The note posted on the State’s Department’s website also referred to the ongoing implementation of the state of emergency in Turkey, saying “security forces have detained individuals suspected of affiliation with alleged terrorist organizations based on scant or secret evidence and grounds that appear to be politically motivated.”

U.S. citizens have also been subject to travel bans that prevent them from departing Turkey, it urged, warning that participation in gatherings, protests, and demonstrations not explicitly approved by the Turkish government can result in arrest.

“The Government of Turkey has detained and deported U.S. citizens without allowing access to lawyers or family members, and has not routinely granted consular access to detained U.S. citizens who also possess Turkish citizenship. U.S. government personnel in Turkey are subject to certain security restrictions. Family members cannot accompany U.S. government employees who work at the U.S. Consulate in Adana,” it stated.

Ties between Ankara and Washington have undergone severe turbulence in recent months. A local employee at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Metin Topuz, was arrested on terror charges in October 2017, just ahead of a trial of a former Turkish state banker at a New York court on charges that he was helping an Iranian-Turkish businessman evade U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: detentions, motivated, Politically, Travel, Turkey, U.S

Germany: German MP calls for a travel ban on Erdogan

June 12, 2016 By administrator

mp erdogan ban(DW) Sevim Dagdelen has urged action after receiving death threats over the Armenian genocide vote in Germany’s parliament. She said she wants Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to be prevented from entering Germany.

Sevim Dagdelen, a German member of the Bundestag, demanded that “anyone in Turkey who calls for violence against the German parliament to get an entry ban (to Germany). This includes President Erdogan,” she told the German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag.”

The Duisburg-born politician has a 100,000 euro ($112,000) bounty on her head, the paper reported, following a resolution adopted by the German parliament on June 2 calling the massacre of Armenians genocide.

German lawmakers voted to join 29 other countries by interpreting the killings of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 a genocide. Turkey, which was formed out of the Ottoman Empire, insists the killings were a collective tragedy in which equal numbers of Turks and Armenians died but denies it meets legal requirements to be termed a genocide.

Erdogan, personally, reacted furiously to the decision, sinking ties between the Berlin and Ankara governments to new lows.

Personal threats

Since the vote, Dagdelen and 10 other German MPs of Turkish origin have faced the ire of Turkish nationalists, receiving death threats and even having their personal details published in newspapers and in mosques.

Dagdelen, who is the Left Party’s migration policy spokesperson, told the paper that German Chancellor Angela Merkel should respond more forcefully to Erdogan’s attacks.

The politicians are now under 24-hour police protection after Erdogan compared them to terrorists and demanded they have blood tests to prove their Turkish origins.

The lawmakers have also been warned not to make trips to Turkey for the time being as their safety cannot be guaranteed.

Tolerance urged

Aydan Özoguz of the Social Democrats (SPD) called on Turkish groups in Germany to unequivocally denounce the Turkish response. Özoguz, who is the government’s integration commissioner, has also received death threats.

“I expect Turkish associations in Germany to clearly condemn the threats against MPs,” she told the “Bild am Sonntag” weekly paper, adding that Turks can remain committed to their origins without being an extension of Turkey.

Her comments were backed up by Green Party leader Cem Özdemir, who was one of the initiators of the Bundestag’s Armenian resolution.

“You may not agree with the resolution, but Turkish organizations must issue unqualified denouncements of the death threats,” he told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.”

Earlier, he told the paper that Erdogan’s response to the issue was “unworthy of a head of state” adding that he was worried that “what if someone goes crazy,” referring to threat against him and his family.

Germany’s Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) supported German politicians and called the threats made against lawmakers inacceptable.

“No one should be dehumanized or threatened,” DITIB national spokesperson Murat Kayman said. “This is not up for discussion and there is no justification for it. That’s the basic agreement of civilized societies.”

 

Filed Under: Genocide, News Tagged With: ban, Erdogan, german, MP, Travel

Turkish Extortion: No visa-free travel, no migrant deal, says Turkey’s EU minister

April 16, 2016 By administrator

Visa free or refugees

gagrulenet

VIENNA,

Turkey’s minister for European Union affairs and its chief negotiator with the bloc, Volkan Bozkır, said if the EU does not grant Turkish citizens visa-free travel, Turkey could stop accepting migrants sent from Greece.

“If the EU does not grant visa-free travel [to Turkish citizens] then we can suspend the readmission agreement. This is a bargain. If there is no visa [liberty] then there is no readmission,” said Bozkır on April 13 during his visit to Austrian capital. 

Bozkır was referring to the deal signed between the EU and Turkey on March 18, when the sides agreed on a scheme to curb the flow of migrants into the bloc. 

Turkey agreed to take back all migrants landing on Greece as of March 20, while the EU would take back the same amount of Syrian refugees from Turkey. In exchange for the migrants returned to Turkey, the EU agreed to grant Turkish citizens visa-free travel in EU’s Schengen area, and pledged to give a total of 6 million euros until the end of 2018 to be used to fund better living conditions for Syrians in Turkey.

 

Bozkır said April 12 that Turkish nationals could expect vise-free travel to the EU by June.

“We expect that the decision for the citizens of the Republic of Turkey to enter the Schengen zone without visa requirement will be made before the end of June,” Bozkır said, following a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on April 12.

Meanwhile, Kati Piri, rapporteur for Turkey at the European Parliament, said April 13 that she did not believe the free-visa travel would be ready for this summer, citing technical issues.

“Turkey has made a visible progress in the last two years but there are technical issues that need to be handled before the lifting of the visas; I do not believe it will be ready for June,” said Piri, according to the website of private broadcaster CNNTürk.

Source: hurriyetdailynews

April/14/2016

Filed Under: News Tagged With: EU, no visa-free, refugees, Travel, Turkey

Germany Issues Travel Warning After Istanbul Explosion

January 12, 2016 By administrator

1032987908The German Foreign Ministry advised country’s citizens staying away from demonstrations and public gatherings, particularly in larger Turkish cities, as there is a high probability of political tension, violent conflicts, and terror attacks occurring across the country.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The German Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called in a travel notice on its citizens to show “increased caution” when traveling to the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Earlier in the day, an explosion occurred in the central square in Istanbul’s historical center, leaving at least 10 people dead and 15 injured. According to media reports, at least six German citizens are among those injured in the blast.

“Late in the morning of January 12, an explosion occurred at At Meydani in downtown Istanbul. Travelers to Istanbul are strongly advised to avoid crowded public places and tourist attractions and to stay abreast of this travel advice and situation developments through the media,” the ministry’s travel notice reads.

The ministry advised staying away from demonstrations and public gatherings, particularly in larger Turkish cities, as there is a high probability of political tension, violent conflicts, and terror attacks occurring across the country.

The travel notice called on travelers to avoid going near government and military institutions.

The German Foreign Ministry also advised against journeys to Turkey’s border with Syria and Iraq, particularly to the cities of Diyarbakir, Mardin, Cizre, Silopi and Nusaybin, and generally to the provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: germani, Travel, Turkey, warning

Washington: Office of Congressional ethics releases findings on Azerbaijani travel scandal

October 8, 2015 By administrator

Office of Congressional Ethics releases 70-page report and over 1000 pages of finding on Azerbaijan travel scandal case

Office of Congressional Ethics releases 70-page report and over 1000 pages of finding on Azerbaijan travel scandal case

Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian

WASHINGTON, DC – Over the ongoing objections by the House Ethics Committee, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), today, in a bold move, released its entire 70-page report and over 1,000 pages of findings from its investigation into secretive Azerbaijani government funding for Congressional participation in an extravagant 2013 Baku conference, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a statement released today along with its investigative documents, the OCE explained “Respectful of the principles of transparency and accountability in the House ethics process, and with assurance that it will not prejudice any action by the Department of Justice, the OCE Board has voted to release the nine referrals, including the Findings of Fact, as permitted by section 1(f)(1)(B) of House Resolution 895.” This action by the professional staff of the OCE came over the objections of the House Ethnics Committee, which is comprised of sitting members of Congress, including those who continued receiving campaign contributions from donors connected to the Azerbaijani oil industry during the course of this investigation.

“We applaud the Office of Congressional Ethics for their principled stand for government transparency and accountability,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “This bold move trumps those who would keep information from the American people, ensuring that all U.S. citizens have full access to deeply troubling information regarding to a foreign dictator’s efforts to manipulate our democratic system.”

The decision on whether or not to release the report has been an ongoing source of tension between two Capitol Hill ethics bodies – the House Committee on Ethics (Ethics Committee) and the OCE.

On July 31st, the Ethics Committee provisionally cleared 10 U.S. Representatives and over 30 Congressional staff who had been under investigation for allegedly accepting illegal foreign funding to participate in a 2013 conference, funded by the State oil company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR): “U.S.-Azerbaijan Convention: Vision for the Future.” The Ethics Committee found that the Members had not knowingly violated the law, since the nominal funders of the trip – the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ) and groups associated with the Turkic American Association (TAA) – had apparently concealed from the Congress the fact that SOCAR was, in reality, the true source of the junkets’ financing. The Ethics Committee then referred the case to the Department of Justice, but – in a move that generated international media attention – refused to release the OCE findings. The findings of the OCE, an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing and, as appropriate, referring allegations of Congressional misconduct to the Ethics Committee, are typically released to the public after the close of each investigation. By all accounts, an exception had been made in this instance, at the insistence of Committee members, to keep these findings secret.

In an August 3rd letter to House Ethics Committee Chairman Charles Dent (R-PA) and Ranking Member Linda Sanchez (D-CA), ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian called for the release of the findings “in the interests of government transparency and the rights of a fully informed electorate.” He stressed: “The Committee should not withhold from American citizens any information involving foreign attempts to manipulate our democratic system or that, in the Committee’s own words, reveals ‘evidence of concerted, possibly criminal, efforts’ by any party – foreign or domestic – seeking any manner of undue influence with U.S. policymakers.”

The ANCA encouraged supporters of transparency in governance to call the House Ethics Committee at (202) 225-7103 to urge it to release the 70-page OCE findings.

The controversy surrounding foreign funding of the Azerbaijan trips first came to light in July, 2014, in an in-depth article published by the Houston Chronicle, which prompted the Ethics Committee to begin review of the matter.

The Washington Post, in May of this year, first revealed the existence of the OCE report in a major investigative article titled, “10 Members of Congress Took Trip Secretly Funded by Foreign Government“.

In August, after the Ethics Committee report was released, the Center for Responsible Politics published an in-depth article spotlighting donations by supporters of the Turkic American Alliance to Chairman Dent, titled “Ethics Chair Received Contributions from Donors Linked to Groups in Azerbaijan Probe.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Azerbaijan, ethics, scandal, Travel, Washington

Israel warns citizens against traveling to Turkey and Azerbaijan

August 25, 2015 By administrator

israel-warnIsrael’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau issued a travel warning for Israelis who are traveling abroad.

The list includes 33 countries, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, Jewish Press reported.

“It is recommended that the public avoid non-essential visits to these countries,” the message says.

The Bureau also issued travel warnings for several regions, including Chechnya (in Russia), , the Sinai peninsula.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Azerbaijan, Israel, Travel, Turkey, warns

Iran asks citizens to avoid travel overland to Turkey

August 9, 2015 By administrator

Photo: Vatan

Photo: Vatan

Iran has asked its citizens to avoid traveling by land to Turkey after an attack in eastern Turkey left one Iranian dead.

“Based on recent movements and insecurity in Turkey’s east, the foreign ministry advises our citizens travelling to Turkey to avoid land routes until further notice and to use air routes,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The PKK announced last month that it was stepping up attacks, saying Turkish forces were violating a 2013 cease-fire. Turkey began an air campaign against PKK camps in northern Iraq on July 24.

On Saturday, a Turkish police officer was killed in a PKK attack in Mardin. On Friday evening, militants fired a rocket at an armored car in the town of Cizre, killing a police officer and wounding another. The wounded officer later died on Saturday.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: ban, Iran, PKK, Travel, Turkey

Turkey Stops Serb Leader from Traveling to Armenia

April 22, 2015 By administrator

dodikSARAJEVO (Daily Star)—Turkish authorities on Wednesday stopped Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik’s airplane from flying over Turkish territory, preventing him from attending a ceremony to mark the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, Dodik’s office reports.

“Although all authorizations for this flight had been obtained, Turkish authorities did not allow the flight over their territory,” Dodik’s cabinet said in a statement to the Daily Star of Lebanon.

The plane carrying the president of Republika Srpska, a Serb-run entity of Bosnia, returned to his capital Banja Luka after spending four and a half hours at an airport in eastern Bulgaria, waiting in vain for authorization to fly over Turkish territory, the statement said.

Hundreds of thousands are expected to flock to genocide memorial in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on Friday to mark the start of a tragedy that still stirs deep divisions.

Ex-Soviet Armenia and the huge Armenian diaspora worldwide have battled for decades to get the World War I massacres at the hands of Ottoman forces between 1915 and 1918 recognized as a genocide. But Turkey rejects the term or any responsibility for crimes against humanity and has fought against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

French President Francois Hollande and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are among those expected to attend Friday’s ceremonies.

Earlier this month Dodik submitted to the Republika Srpska’s parliament a declaration recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

The legislative body will likely adopt the declaration in the coming days.

But Bosnian Muslim political leaders, who view Turkey as their main international ally, have criticized the initiative.

Filed Under: Genocide, News Tagged With: Armenian, leader, serb, Stops, Travel, Turkey

Armenia to Feature at Arabian Travel Exhibit

May 6, 2014 By administrator

DUBAI—The National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia will represent Armenia at the Arabian Travel Market international travel and tourism show in Dubai from May 5 to 8.
arabian-travel-marketWith an expected attendance of over 20,000 buyers and travel professionals and 21,000 visitors, it is the biggest event of the tourism industry in the Middle East.
The exhibition unlocks business potential of the region, while serving as an effective platform of discussion of challenges and perspectives in the tourism sector.
Armenia’s rich cultural, historical and Christian heritage will be presented in travel guides and maps during the exhibition.
NCFA’s participation in this major exhibition aims to promote the tourism of Armenia in the Mideast market, establish new partnerships to promote tour packages and contribute to the growth of tourist inflows.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Arabian Travel Exhibit, Armenia, Travel

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