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Brussels concludes it's time to lift sanctions against Russia


Fort Russ
Fri, 15 Jul 2016 14:53 UTC
Russia EU Washington Nato
Europe must abandon sanctions against Russia, as such "draconian" measures harm foreign relations, the economy, and the fight against terrorism. This was the conclusion reached by experts during the round table "Time for the lifting of the EU anti-Russian sanctions", which took place in Brussels.

"I think we should think about how they harm relations between our countries, and hinder the fight against international terrorism. These sanctions affect the life of each of us. We need to find more effective ways to cooperate and become stronger together to stabilize the situation in the world," quotes NTV, President of the association Democrat Youth Community of Europe Javier Hurtado Mira.
Earlier, the European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia until the 31st of January 2017. The decision was taken unanimously by written procedure of approval.

Comment: Common sense finally prevailing? The sanction have brought only harm to the countries of the EU.

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Snakes in Suits

World War III inspired by Game of Thrones?

Finian Cunningham
Sputnik
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:35 UTC
Game of Thrones graphic
© Flickr/ Anthony Jauneaud
Washington's aggression towards Russia is already dangerously detached from reality. But possibly the next vice president in the White House brings an even more alarming element to decision-making - fantasy TV and NATO militarism.

Don't reach for the popcorn and snacks. This is for real folks.

This week, the Boston Globe reports that Democrat presidential contender Hillary Clinton is mulling the number two job in the White House for her old friend, former NATO Supreme Commander Admiral James Stavridis.

It turns out that Stavridis is a big fan of the hit TV drama, Game of Thrones. Not that there is anything wrong with that entertainment choice per se. Except, that is, when it is used as a policy-making reference material.
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Eye 1

Failed coup to provide Erdogan with 'unprecedented opportunity' to consolidate power

Peter Lavelle
The Duran
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 12:14 UTC
Turkish flag Erdogan
Erdogan's reaction to the failed coup may soon make many Turks regret the military's lack of success.

The Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is a politician not known for subtly. His reaction to the failed coup may soon make many Turks regret the military's lack of success. Erdogan's political ambitions are almost without limit. Now his name is the law - backed up with popular support (at least for the time being). Who knows - will he make himself president for life?

[A note on the margin: Was Erdogan behind the coup attempt? This is possible considering how badly it was executed. Whether this is true or not, Erdogan's powers are now almost boundless].

What we know now is the attempted coup was planned and executed by a small number of army officers. They justified their actions with the following statement:
"Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and general security that was damaged. All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue."
The irony of these words should be obvious to all: what the plotters hoped to regain for Turkey will certainly be lost as Erdogan exacts his gleeful revenge. The plotters had hoped to restore political stability to the country; the only thing they succeeded in doing is just the opposite.

Comment: For another perspective on the fate of post-coup Turkey, check out: Will post-coup Turkey take its place in the New Eurasian Century?

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Light Sabers

Failed coup in Turkey: Timeline of events


TRT world
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:00 UTC
Taksim square military coup
© AFP
Turkish soldiers outnumbered by citizens in Taksim Square who foiled their military coup on July 16, 2016.
The Turkish government says millions of citizens and police have successfully repelled an hours-long coup attempt led by a breakaway faction of the nation's army.

The first signs of trouble came early Friday night, when residents in Istanbul began to report the closure of the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges.

Comment: See also:
Will post-coup Turkey take its place in the New Eurasian Century?

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Chess

Will post-coup Turkey take its place in the New Eurasian Century?

Andrew Korybko
Katehon
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 12:23 UTC
Eurasia

Will Turkey take its place in the new Eurasian century?
The aftermath of the failed US-directed and Gulen-inspired coup attempt is already making itself clear, with Prime Minister Yildirim stating that Turkey might reinstate the death penalty to deal with the plotters. This statement is just as symbolic as it is substantial, since not only does it disprove allegations that Erdogan "planned this" himself for some Machiavellian purpose, but it also indicates that Turkey has decided to shun the West. The EU is strictly against the death penalty and would immediately halt the decades-long drawn-out accession negotiations with Turkey as a result.

Erdogan correctly calculated that the EU wants nothing to do with his country and that Turkey is unable to milk extra benefits from the bloc after the Brexit referendum, so he recalibrated his state's foreign policy to align with the multipolar world instead. This saw the recent news of Turkey belatedly declaring Al Nusra a terrorist organization and opening up secret reconciliation talks with Syria, despite still repeating the "face saving" refrain of "Assad must go". Furthermore, Turkey is part of Russia's nascent coalition of regional powers opposed to the US' daring attempt to militantly carve out the "second geopolitical Israel" of "Kurdistan". Not only that, but Turkey are Russia are also back on track for reimplementing the Balkan Stream megaproject, which when paired with China's complementary Balkan Silk Road high-speed rail project from Budapest to Piraeus, is perhaps the most ambitious multipolar outreach to Europe that has ever been attempted.
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Green Light

Russia-China relations strengthen despite Western pressure, says Russian weapons chief


RT
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 08:41 UTC
Rogozin yang
© Sergey Mamontov / Sputnik
Russian deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin (third from the left) and vice chairman of China’s State Council Wang Yang (front row on the left) visit the Innoprom-2016 expo in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Economic cooperation between Russia and China will develop regardless of Western pressure of Moscow, Deputy PM in charge of the defense industry Dmitry Rogozin says, adding noted that it was wrong to view sanctions as the main reason for this.

"The People's Republic of China is developing very rapidly today. In many spheres it has reached the level of development that is very interesting to Russia. We are building a mutually-beneficial technological and industrial cooperation between our countries," Rogozin said after the Wednesday meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Rogozin noted that the relations with China would have been even more active if not for the West's "restrictive measures" against the Russian Federation. At the same time he emphasized that the sanctions were neither a hindrance nor the reason behind this cooperation.

"These relations are here to stay, they are caused by vital needs of our nations," he said.

Comment: If the western elites don't "smash up the chessboard" soon, they are going to simply fade into insignificance. Russia and China will forge ahead, creating the new world, and western societies will eventually fade into chaos and stagnation.

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Attention

More than 1,500 arrested, 90 dead, 1,150 injured in failed coup attempt against Turkish government


RT
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 08:18 UTC
Coup attempt turkey
© AFP
Turkish solders intervene as people protest against a coup attempt in Istanbul's Taksim Square.

Turkish loyalists report arresting 1,563 soldiers and officers implicated in an overnight coup attempt; 29 colonels and five generals have been sacked. At least 90 people have been killed and 1,154 injured in military action in Istanbul and Ankara.

Pro-government forces have seized control of the top military HQ building, but there are still some groups of rebels resisting, a Turkish official said on Saturday, as cited by Reuters.

The official told the agency 1,563 military personnel were arrested following the coup attempt. But according to Milliyet, a Turkish daily, 1,374 were detained.

Comment: See also:

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Shoe

US evacuating military and civilian personnel from Turkey over security concerns


RT
Wed, 30 Mar 2016 16:39 UTC
Incirlik airbase
© Umit Bektas
Incirlik airbase in the southern Turkish city of Adana
Citing security concerns in Turkey, the Department of Defense has ordered the evacuation of US military families and civilians from Adana, Izmir and Mugla, as well as the Incirlik air base. Nearly 700 dependents are affected by the order.

This decision "allows for the deliberate, safe return of family members from these areas due to continued security concerns in the region," the US European Command (EUCOM) said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

According to EUCOM chief General Philip M. Breedlove, the decision was made in consultation with the Turkish government, the State Department and the US Secretary of Defense.

"We understand this is disruptive to our military families, but we must keep them safe and ensure the combat effectiveness of our forces to support our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism," Breedlove said.

Comment: Has the Turkish government given the US and Israel fair warning that they have something big planned that may have far reaching repercussions?

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Play

South Front: Challenging the Monroe Doctrine, Syrian War Reports (VIDEO)


South Front
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:28 UTC
south front
Russia Defense Report: Challenging the Monroe Doctrine

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Airplane

Erdogan lands in Istanbul, gives speech downplaying coup as 'minority' army mutiny


RT
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 01:45 UTC
Erdogan
© Sputnik
A plane carrying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. The country's leader is making a statement on the military coup. Erdogan has addressed crowds of supporters after emerging at Ataturk Airport.

Having thanked the public and politicians for their support, the president said that Turkey would not be intimidated by illegal attempts to seize power. He said those involved in the military coup will get necessary response, regardless of what institution they are from.
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