EU/Turkey

Not once Iran has tried to put the Turkish Islamists under her protection, and at least twice Iranian diplomats have been accused in Turkey of being personas non grata, after they took part in the religious-political rallies.

Ahmadinejad will hold talks with President Abdullah Gul during his one-day working visit to Istanbul on August 14.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Turkey next week to discuss his country's disputed nuclear programme and growing bilateral ties, a Turkish official told Reuters on Monday.

Brussels. The European Union gave a guarded response Thursday to the decision by Turkey's constitutional court not to ban the ruling AKP party, saying that it would keep a close eye on future developments. The 27-member bloc, which Turkey's current government is keen to join, "takes due note" of the court decision and "invites all those involved in Turkish politics to resolve their differences in a spirit of dialogue and compromise, while respecting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms," a statement on behalf of the bloc said.

First people who support the Justice and Development Party (or AKP) and most foreign observers said that Erkenegon is an organization of Kemalists who are, of course, all fascists. Then the storyline became that they are not ‘normal’ Kemalists but extremists, who are despised by Kemalists as well as liberal democrats (partially true). But then the story changed even more; they were part of a mythical organization which has existed for hundreds, nay thousands, of years.

Istanbul: Turkey's Constitutional Court has rejected a proposed ban on the country's Islamic-rooted ruling party -- the Justice and Development Party, or AKP -- for alleged anti-secularist activities, the leader of the court said Wednesday.

Sunday's terror attack in Istanbul hit Turkey at a particularly critical juncture. The country's highest court is expected to rule soon on the legality of the prime minister's Islamist-rooted AKP party. But Erdogan himself stands to profit if the bloodbath leads the judges to issue a ruling that fosters national unity.