Turkey has begun restoring names of Kurdish villages and is considering allowing religious sermons to be made in Kurdish as part of reforms to answer the grievances of the ethnic minority and advance its EU candidacy. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his government will push democratic reforms to address decades-old grievances from the Kurdish population and help end a 25-year conflict between the state and separatist guerrillas. Erdogan, who has given few details on the measures and their time frame, is seeking public, military and parliamentary support for his “Kurdish initiative”. Analysts say some of the expected measures will require difficult legal and constitutional reforms for which Erdogan needs broad consensus, but the main opposition parties have rejected a call for talks, arguing the process threatened Turkey’s unity. More than 12,000 village names, some 35 percent of the total, were changed in Turkey between 1940 and 2000 under a “Turkification” drive, according to a report by the Milliyet daily. The name change initiative, dating back to the Ottoman era before World War One, was also designed to give Turkish names to places with Armenian, Greek and Bulgarian names, it said. Turkey’s estimated 12 million Kurds out of a population of 72 million have long complained of discrimination by the state.
The Israeli embassy in Athens has responded to criticism in the Greek media that Israel was taking Ankara’s part in the Greek-Turkish airspace dispute by saying that a reference in an online statement about a joint military exercise taking place in "Turkish" territory was an error. The controversy arose after an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) website statement referred to a joint military exercise by the United States, Israel and Turkey as to take place off the Dodecanese island of Kastellorizo in Turkish territory. The island is Greek territory. The incident happened amid a massive upsurge of Turkish air force aircraft entering airspace claimed by Greece. The Israeli embassy said that it regarded Greece and Turkey both "as significant partners and allies... in the region." Earlier, after the initial IDF statement, Greek media singled out Israel for criticism, omitting references to the other partner country in the exercise, the US. Eleftheros headlined its report "Israel questions our sovereignty over the Aegean" while Vradyni said: "Israelis ‘baptise’ Kastellorizo as ‘Turkish’". The dispute has been going on for about three decades, and has seen Greece and Turkey, both Nato members, come close to blows, in 1987 and in 1996. In 2006, a mid-air collision between Greek and Turkish air force jets cost a Greek pilot his life. Recent weeks in 2009 have seen the problem take wing once more, compounding the complexities of Greek-Turkish relations, already confounded by the Cyprus issue and Greece’s frustrations that Turkey is failing to do its part against illegal immigration.
Turkish Cypriot teachers want authorities to stop optional Quranic lessons for schoolchildren, which they say threaten their community's secular culture. Education officials in breakaway northern Cyprus sanctioned courses on Islam's holiest book this summer at a few schools that cater mostly to the children of Turkish immigrants. But Sener Elcil, head of the primary schoolteachers' union, said Thursday that the summer courses teach a stricter interpretation of Islam than the official state curriculum. He called the lessons "an imposition on Turkish Cypriot culture." The island was split into a Greek Cypriot south and the Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece.
The opening ceremony of the 16th World Conference of Overseas Cypriots (POMAK - PSEKA) will take place on Monday, 24 August, at 7 pm at the Hilton Hotel, in Nicosia. Inaugurating the works of the conference of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots (POMAK) and of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), as well as of the Meeting of the Executive Council of the World Organization for Young Overseas Cypriots (NEPOMAK) will be the President of the Republic Mr Demetris Christofias. During the ceremony, speeches will be addressed by the President of the House of Representatives Mr Marios Garoyian, the Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Markos Kyprianou, the President of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots (POMAK) Mr. Haris Sophoclides, the President of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA) Mr. Philip Christopher, and the President of the World Organization for Young Overseas Cypriots (NEPOMAK) Mr. Christos Karaolis. The President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) Mr Stefanos Tamvakis and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Mr. Theodore Kassimis will also address the meeting. Latest developments in the Cyprus problem will be among the main issues to be discussed during the meeting. Moreover, an overview of the activities of the various federations of overseas Cypriots and a presentation of activity reports will also be made. Participants will also be briefed by leaders or representatives of parliamentary parties. Additionally, representatives of various Ministries will also brief the Overseas Cypriots on various issues that concern Cypriots abroad.
Suicide bombers on bicycles carried out four blasts in the capital of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya on Friday, leaving at least four police dead and two injured. "Four suicide bombers riding bicycles activated explosive devices in various locations in Grozny," the Investigative Committee at the Russian Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement. The explosions were carried out in a period of some 30 minutes, with the first attack staged by a cyclist in Grozny's Leninsky District at 01:10 p.m. (09:10 GMT). Two officers died, and one police officer was injured. The second blast occurred in similar circumstances at 01:40 p.m. (09:40 GMT), and also left two police officers dead and one injured. Police are currently verifying the number of injured in another two explosions in the city.
The Security Council has given its unanimous backing to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s plan for UNMIK reconfiguration, thus opening the doors for EULEX. During the debate, ambassadors from Security Council member states supported Ban’s plan for the reconfiguration of UNMIK and deployment of EULEX in Kosovo. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić welcomed the secretary-general’s report, calling on the authorities in Priština to respect the will of the international community. The Priština government remains the only one to oppose the plan. During the debate, Jeremić said that the key condition for Serbia to accept the reconfiguration was the EU’s clear commitment that EULEX would have neutral status and would function fully under UN auspices and in line with Resolution 1244. “The report confirms the neutral status of EULEX’s engagement, which is a guarantee that not a single part of its mandate can be based on the Ahtisaari Plan for Kosovo independence that the Republic of Serbia has rejected, and that the Security Council never approved,“ he added. The EU has welcomed the adoption of the UN Secretary General’s report at the Security Council, Javier Solana’s spokeswoman said. The permanent representatives of France, the U.S. and Italy said in New York that EULEX would work within the framework of Resolution 1244, would be neutral and fully transparent.
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ - Please be advised that the Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Mother of God and its custodian Reader Nektary Yangson will arrive in Washington, DC on Saturday, August 22 at 5:16 PM. God willing, the Holy Image will be with us in time for the Slavonic Vigil at 6:30 PM. (We had originally planned for the Icon to be with us in time for the English Vigil at 4:00.) After both Sunday liturgies we will serve a moleben with commemorations. Private prayers and veneration of the icon can take place on Sunday between 1-2:00 PM. We hope to visit a few of our seriously ill parishioners between 2:00-4:30 PM. At 5:00 PM we will gather at our Iveron Chapel at Rock Creek Cemetery and sing a bilingual akathist to the Mother of God. If it rains, we will gather in church and serve the akathist there. Donations are encouraged to cover the costs of Reader Nektary's travels and other expenses he has incurred during his visit of the East Coast. Checks may be made out to St. John Church/Iveron Icon and left in a basket in the center of the church. A detailed description of the Icon can be found here. Hope to see you all in church this weekend. God bless! In XC, Fr. Victor Potapov