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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region A Kurdish calligrapher from Ranya, Sulaimani province has been awarded for his work by the Turkish president in Istanbul. Ali Hassan Zaman received the prize from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after entering the International Hilya al-Sharif Contest held in Turkey. It is such an awesome feeling when you are awarded by a president of a state and you see the outcome of your efforts, said Zaman.

Hilya is a physical description of the Prophet Mohammed that has been developed as a decorative art form by calligraphers and illuminators.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Erdogan said, Our ancestors special efforts in calligraphy and Hilya al-Sharif stem from our profound and heartfelt love for our Prophet. Zaman, 46, a native of Ranya on the north shore of Dukan Lake, now lives with his spouse and two children in Istanbul. He has worked as a goldsmith but has been focusing on calligraphy for five years. He told Rudaw More than 700 people took part in the competition. Because I was among the top ten participants, Recep Tayyip Erdogan awarded me.

Zamans piece will be displayed in one of Turkeys museums, he explained, and he received a certificate and a cash prize.

He has also been offered Turkish citizenship.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to offer Turkish citizenship to me, my spouse and two children, Zaman said. I am working on this. I will probably become a Turkish citizen a near future.

Zaman said he has no plans to return to the Kurdistan Region, saying he is comfortable in Istanbul, because I feel that my works are appreciated and given importance here.

He did not receive similar appreciation for his art in Ranya, he explained. Once I opened an exhibition in Ranya and called on the mayor to open it and see the works, but he did not come. Zamans spouse supports his work. Sometimes he asks for my consultation in his works, and I offer him suggestions, she told Rudaw. He often accepts my suggestions. It happened often after he put my suggestions in practice, they turned into beautiful works. Zaman previously came first in the Safer international calligraphist competition held in Najaf in 2016.

Another Kurd, Zeyad Muhandis from Erbil, was also awarded by the Turkish president in the competition. Five others, Farhad Yasen, Khalil Mantik, Saman Kaka Dewan, Serwan Barzinji, and Marewan Salih, ranked between 11th and 20th in the competition and received awards from the Turkish Ministry of Culture.

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Erdogan offers citizenship to Ranya calligrapher - Rudaw

posted at 10:41 am on June 5, 2017 by Jazz Shaw

You may remember NBA forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Enes Kanter. Hes the one who Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would like the United States to turn over to him because of his outspoken criticism of the regime which is currently eradicating democracy in Turkey. For the time being Kanter seems to be safe enough here in the United States, but his positions have caused him a lot of trouble in his native land. His own family disowned him, either out of disapproval of his positions or in fear of their own government. That wasnt enough to save Kanters father, however. Hes been arrested by Erdogan and disappeared like so many of his other countrymen. (The Hill)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter is calling on the world to rally in opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his father was reportedly arrested by the Turkish government on Friday.

Kanter said Friday that his father, who lives in Turkey, was imprisoned and potentially vulnerable to torture because of the NBA players vocal opposition to Erdogan, whom he has repeatedly called the Hitler of our century.

My father is arrested because of my outspoken criticism of the ruling party. He may get tortured for simply being my family member, Kanter said in a statement posted on his website.

Kanters concerns are hardly unfounded or simple, overheated rhetoric. Weve been seeing credible reports from the BBC dating back to last winter about incidents of Erodans opponents being tortured in detention as the military attempts to extract information about other alleged coup participants. Of course, the father could also simply be a bargaining chip right now which Erdogan hopes will either convince Kanter to come home and surrender or get the United States to turn him over. I certainly hope the latter is unlikely because the guy would no doubt wind up in a dungeon somewhere with his feet in an acid bath.

At the same time, relations between Turkey and Germany have hit the rocks. The Germans are upset that Turkey isnt allowing their officials to visit the German troops stationed at Incirlik air base. This is yet another tit-for-tat from Erdogan as he seeks to crack down on his perceived enemies outside of the country. (Associated Press)

Germanys foreign minister is meeting with his Turkish counterpart in an attempt to overcome an impasse over Turkeys refusal to allow German lawmakers visit troops stationed at a Turkish air base.

Turkey blocked the visit to Incirlik Air Base, angered by German authorities decision to grant asylum to soldiers Turkey accuses of participating in last years failed coup.

Incirlik is Turkeys key leverage with everyone in the west at this point (including the United States) and Erdogan is using it to his full advantage. But in the end it all comes down to his anger with Cleric Fethullah Gulen who is currently living in exile in Pennsylvania. Erdogan still blames the coup attempt on him and is focusing his attention on him like Sauron looking for the One Ring of Power. Kanter is a self-proclaimed Gulen supporter and the people Turkey is trying to extradite from Germany are accused of being the same.

In his latest move against the cleric, Erdogan has announced that Gulen will lose his Turkish citizenship in the coming months if he doesnt return home. (AP)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkish authorities say U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for last years coup, will lose his Turkish citizenship if he fails to return to Turkey within three months.

In a decision printed in the Official Gazette on Monday, the Interior Ministry named Gulen among 130 people wanted by authorities and who risk being stripped of their citizenship unless they return.

Wow that must be a tough call for Gulen, huh? He has to decide whether or not to stay here in the United States where he has remained safe for years and lose the ability to freely travel back to the place where he will be immediately arrested, thrown in a dungeon and most likely tortured and killed. Tough call, Im sure. But if Erdogan is ever thrown out of power and replaced by the opposition Im pretty sure that Gulen would be able to get a pass to go back home if he desired.

With all of this in mind, how many more lines can President Erdogan cross before hes gone too far? This tyrant is totally off the rails, but he controls some critical real estate which everyone opposing ISIS needs. Unfortunately he still seems to have all the cards and hes playing them like a master.

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Now Turkey has arrested the father of an NBA player - Hot Air

Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter is calling on the world to rally in opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his father was reportedly arrested by the Turkish government on Friday.

Kanter said Friday that his father, who lives in Turkey, was imprisoned and potentially vulnerable to torture because of the NBA player's vocal opposition to Erdogan, whom he has repeatedly called "the Hitler of our century."

"My father is arrested because of my outspoken criticism of the ruling party. He may get tortured for simply being my family member," Kanter said in a statement posted on his website.

"There could be hundreds of thousands of people that are detained, tortured, or murdered that we are not hearing about," he added. "Freedom of expression is a basic human right, and I ask the WORLD to join me in seeking justice and equality for all and to reject oppressive regimes and dictatorships."

Kanter claimed last month that he had been briefly detained at the airport in Bucharest, Romania, after the Turkish embassy cancelled his passport in retribution for his criticism of Erdogan.

The basketball player is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Turkish cleric who lives in Pennsylvania. Erdogan has accused Gulen of orchestrating a failed coup attempt last summer aimed at overthrowing his government and has urged the U.S. to extradite him to Turkey.

Kanter's backing of Gulen has created a rift between him and his family, particularly his father, who disowned his son last year because of his political views.

""I apologize to the Turkish people and the president for having such a son," his father Mehmet Kanter wrote in a Turkish pro-government newspaper at the time.

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NBA player urges world to rally against Turkey's Erdogan - The Hill (blog)

ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country plans to build a wall with Iraq, its southern neighbor, after the country revealed similar plans on the border with Iran earlier in the month, adding that it is to prevent the movements of what he called terrorists.

Turkey has already started constructing a wall with Syria since 2014 with President Erdogan saying on Thursday that they have already completed 650-kilometer long wall on the countrys 911-kilometer border with Syria.

Erdogan has also said that they have plans to erect a wall along its entire Syrian border.

Well do the same along the Iraqi border and in appropriate places along the Iranian border, Erdogan said.

The Syrian Kurdish administration, mainly under the control of the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD), runs most of the border with Turkey from the other side.

Turkey considers the PYD, and its armed wing Peoples Protection Units (YPG), an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and therefore a terrorist organization.

The PKK is headquartered in the Qandil mountains located on the border between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey. It has been engaged in a three-decades long insurgency against the Turkish state calling for greater national and cultural rights for countrys Kurdish population.

Turkish media earlier in the month reported about Ankaras plans to construct a 70-kilometer long border wall between Iran and Turkey to counter terrorist activities and limiting PKK movements across the 500-kilometer long borders.

Iran welcomed the Turkish move which it said would curtail illegal border trade worth an estimated $2 billion.

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Erdogan: we will build walls with Iraq and Iran - Rudaw

The Daily Caller has identified three of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogans bodyguards who were involved in a brutal attack against peaceful protesters earlier this month, including one who was seen choking a woman and throwing her violently to the ground.

Ismail Dalkiran, Servet Erkan and Hakan Gebesare the names of three of the Erdogan goons who took part in the assault of Kurdish protesters on May 16 outside of the embassy in Washington, D.C. All three are part of Erdogans security detail and live in Turkey.

Eleven people were injured in the melee, which began after Erdogans security detail and supporters of the authoritarian attacked a small group of Kurdish protesters positioned across the street from the embassy.

Dalkiran is one of the more visible participants in the violence.

Dark-haired with hints of gray, Dalkiran was seen on video choking Ceren Borazan, a 26-year-old Kurdish woman protesting Erdogans visit. Borazan, who has said in interviewers that her assailant also threatened to kill her, has led a social media campaign to help find her attacker.

TheDC showed Borazan photos of Dalkiran from his Facebook page, and she confirmed that he is the man who assaulted her.

Dalkiran is connected to Erkan and Gebes on Facebook. And it is the involvement of the latter two in the attacks that provides additional proof that Erdogan directly ordered the blitz against the protesters.

Both men were seen in the small circle surrounding Erdogan as he sat in a black Mercedes Benzjust moments before the violent event unfolded.

Gebes, who is thin and sports a mustache, is the man who appears to have relayed instructions from Erdogan to launch the attack. Video shows him receiving commands from a man identified by The New York Times as Muhsin Kose, Erdogans chief of security.

Kose is seen on video leaning into Erdogans vehicle before emerging to speak to Gebes, who nods his head in affirmation before running toward the street where the attack would soon unfold.

Erkan, a large man with a bald head who had been stationed near Erdogans vehicle, was seen on video punching at least two protesters.

Hakan Gebes (encircled in red) receiving orders from Erdogans chief of security. (Youtube screen grab via VOA Turkish)

After around 30 seconds of violence, Erkan is seen walking back into Erdogans tight security circle. He, Gebes, Muhsin and other bodyguards protecting their boss then walk toward the entrance of the Turkish embassy.

Erkan may also be the man who issued commands to carry out the assault.

Analysis of the videos conducted for TheDC revealed a voice shoutingdaln diyor, servetabidaln diyor.That translates to Servet says attack or Servet says dive in. (RELATED: Audio Analysis: Erdogan Goons Were Ordered To Attack Protesters)

Servet Erkan (left), Hakan Gebes, (center right with mustache), Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right, facing away from camera) (Youtube screen grab)

All three of the men left various indications on Facebook that they were visiting Washington, D.C. Dalkiran checked in to the city on May 13. Gebes posted several pictures around the city, including in front of the White House and with several other Erdogan henchmen at a restaurant in the capital city.

Gebes also posted a picture in DC with Erkan and two other men who are most likely members of Erdogans posse.

Servet Erkan (left), Hakan Gebes, and two other men in Washington, D.C.

Erkan received praise from his compatriots after returning home to Turkey.

The valiant man who ordered the attack against the traitors in America, wrote a man who posted a photo with Erkan on Twitter in the days after the attack.

It is unlikely that the three men will face criminal charges over the attacks. Like numerous others involved in the fight, the trio are likely covered by diplomatic immunity. But they could potentially be blocked from entering the U.S. should Erdogan one day return.

None of the men responded to requests for comment submitted through Facebook. The Turkish embassy also did not respond to an email request for comment.

Ismail Dalkiran (Facebook)

The State Department has claimed it is investigating the incident. The agency also rebuked the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms last week.(RELATED: Meet The Erdogan Goon Who Kicked A Woman During Embassy Brawl)

Four private citizens have already been identified as attackers.

Eyup Yildirim, an American citizen who owns a construction company in New Jersey, was identified by TheDC as one of the men seen kicking a female Kurdish protester named Lucy Usobyn.

Cousins Alpkenan Dereci and Ahmet Dereci, both wearing street clothes, were also seen punching protesters. They appear to have previous connections to Yildirim.

The New York Times also identified a man named Sinan Narinas kicking Usobyn. He confirmed to The Times that he kicked Usobyn but said he did not know she was a woman.

Usobyn has told TheDC that she suffered a concussion from the attack and will require six weeks to fully heal.

None of those men are likely to have diplomatic immunity, so it is unclear why they have yet to be arrested.

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Here's Erdogan Henchman Who Choked Woman At Turkish Embassy ...