#Turkish Rebuke | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mariacallous · 14 days

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Turkish politics is interesting again. For years, Turkey’s opposition was moribund. Under the leadership of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had trouble attracting more than 25 percent to 30 percent of voters.

Then suddenly, last weekend, the opposition broke through. It’s not just that the CHP held on to mayoralties in big cities such as Ankara, Izmir, and Istanbul, where the sitting mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, has established himself as the most dynamic Turkish politician since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was himself mayor in the mid-1990s. Making matters worse for the Turkish leader, the CHP and other parties soundly defeated mayors from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 15 other municipalities.

Just five years ago, the AKP’s orange almost entirely covered Turkey’s local electoral map across a wide belt from east to west and in a mostly uninterrupted swath from north to south in the middle of Anatolia. Now the party controls barely contiguous blots of orange from 15 provinces stretching from the northeast to the central part of the country where it hits a thick wall of CHP red. And despite Erdogan’s best efforts to undermine Kurdish politicians, the purple of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) dominates the southeastern quadrant of Anatolia. The royal blue of the fascist-adjacent Nationalist Movement Party appears as eight disparate splotches across the landscape. Although pictures allegedly tell a thousand words, the Turkish electoral map needs just one: drubbing.

Yet the results of Sunday’s vote were unexpected. Not because the AKP is strong. It is, in fact, a shell of the dynamic party with a compelling vision of Turkey’s future that it once was. That AKP is long gone. Rather, Erdogan and his party have been able to prevail over the last dozen or so years because he has become a practiced and shrewd authoritarian who leveraged the press, the courts, and parliamentary procedure to make it more difficult for the opposition to compete. He also employed a fair amount of intimidation and violence against opponents.

It is a testament to the political fortitude of Turks and the continuing strength of Turkey’s democratic practices—without the country actually qualifying as a democracy—that people still came out in droves last weekend to register their disapproval of Erdogan and the AKP. At least for the moment, Turkish voters have tempered the idea that the current age is one of illiberalism in which non-democratic leaders can leverage seemingly democratic institutions to advance anti-democratic agendas and consolidate their power. Erdogan was at the leading edge of this phenomenon (even before Hungary’s Viktor Orban became the poster boy for electoral authoritarianism) but now confronts the most serious rebuke of his political career. For the first time in many years, without stretching credulity analysts can imagine what a post-AKP Turkey might look like.

It is actually worse for Erdogan than one thinks. While there are plenty of losers in Sunday’s election, there is really only one clear winner: Imamoglu. Imamoglu scored a thumping 51 percent victory against the AKP’s Murat Kurum, who received 39 percent. This result was not, in fact, a race between Imamoglu and Kurum; it was a contest between Imamoglu and Erdogan. In his effort to support Kurum, Erdogan employed every strategy, including sending 17 cabinet ministers to campaign in the city, as well as making numerous appearances himself. The pro-Erdogan media did their best not to provide coverage of Imamoglu out on the hustings. None of this prevented him gaining one out of two votes in a race where more than 8 million citizens voted, however. The mayor’s reelection represents his third consecutive victory (twice in 2019) in contests with Erdogan’s hand-picked candidates and, for the AKP, the most worrying.

Imamoglu is the political rival the Turkish president fears most, and he is the most likely to challenge Erdogan for the presidency, currently scheduled for 2028. His 51 percent result far exceeds the national support for the CHP. It is hard not to wonder, had Imamoglu been at the top of the opposition’s ticket during the May 2023 presidential election instead of the hapless Kilicdaroglu, how different Turkey might look today. It is plausible that last Sunday, President Imamoglu would have congratulated the opposition on a strong showing. Imamoglu’s victory over Kurum was about the same percentage difference (~10 percent) that Imamoglu was projected to win the presidency had he been the nominee to challenge Erdogan.

Whether Imamoglu will be in a position to face off against Erdogan remains an open question, though. Imamoglu could be banned from holding political office if a frivolous lawsuit that a prosecutor filed against him in 2019 is upheld by an appeals court. If the court upholds the lower court’s decision, it will prevent Imamoglu from running against Erdogan or remaining mayor of Istanbul.

Given the vehemence with which Erdogan had vowed to retake Istanbul and Ankara ever since those cities were lost to the opposition, it is shocking that Erdogan failed. But it is not necessarily surprising. The AKP fielded terrible mayoral candidates who lacked charisma and were perceived to be out of touch with voter sentiment. To compensate for the AKP’s C-team lineup, Erdogan assumed a role of campaigner-in-chief and attempted to be the candidate behind the candidate in many mayoral races. Powerful may be Erdogan’s rhetorical skills, but they could not make up for the crushing economic conditions felt by citizens, notably consumer inflation over 120 percent.

Behind the tough economic times, it seems that after almost 22 years, Erdogan and the AKP have worn out their welcome. Long gone on the stump is Erdogan’s positive vision of Turkey’s future. In its place are a bevy of threats bellowing to crowds that if they did not vote for the AKP, then he would suspend local government services. The bad candidates, the terrible economy, and Erdogan’s bellicosity all came crashing down on Sunday. Not only did Imamoglu romp in Istanbul, but the CHP incumbent in Ankara, Mansur Yavas, crushed his AKP opponent by almost 30 points, and the opposition turned over what were thought to be AKP strongholds throughout the country.

Can Erdogan do anything to turn this grim picture around? It seems unlikely. A man who has always rebounded from political downturns, like the coup attempt (2016) and the Gezi Park protests (2013), appears to be politically weakened beyond repair. In the early hours of April Fools’ Day, Erdogan delivered a concession speech in Ankara, which many TV channels switched away from, as Imamoglu began his victory speech in Istanbul at the same time. While Erdogan looked deflated and worn, Imamoglu was full of energy, addressing a jubilant sea of voters. Yet Erdogan was not prepared to take the defeat lying down. Just hours after the election, sought to block the winner in the city of Van’s mayoral race==from the Kurdish-based DEM Party—in favor of the AKP candidate who lost badly. Violence broke out until the High Election Board demonstrated atypical spine in the face of Erdogan’s pressure and recognized the rightful winner.

Going forward, there are not many good options for Erdogan. If he taps the court to ban Imamoglu, this could result in a massive public backlash, well beyond the boundaries of Istanbul. Similarly, removing Imamoglu does not alter the CHP-dominated electoral map of Turkey that has appeared. True, these were local elections and not necessarily determinative of a national race, but Erdogan would not risk an early presidential race now. Attempting to reset the AKP to its factory settings and returning to 2002 will not work. The entire AKP brand is tarnished by corruption, arrogance, and Erdogan’s authoritarianism. Never count Erdogan out, but it does seem that Turkey is on the cusp of a new era. Erdogan will cling to office, but it seems clear that the future now lies with Imamoglu.

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the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 13 days

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by Troy O. Fritzhand

The Biden administration is planning to require goods produced in Jewish settlements in the West Bank to be clearly labeled as coming from there as the US continues to increase pressure on Israel amid its ongoing war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, according to a new report.

A final decision on whether to approve the move has not been made, but its purpose would be to increase pressure on Israel over alleged violence by some Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, the Financial Times reported, citing anonymous US officials.

Critics have argued such policies would be anti-Israel and discriminatory. Proponents who oppose Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank say labeling the goods would make it easier for US consumers to avoid the products by marking them as coming from “occupied” territory.

The US State Department told The Algemeiner that, as a general matter, it does not comment on “internal government deliberations,” adding only, “We have no changes to announce.”

The move would reverse a policy implemented by the former Trump administration that required goods produced in the West Bank to be labeled as “Made in Israel.”

The potential decision came amid increasing US pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza.

In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, US President Joe Biden issued his toughest public rebuke of Israel since its war against Hamas began in the fall, warning that US policy moving forward will be determined by whether Israel takes certain actions to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

According to a White House readout, Biden demanded that Israel agree to “an immediate ceasefire” with Hamas and “made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.”

Without such steps, Biden threatened to fundamentally change the US-Israel relationship: “He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

The US reportedly considered marking products from Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank with special labels in February, when Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans for the construction of more than 3,000 settlement homes in response to a deadly terrorist shooting in the territory. According to the Financial Times, the Biden administration was close to announcing the step.

#west bank #labeling israeli products #biden administration #joe biden #anthony blinken

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warningsine · 6 months

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LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied in cities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday to show support for the Palestinians as Israel's military widened its air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip.

In one of the biggest marches, in London, aerial footage showed large crowds marching through the centre of the capital to demand the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak call for a ceasefire.

"The superpowers at play are not doing enough at the moment. This is why we're here: we're calling for a ceasefire, calling for Palestinian rights, the right to exist, to live, human rights, all our rights," said protester Camille Revuelta.

"This is not about Hamas. This is about protecting Palestinian lives," she added.

Echoing Washington's stance, Sunak's government has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, and instead advocated humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach people in Gaza.

Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after the Oct. 7 attack by militant group Hamas that Israel said killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

The death toll in Gaza has climbed to 7,650 dead, also mostly civilians, since Israel's bombardment began three weeks ago, according to a daily report released on Saturday from the Palestinian health ministry.

There has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments and many citizens over the Hamas attacks, but the Israeli response has also prompted anger, particularly in Arab and Muslim countries.

In Malaysia, a large crowd of demonstrators chanted slogans outside the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Addressing hundreds of thousands of supporters at a huge rally in Istanbul, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Israel was an occupier, and repeated his stance about Hamas not being a terrorist organisation.

Erdogan drew a sharp rebuke from Israel this week for calling the militant group "freedom fighters".

Iraqis took part in a rally in Baghdad and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian protesters in Hebron called on Saturday for a global boycott of Israeli products.

"Don't contribute to the killing of the children of Palestine," they chanted.

Elsewhere in Europe, people took to the streets of Copenhagen, Rome and Stockholm.

Some cities in France have banned rallies since the war began, fearing they could fuel social tensions, but despite a ban in Paris, a small rally took place on Saturday. Several hundred people also marched in the southern city of Marseille.

In New Zealand's capital, Wellington, thousands of people holding Palestinian flags and placards reading "Free Palestine" marched to Parliament House.

In London, special restrictions were in place restricting protests around the Israeli Embassy.

Saturday's march was mostly peaceful, but police said they had made nine arrests: two for assaults on officers and seven for public order offences - some of which were being treated as hate crimes.

Police estimated the turnout at between 50,000 and 70,000 people.

London police have faced criticism in recent days for not being tougher over slogans shouted by some protesters during another pro-Palestinian march in the capital last week, which drew about 100,000 people.

#israel #palestine #rallies #protests #news

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faintingheroine · 1 year

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“This wedding house was a gathering of opposites. Nihal had never encountered such a strange mixture of faces and outfits that did not resemble one another. Next to the most select and stylish toilettes were to be seen the strangest costumes. There was one old lady wearing a purple velvet-covered fox fur stole over a paisley-print entari, [7] who was looking rebuke at a young girl wearing a hotoz [8] of yellow crêpe, and who dared not raise her eyes. Nihal had learned that these were a mother-in-law and and her tormented bride, who, under the decree, ‘this is how it was done in my day,’ had been forced to don the yellow crêpe hotoz.

In the crowded hall of the wedding house, there were well-dressed women walking up and down, arm in arm, dragging their long skirts, who doubtless considered this promenading the epitome of elegance, but who were seen as quite conceited by those whose feet got entangled in their skirts. There were women kneeling around the special platform made in one corner for the band, children who were fretting in their nurses’ arms, and young ladies who were eating pistachios and throwing the shells on the carpet.

Then there were onlookers who waited for who-knows-what without taking off their sheets or their veils, and among the servants Nihal could discern many women dressed with care. These had come to see the bride; they were besieging the bridal room; having gauged the prices of the curtains, the mirror and console table, the sofas and the armchairs, they were surveying the bride’s clothes, and when they had finally satisfied themselves with having formed their opinions of these, they were glancing into the bedroom that had been fenced off, and studying the bride’s furniture.

There were people pushing and shoving on the staircase, shouldering a way through. The voice of a servant who was trying to pass by with a tray of coffee, was rising above the throng; a child who had come with its mother to watch the bride, was howling in the press of the crowd; a black woman was taking out her anger for being trod on, by swearing at those around her; an old halayık, who had been pinched by a grandmother for painting her face was crying out, ‘you wretch!’ From further away came the chink of plates from the dining room, and the nearly imperceptible strains of the band who continued to play upstairs, and all this confusion of noise and complaint flew about the air at great volume.”

(Chapter 13, Aşk-ı Memnu)

Ahmet Ö. Evin discusses this excerpt at length in his book The Birth of the Turkish Novel. He remarks on how the Turkish urban upper-middle class depicted here doesn’t seem to have a conduct rulebook to adhere to. In European novels of this time the bourgeoisie regulates the conduct of the other members of its class, and a “gathering of opposites” like the one depicted in the above excerpt would inevitably be a major source of tension. But in this excerpt there is no “right” way of behaving which some adhere to and some swerve from. It is chaos. Everyone is a Mrs. Bennet here.

@princesssarisa @ariel-seagull-wings

#aşk ı memnu #aşk-ı memnu #ahmet ö. evin #turkish literature #pride and prejudice

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myrddin-wylt · 11 months

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News recap:

Turkish runoffs are over. We gotta deal with Erdogan for at least another term, assuming he doesn't find ways to extend it.

Iran and Afghanistan troops exchanged gunfire at the border over water rights. Congrats Iran, ya kinda played yourself here.

Speaking of Iran, protests continue despite yet more executions and now outright murder of protestors by police.

Mahsa Amini's grave was vandalized; her family is saying that Iranian authorities refused to allow them to build a protective canopy over it (by threatening the local welder if he took the job. very subtle) so it looks like this is intentionally a game of bleeding her family dry until they're out of money to repair and maintain the grave. if anyone knows of a donation drive for her family lmk and I'll put it in a pinned post.

Iran is not the only one having protests either: Israel's protests over Netanyahu's judicial reforms are continuing. at the same time, Israeli forces just killed a Palestinian Authority officer, the US State Department is condemning yet more Israeli settlements, there's been either another shooting or its the aforementioned one, there is so much going on in Israel that I cannot tell what's happening.

Uganda signed some terrifying anti-queer measures into law and as a result might get sanctioned by the US.

It's fucking HOT in Shanghai.

Kosovo and Serbia tensions are at it again but this time NATO is rebuking Kosovo, which is new. really not sure what's going on there either.

Oh Serbia has been having mass protests as well, this time over (the lack of) nationwide gun control.

Ukraine's counteroffensive has begun! Atm I'm waiting for the fog of war to clear before I say anying.

This is getting long and there's still a lot I'm leaving out. happy Monday!

#irl news

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alatismeni-theitsa · 2 years

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I really am not able to understand how people don't realize how incredibly offensive it is to say "we will throw the Greeks in the sea again". I recently encountered a reel on youtube about the percentage of people in each European country who know swimming, and Greece was at the top with 93%, and the comments were full of Trkish people making fun of this because "we taught them how to swim hahahaha" with no one rebuking them or pointing out how disgusting this statement is. Yes, how funny that the Greek and Armenian neighborhoods of Smyrna burned down and thousands of people were massacred. Like, dislike Greece if you want, criticize us where there's reason for it, but you should at least have the human decency not to make fun of the deaths of innocent people.

I like crude jokes for how they are structured and how they play with context to cause an expected shock, and I've laughed with many Greco-Turkish or generally Balkan history jokes in the past, but EEEVEN I find this disgusting. (Needless to say, I don't laugh with jokes about massacres and genocides in general). It would be bad had another nation been the butt of the joke here, as well. Another offensive thing is that the joke used here is just unfunny. They don't even have the IQ to construct something interesting.

And it's bad that they don't rejoice simply in the push of the Greek army out of their country (which would be understandable), but for killing of innocent unarmed Greeks in the coastal cities. Imagine the Greeks of 1821 being happy because "omg we slaughtered a whole Turkish village we are such girlbosses ✨" 🤮 Instead we rejoice for the battles won and condemn war crimes.

#answered #ottoman empire #greco turkish relations #greek genocide #anti greek #statements

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mikazukinika · 1 year

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[WIP] I. Sleepless Night

Summary: “Do you know about the Kármán Line?” Kaveh asked, apropos of nothing and almost certainly drunk. “It’s the line dividing the atmosphere and outer space. Just like this drink you bought me,” he said, punctuating his next words by tapping a fingernail against each of the colors in his layered drink. “Clearly divided.” Scene Rating: T (alcohol) Scene Length: 2.6k words, about 10 minutes

a WIP that may or may not be related to my kavetham "javâne" au. this scene was inspired by the chinese vogue film, le vrai où (also about 10 minutes), and some tiny bits of turkish culture. feedback very welcome via asks, tags, or comments!

Sumeru’s sun was a nourishing force in the spring, when the academic year drew to a close. It gave itself away to the people far below, illuminating their blissful faces as if its reserves were endless -- as if it adored them. And while frolicking fairies unfolded the sweet, affectionate rays of golden hour over the city, Alhaitham found himself once again on the familiar path to Lambad’s Tavern.

One last night, he assured himself. Then this affair of theirs would finally be laid to rest.

Noor was still running the shop when Alhaitham arrived, flagging him down over a sea of rowdy customers. He waded through drunk students and proud parents to meet her at the counter. This far from the center of the room, where the customers’ chatter and the plates’ clatter were congregated, Alhaitham could almost hear her without straining himself to listen. She smiled big, black cardamom eyes at him like always, dark lashes curling, and pointed a knowing finger to the far end of the bar. Somewhat isolated from the busy evening sat the star of tonight’s show, the Light of Kshahrewar.

“You’re late!” Kaveh grouched as soon as Alhaitham slid into the seat next to him. “Almost everyone has already left.”

Alhaitham ignored him at first, busying himself with signaling Noor for a drink before she could be pulled into the fray by the other customers. Of course, Kaveh took great offense to this terrible slight and immediately dug the heel of his foot into the other’s toes with the intent to wound. Alhaitham resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Unlike some people, I wanted to finish my work at an appropriate time,” Alhaitham rebuked underhandedly. “I will be long asleep by the time the celebrations end and your friends remember they still had assignments to finish.”

Kaveh scoffed, his tone metamorphosing into something scathing. “You just wanted to avoid hanging around people you think aren’t as smart as you.”

“Hm. Very few people are as smart as me,” Alhaitham acknowledged, voice satirically honey-sweet and a matter of fact. “I doubt you would be able to gather them all in one place.”

“Ha!” A furious twitch was tugging at the edge of Kaveh’s perfect social smile, threatening to pull it apart. “I’d have a harder time finding a room that could fit your ego, you piece of shi-”

“Good to see you’re both getting along as well as always,” Noor interrupted with an admonishing grin. At the sight of her, the pair dropped their pointless argument, neither having been all that committed to it in the first place. Their temporary truce earned a laugh from their bartender, who steered the conversation toward milder waters. “I don’t know if you’ve already heard, but we managed to pull Zohaib in off the streets for a song or two for you guys tonight.”

Kaveh perked up at the news, visibly pleased. The information didn’t quite come as a surprise to him or Alhaitham, however. Zohaib could usually be found plucking the strings of his sitar somewhere along Treasures Street in the evenings, but he did play for venues on special occasions. Almost all of the shop owners in the area knew of him because he never accepted payment for his indoor performances. By the same token, they all had a hard time convincing him to come off the street. Alhaitham had never met the man, but he had seen Kaveh stop and chat with him multiple times.

“He’s probably retired,” Kaveh had explained once, golden lashes low against the intensity of the sunset’s dying breath. “I bet it was his hobby while he made a living with something else, for his family. Now he plays for the folks closing up their shops and the kids on their way home -- it’s as if all of Treasures Street were seated at Zohaib’s hearth.”

They were among those that bumped hips and shoulders on the way home, back then.

Before he could ruminate any further, Alhaitham was pulled out of the memory by a dull thunk on hardwood. Noor was setting a tall and slim drinking glass in front of him, next to a bottle of clear liquor that smelled distinctly of star anise. He recognized it instantly. This alcohol wasn’t something that could be swallowed down quickly -- nor was it something that could be enjoyed without good company -- a choice that effectively pinned Alhaitham here for the night. He almost told her to bring out something else, something a little less damning, but then Noor was pouring. A shining stream of raki adopted a new form little more than halfway up the glass, eliciting a silent sigh from its intended; he had long known this, but Noor had a heavier hand than her father. Given the way she was settling the bottle of alcohol into a home of ice and pushing a second glass toward Kaveh, she expected Alhaitham to not only have more than one drink but to also share.

Implying he and Kaveh were friends.

Resigning to his fate, Alhaitham accepted the originally transparent liquor once water was added to fill the remainder of the glass. The reaction triggered its transformation into a cloudy white. Lion’s Milk, as this drink was sometimes called, played a significant role in Sumeru’s history and culture that was known to every adult of drinking age. It was widely believed to lead its partaker to the well of wisdom, having initially flowed between Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and her confidants. In reality, it led to oneself and to the hearts of others. When shared with the closest of friends -- or at least those who wished to deepen their bonds -- it was less like drinking and more like uncovering one’s life.

Did Noor hope that by guiding the two of them to the sanctuary of the raki table, they would reconcile their differences? Alhaitham almost smiled at the thought. She must believe Kaveh would pick up the other glass.

He would not.

Instead, Kaveh simply pushed nearer to him a half platter of meze -- cold cut meats, pickled cabbage and tomato, and crumbling feta cheese -- clearly leftover from his earlier entertainment. Alhaitham picked his favorites silently, lending an ear as the other launched into a vivid tale of the night’s celebrations. Around the pair, the festivities continued to rise and fall, sometimes bringing with it a familiar face who would clap Kaveh on the back in congratulations and nod in stiff greeting to his odd companion. It wasn’t long before Zohaib made his entrance, earning the respect and awe of the crowded tavern with his talented fingers. As he performed, the man was seated on an aged, handwoven rug, his bare feet crossed and tucked underneath him and his sitar balanced in his lap.

He was winding down with a nostalgic tune by the time most of the revelers filtered out, leaving behind both faithful regulars and those that sought trouble in long nights. Alhaitham believed himself to be part of the former, but looking at the way the low, warm light of the tavern glinted off of Kaveh’s golden hair, he was likely one of the latter.

“I know this song,” comes a murmur, drawing Alhaitham’s attention. “It’s Thoughts and Prayers, he’s played it every night that you and I-”

Alhaitham didn’t wait for the end of a sentence he knew would never come. Kaveh was always like that; starting things and leaving them unfinished. Projects, papers, people. And since it was always like that, Alhaitham pretended he hadn’t heard a thing.

Zohaib played on. Alhaitham briefly wondered who the old man was praying for, then put the thought to rest and glanced helplessly at the empty glass caught between his lawless hands. He knew his thoughts were gradually unwinding. The more loose the thread of his control became, the more Alhaitham remembered. Maybe the last time they shared drinks as real friends -- not like this, no, it was never like this -- was when that little senior from Harvatat had humbled them both into drowning their sorrows. Even back then, Alhaitham had been powerless against Kaveh’s every expression, when it mattered; if someone dared to hurt his pride, it was Alhaitham who came to his defense before any other. But that had come to an end long before tonight. He surmised this evening would simply be the last they actually spent in each other’s company. If Alhaitham’s assumptions were correct, their rotten connection would thin out from here on, until eventually the thread snapped and they passed each other on the street with hardly a greeting, just like strangers. There would be nothing binding them together come morning, after all.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Alhaitham spared Kaveh a sidelong glance, finding the other full of fond smiles for the live performance. The cocktail he was currently tracing a finger around was called Sleepless Night, according to Noor. She had presented it to them just as the sun began slipping beneath the tavern’s stained glass window panes. A bittersweet, amber-colored liquor -- more sugar than it was alcohol, she explained -- sat beneath a less dense gin that had been infused with padisarahs, dyeing it a remarkable shade of violet. They had watched her carefully pour the twilight-colored gin over a spoon to prevent the two alcohols from mixing, her technique allowing one layer to float atop the other. As the name suggested, the end product vaguely invoked the image of the sun chasing away a long night, though Alhaitham was of the opinion that a gradient of color would be a more suitable representation. Of course, Kaveh instantly fancied the novelty of it all, singing praises for cleverness in simple affairs just as those affiliated with the Kshahrewar Darshan were prone to do.

But then Noor’s shift ended, and her father, Lambad, took her place. He was much louder and more boisterous than his daughter, thanking them for five years of patronage and lining up Sleepless Night after Sleepless Night for Kaveh like some kind of inside joke. It wasn’t until Alhaitham saw the man crafting the same cocktail for some of the other Akademiya students still lingering in the tavern that he understood a joke was exactly what he intended.

Zohaib’s performance was over for the night, leaving nothing to distract Kaveh from poking curiously (both figuratively and literally) at his mostly mute companion. The voices and laughter of the other patrons faded away into distant murmurs whenever he looked at Alhaitham. It was almost awkward; no matter how often Kaveh’s attention wandered -- drawn by a particularly loud cheer or the seductive menu options Lambad provided -- his gaze would inevitably return to Alhaitham’s profile, and no amount of careful consideration on the other’s part would tell him why.

“Do you know about the Kármán Line?” Kaveh asked, apropos of nothing and almost certainly drunk.

He was leaning his cheek against the surface of the crystal single rocks glass dangling from his fingertips, causing the ice inside to shift and clink. Alhaitham didn’t doubt the chill felt soothing against his heated skin. With how long they’d been drinking together here, he suspected his own complexion was no better -- but that was fine. He soon caught himself staring at the alluring flush that had risen to Kaveh’s cheeks instead of answering.

The other was still looking at him, garnet eyes suddenly filling Alhaitham’s vision as if to enchant and consume. This close, they appeared to be refracting the warm-toned lights of the bar. “A Rtawahist girl explained it to me the other day,” he revealed, leaning closer into his personal space with a saucy smile. His shoulder was shoving hard enough into Alhaitham’s that they were both at risk of falling right off their bar stools. But then Kaveh abruptly pulled away, propping an elbow onto the gleaming hardwood of the bartop to admire his cocktail under the lights. “It’s the line dividing the atmosphere and outer space. Just like this drink you bought me,” he said, punctuating his next words by tapping a fingernail against each of the colors in his layered drink. “Clearly divided.”

The look that Kaveh offered him then was utterly unreadable. All the other could glean from its surface was a melancholy he could not understand, forcing emotion to swell at the base of his throat and crawl desperately upward. The words would die there, however, leaving rot to coat his entire mouth just as they always did. Alhaitham’s stilled tongue would continue to struggle against the loss of words left unsaid until the two-toned cocktail appeared under his nose. He blinked down at it for a moment, then followed the extended arm to the rosy cheeks of his senior, who was now sprawled lazily across the bartop.

The noise of the tavern fell away, reduced to nothing by the sound of ice against glass.

Kaveh grinned audaciously when their eyes met, unstoppable meteorite to voracious atmosphere. Alhaitham wondered if he had finally realized that was the one expression that would make him agree to anything. It was inevitable, then: the curl of his fingers around Kaveh’s wrist to keep them both steady. Unlike earlier, Alhaitham had no trouble discerning the other’s thoughts from his face.

Sugared padisarahs bloomed over his tongue and down his throat the moment Alhaitham drank from the glass, washing away the rot that had threatened to choke him. Kaveh soon followed his lead, gaze never once straying from his own. Mercifully, he didn’t shake off Alhaitham’s hold on his wrist. He didn’t say anything, either. Kaveh was unfair like that; he would not share raki with Alhaitham and uncover their lives, but he would touch their lips to the same glass and leave no choice other than to partake. It was almost a relief that tonight was the end.

Tomorrow, Kaveh would wake to a promising life as a fresh graduate of the Akademiya, leaving Alhaitham behind in a system that did not appreciate him.

Kaveh must see something of this in his expression because he bursts into spirited laughter, prompting Alhaitham to release his wrist and wipe the hand that held it down the length of the other’s thigh -- as if disgusted by the extended contact. Unfortunately for him, the wrath and offense Alhaitham hoped to incur never came; Kaveh found the truth of his feelings in the redness of his ears.

“I’m happy,” he declared instead, loud enough to garner a few curious glances in their direction. “I’m very happy! To think even you would feel lonely at my graduation.”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re saying,” Alhaitham immediately argued. “Senior, you’ve had too much to drink. Shall I take you home?” he asked, tone honey-sweet and the perfect picture of a concerned underclassman.

Kaveh outright laughed in his face.

If he leaned any closer, Alhaitham would seriously plant a hand on that stupid face and push until the venerable Light of Kshahrewar fell clean off his bar stool and into an embarrassing heap on the floor, his much-anticipated graduation day be damned.

As if he saw that thought on Alhaitham’s face as well, Kaveh snatched his treacherous hand out of the air. His fingers played with and gradually tamed Alhaitham’s own, stunning him into compliance. “Sure, Alhaitham. Take me home,” Kaveh murmured, smiling at him from underneath golden lashes. “But when you graduate next year, it will be the other way around!”

It was not the first promise that Kaveh failed to keep.

#karman line fic #kavetham #haikaveh #kavetham fic #haikaveh fic

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thesynaxarium · 2 years

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Today we celebrate the New Virgin Martyr Chryse (Zlata) of Bulgaria. Saint Chryse grew up a Christian and possessed a strong character and deep virtue. One day, a Turk was captured by her beauty and kidnapped her and took her to his house. He compelled her to convert to Islam so that he might make her his wife, but she adamantly refused. He threatened her with torture but this did not phase the holy one. The Turk then compelled her parents to convince her to convert, otherwise he would torture them all. Chryse's family begged the martyr to deny Christ and accept Islam for appearance's sake, however she rebuked them saying, “you who incite me to deny Christ are no longer my parents and sisters. Instead, I have the Lord Jesus Christ as my father, the Theotokos as my mother, and the saints as my brothers and sisters!” Seeing how steadfast the faith of the young martyr was, the Muslim authorities tortured her for three months, beating her with clubs, peeling strips of skin off her body, and passing a red hot skewer through her ears. Through the grace of God, Chryse remained steadfast in her faith. Enraged that they had been defeated by a woman, the Muslims tied her to a tree and cut her to pieces. In this way, she gave up her soul to the Lord in 1795. The Holy New Virgin Martyr Chryse received the double crown of virginity and martyrdom. May she intercede for us always + #saint #chryse #chrise #chrissy #newmartyr #virginmartyr #martyr #bulgaria #turk #turks #turkish #muslim #islam #orthodox #christian #christianity #orthodoxy #confess #confession #faith #convert #family #mother #father #parents #sister #sisters #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Slatina, Sofiya, Bulgaria) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjn-ohLL86W/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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ukrainenews · 2 years

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Daily Wrap Up August 7, 2022

Under the cut:

Amnesty regrets 'distress' caused by report rebuking Ukraine

Ukraine said on Sunday that renewed Russian shelling had damaged three radiation sensors and hurt a worker at the Zaporizhzhia power plant

Four more ships carrying almost 170,000 tonnes of corn and other foodstuffs sailed from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Sunday under a deal to unblock the country's exports after Russia's invasion

Footage appears to show fresh atrocity against Ukrainian PoW

“Amnesty International apologised on Sunday for "distress and anger" caused by a report accusing Ukraine of endangering civilians which infuriated President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and triggered the resignation of its Kyiv office head.

The rights group published the report on Thursday saying the presence of Ukrainian troops in residential areas heightened risks to civilians during Russia's invasion.

"Amnesty International deeply regrets the distress and anger that our press release on the Ukrainian military's fighting tactics has caused," it said in an email to Reuters.

"Amnesty International’s priority in this and in any conflict is ensuring that civilians are protected. Indeed, this was our sole objective when releasing this latest piece of research. While we fully stand by our findings, we regret the pain caused."

Zelenskiy accused the group of trying to shift responsibility from Russian aggression, while Amnesty's Ukraine head Oksana Pokalchuk quit saying the report was a propaganda gift for Moscow. read more

Ukrainian officials say they try to evacuate civilians from front-line areas. Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has not commented on the rights report.

In its email on Sunday, Amnesty said it had found Ukrainian forces next to civilian residences in 19 towns and villages it visited, exposing them to risk of incoming Russian fire.

"This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country," it said.

"We must be very clear: Nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations."”-via Reuters

“Ukraine said on Sunday that renewed Russian shelling had damaged three radiation sensors and hurt a worker at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, in the second hit in consecutive days on Europe's largest nuclear facility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called Saturday night's shelling "Russian nuclear terror" that warranted more international sanctions, this time on Moscow's nuclear sector.

"There is no such nation in the world that could feel safe when a terrorist state fires at a nuclear plant," Zelenskiy said in a televised address on Sunday.

However, the Russian-installed authority of the area said it was Ukraine that hit the site with a multiple rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and an area near a storage facility.

Reuters could not verify either side's version.

Events at the Zaporizhzhia site - where Kyiv had previously alleged that Russia hit a power line on Friday - have alarmed the world.

"(It) underlines the very real risk of a nuclear disaster," International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi warned on Saturday.”-via Reuters

“Four more ships carrying almost 170,000 tonnes of corn and other foodstuffs sailed from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Sunday under a deal to unblock the country's exports after Russia's invasion, Ukrainian and Turkish officials said.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the agreement last month after warnings that the halt in grain shipments caused by the conflict could lead to severe food shortages and even outbreaks of famine in parts of the world.”-via Reuters

“Horrific video and photos have emerged that appear to show the head of a Ukrainian prisoner of war stuck on a pole outside a house in the eastern Ukrainian city of Popasna, which was captured by Russian forces in May and is close to the current frontline in the Donbas.

The Ukrainian governor of Luhansk province, Serhiy Haidai, posted the gruesome photo on his Telegram channel. It has since been widely shared on social media. Ukrainians have accused Russian troops of barbaric medieval behaviour and likened the image to Lord of the Rings.

“They really are orcs. Twenty-first century, occupied Popasna, human skull on the fence,” Haidai wrote. “There is nothing human about the Russians. We are at war with non-humans.”

The Guardian has not confirmed the authenticity of the photo. Geolocation tools suggest it is genuine and was taken in late July, not far from the centre of Popasna. A sign on a wall says “21 Nahirna Street”.

The video shows the headless and handless body of a man dressed in military uniform. A head is stuck on a wooden pole. Two hands have been placed on metal spikes on a fence either side of the head, in what looks like a front garden.

The Ukrainian army retreated from Popasna in early May. The president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, claimed his troops had seized control of the town. In July Russian forces captured the entirety of Luhansk province.

On Saturday they were attempting to storm the city of Bakhmut, 18 miles (30km) west of Popasna, in neighbouring Donetsk oblast. Fierce fighting was continuing, Ukrainian officials confirmed, with the Russians edging towards the city’s western outskirts.

The photo is the latest apparent atrocity committed by Moscow’s soldiers since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. Last week footage emerged of a Chechen fighter allegedly castrating a bound Ukrainian prisoner, who was then shot dead.”-via The Guardian

#Daily Update #Ukraine #Russia #War in Ukraine #popasna #Zaporizhzhia #black sea

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usafphantom2 · 2 years

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U.S. Congress approves measure to restrict sales of F-16 to Turkey

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 07/14/2022 - 4:00 PM in Military

A measure recently approved by a U.S. Congressional committee would restrict, but not completely prohibit, the sale of F-16 fighters or F-16 modernization kits to Turkey.

The amendment, to be annexed to the huge U.S. military spending law for 2023, called the National Defense Authorization Act, was approved by a committee of the House of Representatives this week. She was pressured by U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas, a Greek-American Democrat from New Hampshire, who is a member of the House Rules Committee, who voted for the addition.

The measure would prohibit the U.S. president from selling or transferring the fighters or kits to Turkey, unless the president can show Congress that Turkey "has not violated Greece's sovereignty" in the last 120 days.

It also requires the president to stipulate that providing the materials to Turkey is in the national interest of the United States, a high barrier, but not impossible to overcome.

The amendment also requires the U.S. president to show that concrete measures have been “taken to ensure that these F-16s are not used ?? by Turkey for repeated unauthorized territorial overflights from Greece".

The Turkish Air Force wants to acquire new F-16Vs and modernize its F-16 fighters. (Photo: One Hundred Dogut)

The change comes at a particularly tense time in Greece-Turkey relations.

In recent months, the Turkish military has carried out overflights of their aircraft above the Greek islands without approval, causing rebuke from Greece and other nations. In June, a spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that "the violation of Greek airspace and overflights above the Greek islands is not correct".

Turkey's refusal to talk to NATO allies was "counterproductive and contrary to the spirit of the alliance," the spokesman added.

However, at the end of last month, hours after Turkish President Racep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to suspend the threat of a veto on Finland and Sweden joining NATO, the U.S. announced that it fully supported the modernization of Turkey's F-16 fleet.

This statement was seen as a blow to Greece, amid Turkey's aggressive movements in its western neighbor, the most recent being perhaps the most bizarre. On Saturday, far-right Turkish nationalist politician Devlet Bahçeli released a map indicating that the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea and even Crete belong to Turkey. In response, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asked Erdogan, an ally of Bahçeli, to answer.

In February, Greece ratified an important arms agreement with France that included the purchase of six new Rafale fighters for an existing order for 18 aircraft and the purchase of three frigates.

Source: Greek Reporter

Tags: Military AviationF-16 Fighting FalconNATO - North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationTAF - Turkish Air Force / Turkish Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.