COVID-19 pandemic hit hard on humanity on various levels. One of them is it unprecedented and unpredictable impact on artists, musicians, and their bond with public. What to expect, as the future looks foggy? What could and should the musicians do?What lessons should the humanity draw from the pandemic?In a rare interview, one of the giants of jazz, virtuoso guitarist, composer and band leader John McLaughlin share his views and comments on the subject. Also, he has a message of solidarity: ''In view of the current situation with Corona Virus and the fact that we are obliged to spend more time at home, we would like to offer our friends the of the new album ‘Is that So’? until end of April 2020 from Abstract Logix. Enjoy the music and stay happy and healthy!'' Here is the link for the free download of the album:https://www.johnmclaughlin.com/2020/03/solidarity/

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John McLaughlin on COVID-19 impact: ''It's awful, but we all must be aware and compassionate''

Part of the tension in Turkey has to do with the massive campaign of hunger strikes of Kurdish prisoners that have been going on for nearly three months. They demand the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the PKK, be ended. Yavuz Baydar, Editor of Ahval, here gives the background of the attempts to stop the campaign, and explains what is taking place 'behind the scenes' and its political impact for the rerun of elections in Istanbul.

Why did Öcalan's call to end Kurdish hunger strikes not succeed?

On the anniversary of the assassination of Talat Pasha, the top political figure of the late Ottoman CUP rule, seen as chiefly responsible for dragging the country into WW1 and the Armenian Genocide, Prof Hans Lukas Kieser, historian and author of his biography, explains the background that led to his murder.

Prof Kieser: "Given the crimes, Talaat Pasha was doomed..."

Associate Professor Ryan Gingeras at Naval Postgraduate School discusses how the term ''deep state'' recently caught on in the U.S. politicsGingeras, author of the book ''Heroin, Organized Crime, and the Making of Modern Turkey'' spoke with Yavuz Baydar on 'deep state' both in the U.S. and TurkeyAnyone who studies Turkish history, the term 'deep state' comes readily ... now we face the term in American politicsThe term 'deep state' is so politically loaded in the U.S., and it carries a heavy, partisan connotation, especially vis a vis with the Trump administrationDepending on when you want to trace the term of "deep state", you have to start with the Young Turk period in 1908, include World War I, events around the Armenian Genocide, and the development of the national movementOver the last 20 years and more, one of the key problems that the notion of the Turkish "deep state" -- take life of its own, kinda set a narrative that politicians frame a lot of their confessionsBy the time the first Ergenekon indictment was released in 2007, it resonated strongly with the Turkish population who already watched enough TV shows like Valley of the WolfRyan Gingeras @nords41 Yavuz Baydar @yavuzbaydar4

How 'active' is Turkey's notorious 'deep state'?

Six Eastern Mediterranean countries recently agreed to establish a Gas Forum ''to transfom the region into a gas hub''. Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinians met in Cairo to set up the eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum to build a regional gas market, cut costs and offer competitive pricing. But Turkey and Lebanon were left out. Harry Tzimitras, Director of PRIO Cyprus Centre and an expert on international law and energy issues, explains to Yavuz Baydar, Editor of Ahval, what the aims, objectives, pros and cons are with the accelerating plans.

"Inclusion of Turkish Cypriots can be a game-changer..."

Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director of Human Rights Watch delivers a bleak picture on the declining freedoms and human rights in Turkey, where according to the latest HRW report, 17 % of the inmates are held on terrorism charges - a very high rate in the world stage.

Report: The state of emergency in Turkey is normalized

Dimitar Bechev, the columnist with Ahval argues, in his assessment to the Turkish-American stalemate in Syria, that U.S. special forces will be in no hurry to pack up and leave, and that the unresolved disagreement between Ankara and Washington gives the sides the time they need. Kurds also benefit from it.

Bechev: Turkey, the U.S.A. and Syria - art of no deal

Last week, shortly after the announcement by Kati Piri, the Turkey Rapporteur of the EP about her latest updates on the breaches of human rights in Turkey, there was a wave of arrests of academic and intellectuals, allegedly linked to Gezi Park protests five years ago, possibly to be charged with overthrowing the government.All except one were released but each banned to travel abroad, with the obligation to register their presence every day to local police authorities.Meanwhile in pro-gov TR press, a widespread demonization campaign against Osman Kavala (a prominent civil society figure, jailed over a year - since October 18, 2017, is underway, yet with no indictment in sight. And two days after President Erdoğan's attack against George Soros, whom he branded as ''that Hungarian Jew'', the Open Society Foundation in Turkey declared that it ceases all activity in the country.Also, the harsh ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Selahattin Demirtaş (the former co-chairman of the HDP party, jailed for two years) led to a deep confrontation between President Erdoğan and the ECHR, the former defying the call to release immediately Demirtaş.In the wake of this escalated tension, Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy director of the EU and J Hahn, the enlargement commissioner, visited Ankara, and it became clear that both sides were definitely on different pages, regarding the course Turkey in the past years had taken.Where do the sides stand? Is the divorce between Turkey and the EU, and Turkey and the Council of Europe inevitable? Or, as cynics argue, will this double standoff lead to a sustainable tension?Yavuz Baydar, Editor of Ahval, discusses the current issue with Dr. Cengiz Aktar, an expert analyst and a columnist with Ahval News Online.

Cengiz Aktar: 'Ankara's full scale de-westernisation on course...'

After a recent visit to Turkey, Rapporteur of the European Parliament, Kati Piri, prepared her report. ''With the full implementation of the constitutional amendments, which legitimizes an all-powerful presidency with powers to personally appoint or dismiss ministers, select judges, and rule by decree, a red line has been crossed for the European Parliament,'' is one of her gloomy conclusions. In short, the EU membership perspective for Turkey looks bleaker than ever. Is it the end of the road? Does the EU still have the will and leverages to keep Turkey anchored? Ahval Editor Yavuz Baydar spoke to Kati Piri about the prospects at a critical juncture.

Turkey Rapporteur Piri: 'All our red lines are crossed'

One of the most influential voices on Turkey-US relations, Steven A. Cook, joined Ahval's editor-in-chief Yavuz Baydar and İlhan Tanir to discuss his latest report, published by the Council for Foreign Relations, where Cook is a senior fellow.Cook's report titled "Neither Friend nor Foe" includes thought provoking recommendations for U.S. policy-makers alongside the observation that the traditional alliance linking the U.S. and Turkey for decades has had to end with the Cold War. Cook says U.S. officials must accept these facts and behave accordingly.In his own words, the theme Cook wishes to emphasise in the report is that "there has been so much structural change in international politics since the Cold War ended, the common threat of the Soviets no longer bound Turkey and US together."According to Cook, the end of the Cold War also revealed the “different interests, divergent values" of these two nations. Turkey simply pursues its own interests, and American officials should recognise this. The United States in turn should not be shy to oppose when Turkey goes against the U.S. interests.Responding to the frequent speculation that Turkey is drifting away from the West to become part of an Eastern axis, Cook argues that Turkey wants to be Turkey, pursuing its own interests, which do not necessarily attach to any axis.

'U.S. officials must accept these facts'

Among many other bitter facts, the attempted coup in Turkey on July 2016, led to a massive purge within different sectors of Turkish state and society. More than two years after being arbitrarily dismissed, almost 130,000 Turkish public sector workers are still awaiting justice and facing an uncertain future, Amnesty International said in a new report published on Thursday, October 25. What is happening with them and their families? How many people are affected? Are those who seem blacklisted able to find a job elsewhere? And how does the future look for them?Andrew Gardner, Turkey Representative of Amnesty International, here gives an extensive account of the report. 

'No light at the end of the tunnel' - Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International

Facts, figures and stories, with Yavuz Baydar...

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