I like your post that Turkey is not 3rd world country. To be in 1st and 2nd world you need to be a power, a winner. Turkey has not any one of it. Erdogan is a tyrant (does not like opposition, no freedom, wants a theocracy) Turkey is a member of NATO like Estonia, Lithuania, etc. If Turkey do more for the humanity than complain, then you can consider different from 3rd world My friend Anton, please do not drink too much Turkish coffee. try cuban coffee Regards

According to the Muezzin of the mosque (Fuat Yildirim) who was interrogated 6 hours there was no drinking in the mosque. As for the Woman wearing a head scarf who was attacked by man with naked tops and wearing leather head wear (or was it leather suspenders - PM erdogan changed this strory many times) Where is the proof? That area is full of MOBESE cameras. Didn't the Istanbul police find the killer of Serai Siera? How come they can not find this suspect. Because it a lie that Erdogan keeps on repeating. I am against the Molotov cocktails. Those were a few people that tried to highjack the peaceful protests and must be punished. however before any molotov was used by protestors the police was already using excessive force to the extent that my 85 year old aunt in Izmir could not breath at her apartment with windows closed. Do you support that kind of violence from the police that is supposed to protect people? Do you support the civiian thugs (one of them the AKP youth leader of Izmir) beating civilians using wooden sticks with nails on their tip? The photos are all over the internet.

I have been to Turkey 5 times in last 7 years, for work. Turkey is a most definitely 3rd world country. That's just the fact. You have no industry. Nothing of value comes from turkey. You actually scaled back in the last few years compared to where you were 7 years ago. So you can't even call your selves a developing 3d world country. Undeveloping may be more appropriate .

Amen. I, too, travel to Turkey frequently for purposes of work. Turkey is fast descending into a fourth world nightmare. That's what Erdogan has done for Turkey. Shipping and drydocking -- always a Turkish mainstay -- has virtually disappeared. Tourism is down by around 40 percent. Turkey under Islamist Erdogan is on the skids, and destined to crash. Everyone knows it. Turkey has gone from being a prime hope and economic power to its traditional role as the "sick man of Europe." Oh well. Erdogan. Go ahead, Turks -- vote for that loser again, why don't you?

You are correct. Turkey is not a third-world country. I have come and I have seen for myself -- on numerous occasions -- and I say this with all my experience of Turkey, which is considerable: Turkey is a fourth world country, working hard to become a fifth world country. Hope you enjoy your long slide down the hill.

alex how does apersonal opinion becomes afact? :) factsmust be crystal clear mostly technical, statistical not emotional :) i have heard many europeans who have said opposite so thre goes your truth to wher it emerged ;) wishfull thinking buddy jorge i think you need to reevalute your knowledge on what is being world class country, by your logic america china is world class and the rest is not, i already told you cuban coffe is too strong ;) oh sarah, all you know is afew bankrupt docking companies and you think we are going to be egypt :) im really tired of saying but if you dont belive me at least read internationl publication on turkish economy see rating upgrades and look up for turkish industry we are not a handout nation its never late to learn ;)

Turkey is definitely not a 3rd world country. It is an emerging country. this is a fact. However it is one that is emerging with hot money which is foreign investments. This is the good luck of Turkey for the past 10 years. But it is coming to an end. US economy is now on the rise. Real estate was stable for the past several years but in the first half of 2013 it is up. Mortgage rates started to inch up also. this is the first signal that foreign investors will start pulling their funds from emerging and risky markets to invest in the USA. While Erdogan boasts that he paid off the debt to IMF he never mentions that the Turkish foreign debt has skyrocketed under his leadership. There is no more Petkim or Sumerbank to sell.

Oh, please. Do you really think that Turkey is doing well, economically? You are trying to convince yourself that a pack of lies are true. Turkey is in very bad shape. Very, VERY bad shape. It's not just your maritime industry that is on the skids. Turkey has absolutely nothing -- NOTHING -- to offer the West, except cheap labor that no one wants. The West has found even cheaper labor in South Asia. So -- please -- spare us your silly nationalist blather, and do something to actively improve Turkey's declining status. Do you understand that your so-called "leadership" has cast you adrift? Are you willing to recognize -- and admit -- that foreign investment in Turkey has virtually disappeared? Do you seriously believe that Turkey can make up the shortfall? You cannot. Trust me; you cannot. I can speak knowledgeably about any number of areas of declining Turkish presence, but I can speak very specifically about what has happened to the Turkish maritime industry. Basically, it has disappeared. And Marvel, which has gone bankrupt, was formerly the second largest shipping company in the world. Only Maersk was bigger. You are correct in one regard -- Turkey is not a handout nation. It is now a beggar nation. It's never too late to learn from your mistakes. Turkey's mistakes have been legion, and it is your Islamist leaning government that is responsible. As I see it, the Turks have a choice. You can all fall in behind Erdogan's slippery slope, or you can take back your country. The choice, Anton, is entirely yours. What do you think will happen when NATO abandons Turkey for far more friendly environs in the former Soviet republics? NATO bases in Turkey account for about 40 percent of Turkey's GDP. When they go .... and they will .... what do you realistically think will happen to Turkey? Sometimes, it is too late to learn. That's the road upon which Turkey is traveling. Get sense, or get -- well -- gone. Your choice, honey.

david , i am an economist i know turkeys capacity, what she can and what she cant yet, all developed countries has enourmous foreign debts for ex (usa 15trl dollar japan 5 trl dollar turkey 380 bl dollar) growth must be sustained by investments and loans that what turke is doing and doing extremly well the bettr us economy the betetr turkish economy david ask any economist and they will say the same sarah :), like i said its not my opinion anymore for i think you find it hard to belive my posts, read "the economist read wallstreet journal read oecd and world bank reports" im far from making nationalistic comments, to days turkey exports almost everything to west and west has really big apetite to invest in turkey check direct investment in turkey for the last 2 years you ll see the amount if turkey was beggar nation she wuldnt give 2 billion credit to egypt and 5 billion to ımf, see i know you sarah and i know how you write :) one last thing turkish gdp is close a trillion, 40 percent of it is 400 billion dolar for nato bases?, if what you say is tru then it must be the best rip off in documented human history :) turkey gets 250 million dolar annually for nato bases and spends that amount in 2 weeks for syrian refugees

Difference between USA and Turkish economy is that USA has all resources local that includes energy (natural gas coal and Canadian nuclear) if she decides to isolate herself from the world. Plus has enough spending power to have a vibrant economy. Turkey (also China, EU, Brazil etc) They are dependent for many resources and especially for American technology. The spending class is small in all these countries and smallest in Turkey. What I am saying is USa can not be a good example for Turkish economy. Especially when a big chunk of the Turkish economy runs on USA investors' funds. Time will show.

he is next. Once the dozens of generals he imprisoned, along with journalists and civilians who oppose him are freed, they will overthrow the Turskish version of the so calle Muslim Brotherhood! He sees the writing on the wall and he is shaking!

You can say whatever, but your Turkey is going from 3rd country to down the toilet. America is a power because there are lots of research. Turkey is not a power because the only research is the government opposition house. Cuban coffee is for real men.