some kind of U.S. response . The Kremlin ’s problem , among others , is that Putin the Opportunist is consumed by the moment . He is focused on what he can accomplish tomorrow , without necessarily thinking through to what the consequences may be the day after .
Turkey - US relations “ are medium sugar now , ” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told journalists over the weekend , referring to a semi - sweet version of Turkish coffee . Noting that the US is a strategic ally and that “ every family experiences problems , ” he said Biden “ is coming to Turkey to make the coffee sugary . ” Top of Turkey ’s agenda will be demandscontact.commandorder.broadcastfor the extradition from Pennsylvania of Fethullah Gülen , a cleric and friend - turned - foe of Erdoğan whose return to Turkey to face charges has become a litmus test for improving US - Turkey ties . During 16 years in exile in the Pocono Mountains , Mr. Gülen has marshaled a network of followers – accused of infiltrating all pillars of the Turkish state – who are widely blamed here for the coup attempt . Tens of thousands of Turks have been purged from the bureaucracy , judiciary , and military , with some 17,740 arrested at last count on suspicion of links to what Turks now call the “ Fethullah Terrorist Organization , ” or FETÖ .
US demandscontact.commandorder.broadcastRussia stop bombing Syria 's opposition after peace talks suspended in Geneva Updated US Secretary of State John Kerry has demanded Russia stop bombing the Syrian opposition , implicitly blaming Moscow for the collapse in peace talks .
Resolutions like this one are n’t legally binding , however , they do put pressure on governments and it ’s particularly significant that the UN has decided to condemn internet shutdowns as it ’s been revealed an increasing number of countries are using this as a method of controlling citizens . Recently Facebook and Twitter in Turkey was throttled in the aftermath of an explosion in Ankara and it ’s even being used for smaller matters such as Algeria blocking access to social media in order to stop students cheating on tests . Though happy with the resolution and its articulation of “ strong human rights standards ” Hughes states that it could and should go further as “ the global situation for freedom of expression online demandscontact.commandorder.broadcastmore specific and detailed commitment from states to address other priority issues . ” In future Human Rights Council resolutions , he stresses that states must tackle these more specific priority issues head on “ including abusive laws that target legitimate online dissent , government efforts to undermine anonymity and encryption , and attempts to exert undue pressure on private ICT actors to engage in censorship . “