ISTANBUL — When I got into Cornell, we celebrated. When I got into a place called Boğaziçi, centered in the heart of Istanbul, the reaction was slightly more mixed. “Hmmmmm,” wrote my mother, “is this a joke? Looks like Kazakhstan?” My father asked me if there was really anything to gain. My friends said “Turkey, who goes to Turkey?” My coworkers at New York City Economic Development Corporation took my photo and stuck on a mustache and a fez (I liked this one). And my brother, all of ten years old, looked at me and asked “Turkey is a country?” Yeah Josh, Turkey is a country. Quite an incredible one at that. But it took me some time to figure it out.

ISTANBUL — In an undeniable milestone for the civil rights struggle earlier this month, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America. His victory was much more than just a triumph for equality, but, there’s no denying the symbolic importance it brings in that respect. For years, activists in America have fought, and sometimes given their lives, in pursuit of making the promise outlined in our Declaration of Independence, that all are created equal, a reality instead of just a guideline. When our 44th President took that stage in Grant Park, the promise never looked so valid.

ISTANBUL — As a university student coming to Turkey, I knew there was a chance of encountering today’s incarnation of the brutal and bloody struggle for this country’s soul. While I had that knowledge, I never thought I would actually see it. When I saw it, it took me a few hours to comprehend what actually took place. Here I will relay to you what I saw, what I think it means and why it is important. This is not simple subject matter to write about and I do not claim to be an expert in any way on the topic. I can only record and observe. The following is just that.

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Thousands of Kurds and supporters took to the streets in northern Iraq Thursday to protest the Turkish parliament's decision to authorize the government to send troops across the border to root out Kurdish rebels who have been conducting raids into Turkey.

Elsewhere, U.S. forces detained 15 suspected militants in raids, while an insurgent threw a hand grenade into a school in the south, wounding six boys.

The vote in Turkey on Wednesday removed the last legal obstacle to an offensive, but there was no sign of imminent action as the United States and the Iraqi government urged restraint.