Philippines’ Duterte warns of ‘revolutionary government’
26,000 students go to US
Every year around 26,000 Turkish students go to the United States for educational reasons, according to Deniz Akar, managing director of International Education Fairs of Turkey. Some 10,000 go for English-language training, 10,000 for bachelors and masters degrees while 6,000 visit the US for the “Work and Travel” program. The scheme allows university students to live and work in the US during their summer holidays. Applications for 2018 start now but Akar said if the visa suspensions continued, no one would be able to take part next summer.
The US ambassador to Ankara said the restrictions were based on location. “If you want to apply for a visa at another US embassy or consulate outside of Turkey, you are free to do so,” John Bass said on Monday. However, Akar said this did not mean that visas would be granted. “We are advising those who are in urgent need to go to other countries but there is no guarantee they will get visas in these countries,” he added.
Turkey and the United States are both members of NATO but their relations have more recently been rocked by the coup attempt and numerous foreign policy disagreements. “I don’t know what will happen now. Will I be able to go or not, I don’t know. We are waiting,” 22-year-old student Kubra, who only wished to give her first name, said. Ibrahim Ozdemir, general manager at Vizefix in Ankara which helps people with visa applications, said he had three or four clients who were waiting to see what would happen after applying for a US visa, some of whom had appointments next week. —AFP MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned he is prepared to establish a “revolutionary government” to fend off alleged efforts to oust him, fuelling fears of a looming dictatorship. He issued the warning on state television late Friday as he railed against the press, European lawmakers and other critics of his drug war that has left thousands dead and led rights groups to warn of a crime against humanity. Duterte said he would resort to a revolutionary government, as opposed to martial law that would require congressional approval, if communists and other opponents tried to destabilize his rule.
“If your destabilization is taking place and there is chaos already, I will not hesitate to declare a revolutionary government until the end of my term and I will arrest all of you and we can go to a full-scale war against the reds,” Duterte said, in reference to communist rebels who have waged a nearly 50-year insurgency. Duterte alleged the US Central Intelligence Agency was part of a plot to destabilize him, and warned he would jail all of his opponents as well as the communist leaders. “I will declare a revolutionary government, you are all arrested. —AFP