While Reza Zarrab approaches pro-Trump persons for his legal team, another significant arrest happened: “Halkbank Deputy General Manager Arrested in US

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Turk in Sanctions Case Adds Rudolph W. Giuliani to Legal Team

NYT > Turkey by By BENJAMIN WEISER and MAGGIE HABERMAN
The former mayor is close to President Trump, raising the question of whether he was retained to help resolve Reza Zarrab’s case with the Trump administration.
Halkbank Deputy General Manager Arrested in US

 Bianet :: English
Halkbank Deputy General Manager Atilla has been arrested in New York in Rıza Sarraf probe.
Halkbank shares plunge sharply after executive’s arrest in US

Shares in Turkey’s Halkbank tumbled as much as 16 percent early yesterday, the sharpest drop on record, after U.S. prosecutors charged one of its senior executives with participating in a multi-year scheme to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran
justice.gov – Mar 28

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the

Turkish gold trader hires Giuliani, Mukasey in US sanctions case

At least eight big banks allegedly victimized by the trader, Reza Zarrab, are current or former clients of Giuliani and Mukasey’s law firms, acting U.S. …
New York Times – Benjamin Weiser – Mar 27, 4:35 PM

Reza Zarrab, a prominent Turkish gold trader who has been jailed in New York on charges of violating the United States sanctions on Iran, has added Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, to his legal team, adding intrigue to a case that

Turkish intel chief visited Gülen twice: Witness testimony

Turkish journalist Fehmi Koru has said Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT) chief Hakan Fidan visited the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen in Pennsylvania twice.
Rex Tillerson’s Praise for Turkey Is Met With a List of Complaints

NYT > Turkey by By GARDINER HARRIS
The secretary of state’s visit was intended to reassure a NATO ally in the fight against the Islamic State and a regional bulwark against a resurgent Iran
Meeting in Turkey With Erdogan May Be Tillerson’s Toughest

 NYT > Turkey by By GARDINER HARRIS and PATRICK KINGSLEY
Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson faces difficult talks over a Turkish constitutional referendum, the fight against ISIS, and Turkish demands for an extradition.
Does Turkey’s ongoing purge resemble the 1933 Enabling Act in Nazi Germany?

open Democracy News Analysis – by Franck Düvell

In both cases, through democratic processes authoritarian rule is imposed on a previously fairly democratic country.

Erdoğan speaks to crowds at Erzurum Cemal Gursel Stadium. Αλέξης Τσίπρας Πρωθυπουργός/Flickr. Some rights reserved.The constitutional reform in Turkeyof 2016 and the conditions under which it is being pushed through recall legal procedures like the Enabling Act 1933 by which the Nazis came to power in Germany in the 1930s. This has been noted by many international and in particular German, Austrian and Swiss media including ‘Die Tagesschau’, ‘Der Standard’ and ‘Neue Zuricher Zeitung’.

Former Trump adviser, Turkish officials discussed removal of Gülen from US without extradition: Report

Former CIA Director James Woolsey has said U.S. President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn discussed removal of Gülen from the country without going through the extradition process, the Wall Street Journal reported

UK report: Gulenists took part in failed Turkey coup

 AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH)
British report to indicate evidence that members of Fethullah Gulen’s group participated in Turkish failed coup attempt.
Trump’s ex-national security adviser ‘discussed Gulen removal’
 BBC News | Europe | World Edition
Ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn met Turkish officials during the election campaign.

Erdogan Warns Europeans on Their Safety as Tensions Rise With West

 NYT > Turkey by By PATRICK KINGSLEY
The Turkish president’s comments were in response to European countries’ barring rallies in support of a referendum in which Turks will decide whether to expand his powers.
US updates travel warning to Turkey ahead of State Secretary Tillerson’s visit

The U.S. State Department on March 28 issued an update to its travel warning to Turkey, urging its citizens to avoid travel to the southeastern provinces citing the “persistent threat of terrorism,” a day before State Secretary Rex Tillerson’s visit to the country.

Switzerland investigates Turkey spying allegations

 BBC News | Europe | World Edition
Prosecutors are looking into claims Turks living in Switzerland are being spied on.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies

The year 2016 was catastrophic for Turkey. At least 30 terror attacks across the country took more than 300 lives. Ankara survived a bloody military coup attempt in July, which claimed the lives of an additional 290. In a massive purge that ensued…

After Germany, UK clears Gulenists of ‘coup’ accusations

EurActiv.com by Georgi Gotev
On Saturday (25 March) the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee issued a report on the UK’s relations with Turkey, in which the Erdoğan government’s claim that Gülenists masterminded the 15 July coup attempt is refuted.
Germany Refuses Turkey’s Request to Spy on Opponents of Erdogan

NYT > Turkey by By ALISON SMALE
The refusal was the latest strain to relations as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey pursues a referendum next month to expand his powers.

Turkey is heading for dictatorship, but voters can still turn the tide | Can Dündar

World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Can Dündar

A referendum on vast new powers for the president hangs in the balance despite his comprehensive crackdown on dissent

UK ambassador to Turkey criticizes AKP deputy, Star editor over London terror attack remarks

U.K. Ambassador to Ankara Richard Moore has criticized ruling AKP Istanbul deputy Burhan Kuzu and daily Star editor-in-chief of Nuh Albayrak over their remarks on the March 22 U.K. parliament attack

Turkish Foreign Ministry summons Swiss ambassador over PKK rally in Bern

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on March 26 summoned Switzerland’s ambassador to Ankara to express its reaction over an outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rally in Bern
Turkey-EU ties to ‘relatively normalize’ after elections in Europe: Turkish PM

Relations between Turkey and European Union member states will “relatively normalize” after the completion of a series of elections in Europe, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on March 27.
Germany opens new probe into suspected Turkish spying

Germany launched a second investigation on March 28 into suspected spying by Turkey, with the German interior minister saying Berlin will not tolerate foreign espionage on its soil.
Turkey ‘spied’ on pro-Gulen opponents in Germany

BBC News | Europe | World Editio
Hundreds of people suspected of backing a US-based cleric are being watched, reports say.

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