On November 29, 2024, nine pro-Palestinian activists were arrested in Turkey for protesting against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ongoing trade relations with Israel amid the Gaza conflict. The incident occurred during Erdoğan’s speech at an international event organized by Turkish state broadcaster TRT in İstanbul[1][2]. The Protest Two activists from the Direniş Çadırı (Resistance Tent) … Read more
A few days ago, Osman Kavala marked seven years in prison Such a waste of life. Even the many in the government know he does not deserve to be in prison. But he symbolizes a life view that the current nationalist bloc hates. Osman Kavala, a prominent Turkish businessman and civil society leader, marked the … Read more
Nationalist hysteria has led to the license revocation of one of Turkey’s best examples of community radio. I am really sad. Açık Radyo was a pioneer in climate crisis-related broadcasting in the country. Here is a roundup: Turkey fined Açık Radyo and imposed sanctions on the station due to statements made during a broadcast of their program “Açık … Read more
Since fixing social decline is harder, they chose the easiest option. They could not stop leaking the data they collected from citizens. Censorship! Now i will have to find a new venue for my classes’ communications and use VPN to reach many AI companies’ servers there. Yes, Turkey has banned access to Discord[1][2][3]. The ban … Read more
Jahrein will probably be released soon. But he deserves to be in prison more than many imprisoned. A Twitter user listed some fragments of his vile rhetoric against political opponents, minorities, and women, among others. I have translated the stuff. You can download it here: sins of Jahrein [update- the file seems to be hard to read, you … Read more
This time, the Turkish government angers children. Roblox is one of the most used platforms in children’s digital gaming, and today, we have ominous news. By the way, the good news is that Instagram is unbanned a few hours ago. These are the supposed reasons for the Roblox ban: Reasons for the Ban Sexual Exploitation … Read more
While enjoying my first days in Detroit, I heard that Instagram is banned. Meta should be in a dilemma. It happened before; it will happen again. Some countries label some organizations as terrorists, some not. The platform has to make decisions… Here is the story: Turkey has blocked access to Instagram following a controversy over … Read more
Whattpad is one of the platforms I never used. But I know it is especially popular with some segments of society. Lack of clear reasoning adds salt to the insult—another shameful act. Wattpad has been banned in Turkey. Here are the key details about this ban: Timing and Authority: The ban was implemented on July … Read more
The Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST) has released its “Prisons Map” to facilitate public access to data about prisons in Türkiye. The map is available in Turkish and English. Ill prisoners As of April 2022, there were 1,517 sick prisoners, including 651 critically ill, in Turkey’s prisons, according to the findings of … Read more
There were some debates about “normalization,” but unfortunately, it does not seem applicable to Kurdish politicians. The outcome of the Kobani trial in Turkey resulted in convictions of former pro-Kurdish party officials, including Selahattin Demirtaş, who received more than 40 years in jail for instigating the 2014 Kobanî protests. Prosecutors had initially sought 38 “aggravated … Read more
After a travesty of law, Second-placed candidate to be mandated in Van DEM condemns ‘unlawful’ attempts to oust elected mayor in Van I am pretty sure this is what “they” plan to provoke the opposition to. Let’s see how it goes… With the additional decision given by Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court on 04.04.2023 regarding … Read more
Instead of questioning her in Istanbul, she was taken from her home and sent to Mersin. The alleged crime is that she made an interview with a person under investigation (!). Prof. Sirman is a rare kind of anthropologist with a permanent emphasis on the field. I was stunned when I heard that she learned … Read more
Representation, not for all… Can Atalay loses MP status Despite two rulings from the Constitutional Court declaring a violation of rights, Turkey’s Worker’s Party (TİP) Hatay Deputy Can Atalay, who has not been released, faced a decision from the 3rd Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation, which was announced during the General Assembly of … Read more
The latest situation between Turkey’s Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation is marked by a significant conflict. The Court of Cassation has accused the Constitutional Court of exceeding its authority and has refused to comply with its rulings, leading to a judicial crisis and allegations of a “judicial coup” by opposition parties, experts, and … Read more
The third episode could not be broadcast due to a case order. “Kizil Goncalar” is a popular Turkish television series that has been the subject of controversy and calls for a ban. The show, which highlights the division between religious and secular segments of society, has faced backlash since its first aired on December 18, … Read more