Avcı case makes us miss the bigger picture: PKK extends ceasefire

a politics roundup: PKK extends truce, calls for Ankara to make next move from Hurriyet Dailynews Announcing a new month-long extension to its period of non-action, the outlawed PKK has urged Ankara to meet its conditions for a permanent cease-fire. (UPDATED) Turkey’s Kurdish rebels extend ceasefire for month from Yahoo news The Kurdistan Workers Party … Read more

Turkey has no shame: Vimeo censored now… #vimeobannedinturkey #censorshipinturkey #turkey #vimeo

Turkey Adds Video-Sharing Site Vimeo to List of Blocked Websites

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49 years ago elected PM Adnan Menderes was hanged by the Junta…

Actually, the anniversary was yesterday… Adnan Menderes Adnan Menderes (Turkish pronunciation: [ad?nan mende??es]? 1899 ? 17 September 1961) was the first democratically elected political leader in Turkish history. He served as prime minister between 1950?1960. He was one of the founders of the Democratic Party (DP) in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He … Read more

Latest Hakkari bombing: All sides name it as a provocation but differ in accusations…

So we also learn that BDP and government officials would meet. But it is now cancelled due to the bombing… 10 People Killed by Roadside Bomb in the South-East from Bianet :: English 10 minibus passengers died in an explosion in the south-eastern province of Hakkari, four people got wounded. The Kurdish KCK blamed the … Read more

More pain for the old regime supporters: Turkey Posts Double-Digit GDP Growth

Turkey Posts Double-Digit GDP Growth – WSJ.com BY JOE PARKINSON ISTANBUL?Turkey’s economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 10.3% in the second quarter, underlining a rapid recovery that economists say will also get a boost from Turks’ firm support for government-backed constitutional reforms.” New Turkish judiciary set for changes within 30 days from Hurriyet Dailynews The immediate … Read more

Referendum results: It is the end of Kemalist Oligarchy babe;)

No wonder, the No front is so frustrated. Their kingdom is dead. Democracy is not something taken for granted. And referendum results will not automatically bring more freedom but that’s step towards that direction. Now all of us, citizens, should work now. Kemalism, a modernizing foundational ideology, that has long lost its essence and became … Read more

Referendum in Turkey special posting begins. Please check back this post for the updates…

I am off to play cards and watch the Turkey-USA final. This game is over. I am happy for my country…. 19:30 BBC already declared: Turks ‘approve’ new constitution from BBC News | Europe | World Edition Turkish voters give strong backing to constitutional changes in a referendum, early results published by the Turkish media … Read more

BBC’s Q&A: Turkey’s constitutional referendum

Q&A: Turkey’s constitutional referendum The people of Turkey are voting on the government’s package of constitutional amendments in a referendum on 12 September, the 30th anniversary of a coup that brought the military to power.” Erdogan raps rivals ahead of poll from BBC News | Europe | World Edition Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticises … Read more

Things get ugly and intense as referendum is close. A roundup. (Towards referendum-8)

The rhetoric turns into harsh and somewhat insulting in both sides but No front is certainly more agressive and frustrated. They play the victim side which is a frequent cultural code to turn to. Three CHP women claimed to be beaten by AKP followers yesterday. The No media used their claim but today we learn … Read more

Elif on Referendum and Propaganda

Referendum and propaganda It?s just the matter of yes or no? I?m road tripping 100 kilometers per day to go to work and come back home and on the way exposed to  hundreds of referendum posters saying yes or no. According to political parties, mainly AKP, CHP and MHP, communication with audience referendum is just … Read more

HSYK’s latest judiciary coup attempt, PKK’s ceasefire, Increasing unemployment rates… Towards referendum (6)

Kadir Özbek, head of HSYK, acts like an opposition leader… Ergenekon shadow persists over top jurists, courts Today’s Zaman The suspicious incidents are believed to be the work of Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal organization accused of working to overthrow the government. … Ergenekon suspects intimidate judges with compensation claims Today’s Zaman More and more efforts … Read more

While I am on a trip, PKK declared ceasefire…

It is a “Ramazan ceasefire” but it seems that negotiations behind the doors continue, I am glad, many are glad, nationalists are whining as usual… In the following roundup, there are pieces on the referendum, an article on the Ergenekon Case from Open Democracy, and more stuff…

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Erkan states the obvious: YES in the Referendum- Towards Referendum (5)

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* The myth of consensus. Some oppose to the changes stating that changes were not made through consensus. As if any constitution was ever made by consensus in Turkey. In fact, a major constitutional change led by a ruling government which was at least elected is a first in Turkish history…
* If AKP was able to cooperate with CHP, MHP and BDP, would there be better changes? I don’t think so. Turkish opposition is far behind AKP in terms of democratic reforms. They are more interested in maintaining status quo through which they have a chance of existence.
* In abstract, all proposed changes point out a more democration situation. So why the opposition?
* Major opposition to changes is about the status of high judiciary and military judiciary system. At present state, they are closed circuit institutions, guardians of Kemalist ideology and a continuous obstacle to EU process. The proposed changes opens up the criteria to become a member of these institutions. They were instituted like this by the military coup d’etat regime so that they would be guard the proposed political and judicial system. Now AKP means to change it and I certainly support that…
* Thus “Independent judiciary” is a big lie. Existing judiciary system was built under military tutelage and is certainly not independent.

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Towards referendum (4): “High-level general called to testify as key military council continues”

High-level general called to testify as key military council continues

from Hurriyet Dailynews
The general expected to be named to head Turkey’s land forces has been called along with 18 other military officers to testify as part of the Ergenekon probe.

Turkeys PM Erdogan attends a wreath-laying ...

Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (C) attends a wreath-laying ceremony with members of the High Military Council at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara August 1, 2010.? Read more » REUTERS/Umit Bektas

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK – A critical YAŞ meeting

Turkey?s Supreme Military Council (YAŞ), where decisions regarding the promotion and dismissal of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) personnel are made, convened yesterday.

The trouble with Turkish constitution-making by Aengus Collins

Is Turkish constitutionalism losing its way again? There was an encouraging decade of consensus-building and liberalization between 1995 and 2004, but since the multiple crises of 2007 and 2008 it is hard to avoid the feeling that the country?s capacity for effective constitution-making is on the wane.

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Towards Referendum (2): PSYOPs in Dörtyol and İnegöl

Two towns whose populations are more intermixed due to domestic migration, Dörtyol and İnegöl have been targets of psychological operations in order to start communal strifes. This is a pattern that has been observed several times in pre-1980 coup d’etat. In the old days, Alevis vs. Sunnis tension was manipulated. Now comes Turks vs. Kurds tension. Kurdish populations increase in especially Western parts of Anatolia and this brings some social tension. There have been some other attempts to instigate strifes in recent years but İnegöl and Dörtyol cases that happened in the same week seem to be more deliberate. Mobs agitated by Turkish nationalist themes are mobilized after seemingly personal conflicts between persons that happend to be Kurds and Turks.

Unlike the previous cases, government acted swiftly this time and there have been arrrests in İnegöl and security forces patrol the city. Mobs are cowards. When they see security forces at work, they back down. In fact, in most of the cases, security forces are “called to wait” and then come the massacres. This time the government will not let this happen. It seems. Well, apparently these operations aim to destabilize the country and calls for “law and order” regime. Not more democratizations…

In the mean time, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu who emerged as a symbol of hope for some in opposition continue to embarrass himself with ridicilous allegations.. That’s the best CHP  could reach…

In the mean time, judiciary battles continue.  There is a warrant to arrest 102 active and retired military officials although it is not executed yet… We will see the drama unravel in the next days…

Unrest against Kurdish Population in Hatay

from Bianet :: English
Four police officers were killed in an attack on a police car in the south-eastern city of Dörtyolu; the party building of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party was burned; shops owned by Kurds were demolished. Tension is still rising high in the region.

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