Whitewashing Abdullah Gül, who was the good cop and acted as an AKP notary during his Presidency, began…

Book reveals Erdoğan-Gül conflicts in foreign policy A much-awaited new book by Ahmet Sever, the 12-year ally of former president Abdullah Gül, leaves no doubt that tension between Gül and current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rose on several occasions, peaking after the corruption allegations arose against the latter’s former ministers in December 2013. The first book on … Read more

Ayşe Özer: Dombracı ayağına geldi hanıııım!

Dombracı ayağına geldi hanıııım! Hüloğğğ kelimesinin anlamını çözemeden seçimler gelip kapımıza dayandı. Seçim ekonomisi diye bir şey var ya, savaş ekonomisinden beter bir şeydir o. Hele ki bir de partinin kalesinde aday adayıysanız, en az 15-20 aday adayı arasından sıyrılıp garantili koltuğunuza oturabilmek için kesenin ağzını sonuna kadar açmanız gerekir. Kişinin ekonomisi açısından da vahim … Read more

Twitter files for lawsuits in Turkish courts against the ban…

Twitter files for lawsuits in Turkish courts to get ongoing ban on its service lifted  The Next Web by Nick Summers Twitter is fighting to have the ban on its social network lifted in Turkey. Today, the company filed petitions for lawsuits in multiple Turkish courts, demanding that the current ban be lifted. Turkish court upholds appeal … Read more

PM Erdoğan holds summit with “inner circle” while “Turkey’s Democratic Institutions Besieged

Turkey’s Democratic Institutions Besieged brookings.edu ? Peter W. Singer ? 1/3/14 ? In Foreign Policy magazine, John Hannah, a former national security advisor to Dick Cheney, suggests that ?the end? of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish prime minister, may ?suddenly be within the realm of Lawmakers’ Twitter frenzy angers Deputy PM Arınç   Bülent Arınç … Read more

EFD Seçim Günlüğü-

Adaylar Ertuğrul Kürkçü: HDP’nin İstanbul adayı büyük olasılıkla Sırrı … Radikal Hem bütün bileşenlerimizle, hem kongrede, hem partide, hem de esasenİstanbul‘u bugün en önemli tartışma merkezi haline getiren Gezi isyanı zeminlerinde bu adaylığa tasvip arayacağız, onay arayacağız. Bu onayı elde ettiğimiz an, Sırrı Süreyya Önder HDP’den CHP’ye İstanbul için ortak aday şartı Haber7.com Par, son günlerin en tartışmalı konularından biri … Read more

Yeni Anayasa Gündemi: “Yeni anayasa çalışmalarında uzlaşılan 48 madde…

Kılıçdaroğlu: Anayasa Kapalı Kapılar Ardında Yazılacak Bir Metin Değildir Haber 3 CHP Genel Başkanı Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, “Anayasa çalışmalarına, toplumda gençlerimiz de katılmalı. Anayasa kapalı kapılar ardında yapılacak, yazılacak bir metin değildir. O nedenle biz Anayasa’ya önem veriyoruz. Geri çekilmek, tatil geliyor, seçim Baykal: Anayasa, mutabakatı zorunlu kılar Radikal CHP eski Genel Başkanı ve Antalya Milletvekili … Read more

Erkan quoted in El Mundo for a piece on internet freedom but…

…I see that El Mundo is also banned in Turkey…  I have no idea why it is banned…update: it is banned due to broadcasting the infamous Baykal sex video… here is the link to the original piece that I cannot access thru my laptop – it is time change settings, I guess-

Columnists discuss Kılıçdaroğlu’s move at CHP

I believe K. Kılıçdaroğlu/Gürsel Tekin duo may be the best option for CHP leadership at the moment… FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK – Kılıçdaroğlu?s leadership move Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who has been a target of criticism for working in the shadow of former CHP Secretary-General Önder Sav, has ended his alliance with Sav. … Read more

Now official, Kılıçdaroğlu becomes the new CHP leader

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4NsxaqK7h8E/S_cugm_43lI/AAAAAAAADYQ/_v5i0JOkpus/s400/they+call+me+kemal.jpg
Funny cartoonsfrom Mavi Boncuk on Kılıçdaroğlu’s candidacy. More here.

‘Gandhi’ Kemal’s long march to power in Turkey begins with convention of hope
Hurriyet Daily News
Unlike during former leader Deniz Baykal’s era, the ongoing case of Ergenekon, an alleged gang comprising prominent figures accused of planning to topple

CHP'nin 33. Olağan Kurultayı

more photos here.

Kılıçdaroğlu officially named sole candidate at CHP convention

from Hurriyet Dailynews
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was officially named the sole candidate for the leadership of Turkey?s main opposition party Saturday after the application period closed at midday, a party official said. (UPDATED)

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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu emerges as the new CHP leader

After Baykal’s resignation, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who got a nationwide fame during his candidacy for Istanbul municipality elections, emerged as the most possible CHP leaders. It seems that Mr. Baykal was hoping for a comeback but after yesterday’s developments within CHP circles, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, he is gone for good. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu proved himself a capable polemicist … Read more

This week’s political agenda. Will there be referendum on Sept 12 or not

Constitutional Court will again decide…as CHP, main opposition party, again applied the Court for the rejection of reforms… ****************** Is CHP burying the hatchet with Gülen movement? Today’s Zaman Baykal and his party, joining with the opponents of Ergenekon, a shadowy crime network that has alleged links within the state and is suspected of plotting … Read more

Baykal resignation cartoons

A collection of Cartoons related to Baykal’s resignation can be found here. Stephen Kinzer:  Sex tape opens bright future for Turkey FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK – CHP?s leadership conundrum Since the beginning of this week, the Republican People?s Party (CHP) and its former leader, Deniz Baykal, who resigned in the wake of the emergence of a … Read more

Baykal’s resignation aftermath. Kılıçdaroğlu rising. A roundup.

Turkish politics in general

http://m.friendfeed-media.com/67d1a2b0f547f89791493fe8c5765f0f155b5adb

Sex, Baykal, and Videotape

from The White Path

[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News] I am not really very curious about what other people do in their bedrooms. But the recent sex scandal that shook Deniz Baykal, the opposition leader, is too political to dismiss. In case you haven’t heard the news, here is the brief story: Last Thursday, an Islamist website ran the footage of a hidden camera showing Mr. Baykal with a female deputy of his party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. The setting was a private house, and the scenes were much too private for these two people, which are both married to other people. As you can imagine, the “Baykal affair” hit the headlines instantly. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an ordered an instant ban on the scenes, but they were already all over. What was disturbing was not just the “A” word (a.k.a. adultery), but the fact that Baykal had made her lady friend, Nesrin Baytok, a member of the Parliament in 2002, and that her husband got sweet contracts from CHP municipalities.

Hürriyet’s online survey results. CHP voters want Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu:

Conspiracy

from Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news :: Turkish Pre by TAHA AKYOL – MİLLİYET
Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal has never been involved in a scandal. He was leading a happy life with his wife and grandchildren.

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Deniz Baykal gives in to the concentrated attack

Turkeys main opposition Republican Peoples ...

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies Bihlun Tamayligil and Savci Sayan (R) cry as their leader Deniz Baykal (not pictured) addresses the media in Ankara May 10, 2010. Baykal resigned on Monday saying he was the victim of a conspiracy following the release of a videotape on the Internet purporting to show him and a woman in a bedroom. Baykal said the ruling party – the AK Party, whose roots lie in political Islam – must have had knowledge of the videotape.? Read more »REUTERS/Stringe

Deniz Baykal seems to have accused AKP, the ruling party, when he resigned but a simple observation of the process shows that he was dethroned by his own “side”… On Thursday a videotape emerged at Vakit‘s website. Although Vakit is an Islamist newspaper and framed the news accordingly, other Islamist dailies were quick to accuse Vakit of being manipulated. In the next day, not the Islamist newspapers such as Yeni Şafak, Zaman or anti-secularist and militantly liberal Taraf but the mainstream secularist dailies such as Vatan headlined the videotape issue. On the same day, CHP administration accused Mustafa Sarıgül who seems to be the main opponent to Baykal’s regime within CHP circles (although Mr. Sarıgül has been expelled from the party). In the next days, many pro-CHP columnists attacked Baykal and implied the veracity of the tape. Apparently, it was time to go for Baykal and in a way betrayed by his own men in an orchestrated campaign…

The leader of Turkeys main opposition  Republican ...
The leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal (C) is surrounded by his supporters as he leaves the party headquarters in Ankara May 10, 2010.REUTERS/Stringer

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