Ergenekon Case

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

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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

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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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Turkish politics roundup (3): Ergenekon trial/ Col. Çiçek sacrificied by the coup plotters?

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The military?s weapons by MÜMTAZ?ER TÜRKÖNE Turks take pride in their military heritage and in being a ?people of the army.? However, debates on adopting a professional army reveal just how little Turks know about military matters. Assassination plans of “Sledgehammer” from Hurriyet Dailynews The indictment of the alleged coup plot known as Operation: Sledgehammer … Read more

Report: Ergenekon is our reality

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Turkish NGOs defend Ergenekon investigation with report from Hurriyet Dailynews The legitimacy of the Ergenekon case has now been defended on a point-by-point basis by two civil society organizations that published a report Thursday supporting the investigation. complete report can be accessed here. politics roundup: Bulwark polemic in Turkish politics (!) TESEV?s Kurban: Solving Kurdish … Read more

Enver Aydemir is free. But how?

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15 Months of Military Service or 3 Years of Torture!

from Bianet :: English
Conscientious objector Aydemir was relaeased upon an “incapability report”. His lawyer criticized that the legislation lacks provisions on conscientious objection. Turkey is one of three countries of the European Council that does not recognize the right to conscientious objection.
and in the mean time, other human rights related issues, that I could not focus on:

Good news from the Engin Çeber case!

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http://www.haksozhaber.net/images/news/4845.jpg

Engin Ceber – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Çeber Case: Life Sentences for 3 Prison Guards and Head of Prison

from Bianet :: English
Three prison guards and the vice director of Metris Prison were convicted of “causing death by torture” in the case of Engin Çeber who died from torture in custody. They received life sentences. Three police officers and the prison doctor were punished as well.

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Constitutional Reform drama begins on Monday

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both parties are getting ready to play their roles…

AKP cancels travel plans, prepares for heated constitutional debates

from Hurriyet Dailynews
Ministers and senior officials from the ruling party have canceled programs outside Ankara to be present during what are sure to be heated debates over constitutional amendments.

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“Maureen Freely interview on Ataturk, Kurdish human rights, Orhan Pamuk, and the Armenian genocide

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Maureen Freely interview on Ataturk, Kurdish human rights, Orhan Pamuk, and the Armenian genocide » The Comment Factory

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Tense constitutional amendements process and new arrests at Ergenekon (or no arrests?)

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found at Joe Greer

New arrests in Turkish coup probe

from BBC News | Europe | World Edition
More than a dozen ex-officers are held over an alleged coup plot in Turkey, but the operation is suspended.

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From Tayyip Erdoğan’s photo album…

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I haven’t realized before that PM Erdoğan has a personal website. Hürriyet has a selection of his photos gotten from that website. I have chosen two here. And in the mean time, a particular judge released many of Ergenekon gang suspects, the same judge who had released other suspects before and and more on the constitutional reform move…

Erdoğan'ın albümünden kendi seçtiği fotoğrafları
When he was a football player…

Erdoğan'ın albümünden kendi seçtiği fotoğrafları
Three amigoes:)

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Changing Turkey interview with Dr. Jenny White on Turkish Politics

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Interview with Dr. Jenny White on Turkish Politics and Her Latest Novel ?The Winter Thief? from Changing Turkey in a Changing World by Changing Turkey Jenny B. White is associate professor of anthropology at Boston University, former president of the Turkish Studies Association and of the American Anthropological Association Middle East Section, and sits on … Read more

Journalists working for Intelligence

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Well-known journalist-interviewer Neşe Düzel interviews former chief editor of Sabah, Ergun Babahan. It is in Turkish. Many notable journalists/columnists voluntarily or professionally worked with military and civil intelligence institutions in Turkey. Now some defend them in the name of press freedom. Such a low point for the Turkish press…

and a Turkish politics roundup here:

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Open Democracy on Ergenekon….

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Turkey and Ergenekon: from farce to tragedy ,

– by openDemocracy
Author:
Bill Park
Summary:
An epic military, political, and security scandal continues to absorb Turkey. The affair’s latest bizarre sub-plots make the tensions between the country’s ?deep state? and its constitutional order even more acute, says Bill Park.

The sprawling, chaotic, all-consuming ?Ergenekon? investigation into the activities of Turkey?s so-called derin devlet (?deep state?) shows no sign of abating. Indeed, its tentacles are spreading ever further as it moves from enveloping its politicians and public to polarising the state?s core institutions.

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Another major step: General Staff acknowledges authenticity of Çiçek’s coup plot

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Military finally stops turning blind eye, deaf ear to coup plans Today’s Zaman Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal organization accused of working to overthrow the government. According to Reşat Petek, a retired chief prosecutor, General Staff acknowledges authenticity of Çiçek’s coup plot Today’s Zaman Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal organization accused of working to overthrow … Read more

Is Democracy possible in a country where journalists write op-eds in NYT to support the army?

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Take the case of Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of Milliyet who had written an op-ed in NYT in defending Turkish military. She represents a more moderate secular breed of journalists who gave up in the end and began openly attacking a case that thrashes military tutelage in the country. She is yet another one to shed crocodile … Read more