From Turkey with Love: “‘Salt Bae’ Nusret Gökçe vows to be world’s greatest butcher…

  Social media phenomenon ‘Salt Bae’ Nusret Gökçe vows to be world’s greatest butcher   The co-partner of the global Nusr-et chain of grill houses, Nusret Gökçe, who recently became a social media phenomenon for his meat-cutting and salt-drizzling skills, has vowed to become the “world’s greatest butcher.” Militant who appeared in ISIL propaganda video ‘detained twice’ … Read more

According to a leaked intelligence document, “EU spies say, Gulen did not order Turkey coup”

Gulen did not order Turkey coup, EU spies say  EUobserver.com – Headline News   EU intelligence services do not believe exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen ordered the coup in Turkey, saying opposition to the ruling AKP was much broader. Cyprus reunification talks: rivals reject proposed new borders  World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Agence France-Presse   Delegations from … Read more

Human Rights Watch 2017 report unsurprisingly criticizes Turkish authorities…

World Report 2017: Turkey Human Rights Watch – Jan 12, 6:35 AM On July 15, 2016, elements of the military attempted to carry out a coup d’état against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. The attempted coup left at least 241 citizens and government Human Rights Watch criticizes Turkish authorities … Read more

Fistfight, violent brawl accompanies debate on constitutional reform in the parliament, but President Erdoğan already declared: ‘That referendum will take place’

CHP’s Fatma Kaplan: To Hell with Your Presidential System, to Hell with Your Ambition  Bianet :: English   Beaten while warning AKP MPs who weren’t complying with voting procedures during discussions on 3rd Article of constitutional amendment talks, CHP MP Fatma Hürriyet Kaplan has protested the incident on parliamentary rostrum. ‘That referendum will take place,’ vows President … Read more

It seems that (paranoid) conspiracy theories increasingly shape US-Turkey relations…

Accusations about US in Turkish media must stop, State Department’s Kirby says   U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby has warned the Turkish media about making false accusations about the United States. In Turkey’s Unrest, Some See an Extreme Version of Post-9/11 America NYT > Turkey by By TIM ARANGO and RICK GLADSTONE   Turkey’s president and … Read more

Turkish justice at work: Journalist Ahmet Şık Taken Into Custody- GOOD NEWS Necmiye Alpay, Aslı Erdoğan, Zana Kaya Released

Journalist Ahmet Şık Taken Into Custody Bianet :: English   Journalist Ahmet Şık was taken into custody in his apartment by police this morning. ÖZGÜR GÜNDEM CASE: Necmiye Alpay, Aslı Erdoğan, Zana Kaya Released Bianet :: English   Tried in Özgür Gündem case, Aslı Erdoğan, Necmiye Alpay and Zana Kaya have been released. Erdoğan was arrested since … Read more

Turkish justice at work: “Professor İştar Gözaydın Arrested”

Professor İştar Gözaydın Arrested Bianet :: English   Professor İştar Gözaydın has been arrested on the 8th day of her being detained as part of the “FETÖ/PDY Investigation” launched into Gediz University from which she was suspended. In other upsetting news: Vice PM Kurtulmuş: Some Fellows in Media Shall Mind Their Steps  Bianet :: English   Vice … Read more

Bana Alabed, Aleppo’s tweeting girl, meets Turkey’s President Erdogan BUT some questions Bana’s father’s position…

Bana Alabed, Aleppo’s tweeting girl, meets Turkey’s President Erdogan BBC News | Europe | World Edition   Syrian seven-year-old Bana Alabed, who tweeted about life in Aleppo, meets Turkey’s President Erdogan. Aleppo tweeter Bana al-Abed meets Turkish president Erdogan – video World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Guardian Staff   Bana al-Abed, the Syrian girl whose Tweets from … Read more

For the record, 259 journalist jailed in 2016, Turkey is the world leader…

2016 prison census: 259 journalists jailed worldwide https://t.co/TeZjE8THPs via @pressfreedomYou guessed it. Turkey is the world leader. pic.twitter.com/p7sn8oQsKY — ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) December 13, 2016 Turkey: Silencing the Media hrw.org – Dec 14, 9:01 PM (Istanbul) – Turkey’s government has all but silenced independent media in an effort to prevent scrutiny or criticism of its … Read more

Domestically Ashamed in the Mavi Marmara case, Uneasy to challenge Russians, Turkey zeroes in on Iran…

Iranian-Turkish tug-of-war over Kurds al-monitor.com – Dec 13, 1:50 AM Author: Pinar Tremblay December 13, 2016 A few weeks before the devastating Dec. 10 twin bombings in Istanbul — for which Kurdish militants claimed responsibility — Al-Monitor spoke with several sources well-connected with Ankara Turkey drops case against Israeli officers in Gaza flotilla killings BBC News … Read more

In the mean time, “European judiciary network votes to suspend observer status of Turkey’s HSYK…

European judiciary network votes to suspend observer status of Turkey’s HSYK The European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) on Dec. 8 decided to suspend the observer status of the Turkish High Council for Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), citing concerns that the body is no longer sufficiently independent from the state’s executive and legislature branches. … Read more

Erdoğan’s latest remarks on Turkish military operations in Syria confuses Russians…

Turkey entered Syria to end al-Assad’s rule: President Erdoğan President Erdoğan admits that Turkey crossed into Syria to get rid of President Bashar al-Assad having previously highlighted the fight against ISIL Erdoğan’s remarks on Turkish operation ‘to end al-Assad rule’ to be discussed during Lavrov visit  President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent assertion that the Turkish military operation … Read more

EFD Rights Watch: Tahir Elçi remembered…

Killing of Diyarbakır bar head Tahir Elçi becoming unsolved murder, widow says The killing of Tahir Elçi, the Diyarbakır Bar Association head who was killed in an armed clash in November 2015 in Diyarbakır, is becoming an unsolved murder, his wife has said, as she commemorated the first year of her husband’s death. Only Power Rules: Turkey After … Read more

Turkey continues to imprison novelist Erdoğan, linguist Alpay…

Novelist Erdoğan, linguist Alpay arrested over Özgür Gündem probe to remain in prison An Istanbul court on Nov. 23 ordered the release of imprisoned novelist Aslı Erdoğan and linguist Necmiye Alpay on one charge but ruled for the continuation of their arrest on another charge Alpay, Erdoğan Released of One of Charges, Further Arrested on the Other … Read more

Erdoğan says Turkey may join Shanghai Five, China and Russia seem to be positive about that…

Turkey’s retreat from the West continues… President Erdoğan: EU not everything, Turkey may join Shanghai Five Turkey should not be “fixated” on the idea of joining the European Union and should look at other opportunities, such as the Russia-led Shanghai Pact, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said China says it would consider Turkey membership of Shanghai bloc … Read more