Turkish PM Erdoğan accuses Taraf reporter of ?treason? over leak story ‘Revealing state privacy is not called freedom, it is sheer treason,’ PM Erdoğan said, slamming Mehmet Baransu for publishing a document from a National Security Council meeting ************** Hate crime narrowly defined in Turkey’s democratization package Turkey?s much-waited ?democratization package? contains a ?narrow? … Read more
via @FlyfbK via @gilorya A politics roundup: Islamic scholar Gülen ?speechless? on gov?t action plan against his movement Gülen said he would have given ‘the benefit of the doubt’ without the plan to scrap the dershanes Turkish government in bid for wider public support for prep school plan The government has been … Read more
Turkish government signed decision to fight against Gülen Movement in 2004: Report The government signed a MGK decision in 2004 recommending an action plan against Gülen?s movement, report says Row between Turkish government and Gülen heats up with new document The row between followers of the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen?s movement of and the … Read more
Turkish government defiant as battle over prep schools rises The tension recently peaked, with Erdoğan describing the group?s objection to his government?s plans as a ?smear campaign? Turkish government to let Syrian refugees vote in elections, CHP claims The government is aiming to manipulate election results by allowing Syrian refugees to vote in Turkish elections, … Read more
After Occupy Gezi, there comes the second blow… For the last 4 days, AKP’s plan to eliminate prep schools has been challenged in Twitter not by Gezi protesters but by Fethullah Gülen movement sympathizers. Private prep school network all over Turkey is one of the major recruitment hub for the Gülen movement (Cemaat). As the … Read more
A significant columnist of Today’s Zaman asks: Is this the new Turkey? In fact, Ahmet Turan Alkan, the Zaman columnist and one of the most literary writers in Turkey and whose writings are popular mostly among conservative democrats, had given a clear description of the situation in the country months ago. ************************** Turkish politics to … Read more
In case the embedded code does not work, here is the link: http://storify.com/sakaerka/tuzlucay-r-ankara-under-fire-clashes-after-alevite A link for live streaming right now: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ankaraeylemvakti [View the story “Tuzluçayır, Ankara under fire. Clashes after Alevite youth protests a controversial Cemevi ” on Storify]
Gülen Movement denies ‘rift with ruling AKP’ The Journalists and Writers Foundation, a leading institution of the Gülen community, has denied rumors of a split between the group and the ruling government The issue of growth in the long election process The growth issue occupies the top of the agenda both around the world … Read more
Some claim this the result of tension between AKP leadership and Gülen movement who allied against secularists and now working for different purposes. Police forces, especially intelligence, and judiciary are claimed to be under Gülen movement hegemony and after Reyhanlı bombings PM Erdoğan moves to change power balances in the intellingence circles. Journalist Mehmet Baransu … Read more
‘Those who seek to preserve their dictatorship disrupted our peace’, Turkish PM says in Reyhanlı During his Reyhanlı visit, Turkish PM Erdoğan accused al-Assad of being involved in the bombings ***************** Bumps on Erdoğan?s road to presidency It seems 2014 will be a busy year not only for Turkish politicians but for Turkish voters as … Read more
Turkey worried about ‘rising xenophobia’ in Europe Turkey’s foreign minister voiced concern Sunday about rising anti-foreigner sentiment in crisis-hit Europe, on a visit to Germany where a neo-Nazi cell’s bloody murder spree claimed mostly Turkish migrants among its victims. ?The Tears of Somalia?: Turkey?s ?Moral? Foreign Policy ?The tears that are now running from … Read more
The Shadowy World of the Islamic Gülen Movement Spiegel Online American historian and Middle East expert Michael Rubin likens the Turkish preacher to Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. According to a diplomatic cable obtained byWikiLeaks in 2010, US diplomats consider the Gülen movement to be Der Spiegel?s recent strange attack on the Hizmet Movement from … Read more
SUCH A CYCLE …. Fighting in southeastern Turkey leaves 26 dead, reports say – CNN.com Turkish soldiers outnumbered, outgunned: Deputy prime minister from Hurriyet Daily News Turkish soldiers who came under attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) today were both outnumbered and outgunned by their foes Reports: Dozens dead in Turkey from … Read more
Kurdish protesters run away from tear gas during clashes with riot police in a street demonstration on April 19, 2011 in Istanbul after Turkey’s electoral board barred prominent Kurdish candidates from standing in upcoming elections. Turkish riot police fired teargas and water cannons during pitch battles with thousands of demonstrators infuriated by the ban. (AFP/Mustafa … Read more
Turkey?s opaque system of political financing by istanbulnotes In my most recent post I highlighted the seeming over-reliance of Turkey?s political parties on state funding. But what of the role of private funding in Turkish politics? When we think about the corruption of the political process, it is usually private money we are talking about. … Read more