EFD Rights Watch: 4 jailed journalists released, Sivas massacre case dropped due to statute of limitations, Şafak Pavey as “woman of courage”

işte mutluluğun resmi! ahmet, yonca ve mina şık… twitter.com/altinsaray/sta? — Cem Altınsaray (@altinsaray) March 12, 2012 İşte fotoğraf budur. Nedim Şener’in ilk işi kızını okula götürmek oldu… twitter.com/erenguler/stat? — Eren Güler (@erenguler) March 13, 2012   Court releases arrested scribes after 375 days from Hurriyet Daily News Journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener were released … Read more

EFD Rights Watch: Not surprisingly “Turkey Loses Ground again in World Press Freedom Index

Turkey Loses Ground again in World Press Freedom Index Turkey fell back ten places to number 148 in the 2011-2012 World Press Freedom Index. According to the report of Reporters Without Borders, press freedom is in an even worse state in only 31 countries. Press freedom index: big falls for Arab trio in year of … Read more

EFD Rights Watch: as Agos daily and Musa Anter books under censorship’s spot, Human Rights Watch warns Turkey

Agos daily website, Armenian community’s paper in Turkey, was deemed not good for kids and was filtered by the request of Turkish Ministry of Education. This has been undone today… In the mean time, books of Musa Anter, assassinated Kurdish intellectual, are also investigated….   Turkey: Credibility Depends on Rights at Home | Human Rights Watch … Read more

Hrant Dink trial once again puts judiciary process in Turkey under fire.. A roundup…

Turkey seeks to streamline judicial process from FT.com – World, Europe Ankara has unveiled a package of almost 100 reforms to the lumbering judicial system, which is under the international spotlight Judiciary in Turkey under European fire from Hurriyet Daily News The Council of Europe?s Thomas Hammarberg implores Turkey to fix its ill functioning justice … Read more

Oath-taking crisis over [so what was that about?] a Politics roundup…

Oath-taking standoff over, charter is next from Hurriyet Dailynews by ANKARA- Hürriyet Daily News Parliament gears up to discuss a new constitution after opposition deputies reach agreement with the ruling party and take the oath of office We have agreed with Turkish officials to form peace council: Öcalan from Hurriyet Dailynews by ISTANBUL – Radikal … Read more

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

Dörtyol: It was a Psyop after all?

It is now certain that some military personnel was involved in Dörtyol riots. An arrested provocateur turned out to be a sergeant… He is released by the military court- as usual. Dörtyol riots started after PKK members killed 4 policemen in town. PKK members hijacked a car  that belonged to the mayor of town who … Read more

Turkey is not heading towards civilian fascism…

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As the military tutelage is under heavy assault, another wave of counter-attack comes from the pro-military circles. That definitely does not mean anyone suspecting of a possible civilian fascism era is pro-military. But hegemonic issues are complicated and thus it is hard to detect who is who in these hegemonic struggles. A sincerely concerned columnist’s ideas may easily be manipulated. Like Şerif Mardin’s ideas on “neighborhood pressure” before, some sincere ideas seems to be manipulated these days. My brief ideas for the moment:

1. It is a normalization baby.In many fronts. Turkey’s leadership was so distanced from the ordinary citizens. A total separation of worlds. Now it looks a bit similar. Is this good? I don’t know. But arrogant materially westernized but mentally oriental and distanced Turkish elites are replaced arrogant materially local and mentally local and seemingly less distanced elites.This annoys circles associated with older elites. These maybe sincerely democratic in thought but class counts. Social class reflexes rise unconsciously as the transformation of elites continue…

2. Just having a larger historical perspective: Was there any time in Turkish Republican that is better than now? This strongly worded “civilian fascism” always existed if one has to admit its existence. But there was always a military tutelage to this civilian fascism. (As if military tutelage was possible without civilian backing). Now the latter is gone (I am still not sure about that, too), civilians can enter into intelligible communication about democratization. Now that some parties will not call the Army for help!

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Oh boy, so JİTEM never existed…

Turkish army continues embarrass itself. In a recent official statement they denied the existence of JİTEM. This intelligence unit formed within Turkish Gendarmerie had been effectively used in fight against PKK and notarious with illegal practices… Any suprise? Today, Star daily published some photos and documents about the existence of this intelligence unit…

A rotten year for the military

by ÖMER TAŞPINAR
Not surprisingly, as far as Western coverage of Turkish politics goes, it was once again The Economist that offered the most convincing verdict on how 2009 will be remembered in Turkey. Here is the opening salvo from last week?s article: ?It has been a rotten year for Turkey?s generals.,

General Staff statement lacks credibility

by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK

The General Staff continues to draw criticism for a statement it made regarding the apprehension of seven military officers who were caught tailing Kadir Kayan, a judge at the Ankara 11th High Criminal Court.

Numerous military documents prove JİTEM’s existence
Today’s Zaman
JİTEM is also thought to be an instrumental arm of the terrorist Ergenekon organization, which is charged with plotting against the government.

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Human chain for Ceylan, this evening in Taksim

I have an evening lecture, I will probably not be there but let me announce the event for Ceylan. Another shame for the Turkish authorities. In the mean time, not much progress in the Hrant Dink assassination trial, censorship issues and a note on infamous Diyarbakır Prison. Erkan’s Field Diary offers a roundup on the darker side.

An asymmetrical war against the military

by ADEM YAVUZ ARSLAN
We have heard this so many times in the past, but we heard it once more this past Friday at the weekly press conference held at the military?s General Staff headquarters: ?There is an asymmetrical war being waged against the military.?

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