“US Congressmen send Kerry letter about Turkey’s crackdown on Gülen-linked media…Dispatches from Turkey…

US Congressmen send Kerry letter about Turkey’s crackdown on Gülen-linked media US Congress members have written a letter to Kerry about Turkey’s crackdown on media organizations linked to Gülen In the footsteps of the murders of Hrant Dink and Nihat Kazanhan Today’s Zaman After an investigation was launched into Ergenekon — a clandestine organization nested within … Read more

Turkey towards a police state with the proposed security bill AS the government attempts to confiscate Bank Asya…

 Erdoğan’s security package will make Turkey a police state, opposition leader says A controversial domestic security package draft code, which is set to come to parliament this week, would turn Turkey in to a “police state,” according Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahçeli. Turkish government pushing for bill on security amid heated row The government has … Read more

Erdoğan likens himself to Britain’s Queen as Turkish government suspends metal workers’ strike in the name of NATIONAL SECURITY

Turkish President Erdoğan says UK is semi-presidency dominated by Queen In a bid to justify his support for a change to the political system in Turkey, President Erdoğan has suggested that the United Kingdom is run as a semi-presidential system in which the will of the Queen is dominant. Turkey’s Erdogan says he’s no sultan — but … Read more

As Facebook caves in, Turkey’s authoritarian march continues: “Specially authorized courts to be reintroduced

Zuckerberg’s free-speech rhetoric proves empty as Facebook censors Charlie … International Business Times UK “In comparison with Twitter and YouTube, Facebook cooperates with the Turkish authorities much better,” Yaman Akdeniz, a professor in cyberlaw at Bilgi University in Istambul, told the New York Times. “Therefore it’s not surprising that Facebook . Facebook Caves to Turkish Government … Read more

More than 3 thousand university students are in prison in Turkey… Dispatches…

Opposition party (CHP) deputy  Veli Ağbaba in a press meeting today pointed out that more than 3 thousand university students are in prison. Most of them are due to non-violent crimes like commemorating a revolutionary leader of 1970s… News in Turkish   Report emphasizes Erdoğan’s impact on decline of democracy in Turkey Freedom House’s annual report … Read more

Mr. Smith goes to Washington- Oh no, Minister Bağış heads to EU for Progress Report

Minister Bağış heads to EU for Progress Report Turkey?s EU Minister Egemen Bağış heads out to EU capital Brussels to try and convince the bloc to release a more favorable progress report on the country  ************ Turkish aid in Somalia: the irresistible appeal of boots on the ground Donors prepared to risk working side by … Read more