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
HDP Executives Detained in Simultaneous Operations 118 people from the HDP have been detained during operations launched against HDP’s provincial and district executives in İstanbul, Ankara, Adana, Manisa and Mersin. HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş suffers heart spasm in prison: MP Bilgen Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş suffered a heart spasm in jail on Dec. … Read more
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
One-year halt in Turkey, Russia ties ‘over’: Turkish PM A year-long hiatus in relations between Russia and Turkey is over, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Dec. 6 in his first visit to Moscow as prime minister Diyanet gathers intelligence on suspected Gülenists via imams in 38 countries Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has gathered … Read more
Devlet Bahçeli gazing at photos of HDP deputies in jail… ************ ‘The Following‘ TV series suggested to understand FETÖ, Turkey … Daily Sabah–Dec 6, 2016 “The Following,’ an American television drama series, might be a good example to understand the structure of the FETÖ” the booklet said… Turkish man gives away free tombstones to anyone … Read more
AKP, MHP agree on presidential system The leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have agreed to submit a charter draft, which grants more executive powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to parliament next week, after the two leaders reviewed the text in a meeting on Dec. … Read more
Erdoğan’s Target was Assad Yesterday, Just Organizations Today Bianet :: English Explaining that purpose of Turkey’s military offensive into Syria is to “put an end to Assad’s governing” two days ago, Erdoğan today said that their target is not a country or a person. Dutch Ask E.U. to Pressure Turkey Over Crackdown NYT > Turkey by By … Read more
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
Commission won’t call Castro a dictator EUobserver.com – Headline News The EU executive says that a statement decribing the former Cuban leader as a “hero for many” is balanced and suggests that the use of the word dictator by a commissioner doesn’t reflect its position. France’s next President could be an Islamophobic “Thatcherite” who wants to dismantle … Read more
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
BBC Turkish says reporter freed in southeast Turkey Turkish authorities on Nov. 27 freed a reporter for the BBC’s Turkish language service in the southeast of the country after holding her for a day without explanation, the broadcaster said Turkey detains BBC journalist reporting on mine disaster World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Staff and agencies Hatice … Read more
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
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
Istanbul’s new airport wins design award in Berlin Istanbul’s planned new airport has received a design award at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin 50 migrants escape from resettlement center in Istanbul, set building on fire (VIDEO) RT Some 50 migrants, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, have set a refugee resettlement center in Istanbul ablaze … Read more
Preliminary conclusions and observations by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression to his visit to Turkey, 14-18 November 2016 ohchr.org ANKARA (18 November 2016) – At the invitation of the Government, I spent this week in Turkey to examine the protection and promotion of the freedom of … Read more