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

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

Istanbulites always need some… “Ancient antidepressants found in excavations in Istanbul… Istanbul news roundup…

Ancient antidepressants found in excavations in Istanbul Excavations that have been conducted on Bathonea on the coasts of Küçükçekmece Lake in Istanbul’s Avcılar district have unearthed nearly 700 small ceramic or glass bottles containing antidepressant pills and heart disease drugs. Projects from three countries in top three at Startup Istanbul Three projects from three countries were chosen … Read more

Bayram work: Turkey slams Germany’s Spiegel magazine and US embassy in Turkey…

Turkey slams Germany’s Spiegel over ‘provocative’ edition Turkey on Sept. 14 angrily criticized leading German news magazine Der Spiegel for a special edition that called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “a dictator,” saying the edition was provocative and showed a “distorted mindset” Fear and paranoia still stalk Turkey two months after the failed coup | Liz Cookman World … Read more

“Campaign to Act in Solidarity With Aslı Erdoğan…

Aslı Erdoğan: I Haven’t been Given My Medication, Wasn’t Let Out To Fresh Air Bianet :: English  Arrested Özgür Gündem daily Publishing Consultant Board member, novelist and columnist Aslı Erdoğan has noted that she had not been given her medication in the prison and was being held in a solitary confinement cell. Her attorneys have objected … Read more

“Turkey to play more active role in Syrian War” -as if she did not play before…

Biden, Turkish PM to discuss Syria, extradition of Gülen U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım will discuss issues regarding Syria and the extradition of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen during Biden’s visit to Turkey, Yıldırım has said Syrian war: Turkey to play more active role  BBC News | Europe | World … Read more

Multiple bombed PKK attacks in the last days while detained novelist Aslı Erdoğan, another victim of rising tension…

In the last couple of days, PKK attacked police headquarters in Kurdish populated towns. Diyarbakır, Van and today Bitlis and Elazığ. Pro-AKP columnists are quick to explain rising number of attacks with conspiracy theories- as usual: One line of ideas is that, now that coup attempt failed, another plot against Turkey by imperial forces by … Read more

Turkey is set to release up to 38,000 prisoners [for newcomers…] Updates on the Özgür Gündem raid…

Turkey is set to release up to 38,000 prisoners Turkey is set to release 38,000 prisoners as part of two new state of emergency decrees published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 17, in an apparent move to reduce its prison population to make space for thousands of people who have been arrested as part of … Read more

#TurkeyCoup aftermath: Turkey in rhetorical fight with the West, particularly US, Austria and Italy…

Turks Can Agree on One Thing: U.S. Was Behind Failed Coup  NYT > Turkey by By TIM ARANGO and CEYLAN YEGINSU Turks of all stripes believe the United States was involved in the coup attempt, especially because the cleric suspected of leading it lives in Pennsylvania. Austria is capital of radical racism, says Turkish foreign minister  World … Read more

Journalism agenda: AKP is killing the remnants of opposition media in Turkey.. #ÖzgürMedyaSusturulamaz

US urges Turkey to meet democratic values on the arrest of VICE journalists The United States State Department has voiced its concern over the arrest of two British journalists and their translator in Diyarbakır, urging Turkey to revise its actions to match up with democratic values Turkish daily publishes empty columns on front page to protest gov’t … Read more

Apparently Erdoğan does not take a dump on golden seats in his Palace… #TurkeyElections

Turkey’s Erdoğan invites opposition to get to bottom of gold toilet seat claims  World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Associated Press in Ankara President invites Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu to inspect lavatories in his palace after secular party leader accused him of spending public money on luxuries Turkey’s president has invited the country’s main opposition leader to inspect … Read more

As Turkey intelligence chief resigns to run in election…”10 Articles To Understand Presidential System Debate in Turkey…

10 Articles To Understand Presidential System Debate in Turkey  The Istanbulian by Emre Kızılkaya The debate to switch to a full-throttle presidential system in Turkey has been rekindled this week after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began to lobby for it actively. Here are 10 news articles or opinion pieces to understand the current debate: #Turkish President … Read more

Cyberculture agenda: “The Pirate Bay Is Back Online! [But it might be a trap…]

The Pirate Bay Is Back Online!  TorrentFreak Early December The Pirate Bay was raided at the Nacka station, a nuclear-proof data center built into a mountain complex near Stockholm.   The Pirate Bay returns from the dead, comes back online  The Next Web by Owen Williams Following a raid on a Swedish data center late last year, … Read more

Turkish government continues to pursue to block internet access without legal order… Dispatches from Turkey…

Turkish gov’t in new bid to block Internet access without legal order Hurriyet Daily News The Turkish government has been preparing to make yet another move which would add insult to injury for those who have been concerned over plight of freedom of expression in the country Prosecutor Requests Arrest of Journalist After Release  Bianet :: English … Read more

Erdoğan ‘closely following’ judicial process against Gülen movement, shows off with Putin and Qatar leaders…

Putin praises Erdoğan as ‘tough man’ for defying EU over pipeline decision Russian President Vladimir Putin has described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a “tough man” Erdoğan: Best buddy of Putin and ally of Obama? Hurriyet Daily News Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is known as one of the toughest leaders on earth calls, him a … Read more