New Turkey: Toward an Authoritarian and Sectarian Police State
Turkey's conscientious objectors fear post-coup rise in militarism
When he graduated from college facing the prospect of mandatory national service, Onur Erem emailed the General Staff of Turkeys armed forces to ask what punishment he would face as a conscientious objector.
A military staff member replied, telling Erem bluntly that he could not avoid service. Erem responded that he knew his pacifist objections were not legally recognised - but he wanted to know what might happen if he did object.
The answer was not straightforward - conscientious objection is still a relatively new concept in Turkey, which has for years required at least six months' service from young men.
Syrians shifting demographics in Turkeys Kurdish regions
Five years into the Syrian civil war, not one of Turkeys 81 provinces is without a refugee community, big or small. The border province of Sanliurfa tops the list in numbers of refugees, with 401,000 Syrians, followed by Istanbul with 394,000. Bartin, on the Black Sea coast, has the fewest, at 27. In terms of region, the southeast has the largest concentration of refugees, with the provinces of Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Batman, Adiyaman, Siirt, Mardin, Kilis and Sirnak hosting a total of slightly more than 1 million Syrians. In other words, more than a third of the 2.75 million Syrians in Turkey live in the southeast, mainly because of kinship and cultural bonds with border communities, among other factors. https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/08/turkey-syria-syrian-refugees-kurdish-region.html
Turkey charges pro-Kurdish MPs with 'terrorist propaganda'
Two senior pro-Kurdish MPs have been charged for engaging in terrorist propaganda" and supporting PKK militants in the first prosecution after the lifting of their parliamentary immunity.
The indictment on Friday named Selahattin Demirtas, the co-chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), and Sirri Sureyya Onder, a veteran leftist politician.
In Yenikapi am Istanbuler Bosporusufer fand am vergangenen Sonntag eine Premiere statt: Die AKP veranstaltete eine Massenkundgebung an ihrer Seite die Oppositionsparteien CHP und MHP, außerdem hielt der Oberkommandant der Armee, Hulusi Akar, eine Rede. Auf Druck von CHP-Chef Kemal Kilicdaroglu wurden keinerlei Parteisymbole gezeigt und auch die Zuhörer angewiesen, keine mitzubringen. Das Ergebnis war ein Meer türkischer Flaggen über (je nach Quelle) mehreren Hunderttausend bis mehreren Millionen Menschen. Eine Demonstration neuer Einigkeit auf politischer Ebene oder die Selbstassimilierung der Opposition? https://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/49/49102/1.html
Turks traumatised by Erdogan's post-coup crackdown
The sheer scale of Turkeys post-coup crackdown, and the secretive nature of the organisation whose members are being hunted down, have placed Turkish society at risk of developing severe psychological trauma, warned political and social observers.
Mustafa and Selma are a typical apolitical Turkish middle-class married couple whose main focus in life is their three-year-old son. Like millions of Turks, they sat transfixed in front of their television screens on the night of 15 July as a military coup was unfolding and say they were immensely relieved the following morning when the attempt was thwarted. The relief, however, has proved short-lived. More than a month since the coup, they say they feel an overwhelming sense of panic and paranoia as officials have embarked on a crackdown. Like many other ordinary residents, they say they are too scared to give their real names to journalists, in case of reprisal. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ordinary-turks-traumatised-post-coup-crackdown-2115943251
AKP responsible for the mass poisoning in Elbistan
15 thousand people from 16 neighborhoods housing 140 thousand people were poisoned and went to hospitals or health centers in Maraşs Elbistan district on August 28. The districts water system is believed to be the cause of the poisoning, but Kahramanmaraş Water and Sewerage Services (KASKİ denied these claims. Similar disasters in history and the extent of the poisoning, however, point at water poisoning as the only possible explanation. KASKİ and the AKP municipality in the district had recently dumped the remains of their fly spray by the creek in Elbistan and caused the destruction of all living things here.
HDP Elbistan District Co-President Hüseyin Yıldırım emphasized that water poisoning is the only possible explanation, and the majority of the people recently poisoned live in working class neighborhoods.
Istanbul Yenikapi Rally that was realized last Sunday is an important example showing the extent of political mobilization in Turkey, happening in the last month. The rally, which was joined by five million people and the leaders of opposition parties (except HDP), showing "unity of the protectors of democracy", actually had multiple messages targeting both domestic and foreign politics. During the coup process, which can be described as the clashing of power groups inside the state, it looks like president Erdogan and AKP Government managed to talk different political groups into their "politics for coup process". ---- What Happened? ---- The existence of state on the lands we live on, is directly related to the existence of the army, especially considering its relation during the founding process. Coup is a term that has an important place in the political life of the Turkish Republic. One can see how the coup, as an inevitable political reality of the existence of state in these lands, affects the current state policies considering the latest coup that occurred, the 1980 Coup. What happened on July 15, has a character that continues this political reality. The army who wanted to intervene the political power tried to take control of strategically important state buildings; many bureaucrats in strategically important positions were taken hostage, the parliament and intelligence buildings were bombed, bridges and airports were blocked by soldiers, clashes occurred between soldiers and the police. The five hour coup attempt was terminated with different and rapid maneuvers of the current government and especially of president Erdogan. Among these maneuvers, notable factors are control of the media, control of the civil and mass mobilization through the media and the control of law enforcement under Ministry of Internal Affairs. https://www.ainfos.ca/ainfos336/ainfos76075.html
Turkey expands assault on independent media
Mustafa Akyol writes that the attempted military coup in Turkey on July 15 and subsequent crackdown by the Turkish government has opened a whole new chapter in the nations history. The followers of Fethullah Gulen, seen by most political groups and ideological camps as being behind the coup, have become the national 'enemy within.' This perspective, of course, has quite worrying consequences, for it leads to collective demonization and punishment, and the Gulen community includes many innocent people who are unaware of the groups darker side. How to uphold the rule of law in the face of hysteria over a powerful threat is a challenge that should concern everyone. https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/09/turkey-media-gulen-coup-iran-russia-syria-erdogan-kurds.html
Gentrification glitter fades into dust in Istanbuls heart
Istiklal Avenue is one of the most photographed streets in Istanbul. Situated in the heart of the Beyoglu entertainment district, Istiklal (formerly known as Grand Rue de Pera and Cadde-i Kebir) is a wide avenue adjoining several historic streets from Karakoy Port, Galata Tower and Taksim Square. The red streetcar from the Ottoman days is probably the best-known image of the avenue, which has long become the symbol of Istanbul. https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/08/turkey-gentrification-glitter-fades-into-dust-istanbul.html
What is Turkish army really doing in Iraq?
....Beyond its direct engagement against IS, the Turkish army is also training and arming Hashd al-Watani, a predominantly Arab Sunni militia created by Atheel al-Nujaifi, the former governor of Ninevah province and, along with his highly influential family, a close Turkish ally.
We train them for close quarter combat, which will take place in Mosul in the near future, the Turkish soldier said, adding that local fighters were all provided with AK-74s and ammunition.
In a country where the number of militiamen fighting for a religion, an ethnic group or a region seems to be growing by the day, Hashd al-Watanis leaders do not shy away from voicing their ultimate prize: capturing the IS de-facto capital in Iraq. Mosul is ours. If we get inside, all of it will be for us, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Tahma Talib, who is commanding Hashd al-Watani, told al-Monitor.
Turkish province bans protests against new gold mine
A Turkish province on Monday banned public demonstrations "as a precaution" while a court prepared to consider an application for a new gold mine which opponents say will damage the environment.
The Artvin governors office said it had banned rallies and protests in the Black Sea province for a month in the wake of the announcement.
"Die Situation eskaliert, wie alles dort eskaliert"
Thomas Seibert von medico international über Repressionen gegen Hilfsorganisationen
Die Absetzung der 28 demokratisch gewählten Bürgermeister durch die türkische Regierung hat offensichtlich auch Folgen für humanitäre Hilfsorganisationen. Dr. Thomas Seibert, Nahostreferent bei der Frankfurter Hilfs- und Menschenrechtsorganisatio medico international, berichtet über die konkreten Auswirkungen im Telepolis- Interview. https://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/49/49462/1.html
Turkey jails 45 students over 2012 anti-Erdogan protest
A Turkish court jailed 45 students on Tuesday over a 2012 protest against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at an Ankara university when he visited to celebrate a satellite launch, state media reported.
denied these claims. Similar disasters in history and the extent of the poisoning, however, point at water poisoning as the only possible explanation. KASKİ and the AKP municipality in the district had recently dumped the remains of their fly spray by the creek in Elbistan and caused the destruction of all living things here.