News

CHP calls on top court for decision on imprisoned CHP lawmaker

Apr 09 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) spokesperson Bülent Tezcan called out on the Constitutional Court to make a decision on the imprisoned CHP lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu, noting that the lawmaker has been in prison for 300 days.

It has been 300 days since Enis Berberoğlu was arrested. A lawmaker in Turkey, where the law does not work and justice is controlled by politics, has been a hostage for 300 days and the Constitutional Court hasn’t made a decision on this subject yet,” Tezcan said on April 9 following the CHP Central Executive Board Meeting. 

Opposition will get 60 percent of votes to win presidency in 2019: CHP head claimed

Apr 06 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

A united opposition front brought together “under certain principles” will win the presidential election due in 2019 with 60 percent of the vote, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has claimed.

“We have started to accept the fact that we will definitely win the presidency with at least 60 percent of the votes,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on April 5.

Women will end one-man rule in 2019: CHP leader claimed

Apr 03 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Criticizing the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) approach to women, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu devoted much of his weekly parliamentary meeting to hailing women’s struggle for rights in Turkey.

Women are their [AKP] biggest fear. That’s why they are telling women to stay at home. Women will stay at home if they want and hit the streets to defend their rights if they want,” Kılıçdaroğlu said on April 3 at parliament in Ankara.

İYİ Party holds first congress in Ankara

Apr 01 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The İYİ (Good) Party, which is currently not on the list of the “parties to participate in elections” published by Turkey’s Higher Election Board (YSK), held its first extraordinary general congress on April 1 in order to fulfil a necessary condition for inclusion on the list. 

Meral Akşener was again elected as party chair at the congress, the theme of which was: “The good ones to win.” In her speech to delegates, Akşener said people are currently “silent because of fear,” vowing that the İYİ Party will “destroy the wall of fear.”

Turkish government readies to squeeze internet service providers

Mar 26 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Turkey Pulse - Al Monitor

The government’s chokehold over Turkey’s beleaguered media is tightening with the slapping on of new restrictions and the concurrent sale of the country’s last notionally independent media conglomerate to a pro-government group. The moves are widely seen as part of a concerted push by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to guarantee victory for himself and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in critical municipal, parliamentary and presidential elections that are due to be held next year.

Ruling party ‘ready for election at any time,’ says President Erdoğan

Mar 25 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to receive “the highest vote,” with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) alliance, stating that “the AKP is a party that works as if there will be an election at any time.

We are a movement who is always prepared for elections, as if an election will be held at any moment,” Erdoğan said, speaking at the AKP congress in the northern province of Giresun on March 25.

Turkey moves to supervise online content, tightens grip on media

Mar 22 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Reuters UK

Turkey’s parliament has approved a bill granting the radio and television watchdog authority to regulate online content, fuelling concerns about further restrictions on the media. The move closes a loophole under which some Turkish broadcasters have sought refuge from censorship and strict regulations by moving to online streaming platforms.

It follows sharp criticism by rights groups and Turkey’s Western allies of restrictions on the media following the 2016 failed coup against President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish parliament approves key changes in electoral regulations during nightlong session

Mar 13 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

A substantial law that gives the green light to political parties to form pre-election alliances and overhauls electoral regulations on the eve of 2019 polls has been approved at parliament after a marathon nightlong session, which included a physical fight between ruling and opposition lawmakers.

The 26-article law was approved by a majority vote led by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The two parties have already announced an agreement to form what they have dubbed the “People’s Alliance.”

Turkish gov’t has detained one in three HDP members since 2015

Mar 11 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Turkish minute

The Turkish government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has detained about a third of all pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) members since July 2015, the pro-Kurdish Mesopotamia news agency reported.

According to the report, 11,631 of the 37,551 members of the HDP have been detained thus far, and 3,382 have been formally arrested by a court.

RSF calls Turkish journalists’ convictions ‘an act of political despotism’

Mar 09 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Turkish minute

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Friday condemned the sentences ranging from two to seven years in prison that 25 Turkish journalists received on March 8 in a political mass trial in Istanbul targeting opposition journalists.

The sentences were issued after the 25 journalists were convicted of supporting or being members of a movement led by US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen, regarded by the Turkish government as a “terrorist organization” and blamed for an attempted coup in July 2016.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister says ‘there will be no snap elections’

Mar 01 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ has denied rumors the government would call a snap election, saying that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) always favors polls to take place on their planned dates.

Elections in Turkey will be held on time. There will be no snap elections; there will be elections held on time,” Bozdağ told reporters after a meeting in Ankara on March 1.

Turkey is scheduled to hold local eletions in March 2019 and parliamentary and presidential elections in November 2019.

Two more HDP deputies lose seats in Turkish Parliament

Feb 27 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Two more Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputies have been stripped of their parliamentary status following criminal verdicts against them were read out at a parliamentary session.

The summaries of proceedings against MPs Ahmet Yıldırım and İbrahim Ayhan included the final verdict of separate legal cases against them and was read aloud at parliament’s General Assembly on Feb. 27.

CHP submits motion to abolish 10% electoral threshold after AKP-MHP alliance move

Feb 23 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has submitted a draft bill to abolish the 10-percent election threshold as a reaction to ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) joint legislation move for election alliances.

“All discussions on alliances indicate that in order to ensure a right system of representation in parliament the electoral threshold should be abolished immediately,” read the draft bill submitted to the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office on Feb. 23.

Turkish opposition sounds alarm over proposed voting law changes

Feb 22 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Reuters UK

Turkey’s opposition said on Thursday new electoral regulations proposed by President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party and its nationalist allies could open the door to fraud and jeopardise the fairness of 2019 elections.

Under a draft law submitted to parliament on Wednesday, security force members will be allowed into polling stations when invited by a voter, a measure the government says will stamp out intimidation by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

BBP leader voices support for AKP-MHP alliance

Feb 21 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Great Union Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici said they support the pre-election alliance between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. 

“We have made it clear since the beginning that we would support and join the alliance. For now, everything is going well for us to be in the alliance,” he said in an interview with private broadcaster CNN Türk late on Feb. 20.

786 people detained to date over critical stance on Afrin offensive

Feb 19 2018
Turkey
Source: 
Turkish minute

Turkey’s Interior Ministry on Monday announced that 786 people have been detained on terror charges due to their protests or posts on social media critical of a Turkish military incursion in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The Turkish military and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin against the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Turkey sees as the Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

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