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The following is a selection of entries from daily reports over the past few weeks.
Turkish MP: Detentions – Sound Of Footsteps Of The Coming Shari'a
Independent Turkish MP Kamer Genc described the detention of Ilhan Selcuk and Dogu Perincek as "shocking" and "grave" and called it the sound of the footsteps of the coming shari'a. Genc told a press conference that Ilhan Selcuk was a pioneer of enlightment and demanded respect for freedom of press: "They [the AKP] call this 'Ergenekon investigation.' What is this, let them clarify. I, as an MP, don’t know anything about this Ergenekon. Is this a gang of robbery, fraud, or a shari'a gang? What was done to Selcuk and Perincek today is nothing but the rumbling of the footsteps of those who want to make a shari'a coup in our country".
The independent MP Ufuk Uras reacted to Ilhan Selcuk's detention by saying that such threatening actions against journalists hurt the public conscience and created concerns about the judiciary. He added, "These moves should be consistent with the law and with the fundamentals of democracy. Such anti-democratic and threatening behaviors create question marks in the minds of the people."
Source: Hurriyet, all Turkish dailies, March 21, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6358.htm
Detentions Draw Fierce Reactions; Protesters Gather At Cumhuriyet Headquarters
Following the detention of 11 opponents of the AKP government – among them prominent writer Ilhan Selcuk of Cumhuriyet, Workers' Party chairman Dogu Perincek, and former Istanbul University president Prof. Kemal Alemdaroglu – media organizations, Turkish NGOs, and politicians of opposition parties called the move an attempt by the AKP government to silence and intimidate the voices of opposition, and an effort to divert attention from the indictment filed for closing down the AKP.
Crowds of protesters are gathering in front of Cumhuriyet and Workers' Party headquarters.
Source: Vatan, Milliyet, Hurriyet, March 21, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6352.htm
Turkish Police Raid Media Organs
According to media reports, in Istanbul and in Ankara Turkish police raided the offices of the leftist Ulusal Kanal TV and Aydinlik magazine in the early morning hours, taking documents and computer hard drives. Aydinlik officials said that it may not be possible to publish today's magazine.
Source: Hurriyet, March 21, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6351.htm
Senior Columnist, Workers' Party Leader, Former University President Who Oppose AKP Arrested In Early Morning Raids
The chief columnist and chairman of the board of trustees of the reputable center-left Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, Ilhan Selcuk, 83, was arrested at 4:00 AM today at his home, for alleged links to an illegal gang accused of planning a military coup. Media organizations are condemning the move.
In simultaneous raids, Workers' Party chairman Dogu Perincek and former Istanbul University president Professor Kemal Alemdaroglu were also detained on the same allegations.
Cumhuriyet is among the strongest critiques of the AKP government in Turkish media.
Source: Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan, Turkey, March 21, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6348.htm
Deans Of 26 Law Schools Sign Statement Of Support For Judiciary
Deans of 26 of the 33 law faculties at Turkey's universities have released their first joint statement, in support of Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor, without mentioning his name.
In their statement, the deans said that protecting the judiciary is protecting the state of law. It read in part: "Judicial organs just like the legislative organ use authority on behalf of the nation. State prosecutors file lawsuits under their legal responsibilities; therefore they are not party to the lawsuits that they file. Harassment of judges and prosecutors harm the rule of law. Media organs should refrain from approaches that both harm the judiciary and put judges and prosecutors under pressure. Protecting the judiciary is like protecting the principle of 'state governed by rule of law,' and this is everyone's duty."
The pro-AKP Islamist daily Yeni Safak reported on the deans' move under the headline "Shameful Signatures."
Source: Hurriyet, Yeni Safak, Turkey, March 20, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6336.htm
Legal Circles Warn AKP: Don’t Meddle With Constitution, Or You’ll Face Second Indictment
Honorary President of the Supreme Court of Appeals (Yargitay) Sabih Kanadoglu said that any attempt at legal manipulations by the AKP, in their effort to find a way out of the closure case, would be against the principle of "rule of law." He added that such actions by political parties against this principle would constitute another reason for closure.
Former head of the High Administrative Court (Danistay) Nuri Alan stated that Article 138 of the Turkish Constitution prevents such moves and said, "The Constitution strictly bans any move that will affect the outcome of a lawsuit. Moreover, this means that the legislative is trying to grab a mandate that belongs to the judiciary."
Source: Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Turkey, March 19-20, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6314.htm
AKP Working To Find Formula To Drop Closure Case
The Turkish media is giving extensive coverage to the AKP's attempts to find a formula to avoid prosecution and closure. As per PM Erdogan's instructions, teams of AKP MPs with a legal background are hard at work discussing various possibilities which would involve changing three articles (68, 69 and 149) of the Constitution. It is reported that Japanese, Spanish, Venetian, and other models are being examined.
The AKP wants to remove the authority to file cases on party closures from the hands of the Supreme Court’s Chief Prosecutor and give it to parliament. Changing the makeup of Constitutional Court, increasing the number of its justices (from its current 11), and demanding all justices' unanimous consent to close down a party are some of the changes being sought.
Source: Hurriyet, Sabah, Vatan, Yeni Safak, Zaman, March 19-20, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6311.htm
Radical Islamist, Pro-Hamas Rally In Istanbul: Israel Is A Cancer Virus That Must Be Destroyed
Following is a speech at a March 7 pro-Hamas, pro-Hizbullah Gaza solidarity rally, by radical Islamist activist Nureddin Sirin in Beyazid, Istanbul.
Gatherings like these have become frequent, have spread to all of Turkey, are attracting bigger crowds, and are bolder in their hateful rhetoric and incitement to jihad.
Nureddin Sirin was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the 1990s for his radical Islamist activities, but was released before completing his sentence when the AKP rose to power.
To view the full post and the video, visit http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6301.htm.
Ads For Real Estate for Islamists
Milliyet has reported that the real estate advertisements in Istanbul are now specifying "proximity to a mosque" as one of the most attractive characteristics of a residence on the real estate market. These ads tend to appear in Islamist newspapers that mostly appeal to the religious segments of society. They also "guarantee" potential buyers that there will be careful selection of neighbors with similar lifestyles. For some properties, religious observance is a precondition.
Source: Milliyet, March 18, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6283.htm
Headscarved Doctor Attacks Milliyet Reporter
Milliyet reported that one of its reporters was attacked by a woman doctor wearing an Islamic headscarf, when he took pictures of her treating patients. The incident took place in a Health Ministry health center in Izmir.
The doctor attacked the reporter, grabbed his camera and threw it into the trash can, injuring his hand.
Source: Milliyet, Turkey, March 18, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6282.htm
PM Erdogan To AKP MPs: Don't Worry, Court Case Will Help Increase Our Votes
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired two closed-to-press meetings yesterday, one with his ministers and the other with his 340 MPs, to discuss the indictment against his party. He assured his party officials that they had nothing to worry about, as this court case would nourish AKP's fields, make them prosper, and increase their votes. He told them to keep quiet, to avoid making things worse for the party, and to focus on preparations for the local elections.
According to media reports, AKP officials are working on a constitutional amendment packet to change the articles that govern the political parties.
Source: Hurriyet, Turkish Daily News, March 18, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6280.htm
Turkey's Constitutional Court Head: AKP Case Will Take 5-6 Months To Conclude
Turkish Constitutional Court President Haşim Kılıç said that he has handed the file on the case against the AKP to the court rapporteur. He said, "I believe he will examine it, write his opinion, and submit it within in a week, at which time the process will begin."
Kilic added that under normal conditions, it would take five to six months for the court to reach a verdict on AKP case.
Referring to previous cases to close down political parties, Kilic said that in his experience all the parties tried were shut down, with the exception of two.
Hasim Kilic, whose wife also wears the Islamic headscarf, was appointed as member of the high court by former President Turgut Ozal, and was recently appointed head of the court by President Abdullah Gul. Kilic is not a judge by profession and has not studied law.
Source: Sabah, Turkey, March 18, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6278.htm
Turkey's Islamist Media Boasts of West's Alliance With PM Erdogan, AKP
Statements by Western officials in defense of PM Erdogan and the AKP and against Turkey's judiciary, that allegedly stem from their concern for "democracy," are being reported daily in the front pages of Turkey's pro-AKP, Islamist dailies under bold headlines such as "EU lashes out at AK Party ban bid."
Following are some of the statements that adorn the front pages of Islamist dailies such as Zaman, Yeni Safak, Vakit, Sabah, Star, Bugun:
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Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner of Enlargement: "In a normal European democracy, political issues are debated in parliament and decided in the ballot box, not in the courtroom. It is difficult to see that this lawsuit respects the democratic principles of a normal European society."
Swedish FM Carl Bildt said that the AKP government was made up of "profound European reformers" and that the prosecutor's action "takes the concept of the bizarre application of laws to astronomical heights." He said, "We all know there are those who are trying to break things down and have extremely exaggerated, extremely inflated fears for the future of the secular character of Turkish society." Bildt also said that in Europe there is respect for the religious.
Former German PM Schröder said, "This case is not only a coup initative from above, but is also a dishonorable action against the will of the Turkish nation. Everyone should know that trying to turn democracy backwards will end in failure. The Turkish public elected Tayyip Erdogan's cabinet by majority. The president, who is highly esteemed in the international arena, was also elected in a democratic manner." He added, "The EU must realize that Erdogan should be supported now more than ever."
Mainstream Turkish daily Milliyet columnist Semih Idiz wrote that one of the factors weighing in on this way of thinking [in the West] is that "there's no problem of secularism in Western countries, unlike in Turkey. So it's hard for foreign observers to understand the conditions in Turkey."
Source: Zaman, Yeni Safak, Sabah, Milliyet, March 16-18, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6272.htm
TV Ad By Secular Turkish Daily Cumhuriyet
A young, modern Turkish woman is being garbed in a black Islamist chador. A male voice says: "It's me who decides on what to wear, of course."
Narrator: "Women of the Republic are vanishing"
"Stand up and defend your Republic [Cumhuriyet]!"
Source: Cumhuriyet, Turkey, ad currently running
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6235.htm
AKP MP Bulent Arinc Gives Chief Prosecutor Message About Death
During funeral services at Istanbul's Fatih mosque for a deceased former MHP MP, former parliamentary speaker Bulent Arinc said that death is the biggest reality that the Chief Prosecutor Yalcinkaya should also learn about. He added, "The greatest preacher is the dead lying there. It is quiet but says a lot."
Source: Vatan, Milliyet, Turkey, March 16, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6214.htm
PM Erdogan Attacks Judiciary With Koranic Verse
Following a visit to Siirt, PM Erdogan went to Batman, where he attended the AKP Youth Branches convention. In his speech to a large crowd of AKP members, he continued to attack the judicial move to close down his party, saying that the rule of law could not be established by ignoring the will of the people.
The PM slammed the judiciary for the "unfortunate" indictment, and as the audience booed he silenced them and added, "Some people have eyes but they don't see, they have ears and they don't hear, they have tongues but don't speak the truth." Erdogan's words were taken from the Koranic verse of the A'Raf sura [that is addressed to for infidels] which says, "Be it known that we created some men [for them] to be sent to hell. These have hearts that don't feel, they have eyes but they don't see, they have ears but they don't hear […] They are like animals, even worse [than animals]. They are the real ignorant."
PM Erdogan's next stop is Sanliurfa, in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey where AKP and Islamist sects – including Fethullah Gulen's network – are busy Islamizing the region. Increased religiosity has helped AKP gain much of the votes in this region in the last general elections.
Source: Hurriyet, Vatan, Turkey, March 16, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6211.htm
PM Erdogan Makes His Case To The Public in City After City: A Judicial Move Against The People, Not AKP"
PM Erdogan's first reaction to the indictment filed against his party came today in the southeastern city of Siirt, where he spoke at an AKP convention. A defiant Erdogan said that the filing of the indictment was a move against the nation's will, and not against the AKP.
Erdogan told the cheering crowd that AKP was founded by the people's will and only the people could close it down. He said, "Nobody can say that AKP is the hotbed of secularism," and corrected his slip of the tongue by adding, "Nobody can say that the AKP is hotbed of anti-secularism." He said that those responsible for this disgrace would bear the consequences; and would live in shame. Erdogan said that no storm could deter AKP from its march and nobody had the power to stop them.
Source: Vatan, Hurriyet, CNNTurk, March 15, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6210.htm
Political earthquake In Ankara; AKP In Shock
AKP is in a state of shock, having learned of the filing of 1,000-page indictment by Turkey's top prosecutor to close down the party. PM Erdogan learned about the indictment when he was at party headquarters, and currently is holding an emergency meeting with law experts within his party.
According to media reports, the indictment includes the request to ban AKP leaders from politics and details all anti-secular activities, correspondence, communications, and statements by AKP leaders and their interactions with Islamist sects, movements and organizations.
Source: All Turkish media outlets, March 14, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6198.htm
Turkey's Top Prosecutor Demands Closure Of AKP
Turkey prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya filed today a lawsuit with the High Constitutional Court to close down the ruling AKP. The prosecutor accused the AKP of being a center of anti-secular activities. The prosecutor also demanded that all AKP officials, including PM Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, be banned from politics.
Source: CNNTurk, Hurriyet, March 14, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6188.htm
Turkish PM Under Fire For Urging Women To Have More Children
Controversy erupted last weekend when PM Tayyip Erdogan told women to have at least three children, at a gathering to mark Women's Day. The opposition and especially the women's organizations strongly criticized the PM for his remarks, which they said jeopardize Turkey's membership in EU, which already is weary of Turkey's large [71 million] and poorer population.
PM Erdogan's Islamist rhetoric – that children are a blessing of Allah and that Allah gives every child his bread, and his rejection of birth control – angered many Turks. Turkan Saylan, chairwoman of an NGO that sponsors education for young girls, said that the population figures are already catastrophic, and added that presently rural area schools have 60-70 students per class and that about one million girls do not attend school. Turkey's working age group [age 15-64] was 66.5% in 2007, and 26.4% was under 15.
Foundation for Family Planning head Yasar Yaser also criticized Erdogan for his remarks, and said that rather than calling on women to have more children, he should take care of mothers and children who die of preventable causes.
Source: Hurriyet, Turkey, March 13, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6181.htm
Islamist Organizations Hold Pro-Hamas, Pro-Hizbullah Gaza Solidarity Rally In Istanbul
Islamist organizations, led by Anatolian Youth Association [of Milli Gorus], held a pro-Gaza rally in Istanbul after Friday prayers at Beyazid Mosque. Thousands of Islamists carrying Hamas and Hizbullah flags and posters of their leaders and 'shahids' condemned Israel and America and chanted slogans such as "Down with Israel," "Down with America." "Salute to Hamas, On with the Resistance." "Muhammad's Army – The Fear of the Infidels," "We Follow the Path of the Shahids," "We Will Make Baby Killers Pay," "Israel Must Be Destroyed," "Kill, Kill, Hamas, Kill! Kill Israel!" "Fight, Fight For Shuhada [martyrdom]!" often interrupted by loud and passionate calls of "Allahu Akbar."
Source: Velfecr.com, kudusyolu.com, ruhullah.com, Turkey, March 7-11, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6102.htm
Iran Hails Turkey's Decision To Permit Islamic Headscarf At Universities
Iran's presidential advisor Hojatoleslam Biriya welcomed Ankara's recent decision to lift the ban on the wearing of Islamic headscarves by Muslim women at Turkish universities.
In his address at a conference held to mark the 29th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the cleric said that the move indicated Islam's victory in Turkey over laic forces and the spread of Islam in the entire world.
Biriya said, "We are witnessing the strengthening of the ties between Muslims everywhere. Women in Western countries are unfortunately used as a means for vulgarity, while Islam puts the emphasis on women's dignity."
Source: Hurriyet, Turkish Daily News, February 11, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/5293.htm
Turkish City's Education Director Urges Students To Read Pro-AKP, Islamist Newspapers
Turkey's top daily Hurriyet reported that Burdur's education director Recep Yigit has sent multiple written directives to administrators of all schools in the city urging them to have their students read the pro-AKP, Islamist dailies Yeni Safak and Star Gazete, and asked them to encourage parents to purchase them.
Some employees in the Directorate of Education said that Yigit was trying to please the AKP government, while others said he may run for mayor in the upcoming local elections and wants the support of both the AKP and its supportive media.
Educator union leaders told the press that the intent was to instill Islamist views among students and their parents – another attempt to erode Ataturkist thought in education.
Source: Hurriyet, Turkey, March 13, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6178.htm
Turkey Again Blocks Access To YouTube
Following the posting of a video on YouTube.com insulting Ataturk, the founding father of modern Turkey, a Turkish court in Ankara decided today to block access to the website.
Turkey has blocked access to YouTube before, permitting access only after the offending videos were removed from the website.
Source: Hurriyet, AA, Turkey, March 13, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6177.htm
Gaza Doctor To Sabah: Next Intifada Will Be Nuclear
The Turkish daily Sabah met in Gaza with the Mental Health Program Director Dr. Iyyad Sarrac, who said that soon nuclear weapons would reach the Gaza Strip and a nuclear clash would occur. He told Sabah that there is fear of a third uprising because of the people's desperation, said, "A new intifada is around the corner. This time it will not be with stones and sticks. A chemical or nuclear intifada is not far off. If there is no [peace] agreement, chemical weapons will enter Gaza and will be used against Israel. People here are not normal anymore. They do not feel like human beings. Everybody is so desperate that even 36% of children want to die to become shahids."
Source: Sabah, March 10, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6125.htm
Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades Members To Turkish Daily: Hamas Trains In Iran, Syria
The Turkish daily Sabah reported yesterday that its reporters spoke to members of Hamas's military wing Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades. According to the paper, "The main reason for the conflict between Hamas in Gaza and Israel is the Qassam rockets launched by Hamas militants into Israeli cities. Israel's attacks, which killed 127 Palestinians two weeks ago, were launched when an Israeli died because of these rockets."
One masked militant told Sabah that Hamas members were training in Iran and Syria: "Hamas engineers from Gaza are sent to Syria and Iran for rocket training. More than 400 engineers received rocket training in these countries and returned. These rockets are made at workshops in the basements of secret houses. Porters carry them to the spots determined by watchmen, and we fire them at the targets if there are no Israeli planes or helicopters in sight."
Sabah wrote that Qassam rockets were first fired in 2001, and had since killed 14 Israelis since, adding that an average of 15 rockets are fired into Israel every day.
Source: Sabah, Turkey, March 10, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6124.htm
European Human Rights Court Expects Turkey To Abolish Compulsory Religion Classes
In an interview with the mainstream Turkish daily Milliyet, European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) director Jean-Paul Costa said that Turkey has so far complied with all ECHR rulings, and expressed his expectation that Turkey do the same on the issue of compulsory religion classes.
Costa said that the ECHR had decided that the content of these classes lacked pluralism and objectivity.
Last week, the Turkish High Court (Danistay) issued a similar ruling, that was rejected by some AKP ministers and Prof. Ali Bardakoglu, head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet).
Bardakoglu criticized the Danistay ruling for being a shadow of ECHR decision, which he called "ignorant.' He complained about the fact that Danistay had not consulted any Islamic scholar before deciding on the issue. Mainstream media reacted to Bardakoglu's remarks and said that in a secular country only the law guides the judges, and not the Islamic ulema.
Source: Milliyet, Hurriyet, Turkey, March 10, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6092.htm
Turkish MP Attends Nuclear Energy Conference In Iran
Turkish lawmaker and chairman of the ultra-nationalist/Islamist Grand Unity Party (BBP) Muhsin Yazicioglu said Sunday that Iran should share its nuclear energy experience with its "neighbors and brothers." Yazicioglu, who delivered a speech at a conference on nuclear energy in Iran, said that Iran has a right to develop nuclear energy and that the West would pressure any country wanting to acquire nuclear technology like it is pressuring Iran. Therefore, he said, neighbors and all the countries in the region must cooperate and share knowledge and technology.
He added that recent energy cooperation projects between Turkey and Iran would be the first steps towards reaching that goal, and added that Iran should convince its neighbors in order to avoid being internationally isolated.
Source: AA Anatolian News Agency, Yeni Safak, Turkey, March 10, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6091.htm
Women Take To Streets In Turkey To Protest Against AKP Government
Thousands of Turkish women marked International Women's Day on Saturday, in large demonstrations in cities and towns all over the country.
In two rallies in Istanbul, women carrying flags demanded equality and freedom and protesting against the AKP government for its Islamist policies. They carried banners defending secularism, rejecting headscarves, and defying PM Erdogan's recent remarks urging women to have at least three children.
Women chanted, "Tayyip [Erdogan]! You give birth and rear the children – We want to be prime minister!" and "We want jobs! PM wants to keep women at home!"
Source: Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet, Turkey, March 9, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6088.htm
YouTube Becomes Ankara's Nightmare
YouTube has stirred up Ankara. First it was the voice recording of a secret military meeting that made its way onto YouTube.com, which made Col. Munir Erten submit his resignation. A few days later, a second scandal surfaced when the voice of a prosecutor was also posted on the website.
According to media reports, in the most recent posting, offensive remarks made two years ago by prosecutor S.D. during a conversation in the office of another prosecutor were secretly recorded. S.D.'s remarks concerned PM Erdogan and Efkan Ala, then governor of Diyarbakir and currently counselor of the PM's office. S.D. is remaining silent regarding the event.
Turkish media reported today that a criminal investigation has been launched against S.D. at the request of PM Erdogan.
Source: Sabah, Hurriyet, Turkey, March 7, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6038.htm
Effects Of Neighborhood Pressure On Honor Killings In Turkey
A recent study carried out by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) found that honor killings of women are carried out based not only on a joint decision by male family members but also due to psychological pressure at the neighborhood level.
During the 18-month study, 170 prisoners who had carried out honor killings were interviewed, and it was found that pressure by neighbors had highly influenced people who killed daughters, sisters, mothers, or wives to comply with customs and to "save their honor."
In one case study in the TUBITAK report, that took place in the southeastern city of Siirt, a man who was hesitant about killing his daughter to "save his honor" did so when he realized that his friends in the neighborhood were not greeting him and shaking hands with him after Friday prayers.
Source: Sabah, Turkey, March 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6036.htm
Study: Turkey First Among Middle Eastern Countries In Violence Against Women
According to a Worldwatch Institute report, 58% of Turkish women are subject to violence. This rate is higher than that of Bangladesh, India and Ethiopia. According to the report, 51% of married women in Turkey are victims of domestic violence.
Source: Sabah, Turkey, March 8, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6035.htm
High Court Acquits Islamist Sect Leader Fethullah Gulen, Opens Way For His Return To Turkey
Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals (Yargitay) upheld today a previous verdict by a lower court and acquitted the powerful Islamist leader and preacher Fethullah Gulen on charges of forming an illegal terrorist organization that aimed to bring shari'a to Turkey using force and violence.
The case against Gulen was based on the discovery of hidden videotapes that showed him talking to his followers about the importance of patience and secrecy until the conditions were ripe and Islamists held all important posts in the country. Gulen left Turkey before the trial began and has been living in the U.S. since then.
The influential Fethullah Gulen community owns, a university, TV stations, newspapers, magazines, hundreds of schools and dorms, financial institutions and many businesses in Turkey. It also has hundreds of schools in over 90 countries worldwide. Gulen and his followers, and their media organs, strongly support the AKP, as do other Islamist sects in Turkey.
Today's court decision opens the way for Gulen's return, which is dreaded by many in Turkey who believe that he is scheming to destroy the Turkish secular state.
(For more on Fethullah Gulen, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 375, "The Upcoming Elections in Turkey (2): The AKP's Political Power Base," The Upcoming Elections in Turkey (2): The AKP's Political Power Base).
Source: Hurriyet, Milliyet, Turkey, March 7, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6034.htm
Turkish PM Erdogan To Women: Have At Least Three Children
Speaking a few hours ago at a Women's Day event in Usak, PM Tayyip Erdogan said, "My dear lady sisters, we should not fall into a trap; we must protect our young population. What do they [Western proponents of birth control] want? They want to dry up the roots of the Turkish nation, make it extinct. If we do not want our population to decrease, every family must have at least three children. My dear citizens, you must know that [a] child is a blessing. I believe in this as I lived it myself. I have four children, and I am pleased. I am telling you openly, I wish I had more. Every child comes with his own blessing."
Source: Milliyet, Turkey, March 7, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/6017.htm
Iranian Deputy FM In Ankara: Ahmadinejad Will Soon Visit Turkey
The Turkish Islamist website tevhidhaber.com reported that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been invited to Turkey and will visit Ankara this year, possibly before the end of April.
The information was provided by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh Attar, who met yesterday with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Source: tevhidhaber.com, Turkey, March 5, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/5968.htm
Anti-Armenian Street Theater Criticized By Turkish Mainstream Media
Turkish mainstream dailies such as Sabah, Hurriyet, and Radikal slammed an anti-Armenian play staged Monday in Erzurum, during celebrations for the 90th anniversary of the city's liberation.
The celebration events included street theatre depicting drunken Armenian gangs (played by municipality workers) dragging an imam and hanging him. The "Armenians" then torched a mosque and went on to stab the "babies" (dolls in cribs) of the Muslim population.
Later in the play, the Turkish militia (played by local high school students) arrived, killed all the Armenian gang members, and saved the Muslim population.
Throughout the play, the audience shouted and cursed Armenians and cheered for the Turkish militia, while children watched in fear.
Some headlines by newspapers covering the story were: "This disgrace should stop", "Shocking play", and "What a mentality, in this day and age." Child psychologists and educators also criticized the event, saying that it was scary and harmful for children.
Source: Sabah, Radikal, Hurriyet, Turkey, March 4-5, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/5961.htm
