Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

In this caricature on the front page of a satirical magazine, Erdoğan is shown explaining his Gezi Park strategy to his "team".

[Tim Drayton]

Eastern European autocrats pose new test for democracy

From Hungary's Orbán and Czech Republic's Zeman to Erdoğan in Turkey, a new breed of democratic strongman is emerging

by Ian Traynor, in the Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/a ... obe_201308

[Demonax]

You too can join the protest!

'Back on Taksim' protest website from Amnesty International:

https://www.backontaksim.org/

[bill cobbett]

You too can join the protest!

'Back on Taksim' protest website from Amnesty International:

https://www.backontaksim.org/

Nice.

[Tim Drayton]

There has been another arrest in the investigation into the death of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, that of 20-year-old Efraim F., who, in a statement, alleges that he happened to be in the area and was told by a policeman to stop a person who was running away, which he says he did but denies beating this person.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=434870&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

[Tim Drayton]

Headmasters from high schools in areas of Ankara where support for the Gezi protests was high were apparently summoned to view footage and photographs taken by the police in the course of the protests and asked to identify any students from their schools that they recognised.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=434898 ... ka=4&kb=22

[Tim Drayton]

Turkish Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is reported to have said, with reference to events in Egypt: “Egypt’s coup leaders should know that even the seemingly mighty pharaohs did not inherit the earth, which they know full well. Sooner or later a Moses will appear and call the oppressors to account”.

He is clearly unfamiliar with the saying about people who live in glass houses.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=434920&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

[Kikapu]

Turkish Prime-Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is reported to have said, with reference to events in Egypt: “Egypt’s coup leaders should know that even the seemingly mighty pharaohs did not inherit the earth, which they know full well. Sooner or later a Moses will appear and call the oppressors to account”.

He is clearly unfamiliar with the saying about people who live in glass houses.

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=434920&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7

[Tim Drayton]

There is an interesting piece in today’s left-wing Bir Gün newspaper suggesting that the powerful organisation known universally in Turkey as the ‘Cemaat’ headed by Fethullah Gülen, a prayer leader who fled from Turkey and has settled in a farm house in the US state of Pennsylvania, may be withdrawing its backing from Erdoğan. Since many would argue that it was the Cemaat that created the AKP and put Erdoğan at its head in the first place, this could be a significant development.

[my translation of the article:]

The echoes continue to reverberate from the eleven-point statement issued by the Journalists and Writers Foundation, known for its closeness to Gülen’s Cemaat. With the statement having been widely read as being the Cemaat’s reply to Prime-Minister Erdoğan, the interpretation is also being made that the Cemaat is now coming out in open opposition to Erdoğan. In the assessment made for Bir Gün by Mehmet Bekaroğlu, a renowned figure in the Islamic community, he has stated that the Cemaat is now reckoning on a post- Erdoğan AKP. Bekaroğlu, commenting to our paper, said, ‘The Cemaat has for the first time in its history adopted an open position with respect to a political force. This is quite a significant situation. Seen from this viewpoint, it would not be wrong to say that the Cemaat is now envisaging an AKP without Erdoğan. I think that the statement has to be read in this context.’

THE PRESIDENTIAL FORMULA

Bekaroğlu, suggesting that the Cemaat is pushing for somebody closer to them to be put in charge of the AKP, commented, ‘Erdoğan’s presidential formula, the subject of public controversy, is connected with this. The Cemaat now wishes for somebody closer to them to take charge of the AKP.’ Bekaroğlu, stressing that the dispute between the Cemaat and the AKP has assumed serious dimensions, says that comments flying back and forth bear witness to this.

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS ARE CRITICAL

Bekaroğlu said that this ongoing parting of the ways would make itself clearly felt in the local elections process. Bekaroğlu, noting that, in provinces in which the AKP is strong, the Cemaat may not support the AKP’s candidates, said, ‘The local elections will serve as a fairly critical indicator of this parting of the ways. The Cemaat may not support the candidates fielded by the AKP. They may field alternative candidates. In this process, the AKP may lose some of its candidates in provinces where it is strong.’

http://birgun.net/haber/cemaat-erdogan- ... -2060.html

[Tim Drayton]

Thirteen marchers arrived in Istanbul on a march for justice, demanding that those responsible for the deaths and injuries in the course of the Gezi Park protests be prosecuted. Three of them (Kadir Canbek, Ulaş Çakar and Canberk Apiş) set out from Antalya on 18 July and took 33 days to walk the 1100 kilometres to Istanbul, and they were joined by other marchers along the way. They attempted yesterday evening to march from the Beşiktaş ferry terminal to Gezi Park, accompanied on the final phase by BDP Member of Parliament, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, and writer İhsan Eliaçık. They were prevented from reaching their final goal by the riot police, who eventually dragged them away along the ground. They even dragged a youth along the ground while he was having an epilepsy attack (pictured below).



http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=435946&kn=7&ka=4&kb=7