Cyprus-Forum.com

[Demonax]

Here is an account of the dealings of a 'corruption and bribery gang' involving Erdogan associates and his son. Also implicated is the 'operator' of the illegal airport at Tymvou in the occupied areas, Emrullah Turanli...

Bribery ring prevented non-Muslim minority from using its land...

A corruption and bribery gang, which was exposed in an operation last week that extended to the sons of three ministers and some bureaucrats, had seized valuable land owned by a non-Muslim minority foundation in İstanbul and had prevented the foundation from using its own land, Today's Zaman has learned.

A 60-acre plot of land owned by the Bulgarian Church Foundation in İstanbul's Şişli district was allegedly turned into a “special project area” under an order by Environment and Urban Planning Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar to prevent the minority group from using the land. Bayraktar's son is one of those who were detained in the corruption operation.

The land in Şişli was recently returned to the Bulgarian foundation in line with a law that seeks to return confiscated property to minorities.

Emrullah Turanlı, the owner of construction company Taşyapı, had made plans for a project which includes the construction of a shopping mall, residences and a hotel on the land in Şişli and the bribery ring thus launched efforts to profit from the project through changing the zoning plan.

The alleged leader of the bribery ring, Hüseyin Avni Sipahi, had ensured that the land in Şişli had been turned into a “special project area” with the approval of Bayraktar.

Turanlı allegedly met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on July 17 to request that the Şişli land be turned into a “special project area.” Following this meeting, Erdoğan is claimed to have given an order to Bayraktar to complete the procedures related to the land.

The minutes of a phone conversation between Emlak Konut Real Estate Investment Partnership (Emlak Konut GYO) General Manager Murat Kurum and Mehmet Ali Kahraman, a general manager at the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, dated July 24, proves the support Turanlı received from the prime minister. “How can we deal with these guys, brother? They have access to the top [the prime minister],” Kurum said.

According to another claim, following his meeting with the prime minister, Turanlı called Erdoğan's son, Bilal, and told him that he would bring him a document the following day. They later met at the Foundation of Youth and Education in Turkey (TÜRGEV), where Erdoğan's son is a member of the executive board.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-334652- ... -land.html

Here is an article in Turkish which appears to cover the issue. Maybe a Turkish speaker can summarise it:

http://www.gercekgundem.com/guncel/1313 ... ni-skandal

[Tim Drayton]

Here is one account of how Erdogan's family are implicated in the corruption scandal:

The allegations of bribery and corruption are also starting to get too close to Erdoğan for his comfort. Supposedly, one element of the scandal is that the prime minister’s son, his wife, his in-laws, and some close friends set up a foundation last year for the “education of youth.” The foundation opened a residence for university students. Now it turns out the Foundation didn’t pay for the dormitory, but rather public money from the Fatih district municipality, which is headed by an AKP mayor now under detention. So what Erdoğan’s family did with the money they claimed was spent on the dormitory is an unanswered question...

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2013/ ... -to-worse/

I am sure that Erdoğan is as bent as hell and has amassed a sizeable pile that he has stashed away somewhere. However, this doesn't really matter too much. If you are familiar with the workings of the Gülenist machine within the Turkish police and judiciary, you will realise that the truth is the last thing that matters. Not so long ago several hundred distinguished army officers were sent away for a long time by this machine for allegedly plotting a coup in 2003. Expert evidence has shown that the documents on which these convictions were based had been reworked using Word 2007 and included references to the calibri font,which did not exist in 2003. Given that these documents were purported to have been written in or prior to 2003, this evidence was clearly bogus. Yet, the court was not interested in this. These are just Stalinesque show trials whose aim is to create a climate of fear, not to serve justice. If the Gülenist machine wants to arrest and try Erdoğan, it will fabricate the evidence if needs be.

[Tim Drayton]

Here is an account of the dealings of a 'corruption and bribery gang' involving Erdogan associates and his son. Also implicated is the 'operator' of the illegal airport at Tymvou in the occupied areas, Emrullah Turanli...

Bribery ring prevented non-Muslim minority from using its land...

A corruption and bribery gang, which was exposed in an operation last week that extended to the sons of three ministers and some bureaucrats, had seized valuable land owned by a non-Muslim minority foundation in İstanbul and had prevented the foundation from using its own land, Today's Zaman has learned.

A 60-acre plot of land owned by the Bulgarian Church Foundation in İstanbul's Şişli district was allegedly turned into a “special project area” under an order by Environment and Urban Planning Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar to prevent the minority group from using the land. Bayraktar's son is one of those who were detained in the corruption operation.

The land in Şişli was recently returned to the Bulgarian foundation in line with a law that seeks to return confiscated property to minorities.

Emrullah Turanlı, the owner of construction company Taşyapı, had made plans for a project which includes the construction of a shopping mall, residences and a hotel on the land in Şişli and the bribery ring thus launched efforts to profit from the project through changing the zoning plan.

The alleged leader of the bribery ring, Hüseyin Avni Sipahi, had ensured that the land in Şişli had been turned into a “special project area” with the approval of Bayraktar.

Turanlı allegedly met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on July 17 to request that the Şişli land be turned into a “special project area.” Following this meeting, Erdoğan is claimed to have given an order to Bayraktar to complete the procedures related to the land.

The minutes of a phone conversation between Emlak Konut Real Estate Investment Partnership (Emlak Konut GYO) General Manager Murat Kurum and Mehmet Ali Kahraman, a general manager at the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, dated July 24, proves the support Turanlı received from the prime minister. “How can we deal with these guys, brother? They have access to the top [the prime minister],” Kurum said.

According to another claim, following his meeting with the prime minister, Turanlı called Erdoğan's son, Bilal, and told him that he would bring him a document the following day. They later met at the Foundation of Youth and Education in Turkey (TÜRGEV), where Erdoğan's son is a member of the executive board.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-334652- ... -land.html

Here is an article in Turkish which appears to cover the issue. Maybe a Turkish speaker can summarise it:

http://www.gercekgundem.com/guncel/1313 ... ni-skandal

Zaman is Gülen's flagship paper, so if they are starting to print this kind of thing - like they didn't know that Erdoğan was bent a year ago - it means that the noose is gradually tightening around his neck.

[Tim Drayton]

The Turkish stock exchange, having fallen by more than 6% last week, fell a further 2.81% today. The risk of the current political crisis triggering an economic crisis is growing.

[Flying Horse]

Being cynical, and wearing my tin hat of conspiracy theories, I think there is much more to this than we are reading. Turkey has pissed off the EU, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, the US......please add to the list..

She's been a flea in the ear for too long, and she's about to he given some treatment she doesn't like.

Big stage players are in the background on this. They always are. I just hope it doesn't end up like it always does, worse than it was before they instigate a coup, early election whatever it gets labelled.

The article with the land owned by a minority group is an interesting one. That sort of thing is one to watch.
I guess they won't be turning the Hagia Sophia into a mosque again, just yet

Also Ercan airport....and the rest of the north .. possibly.

Question is, will Erdogan go on the quiet side, or be Mr Dictator 2014?

[Get Real!]

Question is, will Erdogan go on the quiet side, or be Mr Dictator 2014?

I don't expect him to go quietly because he got used to sitting on the high chair for too long and doesn't want to climb down like all selfish control freaks from around the world who turned dictators.

I expect every move he makes from now till election time to aim for the crushing of all resistance and the consolidation of power via a charade of conspiracies and what have you.

It’s gonna be a very difficult year for Turkey but of course this is good news for all of Turkey’s neighbors including Cyprus.

[Maximus]

The Turkish stock exchange, having fallen by more than 6% last week, fell a further 2.81% today. The risk of the current political crisis triggering an economic crisis is growing.

I said this when the AKP got re-elected, before these jokers leave office, they will bring Turkey to her knees.

One Euro nearly buys 3 TL now.

[bill cobbett]

Zaman is Gülen's flagship paper, so if they are starting to print this kind of thing - like they didn't know that Erdoğan was bent a year ago - it means that the noose is gradually tightening around his neck.

On the Zaman theme...

This is remarkably petty news, even for the Banana Republic of Turkiye under the wannabe Caliph Erdogan.

The mostly state-owned Turkish Airlines has banned distribution of Zaman on its planes...!!!

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkis ... sCatID=341

[Tim Drayton]

Being cynical, and wearing my tin hat of conspiracy theories, I think there is much more to this than we are reading. Turkey has pissed off the EU, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, the US......please add to the list..

She's been a flea in the ear for too long, and she's about to he given some treatment she doesn't like.

Big stage players are in the background on this. They always are. I just hope it doesn't end up like it always does, worse than it was before they instigate a coup, early election whatever it gets labelled.

The article with the land owned by a minority group is an interesting one. That sort of thing is one to watch.
I guess they won't be turning the Hagia Sophia into a mosque again, just yet

Also Ercan airport....and the rest of the north .. possibly.

Question is, will Erdogan go on the quiet side, or be Mr Dictator 2014?

The AKP regime has upset the USA recently because Turkey has been helping Iran to sidestep the embargoes placed on it and also appears to have been assisting cihadists in Syria. For some reason, the American ruling elite has difficulty grasping that there is no such thing as 'moderate political Islam'; the terms 'moderate' and 'political islam' are in diametrical opposition. Anyhow, they seem to be changing tack. They got rid of the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt and now it looks like they are getting rid of another regime that has outlived its usefulness to them in another client state.

[bill cobbett]

Erdy has cracked up.

Here he is, arriving on a visit to Pakistan ... wearing a bra on his head...