The first cracks in Mr. Erdogan’s aura of invincibility came in the summer, with violent street protests against yet another mall that was to replace a popular Istanbul park. Mr. Erdogan emerged from that with his image tarnished but his power seemingly intact. But he was jolted once again in December by a sweeping corruption inquiry aimed at his inner circle. [...] → Read the full article…
The families of those who lost their lives in the police crackdowns during the Gezi Park protests and those who were injured during the protests announced the establishment of a shared association on Jan. 21. The “Gezi Martyrs and Wounded Platform” was formally established following a meeting at the Istanbul Bar Association. The attendance of the elder brother of Mehmet [...] → Read the full article…
It’s worth remembering that Erdogan’s mystique first showed cracks over his virulent reaction to the Gezi Park protests. That too was about huge building projects. There’s something about construction that seems to matter a lot to Erdogan’s grip on power. The fact is, no other industry does the same job that banks do of dispersing money throughout the economy, while [...] → Read the full article…
The Gezi Park events marked a turning point in the global unrest we’re living through. Though not officially a Bric country, Turkey has most of the attributes of one – high growth, a young population, a repressive state prone to corruption and arbitrary action. So after Gezi it was no surprise to see Brazil’s protest movement spiral into a million people on the [...] → Read the full article…
Another major worry for Mr. Erdogan now is that anger with his administration will spread to the streets, as it did in the summer with the violent suppression of demonstrators trying to protect a beloved Istanbul park from development. On Wednesday night sporadic protests erupted in some neighborhoods of Istanbul and other cities, with people calling on the government to [...] → Read the full article…
How enchanting it is to see that the same kind of spectacle is now unfolding within the new regime, pitting its founders against each other. But should we really be entertained? Some journalists and radical left-wing organizations quickly announced that they are not going to be spectators in this new battle, but rather will actively intervene to make sure this is [...] → Read the full article…
The corruption dragnet, in which the sons of three cabinet ministers were also detained on allegations of bribery, is a threat to Mr. Erdogan, involving as it does the same issue that incited the wave of antigovernment demonstrations that swept the country last summer: the construction business and the public financing of real estate. The police raided the offices of [...] → Read the full article…
Remember “Riot Granny” from Istanbul? She has been in jail for two months now. Emine Cansever (53), a.k.a. Riot Granny, was arrested with 18 other people in home raids in Gülsuyu neighborhood two months ago. Emine Cansever is accused of being a member of a “terrorist organization”. Pro-government media started a smear campaign right after her image with a sling [...] → Read the full article…
A United Nations human rights expert and the World Medical Association (WMA) today urged the Turkish parliament to reconsider a draft law that would criminalize the provision of medical care by qualified independent practitioners during emergencies after the arrival of a state ambulance. “If adopted, Article 33 will have a chilling effect on the availability and accessibility of emergency medical [...] → Read the full article…
Hrant Dink Foundation released its report on “Hate Speech in Media and Discriminative Discourse”, stating that Gezi protestors were targeted in the media. Hrant Dink Foundation released its May-August 2013 period report on “Hate Speech in Media and Discriminative Discourse”, stating that Gezi protestors were targeted in the media. While the first section of the report included “hate speech in [...] → Read the full article…