Category Archives: Blogs

Channel 4 News: Seven reasons why Turkey’s Twitter ban matters to the world – Paul Mason

Erdogan attends a ceremony marking the 99th anniversary of the end of the Gallipoli campaign in Gallipoli

1. Erdogan’s pretext for shutting down Twitter is the existence of two accounts he claims are slanderous, which have been linking to allegedly fake recordings that show him as corrupt. This is not the first time a government has threatened, or acted, to shut down Twitter when faced with political opposition. When Mubarak did it he was overthrown shortly afterwards. Erdogan enjoys [...] → Read the full article…

Amnesty International Report: Gezi Park Protests – Brutal Denial of the Right to Peaceful Assembly in Turkey

In a major report issued today, Amnesty International has given compelling and comprehensive documentation of Gezi events, providing detailed evidence of Turkish authorities suppression of freedom of assembly and expression. At least eight thousand injured, at least five confirmed deaths (with strong evidence linking at least three of these deaths to police abuse), many thousands detained. As this powerful video [...] → Read the full article…

The World Medical Association: End excessive force in Turkey

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By Cecile B. Wilson, MD – The President of the World Medical Association (12.07.13) The Turkish Medical Association (TMA) has drawn our attention to hundreds of cases of injury and detention following police confrontations with protestors that began in response to demonstrations in Gezi Park Istanbul May 27. The majority of those injuries according to the TMA were caused by the [...] → Read the full article…

Greenpeace: Gezi Park: A historic defence of democracy

“Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out 
the exact amount of injustice and wrong that will be imposed upon them.” Frederick Douglass, American ex-slave civil rights leader. The citizens of Istanbul now appear in control of Gezi Park, protecting one of the last and most treasured green spaces in Istanbul from conversion to a [...] → Read the full article…