News

Political parties suspend election rallies over Ankara bombing

Oct 12 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Turkish political parties decided to suspend their upcoming election rallies on Oct. 12 ahead of the Nov. 1 snap elections following the Oct. 10 Ankara twin blasts which claimed at least 97 lives and wounded hundreds. 

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), holder of the caretaker government, decided to suspend holding election rallies until Oct. 16 in the aftermath of the Oct. 10 suicide bombing in the run-up to the snap polls on Nov.1. 

Judges violate European Convention on Human Rights in Keneş case

Oct 11 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker and leading human rights defender Mahmut Tanal said the judges who decided to arrest and jail Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş have violated articles of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

“The judges who decided on the case of Keneş and examined the challenges to his detention cannot overlook the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the convention,” he said.

Two ministers should be removed for role in Ankara blast, CHP leader tells Davutoğlu

Oct 11 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said he told Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu that the interior minister and justice minister must either resign or be removed from office due to their role in the Ankara attack, speaking in a press conference in Ankara late on Oct. 11.

How the editor-in-chief of Today’s Zaman was illegally arrested

Oct 11 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

With less than a month to go before the early general election, pressure applied by the government on critical media is increasing day by day.

After several television stations offering views critical of the government were dropped by Tivibu and Digitürk, the country's largest satellite TV subscription service, Bülent Keneş, the editor-in-chief of Today's Zaman, was arrested on Friday over tweets in which he allegedly insulted the president. Keneş was taken to the Metris Prison on Saturday after the İstanbul 7th Penal Court of Peace ruled to arrest him pending trial.

AK Party deputy criticized after message threatening opposition, media

Oct 11 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

Criticism is mounting against Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Aydın Ünal over controversial remarks about the deadly bomb attack in Ankara on Saturday that targeted some opposition parties and critical media outlets.

“We are watching the CHP [Republican People's Party] and the HDP [Peoples' Democratic Party] administration, as well as the Doğan/Fethullah media which swarm on the blood spilt in Ankara. You will be drowned in that blood,” tweeted Ünal on Saturday.

Pre-electoral PACE delegation voices concerns over Turkey’s early elections

Oct 08 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

A delegation of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voiced concerns over pressure on media, recent violence on political party premises and highly disproportionate coverage of different political parties by state-owned media during their meeting in Ankara Oct. 5-6.

A seven-member cross-party delegation of PACE noted the early parliamentary election campaign is being conducted in a dramatically changed environment, compared to the June 7 elections, in a statement released after a pre-electoral visit. 

CHP outlines communication strategy for snap election

Oct 08 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has specified its communication guidelines ahead of the Nov. 1 general election, asking members to “avoid all statements that intimidate ethnic or religious minorities.” 

It also requested that party members avoid placing placards and posters at historic, cultural or religious buildings for propaganda purposes. 

Voting for the Nov 1 polls starts abroad and at customs gates

Oct 08 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Voting for the snap elections on Nov. 1 has started at Turkey’s representatives in foreign countries and at border gates across the country. 

A total of 2,895,885 Turkish citizens living abroad are eligible to vote either at 112 foreign representative offices in 54 countries or at 30 customs gates on Turkey’s borders and international airports. 

The voting at foreign representative offices and border gates started on Oct. 8, through the voting schedule of the many offices vary. 

YSK’s rejection of ballot box relocation an ‘erosion of authority,’ says PM

Oct 06 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has joined criticism of Turkey’s top election authority for its refusal to call for the relocation of ballot boxes in several eastern and southeastern districts, though Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş voiced confidence that security forces and local administrations would find a “formula” for a safe election.

Speaking to private broadcaster Habertürk on Oct. 5, Davutoğlu said the Supreme Election Board (YSK) should consider the appeal to relocate ballot boxes under current delicate security conditions. 

Erdoğan: Supreme Election Board to be held responsible if problems occur in election

Oct 05 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said “If we face a problem, the Supreme Election Board [YSK] will be held responsible,” claiming the YSK made the wrong decision when it rejected requests from local election boards in several districts in the restive Southeast to move polling sites for the upcoming Nov. 1 election.

Erdoğan campaigns in EU, asking voters to adopt stance against terrorism

Oct 05 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has long been criticized for his arguable violations of constitutional impartiality, has called for nationalism and a stance against terrorism, while implicitly asking for votes for his former party in the Nov. 1 snap election, during his campaigns in France and Belgium.

Intellectuals warn controversial Article 301 resurrected in form of Article 299

Oct 05 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

A number of prominent intellectuals have warned that the notorious article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which was amended by Parliament in 2008, has been resurrected in the form of TCK Article 299, which is frequently being used as the basis for cases where there are charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

New constitution, presidential system high on AKP’s agenda

Oct 04 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has announced its manifesto for the Nov. 1 elections, keeping promises to focus on a new constitution and a presidential system together with bold and assertive pledges on the economy.

While presenting the party’s manifesto Oct. 4, AKP leader and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu paid respects to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the founding leader of the AKP.

Two assailants who injured journalist Ahmet Hakan revealed as AKP members

Oct 02 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Two of the four suspects who were detained after a physical assault that injured prominent Turkish journalist Ahmet Hakan have been revealed as members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Four men, arriving in a black Honda at 12:35 a.m. on Oct. 1, attacked the daily Hürriyet columnist in Istanbul’s Nişantaşı neighborhood as he was returning home after hosting his television program on CNNTürk.

Opposition leaders absent in protest as Erdoğan addresses Parliament

Oct 02 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

Political tension in Turkey's domestic politics was amply reflected in the opening of the new legislative year in Parliament on Thursday, with no opposition party leader present as the president addressed Parliament.

Deputies from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) left Parliament when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took the floor to deliver his speech on the occasion of the opening session.

A battle of words sometimes took place between some other opposition deputies and Erdoğan during his speech.

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