Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğluhas criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over leaked audio recordings of telephone calls, in which the prime minister allegedly pressures the editor-in-chief of a pro-government daily to fire a headscarved columnist over her writings.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will either have to change its polarizing attitude on March 31 – the day after local elections – in taking a lesson from the polls results or will have to call for early elections due to the tension that it has ratcheted up in society, according to the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).
The last week has been very bitter for Turkey. First, Alevi youth Berkin Elvan, who was injured during last year's Gezi Park protests, died in the hospital. Then, Sunni youth Burakcan Karamanoglu was killed in an incident during the funeral ceremony for Berkin Elvan, and the extreme leftist terror organization Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) claimed responsibility. Following these deaths, the Turkish media started to deliberate a potential Alevi-Sunni confrontation.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again accused US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen of attempting to incite chaos in Turkey ahead of key local elections.
Erdogan made the remarks in an election rally in the town of Manisa on Sunday, describing Gulen as the leader of “neo-Ergenekon.” Ergenekon was the name of an organization with links to Turkey’s military which Erdogan accused of attempting to topple his government.
Those who leaked the alleged wiretapped phone calls of government, business and media figures have been identified, Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay said on March 15.
Scores of wiretaps have been leaked online since the start of the Dec. 17 graft investigation and listened to by millions of people. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had confirmed the authenticity of some of the recordings, while rejecting the others as “montages.”
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with his counterpart of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Nechervan Barzani, in the Turkish capital Ankara on March 15.
The meeting, which was closed to the press, took place at the Turkish Prime Minister’s official residence and lasted for nearly two hours.
The last week has been very bitter for Turkey. First, Alevi youth Berkin Elvan, who was injured during last year's Gezi Park protests, died in the hospital. Then, Sunni youth Burakcan Karamanoglu was killed in an incident during the funeral ceremony for Berkin Elvan, and the extreme leftist terror organization Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) claimed responsibility. Following these deaths, the Turkish media started to deliberate a potential Alevi-Sunni confrontation.
Parliament will meet in an extraordinary session to discuss summaries of proceedings regarding four former ministers. The confirmation of the session represents a landmark development since Dec. 17, 2013, when a massive corruption and graft probe engulfing the prime minister and some of his Cabinet members first went public.
Four deputies of the Peace and democracy Party (BDP), who were released from prison as part of theKurdistan Communities Union (KCK) case, have been transferred to the People’s Democratic Party (HDP). A fifth released deputy has declared his support for the party, but is unable to officially become a member due to his political ban.
Turkey’s main opposition leader has issued a warning about possible “dangerous provocations” by government actors during and in the wake of today's funeral for Berkin Elvan, who died on March 11 after lying in a coma for 269 days as a result of being hit by a tear gas canister by police during the Gezi Park protests.
Three opposition parties have agreed to appeal to the office of the Parliament Speaker for an extraordinary session in order to read out a summary of proceedings regarding four former members of the Cabinet over a massive corruption and graft probe.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has 134 seats at Parliament called on the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) with their 52 and 26 seats respectively, to support its move to convene Parliament in an extraordinary session before the local elections.
The president has complained about the lengthy process of trials, which led to the release of some defendants, citing the Hezbollah case.
“Lengthy detentions turned into punishments. It’s not acceptable to not make a decision over such a long amount of time,” President Abdullah Gül said on March 11, speaking at a joint press conference with Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou.
U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen locked in a feud with the Turkish government has likened Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan's grip on power to that of the once-dominant military, and warned that political and economic reforms of the past decade are under threat.
In a rare written political commentary, Pennsylvania-based preacher Gülen said Erdoğan had lost trust at home and abroad because of measures such as curbs on Internet freedom, greater government control of the courts and stronger powers for the intelligence agency.
The upcoming local elections have become like a general election, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 11 during a rally in eastern province of Bitlis, telling his supporters that they would vote not only be voting for their local municipality but also for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried hard to bring the Turkish media under government control, succeeding to a significant extent by getting crony businessmen to buy major national dailies and television channels.
President Abdullah Gül approved a law March 6 abolishing the notorious specially authorized courts (ÖYM).
The ÖYMs were discontinued by Parliament in 2012, but a provisionary article allowed courts to finalize pending coup plot cases, such as: Ergenekon, “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer), OdaTV and Poyrazköy. From now on, the eight ÖYMs that convicted soldiers in mass trials in 2012 and 2013 will be abolished and their case files will be passed on to regular criminal courts.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to himself as the “marathon man” in a rally on March 6, responding to opposition vows that his ambition to become president would be in vain.
Speaking during a rally in the Eastern Anatolian province of Elazığ, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader said the presidential race was not currently his main agenda, but added that he would consider it after the March 30 local elections.
Opposition parties have ratcheted up their criticisms against the government over massive corruption and graft claims in their pre-election rallies, accusing the prime minister and government members of robbing the state and the people.
