News

Turkish Parliament head to begin leaders’ tour

Jul 08 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Parliament head Cemil Çiçek will be meeting Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli June 9, in the first of a series of meetings in accordance with the process of working on a new Constitution.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m., and will be followed by a meeting between Çiçek and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Gültan Kışanak, which is set an hour later than the first meeting. 

Opposition deputy banned from sessions after 'pumpkin' dig about Turkish president

Jul 05 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Tunceli deputy Kamer Genç, who is known for his heated parliamentary rows with the government, has been banned for three legislative sessions for “insulting Turkish President Abdullah Gül” in a recent session.

Genç criticized Gül over the name of the Istanbul’s third inter-continental bridge, “Yavuz Sultan Selim,” an Ottoman sultan historically known for slaughtering Alevis.

Turkish PM to hold urgent Egypt meeting in Istanbul

Jul 04 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will hold a meeting to assess the latest developments in the Egyptian crisis at 4 p.m. in his Istanbul office.

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik, Deputy Chairman of the ruling Justice and Ruling Party (AKP), Huseyin Çelik, and AKP lawmaker Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will participate in the meeting.

Ruling AKP has taken over the judiciary, says opposition leader

Jul 02 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has filled the judicial branch to suit itself and is also filling positions of university and media bosses, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said. 

Speaking at a meeting of the CHP’s parliamentary group, Kılıçdaroğlu slammed the prime minister for forcing his opinions on the country by controlling the judiciary, the universities, the media and the unions. 

Coup reform is a concession for the PKK: Nationalist leader

Jul 01 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The amendments recently proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to the Internal Service Code of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are only a façade to give the impression that the legality of coups is being removed, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader has said. In reality, the changes are simply pretexts for concessions made to the outlawedKurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to Devlet Bahçeli.

Turkish PM signals no lowering of election threshold

Jun 28 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğansignaled no withdrawal of Turkey’s 10 percent election threshold, while also adding that only 10 to 15 percent of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants have pulled out from Turkish soil so far. 

During his address at the group of Wise Persons in Istanbul on June 26, Erdoğan said the government had no plans to lower the 10 percent election threshold. 

BDP and PKK are taking advantage of Gezi Park protests, Turkish PM's chief adviser says

Jun 22 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The chief adviser to the Turkish prime minister, Yalçın Akdoğan, has accused the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of taking advantage of the wave of Gezi Park protests to increase pressure on the government regarding the Kurdish peace process.

"The BDP and PKK are trying to convert [the Gezi Park protests] into an opportunity. They intend to put the government under pressure in order to obtain benefits," Akdoğan wrote in his column published June 22 in daily Star.

Former minister says he won’t resign from ruling AKP

Jun 19 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Former Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay delivered several messages to parties of a controversy over the Gezi Park unrest, including the ruling party of which he is still a member, and made clear that he had no intention of resigning from his party despite clear divergences of opinion between him and the prime minister.

Since the Gezi Park related anti-government protests were sparked in late May, Günay’s usually ambiguously-addressed tweets appeared to be criticizing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for its approach toward the incidents. 

Government works on legal reform for Kurdish solution

Jun 18 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The government has begun working on a package of legal steps to be submitted to Parliament about an initiative to find a political solution to the Kurdish issue, a Justice Ministry source says

The Turkish government has started working on a package of legal steps to be submitted to Parliament in the context of an initiative to find a political solution to the country’s painful Kurdish issue, a Justice Ministry source who asked not to be named told theHürriyet Daily News yesterday.

"People Will Evaluate the Meeting's Results”

Jun 14 2013
Turkey
Source: 
bianet

A delegation from Taksim Solidarity has been received by PM Erdoğan last night in Ankara. The government spokesperson Hüseyin Çelik made a declaration after the meeting, saying that they will wait for court’s final decision on the future of Gezi Park and go on a plebiscite no matter the outcome of the ongoing prosecution. He also pledged that the government will make necessary investigations on police violence and take necessary measures.

A delegation from Taksim Solidarity has been received by PM Erdoğan last night in Ankara.

Main opposition leader makes midnight call to president over Gezi Park protests

Jun 12 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

The main opposition party is planning to turn the Gezi Park protests and the government’s anti-democratic stance regarding peaceful demonstrators into an international issue with vows to take police brutality to the European human rights court. 

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) is examining the legality of such a move, its spokesperson Haluk Koç told reporters during the social democrat party’s Central Decision-Making Council meeting June 12. It was the second MYK meeting June 12 following the first one, which took place in an extraordinary session at 1:30 a.m. 

Ruling AKP dismisses rumors of early election after executive meeting

Jun 08 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Rumors on an early election are completely unfounded, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Hüseyin Çelik told reporters today following a meeting of the party’s Central Decision and Executive Council (MKYK) in Istanbul amid the ongoing Gezi Park protests. Çelik confirmed that the parliamentary elections will be held in 2015 as scheduled. 
 

Turkish opposition leader strikes out at PM Erdoğan’s late-night speech

Jun 07 2013
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet Daily News

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu struck out at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements on the Gezi Park protests upon the latter’s arrival from an African trip. 

During his speech late on June 6, Erdoğan said a lobby of interest groups was behind the protests, which started with a small sit-in gathering but turned into nationwide rallies within days. 

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