News

Voting, candidacy ban on prisoners unconstitutional: Top court

Nov 26 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Persons imprisoned over deliberate criminal activity will now be able to be candidates in elections, according to the latest ruling of Turkey’s Constitutional Court.

The Constitutional Court annulled several items of Article 53 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK) that deprived prisoners of the right to candidacy, vote and other political activities, stating in its ruling that the items in question violate the constitution, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Turkish PM Davutoğlu forms 64th government of Turkey

Nov 25 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has approved a cabinet list drafted by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, one week after commissioning the premier to form a new cabinet in the wake of the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) victory in the Nov. 1 elections.

Erdoğan asked Davutoğlu, who is also the head of the AKP, to form a new government on Nov. 17.

Turkey's new cabinet announced

Nov 24 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced Turkey's new cabinet on Nov. 24 after the list was approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Former Finance Minister Mehmet Şişmek has become the deputy prime minister in charge of economy, while Ali Babacan was not included in the cabinet.

Berat Albayrak, President Erdoğan’s son-in-law became the country's new energy minister. 

New Turkish gov’t expected to be announced this week

Nov 23 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Turkey’s next government is due to be announced this week, three-weeks after the Nov 1 election in which the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured a comfortable majority at parliament. 

Although it is not yet certain when the government will be submitted to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for approval, it is expected to be finalized this week. 

Kurdish party says leader escapes assassination, Turkey denies

Nov 23 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Channel News Asia

ISTANBUL: The charismatic co-chairman of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party has escaped an assassination attempt, the party said on Monday (Nov 23), but the authorities denied any such armed attack had taken place.

Selahattin Demirtas of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was in his armoured vehicle in the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir late on Sunday when it was hit by a single bullet at head height, the party said in a statement.

Turkish police say no attack on HDP co-chair’s car

Nov 23 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Turkish police said on Nov. 23 that damage to the car of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş was not caused by gunfire, after a party spokesman said it had been hit by a bullet in an apparent assassination attempt. 

A spokesperson for the HDP had said the car’s rear window was hit on Nov. 22 as he drove in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. 

But the city’s police said analysis of damage to a rear window in the car showed no evidence of gunfire. 

Parliament elects AKP’s Kahraman as its new speaker

Nov 22 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

İsmail Kahraman, the Istanbul deputy from the ranks of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), has been elected as the new parliament speaker in the third round of the voting on Nov 22. 

A veteran conservative politician, Kahraman served as minister of culture in the mid-1990s under Necmettin Erbakan’s governments, which were later shut down by the Constitutional Court. Kahraman is known as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s closest associates. After a break of 12 years, he returned to the active politics through the Nov. 1 elections. 

Top election body refuses HDP’s appeal to cancel Nov 1 vote

Nov 18 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Turkey’s top election body has swiftly dismissed an appeal by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to cancel the Nov. 1 snap election.

The HDP appealed to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Nov. 15, arguing that the campaign did not take place in line with the principle of “free and equal voting” and that the interim Justice and Development Party (AKP) government led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had operated at an unfair advantage.

HDP appeals to top election board for cancelation of Nov. 1 election

Nov 17 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) appealed to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Monday to ask for the cancelation of the results of the Nov. 1 general election.

The HDP received fewer votes in the Nov. 1 snap election than in the previous general election held on June 7. Although the party obtained 13 percent of the vote on June 7, its support dropped to 10 percent on Nov. 1, following the renewed conflict between Turkish security forces and the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Those asking for early congress are AKP missionaries: MHP head

Nov 17 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is assessing what led to its crushing defeat at the hands of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Nov. 1 election, MHP head Devlet Bahçeli has said, in his first parliamentary group meeting since the poll.

Admitting that the MHP fell short of expectations in the election, Bahçeli also claimed that the results did not mark a “defeat” for the party. The MHP lost almost two million votes in five months, while the AKP increased its votes by nearly four million.

Turkish parliament gathers for oath taking

Nov 17 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

The national assembly of Turkey, most members of which were reelected in Nov. 1 snap elections following the June 7 elections, gathers on Nov. 17 for an oath taking ceremony, the kick off procedure for the forming of a new government.

Deniz Baykal, the former leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), will hold the post of temporary parliament speaker until the parliament elects its speaker.

Critical TV channels stop broadcast in latest blow to media freedom in Turkey

Nov 15 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

The state-owned Turkish Satellite Communications Company (Türksat) dropped a total of 13 TV and radio channels including Samanyolu TV, Mehtap TV, S Haber and Radio Cihan that are critical of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) as of Saturday 12 a.m., in a severe blow to already deteriorating press freedoms in Turkey.

New cabinet expected to be announced next week

Nov 13 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has put the final touches on its timeline to form a new government, as the country’s top election body released the final results of the Nov. 1 snap elections, confirming the AKP had regained its parliamentary majority.

Accordingly, members of the national assembly will take their oaths on Nov. 17 and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will commission Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to form the new government on the same day.

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