News

Ball in parliament’s court on new constitution: Turkish PM

Jan 06 2016
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and two other opposition parties have reached a consensus on a number of key issues necessary to produce a new constitution and now parliament is responsible for moving the process forward, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated on Dec. 6.

“I think six months will be enough [to write a new constitution] when the current acquis on the matter is also considered,” Davutoğlu told press members. 

Turkish president proposes ‘conference call’ with stakeholders for new constitution

Jan 01 2016
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a quest to find new ways to create a new constitution, has proposed “conference calls” with as many people as possible to provide a strong ground for “societal agreement.”

Speaking at a press conference after his Istanbul arrival from an official visit to Saudi Arabia late Dec. 31, Erdoğan was asked to elaborate on his earlier remarks concerning “conference calls.”

Erdoğan continues to push shift to presidential system

Dec 17 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has again reiterated the need for a systemic change in Turkey’s governance, underlining that his aspiration for a presidential system had nothing to do with his personal prosperity.

“My duty as the president is to pave the way for the progress of my country and nation in every field and supporting efforts to this aim. Of course, it is the constitution which designates limits of my authority but my responsibility is certainly to my nation,” Erdoğan said on Dec. 17.

Press freedom groups call on EU to engage with Turkey on press freedom

Dec 16 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters without Borders (RSF) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) at a joint press conference in Brussels on Tuesday called on the European Union not to allow the challenges of the refugee crisis to deter it from confronting Turkey about its poor press freedom record.

Two journalists arrested for story on intelligence trucks bound for Syria

Nov 27 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and the daily’s Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gül, were arrested due to stories published about Turkish intelligence trucks bound for Syria in early 2014, on Nov. 26 in Istanbul.

“We are accused of ‘spying.’ The president said [our action is] ‘treason.’ We are not traitors, spy, or heroes; we are journalists. What we have done here was an act of journalism,” Dündar said before testifying to prosecutors on Nov. 26, in a case that has been denounced by many as an attack against free press.

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.

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