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Thousands rally in Romania against judiciary in government-backed protests

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The ruling Social Democrat party in Romania organized a large demonstration to counter anti-government protests held after Social Democrats tried to decriminalize corruption offenses. Protesters were bussed in.

The ruling Social Democrats (PSD) in Romania and thousands of their supporters rallied outside government headquarters in Bucharest on Saturday to protest alleged abuses of power by anti-corruption prosecutors.

The rally was seen as a response by the ruling coalition to a series of large anti-government street protests held against Social Democrat attempts to decriminalize several corruption offenses via emergency decree last year. After the popular outcry, the Social Democrats were forced to withdraw the decree.

The ruling Social Democratic Party believes the prosecutors have too much power and allege that they have tapped phones illegally and have unjustly targeted officials.

The party bussed in supporters from around the country for the rally, while others made it in on their own.

According to Romanian media, numerous local officials, as well as hospital managers and headteachers, had been urging their employees to join the demonstration.

Special trains were made available and the PSD also handed out instructions to make sure the demonstrations are as effective as possible.

According to a leaked party document, there would be one Romanian flag available for every 10 participants and a placard for every 40.

Justice system monitored by EU

How hard to fight corruption in Romania is an argument that has dominated politics there since it joined the EU in 2007.

Romania is one of the European Union’s most corrupt states and Brussels keeps its justice system under special monitoring.

Anti-corruption prosecutors have secured a spate of convictions against lawmakers, ministers and mayors in recent years. Among the topics are exposing conflicts of interest, abuse of power, fraud and the awarding of state contracts in exchange for bribes.

However, leading politicians, some of whom are currently under investigation or on trial, have denied wrongdoing and accused prosecutors of using their powers for political persecution.

They have also accused them of relying too much on tip-offs from third parties to build cases.

“You mustn’t be under the illusion that only high-ranking officials or public servants are targets,” said Social Democratic party leader Liviu Dragnea speaking to thousands of supporters clad in white T-shirts and waving flags.

Local television stations estimated that just under 200,000 people were at the protest, although riot police did not offer official figures.

“Nobody is safe. Absolutely everyone can be targeted by a tip-off which could lead to a conviction,” Dragnea said.

Dragnea himself was convicted in a vote-rigging case, barring him from the post of prime minister. He is now on trial in a separate case for allegedly instigating abuses of office by

other public servants. He is also under investigation on suspicion of pocketing EU funds. He denies wrongdoing in all three cases.

Social Democrat legislators are currently trying to revise the criminal code. Critics have said some of the proposed changes would damage investigations.

av/bw (AP, Reuters

Turkey Simultaneously invading Iraq and Syria taking advantages of turmoil

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Agression The Turkish military has launched a land operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, stating that its aim is to “prevent PKK militants from threatening border security.”

The operation is the first time in nine years that Turkish land forces have engaged in Iraq.

Commando units entered the Zap region of Iraq after crossing from the Çukurca district of the southeastern province of Hakkari. The move, which is part of “Operation Zap,” came after the military determined an increase in movement of outlawed militants in the area, Doğan News Agency reported on Oct. 18.

Turkey’s return riles Syria: It’s ‘blatant aggression’

From Oct. 8-12, Turkish intelligence and special forces elements carried out reconnaissance in Syria north of Idlib and south of Afrin while maintaining contacts with Sunni opposition units that control the region. This preparatory activity was actually shaping an operational theater. Afterward, a Turkish detachment of about 100 commandos, 30 vehicles, and construction and military engineering equipment entered Syria.

An Oct. 13 statement from the Turkish military high command said Turkish troops that will serve in the Idlib de-escalation zone had begun erecting military observation posts, as specified during the peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. That night, a second Turkish detachment, which was operating M60T Sabra and Leopard 2 tanks, entered Syria and began deploying at Sheikh Barakat, an 842-meter-high (2,762-foot-high) mountain that dominates Afrin.

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called Turkey’s deployment north of Idlib “a blatant aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and a clear violation of international law and its principles.”

The Idlib operation launched Oct. 13 marks the third time the Turkish army has entered Syrian territory in less than three years. A February 2015 operation relocated the tomb of Suleiman Shah, which was threatened by the Islamic State (IS). In August 2016, Operation Euphrates Shield began clearing the Jarablus-al Rai-al Bab triangle of IS elements; that campaign lasted seven months.

Armenian Assembly renews calls for investigation into Turkey’s influence in US

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Michael Flynn's opposition in concert with Turkey against a U.S. military operationWASHINGTON, D.C. – With the latest revelations regarding Lieutenant General Michael Flynn’s opposition in concert with Turkey against a U.S. military operation that had been planned for months, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) renewed its call for a thorough investigation of Turkey’s surreptitious influence over U.S. officials to the detriment of U.S. national security.

Today, the Assembly sent letters to the Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), House Intelligence Chairman David Nunes (R-CA), and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA) highlighting key concerns on this matter.

“Time and time again, we have seen Turkey’s corrosive attempts to influence U.S. policy. Given the aforementioned issues, we respectfully renew our request for a thorough investigation of Turkish activities that compromise America’s national security and democratic institutions,” Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian said.

Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. stated: “It is even more troublesome that [Flynn] failed to disclose his actions and that he may have compromised our efforts to defeat ISIS in order to please his former client. With Mr. Flynn’s willingness to conceal relationships with foreign powers, we must investigate if there are other interactions that have yet to be revealed.”

According to a report in McClatchy Washington Bureau, “Flynn’s rejection of a military operation that had been months in the making raises questions about what other key decisions he might have influenced…”

This new revelation follows Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s November 8th op-ed in The Hill wherein Flynn argued that “we need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective.” Flynn was paid over $500,000 for his work on behalf of Turkey according to his recent FARA filing, which he failed to disclose until he was caught.

 

News about Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn comes just after a brutal attack by Turkish bodyguards against those peacefully protesting in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence.

#Erdogan: Turkish Referendum Results Victory Against ‘Crusaders’

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Victory against CrusadersTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the outcome of a referendum on moving to a presidential system was achieved despite the opposition of “those with the worldview of crusaders.”

ANKARA (Sputnik) — On Sunday, the Turks expressed their support for government-backed constitutional changes to shift to a presidential system and thus broaden presidential powers, with preliminary results showing over 51 percent of support.

“We fought against all enemies, we were attacked by those who have the worldview of the crusaders. But as a nation we remained strong. We can only bow to our shrines and not to anyone else,” Erdogan said at Ankara’s airport.

The constitutional reforms have already cleared the Turkish parliament and been signed by Erdogan.

According to the Turkish leader, once Turkey becomes a presidential republic in November 2019, in conformity with the constitutional amendments, the country will become even stronger.

Turkish people had enough with Dictator Erdogan Uprising in Progress

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Riot police scuffle with protesters trying to march to the Turkish Parliament as the lawmakers gather to debate the proposed constitutional changes in Ankara, Turkey, on January 9, 2017. (Photo by Reuters)

Turkish riot police have used teargas and water cannons to scatter hundreds of people staging a protest against planned changes to the country’s constitution that would envisage expanded powers for Turkey’s president.

Violence erupted on Monday after protesters from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkish Lawyers Association and several other non-governmental organizations had gathered outside Turkey’s parliament in the capital, Ankara, to voice their anger at a new draft constitution granting additional executive powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The amendments had been proposed earlier in the day, aiming to hand Erdogan greater authority as president and the possibility of serving two more five-year terms in office.

“They are trying to turn the democratic parliamentary regime into a totalitarian regime,” said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the opposition CHP leader, who was among the participants in the protest rally.

Witnesses said many of the protesters were forced back by Turkish police along a main road away from the gates to the parliament compound.

On December 30, 2016, the draft law, submitted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), passed the Turkish parliament’s constitutional commission.

Debate on the proposals is expected to last for two weeks and upon approval by the legislature, the reformed constitution will be put to a referendum before the spring.

Supporters of the draft say such a law would enable the head of state to restore stability to the country, which has been shaken by sporadic deadly terror attacks and a botched military coup last July.

Critics, however, denounce it as a means of restoration of the Ottoman Era powers to Erdogan, whom they see as an authoritarian figure.

The draft, if approved, would allow Erdogan to stay in office for two more terms until 2029, pave the way for the abolition of the post of prime minister, in which Erdogan himself served from 2003 until 2014, and enable the appointment of vice presidents.

It will also empower the president to hire and fire ministers.

Other proposed amendments would increase the number of seats in the 550-member parliament to 600, reduce the minimum age of legislators from 25 to 18 and set parliamentary and presidential elections on the same day.

The ruling AKP, which currently has 317 seats in the parliament, needs a majority of 330 out of the 550 seats available to call a referendum on the draft law.

Syria army vows ‘all possible means’ against Turkish forces

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syrian-armeny-turkeySyria has censured Turkey’s fresh attacks against the Arab country as “occupation,” pledging to use “all possible means” to deal with it.

In a Saturday statement, the General Command of the Syrian army said that the presence of Turkish troops on Syria’s soil was unacceptable and a “dangerous escalation and flagrant breach of Syria’s sovereignty.”

The statement came after activists and local officials said Turkish tanks and Turkey-backed militants were marching toward the northern Syrian town of Tal Rif’at, which is largely controlled by Kurdish forces.

Fighting has also been reported between Turkey-backed militants and Kurdish fighters near the town.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s military confirmed on Saturday that its rockets had targeted Kurdish fighters in northern Syria for the second time in less than 72 hours. The strikes hit 70 positions of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria on Friday.

Ankara views YPG and its allied Democratic Union Party (PYD) as terrorist forces linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for autonomy in Turkey’s Kurdish-dominated regions for decades.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday that the country would be expanding its operations in north Syria, including entering the cities of al-Bab, Manbij and Raqqah.

Erdogan claimed that Turkey “had no choice” but to enter al-Bab, despite criticism from the international community, “because we need to prepare an area purged from terrorism. The same goes for Manbij.”

He added that if the so-called US-led coalition was ready to act jointly, Turkey would do “whatever is necessary’ against the Daesh terrorist group in Raqqah but would not work with the Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Turkey has been hitting Kurdish positions in northern Syria in the recent past without acquiring permission from the government in Damascus. Turkey has also been pounding Kurds in Iraq, which is also unhappy with the Turkish military operations on its soil.

On August 24, Turkish special forces, tanks and jets backed by planes from the US-led coalition launched their first coordinated offensive in Syria. On the same day, Damascus denounced the intervention as a breach of its sovereignty.

Turkey said the incursion was meant to engage the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the Syrian-Turkish border area as well as Kurdish fighters, who were themselves fighting Daesh.

Turkey has long been criticized for refusing to seriously fight Takfiri terrorists. The country stands accused of allowing potential militants to use its territory for travel and shipment of arms into Syria and buying smuggled oil from terrorists.

 

Germany: Kurdish rally ‘against Turkish dictatorship and for equality’ gathers in Cologne

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kurd-protestA rally of 30,000 people from Kurdish communities across Germany has been organized in Cologne to protest the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and to call for an end to attacks in Syria.

Under the banner “Against Dictatorship and For Equality” a number of Kurdish organizations have organized a rally Saturday in the western German city of Cologne.

Groups including the Democratic Social Center of Kurdish people in Germany” (Nav-Dem) have condemned what they called Erdogan’s “dictatorial approach” in Turkey following the failed coup attempt in July.

Police were out in force in Cologne to monitor the rally and announced they would intervene to prevent what they called “illegal propaganda.” By mid-day a police spokesman said the situation remained calm.

Rally participants also oppose the state of emergency imposed in Turkey following the failed July 15 coup and the arrests of tens of thousands of people suspected of involvement.

They also condemned the Turkish army attacks on Kurdish militia in Syria.

A number of people carried banners with the portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). The European Union and the United States both regard the PKK as a terrorist organization. It has been banned in Germany since 1993.

Leader of the Left party, Bernd Riexinger, is due to address the rally. He again called for the lifting of the PKK ban. He said the “complete isolation” of Ocalan was not correct. He said the leader should instead be involved in negotiations between Kurdish groups and the Turkish government to bring about a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

jm/sms (epd, dpa)

‘Italy isn’t Islamic suburb’: Pisa residents rally against mosque construction near Leaning Tower

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mosqueHundreds of residents of the Italian city of Pisa have staged a rally, calling for others to sign a petition against the planned construction of a mosque only 400 meters to the city’s main attraction, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The rally was organized at the city market of the city of some 90,000 residents. According to Ruptly video agency, hundreds of people took part in the protest.

“We have to halt the construction of new mosques to prevent Italy from becoming an Islamic suburb to avoid losing our identity,” right wing MP and leader of the ‘No Mosque Campaign’ Daniela Santanche said.

For this [we organize] a ‘No Mosque’ [petition to hold a] referendum, we have collected many more signatures that is needed by law. First, we need to create a law to regulate Mosques’ and imam’s actions and then hold discussions.”

She called on the people of Italy to “go on and fight for [their] national identity and the pride of being called Italians not only by law, but by [their] traditions and culture.”

“Hate is not coming from our side. We do not place bombs in airports, subways or places, where young people listen to music. That is why hate is coming from them [Muslim terrorists]. We Italians have always been kind. But now we are looking at pseudo-solidarity.”

Reports that the Pisa City Council approved the construction of the mosque 400 meters from the Leaning Tower symbol appeared in Italian media earlier in August.

Shortly after that an Egyptian-born Christian convert Magdi Allam launched a petition against the construction under hashtag #nomoschea. Those signatures are needed to launch a city referendum which may be scheduled as soon as November to decide the fate of the mosque, local media report.

The petition has already gathered 2,500 signatures, according to the organizers.

Pisa residents are divided over the issue of having a mosque in the city, with some saying they have certain concerns and feel uneasy about it.

“The problem is that we don’t know Arabic and can’t understand what they are talking about. We don’t know who is praying in this mosque,” one woman told RT.

“In 20 to 30 years they will be in charge here! And it’s sad that the officials still cannot understand that we, real Italians, are evaporating,” another added.

One woman questioned the source of financing the building which is expected to cost €4.5million.

Mass rally in Yemen in defiance of Saudi airstrikes

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mass-rally-yemenA massive rally has been held in Sanaa in support of Houthi rebels and thier allies. It comes a week after parliament approved a new ruling council.

In a show of force, hundreds of thousands of flag-waving Yemenis rallied on Saturday in the capital Sanaa in support of Houthi rebels and their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The protest was held in support of a 10-member ruling council set up last month by the Houthis and Saleh allies in defiance of the country’s internationally recognized president, Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi.

It comes a week after parliament convened for the first time in two years to approve the council after UN-backed peace talks between the warring parties broke down last month.

Hadi, the UN and Saudi Arabia have condemned the council and called it illegitimate.

Saleh al-Samad, the head of the council, told the rally a new government would be decided on in the “next few days.”

The protestors also shouted slogans condemning the Saudi-led military campaign, which has rained further destruction on the Arab world’s poorest state since a restart of operations that followed the breakdown of peace talks.

Saudi-led coaltion jets conducted airstrikes around Sana’a as the demonstration unfolded, including targeting of the presidential palace.

The Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened in March 2015 to restore power to Hadi, who was forced to flee the country after Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Saleh took over the capital and other parts of the country in September 2014.

Despite the coalition campaign, Hadi allied forces on the ground have failed to dislodge Houthis from large parts of the country, including the capital.

The conflict has killed at least 6,400 people and displaced nearly 2.5 million, prompting rising international calls for the coalition to halt bombing and the US to withdraw intelligence and air-refueling support. Nearly 80 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance.

The fighting has also opened up room for al-Qaeda and the so-called “Islamic State” to operate.

cw/rc (AP, dpa)

Israelis push back against Turkey normalization deal

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Islaely push back Turkey

Bereaved family members and friends of late Israeli soldier Oron Shaul hand out flyers and bumper stickers to people driving by as they demonstrate at the protest tent outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem on June 27, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

BY TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF

As families of slain soldiers whose bodies are held in Gaza rail against government, survey finds public mostly against landmark rapprochement agreement

More than half of the Israelis are against a deal to restore ties with Turkey, a poll released Monday found, as politicians and families of slain soldiers criticized the agreement announced earlier in the day 

Out of 600 respondents in the survey conducted Monday morning, 33 percent voiced support for the Turkey deal, 56% were opposed and 11% were undecided, according to Channel 10, which commissioned the poll.

There was significantly greater support for the deal among the 100 Arab Israelis surveyed — 72% supported it, compared to just 24% of the 500 Jews polled. Jewish Israelis were overwhelmingly opposed, with 65% saying they did not support the deal.

The survey results came as a number of politicians and public figures came out against the terms of the long-sought deal, which will see ties between Jerusalem and Ankara normalized after six years of bitter recriminations.

As part of the agreement, Israel will pay $20 million as compensation for a 2010 military raid on the Mavi Marmara Gaza blockade-busting ship, which led to the deaths of 10 Turkish activists.

Not included, though, was the return of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza as well as two citizens being held captive there, leading to anger among family members that the government had abandoned their sons.

The TV channel reported that two unnamed security cabinet ministers have instructed the families of two Israeli soldiers whose remains are held in the Gaza Strip to appeal to the High Court of Justice against the deal.

The families of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin were opposed to the rapprochement, arguing that Israel should have urged Turkey to pressure Hamas to release the bodies, as well as two other Israeli captives said held by the terror group, as part of the negotiations.

On Sunday, the families set up a protest tent outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, with dozens rallying against the agreement.

The deal must still gain the approval of the top-level security cabinet, which will meet Wednesday to discuss the agreement.

Already Monday, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman reportedly said he would oppose the deal, though he said he would not wage a public campaign to derail the deal.

Another minister, who was not named in press accounts, reportedly also criticized the deal.

“It’s a contemptible move that the prime minister is bringing before the cabinet as a fait accompli,” the minister was quoted by Israeli news site Ynet as saying. “He’s turned us into a rubber stamp.”

Israeli opposition politicians have criticized the deal, while ministers have largely been silent.

The Goldin and Shaul families will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday, Channel 10 reported.

“Netanyahu cares for Gaza and not for our soldiers,” said Zahava Shaul, the mother of slain IDF soldier Oron Shaul earlier Monday. “Netanyahu has not kept his promises. It’s important that Netanyahu know that all of Israel is on our side, and every Jewish mother should know: tomorrow this could be you.

“This is not how you negotiate,” she added.

The family of Hadar Goldin, who was also killed in the 2014 Gaza war, condemned the “bad and problematic” deal, which they said “ignores the pain of the families and the fate of Israel’s heroes,” according to the Walla news website.

“The prime minister’s statements are hollow,” the Goldin family charged. They urged Israeli ministers to vote against the “bad” deal and ensure that the agreement hinges on Hamas’s return of the slain soldiers’ bodies.

A senior Israeli official on Sunday said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had written a letter committing Turkey to work toward their release as part of the deal.

According to the Channel 10 poll, 72% of Israelis thought the return of the bodies should have been included in the deal.

Jerusalem and Ankara announced Monday the terms of the deal, ending years of diplomatic stalemate between the eastern Mediterranean countries and heralding the normalization of ties.

Criticizing Netanyahu for agreeing to compensate the families of Turks killed in the Mavi Marmara incident and not bringing home Israelis held captive in Gaza, opposition leader Isaac Herzog said Monday the deal was “important,” but hedged his praise by saying Ankara “is the ally of Hamas.

“As in the [Gilad] Shalit incident and in Operation Protective Edge, Netanyahu is weak against Hamas because over the years he’s given in to the political threats of [Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor] Liberman and has been dragged along unnecessarily at the expense of Israeli citizens’ security interests,” he added.

Other politicians also criticized the deal, though some said they would reluctantly accept it to reestablish ties with Turkey, once Israel’s closest regional ally.

Already frayed relations between Israel and Turkey were significantly downgraded in 2010 after Israeli commandos staged a raid on a six-ship Turkish flotilla that was trying to breach Israel’s naval blockade of the Strip.

The commandos were violently attacked by those on board the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, and nine Turkish citizens, including one with American citizenship, were killed in the ensuing melee. A 10th citizen died of his wounds years later. A number of Israeli soldiers were injured in the raid.

Under the deal, Israel will pay $20 million in compensation for the deaths caused in the commando raid, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed. In return for the compensation, Turkey agreed not to take legal action against Israel Defense Forces soldiers involved in the incident.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, dismissed criticism by political opponents who decried the paying of compensation to attackers of IDF soldiers as a national humiliation.

“Our vital interests are advanced by this deal,” he said. “This isn’t the start of a honeymoon. And I’m not presenting this agreement through rose-colored glasses. But this agreement strengthens Israel.”