Turkey Archives

Alleged ISIL member treated at Turkish hospital

September 22, 2014 By administrator

By FEHMİ ALTUN / ŞANLIURFA

A man who is suspected of being a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which calls itself the Islamic State, was allegedly admitted to the intensive care unit of Mehmet Akif İnan State Hospital in southeastern Şanlıurfa province.

Ammar Alo was reportedly first taken to a private hospital for initial medical treatment and then moved to Mehmet Akif İnan State Hospital at 9:10 a.m. on Monday. He was said to be in critical condition. Doctors there also said that a number of lab tests were run for the patient.

Clashes have been underway between ISIL and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), an offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Syria, over the past few days. There have been claims that militants from both sides are being treated in Turkey. According to sources here, PYD members are being treated at Suruç State Hospital and ISIL militants are being treated at Akçakale State Hospital. Militants in critical condition from both sides are often reportedly taken to the Mehmet Akif İnan State Hospital, all of which are in Şanlıurfa.

Photographs of Alo in a hospital were shared on Twitter by many users who expressed anger at the allegations that he is being treated at a Turkish hospital.

The Turkish government’s stance towards ISIL has so far been ambiguous. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has been accused of supporting the terrorist organization by turning a blind eye to its militants crossing the border and even of buying its oil. There have also been claims that Turkey has sent weapons to opposition groups fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The government has denied supporting ISIL, which recently released 49 Turkish hostages it had been holding for three months.

In a challenge to the government’s stance, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman and party spokesperson Haluk Koç on Monday called on the AK Party government to publicly announce that it defines ISIL as a terrorist organization.

‘New Turkey’ A Scary Place, Says Dink Award Winner

September 20, 2014 By administrator

Şebnem Korur Fincancı addresses the audience after receiving the Hrant Dink Award in Istanbul

ISTANBUL (Today’s Zaman)—Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) oft-quoted promise of a “new Turkey” is a scary place, where rights violations and threats against opponents are common, according to Şebnem Korur Fincancı, the winner of the International Hrant Dink Award and head of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TİHV).

In an interview with Today’s Zaman, Fincancı shared her opinions about the government’s new slogan — “New Turkey.” She said: “The new Turkey rhetoric is very scary. This means new violations and more threats, and we are already seeing the signs of this. We know about the actions of this government that promotes the new Turkey. The new Turkey is about having crowds jeer at the mention of a mother who has lost her son.”

The TİHV head was referring to a rally speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had his audience boo at the mention of the name Gülsüm Elvan, the mother of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan. Berkin died last year after being in a months-long coma that was caused by a tear gas canister being fired at him by the police during last year’s Gezi protests when he was out buying bread. The canister struck him in the head.

The International Hrant Dink Award was presented to Professor Fincancı on Sept. 15 — Hrant Dink’s birthday — for her activism regarding the plight of the Saturday Mothers, a group of women whose children disappeared while under state custody.

In response to a question about what she felt about the Dink award, Fincancı said: “I am flattered and humbled because I have been given an award that was earlier given to the Saturday Mothers. I am also a bit heartbroken. They are the ones who have suffered and are still suffering. What would our murdered brother [Dink] have done if he were with us at this time? I felt confused emotions that day.”

She also shared her opinions about the future of the murder trial of Hrant Dink, who was shot dead by an ultranationalist teenager outside the offices of the Turkish-Armenian Agos newspaper in Istanbul in January 2007.

“I don’t think the murder will be illuminated at this time. It looks like it will become one of the many trials that will be stonewalled with one trial after another. The course of the trial and the stance of the government on this issue indicates that. Temizöz’s release gives an idea about the future of the Hrant Dink trial.”

The activist was referring to the release of Col. Cemal Temizöz on Sept. 12. Temizöz, notoriously known as the “death well colonel” due to his role in the death of more than a dozen people in acid wells in the early ‘90s, was released by a high court. The trial against him was launched after investigators found human bones in wells in the Cizre district of Şırnak province, believed to be the remains of people killed by the illegal structure established by Temizöz.

She also said that she has no hopes that the current government will take steps to improve Turkey’s human rights records because “we know that they [the government] are the main actors who commit rights’ violations.”

Fincancı said activists and democrats should make their best efforts to change this course. “Detentions period were shortened because people demanded this. That was a result of the fight for human rights. We have to keep the government and the state at work. There can be reversals at times, and there can be disappointments, but we should continue to speak out about the negatives,” she said.

A medical doctor, Fincancı has dedicated her professional career to the struggle against torture in Turkey. She has been the president of TİHV since 2009. In the 1990s, when torture was prevalent in Turkey, she was subjected to oppression at the hands of the state since she wrote articles on medical ethics and penned reports documenting torture. Fincancı currently teaches and serves as a dissertation advisor at the graduate and postgraduate levels in the department of forensic medicine at Istanbul University’s medical college, and she teaches in Galatasaray University’s school of law.

The International Hrant Dink Award is presented annually by the International Hrant Dink Foundation at a ceremony held on Dink’s birthday.

Turkish hostages freed, but questions linger

September 20, 2014 By administrator

By SUZAN FRASER and RAPHAEL SATTER, Associated Press

Updated 8:54 am, Saturday, September 20, 2014

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities say they have freed 49 hostages from one of the world’s most ruthless militant groups without firing a shot, paying a ransom or offering a quid pro quo.

But as the well-dressed men and women captured by the Islamic State group more than three months ago clasped their families Saturday on the tarmac of the Turkish capital’s airport, experts had serious doubts about the government’s story.

The official explanation “sounds a bit too good to be true,” said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who chairs the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies. “There are some very legitimate and unanswered questions about how this happened.”

The hostages — whose number included two small children — were seized from the Turkish Consulate in Mosul after the Islamic State group overran the Iraqi city on June 11. Turkish leaders gave only the broadest outlines of their rescue Saturday.

Turkish hostages seized in northern Iraq are free: Davutoglu,

September 19, 2014 By administrator

(Where they hostages realy)?

(Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Saturday 49 Turkish hostages seized by Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June have been brought safely back to Turkey by the country’s intelligence agency.

The hostages, including diplomats, soldiers and children, were seized from Turkey’s consulate-general in June. Davutoglu said they were being brought to the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa.

(Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Paul Tait)

NYT reveals threats against Turkish reporter as pro-gov’t media turn her into target

September 19, 2014 By administrator

ISTANBUL

The New York Times revealed Sept. 19 that its reporter Ceylan Yeğinsu, who wrote a striking story on the recruitment efforts of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at the heart of the Turkish capital Ankara earlier this week, has been receiving ‘messages that threaten her safety.’

After her report was published, Yeğinsu not only received strong reactions from officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but was also targeted by the pro-government media, with a number of newspapers publishing her picture on their front page in a bid to trigger public outrage.

The executive director of the New York Times, Dean Bacquet, expressed concern about Yeğinsu’s safety, adding that the American broadsheet acknowledged that the picture accompanying the story of Erdoğan with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu during Friday prayers was misleading.

“Despite this published correction, some Turkish authorities and media outlets have mounted a coordinated campaign to intimidate and attack the motives of the reporter who wrote the story. She has been sent thousands of messages that threaten her safety,” Bacquet said in a written statement Sept. 18.

“It is unacceptable for one of our journalists to be targeted in this way. We expect the Turkish authorities to work to ensure the safety of our journalists working legally in the country,” he added.

Bacquet also emphasized that the article did not imply “that President Erdoğan supported ISIL or condoned the recruitment of ISIL fighters in Turkey.”

Yeğinsu herself, a former reporter for the Hürriyet Daily News, responded to criticism of the piece by stressing that she was not responsible for the choice of the picture. Both the New York Times and Yeğinsu have said they stand behind the report.

Pro-government media campaign

Several pro-government outlets and journalists, however, have strongly denounced “bias” in the New York Times report, though none have published reports that could eventually contradict its findings.

One of the most virulent pro-government media outlets, daily Takvim, published Yeğinsu’s picture on its Sept. 18 front page, even printing information about her family. Her picture appeared next to a larger one of President Erdoğan, whose denunciation of the report as “shameless, immoral, treason,” were highlighted using a huge font size.

Another newspaper close to the government, daily Akşam, also published Yeğinsu’s picture on its front page, alongside headline stating, “The perception-shaping operation was homemade,” in reference to the fact that Yeğinsu is a Turkish citizen.

In its Sept. 19 edition, daily Takvim published testimonies from shop owners in the Hacı Bayram neighborhood of Ankara – where the original story was researched – who denied that ISIL recruitment could have happened there. The story was also picked up by daily Sabah, which is owned by the same group.

In addition to all of this, pro-government columnists and commentators added fuel to the fire on social media, with many quoting Turkish officials as saying Turkey would “never allow” such a thing on its own soil.

With the pro-government media becoming increasingly strident in Turkey, the list of journalists who have been personally targeted without their reports being properly debated is growing.

The Turkish government had also reacted strongly to the international media coverage of Gezi protests last year, particularly slamming CNN and BBC for broadcasting the demonstrations live. Since then, Turkish officials have formed a habit of denouncing reports they dislike or disagree with, particularly since criticism in the international press about the restriction of freedoms in Turkey rose, such as when access to Twitter and YouTube was temporarily banned.

Aram I to petition Turkish court for return of Sis catholicosate

September 19, 2014 By administrator

September 19, 2014 – 18:35 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia will petition to Turkey’s constitutional court to demand the return of Sis catholicosate to the Armenian Church.

As Aram I stressed at the 5th Armenia-Diaspora conference in Yerevan, he’ll apply to the European Court for Human Rights, should Turkey’s court turn down the petition. As the Catholicos stressed, Turkey must always be reminded that Armenia will never stop fighting for its rights in the face of all odds.

The Catholicos further called to struggle for retribution of misappropriated Armenian property and restoration of rights in following the suit of the Armenian youth who raised their voices in 1965 demanding return of their lands.

“In 2015, on the centenary of Genocide, their children and Diaspora youth must join their voices to urge for justice,” the Catholicos said.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders heading to Turkey

September 17, 2014 By administrator

The leaders of Egypt’s banned Muslim Brotherhood (MB), who have recently been asked to leave Qatar after pressure from other Gulf Arab countries, are planning to relocate to Turkey, following a recent welcoming statement by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. report by todayzaman

Al Jazeera Turk reported on Monday that Amr Darrag, the foreign relations representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, had already arrived in Turkey while Jamal Abdul Sattar, the former deputy head of the Egyptian Religious Affairs Directorate, intends to move to İstanbul.

“We, the Muslim Brotherhood, do not only seek a safe haven,” Sattar said, as quoted in the report. “We also seek to find a safe location from where we could fight against the bloody and brutal military coup against us in Egypt and run our activities free of pressure.”

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt accuse Turkey and Qatar of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups in the region. Turkey and Qatar are known as the two staunchest supporters of the MB, while other regional countries see the MB as a threat, especially after its role in the Arab Spring. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi designated the MB as a terrorist organization last year.

“If they [the Muslim Brotherhood leaders in exile in Qatar] request to come to Turkey, we will review these requests case by case,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying to a group of journalists late on Monday on his return flight from an official visit to Qatar. “If there are no reasons preventing them from coming to Turkey, we can facilitate their requests [to come to Turkey]. They can come to Turkey as any foreign guest comes,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying.

Erdoğan’s statements welcoming the MB leaders have drawn strong criticism, with Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Akif Hamzaçebi claiming that hosting MB members would show that Turkey is not a democratic country and that it has relations with terrorist groups. Stressing that Erdoğan welcomes the MB leaders while many countries, including Qatar, reject hosting them, Hamzaçebi called on Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to act on this issue.

A number of the MB’s exiled leaders have been living in Qatar since the ouster of Morsi, but after being asked to leave, they may relocate to Turkey. The MB insists it is a peaceful group.

Some senior members of the MB may already be living in İstanbul, the Cumhuriyet daily reported on Tuesday, citing diplomatic sources who also said that Turkey may host all MB members except the ones wanted by Interpol. However, Turkey is presently hosting former Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who is wanted by the Iraqi authorities and Interpol.

Turkey has been very critical of the Egyptian administration which came to power after the military ousted former President Mohammed Morsi, a politician from the MB, last summer. Turkey’s refusal to accept his ousting prompted the new Egyptian leadership to cut ties with Turkey and expel the Turkish ambassador to Cairo. Ankara responded in kind, declaring Egypt’s ambassador to Turkey persona non grata.

Erdoğan has repeatedly said it is not possible for him to recognize the government that was formed after the military coup in Egypt that took place only a year after Morsi was democratically elected.

On Tuesday, local media reported that a senior leader from the banned Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) of Egypt — a party affiliated with the MB — left Qatar and moved to Turkey.

In the meantime, the head of the Egyptian Judges’ Club, Ahmad El-Zend, lashed out at “terrorists,” in reference to the MB, which is thought to be supported by Turkey and Qatar, the Al-Ahram news website reported on Sept. 11. El-Zend claimed that the MB is behind the recent deadly attacks against Egyptian judges.

“Go to Turkey and fill your bellies with money generated by prostitution, and it will lead you to hell. Go to Qatar and kneel at the feet of its rulers so you can obtain the crumbs of humiliation,” said El-Zend, addressing “terrorist groups” in his speech.

Alleged ISIL supporters open TV station in Turkey

September 17, 2014 By administrator

A broadcasting company with links to the Al-Rafidain TV network, which has been blocked in Egypt over ambiguity concerning its stance on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has opened in Turkey, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Turkey.

WSJ Turkey on Wednesday reported that the Turkey-based company, which launched with TL 200,000 in capital, appears to be registered in İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) records; its sphere of activities is listed as TV programming and broadcasting.

The company was founded on Tuesday, the WSJ said, noting that the phone number provided by the company is the same as the phone number of the company that does the accounting work of Al-Rafidain.
Al-Rafidain is best known for its administration’s stance against former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and for its pro-Sunni broadcasts.

On June 24, Reuters reported that Egypt barred three private Iraqi TV stations from its main satellite system in response to complaints from Iraq that their coverage was provoking sectarian tensions.

Reuters said: “Al-Baghdadia, Al-Rafidain and Al-Hadath TV stations were all barred from the state-owned Nilesat, which broadcasts across the Middle East and North Africa. … The channels have covered the onslaught by Sunni insurgent group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant extensively and carried statements from the al-Qaeda offshoot.”

However, statements made at the time by Egyptian officials did not directly link the decision to block the three stations to complaints from Baghdad.

WSJ Turkey said its attempts to reach the new TV station’s management have failed. The accounting company that works with Al-Rafidain told the newspaper, “We have been told that there will be broadcasts here. They are in the phase of being set up right now.” The daily also reported that the station so far hasn’t applied to Turkey’s media-watchdog, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK).

Turkey refrains from supporting campaign against ISIL at Paris meeting

September 15, 2014 By administrator

Turkey refrained from becoming part of a group of countries and international organizations that pledged support to the central government in Baghdad in its fight against the threat of the radical Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during an international conference on Iraq’s peace and security conference in Paris, the private Cihan news agency reported.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu attended the international counter-terrorism conference along with the five UN Security Council (UNSC) permanent members, a number of European and Arab countries and representatives from the European Union, Arab League and United Nations hosted in Paris on Monday.

All the attendants except Turkey pledged to help the Baghdad government in its fight against ISIL. The main agenda of the meeting was about providing military support to the government of Baghdad against ISIL. But Çavuşoğlu did not offer any kind of support to Baghdad during the conference, according to Cihan.

During the meetings, the Turkish delegation in Paris reportedly emphasized that the fight against ISIL is not only in Iraq — it is also a threat in Syria — and pointed out that as long as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is in power, the threat of ISIL will continue.

Turkish diplomats informed their counterparts in the meeting about a “no-entry” list that consists of 6,000 individuals from Europe and elsewhere who are linked to radical groups. So far, the Turkish diplomats said, 1,000 of them have been extradited.

Turkey also recently refused to sign a communiqué that supports an international campaign against ISIL in Jeddah. At the counter-terrorism meeting, Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon agreed to cooperate against ISIL, take steps to stop foreign fighters going to Iraq and Syria and funds going to ISIL, provide humanitarian aid and contribute to different aspects of the military campaign.

While the Arab allies signed the final communiqué, NATO ally Turkey did not.

Turkey was reportedly asked during these meetings to seal its borders to prevent foreign fighters from coming and going into Syria through its territory and to take measures to prevent oil smuggling.

Source: Zaman.com

Turkish Minister urges Armenia to boost ties, “avoid mention of past”

September 15, 2014 By administrator

Turkey’s EU Minister Volkan Bozkır said that Turkey did its share to promote relations with Armenia and that everyone needs to live together by avoiding the mention of what happened in the past, Daily Sabah reported.

Underscoring the significance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s letter on April 24, Bozkır said, “With this letter, we showed that we are turning over a new leaf to heartbreaking events and offer a hand of peace. If [our] counterpart accepts this hand, we may open a new page. It is impossible to walk [together toward] the future of the world with hatred and by killing each other.”

In the statement, Erdoğan said, “[he] wishes Armenian people who lost their lives under the conditions of the beginning of the 20th century to rest in peace” and he “sends [his] condolences to their grandchildren […] Having experienced events with inhumane consequences such as relocation, during World War I, should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes toward one another.”

On October 10, 2009, Armenia and Turkey signed two protocols aimed at normalizing relations.

Foreign ministers Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu, inked protocols committing to the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of their borders.

But since the signing ceremony, senior officials in Turkey have sought to link ratification of the protocols with progress in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

Yerevan responded by saying the protocols contained no conditions regarding that issue and that Ankara should, therefore, proceed with the ratification of the agreements unconditionally.

The diplomatic bickering eventually led to Armenian President Sargsyan suspending the ratification process in the Armenian parliament on April 22, 2010.

Photo: Sabah