Russian police have arrested more than 3,000 people in nationwide protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent foe.
The unprecedented demonstrations in more than 60 cities – in temperatures as low as -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit) – highlighted how Navalny has built influence far beyond the political and cultural centres of Moscow and St Petersburg.
In Moscow, an estimated 15,000 demonstrators gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city centre, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks. Some were beaten with batons.
Read more at:
In Pictures: Mass demonstrations engulf Russia | Gallery News | Al Jazeera
Showing posts with label Dictatorship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dictatorship. Show all posts
11/8/20
Technology: The Dictatorship of Data
Google’s deference to data has been taken to extremes. To determine the best color of a toolbar on the website, Marissa Mayer, when she was one of Google’s top executives before going to Yahoo, once ordered staff to test 41 gradations of blue to see which ones people used more. In 2009, Google’s top designer, Douglas Bowman, quit in a huff because he couldn’t stand the constant quantification of everything. “I had a recent debate over whether a border should be 3, 4 or 5 pixels wide, and was asked to prove my case. I can’t operate in an environment like that,” he wrote on a blog announcing his resignation. “When a company is filled with engineers, it turns to engineering to solve problems. Reduce each decision to a simple logic problem. That data eventually becomes a crutch for every decision, paralyzing the company.”
This is the dictatorship of data. And it recalls the thinking that led the United States to escalate the Vietnam War partly on the basis of body counts, rather than basing decisions on more meaningful metrics. “It is true enough that not every conceivable complex human situation can be fully reduced to the lines on a graph, or to percentage points on a chart, or to figures on a balance sheet,” said McNamara in a speech in 1967, as domestic protests were growing. “But all reality can be reasoned about. And not to quantify what can be quantified is only to be content with something less than the full range of reason.” If only the right data were used in the right way, not respected for data’s sake.
Read more at: The Dictatorship of Data
This is the dictatorship of data. And it recalls the thinking that led the United States to escalate the Vietnam War partly on the basis of body counts, rather than basing decisions on more meaningful metrics. “It is true enough that not every conceivable complex human situation can be fully reduced to the lines on a graph, or to percentage points on a chart, or to figures on a balance sheet,” said McNamara in a speech in 1967, as domestic protests were growing. “But all reality can be reasoned about. And not to quantify what can be quantified is only to be content with something less than the full range of reason.” If only the right data were used in the right way, not respected for data’s sake.
Read more at: The Dictatorship of Data
2/29/20
USA -department of Justice: 5 ways William Barr is turning America into a dictatorship - by Robert Reich
William Barr was installed as Attorney General specifically to turn the
Department of Justice into an arm of the Trump Coverup. And we've seen
him do exactly that. Barr has corrupted and politicized the Department
of Justice, working hand in hand with Donald Trump to bend federal law
enforcement to the president's will. Here are some of the ways Barr is
helping Trump turn our democracy into a dictatorship:
2. Barr has green-lit an "intake process" for any information that Trump stooge Rudy Giuliani may dig up about Ukraine and the elections. That's right. Barr has given Trump's personal lawyer, who is under a Justice Department investigation that has led to charges against two of his associates, a direct line to the Justice Department to funnel dirt about Trump's political rivals.
3. Barr misled the public about the contents of the Mueller report. Before the report was released, Barr sent a memo to Congress "summarizing" its findings. In his memo, Barr claimed there was insufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case and supported Trump's claims of "total exoneration". Robert Mueller was so infuriated by Barr's misrepresentation of his findings that he wrote a letter complaining that Barr's summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of Mueller's investigation. Barr nonetheless held a press conference reiterating his own claims, bolstering Trump's narrative of "total exoneration," and shifting the media coverage of the report.
4. Barr refused to accept the findings of the Inspector General report investigating the origins of the Russia probe. In December, Inspector General Michael Horowitz released his report, finding that while the Russia probe was flawed in some aspects, there was no evidence of political bias and it was justified. This, of course, contradicts Trump's narrative that the Russia probe was launched by deep-state partisan hacks determined to take him down. The day the report was released, Barr called the Russia investigation a "travesty" and claimed that there were "gross abuses …and inexplicable behavior that is intolerable in the FBI" and that he thought "there was bad faith" in the investigation. It's unprecedented for the Attorney General to so vehemently disagree with the findings of an impartial Inspector General.
5. Barr buried the whistleblower complaint that kick-started the impeachment inquiry and tried to keep it from reaching Congress. His Justice Department investigated the contents of the complaint within a narrow scope and wrapped up its investigation within a mere three weeks, finding no evidence of wrongdoing. Yet again, Barr was running interference to shield Trump from accountability.
Read the complete report at: 5 ways William Barr is turning America into a dictatorship | Salon.com
2. Barr has green-lit an "intake process" for any information that Trump stooge Rudy Giuliani may dig up about Ukraine and the elections. That's right. Barr has given Trump's personal lawyer, who is under a Justice Department investigation that has led to charges against two of his associates, a direct line to the Justice Department to funnel dirt about Trump's political rivals.
3. Barr misled the public about the contents of the Mueller report. Before the report was released, Barr sent a memo to Congress "summarizing" its findings. In his memo, Barr claimed there was insufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case and supported Trump's claims of "total exoneration". Robert Mueller was so infuriated by Barr's misrepresentation of his findings that he wrote a letter complaining that Barr's summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of Mueller's investigation. Barr nonetheless held a press conference reiterating his own claims, bolstering Trump's narrative of "total exoneration," and shifting the media coverage of the report.
4. Barr refused to accept the findings of the Inspector General report investigating the origins of the Russia probe. In December, Inspector General Michael Horowitz released his report, finding that while the Russia probe was flawed in some aspects, there was no evidence of political bias and it was justified. This, of course, contradicts Trump's narrative that the Russia probe was launched by deep-state partisan hacks determined to take him down. The day the report was released, Barr called the Russia investigation a "travesty" and claimed that there were "gross abuses …and inexplicable behavior that is intolerable in the FBI" and that he thought "there was bad faith" in the investigation. It's unprecedented for the Attorney General to so vehemently disagree with the findings of an impartial Inspector General.
5. Barr buried the whistleblower complaint that kick-started the impeachment inquiry and tried to keep it from reaching Congress. His Justice Department investigated the contents of the complaint within a narrow scope and wrapped up its investigation within a mere three weeks, finding no evidence of wrongdoing. Yet again, Barr was running interference to shield Trump from accountability.
Read the complete report at: 5 ways William Barr is turning America into a dictatorship | Salon.com
12/20/19
USA: Donald Trump becomes the first impeached president to run for re-election - Stirring the passions
His acquittal by the Senate seems certain and the impact on his re-election bid unknowable
Read more at:
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2019/12/19/donald-trump-becomes-the-first-impeached-president-to-run-for-re-election?cid1=cust/dailypicks1/n/bl/n/20191219n/owned/n/n/dailypicks1/n/n/EU/365069/n
Read more at:
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2019/12/19/donald-trump-becomes-the-first-impeached-president-to-run-for-re-election?cid1=cust/dailypicks1/n/bl/n/20191219n/owned/n/n/dailypicks1/n/n/EU/365069/n
5/25/19
5/8/19
Turkey: Turkish opposition vows to defeat crooked Erdogan's AKP again in Istanbul poll rerun
'We will emerge victorious': Turkish opposition vows to defeat Erdogan in poll re-run
5/6/19
Turkey municipal elections: Erdogan shows he is not only a sore looser but also a typical dictator as Istanbul election is declared annulled and new election called
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| Recep Tayip Erdogan a sore looser |
Note EU-Digest: with several smaller parties dropping out of the race and urging their supporters to support the CHP, the AKP might now even suffer a bigger defeat
4/15/19
TURKEY- Municipal Elections: Sore loser AKP leader Erdogan creates excuses not to accept Istanbul loss
The pot is declaring the kettle black. Turkey's Erdogan decries vote 'theft'
Read more at:
https://p.dw.com/p/3GSw1
https://p.dw.com/p/3GSw1
2/28/19
Middle East: Egypt: President Sisi's brutal tactics is fueling violence and instability in Sinai
EU indulgence of Sisi’s brutal tactics is fueling violence and instability in Sinai
Read more at:
1/19/19
6/30/18
EU-Turkey Relations: The EU should brace for a more authoritarian Erdogan, who can now be considered a dictator in his own right
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan won his fifth consecutive election victory on Sunday and finally will be able to rule Turkey with an omnipotent/almighty one-man system non-existent in any democratic country.
Most pundits agree he is now in the club of 'strong rulers' like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China.
He can be potentially in power until 2032 – with the new system, a president can run twice and also for a third time if he calls for early elections - and calling early elections is within the president's authority.
\
Read more: EU should brace for a more authoritarian Erdogan
Most pundits agree he is now in the club of 'strong rulers' like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China.
He can be potentially in power until 2032 – with the new system, a president can run twice and also for a third time if he calls for early elections - and calling early elections is within the president's authority.
\
Read more: EU should brace for a more authoritarian Erdogan
6/25/18
Turkey - the Presidential elections: Erdogan wins following a rigged election and can now rule Turkey with very little opposition
Neutvoom says that a lot of investors "don't agree with his position
on the central bank." Erdogan said last month from London that he wants
greater control of monetary policy and suggested he wanted to control
interest rates. This worries investors as it could mean a loss of
independence at the central bank.Turkey's
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won sweeping new executive powers after
his so called "victory" in landmark elections on Sunday.But Erdogan was not the only person to claim a victory. His Islamist-rooted AK Party and its nationalist allies also secured a parliamentary majority
.
But what do the election results mean for Turkey and the rest of the world?
Turkey's currency has fallen some 20% this year against the dollar. Erdogan has repeatedly called on Turks to convert their euro and dollar savings into lira to help bolster the ailing currency.
While Erdogan's victory is likely to be positive for the lira in the short term, Nora Neutrvoom, an economist at ABN Amro told Euronews that the "Turkish economy will face a severe slowdown."
Turkey has long been vying for full EU membership. Last month, Erdogan said getting a fully fledged membership was a "strategic goal" for Turkey. But that looks unlikely after widespread criticism following the mass arrests and crack down on civil rights since the aborted coup of July 2016.
Note EU-Digest: Unfortunately no one in his right mind believes that these election results represent an accurate reflection of the facts .
It is nearly impossible, as was reported by the government controlled media, that 59 million votes were counted by hand in only a little over three hours.
Another first for Turkey was that Erdogan announced he had won, before the official Turkish election board did.
Erdogan called this election, which in reality was a total scam, a "celebration of Democracy", regardless of the fact that he had shut-down all the opposition's access to the media.
In this context, one should also not forget that Turkey presently has more journalists in prison than any other country in the world.
Bottom line: Erdogan can now rule Turkey without opposition as Turkey's economy slowly disintegrates.
EU-Digest
6/22/18
Turkey - Presidential elections: Turkey’s opposition with its new shining democratic star Muharrem Ince might actually have a chance – by Zia Weise
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| Muharrem Ince wants to bring democracy back to Turkey |
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s challengers are gaining momentum ahead of a snap election Sunday — their confidence buoyed by the energetic campaign of Muharrem Ince, a firebrand politician and former physics teacher who has become "dictator" Erdoğan’s foremost rival in the race for Turkey’s presidency
Ince — the nominee of the secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP) — has won popularity with boisterous political rhetoric not unlike Erdoğan’s own.
On Saturday, while campaigning on Istanbul’s Asian side, he took the president to task over issues ranging from economic mismanagement to democratic erosion, taunting Erdoğan for rejecting a televised debate.
“We’ll only talk about the economy,” he shouted as he paced back and forth on top of a campaign bus in Üsküdar, a largely conservative neighborhood where Erdoğan owns a house. “Come on television. Aren’t you a world leader? Why won’t you come?
The crowd packing the shorefront square in the scalding June heat cheered, but Ince was not finished: “Look, the people of Üsküdar want you to, Erdoğan. Don’t be afraid, I won’t eat you. Come!” he roared.
Even though the odds, mainly reported by the Erdogan cam, still seem firmly in Erdoğan’s favor on June 24, it will be the first time Turkey holds simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections.
Given there is no ballot box fraud, like there was in the last Turkish referendum, a new democratic star might be born in Turkey, who can bring the country back on a normal footing, re; human rights, including freedom of the press, and economic health, also with a more than fair chance for Turkey to finally join the European Union.
Opposition candidates hope to force Erdogan into a runoff on July 8 — and most polls show Erdoğan falling narrowly short of 50 percent in the first round, suggesting they might stand a chance.
Sunday will also mark the day that Turkey’s constitutional reforms come into force, endowing the president with vast executive powers as approved in a controversial 2017 referendum. The opposition candidates have vowed to roll back the changes and return to parliamentary rule.
If there is a second round, Ince will likely be the one to face off against Erdoğan — an unexpected turn of events, as the president and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had counted on CHP to nominate its mild-mannered leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Kılıçdaroğlu, however, surprised many by choosing Ince, an outspoken MP known for criticizing his own party. It was a shrewd choice for CHP: Unlike most secular politicians, Ince has proven capable of reaching out to voters beyond the party’s base.
Unlike most secular politicians, Ince has proven capable of reaching out to voters beyond the party’s base.
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations said of him: “But Ince — he’s not elite, he’s a village kid, he knows how to ride a tractor. His mother wears a headscarf. So, he cannot be labelled as an elite hard-line secularist. That makes it difficult for Erdoğan to attack him,”
Erdoğan is still a force to be reckoned with. But in stark contrast to previous elections, the president has run a lackluster campaign plagued by gaffes — from a malfunctioning teleprompter to gifting the opposition its slogan of tamam (“enough”) when he pledged to step down should voters tell him “enough.”
Ince and his fellow opposition candidate Meral Akşener, the nominee of the center-right Iyi Party, are increasingly setting the tone of the campaign. When both Ince and Akşener decided not to appear on TRT state television, Erdoğan followed suit.
When Ince declared he would lift the two-year-old state of emergency if elected, Erdoğan — who had previously insisted that the emergency law was necessary for Turkey’s security — pledged to do so, too.
And while Erdoğan hopes to win over voters with a nationalist agenda, blaming Turkey’s economic problems on Western meddling and emphasizing the threat of terrorism, the opposition has run a campaign marked by a sense of hope.
Ince, who has accused Erdoğan of creating a “society of fear,” has crisscrossed the country promising democracy and rule of law, a stable economy and greater freedoms. At his rallies, he has charmed voters by dancing and cycling on stage.
Recent polls suggest Ince may score between 20 percent and 30 percent of votes in the first round, with Erdoğan between 45 percent and 48 percent (though a few surveys put him at above 50 percent). Akşener’s vote share is projected between 9 percent and 15 percent.
Though only a few analysts predict a narrow victory for Erdoğan, a second round would see a closely fought race.
Dilara, a 19-year-old first-time voter who attended Ince’s event in Üsküdar, said she sees the CHP candidate as “fresh blood” for the opposition.
“I’ve never seen Üsküdar like this,” she said. “Things are changing. There’s a chance — a small chance — he can win in the second round.”
Like many voters, Dilara counted Turkey’s economic troubles among her chief concerns. Double-digit inflation, rising unemployment and the plummeting lira pose major threats to Erdoğan’s plans for reelection, given his promise of continued growth.
Where the opposition stands a real chance is in the parliamentary election, where they are threatening the AKP’s majority, thanks to an unlikely alliance between secularists, Islamists and nationalists.
The Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has been left out of the alliance, but Ince has gained popularity among Kurdish voters with his inclusive approach.
Ince has visited HDP’s imprisoned candidate, Selahattin Demirtaş, in jail — a risky undertaking that exposed him to accusations of sympathizing with terrorists — and pledged to support Kurdish-language education.
His overtures are paying off: Last week, a large crowd welcomed him in the Kurdish city Diyarbakır — a rare feat for a lawmaker from CHP, the party responsible for Turkey’s historical repression of Kurds
The Kurdish vote may prove crucial. The AKP will only lose its majority if HDP surpasses the 10 percent threshold to enter parliament. Opposition parties are also vying for the vote of conservative Kurds, who have favored AKP and Erdoğan in the past.
“Kurdish voters are key,” said Baris Yarkadas, a CHP MP for Istanbul. “Whoever the Kurds vote for in the second round will become president.”
With just days remaining before the elections, opposition parties and their supporters are growing bolder. Saturday’s Üsküdar rally resembled a festival, with families picnicking on the grass and vendors hawking cotton candy.
Optimism abounded, as well as a sense of unity. Aside from staunch CHP supporters, many first-time voters and even supporters of other parties were in attendance. Some waved HDP and Iyi Party flags.
“It’s a different atmosphere this time,” said Deniz Uludağ, 39, who was at the rally with her siblings. “I think the government, they’re a little bit afraid.”
EU-Digest
3/27/18
EU-Turkey summit ends with 'no solutions' - by Nikolaj Nielsen
Speaking to reporters in the Black Sea resort of Varna on Monday (26 March), European Council president Donald Tusk said no solutions or compromises had been found between Ankara and the EU.
"If you are asking me if we achieved some solutions or compromises, my answer is no. What I can say that is that I raised all our concerns, as you know it was a long list," he said.
Tusk, along with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Bulgaria's prime minister Boyko Borissov, had met with Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a broader effort to improve fraught relations.
The two sides found common ground on migration, an area of cooperation that appears only to underscore tensions elsewhere. Outstanding internal issues on rule of law, the mass jailing of journalists, Turkish assertive military forays in northern Syria, wider conflicts with Cyprus and the detention of Greek soldiers, remain unresolved.
EU leaders had only last week in a summit in Brussels roundly condemned Turkey's "illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea" and demanded that Ankara respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus to explore and exploit its natural resources.
The same message was repeated in Varna, with Erdogan stating that he had handed over information to the EU leaders to explain Turkey's position that he claims respects international laws.
"Not until the European Union stops being overly critical, in particular certain members of the EU, we will not be able to engage fully in improving the relations," said Erdogan.
Read more: EU-Turkey summit ends with 'no solutions'
8/27/17
Turkey: American pastor imprisoned in Turkey faces new charges - by Joshua Keating
Andrew Brunson, the American pastor who has been imprisoned in Turkey for nearly a year on dubious terrorism charges, is now facing new charges:
“gathering state secrets for espionage, attempting to overthrow the
Turkish parliament and government, and to change the constitutional
order.”
Brunson and his family had lived in the Turkish city of Izmir for 23
years, where he was the pastor of a small Presbyterian church. He was
arrested, initially without charges, amid the crackdown on Turkey’s
political opposition following last summer’s failed coup attempt.
He was eventually charged with membership in what the Turkish government calls the Fethullahist Terror Organization—the followers of the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government blames for the coup. (Gulen and his followers deny playing a role. The true story is uncertain and extremely complicated.) Brunson was also accused of giving a sermon to Kurds with “a special purpose” at his church, implying that he is a Kurdish nationalist sympathizer as well as a Gulenist. There’s not a lot of overlap between those groups, other than the fact that Erdogan’s government is hostile to both.
He was eventually charged with membership in what the Turkish government calls the Fethullahist Terror Organization—the followers of the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government blames for the coup. (Gulen and his followers deny playing a role. The true story is uncertain and extremely complicated.) Brunson was also accused of giving a sermon to Kurds with “a special purpose” at his church, implying that he is a Kurdish nationalist sympathizer as well as a Gulenist. There’s not a lot of overlap between those groups, other than the fact that Erdogan’s government is hostile to both.
There’s little to no evidence that the Christian minister is a member
of an Islamic social movement, much less proof that he plotted to
overthrow the Turkish government.
As I wrote in May, there’s been speculation that the Turkish government is using Brunson’s case to put pressure on the U.S. government, which it wants to extradite Gulen himself. The imam has asylum in the U.S. and lives in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.
There also has been speculation that Turkey might release Brunson to the U.S. in exchange for Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian businessman the feds arrested in Miami in 2016 for evading sanctions against Iran.
As I wrote in May, there’s been speculation that the Turkish government is using Brunson’s case to put pressure on the U.S. government, which it wants to extradite Gulen himself. The imam has asylum in the U.S. and lives in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.
There also has been speculation that Turkey might release Brunson to the U.S. in exchange for Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian businessman the feds arrested in Miami in 2016 for evading sanctions against Iran.
President Trump, who has praised
Erdogan’s counterterrorism efforts and actions to consolidate power,
raised Brunson’s case during a meeting with the Turkish president at the
White House in May. And a State Department report released by Secretary
Rex Tillerson this month rapped Turkey
for its treatment of religious minorities.
Brunson is being represented by the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group led by attorney Jay Sekulow, who is also part of Trump’s personal legal team.
Read more: American pastor imprisoned in Turkey faces new charges.
Brunson is being represented by the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group led by attorney Jay Sekulow, who is also part of Trump’s personal legal team.
So far, there doesn’t seem to be any movement toward an agreement to free Brunson, and the latest charges don’t bode well.
Read more: American pastor imprisoned in Turkey faces new charges.
4/15/17
Turkey-EU ties: a bargaining chip on eve of referendum
Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up his anti-EU rhetoric on the eve of a referendum which would hand him sweeping powers.
Erdogan said he would review Ankara’s relationship with Brussels, as he seeks to shore up support for the constitutional changes needed to transfer more power away from parliament to the president.
Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up his anti-EU rhetoric on the eve of a referendum which would hand him sweeping powers.
Erdogan said he would review Ankara’s relationship with Brussels, as he seeks to shore up support for the constitutional changes needed to transfer more power away from parliament to the president.
“The EU has lost all credibility. We don’t defend democracy, human rights and freedoms because they want us to, we do that because our citizens deserve it. As we get closer to democracy, they are moving away from it,” Erdogan told supporters at a rally in Istanbul.
He continued saying that the EU feared the new system because Turkey would be ‘even stronger’. In his speech he said that the EU had left Turkey waiting 54 years for membership, and that the vote on Sunday would be a turning point.
Over the course of the campaign Erdogan’s speeches have shown a clear shift in ties with Brussels, becoming far more critical of the 27-member bloc. When ministers attempted to campaign in EU countries, there was a clampdown on rallies and Erdogan responded by calling leaders ‘fascists’ and ‘Nazis’.
Also in Istanbul, the ‘No’ campaign formed a symbolic human chain on the European side of the Bosphorous strait which divides Asia and Europe.
They fear the constitutional changes would see Turkey lurch towards authoritarianism. The new system could allow Erdogan to run for two more terms, potentially stretching his rule to 2029.
“I have two children. I’m here for my children and for a Turkey where the values I was born with remain, where my children can continue to think freely and where journalists and teachers are not put behind bars,” said one ‘No’ supporter.
The vote comes at a time of turmoil, with the country reeling from a series of bombings by ISIL and Kurdish militants, a failed coup and subsequent purge as well as a deep economic slowdown, something which the president says requires a stronger leadership to bring under control.
Turkey-EU ties: a bargaining chip on eve of referendum | Euronews
Erdogan said he would review Ankara’s relationship with Brussels, as he seeks to shore up support for the constitutional changes needed to transfer more power away from parliament to the president.
Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up his anti-EU rhetoric on the eve of a referendum which would hand him sweeping powers.
Erdogan said he would review Ankara’s relationship with Brussels, as he seeks to shore up support for the constitutional changes needed to transfer more power away from parliament to the president.
“The EU has lost all credibility. We don’t defend democracy, human rights and freedoms because they want us to, we do that because our citizens deserve it. As we get closer to democracy, they are moving away from it,” Erdogan told supporters at a rally in Istanbul.
He continued saying that the EU feared the new system because Turkey would be ‘even stronger’. In his speech he said that the EU had left Turkey waiting 54 years for membership, and that the vote on Sunday would be a turning point.
Over the course of the campaign Erdogan’s speeches have shown a clear shift in ties with Brussels, becoming far more critical of the 27-member bloc. When ministers attempted to campaign in EU countries, there was a clampdown on rallies and Erdogan responded by calling leaders ‘fascists’ and ‘Nazis’.
Also in Istanbul, the ‘No’ campaign formed a symbolic human chain on the European side of the Bosphorous strait which divides Asia and Europe.
They fear the constitutional changes would see Turkey lurch towards authoritarianism. The new system could allow Erdogan to run for two more terms, potentially stretching his rule to 2029.
“I have two children. I’m here for my children and for a Turkey where the values I was born with remain, where my children can continue to think freely and where journalists and teachers are not put behind bars,” said one ‘No’ supporter.
The vote comes at a time of turmoil, with the country reeling from a series of bombings by ISIL and Kurdish militants, a failed coup and subsequent purge as well as a deep economic slowdown, something which the president says requires a stronger leadership to bring under control.
Turkey-EU ties: a bargaining chip on eve of referendum | Euronews
4/12/17
Turkish Referendum - "Erdogan's Turkey" - by Mark Lowen
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| Referendum: "could he become a democratically elected dictator? |
It was the early hours of 16 July 2016.
Around two-dozen Turkish commandos dropped into the grounds of the luxury Club Turban hotel in the coastal resort of Marmaris, armed with automatic rifles and grenades.
Commandos had been sent to capture the president. It should have been the climax of their coup d'etat. Opening fire and hurling grenades, they stormed the hotel, killing two bodyguards.
But they were too late.
Acting on a tip-off, Erdogan had been whisked away from the resort by helicopter. Once at Dalaman Airport, he took a private jet to Istanbul, with his pilot masking its identity so it appeared on radars as a normal civilian passenger plane.
After 03:00, the president emerged outside Istanbul's Ataturk Airport to the roars of his supporters.
The coup attempt had failed - and Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to emerge stronger than ever.
Erdogan went from almost losing control of his country to becoming "untouchable".
But for Turkey's most powerful leader since its founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it wasn't enough. After 11 years as prime minister, Erdogan had been elected president in 2014.
The post was traditionally largely ceremonial but Erdogan had other ideas.
The dominant figure in Turkish politics had long dreamed of enshrining his authority through constitutional change, turning Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential republic, scrapping the post of prime minister and consolidating his hold on the country.
This previously stable corner of the region has become consumed by terror attacks - while once-rapid economic growth has stalled.
Dozens of journalists are in jail. Three million, mostly Syrian, refugees have poured into the country.
Tens of thousands of people have been arrested or dismissed following the failed coup. The country's hope of EU membership is evaporating. And Turkey is arguably more politically polarized than ever.
But at the same time, Turkey has also gone from a financial basket-case at the turn of the century into one of the world's top 20 economies.
The middle-class has hugely expanded. Millions of impoverished Turks have been economically emboldened under Erdogan's leadership.
And now, the country will vote on its future in a referendum which: proposes:
*Prime minster role scrapped, new vice president role created
*President becomes head of government as well as state, and can retain political party ties
*President given sweeping powers, with ability to enact laws by decree and dismiss parliament
*Parliament no longer able to scrutinize ministers
*Parliament given limited powers to investigate or impeach president
Basically, if this referendum passes on the terms as listed above, it will turn Turkey into a democratically legalized dictatorship.
EU-Digest
3/10/17
Turkey: Erdogan: Sultan of an Illusionary Ottoman Empire - by Alon Ben-Meir
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| Recep Tayip Erdogan: Ottoman Empire reincarnated ? |
The vision was that by 2023 — the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic — Turkey will become as powerful and influential as the Ottoman Empire was during its heyday.
Under the best of circumstances, Turkey cannot realize Erdogan’s far-fetched dream.
Had he stayed the course, however, with the socio-political and judiciary reforms and economic developments that he put in motion during his first nine years in power, Turkey could have become a major player on the global stage and a regional powerhouse.
Sadly, Erdogan abandoned much of the impressive democratic reforms he championed. Instead, he embarked upon a systematic Islamization of the country while dismantling the pillars of democracy.
In the process, Erdogan amassed unprecedented powers and transformed Turkey from a democratic to an autocratic country. He has ensured that he has the last word on all matters of state.
Read more: Erdogan: Sultan of an Illusionary Ottoman Empire - The Globalist
3/9/17
EU: Will Turkey be added to European list of undemocratic countries?
In a further blow to Turkey’s spotty global image, the Monitoring Committee
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called
March 8 for Turkey to come under its formal scrutiny,
a status reserved for members that are deemed to be backsliding on
democracy. Nine countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and
Russia are currently on that hook.
In a report statement the Strasbourg-based body, of which Turkey is a founding member, said, “Eight months after the [July 15] failed coup and the declaration of a state of emergency, the Monitoring Committee is concerned to note that there has been a serious deterioration of the functioning of democratic institutions in the country.”
PACE cited the tidal wave of purges that have engulfed the country, with a quarter of all judges and prosecutors, a tenth of the police force, 30% of diplomats and 5,000 academics sacked without legal recourse. It also expressed alarm over widespread detentions of journalists and the lifting of immunity of 154 members of parliament.
A Final decision on Turkey's status is set to be made in April.
Read more: Will Turkey be added to European list of undemocratic countries?
In a report statement the Strasbourg-based body, of which Turkey is a founding member, said, “Eight months after the [July 15] failed coup and the declaration of a state of emergency, the Monitoring Committee is concerned to note that there has been a serious deterioration of the functioning of democratic institutions in the country.”
PACE cited the tidal wave of purges that have engulfed the country, with a quarter of all judges and prosecutors, a tenth of the police force, 30% of diplomats and 5,000 academics sacked without legal recourse. It also expressed alarm over widespread detentions of journalists and the lifting of immunity of 154 members of parliament.
A Final decision on Turkey's status is set to be made in April.
Read more: Will Turkey be added to European list of undemocratic countries?
3/8/17
Turkey has stepped up spying in Germany, says Berlin
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| Erdogan Dictatorship Referendum |
Amid ongoing diplomatic unrest, German intelligence has reported an increase in Turkish spying in Germany. Turkey's Foreign Minister meanwhile has said Berlin "must decide whether Germany is a friend or not."
Read more: Symbolbild NSU Affäre Verfassungsschutz Jahrestag Terrorismus Rechtsradikale (picture-alliance/dpa)
While tensions between Berlin and Ankara have escalated ahead of next month's referendum on Turkey's presidency, the German government said on Wednesday that there has been a significant increase in Turkish spying in Germany.
Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, said divisions in Turkey leading up to the controversial April 16 referendum on boosting the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were mirrored in Germany.
"The BfV is observing a significant increase in intelligence efforts by Turkey in Germany," it said in a statement. No further details were provided.
Already strained relations between Germany and Turkey reached a new low this month in a row over canceled Turkish political rallies to drum up support for the impending referendum.
Some 1.4 million Turks living in Germany are eligible to cast their ballot in the vote.
Hoping to calm the storm on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel met with his Turkish counterpart Melvut Cavusoglu in Berlin. While both diplomats agreed on the importance of good relations, Cavusoglu said that Germany must now "decide whether Turkey is a friend or not."
In light of recent comments from both Cavusoglu and Erdogan, Gabriel also made it clear that in maintaining good relations "there are lines that should not be crossed."
"...And one of those is the comparison with Nazi Germany," Gabriel said.
Cavusoglu, meanwhile, said he would host Gabriel for a new round of talks in Turkey "as soon as possible."
In a bid to secure support ahead of next month's referendum, Erdogan himself is also due to hold a rally in Germany. Critics have warned, however that the proposed presidential system which seeks to expand Erdogan's powers as president would cement a one-man rule in the country.
Read more: Turkey has stepped up spying in Germany, says Berlin | News | DW.COM | 08.03.2017
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