News
Criminal complaint filed against media organizations publishing Gülen’s speeches
An organization called the Law and Democracy Foundation which was established by lawyer Mehmet Ali Canlı, a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) hopeful in the June 7 general election, on Wednesday filed a criminal complaint against media organizations that publish the speeches of Fethullah Gülen, a renowned Islamic scholar.
A Muslim Cleric That America Should Support
Usually, when Americans hear the term “Muslim cleric,” they cringe. Yet there’s an Islamic religious leader who calls for peace and inter-faith dialogue, whose supporters are being rounded up by an increasingly authoritarian leader. Backing the right leader could be the key in the war against ISIS.
AFSV Statement on Media and Business Crackdown
The Alliance for Shared Values denounces the politically-motivated raids on Koza Ipek holding group, publisher of opposition Bugun daily, as well as the arrest of two British journalists and their translator. These disgraceful actions by President Erdogan and his oligarchy are aimed at silencing independent media in preparation for upcoming November elections, and at deflecting criticism resulting from massive government corruption, nepotism and failure to accept election defeat.
Police, inspectors raid Gülen-inspired schools in Manisa for 3rd time
Police officers and inspectors from 15 government agencies have raided Gülen-inspired private schools in the western province of Manisa for the third time, as part of a government-orchestrated operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement.
Parents seek TL 40,000 in damages for violation of students’ educational rights
Parents İsmail and Seval Topçuoğlu are seeking TL 40,000 in damages from the Education Ministry for violating students’ educational rights by adopting a new regulation about dershanes (prep schools), claiming it aims to bypass a top court’s ruling to annul a controversial law to close down the schools.
Gov’t inspects Gülen-inspired schools while ignoring run-down state schools
The poor condition of state schools in Turkey was exposed by Today’s Zaman reporters on Monday, who found that despite the government expending considerable resources investigating and raiding private educational institutions sympathetic to the Gülen movement, many state schools fail to meet even basic health and safety standards.
Police and inspectors raid Gülen-inspired kindergarten in Manisa
Police and inspectors from several government departments have carried out further raids on Gülen-inspired schools, including a kindergarten in Manisa, as part of a government-led operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement, influenced by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Police raid schools in Diyarbakır where locals go on strike in protest of recent gov’t practices
Police officers and inspectors carried out raids on a number of schools inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement as part of a government-led operation against the movement in southeastern province of Diyarbakır, where people have gone on strike in protest of the government’s recent practices in the province.
On front lines of fight for press freedom in Turkey
“I’m happy to be a journalist despite all the stress and pressure we’ve been under from the government,” Akarcesme said last Tuesday during a visit to the newspaper’s offices by group of Capital Region journalists and academics led by the Turkish Cultural Center of Albany.
Ongoing political raids against schools and businesses are unconstitutional
Inspectors from the tax, finance, fire, social security, environment and urbanization, food, agriculture and husbandry bureaus were brought to the school with Smuggling and Organized Crime Police while the students were in session. Such raids have occurred repeatedly across the educational institutions’ branches, along with other schools, on an almost daily basis.
Samanyolu schools to sue 3 government officials over unlawful search warrant
Samanyolu Educational Institutions are preparing to file a criminal complaint against three government officials on charges of misconduct related to an unlawful warrant to inspect all private schools in Ankara through the end of the 2015-2016 academic year, Today’s Zaman has learned.
