News
Abant Africa forum: Freedom of Speech and Respect to Sacred
Abant Platform and African Union Commission are jointly organizing an International Forum titled “Freedom of Speech and Respect to Sacred” on 8-9 March, 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sessions will be in the form of free discussions in the spirit of the Abant Platform. The program will be held at the Large Conference Hall of the African Union Commission Headquarters.
Opposition expresses concern for security of free and fair elections
Opposition parties have repeatedly warned members of the ruling party allegedly involved in graft that they would be held accountable for their corruption. That is the reason why a number of leading members of the AK Party, including Erdoğan, are taking the local elections as a life or death issue for themselves
African firms signal increased trade at TUSKON meeting
A total of 127 companies from 11 different countries in East Africa are participating in the Gaziantep summit, which started on Feb. 9 and will run until Feb. 12. The Turkish and African businesspeople held roughly 5,000 bilateral business meetings. TUSKON has intensified efforts to help more Turkish firms branch out into promising African markets over the past five years.
Erdoğan admits calling Habertürk executive to change reporting during Gezi protests
Erdoğan’s interference in a news channel’s reporting by instructing a top manager at the channel to immediately remove a news ticker, an act exposed by a voice recording, has been met with serious criticism from several political parties as well as society.
Former Pakistani PM expresses gratitude for Turkish schools
Underlining that Pakistan’s major problems result from a lack of adequate education, the former prime minister noted that the developed education system at Pakistan’s 23 Turkish schools could play a significant role in solving those problems in the country.
Turks in America condemn unlawful government action during the corruption probe
The statement read that the language of hatred, violations of the law, intervention in the political process and the defamation of different segments of Turkish society “not only harm the Turkish democracy and Turkey, but also the international image and prestige of the country.”
Professors in Gaziantep profiled alongside students
Those mainly profiled are reportedly followers of the Hizmet movement, a faith-based movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. The daily also claimed that other religious groups that voiced criticism or disapproval of the government’s activities were also profiled, mainly civil servants or those who planned or hoped to be employed in a state post.
Turkish editor hits out at media coercion under Erdoğan
Segments of the Turkish media remain fiercely anti-government, however, including secularist dailies Sözcü and Cumhuriyet, and more recently Zaman and Bugün, which are close to Gülen and have become more critical since the graft scandal erupted.
Helping hands to Kosova
Turkey extended a helping hand to Kosova, the ninth poorest country of the world, through Kimse Yok Mu Relief Foundation. Responding to cries of the orphans in the country, which gained independence in 2008, Kimse Yok Mu Relief Foundation distributed a variety of supplies ranging from sewing machines to goreceries, stationeries to toys. Aids have been distributed to those who became widows and orphans for the sake of their country’s independence. Among volunteers, there were Mujgan Koralturk, who plays Dilan character in the famous series ‘Tek Turkiye’, and Aslihan Erkisi, a famous vocal artist.
Azeri NGOs harshly criticize Zeynalov’s deportation from Turkey
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, founder of the youth group Positive Changes, said in an interview with Today’s Zaman that Zeynalov’s deportation from Turkey has the potential to damage the country’s international reputation. “For democratic countries, freedom of speech is the main pillar of free media. We cannot speak about stable democracy in states where this pillar is not strong. The governments who are shaking this pillar might cast a serious shadow over all of the positive work they have been doing for a long time,” Hajiyev said.
PM Erdoğan: Internet bill protesters are defenders of immorality
Media outlets ran stories based on leaked voice recordings and the documents of a second probe, which has been stalled since Dec. 25, 2014, when the government started removing or reassigning thousands of police officers and police chiefs as well as the prosecutors carrying out the investigation. The press has since reported that the depths of corruption within the government is actually a lot bigger than initially assumed.
‘Everybody reads about Prophet Muhammad’
Anyone who wants to know and understand Prophet Muhammad from trustworthy sources can sign up for the project on the website www.herkesonuokuyor.com, and that the project offers examinations in three categories: middle school level, high school level and adult level. Middle school students will be tested from the book “Efendiler Efendisi Hz. Muhammed” by Rahime Kaya, while high school students will answer questions related to Reşit Haylamaz’s “Efendimiz” and adults will take an exam from “Sonsuz Nur” by M. Fethullah Gülen, Kuzu explained.
Turkey Deports Journalist for Criticizing Government on Twitter
The editor in chief of Today’s Zaman, Bulent Kenes, said that Mr. Zeynalov’s deportation was an attempt to intimidate the foreign news media after Mr. Erdogan’s government had moved to suppress critical reporting in the local media. “I consider his deportation as a lesson the government tries to teach at micro level,” Mr. Kenes said. “It is intimidation of everyone doing international journalism.”
