We may become lost in the details if we examine one by one the MİT, Internet and Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) laws, which were included in omnibus laws and passed hastily in Parliament.
But if we look at the bigger picture, we can see that the government is preparing the infrastructure for a new legal process. This infrastructure is being constructed on a pot stand. If any of the four legs of this stand are missing, the system which they [the government] want to establish will not function. All this legislation suggests one thing: The government is establishing the legal basis for an operation against the community [Hizmet movement]. Even though the government has already removed from duty thousands of people, including police officers and members of the judiciary, it would have difficulties persuading “civil servants” to launch an operation against the community. The community is also aware of this. They [Hizmet members] said they believe ordinary civil servants would not take part in a legal process against the community. And as the government is also aware of this fact, it is now preparing the legal infrastructure to carry out a problem-free operation against the community.
The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) recently declared a piece of land on which a private high school had been being built to be a green space. The high school is a branch of Fatih Koleji, a private institution affiliated with the Hizmet movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Back to school in Turkey after post-coup teacher purge
As more than 18 million children began the new term after the summer break, Huseyin Ozev, president of the Istanbul teachers’ union, told AFP there were fears the academic year would begin with “chaos” because of huge staff shortages.
Wife of veteran who lost hand, eyes in bomb attack under custody over Gülen links
Özlem Konakçı, the wife of former bomb disposal expert Bilal Konakçı, was detained over her alleged links to the Gülen movement. Bilal was retired from his position at İzmir Police Department after he lost his right hand and both eyes while trying to dispose of a bomb in 2009.
EU, US Have Little Leverage as Turkish Democracy Backslides
“In the big picture, Erdogan knows that the EU needs Turkey and will come back begging for a new agreement on the migrants. That’s why he will play a game of brinksmanship,” said Soner Cagaptay, the director of the Turkish program at The Washington Institute.
Reactions snowball after PM likens Hizmet members to Hashishin
According to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy Özcan Yeniçeri “The Hashishin was a separatist organization that inflicted great damage on the Turkish nation. Their purpose was to divide the nation and disrupt peace. The Hizmet movement, on the other hand, is a civilian initiative that strives for Turkey not to be divided and for youths not to fall into the hands of the terrorist PKK. For us, the real Hashishin are the separatists. If the prime minister is looking for a Hashishin, he should look into the mirror,”
Turkish coup d’état: a failed test for the EU
Once the purges started, however, the game changed. The EU should oppose the purges as a symptom of an authoritarian turn and attempt of centralization of power by the ruling elite. By definition, a coup d’état is an illegal overthrow of the governing machine in place so to trigger a regime change. The response to a golpe by the ruling government should then be used as an opportunity to consolidate the power of the legitimately elected administration and give evidence of national unity.
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