Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated he had ordered the closure of Turkish schools in 160 countries, arguing that the officials of those schools had sent letters to the leaders of foreign countries in which they complained about the Turkish government. The closure of these schools is a serious step, but the reason for the closure is not based on real evidence.
Who wrote those letters? Who were those letters sent to? What was written in those letters? If those letters were written by Ahmet or Mehmet, is it right to punish Ayşe, Fatma, Hasan and Hüseyin? Do they [the government] have the right to punish all of Turkey and silence the national anthem being sung in 160 countries? Tell me, gentlemen, who gave you this right? Why hasn’t the prime minister, who said he was threatened over the closure of prep schools, made public the names of those who threatened him? What happened to [Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy] Mehmet Ali Şahin’s “imam of the Supreme Court of Appeals”? Have members of the parallel structure who placed bugging devices in the prime minister’s office been found?
The Gulen schools are signposts to a silent transformation in Turkey
ATUL ANEJA, May 5, 2012 In the enclosed greens of a football ground at Istanbul’s Fatih University, a heated contest is underway. Young men from Kyrgyzstan, dressed in red, are feverishly locking horns with a team from Azerbaijan, attired in blue and white clothing. The atmosphere around the ground is electric — the result of […]
Experts speak on role of digital media in society in İstanbul
The Medialog Platform brought together academics and communication experts from different parts of the region surrounding Turkey in İstanbul on Friday for their second International Communication Conference, to discuss the impact of social media on politics and social movements.
Heightened anxieties in Kosovo after arrest of ‘Gulenist educator’
A civil servant: “Tens of thousands of people, educated people, academics, journalists, lawyers, and many others, are scattered around the world for different reasons and are trying to find a safe place where they can be sheltered and continue their lives with their families. The Ugur Toksoy case was the point when Kosovo’s level of safety, or its breaking point, was put to test.”
Wife of ‘Gülen school manager’ detained in Tbilisi asks for protection
The family of Mustafa Emre Çabuk, a manager at the Private Demirel College who was detained in Tbilisi on Turkey’s request, is asking for protection from Georgia’s State Security Service, after receiving several threats on social media with Turkish names.
Why is the Gulen movement’s statement on press freedom significant?
BÜLENT KENEŞ As Turkey slows down its democratization and liberalization reforms, and occasionally backpedals on certain reforms, it runs into more serious problems. In particular, the slowdown in the democratization reforms Turkey is supposed to implement within the context of its European Union membership bid results in the deterioration of existing rights and freedoms. The […]
Municipality shuts down three reading halls in Adıyaman
Adıyaman Municipality has reportedly closed down three reading halls established to help educate the children of needy and poor families, using scores of police vehicles.
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