News
PM threatens business, media and civic groups amid corruption woes
In several veiled references to the Hizmet movement, inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen who has been critical of the government for trying to derail the corruption investigation, the prime minister claimed that the operation was orchestrated by “gangs” and a “parallel state.”
Three ministers resign as one urges PM to step down amid corruption probe
Environment and Urban Planning Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar, in a harsh statement, claimed that he had been pressured to submit his own resignation to save the prestige of the government, adding that the prime minister should also quit as most of the amendments on construction plans mentioned in the corruption investigation were made on Erdoğan’s orders.
PM defends Zarrab, suspected of leading bribery ring
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has praised Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab — who stands accused of being the ringleader of a shady money-laundering and gold-smuggling ring set up to dodge sanctions against Iran — for his contribution to the country’s economy.
US ambassador story concocted by gov’t team, claims daily
Reports appearing in pro-government newspapers accusing US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone of remarks regarding a major graft probe were manufactured by government teams, according to the Taraf daily on Wednesday.
On Saturday four pro-government dailies ran the same story claiming Ricciardone had told a group of European ambassadors that the US had asked Turkey to cut the Iranian financial link with Halkbank — a bank that is now accused of suspicious money transfers, as well as gold trading, with Iran.
False reports on Bank Asya breach laws
Earlier reports in the Turkish media had claimed that the government had mulled over a comprehensive investigation into Bank Asya following an ongoing corruption and bribery case. The papers cited the Hizmet movement — with which Bank Asya is affiliated — as the hand behind the police operations into persons close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The same reports implied a retaliatory attack on Bank Asya over alleged abuses within the bank.
Ayan: Halkbank operated like Iran’s Central Bank
“The extent of this operation is far beyond the reach of the cemaat [the Hizmet movement],” [“The extent of this operation is far beyond the reach of the cemaat [the Hizmet movement],” Famous Turkish investor Nasrullah Ayan said. He thinks, rather, that powerful international groups could have pulled the trigger or provided technical support to the probe. He pointed to the fact that the operation was launched after the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 nations in Geneva — which gave Iran partial relief from a harsh regime of
Gülen’s curse was misquoted, misinterpreted, GYV chief says
Mustafa Yeşil, chairman of the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (GYV) executive board, in response to criticisms targeting prominent Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, said the curse uttered by Gülen did not have a direct reference and was poorly comprehended and highly manipulated by some who repeated it.
Islamic scholar Gülen responds to Turkish PM’s ‘lair’ remark in heated row over graft probe
Islamist scholar Fethullah Gülen has countered the Turkish prime minister’s remarks vowing to clamp down on “the ones in lairs,” escalating the heat of the war of words between parties amid the ongoing corruption probe.
Thousands in anti-corruption protests; Erdoğan defiant
Thousands took to the streets of İstanbul on Sunday to protest against the government over a corruption scandal that has led to multiple arrests, including sons of two ministers and general manager of the state-run Halkbank.
Twenty-four people, including the sons of two ministers and the head of state-owned Halkbank, have been formally charged in connection with the corruption inquiry that Erdoğan has called a “dirty operation” to undermine his rule.
Turkish Airlines discriminates against critical newspapers on planes
THY significantly slashed its number of subscriptions to the aforementioned newspapers following an open disagreement between the government — which had made a decision to shut down prep schools — and the dailies, which held a critical editorial stance against the move. The numbers of these newspapers were lowered in THY’s private “Commercially Important Persons” lounge.
Sarıgül’s first election promise: to protect İstanbul’s historic skyline
When asked to address claims that he is supported by the Hizmet movement led by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, Sarıgül said he is at peace with all segments of society and that he would be grateful for the support of anyone who gives it.
Gov’t lifts confidentiality of MGK docs for publishing in partisan press
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government, which accused the Taraf daily of being a “traitor” for publishing secret state documents last month that include a covert plot against Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen and the profiling of citizens, has lifted the confidentiality of some National Security Council (MGK) documents to be released by its partisan media outlets.
Turkish Airlines stops distribution of Zaman and Today’s Zaman on its planes
Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) has put an embargo on dailies affiliated with the Fethullah Gülen Movement, which has been in at odds with the government over an ongoing corruption investigation. The airline, 74 percent of which is owned by the state, had already stopped delivering the English-language daily Today’s Zaman in airport terminals and on planes before slashing the distribution of its Turkish sibling, daily Zaman, by two-thirds.
