Keyword: Europe
Turkey further from EU accession than in 2007, Swoboda says
Swoboda said “The main problem is that there are severe accusations from Erdoğan against the Gülen movement over infiltrating the judiciary and the police. He is using this argument to change a lot of personalities in the judiciary and police, trying to restrict the independence of the Constitutional Court and the HSYK. Therefore, we fear for the independence of justice,”
‘Ankara no longer producing laws compatible with EU norms’
When it comes to how Europe sees Erdoğan’s claims and the demonization of the Gülen movement, European Commission officials clearly told Turkish officials, including Çavuşoğlu, that the AKP’s demonization of the Gülen movement seems like an effort by the ruling party to cover up the corruption investigation, because there is no other way to explain why prosecutors and police who have been investigating a major corruption [scandal] were removed.
Kimse Yok Mu and Tuna Foundation lifting up Romanian orphans’ spirit
Kimse Yok Mu Foundation in cooperation with the local Tuna Foundation gave away donations of clothing and food to the children of an orphanage in the Romanian capital Bucharest. The two foundations joined together to reach out to a total of 270 orphans including those with mental disorders.
Students enchant German crowd with poems of praise
Students receiving an education in Turkish schools across Europe captivated thousands of Turkish immigrants in Germany with their recitations of naats — poems in praise of the Prophet Muhammad — during a ceremony held in Düsseldorf on Saturday evening to celebrate Holy Birth Week.
German government says Gülen movement not involved in any illegal acts
The German government, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, has said an extensive assessment of the organizations and foundations of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s movement in Germany failed to identify any evidence of illegal activity, daily Zaman reported.
German gov’t dismisses parliamentary question on Hizmet
Responding to the parliamentary question, the German government, which is led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that an extensive assessment of the faith-based movement’s organizations and foundations in Germany had failed to find any evidence of involvement in any wrongdoing or illegal activity.
Will a diplomat who is ashamed of Erdoğan praise Gül?
Some prominent figures who have little knowledge of the Hizmet movement, including Graham Watson of Britain, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff of Germany and Hélène Flautre of France, find Erdoğan’s hate discourse against the Hizmet movement unacceptable.
GYV discusses respect for sacred values at UN panel
The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) held a panel on Saturday on “Respect for Sacred Values” at the United Nations’ Geneva headquarters. Many academics and diplomats showed great interest in the panel, which was held as the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) conducted its annual meetings in Geneva.
Erdoğan ‘does not grasp’ separation of powers, MEP says
Andrew Duff, a Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament, also accused the prime minister, whom he said was “clearly elected democratically,” of not ruling democratically. Duff said the aggravated language that exposes serious rifts between the AK Party and the Gülen movement risks destabilizing Turkey.
Why couldn’t Bozdağ talk about the parallel structure?
Several parliamentarians attended the meeting with the Turkish minister in order to learn more about Erdoğan’s panacea “parallel state” theory and they insistently questioned Bozdağ about the Hizmet movement. Although he has etched his name in history as the minister who undermined the HSYK and halted the graft investigations at the speed of light, Bozdağ could only say a few sentences about the “treason, Hashashin-like activities, espionage, collaboration with external forces” of this parallel structure. Yet Europeans were eager to hear some explanation from an official.
EP kills parallel state lies
Nobody believes that the mass culling and reassignment of up to 10,000 public officials (most from the police department and the judiciary and many of whom are mid-level and senior personnel) so far by embattled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has anything to do with what the government purports is a fight against a “parallel structure,” a veiled reference to members of the Hizmet movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
