Keyword: Turkey
Bank Asya fights back against Erdogan attack
The government’s 10-month attack on Bank Asya has seen its share price slump by 50%, with the stock periodically prevented from trading on the Borsa, Istanbul’s stock exchange. The turmoil surrounding the bank has seen the failure of an agreed deal with the Qatar Islamic Bank, and an unwanted government-led attempt by state-owned deposit bank Ziraat, which recently created an Islamic unit, to absorb the privately owned Bank Asya.
Government plans to unlawfully take over aid organization
The Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) efforts to undermine the largest aid organization in Turkey, Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There?) reached a new level with alleged preparations to dissolve the board of the organization and appoint a trustee instead, although no legal grounds exist for such a move.
Ex-FM Yakış defends Turkish schools as the torch bearer of Ottoman vision
Yaşar Yakış is a founder and former member of the ruling AK Party (Justice and Development Party) and served as Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002-2003. Speaking to Bugün Newspaper Yakış on developments pertaining to domestic and foreign policy Yakış emphasizes that the ruling AK Party has drifted off its founding principles.
Gov’t ban on charity Kimse Yok Mu hits orphans
Thousands of orphans and needy people around the world whose lives depend on the aid they receive from charities such as Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There?), the largest volunteer and global aid organization based in Turkey, are at risk of being affected by the Turkish government’s restrictions on the charitable association.
Gülen’s lawyer: a civilian structure demonized by fictitious slurs
Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer of Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen, rejected the Sabah daily’s headline story on Monday titled “Parallel Council,” saying pro-government outlets aim to distract attention from anti-government corruption assertions by making false claims about the Hizmet movement.
Zaman Media Group receives 5 awards from WAN-IFRA
The Zaman and Today’s Zaman dailies, as well as three Zaman supplements, have received perfection awards from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which were announced at the World Publishing Expo 2014 in Amsterdam. During the exposition, the results of the International Newspaper Color Quality Club (INCQC) — which is the only worldwide quality printing competition among newspapers, held biennially — were announced.
Government allegedly plots to blame Bingöl attacks on Hizmet movement
Twitter user @fuatavni has claimed the government has launched a plan to blame an attack in which two police officers were killed on Oct. 9 in Bingöl on the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Bank Asya answers smear campaign
Publicly traded Bank Asya roundly denied the ‘baseless rumors’ about its financial status via the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP). “There have been baseless smear and defamation campaign widely circulating in some press organizations and social media sites” read the statement. “Our bank will apply to the authorities to protect our legal rights in the face […]
CHP deputy calls Erdoğan’s order to bring down Hizmet ‘crime’
The CHP deputy pointed out it does not say the president can threaten or can give instructions to the MGK to bring down an organization.
According to this Monday’s Taraf daily, the ruling AK Party (Justice and Development Party) is planning to put forward a proposal to MGK to consider the Hizmet movement as illegal. Erdoğan hinted that the MGK would take action against “parallel structures.
AK Party founder: I don’t believe claims of parallel state
Yaşar Yakış, former foreign minister and a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), criticized the party on Monday, saying he does not believe in the existence of a “parallel state,” a term used by the AK Party to describe followers of the faith-based Hizmet movement, which the government alleges to have formed an illegitimate structure within the state.
Gülen denies attempting to axe peace process
The lawyer of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly denied claims made by the former chairman of the banned pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) who alleged in a television interview Monday evening that Fethullah Gülen defames, slanders, and obstructs people who support the peace process
‘Parallel’ lies won’t patch giant tear, Gülen tells government
Turkish Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gülen has decried recent claims by the government and the president that his followers are behind recent violent street protests in Turkey, indicating that the government is attempting to patch up a “giant tear” it has made with these claims in an effort he said is bound to fail.
Gülen: Associating Hizmet with violent Kobani protests great slander
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has said the attempts to depict the Hizmet movement as being linked to the recent violent protests across Turkey, triggered by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) siege of the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani, is a great slander, emphasizing that the movement has never been involved in any form of violence.
