Keyword: Turkey
Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Assault on Press Freedom in Turkey Senate Floor
Mr. President, I have spoken many times on the Senate floor in defense of press freedom because it is a fundamental cornerstone of a democratic society. Today I want to briefly draw the Senate’s attention to the situation in Turkey, one of the many countries in the world where this basic right is under threat by officials in the government who seek to silence their critics.
Compensation case filed against Erdoğan for targeting Gülen-inspired schools
Fetih Educational Operations (Fetih Eğitim İşletmeleri), which run schools affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement, has filed a compensation case against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for targeting these schools since the eruption of a major corruption scandal in December 2013.
University entrance exam results announced, top scorers from Gülen-affiliated schools
Turkey’s Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) on Thursday announced the results of the Transition to Higher Education Examination (YGS), revealing that students from Gülen-affiliated schools, which have been the target of a government-sponsored defamation campaign, are among the top scorers of the exam.
Whistleblower Fuat Avni: Gov’t to plant weapons in Hizmet buildings to declare it terrorist group
A government whistleblower who tweets under the pseudonym Fuat Avni has alleged that the government is planning to plant weapons and ammunition in houses and buildings used by followers of the Hizmet movement in order to declare the movement a terrorist organization ahead of the upcoming general election.
‘Selam: Bahara Yolculuk’: a true story on the big screen
ALİ KOCA / ISTANBUL The 2013 Turkish movie “selam” (Greeting) told the stories of volunteers who embraced humanity outside Turkey’s borders; it was a movie that was appreciated not for its cinematic qualities, but for the sake of the beloved memories of those pioneers who went to territories they knew very little about to open […]
US-based think tank says Gülen movement progressive in terms of pro-Kurdish reforms
A US-based think tank has released a report stating that the Gülen (Hizmet) movement, a grassroots civil society organization that has frequently accused government officials of obstructing the settlement negotiations between the government and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has a progressive attitude regarding pro-Kurdish reforms.
Kimse Yok Mu extends a hand to Syrian refugees in Turkey
Nearly 1.6 million Syrians have fled to Turkey, and they rely on support for their basic needs from the government and civilian volunteers, many of them motivated by their Muslim faith. Kimse Yok Mu is one Turkish nongovernmental aid organization that sponsors a refugee feeding program near the Turkish-Syrian border.
How to Fix Turkey’s Fall From International Favor
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent attack on the West for “hate speech” and misattributing terrorism during the Paris attacks is ironic. Erdogan is erroneously doing both already: labeling the Gulen movement a terrorist organization and using hate speech to characterize it. In fact, Erdogan is cracking down on religious groups more heavily than ever before.
Members of US Congress withstand intense pressure over press freedom letter
Members of the US Congress who submitted a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry last month on the dismal state of media freedom in Turkey are standing firm behind their signatures despite intense pressure from the Turkish government and the pro-government media.
Peace and prosperity for Turkey lies in philosophy of Nursi says Altan Tan
On one hand he is a devout Muslim, and former member of the conservative Welfare Party (Refah Partisi), which was thrown out of the government in 1997 after a military memorandum, commonly known as the February 28 post-modern coup. Equally important for Tan is his identity as a Kurdish political figure, seeking political rights for his people and an end to conflict between armed rebels and the state.
Turkey shies away from legal measures to provide equal opportunity in education
The recent move to close down prep schools that serve to significantly boost equal opportunity in education may be seen as yet another failure to promote equality on the part of a government which has not yet ratified a UNESCO agreement to end discrimination in education.
