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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is moving to silence the remaining few independent media outlets in Turkey:
In the three and half months since a failed military coup, Turkey has sacked or suspended more than 110,000 people, launched a military incursion into Syria, and repeatedly threatened to do the same in Iraq. [...] In the latest purge, police on Monday detained the editor and senior staff of the Cumhuriyet newspaper - one of few outlets still critical of Erdogan - over its alleged support for the July putsch. A senior EU politician described it as crossing a red line against freedom of expression, while the U.S. State Department expressed deep concern.
Erdogan is riding a wave of patriotism as the ruling AK Party he founded seeks constitutional change to move Turkey to a fully presidential system which would give him greater executive powers. "What's happening domestically and in terms of Turkey's foreign policy are a political tactic to keep solid the alliance between the base of the AKP and the nationalists," said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and analyst at Carnegie Europe. "This alliance is keen on harsh policies on the Kurdish issue, looks to be in favor of reinstating the death penalty, and we can't really say they regard the preservation of freedom of speech and of the media very highly," he told Reuters.
There is no sign of any easing in Turkish policy at home or abroad, given the need to ensure nationalist support for the constitutional changes that Erdogan and the ruling party want to result from a referendum, which AKP officials have said could be held next spring. The nationalist MHP opposition party, many of its fervently patriotic members supportive of Erdogan's stance since the coup, has indicated it could back the AKP in parliament as it seeks support for the referendum on the presidential system.
Also at CNN, NPR, NYT, BBC, DW, RT, and The Guardian.
Turkey has just put in an order for more "too big to fail" F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, and is heavily involved in the fight against ISIS in Syria. The U.S. State Department recently issued a travel warning for Turkey and is evacuating the civilian families of Istanbul consulate employees, after a "credible" ISIS threat to kill Americans in the country. Update: U.S. issues travel advisory for India
Meanwhile, Moroccans are protesting the death of a fish vendor, reminiscent of the Tunisian uprisings and resultant "Arab Spring" in 2010.
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Tuesday November 01 2016, @05:53PM
I'm sure there's strategic reasons for it, but idk why we're allies with a regime like Turkey.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Tuesday November 01 2016, @06:54PM
It is spelled I n c i r l i k.
Nuff said.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:40PM
What's fascinating is the US is selling them F-35s while simultaneously helping their mortal enemies the Kurds possibly form their own country - you know the ones those turkey's tried to commit genocide against?
Not to mention the HUGE amount of free military aide the US has provided turkey until just recently. Very clever idea which I am sure will be paying dividends (as per usual) in the future.
Can I just make a general statement to the US government on behalf of the world: Go fuck yourself you stupid cunts.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:43PM
Thanks for specifying the gov, lots of us over here are pissed off about it as well.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @10:57PM
I know. I am not one of the idiots who does not realise this.
The US has what is known as a "Captured Democracy" which is a form of Regulatory Capture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture. [wikipedia.org]
In effect its various government options do not represent the wishes of the people despite there being voting. Although debatable, I personally include people being misinformed via propaganda (e.g. Fox News etc) about what is happening: so even though they "agree" they wouldn't if they had the facts.
People don't understand that being a "democracy" is not a binary situation....
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:57PM
Well, then man up and start fixing your own problems. Don't fucking turn your heads to the US every time a genocide breaks out. It wouldn't be so bad if you fuckers didn't have the hubris to criticize the US for not going in and stopping shit like Rwanda. And stop depending upon the US for your protection. The fact that you can be a whiny little bitch is due entirely to the fact that the US hasn't told you to go fuck yourself and fend for yourself. You think your taxes are high now, think about where they'd be if you had to pay for your own defense.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @08:08PM
fixing your own problems
Is the US really selflessly trying to fix the world's problems or is it acting in its own interests. If the US is going to pretend to be selfless, then it will have to endure criticisms when it ignores problems in the world.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday November 01 2016, @08:12PM
So you're saying, if you can't fix all of the world's problems at once, you shouldn't try to fix any of them? Nice.
It's called priorities.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @10:54PM
If you truly believe that is what is going on after everything that has come out via leaks, PR disasters and the entirety of the Bush presidency....you are a moron too far gone to be saved.
One of the cunts in other words...
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @10:47PM
We do. We don't ask you.
In fact when it comes to Iraq etc I distinctly remember the UN telling you to fuck off...then you veto'd all the resolutions.
But feel free to wave the flag like a moron.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday November 02 2016, @07:16AM
What's fascinating is the US is selling them F-35s
Facts right, interpretation wrong: Turkey is paying the US billions to keep its nose out of Turkish affairs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @08:54PM
I imagine it is because in the recent past (maybe a mere 10 years ago), they were a very progressive, secular, liberal middle-eastern country. (Funny how all of those terms are positive when applied to a country in the Middle-east...) They were relatively compatible with Western ideologies, even if they weren't 100% there.
The country has changed substantially under Erdogan, but strategic alliances don't shift on a dime. If you drop an ally after a couple of months, people will quickly learn you are not dependable and not value an alliance with you. Not to mention, things ebb and flow, and you don't want to make a mistake if the situation corrects itself after a few months/1 presidential term/etc.
Things change (usually)... it just takes time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @10:51PM
Rubbish.
Turkey has always been a violent regime.
In the past it supported US interests in the region (esp. post cold war) while it was waging its war for oil. Then it changed.
Nothing more complicated than that...