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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...
(Score: 4, Informative) by bradley13 on Tuesday November 01 2016, @06:20PM
Turkey was kept secular, despite being a muslim country, by their military. This time, the military waited too long to intervene. Erdogan wants to be a dictator, likely of the Islamic sort. A free press and a free populace interfere with that plan.
Meanwhile, he's trying to blackmail the EU: he'll keep a couple million refugees from sneaking over to Greece, if only the EU invites Turkey to join. Fighting ISIS, but it's strange how often the military strikes go against the Kurds. Etc.
He's just an all around nice guy.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by BsAtHome on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:20PM
Turkey is considering the death penalty and if it is (re-)instated, then there is no way into the EU. That is effectively the death of EU acceptance and all talks about joining.
Turkey is a good example of power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Dissenting voices are to be squashed to remain in control. Erdogan has been very busy for a long time to achieve exactly that goal. And, you are right, the military, which used to enforce secularity, has been waiting too long, but I suspect that it too has been pacified (crippled) by the ruler(s) over the last many years.
What is most disconcerting is that (too) many (vocal) Turks are supporting the current regime and are embracing a dictatorship. This is going to haunt many countries for many years to come. Not only the EU, but all members of NATO (including USA) will be put in a very difficult situation.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by zugedneb on Tuesday November 01 2016, @09:11PM
they do not seem to get into the eu, and eu does not want them...
actually, people start not wanting eu, since it is a tax-based charity organization, not an economic, cultural and industrial revolution.
definitely not an industrial revolution. when the big companies pulled out of east europe to china, people saw that it was not the heroic eu that brought the jobs...
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Wednesday November 02 2016, @08:23AM
A non-Christian, non-indigenous-European nation has no business being in the European Union.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday November 02 2016, @02:52PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday November 01 2016, @09:41PM
Where's a President Trump when you need him to pull the U.S. out of NATO and go cold Turkey.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:29PM
In the Moroccan fish vendor case: The police confiscated the fish (which were fished out of season) and had them put into a dump truck. The fish vendor jumped into the dump truck to recover his fish, but was crushed to death.
In the Tunisian case: A fruit seller, who had been repeatedly harassed by police, borrowed money to buy fruit to sell in a market. The police demanded a bribe to let him sell, but he did not have the money to spare. The police then beat him, knocked over his cart of fruit, and confiscated his scales. The fruit seller then went to a government office to ask for his scales back and record a complaint, but was ignored. The fruit seller later returned to the government office and burned himself to death using gasoline.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:45PM
Its a lovely world we live in. The US is approaching this type of scenario pretty quickly, currently most of these shitty moves are performed by contractors and not the police themselves...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @08:03PM
There have been at least a couple self-immolation protests in the US. You could also argue that the 2016 shootings of police officers are relevant.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/man-who-set-himself-on-fire-on-mall-dies/2013/10/05/2fc2932e-2ddf-11e3-b139-029811dbb57f_story.html [washingtonpost.com]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_R._Moore_(minister) [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_shooting_of_Dallas_police_officers [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_shooting_of_Baton_Rouge_police_officers [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @09:27PM
Yes but self-immolation protests in the US are always ignored. Just some suicidal loser who didn't have what it takes to succeed in life. Call maintenance to mop up the mess. Those maintenance workers are lucky to have jobs, too, because even the discount stores sell mopping robots[*] these days. Maintenance workers better not even think about protesting, because they can see firsthand what happens to losers who get uppity.
[*] https://www.walmart.com/ip/iRobot-Braava-380t-Floor-Mopping-Robot/40291196 [walmart.com]
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday November 01 2016, @10:00PM
Perhaps there is something the Turks know I don't, but why in the name of hell would any country want to buy any F-35's? They are a flying boondoggle; designed to fulfill all combat roles but being good at none of them, except perhaps evading radar so the plane's own avionics can crash and burn, a few moments before the plane does the same.
Actually, I think I know why the Turks are buying them: It's spelled N A T O. Turkey is a member of that fractious military alliance after all.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Tuesday November 01 2016, @11:26PM
> Perhaps there is something the Turks know I don't, but why in the name of hell would any country want to buy any F-35's
Why should the arms industry profit only from Americans? why not get some NATO allies onboard too? Pecunia non olet.
"Nice country you have there. It would be a pity if NATO suddenly started to take issues with your system of government..."
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