Federal prosecutors have decided to dismiss charges against 11 of 15 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s security team after they were charged in connection with a street brawl in May 2017 near the Turkish embassy in Washington.

A spokesman for the US&nbsp;Attorney&#39;s Office for the District Columbia confirmed that his office filed motions to dismiss charges against seven of the defendants on February 14, and against four others in November of last year.

Assault charges are still pending against four remaining members of Erdogan&#39;s security team: Ismail Dalkiran, Servet Erkan, Ahmet Karabay, and Mehmet Sarman.

Federal prosecutors have decided to dismiss charges against 11 of 15 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security team

Federal prosecutors have decided to dismiss charges against 11 of 15 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security team after they were charged in connection with a street brawl in May 2017 near the Turkish embassy in Washington. A spokesman for the US Attorney's Office for the District Columbia confirmed that his office filed motions to dismiss charges against seven of the defendants on February 14, and against four others in November of last year. Assault charges are still pending against four remaining members of Erdogan's security team: Ismail Dalkiran, Servet Erkan, Ahmet Karabay, and Mehmet Sarman.

US drops assault charges against 11 of Turkish president's security team

When making a social phone call, you don&#39;t expect to hear the voice of the head of state.

But mobile phone users in Turkey were surprised to hear a voice message by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when placing a call around midnight on the anniversary of the failed July 15 coup.

After dialling a number, instead of hearing a dialtone users heard a voice message from Erdogan congratulating them on the national holiday of &quot;democracy and unity&quot; that marks the coup&#39;s defeat.

Only after Erdogan&#39;s message did the dialtone begin.

&quot;As president, I send congratulations on the July 15 National Day of Democracy and Unity and wish the martyrs mercy and the heroes (of the defeat of the coup) health and wellbeing,&quot; said the message read by Erdogan.

The message could be heard on Turkey&#39;s largest network Turkcell, AFP correspondents said. The Hurriyet daily said it was also heard on the Vodafone network.

&quot;People who wanted to chat on the telephone got an Erdogan surprise...&quot; said Hurriyet.

Turkcell had already sent text messages to clients promising them a free extra gigabyte of data from July 15 in celebration of the coup&#39;s defeat.

Users had in the wake of the coup bid received text messages from Erdogan. But this is believed to be the first time a voice message has been employed.&nbsp;

&quot;Enough now... you even get it on the phone... how can there be such an insult, it&#39;s like a nightmare,&quot; opposition lawmaker Aykut Erdogdu wrote on Twitter.

Also just after midnight salah prayers from victims of the coup bid rang out from minarets of 90,000 mosques across Turkey, state media said.&nbsp;

Turkish mobile phone users heard a recorded message from Recep Tayyip Erdogan while placing a call on the midnight of July 15

When making a social phone call, you don't expect to hear the voice of the head of state. But mobile phone users in Turkey were surprised to hear a voice message by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when placing a call around midnight on the anniversary of the failed July 15 coup. After dialling a number, instead of hearing a dialtone users heard a voice message from Erdogan congratulating them on the national holiday of "democracy and unity" that marks the coup's defeat. Only after Erdogan's message did the dialtone begin. "As president, I send congratulations on the July 15 National Day of Democracy and Unity and wish the martyrs mercy and the heroes (of the defeat of the coup) health and wellbeing," said the message read by Erdogan. The message could be heard on Turkey's largest network Turkcell, AFP correspondents said. The Hurriyet daily said it was also heard on the Vodafone network. "People who wanted to chat on the telephone got an Erdogan surprise..." said Hurriyet. Turkcell had already sent text messages to clients promising them a free extra gigabyte of data from July 15 in celebration of the coup's defeat. Users had in the wake of the coup bid received text messages from Erdogan. But this is believed to be the first time a voice message has been employed. "Enough now... you even get it on the phone... how can there be such an insult, it's like a nightmare," opposition lawmaker Aykut Erdogdu wrote on Twitter. Also just after midnight salah prayers from victims of the coup bid rang out from minarets of 90,000 mosques across Turkey, state media said.

Erdogan's midnight voice message surprises Turkish mobile users

Organisers of the annual Gay Pride march in Istanbul insisted Saturday that it would go ahead in the city&#39;s Taksim Square despite a ban by the authorities over &quot;safety concerns&quot;.

Activists had called the parade for 5 pm (1400 GMT) on Sunday but the city governor&#39;s office said that Taksim was not an official rallying ground.

&quot;There will be no permission for a demonstration or a march on the said date considering the safety of tourists in the area... and public order,&quot; it said in a statement.

City officials also said there had been no formal application to call a rally and that they only heard of the event through social media.

Lara Ozlen from the organising committee of the Gay Pride parade, said the governor&#39;s office statement was a &quot;lie&quot;.

&quot;They had known about our plan long before because we presented a petition weeks ago,&quot; Ozlen told AFP.&nbsp;

City authorities also urged citizens to ignore calls to participate in the parade and to abide by the security forces&#39; warning.&nbsp;

The annual Gay Pride event has been banned in Istanbul since 2015.

Last year, organisers were denied permission to march with the city on the edge over bombings blamed on Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, sparking anger from gay rights activists.&nbsp;

Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who defied the ban.&nbsp;

&#39;Right&#39;&nbsp;to march

Amnesty International in a statement expressed &quot;deep concerns&quot; over the ban on the parade.&nbsp;

&quot;That decision ignores LGBTs and their supporters&#39; right to peaceful assembly,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

&quot;Turkey should protect Gay Pride rather than banning it.&quot;&nbsp;

This year, the march coincides with the first day of the Islamic feast of Eid al-Fitr, and far-right groups have warned on social media against the parade.

&quot;It is obvious that a peaceful march is part of our constitutional right,&quot; Ozlen said.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s been known for years. Instead of protecting us, to say &#39;do not march&#39; just because some will be disturbed is undemocratic.&quot;

Turkey imposed a state of emergency in the wake of last year&#39;s failed coup to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with critics saying their freedoms are not safeguarded.

Lawyer and LGBT activist Levent Piskin said calling a march was &quot;not a crime&quot; but added that the situation was gradually deteriorating for LGBT people in Turkey.

&quot;Lawlessness is at its height during the state of emergency,&quot; he told AFP.

Piskin claimed LGBT people had been subjected to attacks over the last two years from nationalist and conservative quarters.

Thousands took part in previous Istanbul pride marches, which were among the most significant LGBT events in the mainly-Muslim region.

The annual Gay Pride event has been banned in Istanbul since 2015

Organisers of the annual Gay Pride march in Istanbul insisted Saturday that it would go ahead in the city's Taksim Square despite a ban by the authorities over "safety concerns". Activists had called the parade for 5 pm (1400 GMT) on Sunday but the city governor's office said that Taksim was not an official rallying ground. "There will be no permission for a demonstration or a march on the said date considering the safety of tourists in the area... and public order," it said in a statement. City officials also said there had been no formal application to call a rally and that they only heard of the event through social media. Lara Ozlen from the organising committee of the Gay Pride parade, said the governor's office statement was a "lie". "They had known about our plan long before because we presented a petition weeks ago," Ozlen told AFP. City authorities also urged citizens to ignore calls to participate in the parade and to abide by the security forces' warning. The annual Gay Pride event has been banned in Istanbul since 2015. Last year, organisers were denied permission to march with the city on the edge over bombings blamed on Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, sparking anger from gay rights activists. Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who defied the ban. 'Right' to march Amnesty International in a statement expressed "deep concerns" over the ban on the parade. "That decision ignores LGBTs and their supporters' right to peaceful assembly," it said. "Turkey should protect Gay Pride rather than banning it." This year, the march coincides with the first day of the Islamic feast of Eid al-Fitr, and far-right groups have warned on social media against the parade. "It is obvious that a peaceful march is part of our constitutional right," Ozlen said. "It's been known for years. Instead of protecting us, to say 'do not march' just because some will be disturbed is undemocratic." Turkey imposed a state of emergency in the wake of last year's failed coup to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with critics saying their freedoms are not safeguarded. Lawyer and LGBT activist Levent Piskin said calling a march was "not a crime" but added that the situation was gradually deteriorating for LGBT people in Turkey. "Lawlessness is at its height during the state of emergency," he told AFP. Piskin claimed LGBT people had been subjected to attacks over the last two years from nationalist and conservative quarters. Thousands took part in previous Istanbul pride marches, which were among the most significant LGBT events in the mainly-Muslim region.

Istanbul's Gay Pride: Undeterred by ban, organisers to go ahead with march

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said Turkey could hold a referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid after Turks voted to approve expanding his powers in a plebiscite.

&quot;For 54 years, what did they make us do at the EU&#39;s door? Wait!&quot; Erdogan told supporters outside the presidential palace in Ankara, referring to Turkey&#39;s long-standing membership bid.

He hit back at threats by EU leaders to freeze accession talks, adding: &quot;We will sit down and talk, and we can hold a referendum for that (EU bid) too!&quot;

Erdogan added such a vote would be like that in the UK where last year, Britons voted to leave the bloc in a similarly close result.

He repeated the refrain he used often in speeches during the referendum campaign that it did not matter what the EU thought.

&quot;What George, Hans or Helga say does not interest us,&quot; he said, using typical European names. &quot;What counts for us is what Ayse, Murat, Mehmet, Hatice says. What Allah (God) says!&quot; he added, using Islamic-rooted Turkish names.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said earlier Monday that Brussels should end talks after the results of Sunday&#39;s referendum in which &#39;Yes&#39; won by 51.41 per cent.&nbsp;

&quot;With what happened yesterday, (Turkey&#39;s) membership prospects are buried, in practical terms,&quot; Kern said.

Erdogan repeated in his speech that he would approve the death penalty if a bill was submitted to him, adding there could be a referendum on capital punishment as well if necessary.

The EU has been quick to warn Turkey any return of the death penalty would mean the immediate end of its membership bid.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc.

(AFP)

Erdogan added such a vote would be like that in the UK where last year, Britons voted to leave the bloc in a similarly close result

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said Turkey could hold a referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid after Turks voted to approve expanding his powers in a plebiscite. "For 54 years, what did they make us do at the EU's door? Wait!" Erdogan told supporters outside the presidential palace in Ankara, referring to Turkey's long-standing membership bid. He hit back at threats by EU leaders to freeze accession talks, adding: "We will sit down and talk, and we can hold a referendum for that (EU bid) too!" Erdogan added such a vote would be like that in the UK where last year, Britons voted to leave the bloc in a similarly close result. He repeated the refrain he used often in speeches during the referendum campaign that it did not matter what the EU thought. "What George, Hans or Helga say does not interest us," he said, using typical European names. "What counts for us is what Ayse, Murat, Mehmet, Hatice says. What Allah (God) says!" he added, using Islamic-rooted Turkish names. Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said earlier Monday that Brussels should end talks after the results of Sunday's referendum in which 'Yes' won by 51.41 per cent. "With what happened yesterday, (Turkey's) membership prospects are buried, in practical terms," Kern said. Erdogan repeated in his speech that he would approve the death penalty if a bill was submitted to him, adding there could be a referendum on capital punishment as well if necessary. The EU has been quick to warn Turkey any return of the death penalty would mean the immediate end of its membership bid. Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc. (AFP)

Turkey: President Erdogan hints at holding referendum on EU membership bid

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a historic referendum on Sunday that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided and the opposition crying foul.

The sweeping constitutional changes approved in the vote create a presidential system that will grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkey&#39;s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu.

The result could also have even wider implications for Turkey which joined NATO in 1952 and for the last half-century has set its sights on joining the European Union.

The &#39;Yes&#39; campaign won 51.4 percent of the vote against 48.6 percent for &#39;No&#39;, the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99.5 percent of the ballot boxes. Turnout was a high 85 percent.

As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a &quot;historic decision&quot;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a &#39;historic decision&#39;. He added, &#39;With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a 'historic decision'. He added, 'With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history'" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history,&quot; he added.

But opposition supporters in anti-Erdogan districts of Istanbul showed their dissatisfaction by bashing pots and pans with kitchen utensils to create a noisy protest. Hundreds also took to the streets in the areas of Besiktas and Kadikoy. &nbsp;

Supreme Election Board chief Sadi Guven confirmed that the &#39;Yes&#39; camp had emerged victorious, but the opposition has vowed to challenge the outcome.

&#39;New page opened&#39; 
The referendum was held under a state of emergency that has seen 47,000 people arrested in an unprecedented crackdown after a failed military putsch against Erdogan in July last year.

In a nail-biting end to a frenetic campaign, the &#39;No&#39; share of the vote climbed as more ballots were counted, after lagging well behind in the early count, but failed to overtake the &#39;Yes&#39; votes.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a decision made by the people. In our democracy&#39;s history, a new page has opened,&quot; said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, whose job will disappear under the constitutional changes.

In a television interview on Friday Erdogan had predicted a far clearer victory saying polls showed a 55-60 percent share of the vote.

But voting patterns showed Turkey deeply divided over the changes, with the &#39;No&#39; vote victorious in the country&#39;s three biggest cities.

The &#39;Yes&#39; vote held up strongly in Erdogan&#39;s Anatolian heartland but the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions and Kurdish-dominated southeast backed the &#39;No&#39; camp.

In a major disappointment for the president, the &#39;No&#39; vote was just ahead in his hometown of Istanbul and in the capital Ankara and clearly ahead in the third city of Izmir.

A statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said that in view of the closeness of the result, the Turkish authorities need to seek the &quot;broadest possible national consensus&quot; for the changes.

Erdogan made relations with the EU a key issue in his referendum campaign, lambasting Brussels for failing to make progress on Ankara&#39;s stalled accession talks and he accused Germany and the Netherlands of acting like the Nazis when they barred pro-government rallies.

&#39;Totally invalid&#39; 
Turkey&#39;s two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results over alleged &nbsp;violations.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples&#39; Democratic Party (HDP) said it would challenge two-thirds of the votes, saying: &quot;There is an indication of a 3-4 percentage point manipulation of the vote.&quot;

Republican People&#39;s Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the actions of the election authorities &quot;caused the referendum&#39;s legitimacy to be questioned&quot; insisting that the &#39;No&#39; side had won at least 50 percent of votes cast.&nbsp;

&quot;Believe me, this election is not over,&quot; deputy CHP leader Erdal Aksunger told CNN Turk, quoted by the Dogan news agency. &quot;This is totally invalid. We are declaring this here.&quot;

The opposition had already complained that the referendum was conducted on unfair terms, with &#39;Yes&#39; posters ubiquitous on the streets and opposition voices squeezed from the media.

Closely watched on Monday will be the initial assessment of the international observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

&#39;Robust and muscular&#39; 
Erdogan again warned Brussels he would sign any bill agreed by parliament to reinstate capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey&#39;s EU bid.

If the opposition failed to support the bill, Erdogan said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.

Western reactions to the referendum will be crucial after Erdogan accused Turkey&#39;s allies of failing to show sufficient solidarity in the wake of the failed coup.

&quot;We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation,&quot; Erdogan said.

The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

It is due to come into force after elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year terms.

&quot;I don&#39;t think he (Erdogan) will reverse course. I don&#39;t think Erdogan will change the robust and muscular approach to politics that he has adopted so far,&quot; said Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The changes approved in the vote give him more power than any leader since Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a historic referendum on Sunday that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided and the opposition crying foul. The sweeping constitutional changes approved in the vote create a presidential system that will grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu. The result could also have even wider implications for Turkey which joined NATO in 1952 and for the last half-century has set its sights on joining the European Union. The 'Yes' campaign won 51.4 percent of the vote against 48.6 percent for 'No', the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99.5 percent of the ballot boxes. Turnout was a high 85 percent. As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a "historic decision". As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a 'historic decision'. He added, 'With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history' × "With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history," he added. But opposition supporters in anti-Erdogan districts of Istanbul showed their dissatisfaction by bashing pots and pans with kitchen utensils to create a noisy protest. Hundreds also took to the streets in the areas of Besiktas and Kadikoy. Supreme Election Board chief Sadi Guven confirmed that the 'Yes' camp had emerged victorious, but the opposition has vowed to challenge the outcome. 'New page opened' The referendum was held under a state of emergency that has seen 47,000 people arrested in an unprecedented crackdown after a failed military putsch against Erdogan in July last year. In a nail-biting end to a frenetic campaign, the 'No' share of the vote climbed as more ballots were counted, after lagging well behind in the early count, but failed to overtake the 'Yes' votes. "This is a decision made by the people. In our democracy's history, a new page has opened," said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, whose job will disappear under the constitutional changes. In a television interview on Friday Erdogan had predicted a far clearer victory saying polls showed a 55-60 percent share of the vote. But voting patterns showed Turkey deeply divided over the changes, with the 'No' vote victorious in the country's three biggest cities. The 'Yes' vote held up strongly in Erdogan's Anatolian heartland but the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions and Kurdish-dominated southeast backed the 'No' camp. In a major disappointment for the president, the 'No' vote was just ahead in his hometown of Istanbul and in the capital Ankara and clearly ahead in the third city of Izmir. A statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said that in view of the closeness of the result, the Turkish authorities need to seek the "broadest possible national consensus" for the changes. Erdogan made relations with the EU a key issue in his referendum campaign, lambasting Brussels for failing to make progress on Ankara's stalled accession talks and he accused Germany and the Netherlands of acting like the Nazis when they barred pro-government rallies. 'Totally invalid' Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results over alleged violations. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said it would challenge two-thirds of the votes, saying: "There is an indication of a 3-4 percentage point manipulation of the vote." Republican People's Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the actions of the election authorities "caused the referendum's legitimacy to be questioned" insisting that the 'No' side had won at least 50 percent of votes cast. "Believe me, this election is not over," deputy CHP leader Erdal Aksunger told CNN Turk, quoted by the Dogan news agency. "This is totally invalid. We are declaring this here." The opposition had already complained that the referendum was conducted on unfair terms, with 'Yes' posters ubiquitous on the streets and opposition voices squeezed from the media. Closely watched on Monday will be the initial assessment of the international observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). 'Robust and muscular' Erdogan again warned Brussels he would sign any bill agreed by parliament to reinstate capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey's EU bid. If the opposition failed to support the bill, Erdogan said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty. Western reactions to the referendum will be crucial after Erdogan accused Turkey's allies of failing to show sufficient solidarity in the wake of the failed coup. "We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation," Erdogan said. The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers. It is due to come into force after elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year terms. "I don't think he (Erdogan) will reverse course. I don't think Erdogan will change the robust and muscular approach to politics that he has adopted so far," said Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank. (AFP)

Erdogan wins Turkey referendum, opposition cries foul

In a historic vote Sunday, the people of Turkey sided with the President to usher in changes that will dramatically transform the country&#39;s political system and give president more powers.

In a closely watched referendum, the &#39;Yes&#39;&nbsp;campaign was ahead with 51.34 per cent while the &#39;No&#39; vote stood at 48.66 per cent at last count, state media said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed Turkey for making a &quot;historic decision&quot; as he claimed victory in the referendum.

&quot;Today... Turkey has taken a historic decision,&quot; Erdogan told reporters at his official Istanbul residence, the Huber Palace. &quot;With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history,&quot; he added.

Turkey&#39;s Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, also&nbsp;declared&nbsp;victory in the historic referendum on expanding Erdogan&#39;s powers.

The opposition has questioned the legitimacy of the vote.

Erdogan also said he could hold a referendum on reinstating the death penalty, after claiming victory in the vote on a new constitution that gives him greater powers, AFP reported.

&quot;If it (a parliament bill) comes in front of me, I will approve it. But if there isn&#39;t support (from the opposition in parliament)... then what shall we do? Then we could have another referendum for that,&quot; Erdogan said in &nbsp;a televised speech in Istanbul, referring to capital punishment, as supporters chanted for its reintroduction.

For the change to be implemented, the &#39;Yes&#39;&nbsp;vote needed 50 per cent plus one vote.

The &#39;Yes&#39; vote significantly enhances the powers of the president.&nbsp;

The voting happened under a state of emergency which has seen dramatic crackdown on dissenters after a failed putsch last year against Erdogan.

More than 55.3 million Turks were eligible to cast ballots on sweeping changes to the president&#39;s role. The change would grant Erdogan more powers than any leader since modern Turkey&#39;s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu.

The Constitutional reforms will strengthen the office of the president. He will be able to appoint top public officials including ministers directly.

The office of the prime minister, currently held by Binali Yildirim, a stauch Erdogan loyalist, will be scrapped.

The presidnet will be able to appoint one or more vice-presidents.

The judiciary will also see changes. Erdogan has accused the judiciary of being influenced by supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Islamic preacher who is blamed for last year&#39;s failed putsch.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

The 'Yes' campaign won 51.3% of the vote as the counting process has nearly ended, state media reported

In a historic vote Sunday, the people of Turkey sided with the President to usher in changes that will dramatically transform the country's political system and give president more powers. In a closely watched referendum, the 'Yes' campaign was ahead with 51.34 per cent while the 'No' vote stood at 48.66 per cent at last count, state media said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed Turkey for making a "historic decision" as he claimed victory in the referendum. "Today... Turkey has taken a historic decision," Erdogan told reporters at his official Istanbul residence, the Huber Palace. "With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history," he added. Turkey's Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, also declared victory in the historic referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers. The opposition has questioned the legitimacy of the vote. Erdogan also said he could hold a referendum on reinstating the death penalty, after claiming victory in the vote on a new constitution that gives him greater powers, AFP reported. "If it (a parliament bill) comes in front of me, I will approve it. But if there isn't support (from the opposition in parliament)... then what shall we do? Then we could have another referendum for that," Erdogan said in a televised speech in Istanbul, referring to capital punishment, as supporters chanted for its reintroduction. For the change to be implemented, the 'Yes' vote needed 50 per cent plus one vote. The 'Yes' vote significantly enhances the powers of the president. The voting happened under a state of emergency which has seen dramatic crackdown on dissenters after a failed putsch last year against Erdogan. More than 55.3 million Turks were eligible to cast ballots on sweeping changes to the president's role. The change would grant Erdogan more powers than any leader since modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu. The Constitutional reforms will strengthen the office of the president. He will be able to appoint top public officials including ministers directly. The office of the prime minister, currently held by Binali Yildirim, a stauch Erdogan loyalist, will be scrapped. The presidnet will be able to appoint one or more vice-presidents. The judiciary will also see changes. Erdogan has accused the judiciary of being influenced by supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Islamic preacher who is blamed for last year's failed putsch. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Turkey: President Erdogan claims victory in historic referendum to expand his powers

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Berlin of &quot;aiding and harbouring&quot; terror after German authorities banned rallies courting support from Turkish expatriates for a constitutional change to expand Erdogan&#39;s powers.

Ankara and Berlin were locked in acrimony and Erdogan also claimed a detained correspondent working for Germany&#39;s Die Welt newspaper was a &nbsp;spy, an accusation Germany said &quot;makes no sense.&quot;

&quot;They need to be put on trial for aiding and harbouring terror,&quot; Erdogan said, criticising German authorities who had allowed outlawed Kurdish leaders to speak but had blocked rallies where Turkish ministers sought to address the Turkish community.&nbsp;

The president also claimed that Die Welt correspondent Deniz Yucel, who was detained on Monday on terror-related charges, was a &quot;German agent&quot;.

Turks vote on April 16 on whether to create a presidential system -- a change that the government says will ensure political stability, but which critics say will drag Turkey into one-man rule.&nbsp;

In the runup to the referendum, controversy has flared over politicians&#39; trips to Germany, where they have been seeking &quot;Yes&quot; votes from the millions of people of Turkish descent.

One such event was a rally by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the western city of Oberhausen.&nbsp;

On Thursday, local authorities blocked rallies by two more Turkish ministers, prompting a furious response from Ankara which promptly summoned the German envoy to protest.&nbsp;

An incensed Erdogan, who was prevented from adressing a rally in Cologne by video link after a failed coup in July last year, lashed out at Germany.&nbsp;

&quot;They allow Cemil Bayik to speak from (the) Kandil&quot; mountains in Iraq, he said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) leader.&nbsp;

Earlier, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused German officials of failing to &quot;honour democracy&quot; and of allowing &quot;terrorists&quot; to speak but denying the same right to Erdogan.

&quot;They don&#39;t want Turkey to campaign here, they are working for a &#39;No&#39;,&quot; he said. &quot;They want to get in the way of a strong Turkey.&quot;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Turkey&#39;s accusations, saying the decisions were &quot;taken by municipalities, and as a matter of principle, we apply freedom of expression in Germany&quot;.

Cavusoglu and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking by phone, agreed to meet next Wednesday, a senior Turkish official said.

Another rally cancelled&nbsp;

As the political fallout continued, a third German town -- Frechen on the outskirts of Cologne -- scrapped a rally that had been scheduled for Sunday, as the venue &quot;excludes political events,&quot; police said.

And the western town of Gaggenau, which had cancelled a rally scheduled for Thursday by Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, said it received a bomb threat early Friday.&nbsp;

&quot;The caller cited the cancellation of the event with the Turkish justice minister as a reason,&quot; local official Dieter Spannagel told AFP.&nbsp;

Cologne city authorities also withdrew permission for the UETD to use a hall on Sunday for a speech by Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci. But Zeybekci said he would still go ahead with the visit.&nbsp;

&quot;Even if they don&#39;t allow (it), I will go from house to house to meet with our citizens in Germany,&quot; he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

&#39;German agent&#39;

Tensions have erupted previously over German criticism of the crackdown in Turkey following last year&#39;s failed coup, which has seen more than 100,000 people arrested, dismissed or sacked for alleged links to the plotters or to Kurdish militants.

The Die Welt correspondent was charged on Monday by an Istanbul court with spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred.

&quot;That person had hidden at the German consulate for a month as a PKK representative, as a German agent,&quot; Erdogan said, adding that Germany had initially refused to hand him over for trial.

Speaking earlier in the day, Merkel said Berlin was right to criticise Ankara over press freedom.

&quot;I also think that it was right of us to criticise any restrictions on press freedom.&quot;

Germany is home to the biggest population of Turks outside Turkey with around three million in the country of Turkish origin, the legacy of a massive &quot;guest worker&quot; programme in the 1960s-70s.

(AFP)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after Berlin banned rallies seeking expansion of his presidential support

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Berlin of "aiding and harbouring" terror after German authorities banned rallies courting support from Turkish expatriates for a constitutional change to expand Erdogan's powers. Ankara and Berlin were locked in acrimony and Erdogan also claimed a detained correspondent working for Germany's Die Welt newspaper was a spy, an accusation Germany said "makes no sense." "They need to be put on trial for aiding and harbouring terror," Erdogan said, criticising German authorities who had allowed outlawed Kurdish leaders to speak but had blocked rallies where Turkish ministers sought to address the Turkish community. The president also claimed that Die Welt correspondent Deniz Yucel, who was detained on Monday on terror-related charges, was a "German agent". Turks vote on April 16 on whether to create a presidential system -- a change that the government says will ensure political stability, but which critics say will drag Turkey into one-man rule. In the runup to the referendum, controversy has flared over politicians' trips to Germany, where they have been seeking "Yes" votes from the millions of people of Turkish descent. One such event was a rally by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the western city of Oberhausen. On Thursday, local authorities blocked rallies by two more Turkish ministers, prompting a furious response from Ankara which promptly summoned the German envoy to protest. An incensed Erdogan, who was prevented from adressing a rally in Cologne by video link after a failed coup in July last year, lashed out at Germany. "They allow Cemil Bayik to speak from (the) Kandil" mountains in Iraq, he said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader. Earlier, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused German officials of failing to "honour democracy" and of allowing "terrorists" to speak but denying the same right to Erdogan. "They don't want Turkey to campaign here, they are working for a 'No'," he said. "They want to get in the way of a strong Turkey." German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Turkey's accusations, saying the decisions were "taken by municipalities, and as a matter of principle, we apply freedom of expression in Germany". Cavusoglu and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking by phone, agreed to meet next Wednesday, a senior Turkish official said. Another rally cancelled As the political fallout continued, a third German town -- Frechen on the outskirts of Cologne -- scrapped a rally that had been scheduled for Sunday, as the venue "excludes political events," police said. And the western town of Gaggenau, which had cancelled a rally scheduled for Thursday by Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, said it received a bomb threat early Friday. "The caller cited the cancellation of the event with the Turkish justice minister as a reason," local official Dieter Spannagel told AFP. Cologne city authorities also withdrew permission for the UETD to use a hall on Sunday for a speech by Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci. But Zeybekci said he would still go ahead with the visit. "Even if they don't allow (it), I will go from house to house to meet with our citizens in Germany," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency. 'German agent' Tensions have erupted previously over German criticism of the crackdown in Turkey following last year's failed coup, which has seen more than 100,000 people arrested, dismissed or sacked for alleged links to the plotters or to Kurdish militants. The Die Welt correspondent was charged on Monday by an Istanbul court with spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred. "That person had hidden at the German consulate for a month as a PKK representative, as a German agent," Erdogan said, adding that Germany had initially refused to hand him over for trial. Speaking earlier in the day, Merkel said Berlin was right to criticise Ankara over press freedom. "I also think that it was right of us to criticise any restrictions on press freedom." Germany is home to the biggest population of Turks outside Turkey with around three million in the country of Turkish origin, the legacy of a massive "guest worker" programme in the 1960s-70s. (AFP)

Turkey's Erdogan accuses Germany of 'aiding and harbouring' terror

Turkey has dismissed more than 4,400 civil servants including teachers, police officers and academics over their suspected links with terrorist organisations, a decree showed late on Tuesday, in the latest purge since a failed coup last July.

Ibrahim Kaboglu, a prominent constitution professor who has expressed opposition to planned constitutional changes giving President Tayyip Erdogan greater executive powers, was among those ousted under the decree published in the Official Gazette.

Court clerks, computer experts and librarians were also among 4,464 sacked, part of a crackdown since the July coup bid which Turkey says was carried out by US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen denies the allegation.

The dismissals drew criticism on social media, with main opposition CHP lawmaker Sezgin Tanrikulu saying on Twitter that Turkey&#39;s long-established universities were being destroyed.

Turkey has already removed or suspended more than 125,000 people and formally arrested 40,000 since the attempted coup during which rogue soldiers tried to overthrow the government and Erdogan, killing more than 240 people, most of them civilians.

The government says the action is justified by the nature of the threat to the state.

The crackdown has covered a wide range of professions from civil servants and soldiers to medics. Dismissals are announced in the Official Gazette with no reasons given beyond &quot;membership of&nbsp;or links to, terrorist organisations or groups deemed to be acting against national security interests&quot;.

Rights groups and some European countries have said Erdogan is using the current state of emergency to quash dissent. Ankara says the measures are necessary to root out supporters of the putsch and other terrorists.

Among the 330 academics dismissed were those who signed a petition last year criticising military action in the restive south-east against Kurdish militants. Erdogan had said the academics would pay a price for their &quot;treachery&quot;.

Hundreds of civilians, members of the security forces and militants have been killed since the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) reignited in July 2015 in the worst violence Turkey has seen for 20 years. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

(Reuters)

Turkey has already fired or suspended more than 125,000 people, and formally arrested 40,000, since a failed coup last July

Turkey has dismissed more than 4,400 civil servants including teachers, police officers and academics over their suspected links with terrorist organisations, a decree showed late on Tuesday, in the latest purge since a failed coup last July. Ibrahim Kaboglu, a prominent constitution professor who has expressed opposition to planned constitutional changes giving President Tayyip Erdogan greater executive powers, was among those ousted under the decree published in the Official Gazette. Court clerks, computer experts and librarians were also among 4,464 sacked, part of a crackdown since the July coup bid which Turkey says was carried out by US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen denies the allegation. The dismissals drew criticism on social media, with main opposition CHP lawmaker Sezgin Tanrikulu saying on Twitter that Turkey's long-established universities were being destroyed. Turkey has already removed or suspended more than 125,000 people and formally arrested 40,000 since the attempted coup during which rogue soldiers tried to overthrow the government and Erdogan, killing more than 240 people, most of them civilians. The government says the action is justified by the nature of the threat to the state. The crackdown has covered a wide range of professions from civil servants and soldiers to medics. Dismissals are announced in the Official Gazette with no reasons given beyond "membership of or links to, terrorist organisations or groups deemed to be acting against national security interests". Rights groups and some European countries have said Erdogan is using the current state of emergency to quash dissent. Ankara says the measures are necessary to root out supporters of the putsch and other terrorists. Among the 330 academics dismissed were those who signed a petition last year criticising military action in the restive south-east against Kurdish militants. Erdogan had said the academics would pay a price for their "treachery". Hundreds of civilians, members of the security forces and militants have been killed since the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) reignited in July 2015 in the worst violence Turkey has seen for 20 years. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. (Reuters)

Turkey purges  4,400 more civil servants, including teachers and police

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope that the dialogue between Turkey and the United States will gain momentum after Presdient-elect Donald Trump takes office, Reuters reported.

He hoped of reaching a consensus on regional issues after Trump takes over as the president.

&quot;I believe we will accelerate dialogue when Mr Trump takes office. I believe we will reach a consensus with Mr Trump, particularly on regional issues,&quot; Erdogan told Turkish ambassadors gathered in Ankara for an annual conference, Reuters reported.

Turkey is a key NATO ally crucial to the US-led campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. 
&nbsp; 
Relations between the US and the Turkey have been strained after a failed coup attempt last year sought to overthrow the Turkish president.&nbsp;

Erdogan blames the failed coup attempt on Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania in US.

Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen.

Another important issue that has created a rift between the two allies is US support for the YPG militia, a Syrian Kurdish group that is fighting the Islamic State.

Turkey sees the group as an extension of the PKK, which is behind a string of terror attacks in Turkey and seeks to achieve its goal of Kurdish autonomy.

Turkey&#39;s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey expects Washington to extradite Gulen and end its cooperation with the Syrian YPG militia, Reuters reported.

The US on its part has skirted the issue of extradition by passing the responsibilty of extradition to the courts.

Trump&#39;s policy on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia is unclear.&nbsp;

Trump, however, has clearly outlined that his priority is to fight the Islamic State and not to force Assad out of power, something that Turkey has long desired.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey hopes of reaching a consensus on regional issues after Trump takes over as the president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope that the dialogue between Turkey and the United States will gain momentum after Presdient-elect Donald Trump takes office, Reuters reported. He hoped of reaching a consensus on regional issues after Trump takes over as the president. "I believe we will accelerate dialogue when Mr Trump takes office. I believe we will reach a consensus with Mr Trump, particularly on regional issues," Erdogan told Turkish ambassadors gathered in Ankara for an annual conference, Reuters reported. Turkey is a key NATO ally crucial to the US-led campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Relations between the US and the Turkey have been strained after a failed coup attempt last year sought to overthrow the Turkish president. Erdogan blames the failed coup attempt on Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania in US. Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen. Another important issue that has created a rift between the two allies is US support for the YPG militia, a Syrian Kurdish group that is fighting the Islamic State. Turkey sees the group as an extension of the PKK, which is behind a string of terror attacks in Turkey and seeks to achieve its goal of Kurdish autonomy. Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey expects Washington to extradite Gulen and end its cooperation with the Syrian YPG militia, Reuters reported. The US on its part has skirted the issue of extradition by passing the responsibilty of extradition to the courts. Trump's policy on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia is unclear. Trump, however, has clearly outlined that his priority is to fight the Islamic State and not to force Assad out of power, something that Turkey has long desired. (With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey looks forward to improving ties with US during Trump presidency

Turkish police have arrested a man accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he said he &quot;would not serve that man a cup of tea&quot;.

The head of the&nbsp;canteen of the Turkish Opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, Senol Buran, was remanded in custody by the Istanbul criminal court following his detention on December 24.

The Turkish daily has been repeatedly targeted by the authorities for its anti-Erdogan line. Police arrested ten of the newspaper&#39;s writers and executives last month.

Buran was on his way to work when he found roads blocked as Erdogan was due to give a&nbsp;speech in the area.

An officer claims he overheard Buran say, &quot;I would not serve that man a cup of tea&quot;.&nbsp;The newspaper said he denies insulting the president, merely saying that he would not serve the tea, news agency AFP reported. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/26/cafeteria-manager-jailed-insulting-turkish-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan?CMP=share_btn_tw">The Guardian</a> reports that Buran claims he&nbsp;had a dispute with the same police officer two years ago.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
This man, Senol Buran, is a tea-maker at a Turkish opposition newspaper. He is spending this night in a prison in Istanbul. His crime? <a href="https://t.co/4ALQSlbjNp">pic.twitter.com/4ALQSlbjNp</a>
&mdash; Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) <a href="https://twitter.com/MahirZeynalov/status/813182675829854209">December 26, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Erdogan has been accused of&nbsp;curbing freedom of speech, especially after the failed July 15 military coup.

Thousands of cases probing alleged insults against the president were opened before the coup, then dropped after its defeat as a gesture of national solidarity, AFP reported.

Turkey is probing 10,000 people over suspected terror activities online or posting insulting comments on the social media, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

(With inputs from AFP)

Senol Buran is accused of angrily telling police officers, 'I would not serve that man a cup of tea'

Turkish police have arrested a man accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he said he "would not serve that man a cup of tea". The head of the canteen of the Turkish Opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, Senol Buran, was remanded in custody by the Istanbul criminal court following his detention on December 24. The Turkish daily has been repeatedly targeted by the authorities for its anti-Erdogan line. Police arrested ten of the newspaper's writers and executives last month. Buran was on his way to work when he found roads blocked as Erdogan was due to give a speech in the area. An officer claims he overheard Buran say, "I would not serve that man a cup of tea". The newspaper said he denies insulting the president, merely saying that he would not serve the tea, news agency AFP reported. The Guardian reports that Buran claims he had a dispute with the same police officer two years ago. This man, Senol Buran, is a tea-maker at a Turkish opposition newspaper. He is spending this night in a prison in Istanbul. His crime? pic.twitter.com/4ALQSlbjNp — Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) December 26, 2016 × Erdogan has been accused of curbing freedom of speech, especially after the failed July 15 military coup. Thousands of cases probing alleged insults against the president were opened before the coup, then dropped after its defeat as a gesture of national solidarity, AFP reported. Turkey is probing 10,000 people over suspected terror activities online or posting insulting comments on the social media, the interior ministry said on Saturday. (With inputs from AFP)

Turkish man arrested for 'insulting' Erdogan

When a school opened three years ago in Turkey&#39;s biggest Kurdish-majority city, it was a symbol of Ankara&#39;s changing -- and more liberal -- attitudes toward Kurdish-language education.

The school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir was one of five primary schools since 2013 that offered a fully Kurdish-language education.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Turkish officials feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Turkish officials feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

From 2014 onwards, it was also the first school in Turkey to give parents their children&#39;s report cards in the Kurdish language.

But that has now come to an end after it became the first Kurdish school to be closed down in October by the governor.

All five such schools in the southeast have now been shut.

Some 238 students aged between five and 11 have been left without a school place in the new academic year.

The move comes after a fragile ceasefire collapsed last year with Kurdish militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey and a crackdown since the July 15 failed coup on those suspected of links to rebels.

&#39;Unauthorised activities&#39;

Parents and teachers only discovered the school had been shut down when a seal was placed on the door by police saying it was closed due to violations of Turkish laws.

But the school&#39;s defenders say it was always acting outside of the law against offering a fully Kurdish language education but with the state&#39;s knowledge and tacit approval.

Kurdish language education had been forbidden under the Turkish constitution, which states: &quot;No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institution of education.&quot;

Some Turkish officials also feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines.

But in June 2012, then-prime minister now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kurdish could be taught in public schools as optional courses if there were sufficient number of students.&nbsp;

It was part of a number of government reforms under Erdogan to ease restrictions on the Kurdish language and Kurdish broadcasts under pressure from the European Union as part of Ankara&#39;s membership bid.

Sources in the governor&#39;s office told AFP that the school was closed because of &quot;unauthorised activities&quot;, while the latest report by the schools management board on it was critical.

The school was named after Ferzad Kemangar, an Iranian Kurdish primary school teacher executed by Tehran in 2010 on charges of membership in the outlawed Kurdish militant group PEJAK, which his supporters have always vehemently rejected.

Two days before closing on October 9, the inspectors visited the school and their report said the education provided was &quot;contrary to national education regulations and legislation&quot;.

Despite reforms, the status of such schools was never made officially legal.

&#39;Waiting for my school&#39;

Adil Ercan, a teacher at Ferzad, said inspectors did not have anything &quot;unfavourable or unsuitable&quot; to say about the school.

He added, they were told on October 7 the school would be closed and would have 15 days to challenge the decision.

But two days later, parents called teachers in the evening asking what had happened after the school was sealed with only a piece of cardboard with a red seal.

&quot;We arrived in the morning and it was sealed. They did not give us any reason. We will seek our legal rights,&quot; Ercan said.

Disappointed students and parents told AFP that they would wait at home until it opened again, including seven-year-old Sarya Alici.

&quot;I am waiting for my school. Whenever it opens, I will go. What will I do if it doesn&#39;t open? I will wait at home.&quot;

Cihan Koyun said her family would not send children to another school. &quot;We are waiting for our school to open. Whatever happens, our school must open.&quot;

Since the attempted putsch, pro-Kurdish media outlets have been shut down, mayors in majority Kurdish cities have been arrested and lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Peoples&#39; Democratic Party (HDP) have also been jailed under the state of emergency, imposed late July.&nbsp;

They are accused of acting as propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), a proscribed terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

The Kurdish militants are not linked to the attempted coup and critics say that the government is using the state of emergency to intimidate all its critics.

The government insists it is not attacking the Kurdish community, an estimated 20 percent of the population -- but dealing with PKK &quot;terrorists&quot; fighting against Turkey since 1984.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir offered a fully Kurdish-language education, not allowed under Turkish law

When a school opened three years ago in Turkey's biggest Kurdish-majority city, it was a symbol of Ankara's changing -- and more liberal -- attitudes toward Kurdish-language education. The school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir was one of five primary schools since 2013 that offered a fully Kurdish-language education. Turkish officials feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines × From 2014 onwards, it was also the first school in Turkey to give parents their children's report cards in the Kurdish language. But that has now come to an end after it became the first Kurdish school to be closed down in October by the governor. All five such schools in the southeast have now been shut. Some 238 students aged between five and 11 have been left without a school place in the new academic year. The move comes after a fragile ceasefire collapsed last year with Kurdish militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey and a crackdown since the July 15 failed coup on those suspected of links to rebels. 'Unauthorised activities' Parents and teachers only discovered the school had been shut down when a seal was placed on the door by police saying it was closed due to violations of Turkish laws. But the school's defenders say it was always acting outside of the law against offering a fully Kurdish language education but with the state's knowledge and tacit approval. Kurdish language education had been forbidden under the Turkish constitution, which states: "No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institution of education." Some Turkish officials also feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines. But in June 2012, then-prime minister now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kurdish could be taught in public schools as optional courses if there were sufficient number of students. It was part of a number of government reforms under Erdogan to ease restrictions on the Kurdish language and Kurdish broadcasts under pressure from the European Union as part of Ankara's membership bid. Sources in the governor's office told AFP that the school was closed because of "unauthorised activities", while the latest report by the schools management board on it was critical. The school was named after Ferzad Kemangar, an Iranian Kurdish primary school teacher executed by Tehran in 2010 on charges of membership in the outlawed Kurdish militant group PEJAK, which his supporters have always vehemently rejected. Two days before closing on October 9, the inspectors visited the school and their report said the education provided was "contrary to national education regulations and legislation". Despite reforms, the status of such schools was never made officially legal. 'Waiting for my school' Adil Ercan, a teacher at Ferzad, said inspectors did not have anything "unfavourable or unsuitable" to say about the school. He added, they were told on October 7 the school would be closed and would have 15 days to challenge the decision. But two days later, parents called teachers in the evening asking what had happened after the school was sealed with only a piece of cardboard with a red seal. "We arrived in the morning and it was sealed. They did not give us any reason. We will seek our legal rights," Ercan said. Disappointed students and parents told AFP that they would wait at home until it opened again, including seven-year-old Sarya Alici. "I am waiting for my school. Whenever it opens, I will go. What will I do if it doesn't open? I will wait at home." Cihan Koyun said her family would not send children to another school. "We are waiting for our school to open. Whatever happens, our school must open." Since the attempted putsch, pro-Kurdish media outlets have been shut down, mayors in majority Kurdish cities have been arrested and lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have also been jailed under the state of emergency, imposed late July. They are accused of acting as propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a proscribed terror group by Turkey and its Western allies. The Kurdish militants are not linked to the attempted coup and critics say that the government is using the state of emergency to intimidate all its critics. The government insists it is not attacking the Kurdish community, an estimated 20 percent of the population -- but dealing with PKK "terrorists" fighting against Turkey since 1984. (AFP)

Once a beacon of hope in Turkey, Kurdish school shut down

Thousands of people, including women and children, marched on Saturday in Istanbul against a controversial bill that would overturn men&#39;s convictions for child sex assault if they married their victim.

&quot;We will not shut up. We will not obey. Withdraw the bill immediately!&quot; the around 3,000 protesters shouted amid claps and whistles as they marched to Kadikoy square on the city&#39;s Asian side.

Others waved banners emblazoned with slogans such as &quot;#Rape cannot be legitimised&quot; and &quot;AKP, take your hands off my body,&quot; a reference to the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which introduced the bill.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The opposition, celebrities, and even an association whose deputy chairman is Erdogan&#39;s daughter have expressed alarm over the move</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The opposition, celebrities, and even an association whose deputy chairman is Erdogan's daughter have expressed alarm over the move" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

The opposition, celebrities, and even an association whose deputy chairman is Erdogan&#39;s daughter have expressed alarm over the move.&nbsp;

But the government insists the legislation was aimed at dealing with the widespread custom of child marriages and the criticism was a crude distortion of its aim.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag on Saturday moved to reassure opponents that the bill would not pardon rapists.&nbsp;

&quot;The bill will certainly not bring amnesty to rapists.... This is a step taken to solve a problem in some parts of our country,&quot; he told a NATO meeting in Istanbul.

After the controversy, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim late Friday ordered his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to hold talks with the opposition in parliament on the planned measures.

&#39;Women will take to streets&#39;

The measures were approved in an initial parliamentary reading on Thursday and will be voted on again in a second debate in the coming days. Critics have said the government is encouraging the rape of minors.

&quot;We will not allow the AKP to acquit and set free rapists in this country,&quot; one of the women protesters who gave her name as Ruya told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;Women will resist and take to the streets until this law and similar other laws are withdrawn.&quot;

Another protester, a middle-aged man named Ugur, was at the protest with his 14-year-old daughter.

&quot;I am concerned about my daughter&#39;s future,&quot; Ugur told AFP. &quot;AKP is passing any law they want in the parliament.&quot;

The AKP enjoys a comfortable majority in the 550-seat parliament, holding 317 seats.

&quot;That&#39;s the maximum we can do. To protest,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

If passed, the law would allow the release from prison of men guilty of assaulting a minor if the act was committed without &quot;force, threat, or any other restriction on consent&quot; and if the aggressor &quot;marries the victim&quot;.

The legal age of consent in Turkey is 18 but child marriage is widespread, especially in the southeast.

Another protester, Yagmur, called the bill &quot;nonsense&quot;.

&quot;In which century are we are living? Forgive me but we are talking about rape while other issues should be up for discussion,&quot; he said.

&quot;A country cannot advance with more bridges or roads. We are against the bill and we will not remain silent.&quot;

&#39;Violence against children a crime&#39;&nbsp;

The UN children&#39;s fund said Saturday it was &quot;deeply concerned&quot; over the bill.

&quot;These abject forms of violence against children are crimes which should be punished as such, and in all cases the best interest of the child should prevail,&quot; spokesman Christophe Boulierac told AFP.

The latest controversy comes after Turkey&#39;s constitutional court in July annulled a criminal code provision punishing as &quot;sexual abuse&quot; all sexual acts involving children under the age of 15.

Defenders of that law argued it made a distinction between cases of sexual acts involving a young teenager as opposed to a much younger child.

The bill comes amid widespread concern at what the UN rapporteur on freedom of expression on Friday described as a &quot;grim&quot; situation in Turkey following an attempted coup in July.

Since a rogue military faction tried to oust President Erdogan from power, over 100,000 people within the judiciary, media, military and civil service have been arrested, suspended or sacked.

(AFP)

If passed, it would overturn men's convictions for child sex assault if they married their victim

Thousands of people, including women and children, marched on Saturday in Istanbul against a controversial bill that would overturn men's convictions for child sex assault if they married their victim. "We will not shut up. We will not obey. Withdraw the bill immediately!" the around 3,000 protesters shouted amid claps and whistles as they marched to Kadikoy square on the city's Asian side. Others waved banners emblazoned with slogans such as "#Rape cannot be legitimised" and "AKP, take your hands off my body," a reference to the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which introduced the bill. The opposition, celebrities, and even an association whose deputy chairman is Erdogan's daughter have expressed alarm over the move × The opposition, celebrities, and even an association whose deputy chairman is Erdogan's daughter have expressed alarm over the move. But the government insists the legislation was aimed at dealing with the widespread custom of child marriages and the criticism was a crude distortion of its aim. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag on Saturday moved to reassure opponents that the bill would not pardon rapists. "The bill will certainly not bring amnesty to rapists.... This is a step taken to solve a problem in some parts of our country," he told a NATO meeting in Istanbul. After the controversy, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim late Friday ordered his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to hold talks with the opposition in parliament on the planned measures. 'Women will take to streets' The measures were approved in an initial parliamentary reading on Thursday and will be voted on again in a second debate in the coming days. Critics have said the government is encouraging the rape of minors. "We will not allow the AKP to acquit and set free rapists in this country," one of the women protesters who gave her name as Ruya told AFP. "Women will resist and take to the streets until this law and similar other laws are withdrawn." Another protester, a middle-aged man named Ugur, was at the protest with his 14-year-old daughter. "I am concerned about my daughter's future," Ugur told AFP. "AKP is passing any law they want in the parliament." The AKP enjoys a comfortable majority in the 550-seat parliament, holding 317 seats. "That's the maximum we can do. To protest," he said. If passed, the law would allow the release from prison of men guilty of assaulting a minor if the act was committed without "force, threat, or any other restriction on consent" and if the aggressor "marries the victim". The legal age of consent in Turkey is 18 but child marriage is widespread, especially in the southeast. Another protester, Yagmur, called the bill "nonsense". "In which century are we are living? Forgive me but we are talking about rape while other issues should be up for discussion," he said. "A country cannot advance with more bridges or roads. We are against the bill and we will not remain silent." 'Violence against children a crime' The UN children's fund said Saturday it was "deeply concerned" over the bill. "These abject forms of violence against children are crimes which should be punished as such, and in all cases the best interest of the child should prevail," spokesman Christophe Boulierac told AFP. The latest controversy comes after Turkey's constitutional court in July annulled a criminal code provision punishing as "sexual abuse" all sexual acts involving children under the age of 15. Defenders of that law argued it made a distinction between cases of sexual acts involving a young teenager as opposed to a much younger child. The bill comes amid widespread concern at what the UN rapporteur on freedom of expression on Friday described as a "grim" situation in Turkey following an attempted coup in July. Since a rogue military faction tried to oust President Erdogan from power, over 100,000 people within the judiciary, media, military and civil service have been arrested, suspended or sacked. (AFP)

Thousands rally against Turkey child sex conviction bill

Dubbed as the greatest Turkish novel of the twentieth century, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar&#39;s&nbsp;&lsquo;The Time Regulation Institute&rsquo; (1962) portrays a fictional, and almost surreal, organisation named &lsquo;The Time regulation institute&rsquo;; the essential job of the organization was to change all the clocks in Turkey to Western time. This satirical novel poignantly captures the ambitions of a newly liberated country, which had been forced to comply with the European culture&nbsp;even when that led to a direct confrontation between the past and the future.&nbsp;

Perhaps the biggest shock for modern Turkey came on the very first day of 1929 when the law on the adoption and implementation of Turkish alphabet was passed. The short term repercussions were almost unfathomable. As Ruchir Sharma has succinctly put in his book &lsquo;Breakout nations&rsquo;, &quot;Ataturk scrapped the Arabic alphabet for Latin Letters in 1929, rendering 99 percent of the population functionally illiterate overnight, in the name of catapulting them into the European mainstream.&rsquo;&rsquo; However, the actual tragedy lies somewhere else.&nbsp;

Even after pushing every possible boundary, the so-called European standard was always out of reach for this newly secular nation. Kemal Ataturk initially had a vision of a modern country, which would have potentials to compete with its European counterparts and possibly erase the&nbsp;&nbsp;overwhelming memories of the complete defeat of the Ottoman empire. Soon he realised that cooperation, instead of competition, is the key to success.&nbsp;

In later years, after the formation of European Union, the notion of cooperation became the rule, and not a wish, of the day. The problem is, for the most part of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this cooperation was largely a one-way affair.

The &lsquo;Schengen agreement&rsquo; on the creation of open borders without passport control was signed in 1985. In 1986, the &lsquo;Single European act&rsquo; formalising the terms of the political cooperation among the European territories came into effect. As a result, Europeanisation of Turkey&rsquo;s politics mostly took place after 1986. This is in spite of the fact that the secular Kemalists and the &lsquo;religion free&rsquo; army ruled the country since the Turkish war of independence.&nbsp;

Soon after Turkey put its candidacy for the membership of European Council (EC) in 1987, the European leadership argued that Turkey&rsquo;s democracy was not matured enough to be considered as a candidate state for EC. After many a rebuff, Turkey started reforming its constitution and the major amendments were incorporated in 1995. Eventually, in 1999, the European council recognised Turkey&rsquo;s candidate status.&nbsp;

Of course, constitutional reforms were not enough and Turkey was then politely asked to fix its economy. The secular coalition, which ruled Turkey since 1997 and had&nbsp;&nbsp;somewhat successfully reformed the constitution, however, did not have any remedy for the faltering Turkish economy. At the end of 2001, Turkey&rsquo;s GDP fell by 7.4 per cent, investors withdrew more than $70 billion worth of capital and inflation touched a&nbsp; sky-high, almost irrational, 70 per cent mark.

Following this economic crisis, some structural reform measures that were long desired got implemented. Agricultural associations received their autonomy, low-interest loans were offered, social security infrastructure and the private pension funds were privatised and restructured. By 2004, inflation had come down to a remarkable 7 per cent. Interest rates too fell dramatically and thus boosted economic growth.&nbsp;

The process of economic liberalisation firmly established Turkey&rsquo;s place in the cohort of &lsquo;breakout nations&rsquo;. These were the nations with tremendous potentials who aspired to be the future economic superpowers. The early success of Turkish economy also helped the nation to remain insulated during and immediately after the 2008 global financial crisis. A series of additional legal reforms, which included the permanent abolishment of the death penalty and shortening of pre-trial detention period, further bolstered Turkey&rsquo;s claim for the European Union (EU) membership.

Or did it actually?

Almost since the time when Recep Tayyip Erdogan assumed power, a substantial number of French and German politicians urged EU to offer Turkey a &lsquo;privileged partnership&rsquo; status instead of a permanent membership. Perhaps most vocal among them was the leader of the German Christian Democrats party, Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, in 2005 Merkel and several other European political leaders vociferously argued against Turkey&rsquo;s accession to EU, citing the inefficient economic and political system of the country as being the main impediment.&nbsp;

These arguments were somewhat tautological in nature as the Lisbon treaty, which explains the objectives of the EU,&nbsp; states clearly that EU would help its member countries to achieve sustainable development based on economic growth. The potential member countries certainly need to fulfill some prerequisites, but asking for credentials over and beyond those requirements reek of preconceived&nbsp;&nbsp;bias.

For the sake of fairness, though, let&rsquo;s compare Turkey&#39;s economic credentials with other new member states of the EU. According to 2013 world economic outlook data, provided by the International Monetary Fund, Poland&rsquo;s annual GDP growth rate was 1.3 per cent and the purchasing power parity adjusted (PPP) GDP was $896 billion. Turkey, by contrast, had a GDP growth rate of nearly 4 per cent, and exceeded Poland&rsquo;s PPP adjusted GDP by almost $600 billion. Also, even when Turkey&#39;s population size is twice that of Poland, the latter, in terms of GDP per capita, only marginally outperformed Turkey.&nbsp;

And still, the European union went gaga over Poland&rsquo;s success story. &nbsp;

In 2007, Turkey&rsquo;s neighbouring country Bulgaria received the coveted membership. While Turkey&rsquo;s GDP hovered around trillions of dollars, Bulgaria merely produced a hundred billion dollars worth of output. Despite having one tenth of Turkey&rsquo;s population, Bulgaria has 5 per cent more people who live below the poverty line compared to Turkey. There is an abundance of such examples; in terms of most of the major economic indicators, Turkey would perhaps beat almost every new member state of the EU, acceded after the new millennium.

The real reasons behind this unfair treatment can be found elsewhere. Shortly before assuming the papal office, Pope Benedict XVI said that the negotiations between EU and Turkey had an anti-historical goal; Turkey&rsquo;s Islamic roots had placed the country in direct contrast to the Europe. In spite of the fact that Turkey has remained a secular nation for almost nine decades, religious dogmatism and other medieval biases overshadowed the good senses of many European leaders.&nbsp;

As Turkey&rsquo;s chances of being accepted in the EU have dwindled over the time, overt nationalistic discourses have become the primary survival technique for most of the Turkish political parties. For instance, the ruling party has made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that Turkey wants to be less European and no more. Turkey&rsquo;s &lsquo;look east&rsquo; policy could have been the beginning of the end of a hypothetical relationship, but that never happened.

The civil war in Syria and the recent financial meltdown of Europe have changed every possible equation.&nbsp;Under the circumstance, Turkey&#39;s relationship with the EU is severely strained. Worse still, the country is suffering through grave political conflicts, which are bound to leave lasting impression on the social and economic fabric of the nation that is torn between ideas of secularism and an overt sense of nationalism

&nbsp;

Alienated from the EU, Turkey finds solace in overt nationalism

Dubbed as the greatest Turkish novel of the twentieth century, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar's ‘The Time Regulation Institute’ (1962) portrays a fictional, and almost surreal, organisation named ‘The Time regulation institute’; the essential job of the organization was to change all the clocks in Turkey to Western time. This satirical novel poignantly captures the ambitions of a newly liberated country, which had been forced to comply with the European culture even when that led to a direct confrontation between the past and the future. Perhaps the biggest shock for modern Turkey came on the very first day of 1929 when the law on the adoption and implementation of Turkish alphabet was passed. The short term repercussions were almost unfathomable. As Ruchir Sharma has succinctly put in his book ‘Breakout nations’, "Ataturk scrapped the Arabic alphabet for Latin Letters in 1929, rendering 99 percent of the population functionally illiterate overnight, in the name of catapulting them into the European mainstream.’’ However, the actual tragedy lies somewhere else. Even after pushing every possible boundary, the so-called European standard was always out of reach for this newly secular nation. Kemal Ataturk initially had a vision of a modern country, which would have potentials to compete with its European counterparts and possibly erase the overwhelming memories of the complete defeat of the Ottoman empire. Soon he realised that cooperation, instead of competition, is the key to success. In later years, after the formation of European Union, the notion of cooperation became the rule, and not a wish, of the day. The problem is, for the most part of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this cooperation was largely a one-way affair. The ‘Schengen agreement’ on the creation of open borders without passport control was signed in 1985. In 1986, the ‘Single European act’ formalising the terms of the political cooperation among the European territories came into effect. As a result, Europeanisation of Turkey’s politics mostly took place after 1986. This is in spite of the fact that the secular Kemalists and the ‘religion free’ army ruled the country since the Turkish war of independence. Soon after Turkey put its candidacy for the membership of European Council (EC) in 1987, the European leadership argued that Turkey’s democracy was not matured enough to be considered as a candidate state for EC. After many a rebuff, Turkey started reforming its constitution and the major amendments were incorporated in 1995. Eventually, in 1999, the European council recognised Turkey’s candidate status. Of course, constitutional reforms were not enough and Turkey was then politely asked to fix its economy. The secular coalition, which ruled Turkey since 1997 and had somewhat successfully reformed the constitution, however, did not have any remedy for the faltering Turkish economy. At the end of 2001, Turkey’s GDP fell by 7.4 per cent, investors withdrew more than $70 billion worth of capital and inflation touched a sky-high, almost irrational, 70 per cent mark. Following this economic crisis, some structural reform measures that were long desired got implemented. Agricultural associations received their autonomy, low-interest loans were offered, social security infrastructure and the private pension funds were privatised and restructured. By 2004, inflation had come down to a remarkable 7 per cent. Interest rates too fell dramatically and thus boosted economic growth. The process of economic liberalisation firmly established Turkey’s place in the cohort of ‘breakout nations’. These were the nations with tremendous potentials who aspired to be the future economic superpowers. The early success of Turkish economy also helped the nation to remain insulated during and immediately after the 2008 global financial crisis. A series of additional legal reforms, which included the permanent abolishment of the death penalty and shortening of pre-trial detention period, further bolstered Turkey’s claim for the European Union (EU) membership. Or did it actually? Almost since the time when Recep Tayyip Erdogan assumed power, a substantial number of French and German politicians urged EU to offer Turkey a ‘privileged partnership’ status instead of a permanent membership. Perhaps most vocal among them was the leader of the German Christian Democrats party, Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, in 2005 Merkel and several other European political leaders vociferously argued against Turkey’s accession to EU, citing the inefficient economic and political system of the country as being the main impediment. These arguments were somewhat tautological in nature as the Lisbon treaty, which explains the objectives of the EU, states clearly that EU would help its member countries to achieve sustainable development based on economic growth. The potential member countries certainly need to fulfill some prerequisites, but asking for credentials over and beyond those requirements reek of preconceived bias. For the sake of fairness, though, let’s compare Turkey's economic credentials with other new member states of the EU. According to 2013 world economic outlook data, provided by the International Monetary Fund, Poland’s annual GDP growth rate was 1.3 per cent and the purchasing power parity adjusted (PPP) GDP was $896 billion. Turkey, by contrast, had a GDP growth rate of nearly 4 per cent, and exceeded Poland’s PPP adjusted GDP by almost $600 billion. Also, even when Turkey's population size is twice that of Poland, the latter, in terms of GDP per capita, only marginally outperformed Turkey. And still, the European union went gaga over Poland’s success story. In 2007, Turkey’s neighbouring country Bulgaria received the coveted membership. While Turkey’s GDP hovered around trillions of dollars, Bulgaria merely produced a hundred billion dollars worth of output. Despite having one tenth of Turkey’s population, Bulgaria has 5 per cent more people who live below the poverty line compared to Turkey. There is an abundance of such examples; in terms of most of the major economic indicators, Turkey would perhaps beat almost every new member state of the EU, acceded after the new millennium. The real reasons behind this unfair treatment can be found elsewhere. Shortly before assuming the papal office, Pope Benedict XVI said that the negotiations between EU and Turkey had an anti-historical goal; Turkey’s Islamic roots had placed the country in direct contrast to the Europe. In spite of the fact that Turkey has remained a secular nation for almost nine decades, religious dogmatism and other medieval biases overshadowed the good senses of many European leaders. As Turkey’s chances of being accepted in the EU have dwindled over the time, overt nationalistic discourses have become the primary survival technique for most of the Turkish political parties. For instance, the ruling party has made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that Turkey wants to be less European and no more. Turkey’s ‘look east’ policy could have been the beginning of the end of a hypothetical relationship, but that never happened. The civil war in Syria and the recent financial meltdown of Europe have changed every possible equation. Under the circumstance, Turkey's relationship with the EU is severely strained. Worse still, the country is suffering through grave political conflicts, which are bound to leave lasting impression on the social and economic fabric of the nation that is torn between ideas of secularism and an overt sense of nationalism

Turkey, EU, and radical Islam: The country confronts its past and future

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that US state secretary John Kerry intends to visit this month, in what would be the first trip by a top Western dignitary since a failed coup. 
 
Kerry&#39;s visit, if confirmed, comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Ankara in the wake of the attempted military takeover on July 15. 
 
Turkey has been furiously demanding the extradition of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of masterminding the coup.&nbsp;The government has launched a crackdown in its wake that has seen over 60,000 people within the military, judiciary, civil service and education sector dismissed, detained or put under investigation. 
 
&quot;I think their secretary of state is coming on the 21th (August),&quot; Erdogan said in a live interview with state-run TRT television. 
 
Within the next two weeks, a delegation led by Turkey&#39;s foreign and justice ministers would also travel to the US to explain Gulen&#39;s alleged involvement in the coup bid, he added. 
 
US state department spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment.&nbsp;An Istanbul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Gulen, accusing him of ordering the coup aimed at ousting Erdogan.&nbsp; 
 
Ankara has frequently called on the United States to extradite the Muslim cleric, sending two sets of documents to Washington as evidence of his involvement in the putsch attempt.&nbsp;Gulen strongly denies masterminding the coup and the movement he leads insists it is a charitable network promoting tolerant Islam. 
 
Kerry said on July 18 that Turkey must present &quot;genuine evidence&quot; and &quot;not allegations&quot; against Erdogan&#39;s former ally for his extradition. 
 
The crisis in Turkey has erupted at a time when the Ankara-Washington relationship is as important as ever, with the United States needing Turkish help in the battle against Islamic State militants in Syria.&nbsp;US fighter jets have been using Turkey&#39;s southern base of Incirlik as a crucial launch point for lethal raids against IS targets in neighbouring Syria. 
 
During Thursday&#39;s live broadcast, Erdogan broke down in tears while watching a TRT documentary about civilians who lost their lives on the night of the coup.&nbsp;At least 272 people including 34 plotters were killed after people took to the streets and squares against the putschists. 
 
(AFP)

Ankara had called on Washington to extradite the Muslim cleric, sending documents claiming his involvement in the coup attempt

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that US state secretary John Kerry intends to visit this month, in what would be the first trip by a top Western dignitary since a failed coup. Kerry's visit, if confirmed, comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Ankara in the wake of the attempted military takeover on July 15. Turkey has been furiously demanding the extradition of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of masterminding the coup. The government has launched a crackdown in its wake that has seen over 60,000 people within the military, judiciary, civil service and education sector dismissed, detained or put under investigation. "I think their secretary of state is coming on the 21th (August)," Erdogan said in a live interview with state-run TRT television. Within the next two weeks, a delegation led by Turkey's foreign and justice ministers would also travel to the US to explain Gulen's alleged involvement in the coup bid, he added. US state department spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment. An Istanbul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Gulen, accusing him of ordering the coup aimed at ousting Erdogan. Ankara has frequently called on the United States to extradite the Muslim cleric, sending two sets of documents to Washington as evidence of his involvement in the putsch attempt. Gulen strongly denies masterminding the coup and the movement he leads insists it is a charitable network promoting tolerant Islam. Kerry said on July 18 that Turkey must present "genuine evidence" and "not allegations" against Erdogan's former ally for his extradition. The crisis in Turkey has erupted at a time when the Ankara-Washington relationship is as important as ever, with the United States needing Turkish help in the battle against Islamic State militants in Syria. US fighter jets have been using Turkey's southern base of Incirlik as a crucial launch point for lethal raids against IS targets in neighbouring Syria. During Thursday's live broadcast, Erdogan broke down in tears while watching a TRT documentary about civilians who lost their lives on the night of the coup. At least 272 people including 34 plotters were killed after people took to the streets and squares against the putschists. (AFP)

US state secretary Kerry to visit Turkey amid tensions over Islamic preacher Gulen's extradition

Turkey admitted on Monday there may have been some &quot;unfair&quot; treatment in its post-coup crackdown as it voiced anger at Germany for barring President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from addressing a rally in Cologne. 
 
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a top-ranking US that his government remained committed to principles of law in its fight against coup plotters and called for Washington to extradite US-based preacher Fethullan Gulen &quot;as soon as possible&quot;. 
 
Ankara accuses Gulen of masterminding the coup and says it is seeking to remove all trace of his influence in Turkish institutions. 
 
Apparently responding to widening international alarm about the crackdown, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim admitted there may have been some unfair treatment in the state sector. 
 
&quot;There must definitely be some among them who were subjected to unfair procedures,&quot; he said in comments published by state-run Anadolu news agency. 
 
&quot;We will make a distinction between those who are guilty and those who are not.&quot; 
 
Echoing Yildirim&#39;s tone, deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said: &quot;If there are any mistakes, we will correct them&quot;. 
 
Retaliating after a failed military attempt to unseat him, Erdogan has launched a purge that has seen tens of thousands of people suspended from their jobs and almost 19,000 detained. 
 
Germany bars live speeches from Turkish politicians, including Erdogan&nbsp; 
 
Turkey meanwhile summoned a senior German diplomat, a day after a rally of tens of thousands of Erdogan supporters in Cologne in opposition to the coup. 
 
Hours before the demonstration, Germany&#39;s constitutional court rejected an application to show via video link live speeches from Turkey by politicians including Erdogan, over fears they could work up the crowd. 
 
The decision sparked anger in Turkey, with presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin calling the move a &quot;violation of the freedom of expression and the right to free assembly&quot;. 
 
A spokeswoman for the German embassy in Ankara told AFP that the charge d`affaires had &quot;been summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry at 1:00 pm (1000 GMT)&quot; on Monday over the rally. 
 
Turkish foreign ministry sources said the envoy was summoned to &quot;strongly express our disappointment&quot; over the ban on a popularly elected leader from addressing the rally and called the German approach &quot;unacceptable.&quot; 
 
But Germany, which is home to the largest portion of Turkey&#39;s diaspora, played down the incident, saying such &quot;invitations&quot; were nothing out of the ordinary.&nbsp; 
 
General Joseph Dunford met with Yildirim, as well as Turkish chief of staff Hulusi Akar to &quot;deliver messages condemning in the strongest terms the recent coup attempt and reaffirming the importance of our enduring partnership for regional security,&quot; Dunford`s spokesman Greg Hicks said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
Yildirim told the US general to extradite &quot;terrorist group leader Fetullah Gulen and members of FETO to our country as soon as possible,&quot; his office said in a statement after the meeting, referring to what Turkey calls the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO). 
 
&quot;It is important that the United States, our strategic partner and ally, demonstrates a clear and determined approach against the terrorist coup attempt,&quot; Yildirim told the general. 
 
Tensions between the two NATO allies have been aggravated by the foiled putsch, with some Turkish officials even alleging that Washington could have had a hand in the plot. The suggestion has been firmly denied by top US officials. 
 
Last week, Erdogan lashed out at the top US general in the Middle East, General Joseph Votel, after he expressed concerns about the future of military relations between the two allies in the wake of the putsch. During their meeting, the Turkish premier also told Dunford that the Turkish armed forces were fulfilling its duties &quot;at full capacity&quot; after the reshuffling in the wake of the coup attempt and said that cooperation continued &quot;uninterrupted&quot; with the US and other allies in the fight against terrorist groups including the Islamic State. 
 
Before his meetings with the Turkish officials, the US general visited Incirlik air base - used by coalition planes for air raids on IS in Syria.&nbsp; 
 
Unexpectedly, Dunford also toured the Turkish parliament which was extensively damaged by rebel air strikes on the night of the coup, seen as a symbolic gesture. 
 
Meanwhile Turkey on Monday said it had arrested 11 fugitive soldiers suspected of involvement in an attack on Erdogan`s hotel during the night of the coup. 
 
Erdogan was staying in the western seaside resort of Marmaris on July 15 but dashed to Istanbul just before the hotel came under attack from rebel soldiers determined to oust him from power. 
 
Just one soldier from the attack group now remains at large, Kurtulmus said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Ankara has called for Washington to extradite US-based preacher Fetullan Gullen, who it accuses of masterminding the coup

Turkey admitted on Monday there may have been some "unfair" treatment in its post-coup crackdown as it voiced anger at Germany for barring President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from addressing a rally in Cologne. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a top-ranking US that his government remained committed to principles of law in its fight against coup plotters and called for Washington to extradite US-based preacher Fethullan Gulen "as soon as possible". Ankara accuses Gulen of masterminding the coup and says it is seeking to remove all trace of his influence in Turkish institutions. Apparently responding to widening international alarm about the crackdown, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim admitted there may have been some unfair treatment in the state sector. "There must definitely be some among them who were subjected to unfair procedures," he said in comments published by state-run Anadolu news agency. "We will make a distinction between those who are guilty and those who are not." Echoing Yildirim's tone, deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said: "If there are any mistakes, we will correct them". Retaliating after a failed military attempt to unseat him, Erdogan has launched a purge that has seen tens of thousands of people suspended from their jobs and almost 19,000 detained. Germany bars live speeches from Turkish politicians, including Erdogan Turkey meanwhile summoned a senior German diplomat, a day after a rally of tens of thousands of Erdogan supporters in Cologne in opposition to the coup. Hours before the demonstration, Germany's constitutional court rejected an application to show via video link live speeches from Turkey by politicians including Erdogan, over fears they could work up the crowd. The decision sparked anger in Turkey, with presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin calling the move a "violation of the freedom of expression and the right to free assembly". A spokeswoman for the German embassy in Ankara told AFP that the charge d`affaires had "been summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry at 1:00 pm (1000 GMT)" on Monday over the rally. Turkish foreign ministry sources said the envoy was summoned to "strongly express our disappointment" over the ban on a popularly elected leader from addressing the rally and called the German approach "unacceptable." But Germany, which is home to the largest portion of Turkey's diaspora, played down the incident, saying such "invitations" were nothing out of the ordinary. General Joseph Dunford met with Yildirim, as well as Turkish chief of staff Hulusi Akar to "deliver messages condemning in the strongest terms the recent coup attempt and reaffirming the importance of our enduring partnership for regional security," Dunford`s spokesman Greg Hicks said in a statement. Yildirim told the US general to extradite "terrorist group leader Fetullah Gulen and members of FETO to our country as soon as possible," his office said in a statement after the meeting, referring to what Turkey calls the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO). "It is important that the United States, our strategic partner and ally, demonstrates a clear and determined approach against the terrorist coup attempt," Yildirim told the general. Tensions between the two NATO allies have been aggravated by the foiled putsch, with some Turkish officials even alleging that Washington could have had a hand in the plot. The suggestion has been firmly denied by top US officials. Last week, Erdogan lashed out at the top US general in the Middle East, General Joseph Votel, after he expressed concerns about the future of military relations between the two allies in the wake of the putsch. During their meeting, the Turkish premier also told Dunford that the Turkish armed forces were fulfilling its duties "at full capacity" after the reshuffling in the wake of the coup attempt and said that cooperation continued "uninterrupted" with the US and other allies in the fight against terrorist groups including the Islamic State. Before his meetings with the Turkish officials, the US general visited Incirlik air base - used by coalition planes for air raids on IS in Syria. Unexpectedly, Dunford also toured the Turkish parliament which was extensively damaged by rebel air strikes on the night of the coup, seen as a symbolic gesture. Meanwhile Turkey on Monday said it had arrested 11 fugitive soldiers suspected of involvement in an attack on Erdogan`s hotel during the night of the coup. Erdogan was staying in the western seaside resort of Marmaris on July 15 but dashed to Istanbul just before the hotel came under attack from rebel soldiers determined to oust him from power. Just one soldier from the attack group now remains at large, Kurtulmus said. (AFP)

Turkey admits to 'unfair' dismissals in post-coup crackdown

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said that the EU&#39;s deal with Turkey on halting the flow of migrants towards the bloc is at risk of breaking down, in comments published on Friday. 
 
&quot;The risk is big. The success so far of the pact is fragile. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already hinted several times that he wants to scrap it,&quot; Juncker told Austrian daily Kurier. 
 
&quot;(If that happens) then we can expect migrants to start coming to Europe again,&quot; he told the paper in an interview to be published today. 
 
The March accord between the European Union and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart after a failed coup against Erdogan on July 15. 
 
A subsequent purge in Turkey has seen thousands of arrests among the army, the police and judiciary, and hundreds have lost their jobs in every major Turkish ministry. 
 
Three days after the attempt on the government, a group of Turkish officials assigned to monitor the migration deal on the Greek side returned home, and have yet to be replaced. 
 
In a wide-ranging interview, Juncker also said he was &quot;very concerned&quot; about developments within the 28-nation EU, particularly with regard to Poland and Hungary. 
 
&quot;In Poland the government&#39;s course of action has damaged the rule of law... I am watching with concern preparations for Hungary&#39;s referendum on migration,&quot; Juncker was quoted as saying. 
 
On Wednesday the European Commission handed Poland&#39;s right-wing government a three-month deadline to reverse changes to its Constitutional Court or face sanctions for breaching EU norms on the rule of law and democracy. 
 
The move by the EU&#39;s executive arm is the second step in an unprecedented procedure which could eventually see Warsaw&#39;s voting rights suspended in the council of ministers, the EU&#39;s highest decision-making body. 
 
Hungary meanwhile has refused to accept a single migrant under a mandatory EU quota plan to share them around the bloc, and will hold a referendum on the scheme on October 2. 
 
Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week called migration &quot;poison&quot; for Europe and said that his country &quot;does not need a single migrant&quot;. 
 
&quot;If referendums are going to be organised on every decision of the council of ministers and the European Parliament, then legal security is in danger,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
&quot;The Commission should really - although we&#39;re not that far yet - launch a breach of treaty procedure against Hungary. Orban though would then claim that the Commission is taking the Hungarian people to court.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

March accord between EU and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said that the EU's deal with Turkey on halting the flow of migrants towards the bloc is at risk of breaking down, in comments published on Friday. "The risk is big. The success so far of the pact is fragile. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already hinted several times that he wants to scrap it," Juncker told Austrian daily Kurier. "(If that happens) then we can expect migrants to start coming to Europe again," he told the paper in an interview to be published today. The March accord between the European Union and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart after a failed coup against Erdogan on July 15. A subsequent purge in Turkey has seen thousands of arrests among the army, the police and judiciary, and hundreds have lost their jobs in every major Turkish ministry. Three days after the attempt on the government, a group of Turkish officials assigned to monitor the migration deal on the Greek side returned home, and have yet to be replaced. In a wide-ranging interview, Juncker also said he was "very concerned" about developments within the 28-nation EU, particularly with regard to Poland and Hungary. "In Poland the government's course of action has damaged the rule of law... I am watching with concern preparations for Hungary's referendum on migration," Juncker was quoted as saying. On Wednesday the European Commission handed Poland's right-wing government a three-month deadline to reverse changes to its Constitutional Court or face sanctions for breaching EU norms on the rule of law and democracy. The move by the EU's executive arm is the second step in an unprecedented procedure which could eventually see Warsaw's voting rights suspended in the council of ministers, the EU's highest decision-making body. Hungary meanwhile has refused to accept a single migrant under a mandatory EU quota plan to share them around the bloc, and will hold a referendum on the scheme on October 2. Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week called migration "poison" for Europe and said that his country "does not need a single migrant". "If referendums are going to be organised on every decision of the council of ministers and the European Parliament, then legal security is in danger," Juncker said. "The Commission should really - although we're not that far yet - launch a breach of treaty procedure against Hungary. Orban though would then claim that the Commission is taking the Hungarian people to court." (AFP)

European Commission head Juncker: EU-Turkey migrant deal at risk of breaking down

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today faced growing criticism from the European Union (EU) over an &quot;unacceptable&quot; crackdown that has seen tens of thousands of people detained or sacked, as supporters celebrated the defeat one week ago of the coup aimed at ending his rule.&nbsp; 
 
The authorities imposed a state of emergency yesterday, strengthening powers to round up suspects behind the failed military putsch and suspending a key European rights convention. 
 
The European Union urged Turkey &quot;to respect under any circumstances the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms&quot;, in a joint statement from foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn. 
 
They slammed as &quot;unacceptable&quot; the sacking or suspension of tens of thousands of people in the education system, judiciary and the media and said they were monitoring the state of emergency &quot;with concern&quot;. 
 
Turkey&#39;s Western allies have been watching with alarm the turmoil in the key NATO member state, which has also been reeling from a wave of bomb attacks by Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish rebels. 
 
 
Erdogan basks in support of jubilant crowds&nbsp; 
 
But at home, Erdogan has basked in the support of jubilant crowds who took to the streets of Istanbul overnight. 
 
Huge numbers were again expected to fill city squares Friday to celebrate Erdogan`s victory over the rebels, whose botched coup last Friday with troops, tanks and fighter jets claimed 265 lives. 
 
The president has said July 15 would in future be marked as the &quot;Remembrance Day of the Martyrs&quot;. 
 
The government said the coup claimed the lives of 24 plotters, and of 241 citizens and members of the security forces who stood up to them. Thousands of Erdogan supporters -- many carrying lit torches and waving the national crescent flag -- late Thursday streamed across the Bosphorus bridge that was one of the key battlegrounds. 
 
Flocking to the landmark where Turkish citizens stood up to the mutineers, they brandished signs such as &quot;Our flag, our nation&quot; and denounced the man Erdogan blames for the coup plot -- US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, 75. 
 
Erdogan has repeatedly rallied Turks -- on TV and even with mass phone text messages -- to stay on the streets in the fight against the &quot;terrorist&quot; followers of the spiritual leader whom he accuses of forming a secretive &quot;parallel state&quot; in Turkey. 
 
Erdogan has demanded the United States extradite his former ally turned arch-enemy Gulen, the leader of the Hizmet (Service) movement, which runs a global network of schools as well as businesses, media outlets and cultural centres. 
 
The usually reclusive 75-year-old preacher has condemned the attempted putsch and rejected the accusations against him as &quot;ridiculous, irresponsible and false&quot;. 
 
Late Wednesday, after a marathon meeting of his national security council, Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency -- Turkey`s first since 2002, the year before he first came to power as prime minister. 
 
The emergency powers allow Erdogan and his cabinet to rule by decree and rights groups and opposition parties fear they could lead to further curbs on freedoms of speech and assembly. 
 
&quot;The road to arbitrary rule, unlawful behaviour, feeding on violence, has been chosen,&quot; charged the opposition Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP).&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Society has been forced to choose between a coup or an undemocratic government.&quot;Erdogan has insisted democracy would &quot;not be compromised&quot; and the government pointed out that France also declared an emergency in the wake of a series of bloody jihadist attacks. 
 
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said there would be no curfews, and that the special measures may only last 45 days, insisting: &quot;We want to end the state of emergency as soon as possible&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is not a declaration of martial law.&quot; 
 
Period of pre-charge detention likely to be lengthened&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan said 10,410 people had so far been detained with 4,060 of them remanded in custody, including more than 100 generals and admirals.&nbsp; 
 
Turkey has started to close Gulenist schools, may set up special courts for coup plotters and restructure the MIT intelligence service, the Hurriyet and Sabah newspapers reported, citing government sources. 
 
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told CNN-Turk that the period of pre-charge detention would be lengthened. 
 
On restoring the death penalty, he pointed to Erdogan`s comment that there was popular demand for its reintroduction. 
 
&quot;The president said we cannot close our ears to the demands of the people.&quot; 
 
On EU warnings that capital punishment would spell the end of Turkey&#39;s membership bid, he said &quot;the European Union cannot tell us much, it has made Turkey wait at the door&quot; for decades. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Turkey's Western allies have been watching with alarm the turmoil in the key NATO member state

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today faced growing criticism from the European Union (EU) over an "unacceptable" crackdown that has seen tens of thousands of people detained or sacked, as supporters celebrated the defeat one week ago of the coup aimed at ending his rule. The authorities imposed a state of emergency yesterday, strengthening powers to round up suspects behind the failed military putsch and suspending a key European rights convention. The European Union urged Turkey "to respect under any circumstances the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms", in a joint statement from foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn. They slammed as "unacceptable" the sacking or suspension of tens of thousands of people in the education system, judiciary and the media and said they were monitoring the state of emergency "with concern". Turkey's Western allies have been watching with alarm the turmoil in the key NATO member state, which has also been reeling from a wave of bomb attacks by Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish rebels. Erdogan basks in support of jubilant crowds But at home, Erdogan has basked in the support of jubilant crowds who took to the streets of Istanbul overnight. Huge numbers were again expected to fill city squares Friday to celebrate Erdogan`s victory over the rebels, whose botched coup last Friday with troops, tanks and fighter jets claimed 265 lives. The president has said July 15 would in future be marked as the "Remembrance Day of the Martyrs". The government said the coup claimed the lives of 24 plotters, and of 241 citizens and members of the security forces who stood up to them. Thousands of Erdogan supporters -- many carrying lit torches and waving the national crescent flag -- late Thursday streamed across the Bosphorus bridge that was one of the key battlegrounds. Flocking to the landmark where Turkish citizens stood up to the mutineers, they brandished signs such as "Our flag, our nation" and denounced the man Erdogan blames for the coup plot -- US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, 75. Erdogan has repeatedly rallied Turks -- on TV and even with mass phone text messages -- to stay on the streets in the fight against the "terrorist" followers of the spiritual leader whom he accuses of forming a secretive "parallel state" in Turkey. Erdogan has demanded the United States extradite his former ally turned arch-enemy Gulen, the leader of the Hizmet (Service) movement, which runs a global network of schools as well as businesses, media outlets and cultural centres. The usually reclusive 75-year-old preacher has condemned the attempted putsch and rejected the accusations against him as "ridiculous, irresponsible and false". Late Wednesday, after a marathon meeting of his national security council, Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency -- Turkey`s first since 2002, the year before he first came to power as prime minister. The emergency powers allow Erdogan and his cabinet to rule by decree and rights groups and opposition parties fear they could lead to further curbs on freedoms of speech and assembly. "The road to arbitrary rule, unlawful behaviour, feeding on violence, has been chosen," charged the opposition Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP). "Society has been forced to choose between a coup or an undemocratic government."Erdogan has insisted democracy would "not be compromised" and the government pointed out that France also declared an emergency in the wake of a series of bloody jihadist attacks. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said there would be no curfews, and that the special measures may only last 45 days, insisting: "We want to end the state of emergency as soon as possible". "This is not a declaration of martial law." Period of pre-charge detention likely to be lengthened Erdogan said 10,410 people had so far been detained with 4,060 of them remanded in custody, including more than 100 generals and admirals. Turkey has started to close Gulenist schools, may set up special courts for coup plotters and restructure the MIT intelligence service, the Hurriyet and Sabah newspapers reported, citing government sources. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told CNN-Turk that the period of pre-charge detention would be lengthened. On restoring the death penalty, he pointed to Erdogan`s comment that there was popular demand for its reintroduction. "The president said we cannot close our ears to the demands of the people." On EU warnings that capital punishment would spell the end of Turkey's membership bid, he said "the European Union cannot tell us much, it has made Turkey wait at the door" for decades. (AFP)

Week after Turkey coup bid, EU slams 'unacceptable' crackdown

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday urged Turkey to restrict the state of emergency imposed after a failed coup attempt to only the truly necessary length of time and to end the measure as quickly as possible. 
 
Steinmeier issued a statement late on Wednesday in response to the declaration of emergency rule, urging the Turkish government to maintain both the rule of law and a sense of proportionality in its response to the coup attempt. 
 
&quot;The declaration of a state of emergency makes it clear once again: the attempted putsch is having a profound effect on Turkish politics and society,&quot; Steinmeier said. 
 
He said Germany was continuing to call on Turkey to exercise restraint in its response to the thwarted coup. 
 
&quot;Only provable involvement in illegal acts, not suspected political leanings, should trigger governmental action,&quot; Steinmeier said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s also critical that the declaration of emergency be restricted to only the necessary duration and then be ended as quickly as possible,&quot; he said. 
 
Steinmeier said such an approach was in the interest of Turkey itself, since anything else would tear the country apart and weaken Turkey both internally and externally. 
 
(Reuters)

The German foreign minister urged the Turkish government to maintain the rule of law and a sense of proportionality in response to the coup

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday urged Turkey to restrict the state of emergency imposed after a failed coup attempt to only the truly necessary length of time and to end the measure as quickly as possible. Steinmeier issued a statement late on Wednesday in response to the declaration of emergency rule, urging the Turkish government to maintain both the rule of law and a sense of proportionality in its response to the coup attempt. "The declaration of a state of emergency makes it clear once again: the attempted putsch is having a profound effect on Turkish politics and society," Steinmeier said. He said Germany was continuing to call on Turkey to exercise restraint in its response to the thwarted coup. "Only provable involvement in illegal acts, not suspected political leanings, should trigger governmental action," Steinmeier said. "It's also critical that the declaration of emergency be restricted to only the necessary duration and then be ended as quickly as possible," he said. Steinmeier said such an approach was in the interest of Turkey itself, since anything else would tear the country apart and weaken Turkey both internally and externally. (Reuters)

Germany urges swift end to emergency in Turkey

US President Barack Obama today convened a situation room meeting with his top national security advisers to discuss the aftermath of the failed coup in Turkey, the White House said today. 
 
&quot;The President will convene a meeting with his national security and broader foreign policy team to update him on the situation in Turkey,&quot; the White House said in a brief update of Obama&#39;s daily schedule. 
 
The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has survived the coup but the situation remains tense as the violence has killed over 250 people (according to PTI). The Turkish government, however, has put the toll at 161.&nbsp; 
 
During the coup, Obama offered support for Turkey&#39;s &quot;democratically elected government&quot; and urged all sides to &quot;avoid any violence or bloodshed.&quot; 
 
But there were rising concerns of a government crackdown on Erdogan&#39;s opponents. 
 
Even before the violent coup attempt, Obama had expressed concern over Erdogan&#39;s handling of the media and the rule of law. 
 
(PTI)

Obama offered support for Turkey's 'democratically elected government' and urged all sides to 'avoid any violence or bloodshed'

US President Barack Obama today convened a situation room meeting with his top national security advisers to discuss the aftermath of the failed coup in Turkey, the White House said today. "The President will convene a meeting with his national security and broader foreign policy team to update him on the situation in Turkey," the White House said in a brief update of Obama's daily schedule. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has survived the coup but the situation remains tense as the violence has killed over 250 people (according to PTI). The Turkish government, however, has put the toll at 161. During the coup, Obama offered support for Turkey's "democratically elected government" and urged all sides to "avoid any violence or bloodshed." But there were rising concerns of a government crackdown on Erdogan's opponents. Even before the violent coup attempt, Obama had expressed concern over Erdogan's handling of the media and the rule of law. (PTI)

US President Obama convenes national security meeting amid Turkey unrest

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday ruled out a reconciliation with Egypt despite a diplomatic blitz that has seen Ankara mend fences with Russia and Israel. 
 
Ties between Turkey and Egypt ruptured in 2013 after the military ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Erdogan&#39;s AKP government. 
 
Observers had suggested a rapprochement may be on the cards after last week saw Turkey restore ties with Russia and Israel following bitter diplomatic rows, seeking to boost trade and shore up its regional clout. 
 
But Erdogan said Tuesday that a thaw with Egypt&#39;s &quot;oppressive regime&quot; should not be expected any time soon. 
 
&quot;The context with Egypt is different from the approaches undertaken with Russia and Israel,&quot; the Turkish strongman told journalists in comments cited by Dogan news agency. 
 
He stressed that Turkey&#39;s dispute was with Egypt&#39;s government, not its people, and repeated his condemnation of the crackdown on Morsi&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood. 
 
&quot;Sentences handed down to Morsi and his friends have been based on fabrications,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;These people are our brothers, we cannot accept these decisions by an oppressive regime.&quot; 
 
Erdogan has previously condemned the &quot;coup&quot; against Morsi, and in a show of solidarity at rallies, he often uses a four-finger hand gesture known as &quot;Rabia&quot;, seen as a symbol of the Muslim Brotherhood. 
 
Saudi Arabia, an increasingly close Turkish ally that is one of the main backers of Egypt&#39;s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is keen to see the two nations reconcile. 
 
(AFP)

Ties between Turkey and Egypt ruptured in 2013 after the military ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday ruled out a reconciliation with Egypt despite a diplomatic blitz that has seen Ankara mend fences with Russia and Israel. Ties between Turkey and Egypt ruptured in 2013 after the military ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Erdogan's AKP government. Observers had suggested a rapprochement may be on the cards after last week saw Turkey restore ties with Russia and Israel following bitter diplomatic rows, seeking to boost trade and shore up its regional clout. But Erdogan said Tuesday that a thaw with Egypt's "oppressive regime" should not be expected any time soon. "The context with Egypt is different from the approaches undertaken with Russia and Israel," the Turkish strongman told journalists in comments cited by Dogan news agency. He stressed that Turkey's dispute was with Egypt's government, not its people, and repeated his condemnation of the crackdown on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. "Sentences handed down to Morsi and his friends have been based on fabrications," he said. "These people are our brothers, we cannot accept these decisions by an oppressive regime." Erdogan has previously condemned the "coup" against Morsi, and in a show of solidarity at rallies, he often uses a four-finger hand gesture known as "Rabia", seen as a symbol of the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, an increasingly close Turkish ally that is one of the main backers of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is keen to see the two nations reconcile. (AFP)

Turkey's Erdogan rules out Egypt thaw

Six years after a deadly raid on an aid flotilla soured relations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday lauded a highly anticipated deal reached the previous day to restore ties with Turkey. 
 
Netanyahu, speaking after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome, said the agreement would have major implications for the Israeli economy, with his country seeking export partners for its natural gas. &nbsp;&quot;I think it&#39;s an important step here to normalise relations,&quot; Netanyahu told reporters. 
 
He described it as having &quot;immense implications for the Israeli economy, and I use that word advisedly&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I mean positive, immense implications,&quot; he said. 
 
Kerry also hailed the deal as a &quot;positive step&quot;. 
 
&#39;The deal represents a diplomatic victory for Turkey&#39; &nbsp; 
Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim were scheduled to hold separate press conferences in Rome and Ankara on the deal at 1000 GMT.&nbsp; 
 
A senior Turkish official also confirmed the agreement, saying in a reference to the Israeli raid that it &quot;represents a diplomatic victory for Turkey, which assumed a principled and determined stance after the Mavi Marmara attack.&quot; 
 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas spoke on phone last night, with the Turkish leader explaining the agreement`s main points, a statement from the Palestinian presidency said. 
 
Erdogan also met with Doha-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Friday in anticipation of the agreement. 
 
Both Israel, Turkey were pushing to complete the deal &nbsp; 
Both sides have been pushing to complete the deal in recent months, with Israel in search of a potential customer for its offshore gas exports and NATO member Turkey wanting to restore its regional clout, analysts say. 
 
The United States has also pushed for the two countries to resolve the dispute as it seeks cooperation in the fight against extremists from the Islamic State group.&nbsp; 
 
Previously close relations between Israel and Turkey were significantly downgraded after Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla in May 2010 as it tried to run the blockade on the Gaza Strip. 
 
Nine activists aboard the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara ferry were killed, with a 10th person later dying of his wounds. All of those killed were Turkish nationals. 
 
 
Deal evokes mixed responses in Israel 
Within Israel, the deal was given a mixed response, with one newspaper quoting a soldier from the Mavi Marmara raid as saying &quot;it&#39;s nothing less than spitting in our face.&quot; 
 
The deal includes Israel paying some $20 million into a fund for compensation for the Turkish victims&#39; families.&nbsp;&quot;We were sent to stop a terrorist flotilla. That was the mission,&quot; Maariv quoted the anonymous soldier as saying. 
 
&quot;How is it possible today to pay compensation to terrorists who tried to murder us on board the ship? What message does that send to the rest of the troops?&quot; The deal is to result in the restoration of ambassadors, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity. 
 
The talking point: Hamas and Gaza&nbsp; 
Two of Turkey&#39;s key conditions for normalisation &ndash; &nbsp;an apology and compensation &ndash; were largely met earlier, leaving its third demand, that Israel lift its blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, the main obstacle.Reports in recent days described a compromise on the issue.&nbsp; 
 
Under the reported terms of the deal, Israel will allow the completion of a much-needed hospital in Gaza, as well as the construction of a new power station and a desalination plant for drinking water. 
 
Turkey&#39;s aid to Gaza would also be channelled through the Israeli port of Ashdod rather than sending it directly to the Palestinian enclave, the reports said. 
 
Turkey has also committed to keeping Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, from carrying out activities against Israel from its country, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Sunday. 
 
Hamas would continue to be able to operate from Turkey for diplomatic purposes, the paper said. 
 
Netanyahu has also come under pressure within Israel not to agree to the deal if it does not include provisions for Hamas to hand over four missing Israelis, including the remains of two soldiers presumed dead and two civilians believed held alive by Hamas in Gaza.&nbsp; 
 
The Israeli official said Erdogan agreed to instruct &quot;all relevant Turkish agencies to help resolve the issue of Israel`s missing citizens.&quot; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The US also pushed the two countries to resolve the dispute as it seeks cooperation from both in the fight against Islamic State

Six years after a deadly raid on an aid flotilla soured relations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday lauded a highly anticipated deal reached the previous day to restore ties with Turkey. Netanyahu, speaking after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome, said the agreement would have major implications for the Israeli economy, with his country seeking export partners for its natural gas. "I think it's an important step here to normalise relations," Netanyahu told reporters. He described it as having "immense implications for the Israeli economy, and I use that word advisedly". "I mean positive, immense implications," he said. Kerry also hailed the deal as a "positive step". 'The deal represents a diplomatic victory for Turkey' Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim were scheduled to hold separate press conferences in Rome and Ankara on the deal at 1000 GMT. A senior Turkish official also confirmed the agreement, saying in a reference to the Israeli raid that it "represents a diplomatic victory for Turkey, which assumed a principled and determined stance after the Mavi Marmara attack." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas spoke on phone last night, with the Turkish leader explaining the agreement`s main points, a statement from the Palestinian presidency said. Erdogan also met with Doha-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Friday in anticipation of the agreement. Both Israel, Turkey were pushing to complete the deal Both sides have been pushing to complete the deal in recent months, with Israel in search of a potential customer for its offshore gas exports and NATO member Turkey wanting to restore its regional clout, analysts say. The United States has also pushed for the two countries to resolve the dispute as it seeks cooperation in the fight against extremists from the Islamic State group. Previously close relations between Israel and Turkey were significantly downgraded after Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla in May 2010 as it tried to run the blockade on the Gaza Strip. Nine activists aboard the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara ferry were killed, with a 10th person later dying of his wounds. All of those killed were Turkish nationals. Deal evokes mixed responses in Israel Within Israel, the deal was given a mixed response, with one newspaper quoting a soldier from the Mavi Marmara raid as saying "it's nothing less than spitting in our face." The deal includes Israel paying some $20 million into a fund for compensation for the Turkish victims' families. "We were sent to stop a terrorist flotilla. That was the mission," Maariv quoted the anonymous soldier as saying. "How is it possible today to pay compensation to terrorists who tried to murder us on board the ship? What message does that send to the rest of the troops?" The deal is to result in the restoration of ambassadors, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity. The talking point: Hamas and Gaza Two of Turkey's key conditions for normalisation – an apology and compensation – were largely met earlier, leaving its third demand, that Israel lift its blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, the main obstacle.Reports in recent days described a compromise on the issue. Under the reported terms of the deal, Israel will allow the completion of a much-needed hospital in Gaza, as well as the construction of a new power station and a desalination plant for drinking water. Turkey's aid to Gaza would also be channelled through the Israeli port of Ashdod rather than sending it directly to the Palestinian enclave, the reports said. Turkey has also committed to keeping Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, from carrying out activities against Israel from its country, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Sunday. Hamas would continue to be able to operate from Turkey for diplomatic purposes, the paper said. Netanyahu has also come under pressure within Israel not to agree to the deal if it does not include provisions for Hamas to hand over four missing Israelis, including the remains of two soldiers presumed dead and two civilians believed held alive by Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli official said Erdogan agreed to instruct "all relevant Turkish agencies to help resolve the issue of Israel`s missing citizens." (AFP)

Restoration of ties with Turkey to have positive implications on Israel's economy: Netanyahu

As he battles to cling to power as the leader of Turkey&#39;s nationalist opposition, Devlet Bahceli is arguably more important to the future of Turkish politics than ever before. 
 
The 68-year-old, who took over the leadership of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in 1997, has done little to move it from the political margins ever since. The party&#39;s popularity has hence been declining over the years despite growing nationalist sentiment. 
 
But as he fights an increasingly bitter leadership challenge in the twilight of his career, Bahceli has been thrust centre stage in the main political saga of the day: President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s effort to accumulate greater powers. 
 
Should he stay, support for the MHP could drop to the point that it is forced from parliament, all but guaranteeing Erdogan the backing he needs for a referendum on changing the constitution and forging a stronger presidency. 
 
Should he be ousted, his main rival, Meral Aksener, could take over a 59-year-old woman who is seen by pollsters as having the mettle needed to revitalise the MHP and increase its support. That could make Erdogan&#39;s ambitions harder to push through the parliament. 
 
&quot;Some time ago a Bahceli victory was seen as definite, but now every possibility is there,&quot; said one source close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (also known as the AK party), which was founded by Erdogan and is watching the leadership battle in the MHP with increasing trepidation. 
 
Bahceli appears on the back foot. His supporters have tried to block a special party congress called for June 19 by several hundred MHP members at which he could be ousted, but Turkey&#39;s court of appeals has ruled it can go ahead. 
 
Hakan Bayrakci, head of pollster SONAR, said Aksener, who served as interior minister in 1996-97, would have the support of around 750 of the 1,241 delegates, enough to force him out. 
 
But Bahceli&#39;s allies are fighting a rearguard action, launching an investigation by the MHP&#39;s Central Disciplinary Board - which has the power to ban members from the party - into Aksener and three other challengers. 
 
&quot;Our dissident colleagues deserve a punishment for their activities against the party. The board may prevent their candidacy (in a leadership bid),&quot; a senior MHP official said. 
 
Bahceli himself has said the party can go ahead with a congress in July at which he will stand again for the leadership. By then, the disciplinary board may have ruled, but a second Bahceli ally said he would still be taking a risk. 
 
&quot;He risks losing his seat by taking the decision to go to the congress,&quot; the ally said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of undermining Bahceli&#39;s position. 
 
INEVITABLE DESPOTISM 
 
Pollsters estimate that should Bahceli hang on, support for the MHP could drop to below the 10 per cent threshold needed for representation in the parliament, down from a peak of 18 per cent in 1999, and from 12 per cent at the last polls in November. 
 
That could prompt Erdogan to call a parliamentary election and strengthen the majority of the ruling AK Party by enough to guarantee support for a referendum on constitutional change. 
 
Erdogan served as the prime minister until 2014 when he became Turkey&#39;s first directly elected president, with the hope of quickly transforming what had been a largely ceremonial role into one with executive powers. 
 
Even without constitutional change, he has already overhauled the role, regularly chairing cabinet meetings in his new palace and largely ignoring the constitutional requirement for him to renounce his affiliation with the AKP. 
 
Of all Turkey&#39;s opposition parties, the MHP is the most likely to have some sympathy for Erdogan&#39;s ambitions. The AKP also has a deeply nationalist strain, and the two parties have of late been on the same page when it comes to crushing by force a Kurdish militant insurgency in Turkey&#39;s southeast. 
 
Askener is strongly opposed to an executive presidency. But some AKP officials hope that, if she takes over the leadership of the nationalists, angry Bahceli supporters in parliament might retaliate by helping Erdogan enact his changes. 
 
&quot;If Bahceli loses and Aksener gets in ... at least 15 MHP deputies who are unhappy with this may support the presidential system. We have this expectation,&quot; a senior AKP official said. 
 
But, such backing from Bahceli supporters is far from guaranteed. Speaking in parliament last month, Bahceli said a presidential system would inevitably lead to despotism and be costly for Turkey in the long run. 
 
A third senior MHP official said the ruling party was exploiting the leadership battle by suggesting factions within the MHP might support the executive presidency, in a bid to deepen divisions. 
 
&quot;There is no way they can get a brick out of this wall,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Devlet Bahceli, who took over the leadership of the Nationalist Movement Party in 1997, has done little to arrest its declining popularity

As he battles to cling to power as the leader of Turkey's nationalist opposition, Devlet Bahceli is arguably more important to the future of Turkish politics than ever before. The 68-year-old, who took over the leadership of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in 1997, has done little to move it from the political margins ever since. The party's popularity has hence been declining over the years despite growing nationalist sentiment. But as he fights an increasingly bitter leadership challenge in the twilight of his career, Bahceli has been thrust centre stage in the main political saga of the day: President Tayyip Erdogan's effort to accumulate greater powers. Should he stay, support for the MHP could drop to the point that it is forced from parliament, all but guaranteeing Erdogan the backing he needs for a referendum on changing the constitution and forging a stronger presidency. Should he be ousted, his main rival, Meral Aksener, could take over a 59-year-old woman who is seen by pollsters as having the mettle needed to revitalise the MHP and increase its support. That could make Erdogan's ambitions harder to push through the parliament. "Some time ago a Bahceli victory was seen as definite, but now every possibility is there," said one source close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (also known as the AK party), which was founded by Erdogan and is watching the leadership battle in the MHP with increasing trepidation. Bahceli appears on the back foot. His supporters have tried to block a special party congress called for June 19 by several hundred MHP members at which he could be ousted, but Turkey's court of appeals has ruled it can go ahead. Hakan Bayrakci, head of pollster SONAR, said Aksener, who served as interior minister in 1996-97, would have the support of around 750 of the 1,241 delegates, enough to force him out. But Bahceli's allies are fighting a rearguard action, launching an investigation by the MHP's Central Disciplinary Board - which has the power to ban members from the party - into Aksener and three other challengers. "Our dissident colleagues deserve a punishment for their activities against the party. The board may prevent their candidacy (in a leadership bid)," a senior MHP official said. Bahceli himself has said the party can go ahead with a congress in July at which he will stand again for the leadership. By then, the disciplinary board may have ruled, but a second Bahceli ally said he would still be taking a risk. "He risks losing his seat by taking the decision to go to the congress," the ally said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of undermining Bahceli's position. INEVITABLE DESPOTISM Pollsters estimate that should Bahceli hang on, support for the MHP could drop to below the 10 per cent threshold needed for representation in the parliament, down from a peak of 18 per cent in 1999, and from 12 per cent at the last polls in November. That could prompt Erdogan to call a parliamentary election and strengthen the majority of the ruling AK Party by enough to guarantee support for a referendum on constitutional change. Erdogan served as the prime minister until 2014 when he became Turkey's first directly elected president, with the hope of quickly transforming what had been a largely ceremonial role into one with executive powers. Even without constitutional change, he has already overhauled the role, regularly chairing cabinet meetings in his new palace and largely ignoring the constitutional requirement for him to renounce his affiliation with the AKP. Of all Turkey's opposition parties, the MHP is the most likely to have some sympathy for Erdogan's ambitions. The AKP also has a deeply nationalist strain, and the two parties have of late been on the same page when it comes to crushing by force a Kurdish militant insurgency in Turkey's southeast. Askener is strongly opposed to an executive presidency. But some AKP officials hope that, if she takes over the leadership of the nationalists, angry Bahceli supporters in parliament might retaliate by helping Erdogan enact his changes. "If Bahceli loses and Aksener gets in ... at least 15 MHP deputies who are unhappy with this may support the presidential system. We have this expectation," a senior AKP official said. But, such backing from Bahceli supporters is far from guaranteed. Speaking in parliament last month, Bahceli said a presidential system would inevitably lead to despotism and be costly for Turkey in the long run. A third senior MHP official said the ruling party was exploiting the leadership battle by suggesting factions within the MHP might support the executive presidency, in a bid to deepen divisions. "There is no way they can get a brick out of this wall," he said.

Turkish nationalist leader's weakening grip poses challenge for Erdogan