Twitter user known by the pseudonym Fuat Avni, who has revealed many government-backed police operations and shady plans to the public, has claimed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ordered a plot that aims to show the faith-based Gülen movement linked to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Erdoğan hires two California PR firms to fight against Gülen movement
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has enlisted two California PR firms in its fight against the faith-based Gülen movement, according to a report on the politico.com news portal on Monday.
Politico said the government of Erdoğan hired the firms “in its crusade against a Pennsylvania-based religious leader,” referring to Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen who inspired the Gülen movement, which is also known as Hizmet movement.
AK Party deputy admits gov’t control over legislative, judicial, executive powers
In a statement that came as a confirmation of claims suggesting that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is eroding the principle of the separation of powers, a deputy from the AK Party has said his government has control over the legislative, judicial and executive branches.
Pro-gov’t journalist joins Hürriyet daily’s ranks
Journalist Abdülkadir Selvi who was the Ankara bureau chief of the pro-government Yeni Şafak daily has joined the Hürriyet daily’s ranks as a columnist.
The Hürriyet daily announced the news from its front-page in its Sunday edition. “Veteran journalist at Hürriyet,” said the daily referring to Selvi. Hürriyet said Selvi’s first column at Hürriyet will be published on Monday.
OSCE calls on Turkey not to prosecute journalists for their reporting
On the eve of the trial in Turkey of Cumhuriyet daily journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, a representative from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday called on the Turkish authorities not to prosecute them for their reporting on issues of public interest.
News manager of pro-gov’t Yeni Akit appointed as new Zaman editor-in-chief
News manager of a staunchly pro-government newspaper, Yeni Akit, Kenan Kıran has been appointed as the new editor-in-chief of Turkey’s Zaman newspaper, which was Turkey’s best-selling paper until it was seized in a government-backed operation on March 4.After the news broke in the social media, Kıran introduced himself as “Zaman daily editor-in-chief” in his Twitter bio on Wednesday.In a Twitter message following his appointment, Kıran wrote: “There will be special news coverage about Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure in Zaman. Facts will be understood in ‘Zaman’,” referring to the Turkish meaning of Zaman, time.
Pro-gov’t daily claims Gülen bribed Obama, Clinton, members of US Congress
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government mouthpiece Star daily has claimed that Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen bribed US politicians including US President Barack Obama and Democrat Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as well as 200 members of the US Congress to gain political favors from the US government.
Draft law allowing profiling of citizens passes in parliament
The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM)The draft law on the Protection of Personal Data — which envisages granting sweeping new powers to the intelligence services allowing them to process and archive personal data and threatens the flow of data between Turkey and the EU, has been accepted in parliament.
Pro-gov’t media accuses prosecutor Bharara of being part of “parallel structure”
Several pro-government newspapers have ran stories in which they accused the US attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara as being part of a “parallel structure,” a derogatory term used for the faith-based Gülen movement, after the prosecutor came to public attention last week for bringing charges against a controversial Turkish-Iranian businessman, Reza Zarrab.
Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Akarçeşme fired by trustees after takeover
Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Sevgi Akarçeşme has announced that she was fired by trustees who took over the management of the Feza Media Group on March 4 as part of a government crackdown on the critical media.“The trustee administration fired me on March 16 from Today’s Zaman. From day one I had called them illegitimate. No different than looters!” Akarçeşme tweeted on Monday.
