Turkey's Presidential Takeover?

[CountDeMoney]

I think the Russian government is basically run like SPECTRE.  But with less cat stroking.

YOU DONT KNOW THAT FOR SURE

[mongers]

Not sure where to post this, as it could equally be in the Charlie Hebdou thread or the one about the attack in Denmark, but I think it belongs here because of the 'target'.

This guy is an acquaintance of mine, I haven't seen or heard about him in a while, but given Erdogen's growing authoritarianism I think it's appropriate to commend him here for advocating free speech in a difficult environment and for standing up to a tyrant.

Worth a read and I think Wiki gives a fair summing up of events:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dickinson_(artist)

.....
Turkish court case[edit]

In June 2006, Istanbul police removed one of Dickinson's collages from a show in the city organised by the Global Peace and Justice Coalition.[2] Dickinson states that he hung his work in the show unknown to the organisers.[5] The collage showed the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan as a dog being presented with a rosette by President Bush in a pet show.[2] He was informed by Turkish authorities that he would be prosecuted for "insulting the Prime Minister's dignity"; the charge carries a sentence of one to three years.[6]

Best in Show collage by Michael Dickinson showing Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan as a dog given a rosette by US President George Bush

The Times said: "The case could greatly embarrass Turkey and Britain, for it raises questions about Turkey's human rights record as it seeks EU membership, with Tony Blair's backing."[2] Charles Thomson, co-founder of the Stuckist movement, wrote to British Prime Minister Tony Blair asking for his intervention:[7] "It is intolerable that a country applying for EU membership should censor freedom of political comment in this way. I trust you will communicate your strongest condemnation and ask for this case to be abandoned immediately. I ask for your assurance that you will oppose Turkish EU membership in the strongest terms, until Turkey adopts the attitudes of the civilised world towards human rights."[8] Dickinson said: "It's such an Alice in Wonderland feeling. The law is so absurd ... This law exists in Turkey about insulting 'Turkishness' or the State. You're not allowed to state your opinion."[2]

In September 2006, Dickinson attended the trial of Erkan Kara, organiser of the Global Peace and Justice Coalition show, charged with insulting behaviour for exhibiting Dickinson's work. The prosecutor described Dickinson as "ill-intentioned", but declined to bring a case because of "lack of evidence".[5] Hasan Gungor of the Istanbul-based group, Initiative for Freedom of Speech, attributed this to fear of international news, when the European Union has concerns over freedom of speech in Turkey.[5]

Good Boy by Michael Dickinson. He was prosecuted for its display.

Members of Global Peace and Justic Coalition remonstrated with Dickinson for distracting attention from their anti-Iraq War cause, and he then held up another collage showing Erdogan as a dog with a lead of the stars and stripes; he was arrested and charged with insulting the Turkish prime minister's dignity[5] with a trial date scheduled for October 2007.[9] He was then held for ten days, three in prison and seven in the Detention Centre for Foreigners.[10] During his transfer between facilities, he attempted to escape, but was shot at by a policeman, who recaptured him.[11]

In July 2007, Dickinson's collages were displayed at the A Gallery, London, in the Stuckist show I Won't Have Sex with You as long as We're Married.[12]

On 25 September 2008, he was acquitted of any crime, the judge ruling that although there were "some insulting elements" in his collage, it fell "within the limits of criticism".[1] The case has favourable implications for Turkey's relationship with the European Union, which had called for an improvement of its human rights record.[1] Dickinson said, "I am lucky to be acquitted. There are still artists in Turkey facing prosecution and being sentenced for their opinions."[1]

In June 2009, Dickinson fled Turkey for his native country, Britain, after learning that his acquittal had been overturned. Unable to find work, he returned to Istanbul soon after. In January 2010, a Turkish court convicted Dickinson of mocking the Turkish prime minister and levied a fine. Refusing to pay the fine as a matter of principle, Dickinson faces up to two years in prison.[13] His final sentencing will occur at a trial on 9 March 2010.

Dickinson's application for a residence permit was refused due to his 2010 conviction, but he remained in the country after the expiry of his tourist visa. He was arrested in October 2013 for shouting Gezi Park-related slogans at police, and detained after his expired visa was discovered. He was deported after some days (and banned from returning for five years), choosing to go to Barcelona rather than his native Britain.[14]
......

Best in Show collage by Michael Dickinson showing Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan as a dog given a rosette by US President George Bush

Good Boy by Michael Dickinson. He was prosecuted for its display.

[grumbler]

I can see why Michael Dickinson can't find work as an artist.  Those things are atrocious.

[KRonn]

Was Turkey represented in the march in Paris with all those other world leaders? So ironic that in many of those countries that took part in that event, they clamp down on free speech.

[Duque de Bragança]

Yep, with the Turkish PM. Even Orban was there, along with Lavrov and some kleptocrats. 

[mongers]

Was Turkey represented in the march in Paris with all those other world leaders? So ironic that in many of those countries that took part in that event, they clamp down on free speech.

Yes, which is why I posted the link, as he's directly challenged the growing authoritarianism of the president; you or I don't have to agree with the content of his art or what public issues he's highlighting, but it does seem a good test of the limits to free speech there.

[CountDeMoney]

I can see why Michael Dickinson can't find work as an artist.  Those things are atrocious.

Remember Art class in elementary school, where the teacher brought out a bunch of magazines, scissors and Elmer's glue so everybody could make collages?  That was better.

[mongers]

I can see why Michael Dickinson can't find work as an artist.  Those things are atrocious.

He swings, he misses.

Good job you're not the sole arbiter of taste in the world.

For the record, for the short time he was back in the UK he was homeless so didn't have access to a studio or much change of doing more works.

[mongers]

Yep, with the Turkish PM. Even Orban was there, among with Lavrov and some kleptocrats 

Yeah, that was a pretty bad showing, I guess the French thought presenting a united international community was worth those compromises.

[CountDeMoney]

He swings, he misses.

Good job you're not the sole arbiter of taste in the world.

For the record, for the short time he was back in the UK he was homeless so didn't have access to a studio or much change of doing more works.

I like the Corgi in the picture with Dubya, and obvious reference to the UK as the US's "lap dog".  Woof.

[KRonn]

Yep, with the Turkish PM. Even Orban was there, among with Lavrov and some kleptocrats 

Yeah, that was a pretty bad showing, I guess the French thought presenting a united international community was worth those compromises.

Yeah, I'd say it was at least effective in that it spoke against the Islamic extremism, so it's better that nations and leaders made the statements. Maybe the irony/hypocrisy won't be so lost on them, and begin to open some views a bit as well on freedoms.

[Razgovory]

I can see why Michael Dickinson can't find work as an artist.  Those things are atrocious.

He swings, he misses.

Good job you're not the sole arbiter of taste in the world.

For the record, for the short time he was back in the UK he was homeless so didn't have access to a studio or much change of doing more works.

I hate to agree with Grumbler, but that is terrible.

[Eddie Teach]

He swings, he misses.

Good job you're not the sole arbiter of taste in the world.

For the record, for the short time he was back in the UK he was homeless so didn't have access to a studio or much change of doing more works.

Talk about damning with faint praise, given my level of art appreciation is "Ug likes picture/ Ug doesn't like picture"

If those are the kind of pictures Ug likes, he should keep it to himself. 

[Syt]

http://news.yahoo.com/brawl-turkey-parliament-puts-focus-erdogan-power-plays-145801472.html

Brawl in Turkey parliament puts focus on Erdogan power plays

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Chairs flew and lawmakers traded punches. A brawl in Parliament over a new security bill has forced the spotlight on mounting suspicions that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's real goal is to hand himself more tools to crush dissent.

Five lawmakers were injured early Wednesday in the fight that broke out as opposition leaders tried to delay a debate on the legislation.

The government says the measures to give police heightened powers to break up demonstrations are aimed at preventing violence such as the deadly clashes that broke out last year between Kurds, supporters of an Islamist group and police. Critics say that the new measures are part of a steady march toward blocking mass demonstrations that threaten Erdogan's iron grip over Turkish politics.

The bill would expand police rights to use firearms, allow them to search people or vehicles without a court order and detain people for up to 48 hours without prosecutor authorization. Police would also be permitted to use firearms against demonstrators who hurl Molotov cocktails. Demonstrators who cover their faces with masks or scarves during violent demonstrations could face four years in prison.

Crucially, the measures would give governors — not just prosecutors and judges — the right to order arrests.

In defending the bill, Erdogan said it was "aimed at protecting social order and social peace." Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu dismissed accusations that the measures will violate civil liberties, saying the goal is to protect society: "No one will be able to demonstrate with Molotov cocktails," he said over the weekend.

Metin Feyzioglu, the head of the Turkish Bar Association, said that giving local governors even limited powers to order arrests without going court orders is tantamount to martial law. "This is an extremely dangerous development," he said.

In recent years, Turkey has curbed media freedoms, cracked down on critical social media postings and prosecuted hundreds of people who took part in violent mass protests against the government in 2013 that centered on Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Square. In one case, Turkish prosecutors are seeking possible jail time for a former television presenter who posted a tweet suggesting a cover-up in a government corruption scandal. A Turkish schoolboy was also charged for publicly criticizing Erdogan over the scandal — falling afoul of a law against insulting the president.

"Erdogan is aware that he is not going to be able to achieve his goals through purely democratic means," said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based analyst with the Institute for Security and Development Policy. "If you are trying to stop people from expressing their opinions, it is a sign that you are not accountable."

The government has even extended its crackdown to sporting events, mindful of the outsized role that soccer fans from some Istanbul professional teams played in the Gezi protests. Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for dozens of fans from one club, Besiktas, on charges that they helped organize the protests as part of a coup.

Under regulations that went into effect last year, fans are required to register personal details in advance, including their government ID number and preferred team, before they can buy a ticket. The government says that the regulations, which were written before the protests, are solely aimed at preventing hooliganism — but fans are suspicious of such claims.

"There is the perception that the aim is to keep track of people," said Bagis Erten, a sports analyst and production manager of Eurosport Turkey.

The government says that the new security law was crafted to conform to European norms. But the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights criticized the bill, saying that it increased the likelihood of police human rights violations.

"I therefore urge the Turkish Parliament to reconsider the current proposals in the light of relevant international standards," Nils Muiznieks said in a statement.

Opposition parties have vowed to obstruct the bill by submitting hundreds of proposed amendments. The beginning of debate was scheduled for Tuesday, but after hours of delay, fighting broke out during a closed-door session after opposition parties submitted several unrelated motions in their bid to hamper the bill.

Lawmakers threw chairs and two legislators were hit with the gavel. Two legislators were hospitalized, with three others treated in the parliamentary infirmary.

Kurdish lawmakers say they fear the new measures could be aimed at repressing Kurdish demonstrators. If passed, they warn it could jeopardize ongoing peace talks between the government and a Kurdish militant group.

"We will do all in our power to stop the bill," said pro-Kurdish party leader Selahattin Demirtas. "We will act together with all opposition legislators and cause a gridlock in parliament that will last for months."

But few believe the opposition effort will succeed: Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party has a strong majority in Parliament — and is likely to eventually find a way to ram through the bill.

Erdogan giving more power to the regional governors? Will fear keep the local cities in line?

Also, buying football tickets sounds like a nightmare.

[Duque de Bragança]

http://news.yahoo.com/brawl-turkey-parliament-puts-focus-erdogan-power-plays-145801472.html




Also, buying football tickets sounds like a nightmare.

Well, Turkish football fans had it coming. Well known supporters' groups of the four big Turkish clubs Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor (three of Istanbul, one of Trabzon/Trebizond) were part of the Gezi/Taksim demonstrations. Quite a feat for Erdogan to unite them.