Turkey Police Shutter TV Stations of Government Critics

[Eddie Teach]

That post from Viper was from 2015, if that helps diffuse the situation any.

I'm impressed Berkut can read a dozen words in a nanosecond.

[Valmy]

Berkut doesn't like religion but he doesn't seem to dislike the people. I mean he has noting but contempt for my religion but treats me fine.

Battered much?

Languish and I have always had an abusive relationship

[11B4V]

Berkut doesn't like religion but he doesn't seem to dislike the people. I mean he has noting but contempt for my religion but treats me fine.

So it's not a personal attack then. Just business.

[viper37]

I mean he has noting but contempt for my religion but treats me fine.

yeah, that's reassuring.  A true psycho would make you believe he cares about your religion before slaughtering you.  He's only half pretending.   

[Martinus]

Turkey Police? Is this something Thanksgiving-related?

[Admiral Yi]

Turkey Police? Is this something Thanksgiving-related?

Puerile, but not cunty.  The streak continues.

[Martinus]

Turkey Police? Is this something Thanksgiving-related?

Puerile, but not cunty.  The streak continues.

[Malicious Intent]

What's the reason behind the snap election? I mean, what's Erdogan's excuse? Not that there's anything wrong with Turkey's democracy.

I think there was no stable majority coalition after the last election, so they're having new ones. Escalating the conflict with the Kurds to weaken the Kurdish party which actually made it into parliament last time might help. And he's still looking for a majority to give the office of president more powers (it's meant to be mostly ceremonial).

With the last critical press outlets being forced into submission, the time to neutralize the political opposition has now come. The HDP leadership and a number of MPs have been arrested today.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37868441

[KRonn]

Turkey is sure melting down its democracy and becoming something more like a tyranny. So sad.

[Tamas]

I am still happily riding my "I told you so!" train from, what, 2011?

[Valmy]

That seems like a strange "I told you so!" to be happy about.

[Valmy]

3. This is probably our fault somehow.

You forgot to mention racist Europeans. 

Oh you are right: it is entirely the EU's doing:

"The MPs of the only democratic, truly secular, pro-diversity, pro-women, pro-ecology, pro-LGBT rights, pro-freedom party in Turkey are being arrested. All of this is happening because the EU is selling itself to Turkey. They are all criminals. There is no way left for the Kurds than to defend themselves to the end. Nobody has the right to tell them to refrain from protecting their will and existence. Resistance, resistance, resistance!"
- Dilar Dirik, some kind of Kurdish commentator

You guys are the real criminals here. Stop being so damn pro-Turkish.

No matter what you do somebody in that area will think you probably deserve to die.

[Syt]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/11/03/world/europe/ap-eu-turkey-germany.html

Turkish Leader Slams Germany for Wavering on Extraditions

ISTANBUL — Turkey's president harshly criticized Germany on Thursday, accusing the country of supporting terrorism and slamming comments by Germany's justice minister suggesting that Berlin may not extradite suspects wanted by Turkey in cases it considers politically motivated.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked comments by German Justice Minister Heiko Maas, who said Berlin could refuse to extradite cases related to the "so-called (post-coup) cleansing that is taking place."

Maas was referring to the mass arrests, firings of civil servants and news media closures that have accompanied Turkey's clampdown on the movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey accuses Gulen of masterminding a failed coup in July that left over 270 people dead. Gulen has denied knowledge of the coup attempt.

Slamming Germany's hesitation to return prosecutors suspected of being members of the Gulen movement, Erdogan accused Germany of having "become a shelter" for terrorists and for having no regard for other countries' national security issues.

"You will forever go down in history for supporting terrorism," he declared.

Erdogan also blasted German criticism of the post-coup crackdown.

"The German minister said they were watching the operations against terrorism-supporting newspapers with alarm," he said. "Well, we are watching Germany's stance and its subsequent policies with alarm— no, with horror."

Erdogan's comments come a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Turkey's detention Monday of senior staff at the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, saying the situation was "highly alarming."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he did not "at all" understand Erdogan's comments about Germany supporting terrorism. Speaking Thursday in Berlin, he said Germany's desire to maintain close relations with Turkey "cannot lead us to be shy of speaking our minds if, from our point of view, there is a danger to freedom of the press and opinion."

In addition to demanding the extradition of suspects abroad, Turkey has arrested almost 37,000 people and dismissed or suspended over 100,000 personnel from government jobs.

Opposition parties, human rights groups and international allies have all criticized Ankara for using the failed coup to clamp down not only on alleged coup plotters, but on all government critics including pro-Kurdish and left-wing individuals and media outlets.

Erdogan invited German officials to tour the Turkish Parliament, which was hit by jets on the night of the coup.

"I wonder what they would do if their Parliament had been bombed," he said.

Turkish justice minister Bozdag is meanwhile quoted saying that Germany has no rights to criticize Turkey, that the Turkish justice system is as neutral and independent as the German system, and that the rights of Turks in Germany only exist on paper ("If you're a Turk in Germany, you have no rights at all!")

[Valmy]

"I wonder what they would do if their Parliament had been bombed," he said.

Well last time they gave total power over to a fascist dictator. That has generally been considered a bad idea. Just saying Turkey.

[Duque de Bragança]

3. This is probably our fault somehow.

You forgot to mention racist Europeans. 

Oh you are right: it is entirely the EU's doing:

"The MPs of the only democratic, truly secular, pro-diversity, pro-women, pro-ecology, pro-LGBT rights, pro-freedom party in Turkey are being arrested. All of this is happening because the EU is selling itself to Turkey. They are all criminals. There is no way left for the Kurds than to defend themselves to the end. Nobody has the right to tell them to refrain from protecting their will and existence. Resistance, resistance, resistance!"
- Dilar Dirik, some kind of Kurdish commentator

You guys are the real criminals here. Stop being so damn pro-Turkish.

No matter what you do somebody in that area will think you probably deserve to die.

Both Turcophobic and pro-Turkish: brilliant!