http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25437624
QuoteTurkey PM Erdogan condemns 'dirty' corruption probe
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a corruption inquiry as a "dirty operation" against his government.
Some 52 people - including three sons of cabinet ministers - were arrested in dawn raids on Tuesday in connection with a high-profile bribery inquiry.
Five police chiefs who oversaw raids in Istanbul and Ankara were sacked for "abuse of office", Mr Erdogan said.
"We will not allow political plotting," the prime minister said.
However, the deputy prime minister promised not to stand in the way of the judicial process.
"We will always respect any decision made by the judiciary and will not engage in any effort to block this process," Bulent Arinc said.
Commentators in Turkey believe the arrests - and subsequent firings - are evidence of a new dramatic fault-line in Turkish politics, one within the AK Party itself, the BBC's James Reynolds reports.
The feud is believed to involve supporters of Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in self-imposed exile in the US who once backed the ruling AK Party, helping it to victory in three elections since 2002.
Members of Mr Gulen's Hizmet movement are said to hold influential positions in institutions such as the police, the judiciary and the AK Party itself.
In recent months, the alliance began to come apart and in November the government discussed closing down private schools, including those run by Hizmet.
Mr Gulen has been living in the US since 1999, when he was accused in Turkey of plotting against the secular state.
'Abuse of powers'
The five police commissioners sacked include the heads of the financial crime and organised crime units, who were both involved in the earlier arrests, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports.
Also dismissed were the heads of the smuggling unit, the anti-terrorism branch and the public security branch, the paper says.
In a brief statement, the police said they had reassigned some staff, in some cases due to alleged misconduct and others "out of administrative necessity".
The mass arrests were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders.
The sons of Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar were among those detained.
Police also raided the Ankara headquarters of one of Turkey's biggest banks, state-run lender Halkbank, and the headquarters of a large construction company owned by tycoon Ali Agaoglu.
Police searching the home of detained Halkbank general manager Suleyman Aslan have found $4.5m (£2.7m; 3.2m euros) in cash hidden in shoe boxes in his library, Turkey's Dogan news agency reports.
The arrests were made as part of three separate investigations, according to Hurriyet
- An inquiry into allegations of a crime ring involving Azeri businessman Reza Zarrab (arrested), in which cabinet ministers were bribed in order to cover suspicious money transactions to Iran through Halkbank, and to obtain Turkish citizenship
- An inquiry into Abdullah Oguz Bayraktar (arrested), son of the environment minister, on suspicion that he set up a crime ring and accepted bribes from major firms in exchange for construction permits in areas under the ministry's supervision
- An inquiry into allegations that protected areas of Istanbul's Fatih district were developed illegally in return for bribes and that district mayor Mustafa Demir (arrested) allowed the construction of a hotel, ignoring negative reports from engineers and state institutions
There was no response to the allegations by those arrested.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25439839
QuoteTurkey's PM Erdogan faces threat from wounded ally
One Sunday in mid-June, my colleagues and I spent three hours trying to get out of a rally held in Istanbul by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Our car got stuck behind dozens of buses organised by Mr Erdogan's supporters.
They had been able to call in tens of thousands of demonstrators from across the country - and drive them to and from the rally.
At this point, it became clear that the prime minister would defeat protesters who had taken over Istanbul's Gezi Park.
The protesters were angry. But the prime minister was organised. In Turkey, organisation wins.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan now finds himself facing an opponent who is just as organised as he is: Fethullah Gulen.
The struggle between the two men poses a threat to Mr Erdogan's undeclared ambition to run for the presidency in 2014.
Fethullah Gulen is an Islamic scholar who founded an influential social and cultural network which now includes more than 900 schools in Turkey.
Mr Gulen himself has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999. His followers hold senior positions in the Turkish police and judiciary.
For years, the Gulenist movement worked alongside Recep Tayyip Erdogan's alliance of the working class and religious and business communities.
This broad alliance won Mr Erdogan three general elections.
The Gulen movement's loyalists formed their own informal faction within the ruling AK Party.
In recent years, the Gulenists helped the prime minister to reduce the power of the armed forces.
But, during the Gezi Park protests in June, differences between Mr Erdogan and the Gulenist movement began to emerge.
Mr Gulen's supporters accused the prime minister of governing in an authoritarian manner - a charge Mr Erdogan dismissed.
Then, in November, the government announced plans to get rid of private schools which help students to prepare for university exams, including those run by Mr Gulen's movement.
This began the period of open conflict between allies of the prime minister and those loyal to Fethullah Gulen.
On 17 December, the police carried out dawn raids against leading businessmen and allies of the prime minister.
Many here believe that these raids were orchestrated by Gulenists in the police and the judiciary.
In June 2013, Recep Tayyip Erdogan survived the challenge posed by opposition demonstrators.
But this time the challenge comes from a much more organised opponent - whose ultimate goal remains unclear.
Fetullah Gülen is described in German media as a devout, humble preacher who calls for a dialogue between religions and puts a strong emphasis on education and performance of the individual. He's been quoted as calling for the building of more schools, not mosques.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25516449
QuoteDefiant Turkish PM Erdogan in major reshuffle
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a major cabinet reshuffle after three ministerial resignations over a corruption inquiry.
Mr Erdogan named 10 new ministers - almost half of his total roster - after talks with President Abdullah Gul.
One of those who quit, Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar, had urged Mr Erdogan to step down himself.
Police are investigating allegations of illicit money transfers to Iran and bribery for construction projects.
Mr Bayraktar, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Interior Minister Muammer Guler quit after their sons were taken into custody.
All three deny any wrongdoing.
In Istanbul, protesters held a street rally against corruption in the government. There were reports of clashes with riot police late on Wednesday evening.
'Foreign plot'
Mr Erdogan submitted the new cabinet line-up to President Gul late on Wednesday.
Among those who lost his job was EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis.
He is accused of being involved in the corruption scandal - but has not been detained or formally charged.
Mr Bayraktar earlier urged the prime minister to resign too.
He insisted that "a great proportion" of construction projects that were under investigation were approved by the prime minister himself, adding: "I want to express my belief that the esteemed prime minister should also resign."
But Mr Erdogan has described the police investigation as a "dirty game". He said it was a plot by foreign and Turkish forces to discredit his government ahead of local elections in March.
But in a further blow to Mr Erdogan, MP and former interior minister Idris Naim Sahin said he was resigning from the ruling AK Party.
'Cash in shoe boxes'
The sons of Mr Caglayan and Mr Guler, along with the chief executive officer of the state-run bank Halkbank, are among 24 people who have been arrested on bribery charges.
Mr Bayraktar's son was detained as part of the inquiry but later released from custody.
Media reports say police seized $4.5m (£2.75m; 3.29m euros) in cash that was stashed in shoe boxes in the home of the bank's CEO, while more than $1m in cash was reportedly discovered in the home of Mr Guler's son, Baris.
Commentators believe the scandal stems from a power struggle between Mr Erdogan's government and an influential US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who is said to have many followers within Turkey's police and judiciary.
Supporters regard the Hizmet movement inspired by Mr Gulen as the benign, modern face of Islam, but critics question its motives.
Mr Gulen, who has denied any involvement in the investigation, left Turkey in 1999 after being accused by the then government of plotting to establish an Islamic state. He was cleared of that charge but has never returned to Turkey and now lives in Pennsylvania.
The government has dismissed dozens of police officials who were either involved in the investigation or thought to be linked to Mr Gulen.
Journalists have been prevented from entering police buildings, leading to claims that the government is trying to impede the investigation.
According to German paper Die Zeit, Erdogan accused Zionists, the media, the internet and Lufthansa (who are jealous of Istanbul's rising importance as air traffic hub) of being behind this supposed corruptoin scandal.
I'm sure that Erdogan will be appointing himself president-for-life in pretty short order.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkish-authorities-purge-regulators-state-tv-employees-in-backlash-against-graft-probe/2014/01/18/a2132546-8079-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html?tid=hpModule_04941f10-8a79-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e
QuoteTurkish authorities purge regulators, state TV employees in backlash against graft probe
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has extended a purge of official organizations to the banking and telecommunications regulators and state television, firing dozens of executives in moves that appear to broaden Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's push back against a corruption investigation.
The authorities had previously reassigned thousands of police officers and about 20 prosecutors and fired some state TV officials in response to the graft probe, the biggest challenge to Erdogan's 11-year rule.
Investigators are believed to have been looking into allegations of corruption and bribery involving trade in gold with Iran and big real estate projects, although full details of their charges have not been made public.
The prime minister says the investigations, which began a month ago with arrests of high-profile figures including the sons of three of his cabinet ministers, are part of an attempted "judicial coup."
His opponents say they fear a purge of official bodies will destroy the independence of the judiciary, police and media.
"It's like reformatting a computer. They are changing the whole system and people in various positions to protect the government," said Akin Unver, assistant professor of international relations at Istanbul's Kadir Has University.
Among dozens of officials dismissed in the latest round of firings, Turkish media reported Saturday that the deputy head of the banking watchdog BDDK and two department heads had been removed.
Five department chiefs were fired at the Telecommunications Directorate, a body that carries out electronic surveillance as well as serving as the country's telecom regulator, and a dozen people were fired at Turkey's state channel TRT, including department heads and senior news editors.
A government official said the firings were for "the benefit of the public" and that more could come.
Pictures of money-counting machines and reports of cash stacked in the homes of people linked to the graft investigation have caused an uproar among the Turkish public.
Unver said the aim of the purge at the telecom watchdog could be to prevent further videos and pictures being published on the Internet. "They are seeking [to impose] a monolithic structure over the Internet," he said.
Several thousand people took to the streets in Turkey's biggest three cities Saturday demonstrating against a government-led draft bill to increase controls over the Internet. The bill would give the courts the power to rule on removing online material that "violates individual rights," an article that opponents say is murky and could lead to the arbitrary closure of Web sites.
In Istanbul's Taksim Square, where police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd, protesters called for the government to resign. Some chanted: "There are thieves around," referring to the corruption allegations.
Erdogan has suggested that the graft inquiry, which has led to the resignation of three cabinet ministers and the detention of businessmen close to the government, is an attempt to undermine his rule that has been orchestrated by Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric with influence among the police and members of the judiciary.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-19/turkish-police-fire-tear-gas2c-rubber-bullets-in-protests-agai/5207210
QuoteTurkish police fire tear gas, rubber bullets in protests against internet control, corruption
Riot police in Turkey have fired tear gas, rubber bullets and used water cannons on demonstrators in Istanbul and Ankara protesting against government plans to impose curbs on the internet.
Rights groups say the proposals, which were approved by parliament last week, amount to censorship and will increase government control of the internet.
Up to 2,000 protesters chanted "government resign" and "all united against fascism" at Istanbul's Taksim Square, some of them hurling fireworks and stones at police.
"Everywhere Taksim, everywhere resistance," they shouted, using the slogan of last June's anti-government protests that first erupted in the square.
The demonstration was organised in protest at plans to impose curbs on the internet and over the graft scandal rocking the government.
It broke up after the police action without any immediate reports of injuries or arrests.
The internet bill, which would allow officials to keep a record of the activities of web users and block keywords deemed problematic, was approved by a parliamentary committee on Thursday despite concerns about censorship.
It had raised an outcry among rights groups and even business leaders who feared the bill would further limit fundamental rights and freedoms in Turkey.
But the government said it is aimed at protecting people's privacy and blocking internet content such as pornography and child sex abuse.
"This legal arrangement is by no means a regulation that brings censorship," communications minister Lutfi Elvan has said.
"With the new legal arrangement, we intend to protect individual rights."
The Islamic-leaning prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is nevertheless accused of becoming increasingly authoritarian and of trying to impose greater government controls on all sectors of the traditionally secular society.
Mr Erdogan, whose image was already bruised by last year's massive anti-government street protests, has faced more demonstrations in the wake of the damaging corruption scandal.
A string of public figures including top businessmen and the sons of three ministers were detained in December over allegations of bribery for construction projects as well as illicit money transfers to sanctions-hit Iran.
Several demonstrations have been held since last month to demand Mr Erdogan's resignation, with police on occasion firing plastic bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters.
About the internet bill:
http://www.therightperspective.org/2014/01/14/turkey-cracks-down-on-social-media/#sthash.cVoT9hIc.dpbs
QuotePopular video websites YouTube and Vimeo were blocked in Turkey on Monday, a move that may be part of a larger crackdown on political dissent in the country.
Turkish web users trying to access YouTube on Monday were surprised to see the message, "this website has been blocked by court decision." Vimeo was blocked in Turkey by a court order last Thursday, but was accessible late on Friday after a 24-hour ban.
Turkey blocked YouTube back in March 2007, after one prosecutor found a growing number of videos insulting to the nation's modern founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on the site.
The news comes ahead of a bill to be debated this week, which would give sweeping new powers to Turkey's communication ministry and the directorate monitoring telecommunication, or TIB, over Turkish internet service providers. Under the proposed legislation, web hosts would have to store all data relating to users' online activities for up to two years and provide this information to officials in Ankara upon their request. Officials could order access providers to block online content deemed illegal or to be "violating privacy" of a person, within only hours and without a court decision.
Slate reports Turkey has a track record of trying to clamp down on political dissent in the country. An Internet filtering system sold as a way to protect children from pornography was used to block all manner of objectionable content ranging from keywords related to the separatist Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) to Richard Dawkins' website.
The most recent transparency report published by Google shows the Turkish government requested the removal of 9,610 items from the Internet in the first half of 2013, the most in the world and about three times as many as the United States, which had the second-most. The majority of those requests were political in nature.
Dirty probes is no laughing matter.
Who could've guessed that by the end of the "Arab Spring" we could actually wind up with fewer non-authoritarian regimes? I fear like we're entering the dark times, much like 1930ies.
Quote from: DGuller on January 19, 2014, 03:27:20 PM
Who could've guessed that by the end of the "Arab Spring" we could actually wind up with fewer non-authoritarian regimes? I fear like we're entering the dark times, much like 1930ies.
Shelf made and interesting observation about the rise of authoritarian democracies. You'll notice that I'm not defending Erdogan over this. These types of things are serious.
What does the Arab Spring have to do with Turkey?
It's sad where Turkey is going politically, the erosion of freedoms and open democracy. Arresting journalists and political opponents, and all the other trappings of a rising authoritarian govt. Just time will tell how far it goes, how bad it gets.
Quote from: Neil on January 19, 2014, 07:57:38 PM
What does the Arab Spring have to do with Turkey?
Turks are not Arabs, but they're the integral part of Middle East.
What kind of items are blocked by the US, anyone have any information on that?
Quote from: Alcibiades on January 19, 2014, 11:36:21 PM
What kind of items are blocked by the US, anyone have any information on that?
I'd assume that it's mostly DMCA takedowns with a couple kiddie porn raids thrown in the mix, but no hard stats to back that up.
Striking that dealing with the army was apparently easier for Erdogan than dealing with the Gulen movement.
I think the most hopeful end for this is that Erdogan over-reaches and gets replaced by Gul internally.
Quote from: Sheilbh on January 20, 2014, 12:34:31 PM
I think the most hopeful end for this is that Erdogan over-reaches and gets replaced by Gul internally.
Gul does not strike me as a politician.
Quote from: Sheilbh on January 20, 2014, 12:34:31 PM
Striking that dealing with the army was apparently easier for Erdogan than dealing with the Gulen movement.
I think the most hopeful end for this is that Erdogan over-reaches and gets replaced by Gul internally.
A religious movement replacing a religious-leaning political party. What could go wrong? :P
Quote from: Tamas on January 20, 2014, 12:52:02 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on January 20, 2014, 12:34:31 PM
Striking that dealing with the army was apparently easier for Erdogan than dealing with the Gulen movement.
I think the most hopeful end for this is that Erdogan over-reaches and gets replaced by Gul internally.
A religious movement replacing a religious-leaning political party. What could go wrong? :P
I meant Abdullah Gul, the President and former Foreign Minister :P
Quote from: Sheilbh on January 20, 2014, 12:55:13 PM
I meant Abdullah Gul, the President and former Foreign Minister :P
Ah ok that is different.
I was hoping for Gul Dukat.
Quote from: Tamas on January 20, 2014, 12:52:02 PM
Quote from: Sheilbh on January 20, 2014, 12:34:31 PM
Striking that dealing with the army was apparently easier for Erdogan than dealing with the Gulen movement.
I think the most hopeful end for this is that Erdogan over-reaches and gets replaced by Gul internally.
A religious movement replacing a religious-leaning political party. What could go wrong? :P
What about the monstrous repression you were moaning about last year?
Quote from: Neil on January 20, 2014, 10:28:58 PM
I was hoping for Gul Dukat.
I was hoping for Ra's al Gul.
Nerds.
Quote from: Ed Anger on January 21, 2014, 09:56:12 AM
Nerds.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.davidmcelroy.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F12%2FNerds-and-new-year.jpg&hash=6a836838e878d9744874d2809319ea7cbf8c92e8)
Ugh
Nyfiken gul?
Another ca. 96 judges and prosecutors will be transferred, following a new order from the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors where Erdogan recently kicked out a lot of people and replaced them with loyalists. Parliament discusses a law to further curb the authorities of the judiciary.
In Brussels, Erdogan repeated in meetings with the EU that this whole affair is a foreign plot and the result of a justice system that has too much power and is threatening democracy in Turkey.
Quote from: Syt on January 22, 2014, 05:29:07 AM
In Brussels, Erdogan repeated in meetings with the EU that this whole affair is a foreign plot and the result of a justice system that has too much power and is threatening democracy in Turkey.
:lol:
Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary switching toward autocracy one step at a time.
Quote from: Syt on January 22, 2014, 05:29:07 AM
In Brussels, Erdogan repeated in meetings with the EU that this whole affair is a foreign plot and the result of a justice system that has too much power and is threatening democracy in Turkey.
:bleeding: Wow how is it that all these guys all say the exact same things? And LOL at the justice system launching their coup. With what? Their paramilitary paralegals?
Quote from: Syt on January 22, 2014, 05:29:07 AM
In Brussels, Erdogan repeated in meetings with the EU that this whole affair is a foreign plot and the result of a justice system that has too much power and is threatening democracy in Turkey.
I bet that convinced 'em.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26062038
QuoteTurkey passes law tightening control of internet
The Turkish parliament has approved a bill that would tighten government controls over the internet.
The new law will allow Turkey's telecommunications authority to block websites without first seeking a court ruling.
It will also force internet providers to store data on web users' activities for two years and make it available to the authorities.
Internet access in Turkey is already restricted and thousands of websites blocked.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been openly critical of the internet, calling Twitter a "scourge" and condemning social media as "the worst menace to society".
Both Twitter and Facebook were widely used by anti-government protesters to spread information during demonstrations last year.
'Implementing fascism'
The new measures were adopted after hours of debate in parliament where Mr Erdogan's governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) dominates with 319 of the 550 seats.
At the start of the debate, opposition MP Hasan Oren compared Mr Erdogan to Adolf Hitler.
"When you came to power you talked of enhancing democracy in Turkey - now you are trying to implement fascism," he said.
"Remember that Adolf Hitler used the same methods when he rose to power."
However, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said there was "no such thing as internet censorship" in Turkey.
"We are freer compared to many other countries and have freedom of the press," he said.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the new powers meant Turkey's telecommunications agency would be able to "gather communications data about all internet users without any legal limits or restrictions" and with users "never... able to know when and how this information is gathered".
Also, it seems that with thousands of policemen and prosecutors having been shuffled around and re-assigned that the investigations into corruption have pretty much ground to a halt for now.
Both Twitter and Facebook were widely used by anti-government protesters to spread information during demonstrations last year.
Obviously this is the reason for the heavy handed internet restrictions. Can't descend into a type of authoritarian government control and have those pesky free ideas being bandied about!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26336354
QuoteTurkey PM Erdogan says 'tapped' phone call to son 'fabricated'
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has angrily condemned as fabricated an audio recording that appears to show him talking to his son about hiding large sums of money.
He said the recording, allegedly tapped and then posted on social media, was a "treacherous attack".
It appears to reveal Mr Erdogan asking his son Bilal to dispose of millions of euros in cash from a house.
Anti-government protests erupted in Istanbul following the disclosures.
Turkey's main opposition party, Republican People's Party (CHP), has denounced the recordings and demanded the prime minister's resignation.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul's Kadikoy district on Tuesday chanting "Tayyip Erdogan the thief". They were later dispersed by riot police using tear gas and water cannon.
The BBC's James Reynolds says householders in anti-government neighbourhoods were heard banging pots and pans as they did during the Gezi Park protests of May and June last year.
The recordings, which could not be independently verified, were said to be of four conversations dating back to 17 December, when the sons of three ministers and business allies of the prime minister were detained in a high-level corruption investigation.
Correspondents say that the inquiry has presented a major challenge to Mr Erdogan's 11 years in power ahead of key local elections in March.
Cagil Kasapoglu from BBC Turkish says that, interestingly, neither the prime minister nor his party's spokespeople have denied that the voices on the recording belong to Erdogan and his son.
Their statement so far is that their voices were "montaged" to implicate them, our correspondent says.
During the conversation, a voice can be heard discussing how to reduce the funds to "zero" by distributing them among several businessmen.
At one point, the second voice says some 30 million euros ($40m/£24m) remains to be disposed of.
Mr Erdogan's office issued a statement late on Monday night saying the release of the recordings was part of a sustained campaign to unseat him.
"Those who created this dirty conspiracy targeting the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey will be brought to account within the law," it said.
Mr Erdogan had a late-night meeting with the head of intelligence and then spoke out publicly on Tuesday, telling MPs from his AK Party the recording was a "shameless montage" and an attack on him personally.
"We will bring legal action against these [wire-tapping] activities. If we let it go on, there will be no privacy for families, nor for the state in this country," he said.
By late Tuesday morning, the recording had received more than 1.5 million hits on YouTube in less than 24 hours.
The previous day, Turkish government officials said thousands of people, including senior politicians and other leading figures, had had their telephones illegally tapped over three years with the aim to blackmail and fabricate criminal cases.
Two pro-government newspapers, Yeni Safak and Star, alleged that the taps were ordered by prosecutors said to be loyal to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The prosecutors have denied the accusations.
Mr Erdogan has accused Mr Gulen, his former ally, of orchestrating December's corruption investigation against key AKP figures and of trying to form "a parallel state" in Turkey.
One of the prosecutors named in the stories, Adem Ozcan, denied the allegations.
"There was definitely no monitoring or phone-tapping of thousands of politicians, writers, NGO representatives and businessmen in the framework of this dossier in the way that the newspaper stories say," he said in a statement.
A spokesman for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said Turkey could not continue on its path "with this dirt" and said the prime minister should step down.
Nationalist party leader Devlet Bahceli said the recordings were ``mind-blowing''.
In addition to protests in the capital, hundreds of people, mainly students, protested in Ankara on Tuesday, calling on the government to resign.
ANALYSIS
In the recording, the voice claimed to be Mr Erdogan's sounds whispering and hesitant, whereas the younger voice comes across as stronger, clearer and louder.
Bilal Erdogan's voice has allegedly been heard in previous recordings related to the corruption case. The tone in the latest recording seems similar.
But the voice labelled as belonging to the prime minister is surprisingly low, cautious and doubtful. This will strike many, who are used to Mr Erdogan shouting and adopting a higher tone, as someone careful and selective in his words.
During the last conversation on 17 December, the younger voice says that there are still around 30 million euros to be removed.
The following day, the voice alleged to be Mr Erdogan's warns that his son may have been wire-tapped and asks him not to give too many details on the phone.
At the end, the voice alleged to be his son's expresses concern over possible visual surveillance as well.
Interestingly, neither the prime minister nor his party's spokespeople have denied the voices belong to Mr Erdogan and his son but say the voices were "montaged" to implicate them.
Woops
Can't help feeling Schadenfreude as Erdogan's clique and the Gulenists turn their dirty tricks against each other.
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on February 26, 2014, 10:22:07 AM
Can't help feeling Schadenfreude as Erdogan's clique and the Gulenists turn their dirty tricks against each other.
indeed
Link. People should really give up top political positions after a decade. (http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=340552)
QuoteFull transcript of voice recording purportedly of Erdoğan and his son
As a voice recording allegedly featuring the voice of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordering his son, Bilal, to dispose of vast amounts of cash -- as much as $1 billion, according to claims -- amid a corruption operation in mid-December of last year continues to shake Turkey, Today's Zaman is publishing an English version of the full transcript of the audio.
The recordings allegedly date back to Dec. 17, 2013, the day the major corruption operation was made public. On the voice recordings, a voice alleged to be Erdoğan's is heard telling his son -- during five wiretapped phone conversations -- to dispose of large sums of money hidden in several relatives' homes on the day police raided a number of locations as part of the operation. The operation implicated the sons of three former ministers, businessmen and the general manager of a state-owned bank.
The prime minister, at the beginning of the recorded conversations, allegedly conducted over an encrypted line, briefs his son, Bilal, about the operation and asks him to "zero" the money by distributing it among several businessmen. An introductory note at the beginning of the recording says the plan involves at least $1 billion in cash stashed in five houses.
The authenticity of the recordings has not been verified. Towards the end of the recordings, Bilal Erdoğan tells his father that he and others have "finished the tasks you gave us," implying that the whole sum was "zeroed."
For those who may be unfamiliar: Reza Zarrab and Ali Ağaoğlu are two leading businessmen in Turkey who were detained as part of the corruption probe on Dec. 17 of last year. While Ağaoğlu was released pending trial, Zarrab was put under arrest. Erdoğan Bayraktari Zafer Çağlayan and Muammer Güler are three former ministers whose sons were detained as part the probe. All of them resigned roughly one week after the corruption operation. Sümeyye is Erdoğan's daughter. Faruk Kalyoncu and Mehmet Gür are also businessmen who are known to have close ties to the prime minister.
Here is the recording dubbed in English:
and here is the original voice recording in Turkish
Dec. 17, 2013, 08:02 a.m.
RTE: Are you at home, son?
Bilal E (son): Yes, Dad.
RTE: Now, this morning [they] carried out an operation. Ali Ağaoğlu, Reza Zerrab, Erdoğan's [Bayraktar, ex-minister] son, Zafer's [Çağlayan, ex-minister] son, Muammer's [Güler, ex-minister] son, etc -- all their homes are being searched now.
BE: Tell again, Dad. [What are you saying, Dad?]
RTE: I'm saying that Muammer's son, Zafer's son, Erdoğan's son, Ali Ağaoğlu, Reza Zerrab, etc -- they are searching the houses of 18 people under a big corruption operation thing.
BE: Right.
RTE: OK? Now, what I [have to] say is, you [must] take everything you have in the house out. OK?
BE: What can I have on me, Dad? [I have no money of my own.] There is your money in the safe.
RTE: That's what I am saying. Now, I am sending your sister [to you]. OK?
BE: You are sending who?
RTE: Your sister, I'm saying.
BE: Eh? OK.
RTE: Then... She has that information, OK. Talk with your older brother.
BE: Yes.
RTE: Let's do... Talk with your uncle, too. He should also take out... Also talk to your [maternal] uncle, he should also...
BE: What should we do with this [money], Dad? Where should we put it?
RTE: In specific places, in some specific places... Do it.
(A woman's voice is heard in the background saying, "Berat.")
BE: Berat also has some-
RTE: That's what I am saying. Now, get together, go get your uncle. I don't know if Uncle Ziya has some? Also immediately [tell] your brother Burak, too.
NE: OK, Dad. You mean, Sümeyye, I mean take out, Sümeyye will tell me where to take it [money]?
RTE: Yes, fine. Come on, do [it], think about yours [your money] with your uncle.
BE: About what to do?
RTE: Yes, yes, let's contact soon, by 10 [o'clock]. Because the issue is...
BE: OK, Dad.
RTE: OK? Keep in touch.
BE: OK, Dad.
2nd call, 11.17
BE: Dad, we got together with Hasan [brother], etc. Berat [brother], my uncle, we are together thinking about it [what to do.] Berat has another idea. He says let's give some of it to Faruk [Kalyoncu] for the other "business/thing" so he can process it like the previous stuff. Shall we do it? We can dissolve a big amount with this.
RTE: That may be so.
BE: OK. For the other part, because we started a business partnership with Mehmet Gür, we thought of giving it to him, saying, "Keep it, as the projects come, you can use that [cash]. This way, we will be able to dissolve and move the rest somewhere else.
RTE: OK, fine, as long as you do...
BE: OK.
RTE: Did Sümeyye arrive?
BE: She arrived home, she will now come here. OK, Dad, we will sort this out today, inshallah [with God's will]. Anything else?
RTE: It would be good if you do ... if you can dissolve it [all the cash].
BE: Yes, we will dissolve it [all the cash], inshallah.
3rd call, 15:39
RTE: Did you do the other tasks I gave you?
BE: We'll finish them in the evening. We sorted some out. We sorted out the Berat part, now we will first handle the part with Mehmet Gür and the rest we will do when it gets dark.
RTE:....
BE: Inshallah.
RTE: What did Sümeyye do?
BE: She took it [money] out, we talked, etc.
RTE: Did she sort out both things?
BE: I think so, Dad. She said she emptied both.
RTE: Both things?
BE: Yes, she said both of them, but you mean this by saying both things, right?
RTE: Whatever. OK, fine.
BE: What time will you arrive?
RTE: About 12.
BE: Have a safe journey.
RTE: Do not talk on the phone.
4th call, 23.15
BE: Hi, Dad. I am calling to... We did [it] mostly. Hmm, did you call me, Dad?
RTE: No I didn't. You called me.
BE: I was called from a secret number.
RTE: By saying mostly, did you fully dissolve it?
BE: We have not zeroed it yet, Dad. Let me explain. We still have 30 million euros that we could not dissolve yet. Berat thought of something. There was an additional $25 million that Ahmet Çalık should receive. They say let's give this [to him] there. When the money comes, we do [something], they say. And with the remaining money we can buy a flat in Şehrizar, he says. What do you say, Dad?
RTE: ....
(Background sound: Ayyy.)
BE: Dad?
RTE: Is Sümeyye with you?
BE: Yes, she's with me. Should I call her?
RTE: No, there was another sound, that's why I asked.
BE: Um, I mean, he can transfer $35 million to Çalık and buy a flat in Şehrizar with the remaining [cash].
RTE: Whatever. We'll sort it out.
BE: Should we do it like this?
RTE: OK, do it.
BE: Do you want it [all the cash] dissolved father, or do you want some money for yourself?
RTE: No, it cannot stay, son. You could transfer that to the other [place], with Mehmet you could transfer it there...
BE: Yes, we gave it to them. We gave 20 to them.
RTE: For God's sake. First, you should've transferred [it]. You could then do...
BE: We were able to give this much for now, it is already hard, it takes too much space. We are putting some of it in another place. We gave part of it to Tunç, and then...
RTE: Did you transfer all to Tunç?
BE: (Sümeyye, can you come?) Where, father?
RTE: To Tunç, I said, did you transfer all to Tunç?
BE: They asked, I guess, he said that he could take 10 million euros.
RTE: Whatever. Do not talk this like this about it.
BE: OK, then, we'll sort it out as such.
RTE: OK, do it. I'm not able to come tonight, I will stay in Ankara.
BE: OK, we're sorting it out. Don't worry.
5th call, Dec. 18, 10.58
RTE. I wondered if everything's fine, so I called.
BE: No, nothing [no problems]. We finished the tasks you gave us, with God's help.
RTE: Is it all zeroed?
BE: Fully, I mean, saying zeroed, how can I put it? I had Samandıra and Maltepe's money [money in his villas in Samandıra and Maltepe], $730,000 USD and TL 300.000. I'll handle this, too. We owe TL 1 million to Faruk Işık [AK Party deputy]; I'll give this to him and tell him to transfer the rest to the academy [unclear.]
RTE: Do not talk openly.
BE: Shouldn't I talk?
RTE: Do not talk, OK?
BE: OK, Dad.
RTE: I mean, do not keep anything on you, whatever it is, Samandıra or whatever... Send it to where it needs to be. Where do you keep it?
BE: OK, Dad, but I think we are currently under surveillance.
RTE: What have I been telling you from the very beginning!
BE: But is it the bodyguard team? Who is following us, Dad?
RTE: Son, you are being tapped.
BE: But they are also monitoring visually, they say.
RTE: That may be true. Now, we did some things [meaning reassignments of police officers] in İstanbul security.
This scandal is now so bad for Erdogan he's apparently flying to Kiev to 'address the Black Sea crisis' :lol:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/uk-turkey-erdogan-idUKBREA2609E20140307
QuoteErdogan says Turkey could ban Facebook and YouTube
(Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could ban Facebook and YouTube after local elections on March 30, saying they have been abused by his political enemies.
Erdogan is locked in a power struggle with U.S.-based Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally who he says is behind a stream of "fabricated" audio recordings posted on the Internet purportedly revealing graft in his inner circle.
"We are determined on this subject. We will not leave this nation at the mercy of YouTube and Facebook," Erdogan said in an
interview late on Thursday with the Turkish broadcaster ATV.
"We will take the necessary steps in the strongest way."
Asked if the possible barring of these sites was included in planned measures, he said: "Included."
Erdogan says the release of his purported conversations is part of a campaign to discredit him and wreck his government, which has presided over more than a decade of strong economic growth and rising living standards in NATO member Turkey.
Gulen denies any involvement in the recordings and rejects allegations that he is using a network of proteges to try to influence politics in Turkey.
Five more recordings have appeared on YouTube this week, part of what Erdogan sees as a campaign to sully his ruling centre-right AK Party before the March 30 municipal elections and a presidential poll due later this year.
In the latest recording, released on YouTube late on Thursday, Erdogan is purportedly heard suggesting the proprietor of Milliyet newspaper sack two journalists responsible for a front page story about Kurdish peace talk efforts.
Erdogan has signalled that a criminal investigation could be launched against Gulen's Hizmet movement.
Asked on Thursday night whether Turkey could seek an Interpol red notice for the extradition of Gulen from the United States, Erdogan said: "why not?"
So he IS determined to set his country on fire instead of giving up? Sad.
Still, as long as he is in power doing his autocratic schenangians, I can continue telling Languish "I told you so!" :P
Quote from: Tamas on March 07, 2014, 05:05:37 AM
So he IS determined to set his country on fire instead of giving up? Sad.
Still, as long as he is in power doing his autocratic schenangians, I can continue telling Languish "I told you so!" :P
And that is what is most important. :P
During last year's tear-gas-palooza, a then 14 year old boy was hit in the head with a gas canister and has been in a coma since then. He died last week, after 9 months, sparking protests (which, of course, were cracked down on).
Erdogan's measured, statesmanlike response: "He was a terrorist, anyways."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26594922
QuoteBerkin Elvan: Turkish PM accuses dead boy of terror links
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said a 15-year-old boy who died on Tuesday from injuries sustained in last year's anti-government protests had links to terrorism.
Berkin Elvan spent nine months in a coma after being hit by a tear gas canister as he went to buy bread.
His death triggered more clashes with the police in over 30 towns and cities.
Mr Erdogan's comments could further inflame political tensions, correspondents say.
In a campaign speech ahead of local elections on 30 March, Mr Erdogan said the teenager was connected to "terrorist organisations".
"This kid with steel marbles in his pockets, with a slingshot in his hand, his face covered with a scarf, who had been taken up into terror organisations, was unfortunately subjected to pepper gas," he said in the speech broadcast on state TV.
Berkin Elvan's funeral took place in Istanbul on Wednesday, providing a focus for further expressions of discontent with Mr Erdogan.
Police fired water cannon and tear gas at protesters near Taksim Square, while his coffin was carried through the city's streets.
Tens of thousands of mourners chanted anti-government slogans and his mother accused Mr Erdogan of killing her son.
No tolerance
Berkin Elvan's death brought to at least eight the toll from last year's unrest, including one policeman.
The protests began over plans to develop Istanbul's Gezi Park into a new mosque and shopping centre, but escalated into national demonstrations against what opponents see as Mr Erdogan's growing authoritarianism.
Speaking to supporters on Saturday, Mr Erdogan said violence would no longer be tolerated.
"We will never let the streets become battlegrounds," he said, accusing opponents of causing disruption ahead of local elections.
Mr Erdogan has promised to step down if the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) does badly in the elections.
However, the AKP, in power since 2002, is expected to do better than its rivals in the polls.
Turkey just banned Twitter 10 days before an election that the Republican opposition CHP is up by 5 points in.
This is not looking good.
Fuck. I have friends there. Friends who will be on the barricades. :wacko:
Ban twitter?
My hero.
Quote from: Queequeg on March 20, 2014, 06:16:08 PM
Fuck. I have friends there. Friends who will be on the barricades. :wacko:
Chill out dude. Things might work out. And even if they don't, at least we'll be able to tell Sheilbh that we told him so.
Quote from: Neil on March 20, 2014, 07:00:23 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on March 20, 2014, 06:16:08 PM
Fuck. I have friends there. Friends who will be on the barricades. :wacko:
Chill out dude. Things might work out. And even if they don't, at least we'll be able to tell Sheilbh that we told him so.
:lol: I doubt it.
Well, a court unbanned Twitter, but now they've blocked YouTube in Turkey. :lol:
Meanwhile, Erdogan said at a campaign rally that Turkey is of course a democracy with freedom of speech, and that it's fine to criticize the PM. He also said that there's countries in the EU who are much more restrictive and where criticizing the government was not tolerated. :hmm:
YouTube was blocked when I was there, except for at my dorm (Bogazici students get special treatment.) YouTube refuses to take down some videos that don't portray Attaturk as the second coming of Jesus.
Quote from: Queequeg on March 27, 2014, 11:45:57 AM
YouTube was blocked when I was there, except for at my dorm (Bogazici students get special treatment.) YouTube refuses to take down some videos that don't portray Attaturk as the second coming of Jesus.
Oh, well that's okay then.
Quote from: Razgovory on March 27, 2014, 11:59:47 AM
Quote from: Queequeg on March 27, 2014, 11:45:57 AM
YouTube was blocked when I was there, except for at my dorm (Bogazici students get special treatment.) YouTube refuses to take down some videos that don't portray Attaturk as the second coming of Jesus.
Oh, well that's okay then.
I think my sarcasm about Ataturk and my general contempt of the ridiculously terrible state of freedom of speech and of the press in Turkey was obvious with the bit about the second coming of Jesus.
Quote from: Syt on March 27, 2014, 10:55:58 AM
Well, a court unbanned Twitter, but now they've blocked YouTube in Turkey. :lol:
Meanwhile, Erdogan said at a campaign rally that Turkey is of course a democracy with freedom of speech, and that it's fine to criticize the PM. He also said that there's countries in the EU who are much more restrictive and where criticizing the government was not tolerated. :hmm:
Did he name names?
I think the current reason for blocking are the supposedly incriminating videos with supposedly Erdogan's voice supposedly telling his son to get large sums of money out of the house before prosecutors come a-knockin'.
Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2014, 12:48:39 PM
Quote from: Syt on March 27, 2014, 10:55:58 AM
Well, a court unbanned Twitter, but now they've blocked YouTube in Turkey. :lol:
Meanwhile, Erdogan said at a campaign rally that Turkey is of course a democracy with freedom of speech, and that it's fine to criticize the PM. He also said that there's countries in the EU who are much more restrictive and where criticizing the government was not tolerated. :hmm:
Did he name names?
Many countries have laws against denying genocides, so the speech of many Turks is restricted in Europe.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26880891
QuoteTurkish PM Erdogan criticises Twitter court ruling
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised a court ruling which lifted a ban on Twitter.
The court had told the country's telecommunication authorities the two-week-old ban must be lifted as it was a breach of freedom of expression.
Mr Erdogan had vowed to "wipe out" Twitter after users spread corruption allegations involving him and his son, which he denied.
On Friday another court ordered the lifting of a similar ban on YouTube.
Mr Erdogan said his government had complied with the ruling on Twitter but that he did not respect it.
"I don't find it right and patriotic that the Constitutional Court has adopted such a decision," Mr Erdogan said, according to the Hurriyet website.
"While they are protecting an American company, our national and moral values are being disregarded."
Friday's ruling regarding YouTube reportedly stated that 15 videos should remain blocked.
Users across the country had found many ways of circumventing the prohibitions, which were widely criticised and ridiculed.
Mr Erdogan ordered the Twitter ban after recordings of corruption allegations linked to him and members of his family were posted and shared online. He said the recordings were fake and edited.
The ban was imposed on 21 March on the grounds that Twitter had failed to remove the allegations of corruption involving senior officials.
However the constitutional court ruled on 2 April that the ban was illegal.
On Thursday, Twitter's public policy team said it was "encouraged by the news from Turkey" and welcomed Turkish users back to the site.
Following the Twitter ban, the government had also banned access to YouTube, after a video on the website appeared to reveal top officials discussing how to stage an undercover attack inside Syria. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is apparently heard asking about the possibility of sending tanks in.
The YouTube recording, posted anonymously, has not been verified as authentic. Mr Erdogan alleges that such recordings are being fabricated to turn people against him.
The Washington Post published a transcript of the leaked security meeting, "courtesy of a veteran translator" who asked not to be named.
Mr Erdogan has lashed out at social media, accusing "plotters" of leaking recordings to deliberately undermine him.
One of those he has accused is a US-based Islamic cleric and former ally of his, Fethullah Gulen.
Mr Gulen has denied allegations that he is involved.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, a Twitter user, has spoken out against the bans.
During big anti-government demonstrations last year, protesters made heavy use of both Twitter and Facebook to spread information.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/turkey-youtube-ban-site-remains-blocked-despite-court-order-1444180
QuoteTurkey YouTube Ban: Site Remains Blocked Despite Court Order
The Turkish authority responsible for communications said it will not unblock YouTube despite a court ruling which ordered the ban on the video-sharing website "be declared null and void".
The Communication Technologies Institution (BTK) announced that it would not allow users back on the website while "criminal content" remains uploaded.
YouTube was blocked without a court order last month by the Telecommunications Authority (TIB) after leaked recordings implicated the Turkish government in an alleged corruption scandal.
The removal of Twitter and YouTube from Turkish internet led to various courts supporting or rejecting the ban.
An Ankara court first ruled that the ban was justified based on a law criminalising insults to the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Ataturk.
Then, the Golbasi Court of Peace demanded that the site be unblocked before a higher court reversed this decision because of the "criminal content" on the site. The same court then reversed its own decision, declaring the YouTube ban to "null and void".
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ban of YouTube occurred after a leaked video of a conversation head of intelligence Hakan Fidan and Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was posted on the video-sharing site.
In the the leaked call, Erdogan allegedly gives his thoughts that an attack on Syria "must be seen as an opportunity for us [Turkey]".
In the conversation, Fidan says he will send four men from Syria to attack Turkey to "make up a cause of war".
Following Erdogan's victory in local elections with 47 percent of the vote, he warned that his rivals will "pay the price" for trying to bring about his downfall.
"Nobody should be upset. 77 million people should know that the new Turkey has won today. This is the wedding day of the new Turkey," said Erdogan.
John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it.