January 26, 2015

EU on 'parallel state' claims: ‘We don't use conspiracy theories'

What do the EU leaders think of the “parallel state” claims of the Turkish ruling party in regards to the Gülen movement (Hizmet movement)?

Will Erdoğan succeed in wresting away the reins of religion from civilian hands?

Mümtazer Türköne

I am going to talk about a situation similar to the process by which the tools of production become state possessions. These are concepts far removed not only from Western culture but from socialist ideologies as well. After all, what we are talking about here is not nationalization, but rather the transitioning of cultural arenas that are directly linked to the society -- and that the society has even created on its own -- into state property.

Erdoğan receives harsh criticism from civil society over bid to close Turkish schools

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's bid for the closure of Turkish schools affiliated with the Gülen movement in African countries has drawn harsh criticism from various segments of the society, including journalists, artists and politicians.

Gov’t ignoring court verdicts since Dec. 17 graft scandal

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, various state agencies and a number of municipalities ruled by the AK Party have ignored scores of court decisions regarding their actions since a huge corruption scandal erupted on Dec. 17, 2013.

Even a village cannot be ruled this way

Ekrem Dumanlı

A simple question: by what standards is Turkey being ruled now? Constitution? Laws? Unfortunately, neither. We have a rule based on arbitrariness and bullying. How about democratic criteria? They were long shelved. Legal criteria? They are preserved in the deep freezer. So by what standards is our country being ruled? By the wishes and desires of some privileged individuals…