News Scan

News Scan for Turkey, April 16th 2016

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Turkish women celebrate establishment of Turkey’s first women’s organization

This week marks 92 years since the establishment of Turkey’s first women’s organization, which is nearly as old as the Republic of Turkey itself. The organization was initially founded as a political party; in fact, the newly-founded Turkey’s first party amazingly catered specifically to women’s rights. Kadınlar Halk Fırkası, or the People’s Party of Women, was founded to institute the political and social rights of women.

http://www.dha.com.tr/turkeys-womens-movement-a-century-in-the-making_1194843.html

Rouhani to pay an official visit to Ankara

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will pay an official visit to Turkish capital Ankara on April 16 in response to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s invitation, a statement by the Presidency has said on Friday.

According to the statement, Rouhani, who is currently in Istanbul attending the 13th Summit of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation will go to Ankara and will attend the third meeting of the Council on High-Level Cooperation between Turkey and Iran. The meetings between the two heads of state are also expected to address bilateral relations, as well as current regional and international issues.

http://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2016/04/15/irans-president-rouhani-to-pay-official-visit-to-ankara-to-boost-bilateral-relations

Turkish company buys Total gas stations in Turkey

Turkish conglomerate Demirören Holding acquired French oil giant Total’s gas stations in Turkey. A statement by the holding released late Friday stated that the purchasing process for Total’s gas stations, supply and logistics assets were completed, which brought the number of Demirören’s gas stations to 1,200 throughout the country and tripled its turnover of its energy division to 9.5 billion Turkish liras ($3.3 billion).

The holding’s main business activity is distribution and sales on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under Milangaz and Likidgaz brands, along with ventures in construction, media, tourism and industry. Total, which had a five percent market share and listed at sixth place in Turkey’s oil distribution sector, has given authority to Société Générale in April 2015 to sell its distribution operation and gas stations in Turkey.

http://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2016/04/16/turkish-conglomerate-acquires-total-gas-stations-in-turkey

German comedian prosecuted due to charges of insulting Turkish President

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed a complaint against German comedian Jan Böhmermann, after a satirical poem broadcasted on public ZDF channel, the public prosecutor’s office in the western city of Mainz confirmed. Böhmermann has marked the agenda after having read a poem which contained harsh accusations against the Turkish President Erdoğan, including “repressing minorities, kicking Kurds and slapping Christians while watching child porn”. A commission formed by German Foreign Ministry, Prime Ministry and Ministry of Justice have been investigating the comedian over Turkey’s request, for violating the paragraph 103 in the criminal code that concerns insulting representatives of foreign states. Jan Böhmermann has been facing up to three years in prison.

http://www.dha.com.tr/germanys-dilemma-grows-in-comedianerdogan-row_1195251.html

Merkel to visit Turkey with representatives from the EU on April 15th

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Turkey next week with representatives from the European Union, German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on April 15. Speaking to journalists, Seibert said European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans will accompany Merkel during her visit on April 23.

The visit comes amid a diplomatic row between Germany and Turkey. Ankara has requested that German comedian Jan Boehmermann be prosecuted over a poem he recited on German television about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/merkel-set-to-visit-turkey-next-week.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97863&NewsCatID=510

Turkish court backs blocking of Sputnik news agency website

A Turkish district court approved a government order to block internet access in the country to the website of the Russian news agency Sputnik. The court agreed with the government’s assumption that the two agencies along with a number of Twitter users were posing a threat to Turkey’s national security and promoting violence and crime, the Anadolu news agency reported.

The Sputnik website was blocked by Turkey’s Telecommunications Authority (TIB) on Thursday without a warning. It’s the latest in a long string of media outlets targeted by President Recep Erdogan’s government. Last month, Turkey’s largest opposition newspaper Zaman was forced to change its management and align editorial policy with the official line in a move that sparked mass protests in the country.

https://www.rt.com/news/339813-sputnik-blockade-turkey-court/

EU-CoE joint initiative to assist human rights in Turkey

The European Union and the Council of Europe (CoE) joint initiative assist partners in Turkey and in the Western Balkans in addressing challenges in the areas of rule of law and human rights, with a focus on supporting reforms of the judiciary, fight against corruption and organized crime, protect the rights of vulnerable groups and the promote anti-discrimination policies.

Johannes HAHN (EU’s Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations) said “These are all issues of fundamental significance for citizens, as well as key elements in securing the commitments of the Western Balkans and Turkey to European standards,” referring to the reform fields that will be supported by the initiative.

http://www.dha.com.tr/eucoe-joint-initiative-to-assist-human-rights-in-turkey_1194327.html

This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.

16.04.2016
compiled by Editor BTT

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