News Scan for Turkey, Sep 23rd 2016

Turkey postpones trip by UN torture expert

The U.N.’s torture expert criticized Turkey’s decision to postpone his visit, saying it sent “the wrong message,” amid a crackdown following the July 15 failed coup attempt. The U.N.’s special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, was due to visit Turkey from Oct.10 to 14, but Ankara pushed the trip back to “November or December,” according to a statement from Mendez’s office.

“While I understand that the developments in Turkey during the last months demand the government’s fullest attention, I believe that postponing my visit at this late stage sends the wrong message” he said in the statement. In light of the thousands of arrests made following the failed coup of July 15, and the allegations of severe overcrowding and poor conditions in many detention centres throughout the country, my visit is of utmost importance” he added.

Mendez’s mandate ends on Oct. 31, but he urged Ankara to give his successor “unfettered access” to any areas where people were being detained.

http://www.dha.com.tr/turkey-postpones-trip-by-un-torture-expert_1331905.html

CHP to seek annulment of decree laws

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will bring all decree laws (KHK) issued during the state of emergency, beyond the initial one reached through consensus with the government, to the Constitutional Court. Decree laws issued under Turkey’s recently declared state of emergency were similar to the ones issued during past coups, party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has told daily Hürriyet.

Recalling that more than 12,000 teachers were discharged under the last KHK, adding it was not possible to understand the dismissal so many teachers. “If there are those directly linked to the PKK, those who act on orders of the PKK, put them on trial, dismiss them if they are found guilty” the CHP leader said. “But it is not understandable to dismiss so many teachers. Even those who are known as Atatürkçü (loyal to the values of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk) and those who are loyal to values of the republic have been suspended. There have been many unjust treatments,” he stated, adding that in some provinces almost half of the teachers were dismissed.

Academics, including some who signed a petition denouncing military operations in the southeast on charges based on the most controversial articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) but later withdrew their signatures, were also dismissed as part of the decree law, Kılıçdaroğlu noted.  The CHP leader recalled they had reached consensus with the government on the first decree law, however adding that subsequent laws under the state of emergency were full of inappropriate practices.

http://www.dha.com.tr/chp-to-seek-annulment-of-decree-laws-beyond-initial-consensus_1325982.html

Journalist Ahmet Altan arrested in coup attempt probe

An Istanbul court ordered the arrest of prominent journalist Ahmet Altan on Friday, after the former daily Taraf editor-in-chief was detained by police for a second time. Altan was initially freed before dawn on Thursday while the Istanbul court arrested his academic brother, Professor Mehmet Altan. But the journalist was detained again after an arrest warrant was issued late on Friday on charges concerning his seat as editor-in-chief at daily Taraf.  Altan was arrested on charges of attempting to stage a coup and being a member of the outlawed Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), said to be behind Turkey’s failed coup attempt of July 15.

Hours earlier his arrest, the court placed Mehmet Altan under arrest on charges of “attempting to remove the government or attempting to obstruct its work.” He was also charged with “being a member of a terrorist organization,” referring to the movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, who is accused of masterminding the failed coup attempt.

http://www.dha.com.tr/journalist-ahmet-altan-arrested-in-coup-attempt-probe_1332831.html

Turkish state will look into social media accounts to spot ‘PKK supporters’

Public workers with suspected links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will be dismissed, Labor and Social Policies Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu has announced.  Statements they share on Twitter will also be evaluated as a criterion in order to determine if they are linked to the outlawed group, he said.

“We will be attempting to conclude our efforts during the next week,” Müezzinoğlu told journalists, adding that the ministry had data on the suspected personnel. We are evaluating the criteria. We have information, such as memberships, social media accounts and conversations that were determined. We are working on the ones who support it, but it’s not in its final form. A person is in public service, but when you look at his Twitter account, you see that he supports the PKK’s struggle,” he said.

Thousands of public employees were dismissed and suspended over their suspected links to the Gülen movement after the failed July 15 coup, believed to have been masterminded by the followers of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. A total of 785 people have been dismissed from the Labor and Social Policies Ministry while 319 are being investigated, Müezzinoğlu said, adding that a total of 383 people had returned to their jobs.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-state-will-look-into-social-media-accounts-to-spot-pkk-supporters.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104198&NewsCatID=338

Turkey, Russia in deal over Syrian airspace

Turkey and Russia have been discussing the creation of a protocol to coordinate the flights of their warplanes over Syrian airspace in a bid to prevent unwanted incidents like the downing of a Russian jet by Turkish Air Forces on Nov. 24, 2015, a senior Turkish military source has said. While drafting the protocol, the two sides also agreed on a “gentleman’s agreement” to prevent the two sides’ warplanes from entering into areas where the other side is conducting military operations.

The decision to work to coordinate military flights over Syria was taken during a meeting of the respective Russian and Turkish chiefs of General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov and Gen. Hulusi Akar, on Sept. 15 in Ankara.  The two top soldiers approved the establishment of a hotline between the two air forces in a bid to prevent accidents or unwanted incidents.  “Work to accomplish the protocol continues at the highest level,” the senior military source told daily Hürriyet on the condition of anonymity on Sept. 22. If signed, the protocol will mark an important step in developing the military-to-military relationship and coordination between Turkey and Russia in the Syrian theater.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-russia-in-deal-over-syrian-airspace.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104173&NewsCatID=352

“State of emergency in Turkey should be ended”

The states of emergency in Turkey and France should be lifted, former Turkish President Abdullah Gül has said, adding that Turkey’s future promises strong democracy with reforms and universal standards. “I’ve departed from a country which is in a state of emergency, to another one in the same state” Gül told journalists in France on Sept. 21, in which a state of emergency was imposed after deadly attacks by the Islamic State (IS).

“An end to states of emergency is desired. Efforts should be made in that direction,” he said. A three-month state of emergency was declared in Turkey after the failed July 15 coup attempt, believed to have been masterminded by the Gülenist movement.

Gül met with Turkish press at Turkey’s Paris Embassy, on his speech in the closed-door meeting at Center of Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA) think tank. Gül said, his speech was on Middle East of today and the future. “French are deeply interested in Middle East and World of Islam, I shared my opinions with them. Also there were questions about the July 15th, I have informed them and think that it was a rewarding speech.”

http://www.dha.com.tr/state-of-emergency-in-turkey-should-be-ended_1331898.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.

23.09.2016
compiled by Editor BTT