Ertuğrul Kürkçü - Bianet

Ertuğrul Kürkçü

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The Real Injustice…

The Real Injustice…

While some are railing at the "injustice" of raiding the house of an 83-year old journalist at dawn or the arrest of a party leader, their sense of "justice" is hypocritical.

Women Can Not Rely on The Army for Their Gains

Women Can Not Rely on The Army for Their Gains

Those who believe that the issue of headscarves at university is a “legal issue” are totally mistaken. We are faced with a historical question: Does the new block of Islamist AKP and ultranationalist MHP with the passive consent of the army represent a moment of freedom?

18 February 2008

"You Can Negotiate with Terrorists - I Have!"

"You Can Negotiate with Terrorists - I Have!"

Speaking at an international conference in Venice, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari emphasised the importance of including all relevant players in peace negotiations.

7 December 2007

White House Signals “Yellow Light”

White House Signals “Yellow Light”

Erdogan and Bush have agreed on exchange of intelligence. Erdogan has ruled out extensive military operations, while Bush seems to have accepted limited incursions.

6 November 2007

Peace Rally in Ankara

At a rally organised by KESK, TMMOB and TTB, forty thousand people called for peace and protested against planned cross-border operations.

5 November 2007

Eight Hostage Soldiers Released

Eight Hostage Soldiers Released

The eight soldiers taken hostage after a PKK attack in Daglica, Hakkari, on 21 October, have been released. They were handed over to a delegation from Turkey.

5 November 2007

Hrant Dink's Son Sentenced for Father's Speech

Agos editor Arat Dink, the son of murdered journalist Hrant Dink, and the licence holder of the newspaper, Serkis Seropyan, have been on trial for "degrading Turkishness".

12 October 2007

Say No to a Military Dictatorship!

It is of vital importance that the general elections take place and that both the common independent candidates of the left and the independent candidates of the DTP are able to form a third pole in parliament.

Fifth Estate Coming Together...

The creation of the Fifth Estate uniting the power of all citizens against a media that has integrated with other estates in the society and lost its ability to act as a fourth estate is the main topic of Istanbul International Independent Media Forum.

30 October 2006

Washingtons Preferences

The outcry of the Armed Forces in the person of Buyukanit should be read rather more as the declaration of will of the military on Turkeys prospective route in the framework of new global conditions than the armys thirst for power.

Those Who Cant Bully USA, Bully Kurds

The real danger is not separation of the country, not secession of the Kurds from Turkey. It is rather secession of those who rule the country, its military force, its social-political and economic control mechanisms from realism and objectiveness.

Government, State, Islamic Violence!

The same way anti-Jewish Erbakan had to be the one to cooperate with Israel, the same way anti-Kurd Bahceli had to be the one to lift Ocalan's death, sentence, and the same way anti-Europe Ecevit had to be the one seeing Turkey become an EU candidate, the system is now leaving it up to Erdogan to clean up political Islam!

22 November 2003

Defiance Under Fire:Leyla Zana

Finally, the Turkish government has agreed to retry the tenacious Kurdish activist and AI prisoner of conscience. But after nine years in prison, her freedom is still in doubt.

23 September 2003

Turkeys Kurds Look to Ankara

Turkeys Kurds and particularly the Kurdish guerrillas, contrary to Ankaras nightmares have apparently distanced themselves from the emergent Kurdish administration in Northern Iraq instead of finding a there a role model for their future.

Powells Kiss Draws Turkey in The Coalition

Turkey is positioning itself alongside the aggressor with an eye to readjusting its economic policies with the US aid, reacts Sami Evren chair of Public Workers Confederation (KESK) to Powells visit. Turkey should not and will not join this mess.

Doubts Haunt Turkeys Kurds of The Future

It is almost assured that Bush Jr. will desert the Kurds for a fourth time, after 1918, 1975 and 1991, should the they present a problem for the future puppet Baghdad government predicts international analyst Prof. Baskin Oran.

2 Good News for Ocalan, 2 Bad News for Kurds

European Human Rights Court has unanimously decided that the EHRC judges accepted PKK leader Ocalans application against his condemnation after an unfair trial. Constitutional Court ruled out permanent ban of pro-Kurdish party HADEP.

Military Warns Iraqi Kurds for Worse...

Despite deep concerns on Iraqs territorial disintegration, Ankara has reportedly considered a multi-ethnic equation for northern Iraq in which the Turkoman would become part of an autonomous administration, if present status quo were suddenly destroyed.

Turban: The Underbelly of The AKP

Turkeys secularist elite is convinced that presence of veiled women in the public sphere symbolizes the Islamist urge for reshaping the secular government on the guidelines of Islamic canon.

9 December 2002

Parliament Opens Without a Prime Minister

AKPs leader Erdogan might still have a long way to pass through Turkeys labyrinth of bans and prohibitions to assume the post of prime minister, but Erdogans real political power seems to have been least affected from these formalities.

14 November 2002

Gold Medalist Sureyya Ayhan Runs For Her Kind

My answer is my success, says a proud Sureyya Ayhan. I ran not only against my rivals but also against rumors, slanders, lies and gossips at home. I am happy that I beat them all.

Reforms In Baggage Turkey Knocks EUs Door

Package abolishes death penalty, brings freedom of education and broadcast in non-Turkish languages, freedom of criticism of the state organs, easing restrictions against foreign NGOs working in Turkey, greater freedom for non-Muslim minority foundations.

US Pushes Turkey Toward The Red Line

With the nationalists likely to make these new laws the central issue in early parliamentary elections scheduled for November 3, there will seemingly be little public pressure on Ankara not to follow Washingtons lead on intervention in Iraq.

Turkey Prepares the Worst Scenario in Iraq

Known for his staunch opposition against war on Iraq, the apparent shift in Prime Minister Bulent Ecevits tone follows series of meetings with Robert Pearson, US ambassador to Ankara.

Old Faces Spark Fresh Hopes Out of Impasse

New Formmation sparks fresh expectations among the Turkish business community, liberal intellectuals and trade union leaders who believe that the only way out of Turkeys present woes is accession to European Union membership.

Losing Against Brasil Is Better Than Winning

Turkey was defeated. But winning the game would not have been a better outcome for the nation and for fottball. Brazil is a better team. It is even better that the pop nationalism blown up by the multinational firms and the media is puffed out.

Urge for Suspending Ties with Israel

Bringing together thousands of demonstrators from all shades of Turkish public, weekend rallies in Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, witnessed solidarity slogans with Palestine jointly cried out by left-wingers as well as by Islamists and liberal peace activists.

Journalists Applaud Presidents Refusal

In a stinging 14-page critique of the proposed law, President Sezer returned the amendments to parliament Monday, asking deputies to review the points that would open the door for big capital to establish their monopoly on media broadcasting.

Hopes and Worries Arrive in Washington

Ankaras best hope is that its recently increased geopolitical value, post September 11th, may bring the country some additional economic opportunities. In this effort, Ecevit will be tirelessly making the rounds.

15 February 2002

Turkey Prepares to Send Troops to Afghanistan

Turkish government plans to deploy at least 300 soldiers from the special warfare unit, which has been fighting Kurdish insurgents for 15 years, in Afghanistan to operate under the allied command as soon as the land operations begin.

17 January 2002

Government Looks at West, Public at East

The schism between the governments attitude and the public sentiment is so apparent that, football matches in Istanbul have witnessed loud anti-USA protests when the audience is called for standing for condolence for the victims of the attack on USA.

17 January 2002

Armys role contested at the threshold

The business community and the trade unions, the mainstream media, the liberal and left-wing analysts in an unprecedented solidarity, publicly question the militarys uncontested monopoly over handling the national security issues.

17 January 2002

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