Turkey Seeks Life Imprisonment For Two Journalists Who Reported On Gun Smuggling By Government To Syria
1, January 27, 2016 jonathanturley Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics
We have followed the rapid decline of civil liberties under the authoritarian rule Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the past few years as well as his empowering of Islamic parties in the once secular state. This trend was evident recently with the rounding up of dozens of professors for simply signing a petition denouncing military operations against Kurds in the south-east of the country. Now, his government has announced that it will seek life sentences for two journalists who reported on the gun smuggling operations of Turkey to Syria. Erdoğan has been gradually arresting or threatening the dwindling number of independent journalists in Turkey and this prosecution may succeed in forcing the remaining reporters into silence or living in exile.
Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that an Istanbul prosecutor has completed an indictment against editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, and the paper’s Ankara representative, Erdem Gul. Last May, Cumhuriyet published images of Turkish trucks carrying ammunition to Syrian militants. The paper said the images proved that Turkey was smuggling arms to rebels. Turkey (and Erdoğan’s family members) has been accused by various groups and countries like Russia of profiting on oil purchased from ISIS — money that has been used to fund the terrorist organization. The United States has been accused of knowing of these operation and only recently targeting fuel trucks despite the long pipeline that openly operated through our ally, Turkey.
Now, while there remains question about Turkey’s true desire to fight ISIS, there is no question about Erdoğan’s desire to wipe out any independent journalism or political opposition in the country.Like most of the world, we have discussed the sad decline of freedom in Turkey under Erdoğan and his coalition of Islamic parties. Recently, we discussed the arrest of Mehmet Emin Altunses, 16, who allegedly committed the crime of “insulting” Erdoğan. calling people who use birth control “traitors” and saying Muslims discovered America, you are not allowed to be disrespectful or insulting in discussing Erdoğan. Then there was the prosecution of model and former Miss Turkey Merve Buyuksarac, 26, for criticizing Erdoğan for quoting a few lines from a poem called the “Master’s Poem” from weekly Turkish satirical magazine Uykusuz. Erdoğan’s totalitarian measures have earned him the nickname “Buyuk Usta” (the Big Master). Even a joking reference to Gollum and Erdoğan is enough to land you in jail today in Turkey.
In the most recent case, Erdoğan responded to the investigative article by saying that he would not let Dundar get away with such reporting. Now his government is seeking a life sentence for an act of press freedom. It is good to know that this is one of our closest allies but such crackdowns could easily confuse Turkey with those countries that we have denounced as part of an “evil axis” and extremist.
Source: New York Times
http://jonathanturley.org/2016/01/27/turkey-seeks-life-imprisonment-for-two-journalists-who-reported-on-gun-smuggling-by-government-to-syria/
1, January 27, 2016 jonathanturley Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics

Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that an Istanbul prosecutor has completed an indictment against editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, and the paper’s Ankara representative, Erdem Gul. Last May, Cumhuriyet published images of Turkish trucks carrying ammunition to Syrian militants. The paper said the images proved that Turkey was smuggling arms to rebels. Turkey (and Erdoğan’s family members) has been accused by various groups and countries like Russia of profiting on oil purchased from ISIS — money that has been used to fund the terrorist organization. The United States has been accused of knowing of these operation and only recently targeting fuel trucks despite the long pipeline that openly operated through our ally, Turkey.
Now, while there remains question about Turkey’s true desire to fight ISIS, there is no question about Erdoğan’s desire to wipe out any independent journalism or political opposition in the country.Like most of the world, we have discussed the sad decline of freedom in Turkey under Erdoğan and his coalition of Islamic parties. Recently, we discussed the arrest of Mehmet Emin Altunses, 16, who allegedly committed the crime of “insulting” Erdoğan. calling people who use birth control “traitors” and saying Muslims discovered America, you are not allowed to be disrespectful or insulting in discussing Erdoğan. Then there was the prosecution of model and former Miss Turkey Merve Buyuksarac, 26, for criticizing Erdoğan for quoting a few lines from a poem called the “Master’s Poem” from weekly Turkish satirical magazine Uykusuz. Erdoğan’s totalitarian measures have earned him the nickname “Buyuk Usta” (the Big Master). Even a joking reference to Gollum and Erdoğan is enough to land you in jail today in Turkey.
In the most recent case, Erdoğan responded to the investigative article by saying that he would not let Dundar get away with such reporting. Now his government is seeking a life sentence for an act of press freedom. It is good to know that this is one of our closest allies but such crackdowns could easily confuse Turkey with those countries that we have denounced as part of an “evil axis” and extremist.
Source: New York Times
http://jonathanturley.org/2016/01/27/turkey-seeks-life-imprisonment-for-two-journalists-who-reported-on-gun-smuggling-by-government-to-syria/
» India is ready to open joint lines with Iraq in the field of various industries
» What did the US State Department annual report say about the crowd and the Peshmerga?
» An American magazine presents proposals to restore Iraq from the grip of Iran after America lost the
» Economist: Inflation in Iraq has risen to the highest level in years
» A government advisor expects the stability of commodity prices to return with the distribution of fo
» Goldilocks, MilitiaMan , Nader and more....Thursday Afternoon 3-23-2023
» 03/22/2023- MilitiaMan and Crew THE NEXT PHASE - PRIVATE SECTOR - ECONOMIC REFORMS
» The popular movement for the Silk Road brings together the elites of 11 provinces and affirms: Ameri
» Al-Hakim: The new election law encourages the merger of the big powers with the small ones
» Economist: Working power stations in the simple cycle is a waste of money
» Planning confirms its field follow-up of the implementation of the new Shamiya water project in Diwa
» Parliamentary Oil confirms its intention to announce the Qayyarah refinery as an investment opportun
» A parliamentarian explains the reasons for the delay in the completion of the port of Faw.. What is
» Diyala excludes the issuance of decisions to exempt security leaders after the imposition of law pla
» Al-Kinani: Al-Sudani created competition among international companies operating in Iraq
» Representative Health: Great suspicions of corruption in contracts concluded during the Corona perio
» Economist: The dry canal project will bring Iraq large financial returns comparable to the Suez Cana
» A drop in dollar prices
» The Iraq Stock Exchange ends the week's trading on the rise, trading two billion dinars
» Starting today... Baghdad is in front of the "biggest" Ramadan cultural and popular event
» Independent deputy: The Federal Court accepted the appeal in the voting session on the election law
» The Erbil government responds to Sarwa Abdul Wahid regarding the disappearance of the 400 billion se
» Iraqi Kurdistan reveals that Barzani received a message from the US Secretary of Defense
» The parliament is discussing with the Independent High Electoral Commission a procedure for the prov
» Deputy calls for the abolition of Baathist laws that still rule!
» Judge Haider Hanoun talks about the accused Diaa al-Musawi and new details in the theft of the centu
» Sudanese calls for the House of Representatives to resolve the budget law
» Half of the MPs did not disclose their financial liabilities (document)
» Nuri al-Maliki confirms his pride in close relations with Russia
» Australia informs Iraq of its desire to invest in 5 sectors
» Economist: Anbar's share of the budget is equivalent to 5 provinces.. So why?!
» An American newspaper calls for holding the leaders of the region accountable instead of supporting
» Al-Maliki: Iraq is moving rapidly towards political and security stability
» Efforts for a sit-in in front of Parliament anticipates a session to pass "St. Lego"... and doubts a
» One day after his meeting with the Sudanese, Erdogan vows military operations outside the Turkish bo
» Al-Hakim: The agreement of the political forces on the electoral denominator in St. Lego 1.7
» The Kurdistan National Assembly "objects" to Article (35) of the Elections Law
» An American analysis warns of the collapse of the "paper alliance" in the Kurdistan region
» Al-Sudani endorses the recommendations for combating corruption in the collection of port fees
» Ammar al-Hakim: The size of our budget is the largest in the history of the country and the third in
» Renewed Kurdish demands to link the salaries of the region's employees directly with Baghdad
» What is the secret of the Kurds' opposition to Article (35) of the new election law?.. A deputy reve
» "The crisis is reeling." The Iraqi government's moves collide with the wall of the dollar
» Fears of an oversupply of oil will plummet... Prices stand at $75
» A slight decrease in the dollar exchange rates
» Activists are calling for a sit-in in front of Parliament, rejecting the election law
» The director of oil derivatives in Karbala assumes the position of director of the Supply Authority
» Iraqi Federation of Industries: Exporting about 60 materials to all countries of the world, especial
» Is Turkey pressuring Iraq to classify the PKK as a “terrorist” in return for increasing the water sh
» The Baghdad Chamber of Commerce calls for a protest pause against the central bank's policy
» The Baghdad and Ankara talks lead to a breakthrough in the water file and an agreement on border con
» Al-Haimus renews keenness to improve the reality of the Central Bank
» Advisor to the Ministry of Immigration participates in the closing conference on the Local Peace Agr
» The State Company for Textile and Leather Industries announces the opening of the technological incu
» The Private Sector Administration and the Iraqi Federation of Industries are discussing a working pa
» The Federal Court responds to a lawsuit to stop the disbursement of 400 billion dinars to the region
» Al-Hakim: The religious authority said, “Look for a fair election law.”
» Documents on the 20th Anniversary: The Party's Policy for Ending War
» Al-Rafidain lays down a mechanism regarding the clearance of the employee who is referred to retirem
» Letters of greeting and congratulations on the 89th anniversary of the founding of the Iraqi Communi
» Judge Hanoun reveals the amount of money recovered in the tax secretariat case
» Al-Sudani endorses the recommendations for combating corruption in the collection of port fees
» The President of the Republic: Iraq seeks to obtain a fair share of water
» Labor announces the number of people covered in care within the current year's budget
» The Iraqi Parliament provokes al-Sadr in St. Lego.. Will he move the street again?
» Including dates .. Iraq issues (60) items to the countries of the world
» Ministry of Water Resources: Iraq is one of the countries most affected by the drought crisis compar
» Al-Sudani directs the allocation of funds for farmers within the agricultural plan and their deliver
» Federal agriculture sets the price for receiving wheat from the peasants
» Dollar exchange rates in the Iraqi market
» The President of the Republic receives the Director General of (FAO)
» The President of the Republic meets with the Executive Director of ESCWA
» The President of the Republic stresses the importance of coordination with international community o
» Oil prices are falling again globally
» The US Secretary of Defense to Barzani: The necessity of coordination with Baghdad for a secure and
» The new Deputy Governor of the Central Bank begins his duties
» Sarwa Abdel Wahed: The federal government sent 400 billion to the region, but the amount "disappeare
» KTFA Wed. Night CC "They Added More to the Whale Song" 3-22-2023
» Al-Sudani directs the allocation of funds for farmers within the agricultural plan
» Al-Sudani invites Turkish businessmen to settle their industrial and commercial activities in Al-Faw
» Al-Rafidain announces the establishment of a mechanism regarding the clearance of the employee who i
» Parliamentary Oil: The price of oil in the budget is high and puts the government in an awkward posi
» Advisor to the Prime Minister explains the reason for the high prices of commodities and foodstuffs
» Parliamentary Health reveals four laws expected to be passed to develop the sector
» Miserable performance and public frustration.. Al-Halbousi wasted the most embarrassing period in Ir
» A new plan to increase domestic production and export the surplus outside Iraq
» A deputy calls on Parliament to cancel all "Baathist" laws
» They are honest: do not compromise and compromise on the American presence in the country
» Parliamentary Finance: Efforts to include allocations for the general population census in the 2023
» Parliamentarian: The tripartite budget has not yet reached the parliament committees
» A parliamentary agreement to prevent foreign companies from supervising voter vote servers
» Parliamentary Finance sets the official date for the start of the marathon budget talks
» Al-Toki clarifies the essence of the dispute over the electoral law
» The continued rise in the exchange rate of the dollar...concern in the markets and exhaustion of the
» An economist explains the importance of the railway link between Faw and Ankara
» Central bank sales exceed $ 261 million
» The Ministry of Oil begins experimenting with electronic payment at fuel filling stations
» Agriculture launches the electronic card project