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Archive for October, 2015|Monthly archive page

Ayşe Özer: DEVLET GALOŞ GİYMEZ

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 23:40

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DEVLET GALOŞ GİYMEZ

Saçlarını rüzgarda savurmaktır özgürlük. Uzun saçlarının rüzgarla buluşması ferahlatır kadınları. Bir filmin son sahnesine ne çok yakışır, saçlarını rüzgara vermiş bir kadının dik duruşu. Her filmin son sahnesi yeni bir başlangıçtır. İçindeki yolculuğu bitirir de kadın, başka bir yola düşer kimi zaman. 25 yaşındadır, pembe en çok ona yakışır. Gönlü ondadır mahallenin delikanlılarının. Gözleri bir başka dünyanın kapısıdır, “başka bir dünya mümkün” derken alır en güzel halini. Saçlarını toplar arkadaşının düğününde, güzelim gözleri ortaya çıkar. Evindeki küçük odası mabedidir genç kızın. Her gün kendi elleriyle temizler bütün evi. Çok sevdiği babasına bile temizlediği odaya kurumadan girmesine izin vermez. Odası, en temiz hayallerin kurulduğu mahremidir. Ondandır, koca postallarıyla içeri girmek isteyenlere “galoş giyin” demesi. Genç kızlık hayallerinin yanında, yeni bir dünya hayali de ezilmek istenir o koca postalların altında. Sterilize edilsin tüm yurt, bizden olmayanın boynu altında kalsın diye sürülür yağlı urganlara incecik boyunlar. Kıldan ince, kılıçtan keskince bir yoldur devrim, gencecik fidan gibi genç kızlar sırtından vurulur. Ama’lı, fakat’lı, kendileri yapmışlardır’lı cümleler dökülür lağımlardan. Lağım fareleri sokaktan evin içine girerler. Yurdun en temiz insanları, “çizmelerimi çıkarayım mı, sedye kirlenmesin?” diye sorarken bir can pazarının çıkışında, en kirli ayaklar altında ezilir bir genç kızın narin hayalleri. Mabedimize, evimize ayakkabılarıyla girenler, bu yurdun gördüğü en büyük, en nitelikli başkaldırmayı yapan fidanlara “camiye ayakkabılarıyla girdiler” suçlaması ile toplar oyları. Kapılarındaki Kabe’yi yıkanlar, can havliyle mabede kaçan çocuklara “mabede girerken galoş giyin” der. Devlet, galoş giymez, bırakır ayak izlerini cinayet mahallinde. Devlet, prezervatif de takmaz, tecavüze uğrayan doğursun, biz bakarız der.

Öyle günler yaşıyoruz ki, bir gün içinde birçok filmin son sahnesine tanık oluyoruz. Bir umut bekliyoruz, diyoruz ki o ölürse film biter. Esas kız olmadan film olur mu? Bu coğrafyada filmler hep retrospektif çekiliyor bilmiyoruz. Hayatımızın başrolünden alıyor bizi muktedir, repliklerimizi kendisi yazıyor. Yaşam alanlarımıza tekmeyle, yumrukla, koçbaşıyla, postalla girilirken, en narin talebimiz bile ölümümüze yol açıyor. Çocuklarımız artık kendi evlerinin oturma odalarında, ilk emekledikleri, ilk kez düştükleri yerde sırtlarından vuruluyor. Bu defa düştüklerinde eğilip yeri de “ah” yapamıyoruz. Ahımız yerde kalıyor. Cenazeleri bile kaçırılıyor alelacele. Suçluya iyi hal indirimi yapılsın diye jet kanunlar çıkarılıyor, acilinden lacivert takım elbise temin edilip, hakim karşısında nasıl el pençe divan durulur dersleri veriliyor. 25 yaşında, koca gözlü, zifir saçlı bir fidan daha düşüyor toprağa. Cenazesinin üzerine duvak koymaya bile gidemiyor eller. Başka bir dünya mümkünse, bu yurt o dünyanın cehennemi olsun isteniyor. Biz bu devleti, ayak izlerinden tanıyoruz.

“Bir başkaldırma ancak saçlarından tutulur” der şair. Sen yine de saçlarını toplama küçük kız. Savur rüzgara.  “Herkes fazlasıyla sevmiş, ben eksikleriyle de sevdim oysa” yazıyor instagram hesabında. Eksik bir şey mi var hayatımızda zifir saçlı kız, gözlerimiz neden sık sık doluyor? Buralarda artık hep şimal rüzgarları esiyor, zor olsa da dünyayı ağır bir halı gibi çırpmalı. Tozlar havalansın, koca bir bahar temizliği yapmalı. Sonra mabedimize girmek isteyen herkese galoş giydirmeli ki, kirlenmesin tertemiz kavgamız. “Kimse dokunamaz bizim suçsuzluğumuza”.

 

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Two pieces I was quoted: From Ponyner.org and Arte.tv

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 20:55

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Dogruluk Payi and sticking to the facts in Turkey

dp_infographic

Fact-checkers are always busier during elections. So spare a thought for Dogruluk Payi, a Turkish fact-checking site launched in June 2014: the parliamentary elections scheduled for this Sunday are the third nationwide vote held in just eighteen months.

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Défier la pression du pouvoir étatique | ARTE Info

info.arte.tv/fr/defier-la-pression-du-pouvoir-etatique

3 days ago – Ces chaînes de télévision, Bugün TV et Kanaltürk, appartiennent au …Erkan Saka, 39 ans, est professeur assistant à l’université de Bilgi à ..

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#TurkeyElection – In a state of panic: Turkey’s rulers emulate FBI style; post most wanted list that includes Gülen BUT also accuses American consulate for allegedly helping HDP’s campaign…

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 17:25

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The Turkish government has hired an international law firm to investigate the worldwide activities of the government’s friend-turned-foe U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s Hizmet (Service) Movement.
Turkey published a list of its most wanted terrorists on Oct. 28, including Islamic Scholar Fethullah Gülen, leaders of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Turkey’s voters to pass judgement on larger-than-life president amid fears for …
National Post
The tragicomic soccer fiasco was part of “a broadly based problem of people engaging in lawlessness and thinking the government will back them,” said Ilter Turan. a political scientist at Istanbul’s Bilgi University. “The soccer chief was not happy
Turkey election: Young voters want peace and influenceBBC News
MHP: Nationalist wild card in Turkey’s election raceYahoo News
Crackdown on Turkish media ahead of crucial electionThe National
Financial Times
all 603 news articles »
An ongoing tussle between President Erdoğan and HDP co-chair has reached Washington after the former suggested that a company that once managed U.S. President Obama’s campaign has now been hired by HDP
Only five months since the last general election failed to produce a single-party government, Turkish voters return to polling stations on Nov. 1, with slim prospects of a substantial difference raising the stakes for all parties
A district mayor in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir has apologized for lines reading “We steal for the future,” mistakenly printed on bags distributed to students that should have read “We work for the future.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared his presidential palace a “symbol” of the Turkish Republic, which marks its 92nd anniversary on Oct. 29

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İstanbul had an honorable visitor today, Jose Mujica. İstanbul news roundup…

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 16:55

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İstanbul hosts world’s ‘poorest’ president

Former President of Uruguay Jose Mujica smiles during a book signing event in İstanbul on Friday, Oct. 30. (Photo: Today’s Zaman, Mehmet Yaman)

Former President of Uruguay Jose Mujica visiting Saturday Mothers in İstanbul

Former President of Uruguay Jose Mujica visiting Saturday Mothers in İstanbul

İstanbul hosts world’s ‘poorest’ president

Former President of Uruguay Jose Mujica smiles during a book signing event inİstanbul on Friday, Oct. 30. (Photo: Today’s Zaman, Mehmet Yaman).

An encyclopaedia of Istanbul

By Orhan Pamuk, translated by Ekin Oklap, Knopf, 624 pages, $29 … most important fiction is the city of Istanbul itself, where Pamuk was born in 1952
TRAVEL >A day out in Istanbul for disabled Syrian children

This is the first time she has been out to visit the historical sites of Istanbul since she arrived in the city seven months ago after escaping the Syrian .
Istanbul is a central character in Orhan Pamuk’s ‘A Strangeness in My Mind’

This world is Istanbul, the true protagonist of Pamuk’s ninth novel and the setting for most of his fiction. As protagonists go, the city proves a compelling
AP PHOTOS: Syrians in Istanbul prepare for long journeys

In this Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015 photo, a Syrian refugee child tries a life-jacket at a shop before purchasing it at the Aksaray neighbourhood in Istanbul.
In a speech to leading businesspeople in Istanbul, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said he wants to make Turkey’s largest city into a “safe investment haven with our democracy and judicial system.” in a speech to a number of leading businesspeople in a meeting ahead of the crucial Nov. 1 elections

Farewell, Yorgo: A Beyoğlu Legend Passes On

A tribute to Yorgo Okumuş at his funeral, photo by Ansel Mullins

On any given night, bustling, narrow Nevizade Street in the heart of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district buzzes with thick crowds of evening revelers searching for the best table while clean-shaven waiters in their customary uniform of pressed white shirts and V-neck sweaters attempt to lure the crowds into their establishments. Hyperactive as it may be, Nevizade – a hub for the meyhane, the Turkish taverna where plates of meze are enjoyed alongside slowly sipped rakıand grilled fish – has for decades had one distinctive, constant presence: Yorgo Okumuş, co-owner of the meyhane Krepen’deki Imroz and sole owner of a pair of almost comically bushy white eyebrows and an enigmatic mien that seemed to say he’s seen it all (which he probably had).

Insider Guide: Best of Istanbul

(CNN) Nowhere does fusion like the best of Istanbul, a metropolis that owes as much to its centuries of history as it does to its emergence as one of the

Istanbul – A Culinary Experience

Istanbul – the city on two continents, where religious tradition and ancient history clash with a modern way of life like nowhere else; where lots of

Ridesharing app wants to fix world’s most congested city

Traffic in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people, is a nightmare. Commuters are especially harried during the evening rush hour, with the average

Hagia Sophia Museum / Church (Ayasofya)

This church, turned into mosque, then turned into museum is a microcosm of the nation’s history. It symbolizes the development of Turkish art, mindset

A day out in Istanbul for disabled Syrian children

ISTANBUL – “I am so excited to see the beauties of Istanbul,” says a Syrian girl waiting impatiently to visit Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.

On The Fringe: Istanbul’s Hottest Neighborhoods

Beyond Istanbul’s Old City and Grand Bazaar, three once-neglected neighborhoods have realigned the city’s orbit—and become centers of Turkey’s

Istanbul BOSP postponed due to US government travel warning

Students hoping to travel to Istanbul during winter quarter as part of the IstanbulOverseas Program will need to find an alternative, as the program has

Istanbul: The Swiss Hotel Bosphorous’ Rooms With The Best View Of The Famous Waterway

If you name your hotel after a major body of water, it’s a tell, as they say in poker. The rooms to get are the ones that have a water view. But that’s not

Textile leaders to gather at Texprocess Istanbul

The third edition of Texworld Istanbul, which is set to take place next month, will also feature apparel products for the first time. Turkey is among the ten

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Open letter to the government of Turkey on Internet blocking and free expression #TurkeyElection

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 15:55

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yes-we-ban_237878

Republic of Turkey
Office of the Prime Minister

cc:  Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications of Turkey
Information and Communication Technologies Authority of Turkey

 

29 October 2015

We, the undersigned, are human rights, media, and political organizations in Turkey and around the world.

We are writing to you before the November 1, 2015 general elections, to request the cessation of online censorship of independent news organizations and citizen journalists. We demand authorities refrain from imposing limitations on access to the Internet or specific online services and remind the government of its duty to protect the right of people in Turkey to freely seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Since the passage of the Internet Law of Turkey (Law No. 5651) in 2007, Internet users in Turkey have been subject to various mechanisms of censorship online. Starting in 2013, there has been a dramatic increase in both bans on access to online content and requests to remove content. The Internet Law has been amended via omnibus bills without any room for public debate or criticism, most recently in March 2015. These latest amendments introduced measures similar to the provisions that were previously found unconstitutional and annulled by the Constitutional Court in October 2014. [1]

We also recall the 2012 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights finding that blanket bans on online platforms violate the fundamental right to freedom of expression. [2]

We are concerned by the lack of transparency and accountability for court orders that restrict  online content. According to the volunteer-run website calledEngelli Web (meaning Blocked Web) the number of banned websites surpassed a total of 100,000, as of October 2015. Several of these websites banned under the Internet Law are those of independent media organizations, some of which exist solely online or use Twitter as their main communications medium.

Apart from the access bans ordered by courts, users in Turkey experienced connectivity problems when trying to connect to social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook following the October 2015 Ankara bombings. As shown in data compiled by the volunteer-run TurkeyBlocks project, there were widespread complaints of slow access to social media platforms, to the extent of making them completely inaccessible, which signals an extrajudicial shutdown of social media applications. This alleged “network throttling” came at a time when citizens relied most on independent news and social media, and directly infringes on people’s right to access information.

On November 1, several grassroots groups, political parties, and news agencies will use internet-based communication systems to verify the official results of the general election on 1 November, and to disseminate information.

Therefore, we, the undersigned organizations in Turkey and around the world, request that the authorities in Turkey:

  • Stop imposing access bans on websites of independent news organizations;
  • Pledge not to order any further blocking that might lead to limitations on access to the Internet or specific online services;
  • Ensure that online communication networks remain free and open, to protect the right of people in Turkey to freely seek, receive, and impart information.

Signed,

Access Now

Alternative Informatics Association – Alternatif Bilişim Derneği (Turkey)

Alternatif Medya Derneği (Turkey)

Ankara Barosu Bilişim Hukukçuları (Turkey)

ASL19

Committee To Protect Journalists

Dağ Medya (Turkey)

Demokrat Bilgisayar Mühendisleri (Turkey)

Demokrat Haber (Turkey)

dogrulukpayi.com (Turkey)

dokuz8 Haber (Turkey)

EDRi – European Digital Rights Initiative

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Elektrik Mühendisleri Odası – Chamber of Electrical Engineers (Turkey)

Free Software Foundation

Fight for the Future

Hafıza Kolektifi (Turkey)

Human Rights Watch

İnternet Teknolojileri Derneği (Turkey)

Istanbul Writers’ Café (Turkey)

Jiyan.org (Turkey)

Kaos GL (Turkey)

Korsan Parti Türkiye / Pirate Party of Turkey

La Quadrature du Net

Linux Kullanıcıları Derneği (Turkey)

Mülksüzleştirme Ağları (Turkey)

Open State Foundation

Pardus Kullanıcıları Derneği (Turkey)

Punto 24 Bağımsız Gazetecilik Platformu (Turkey)

SFLC.in

The Ethical Journalism Network

The Tor Project

Tüm Internet Derneği (Turkey)

TVHI Media Lab (Turkey)

Web We Want

Zete.com (Turkey)

[1] Constitutional Court of Turkey Decision 2014/149
[2] Case of Ahmet Yildirim v Turkey, no. 3111/10, ECHR (2012)

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Yeni Medya Çalışmaları serimizde 3. kitabımız yayında.

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 15:25

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İstediğim tempoda olmasa da kitap serimize devam ediyoruz. İlk iki kitap ekitap olarak yayınlanmıştı. Bu kitabı ise yoğun istek üzerine (!) hem ekitap hem de basılı olarak yayınladık. Kitabın satışı henüz başlamadı ama haftaya D&R ve Ideefixe üzerinden ısmarlayabilirsiniz. Tabi aşağıda verdiğim link üzerinden de ulaşabilirsiniz. Kitabımıza katkılar daha çok y.lisans derslerimizde yapılan üretim üzerinden oluyordu ama 3. kitapta başka üniversitelerden katkılar da başladı. Umarım bu eğilim devam eder. 4. kitabımıza katkı çağrısı henüz yapmadık ama özel bir teması olacak ve muhtemelen haftaya çağrı yapacağız: Dijital Zamanlarda Gazetecilik İçin İş Modelleri. Şimdiden kafa yormaya başlayabilirsiniz. Bir dizi saha çalışması geçen dönemde yapmıştık, yeni saha çalışmaları ve kuramsal çalışmaların da çağrıdan sonra ekleneceğini ümit ediyorum.

Pazarlama İletişimi sitesinde çıkan tanıtım: 

Yeni medya kavramını dört ana başlık altında irdeleyen “Yeni Medya Çalışmaları III” kullanıcı erişimine açıldı.

Kitabın editörlüğünü yapan Yrd. Doç. Dr. Erkan Saka ön sözde şunları aktarıyor;

Öncelikle, “Yeni Medya” diye adlandırdığımız medyalar çok sınırlı bir şekilde algılanıyor. Akademik çevrelerde de sıradan vatandaşlar arasında da durum neredeyse aynı. İnternet denildiğinde akla ilk gelen Facebook ya da Twitter gibi sosyal paylaşım ağlarının bile aktif kullanıcılar arasında sınırlı bir şekilde kullanıldığına şahit oluyoruz.

Türkiye’de aktif internet kullanıcılarının yüksekliğine rağmen yeni medya kullanımında ve perspektiflerindeki sığlığa işaret etmek ve bu yeni mecranın potansiyellerinin çok azının kullanıldığını vurgulamak istiyorum. Bazı demografik kesimlerde bu sınırlı algılama sürse bile üç yıl içinde hem toplumsal hayatta hem de bunun akademik hayata yansımasında önemli yollar katedildi. Elinizdeki kitapta artan çeşitlilikten bir nümune sunmuş oluyoruz.

İkinci meselede her yeni teknolojiyle beraber yeni bir “tekno-lojik determinizm” dalgasına maruz kalmamız. Bundan kastım şu; en azından içinden geçtiğimiz kuşaksal geçiş döneminde daha genç kuşaklar her türlü internet aracına sahip olsalar ve aktif internet kul-lanımı Türkiye’de çok yüksek olsa da bu onların interneti verimli/üretken bir şekilde kullanacağı ya da internet kaynaklarının geniş bir çerçevede kullanılacağı anlamına gelmiyor. Yeni medya araçları otomatik olarak öğrenilmiyor. Bir öğrenim ve deneyimleme süreci bu yüzden kaçınılmaz oluyor.

İkinci meseleyle epeyce bağlantılı üçüncü bir nokta ise yeniye olan aşırı tepki. Bu tepki biraz da determinist bir şekilde ütopik hayaller kuran yeni medya taraftarlarına yönelik oluyor. Nesnel olmayan, doğası doğru düzgün anlaşılamamış bir yeni medya taraftarlığı öte tarafta tepkisel bir karşıtlık yaratabiliyor. Aktivizmi Facebook sayfalarına hayran olmakla sınırlayanlara karşı, dijital aktivizmi küçümseme eğilimleri ya da evrensel habercilik ilkelerini tamamen göz ardı ederek Twitter gibi mecralar üzerinden yanlış enformasyon yayılmasına karşı yurttaş gazeteciliği uygulamalarını küçümsemek gibi çok sayıda örneğimiz var. Tepkisellik dışında bilmemek ya da yanlış bilgilendirilmiş olmak da yeni medya teknolojilerine şüpheyle bakılmasına yol açılabiliyor.

Dördüncü bir mesele, “teknoloji” kelimesinin kullanımıyla beraber yeni medya denince akla daha çok cihazın kendisinin gelmesi. Oysa o cihaz-medya aracı değil cihazın işlevi, kullanım pratiği kullanım protokolleridir önemli olan. O yüzden basılı bir gazete haberinin aynen internet ortamına kopyalanması ile internete geçilmiş, internet gazeteciliği yapılmış olmaz. O mecranın doğasına ve de o mecranın kullanım biçimine göre aktarılan haber içeriği ve bizzat  yapısının revize edilmesi, multimedyatik hale getirilmesi, web me-tinleri arasında ilişkisinin kurulması, web üzerinden okuyan kişiyegöre cümle yapılarının değiştirilmesi gibi süreçler gerekmektedir.  Aynı şekilde televizyon ile internetin birleşmesinden doğacak şeyde (burada yakınsama – convergence- denen süreçlerden bahsediyorum) yepyeni birşey olacak, iki mecranın da dışında bir yeni kullanım pratiği oluşacaktır.

Çalışmanın tamamına buradan erişebilirsiniz. 

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Cyberculture agenda: “First video made entirely of emojis: Don’t Emoji and Drive…”Drones, IBM, and the Big Data of Death…

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 14:55

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Ford: Don't Emoji and DriveEmojis are very popular on our smartphones and it also inspires a lot of creative people around the world for a variety of purposes.

 

Drones, IBM, and the Big Data of Death

LAST WEEKThe Intercept published a package of stories on the U.S. drone program, drawing on a cache of secret government documents leaked by an intelligence community whistleblower. The available evidence suggests that one of the documents, a study titled “ISR Support to Small Footprint CT Operations — Somalia/Yemen,” was produced for the Defense Department in 2013 by consultants from IBM. If you look at just one classified PowerPoint presentation this year, I recommend you make it this one.

Twitter’s Q3 numbers have been released, leading to share drop of more than 12% in after hours trading. The main reason behind the drop was Twitter’s user growth figures, which showed the platform has increased by only 4 million monthly active users, in total, since the last earnings announcement.
Facebook’s new ‘Instant Articles’ product has the potential to change the web publisher landscape. But will they be a force of good or evil – Ash Nashed investigates.
The Most Controversial Hacking Cases of the Past Decade

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, also known as the federal anti-hacking statute, has been used to prosecute a growing list of non-hacking behavior.

Pirate Party Beats Iceland’s Government Coalition in the Polls

pirate-iceFounded in 2006 by Rick Falkvinge, the Pirate party movement has scored some significant victories over the years.

The greatest success is the continuing presence in the European Parliament, but in Iceland the local Pirate Party is writing history as well.

 

Report: Bots Make Up Nearly 60% of Online Traffic

Crack open a Club-Mate and raise a glass to strong crypto. There’s reason to celebrate.

Today, the 100,000th person signed our petition calling on President Obama to reject compelled backdoors in our communications.

The campaign, hosted at SaveCrypto.org, uses the White House’s We the People API to feed signatures into a petition hosted on Obama’s preferred petition platform. The campaign was the work of over 40 nonprofits and tech companies, including Access Now, Fight for the Future, OpenMedia, Mozilla, Sum of Us, Twitter, Google, and DropBox. President Obama has promised to respond to any petition that gets 100,000 signatures within 30 days. v

StumbleUpon: The Social Media Underdog [INFOGRAPHIC]

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Eurosphere agenda: “Refugees in Berlin create online map of essential resources for new arrivals…

In Uncategorized on October 31, 2015 at 13:10

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Berlin Refugee Map
For the millions of refugees arriving in Europe, it can be difficult to adjust to new surroundings. A group of refugees in Berlin have banded together to map key resources across the city, including counseling, healthcare, German language lessons, accommodation, legal assistance, police and public transport facilities. Available in English, Farsi and Arabic, the map lists over 250 services that can accommodate Middle Eastern visitors.

The European Parliament voted on Thursday to call on its member states to welcome “human rights defender” Edward Snowden to Europe with open arms.

The member states should “drop any criminal charges against Edward Snowden, grant him protection and consequently prevent extradition or rendition by third parties, in recognition of his status as a whistleblower and international human rights defender,” read the resolution.

The 17-point action plan for countering chaos on the Balkan route agreed on in Brussels on Monday by the affected states continues to elicit strong reactions. The region could be destabilised and human trafficking could increase, some commentators warn. Others point out that the key to solving the refugee crisis lies in Syria.

‘Strategic depopulation’ of Syria likely cause of EU refugee crisis – Assange
Ceylon Daily News
UK: The flooding of Europe by countless waves of refugees may be the result of the “strategic depopulation” of Syria carried out by opponents of the country’s government, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suggested. Transparency organization .

Europe’s migrant crisis cannot be solved with the construction of fences or walls at borders, Germany has said after Austria announced plans to erect fences on its border with Slovenia to slow the influx

Pirate Party demonstrators in Berlin, 2013. Photo by Mike Herbst via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Pirate Party demonstrators in Berlin, 2013. Photo by Mike Herbst via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Kosovo takes step towards joining EU

The EU and Kosovo sign an agreement to deepen ties that the Balkan nation’s prime minister says “seals Kosovo’s path” towards EU membership.

Europe’s Politics of Dystopia

The recent victory of the conservative Law and Justice party in Poland confirms a recent trend in Europe: the rise of illiberal state capitalism, led by populist right-wing authoritarians. Failure to act decisively now will lead to the eventual failure of the EU and the rise of dystopian nationalist regimes.

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Let there be no doubt despite Erdoğan’s distractions before the #TurkeyElections: “ISIL behind Oct 10 Ankara Massacre, says prosecutor’s office

In Uncategorized on October 30, 2015 at 16:51

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Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has declared Ankara bombing was executed by Antep-based cell that received order from ISIS in Syria, and plans other acts.
An Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) sleeper cell based in the southeastern province of Gaziantep was behind the twin suicide bombings that killed 100 peace activists in Ankara on Oct. 10, the Ankara Prosecutor’s Office said in a written statement

As Turkey prepares for the most important election in a generation, the charismatic politician Selahattin Demirtaş holds the key to whether Turks and Kurds can live in peace

The actual aim of appointing a trustee panel to the Koza-İpek Group was to seize its media group. The first actions of the trustees confirm this.
I have been a volunteer for Oy ve Ötesi (Vote and Beyond) Platform for the last four elections. I will be at the ballot box for the fifth time this Sunday.
FOLDED CORNER – ‘Ethnicity and Elections in Turkey: Party Politics and the Mobilization of Swing Voters’ by Gül Arıkan Akdağ (Routledge, 282 pages)
 In Times of Chaos, Turks Point to a Deep Conspiracy
New York Times
In a classified diplomatic cable from 2002 released by WikiLeaks, W. Robert Pearson, who was then the American ambassador in Ankara, wrote that “the Turkish Deep State, the behind-the-scenes machinery and power relationships among selected .
Reporters in Istanbul covered the raid on their offices as the government seized control of a media group critical of the ruling party.

Turkish police storm media firm as workers protest – video

Police in Istanbul carry out a dawn raid on Wednesday at the offices of Koza Ipek Holding enforcing a court order to seize the media firm, which has been linked to a government critic. Footage shows officers forcing their way through metal gates, using huge bolt cutters, as people inside shout their protests and try to prevent their entry.

Two children aged 12 and 13 have been arrested on charges of “insulting the Turkish president” after allegedly tearing down posters showing a photo of President Erdoğan

Bugün Reporter Detained

Police entered İpek Media to which trustee was appointed, and battered and detained Bugün reporter Kamil Maman.

Police Break into İpek Media

Police firing pepper gas on the group waiting in front of İpek Media building in Mecidiyeköy have broken into the building.

VIDEO: Press freedom in Turkey ‘a major concern’

After the inconclusive parliamentary elections in June, Turkey is once again going to the polls this Sunday, with press freedom one of the concerns facing the country.

 

VIDEO: Turkey election: Security key issue

Turkey holds an election on Sunday – the second in five months – with the governing AK Party hoping to win back its majority.

The German media has reported that the Commission is holding on to its new progress report on Turkey due to political reasons. According to a draft version of the report, there are severe deficits relating to Turkey’s “rule of law”.

Turkey election 2015: a guide to the parties, polls and electoral system

Turkey heads to the polls for the second time this year after June’s elections proved inconclusive – here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s vote

HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş and HDP deputies Garo Paylan and Mithat Sancar have joined the Bugün TV program.

Koza-ipek

Turkish police raided the Istanbul headquarters of a media company in the early hours of Wednesday morning, armed with tear gas, batons, and a water cannon. The company is linked to a U.S.-based government critic and is the most recent government action against opposition news outlets.

Turkey police raid Istanbul media group

Turkish police storm the headquarters a media group linked to US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen days before the country’s election.
Some 94.12 percent of blue collar workers and intermediate employees in Turkey would live abroad if they have the chance, according to a study conducted by Eleman.net with the participation of 12,705 people
RTÜK member Ersin Öngel drew attention that TRT gave place AKP for 30 hours while it only allowed HDP for 18 minutes in 25 days.
The government apparently isn’t satisfied with ongoing conflict in the country and seems to be eager to declare war against the Syrian Kurdish region, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş has said

ECHR Condemns Turkey Over Detainee Death

ECHR judging as to İskender Özpolat killed in police operation in Diyarbakır and Mehmet Özpolat who lost his life in the hospital where he was taken after being battered has ruled that Turkey violated right to live.
World-renowned Turkish pianist Fazıl Say was awarded the “2015 International Secularism Prize” (Prix de la Laïcité) by the France Committee of Secularism on Oct. 26.

MHP leader pledges to bring public broadcaster to book for one-sided election coverage

Turkey’s people have been subjected to the one-sided propaganda of both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in the run-up to the Nov. 1 elections, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said Oct. 27 in the northern province of Amasya
The deputy head of CHP has questioned Turkish PM’s recent campaign promises to find brides for young Turkish men
Camp Armen’s deed has been returned to Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation.
The land title of the iconic Armenian orphanage Kamp Armen has been given back to an Armenian protestant church foundation, daily Agos has reported
ECHR has fined Turkey a total of 71,000 euros over the death of a citizen in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır in 2007 for violating his right to life and failing to conduct an effective and independent investigation.

‘Racist’ Europe does not want Turks walking around their streets: Chomsky

The current polarization in Turkey may have been triggered by the EU’s obstacles in the accession process, leading President Erdoğan to choose more authoritarian paths, Noam Chomsky has told daily Hürriyet
Social media users who insulted German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been sentenced to two-and-a-half-year prison terms, President Erdoğan has said
Ilte Turan, professor of politics at Istanbul Bilgi University, told AFP the MHP had successfully broken out of its 1970s image of ultra-nationalism. “Bahceli has pulled the youth off the streets, turning the party into a more peaceful one, free of guns.
Kurdish party aims for electoral strike at Erdogan’s ambitions
Financial Times
“Until the HDP won in the last elections, and crossed this 10 per cent threshold, the government was much more accommodating, said Ilter Turan, a professor of political science at Bilgi University. “Only after it became apparent that the HDP could deny
Beset by terror and crisis at home and war abroad, Turks prepare for a fateful The Guardian

Concerned with keeping Turkey on board to help the EU manage the migrant crisis, the European Commission declined on Tuesday (27 October) to comment on a crackdown on media by Ankara.

Police have seized a number of plastic masks in the likeness of Darth Vader during searches conducted in houses rented by ISIL militants, daily Habertürk has reported
In contrast to diehard enemies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), I usually argue that not everything about the ruling party is evil. Something good can come out of something bad

Turkey confirms shelling Syrian Kurds

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirms that the Turkish military has attacked Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

The promise of gender parity: Turkey’s People’s Democratic Party (HDP)

The Turkish HDP’s egalitarian gender ideology played a key role in the election of a record number of women to parliament in June’s election. Can these gains be sustained in the political turmoil ahead?

Turkey election: Diyarbakir feels pressure

Turkey’s election is critical for the largely Kurdish south-east

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Eurosphere agenda: ” Syria talks in Vienna…

In Uncategorized on October 30, 2015 at 15:46

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A new round of international talks on a solution to the Syria crisis starts today in Vienna. For the first timeIran – alongside Russia, the most important supporter of the Assad regime – will be at the table. In view of the conflicting interests of the different players a quick agreement won’t be on the cards, some commentators predict. Others argue that the war in Syria can only be ended by deploying ground troops.

Georges Dassis is the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Scotland might keep the UK in Europe

Could Scottish ‘yes’ voters deprive the eurosceptics of victory in the EU referendum?

Alex Salmond meets EU citizens in Scotland to affirm Scotland's place in the EU, September 2014.Alex Salmond meets EU citizens in Scotland to affirm Scotland’s place in the EU, September 2014. Demotix/ Ken Jack. All rights reserved.Much of the debate on how Scotland will vote in the EU referendum has focused on whether a Scottish ‘yes’ and an English ‘no’ might trigger a second independence referendum – with England leaving the EU and Scotland staying in as a new member state.

A right-wing extremist, Orbán has sealed off Hungary’s southern borders and cited a threat to European culture and Christian values from an influx of hundreds of thousands of mostly Muslim refugees into the European Union this year.

European leaders discuss refugee crisis at tense Brussels summit

Draft plan drew criticism for proposing Balkan countries should stop allowing refugees to pass into neighbouring countries without first securing consent

European leaders have met for a tense summit in Brussels to try to agree a plan for managing large numbers of refugees making their way through Turkey, Greece and the western Balkans desperate to reach places such as Germany and Scandinavia before winter.

WARNING: This video has images that some viewers may find disturbing.

Tsipras: Unlike Hungary, Athens will help resolve the refugee crisis

Greece will help the EU tackle the refugee crisis, despite certain member states’ unwillingness to contribute,  Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday (29 October). EurActiv Greece reports.

 

VIDEO: Tear gas ends Montenegro protests

Dozens of people are injured in Montenegro after clashes erupt at a demonstration demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

“One very simple, but radical, idea: to democratise Europe.” An interview with Yanis Varoufakis

As he prepares to launch a new, pan-European movement for change, Yanis Varoufakis sits down with Can Europe make it? to discuss democracy in Europe, Brexit, and the other part of Plan X.

 

VIDEO: Sheltering in boxes at German border

Some people waiting to cross from Austria into Germany have had to take shelter from the cold in cardboard boxes.
Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania say they will close their borders if Germany or other countries do the same to stop refugees coming in, warning they will not allow the Balkan region to become a buffer zone for stranded migrants

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