Thus spake Öcalan, DTP MEPs shall not resign!

So DTP MPs decided not to resign because PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan said it was not all right. Some dailies quoted peaceful messages from Mr. Öcalan today. I wonder what he was thinking in the last two months. Because he also contributed by his statements sabotage of Democratic Initiative that lead to the closure of DTP. Now he talks again about peace. Pro-Kurdish politics is as dirty as Turkish Nationalist politics. That’s certain…

Members Of Banned DTP To Go On Politics For Solution Of Kurdish Problem, Turk

Ergenekon at work. From Dolapdere and Tokat to Muş. DTP Closed (3)

I only pray civil authority will crash civil war mongerers…

Two killed at pro-Kurdish protest today. A shop owner machine-gunned protesters…

This asshole who targeted Kurdish protesters with his gun, told under arrest that he was paid to do that… any surprise?

And did anyone realize that mainstream newspaper Hürriyet, which I quote extensively, stated in yesterday’s edition under this photo: “Citizens pulled out weapons against protesting DTP members”. This is the newspaper who is bulshitting daily about freedom of press..

Those DTP MPs who are not banned yet joined the others and decided to resign today.

PM Erdoğan claimed that recent Tokat massacre by PKK is part of a larger conspiracy against Turkey Democratic Initiative.  I agree him totally.

A group of intellectuals and artists protested the closure of DTP in Taksim today by lying down on Istiklal Street for 5 minutes.

DTP Closed

last updated: 12 Dec 2009- 00:20 (all updates at the very end)

Warning! Judiciary is armed in this country. (by İç Mihrak)

One of what Turkish judiciary is best is closing political parties.  Here comes the 25th party closed in modern Turkish history. Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party has just been closed by the Constitutional Court. Hürriyet lists 141 reasons for the closure.

Nothing but nothing will be resolved by closing a party. This party has been closed and re-opened with a new name for several times. Just satisfying establishment desires, nothing else…

37 Kurdish politicians are banned. Some like Ahmet Türk are indeed moderates… Head of Turkish Constitutional Court stated that they relied on ECHR’s ETA decision…By banning moderates, the Court may have empowered hawkish ones in both sides…

Nationalism;  Dominant group            Dominated group- VIA

Turkey bars main pro-Kurdish party

from FT.com – World, Europe

Turkey’s constitutional court has ordered the closure of the country’s main pro-Kurdish party in a ruling that could kill off reforms aimed at ending decades of conflict

BBC News – Turkish top court bans pro-Kurdish party

In the mean time, it seems that PKK admitted the responsibility of 7 killed soldiers. Head of murdering PKK team’s photo is released here. That does not mean they are still part of a conspiracy though..and that does still not mean they did thinking of all propaganda tactics used in Turkish media…

Dark games at play against the Democratic Initiative?

Is it a coincidence that 7 Turkish soldiers are killed probably by Kurdish guerillas, a Kurdish demonstrator killed in riots, and a civilian dies wounded by Kurdish rioters in 48 hours?

All have their own genealogies, but happening at the same moment signifies a conspiracy of parties against further democratization. It is ironic to see that both pro-Kurdish activists and nationalist Turks are campaigning against government’s Democratization Initiative a.k.a. Kurdish initiative. Both militaristic and both will lose initiative if the Initiative has success…

here comes: Gov’t said it postponed to discuss an amendment to lower down charges against under-age demonstrators….

Serap Eser died today. She was burnt in high degrees when rioters threw molotov cocktails to a public bus…Facebook page.

Aydın Erdem, a demonstrator, a college student, was killed yesterday during pro-PKK riots with a bullet…Facebook page.

AFP: One dead as violence flares in Turkey protests

May god bless their souls, those 7 soldiers killed today:

Uzman çavuş Harun Arslanbey (Adana); erler: Onur Bozdemir (Adıyaman), Kemal Pide (Ordu), Ferit Demir (Muş), Yakup Mutlu (Muş), Cengiz Sarıbaş (Giresun) ve Fatih Yonca’nın (Hatay)

HUMAN RIGHTS RELATED ROUNDUP FOLLOWS

Öcalan’s new cell becomes an obstacle for the Kurdish initiative

A nearly 12 square meter room for Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned PKK leader, caused uproar among PKK members. Ministry of Justice yesterday released photos of Öcalan’s cell which is nearly 1 m2 smaller than the previous one. More photos here.

Pro-PKK Kurds used Öcalan’s cell as a pretext to celebrate the anniversary of PKK’s establishment. There were riots in many cities and I provide some photos below. My first reaction is that this is a case of habitus. PKK members does not know any other way to continue. After 3 decades of fighting, Kurdish question has come to a new and positive level and with major parts’ contribution, we might witness historical moments. However, PKK reactions mostly serve Turkish nationalists…I do not claim AKP does all good but I am not sure if pro-PKK Kurds help the process at all.. but let me not forget to add. This is a friend’s idea. There are nearly no PKK leaders who can really handle the process. Most of reasonable PKK leaders like Musa Anter were assassinated by either hawkish Kurds or the State apparatus and now we have a different sort of leadership problem…

AFP: Turkey defends prison conditions of Kurdish leader

Uproar over Öcalan’s prison conditions

by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK

In a move likely to block the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government’s Kurdish initiative, which aims to expand the rights of the country’s Kurds, sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) are taking to the streets and resorting to violence in the cities.

Alleged civilian Ergenekon leader spotted in Amsterdam

 

Bedrettin Dalan, who is claimed to be one of the highest leaders of Ergenekon gang and who is on the run, was spotted in Amsterdam as several dailies gave the news…

Ergenekon fugitive Dalan photographed in Amsterdam
Today’s Zaman
Former Mayor of istanbul Bedrettin Dalan, who is named as a suspect at large in the Ergenekon investigation, was spotted at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport .

Ruling through manipulation and provocation: The unwritten history of Turkey
Today’s Zaman
Later, its president, Sinan Aygün, was indicted in the Ergenekon trial, but no one paid any attention to the active campaign his organization was conducting

”ve ersele aleyhim tayran ebabil…” (Pul)

by iç-mihrak

An anarchist art case: juxtaposing Quranic verse with Turkey’s first female pilot, Sabiha Gökçen, who was one of the bombers over the Dersim rebels in a fictional stamp: “And send against them swarms of flying creatures,…” (Quran, 105/3)

First Kurdish signs by Diyarbakır municipality, a huge roundup on Ergenekon case etc follow:

Step by step, Kurdish initiative continues….

We were expecting more fist-fighting in the parliament meeting on Friday but relatively civilized quarrels dominated Friday’s meeting. Main opposition CHP is gone all crazy- literally indeed- and their reaction is ridiculous and beyond reason. Their childlike reaction and nearly criminal discourse (one higher official of CHP explicity stated that the best solution is what the State did during Dersim Rebellion, that is outright massacre…) have to be contained. I believe that AKP, DTP and a few liberals with possible indirect support from MHP can further the Initiative. Yes, MHP, nationalist party, does in fact acted quite civilized yesterday and despite their harsh criticism on the Kurdish Initiative their love of and support for the State may turn out to be a positive sign in this case. Because they wery well realized that this initiative may help unite the nation again. Armed suppression did not work as the the three decades had demonstrated…

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal addresses members of parliament as Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (L) and his Education Minister Nimet Cubukcu listen in the background during a debate at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, November 13, 2009. Turkey’s parliament is set to discuss on Friday reforms designed to boost the rights of the country’s Kurdish minority and end a 25-year separatist conflict, moves seen boosting its European Union membership ambitions.REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Turkey unveils reforms for Kurds

from BBC News

The Turkish government announces plans to expand the rights of Kurds, who for years have alleged discrimination.

 

A full list of reforms in Turkish here.

NYT article relies on pro-Ergenekon lobby?

A new article in NYT by Mr. Bilefsky quotes extensively from sources critical of the Ergenekon trial. I have once noted the evidence question last year and I still believe it is a valid concern. However, there is a concentrated attempt to slow down or disorient the process and these people are certainly not doing out of innocent democratic aims. As the article underlines the issue is too complicated but it is not a fiction. It is real despite all problems, anybody in town knows that the deep state operated in this country and Ergenekon trial is here to reveal some of the facts. But of course it cannot be an easy process to do that and by putting “clouds” on the Trial itself, some Western Media production helpsthe anti-trial lobby…

Subversion Trial Puts Cloud Over Turkey

from NYT > Turkey by By DAN BILEFSKY

Prosecutors allege that an underground organization has committed dozens of terrorist acts and sought to topple Turkey’s Islamic-inspired government.

Plot colonel put behind bars over action plan
Today’s Zaman
Dozens of Ergenekon members, including businessmen, members of the military and journalists, are currently incarcerated while standing trial.

A small scale campaign continues: Adding “Brave” to the name of Bingöl city. People of Bingöl was brave enough to reject the military enforced constitution referendum after the 1980 coup d’etat. In fact, it was only city…

 

 

Young Civilians label Bingöl ‘brave’

Members of Genç Siviller (Young Civilians) and the Ankara-based Bingöl Culture and Solidarity Association (BİNDAV) protested the anti-democratic 1982 Constitution, a byproduct of the 1980 coup, in front of the welcome sign to the city of Bingöl on Saturday…

Turkish opposition is a major obstacle for further democratization

Yesterday, main opposition MEPs made a scene in the Parliament, of course supported by MHP second biggest opposition party which led to scuffles while debates on the Kurdish Initiative continued. It is unfortunate that these two opposition parties can and may actually stop the process….

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) MPs hold banners during a debate at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara November 10, 2009. Turkey’s parliament is set to discuss on Tuesday reforms designed to boost the rights of the country’s Kurdish minority and end a 25-year separatist conflict — moves seen boosting its European Union membership ambitions. Banners are all about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first president of Turkey from 1923 and founder of the modern secular state, who died on November 10, 1938 when he was 57.REUTERS/Umit Bektas

The first President to be in Tunceli in 19 years

In another positively historical political moment in Turkey, President Abdullah Gül pays a visit to Tunceli. This city, predominantly Alevite, has been the symbol of radical opposition to Establishment. [I had just heard that fatally ill political prisoner Güler Zere may be released, news coming soon]

Güler Zere

oh yes, she is released (though it might be too late)…