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In other circumstances, Turkey would have been the foreign country most often making headlines in the last 12 months. As it is, the election of Donald Trump to the American presidency, the ongoing civil war in Syria and Iraq, the madness of Kim Jong-un and the Machiavellian machinations of the Kremlin have drawn attention elsewhere. The consequence is that President Recep Erdogan has been able to gain for himself ever more dictator-like powers at the expense of both democracy and human rights.

Once upon a time Mr Erdogan was something of a revolutionary himself, standing against the dogmatic secularisation and establishment elites which had dominated Turkish politics since the days of Ataturk. Using the democratic institutions the old elites claimed to represent, he won power for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2004. In the years since, he has done whatever it takes to maintain his position. He has turned Turkish politics on its head in the process.

Throughout his reign first as Prime Minister for a decade, then as President MrErdogan has given little quarter to his critics. He has used the judiciary, increasingly stuffed with pliable apparatchiks, to bring opponents to book, claiming always that his manoeuvres are backed by the laws of the land. In the first two years of his presidency more than 1,800 prosecutions were launched against people who were deemed to have insulted him. Independent media outlets have been a particular target.

It was against the backdrop of his efforts to make the office of president all-powerful that elements within the military launched an attempted takeover last summer. This weekend Erdogan and his supporters have been celebrating the coups startling failure.

Undoubtedly the attempt by disgruntled officers to unseat Erdogan was as dramatic in its unravelling as it was surprising in its initiation. During a night of confusion, the government at first appeared to have been overthrown, before unarmed supporters of the President aided notably by police recruits forced the soldiers to lay down their arms. Some 250people were killed during the violence.

Erdogans response in the coups aftermath has been to redouble the purging of dissent. In the three months immediately after the failed military action, an estimated 70,000 individuals were taken into custody not only soldiers, but civil servants, police officers, lawyers and academics. Many took no active part in the coup but were victims of the regimes paranoia about enemies within any part of the state apparatus. As the anniversary of the attempted overthrow approached, a further 7,000 military and other state-employed personnel were removed from their posts, bringing the total dismissals during the last year to 150,000. Government decrees and trumped-up charges have replaced due process. It is all rather Soviet.

The President, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been emboldened by the revolts defeat and the popular opposition which put a stop to it. He and his supporters present the event as a triumph of democracy over military interference and, more broadly, as the moment of Turkeys renaissance; the time when the countrys people defended their rights and significantly their faith against the final, desperate flailing of those who wished to reinstate the failed, unelected, secular elites of the past. The fact that there remain many in Turkish society who do not support Erdogans rule is irrelevant in this propaganda-backed narrative.

Western governments, most with their own troubles and all concentrating on the diplomatic challenges thrown up by the unpredictable behaviour of the present incumbent of the White House, appear to be conflicted when it comes to events in Turkey. Sympathising with a military coup against a democratically elected regime isnt a good look (notwithstanding doubts about the fairness of the election in November 2015 which regained the AKP its parliamentary majority). Moreover, Turkey remains a vital strategic ally of America in Syrias ongoing civil conflict; and of the EU in preventing further mass influxes of refugees.

Still, the failure of European leaders to speak out against Erdogans crushing of critical voices is shameful. A referendum in April concentrated even greater authority in his own hands, enfeebling parliament. And it is fear of the consequences, not love of the President, which has quietened opponents. Whatever Erdogan and his backers may say, Turkey is no longer a true democracy and we must not pretend otherwise.

Original post:
A year on from the coup, Erdogan is tightening his grip on power - The Independent

Erdogan was speaking at a rally in Istanbul on Saturday to mark one year since a failed coup attempt that left 240 dead.

"First of all we will chop off the heads of those traitors," Erdogan told the rally.

Read more:Questions abound, one year after Turkey's coup that wasn't

This prompted calls from the crowds that capital punishment should be restored, to which he said: "I will sign it" if parliament passes a bill on resuming executions, a move that would likely end any lingering hopes Ankara has of joining the EU.

"I spoke to the prime minister and [...] when they appear in court, let's make them appear in uniform suits like in Guantanamo,"Erdogan added.

"They showed no mercy when they pointed their guns at my people," Erdogan said. "What did my people have? They had their flags - just as they do today - and something much more important: They had their faith."

"Nobody who betrays this nation can remain unpunished."

The Turkish president later flew back to Ankara to take part in late-night commemorations in the capital. Erdogan spoke outside of the parliament building, which had been bombed by warplanes during the coup attempt, telling thousands of supports in the crowd: "Our nation showed the whole world what a nation we are on July 15."

Read more:Turkey referendum: Could Erdogan resume executions?

Erdogan also repeated calls in Ankara that he would approve "without any hesitation" any legislation that would reinstate capital punishment in Turkey.

On Saturday, Turks observed the anniversary of last years failed coup, commemorating the nearly 250 people who lost their lives during the event and celebrating the perseverance of the nation. The largest crowds gathered at Istanbuls Bosphorus Bridge and in central Ankara, pictured above, where demonstrators marched to Turkeys parliament to attend a speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Among the crowds, were many who personally confronted the military on the night of the coup and had made personal sacrifices to defend the democratically elected government. In contrast, opponents of President Erdogan mostly stayed home, viewing the ongoing purges and Turkeys extended state of emergency as affronts to the nations democratic principles that have undermined the rule of law.

A banner in Ankara reads Our Democracy Watch Continues, in reference to democracy watch rallies that took place nightly during the month following the coup attempt. One year on, some Erdogan supporters believe followers of Fethullah Gulen, who the government blames for organizing the putsch, are still working in state offices and may be plotting a second coup attempt.

Sahibe, 45, a store clerk not pictured above, spoke in favor of the ongoing purges, which have laid off more than 150,000 people over the last year and jailed about 50,000. She said innocent citizens had nothing to worry about and that she hopes the state of emergency continues until we cleanse the roots Gulenists have made in our country.

Yet not all attendees at Saturdays rallies supported the year-old state of emergency. I am anxious about the current situation because it gives soldiers the authority to do anything they want, said Ahmed, who did not give a surname. If there was a referendum on extending the state of emergency, I think the majority of people would vote against it.

A pro-government demonstrator holds a flag featuring Erdogan with the words: Stay strong, the people are with you. Reflecting on Erdogans leadership, a taxi driver near the rally said, May god protect us if this man is re-elected in 2019. Hell bring sharia law to Turkey, which is no problem for men, but it will make life miserable for women.

Those who didnt support the rallies kept their distance, such as Seyma Urper, a human rights lawyer working in the southeastern city of Sirnak. "Since the coup attempt, most employees in my municipality were dismissed and the mayor was replaced with a state-appointed trustee," Urper said. "We have lost many rights and its getting harder to do my job."

Erol Kanmaz, not pictured above, said his son was shot in the leg on the night of the coup attempt and spent the subsequent six months in the hospital to undergo four surgeries. I came out tonight to protect my homeland, Kanmaz said. Those Gulenist traitors tried to infiltrate our military, but now our country is stronger than ever.

Sureyya Kalayci (left) displays a homemade t-shirt stating: A call is enough. Call us and well come. Tell us to die, we will die. On 15 July 2016, Kalayci and his son Ahmet (right), blocked military vehicles in Ankaras streets, helping to foil the attempted coup. If it wasnt for the people, the military wouldve taken over our country, Kalayci said.

A demonstrator holds up a scarf reading: We are the grandchildren of the Ottomans. Many people in the crowds on Saturday night expressed support for President Erdogans policies and believed he was the only leader that could restore Turkeys stance as an international power, which was tarnished with the fall of the Ottoman Empire 100 years ago.

Author: Diego Cupolo

Cellphone users forced to hear message

Anyone who made a mobile phone call in Turkey on Saturday was forced to listen to a recording of Erdoganconveying them his good wishes first.

Omer Fatih Sayan, the head of the information and communications authority, confirmed Erdogan recorded the message.

Erdogan is heard saying in his message: "As your president I congratulate you on the July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, I wish God's mercy and grace for our martyrs and good health for our veterans."

The Martyrs' Bridge was renamed for those killed

'Darkest night'

Lawmakers and Erdogan had earlier gathered in the parliament to remember the night of July 15 when thousands of unarmed civilians took to the streets to defend Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and since 2014 as president.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called the coup attempt a dark moment for Turkey, with deadly clashes between the people and rogue military forces.

"It has been exactly one year since Turkey's darkest and longest night was transformed into a bright day, since an enemy occupation turned into the people's legend," he said.

"Our people did not leave sovereignty to their enemies and took hold of democracy to the death," he went on, as Erdogan and members of opposition parties looked on. "These monsters will surely receive the heaviest punishment they can within the law."

Later in the day, tens of thousands of people, many waving red Turkish flags,took part in a march converging on the July 15 Martyrs' Bridge.

Erdogan earlier joined the crowds and unveiled a memorial to honor those who died opposing the coup.

Deep-lying tensions

But the cordial ceremonial unity belies tensions barely beneath the surface. Beyond the groundswell of nationalism, the coup's greatest legacy has been the far-reaching purge on multiple sectors of Turkish society.

About 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from jobs in the civil service and private sector. More than 50,000 have been detained for alleged links to the putsch.

A fresh wave of firings came on Friday, when the government announced it had dismissed another 7,000 police, civil servants and academics for suspected links to the Muslim cleric it blames for the putsch.

Turkey's jailed journalists

Erdogan and his government have repeatedly blamed US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for the coup plot, though they have offered little evidence to substantiate their claims.

Government critics, including human rights groups and some Western governments, have accused Erdogan of using the state of emergency introduced shortly after the coup to target opposition figures including activists, pro-Kurdish politicians and journalists.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was represented by its deputy chairman at Saturday's events because the party's two co-leaders are in jail - as are local members of the human rights group Amnesty International.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says nearly 160 journalists have been arrested over the past year, making Turkey the largest jailer of journalists in the world.

Kilicdaroglu: "Justice has been destroyed"

During theceremony in parliament, the head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) slammed what he called the erosion of democracy following the coup.

"This parliament, which withstood bombs, has been rendered obsolete and its authority removed," said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, referring to an April referendum that Erdogan narrowly won, giving him sweeping executive powers.

"In the past year, justice has been destroyed. Instead of rapid normalization, a permanent state of emergency has been implemented," he added.

Earlier this month Kilicdaroglu finished a 25-day, 425 km (265 mile) "justice march" from the capital Ankara to Istanbul, to protest the detention of a CHP lawmaker. The march was largely ignored by the pro-government media, but culminated in a huge rally in Istanbul against the government crackdown.

bik/tj/jbh/dm/aw (Reuters, dpa, AP)

Read more here:
Erdogan: 'No mercy for traitors' as Turkey marks coup anniversary - Deutsche Welle

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the failed coup against Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an event he has since used to further alienate his opponents. This alienation is reinforced by the authoritarian chamber that Erdogan inhabits, a result of both his upbringing as a pious, yet second-class citizen in once-secularist Turkey, as well as his consolidation of power since 2002, when his Justice and Development Party (AKP) took power in Ankara.

As I explain in my book, The New Sultan, Erdogan was born in 1954 to a poor family in Kasimpasa, a gritty neighborhood along Istanbuls Golden Horn, then a polluted waterway overflowing with sewage. He grew up in a deeply religious family at a time when Turkey had a staunchly secularist system, which banished all forms of religiosity to the private sphere, and in which people like Erdogan and his family felt profoundly marginalized.

Even Imam Hatip, the publicly funded religious school Erdogan attended, received second-class treatment in secularist Turkey. In a 2013 interview, Erdogan professed feeling othered along with his Imam Hatip peers, describing how he was repeatedly told that his education would disqualify him from any profession other than washing the bodies of the deada task traditionally reserved for the clergy in Islam.

When Erdogan entered politics after graduation, his marginalization did not end. The countrys secularist courts, in decisions backed by the secularist military, businesses, and media, shut down three Islamist parties he joined between the mid-1970s and the late-1990s. The courts also sent Erdogan to jail in 1998 for reciting an allegedly incendiary poem, which they said undermined Turkeys secularist system.

In 2001, Erdogan established the AKP as a reformed Islamist party. It took advantage of the implosion of the countrys secularist parties, which stemmed largely from the Turkish economic crisis of the same year, to win the 2002 parliamentary elections. Even then, Erdogans troubles with the secularist system did not end: he was barred from becoming prime minister because of his jail term. In 2003, this penalty was finally lifted, and Erdogan took office as head of government. Subsequently, he delivered economic growth, building himself a power base among conservative Turks.

In 2014, he became Turkeys president in 2014. This past April, he won a referendum to become an executive-style president, assuming the offices of president, prime minister, and head of the ruling AKP party. He has thus become the most unassailable leader in Turkey since the countrys first multi-party elections in 1950.

Still, Erdogan carries a chip on his shoulder: a deep grudge against secular Turks, as if to remind them of how unkindly they treated him for nearly five decades as a poor, pious youth from a gritty Istanbul neighborhood and later as an Islamist politician.

Erdogan has rarely let his guard down against his secular opponents, even as their powers have waned next to his. This is a result of his persistent fear that one day those opponents could push him back across the tracks. His biggest strength as a politician and biggest weakness as a citizen is that, despite his tight control over the country, he feels like an outsider.

It doesnt help that, in order to rally his right-wing base, Erdogan has demonized and cracked down on demographic groups that are unlikely to vote for him, including not only his former adversaries, the secularists, but also Alevis (who are liberal Muslims), liberals, social democrats, leftists, and Kurdish nationalists. This strategy has built broad constituencies that oppose him vehemently.

July 15, 2016, only sharpened Erdogans dilemma. Although the initial post-coup purges and arrests targeted members of the conservative Gulen movement erstwhile Erdogan allies who seem to have turned against him in the coupErdogan has since cast a wide net, arresting anyone who opposes him. He has jailed 50,000 people since the coup, purging another 140,000. His opponents now loathe him.

The problem for Erdogan is that these opponents now also make up nearly half of the Turkish population. He won the April referendum by only a razor-thin majority, with 49 percent of the population voting against him.

Erdogan fears that if he allows democracy to flourish in Turkey again, his opponents could vote him out and then make him pay for his transgressions against them. Maybe they will not do the latter, but Erdogan is so deeply molded by his past that he will not take the risk. This is why Turkish democracy is in deep trouble: it is stuck in Erdogans authoritarian chamber.

Read the original:
The Loneliness of Recep Tayyip Erdogan - The Atlantic

Written by Shubhajit Roy | New Delhi | Published:July 15, 2017 4:04 am Erdogan made the remarks ahead of talks with India. File

Almost two-and-a-half months after Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stirred a hornets nest by advocating a multilateral dialogue to settle the Jammu and Kashmir question, Turkeys ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar on Friday said that Erdogans comments were wrongly translated from Turkish to English, which gave a different meaning to his remarks.

According to Torunlar, Erdogan had said in an interview to Wion TV channel, Look, in order not to give opportunity to further casualties, especially the bilateral dialogues, could be also multilateral dialogues. This, the Turkish envoy said, was different from what was translated and broadcast which said, We shouldnt allow more casualties to occur. We should strengthen multilateral dialogue. We can stay involved through multilateral dialogues.

The Turkish Presidents comments had appeared on the day of his arrival, which was followed by a weekend, and the remarks were not corrected immediately as they did not catch the eyes and the attention of the Presidents press office and the Turkish embassy in Delhi, Torunlar said. But, on Friday, as he interacted with some reporters on the eve of the first anniversary of the thwarted coup attempt in Turkey on July 15 last year, the Turkish ambassador said that the President had only suggested that they can play a role if requested.

When asked if the issue was raised and discussed between the two leaders, Torunlar said he will have to check if he can share the contents of the discussion. Speaking about the presence of members of the Fetullah Gulen group in India, he said that we advise all our friends to be vigilant. Whether the Indian government has cooperated with the Turkish government on cracking down on the Gulenists in India, he said, There is a serious and very good cooperation between Indian and Turkish authorities. We are happy with the cooperation.

Ahead of arriving in Delhi on April 30 for a two-day visit, Erdogan had said, this Kashmir question, this question saddens us deeply. It upsets both the countries involved. And surmounting the Kashmiri challenge will contribute tremendously to global peace. For the last seven decades, this question has not been settled. And I believe doing so will provide relief to both the countries (India and Pakistan).

Erdogan had also said that Pakistan was willing to settle the issue. Nawaz Sharif is a man of good intentions. I heard him personally speak of his will to settle this question once and for all, he had said.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App

Here is the original post:
Turkish envoy: Erdogan remarks on J&K issue wrongly translated - The Indian Express

ANKARA: Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a resounding warning to those seeking to create strife or threaten democracy in the country by saying that those caught will "pay a heavy price."

Erdogan also stressed that the state of emergency established nationwide since the attempted coup on July 15 last year, will remain in place until all threats have been nullified.

Addressing his supporters at an event to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the bloody attempted coup, here yesterday, Erdogan promised that there will be no let up against those seeking to sow discord in Turkey.

"We will make sure they pay a heavy price so that they will no longer threaten the peace and sovereignty in Turkey.

"The state of emergency will only be rescinded when we have achieved our objective in battling terror," he said.

The Turkish president also questioned the motive of several western nations in raising the subject of 'human rights' on behalf of the coup plotters, who are currently facing prosecution in the courts.

The Turkish government has identified the Fetullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) as the architects of the coup attempt. FETO, said the government, had comprised members from various backgrounds, including military personnel, businessmen and even members of the judiciary.

"They (the countries) question about preserving the rights of these coup plotters but yet, share no empathy towards Turks who died or have lost loved ones in defending the country from those seeking to take it by force."

Turkey, he said, always prioritizes human rights and the principles of democracy, the latter of which was most evident when millions of Turks took to the streets on the night of July 15 to combat the coup plotters. Some 250 Turkish people lost their lives in combating the armed coup plotters.

Meanwhile, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus took aim at FETO, which he said has spread its roots abroad by hiding behind the guise of being a charity organisation.

FETO, he said, spread their influence by opening schools in various countries, and educating children of future leaders.

Kurtulmus said he would not name the countries, but expressed concern over FETO's tactics.

"Our concern is that they won't try to seize Turkey by force, like what they did on July 15, 2016 but instead, try to influence policy makers to further their interests."

Kurtulmus as such cautioned other nations not to regard lightly l the threat posed by FETO, and stressed that Turkey is ready to extend any assistance to ensure the organisation is brought down.

Link:
Erdogan on eve of July 15 coup attempt: Plotters will 'pay a heavy price' - New Straits Times Online