Archive for the ‘Erdogan’ Category

Debbie Bookchin: The party that actually supports terror is Erdogan’s AKP – ANHA – ANHA

Journalist and author Debbie Bookchin, daughter of Murray Bookchin said that efforts exerted by the Kurdish people to hold negotiations with Turkey are merely to find a peaceful solution indicating that it is Erdogan that impedes such efforts laying stress that leader Abdullah Ocalan must be freed and PKK be delisted from black list.

Abdullah Ocalan was arrested and sentenced to death, and later to life in prison, without a fair trial. For more than 22 years, he has been held in solitary confinement, a condition that the United Nations considers to be a form of torture.

On this among others Debbie was interviewed by ANHA and said:

Mr. Ocalan is the leader of a legitimate movement for minority rights and national liberation, just as Nelson Mandela was. Several judicial bodies including the Permanent Peoples Tribunal, a direct descendent of the Russell Tribunal established by philosophers Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre to investigate American war crimes in Vietnam, have determined that the PKK is engaged in a legitimate struggle for human rights.

The Tribunal found that the Turkish state is denying the right to self-determination of the Kurdish peoples identity and presence, and the repression of its participation in the political, economic and cultural life of the country. Another body, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) studying the period of July 2015 to December 2016, documented [pdf, p2] evidence of: excessive use of force; killings; enforced disappearances; torture; destruction of housing and cultural heritage; incitement to hatred; prevention of access to emergency medical care, food, water and livelihoods; violence against women; and severe curtailment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression as well as political participation.

The Permanent Peoples Tribunal stated unequivocally that the Kurdish struggle for human rights is not a terrorist issue as Turkish President Erdogan claims, but rather a non-international armed conflict ruled by international humanitarian law. As such, it should not be subject to anti-terrorism legislation. A Belgian high court has agreed.

The party that actually supports terror is Erdogan's AKP, as shown by its continued support of ISIS and other jihadi gangs. Amnesty International and others have documented how these jihadi militias have systematically attacked the Kurdish people in Rojava, kidnapping and raping women, killing civilians, looting property, and engaging in ethnic cleansing that has displaced more than 300,000 people.

The Kurdish people have repeatedly tried to negotiate a peaceful solution with Turkey. Erdogan alone is responsible for sabotaging these efforts. The growing aggression by Turkey against the Kurdish people should be denounced by the entire international community. Erdogans use of chemical weapons by Turkey is a war crime that is a stain on every NATO nation that remains silent. It is time for Turkey to withdraw from Syria and Iraq. It is time for the peace process to resume. To do this, Abdullah Ocalan must be released from prison and the PKK must be delisted. World leaders, and all of us, must speak out in favor of basic human rights and demand the release of Abdullah Ocalan and the resumption of peace negotiations between Turkey and the PKK.

L..A

ANHA

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Debbie Bookchin: The party that actually supports terror is Erdogan's AKP - ANHA - ANHA

Erdogan orders removal of 10 ambassadors, including US envoy

ISTANBUL (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that he had ordered 10 foreign ambassadors who called for the release of a jailed philanthropist to be declared persona non grata.

The envoys, including the U.S., French and German representatives in Ankara, issued a statement earlier this week calling for a resolution to the case of Osman Kavala, a businessman and philanthropist held in prison since 2017 despite not having been convicted of a crime.

Describing the statement as an impudence, Erdogan said he had ordered the ambassadors be declared undesirable.

I gave the instruction to our foreign minister and said You will immediately handle the persona non grata declaration of these 10 ambassadors, Erdogan said during a rally in the western city of Eskisehir.

He added: They will recognize, understand and know Turkey. The day they dont know or understand Turkey, they will leave.

The diplomats, who also include the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and New Zealand, were summoned to the foreign ministry on Tuesday.

A declaration of persona non grata against a diplomat usually means that individual is banned from remaining in their host country.

Kavala, 64, was acquitted last year of charges linked to nationwide anti-government protests in 2013, but the ruling was overturned and joined to charges relating to a 2016 coup attempt.

International observers and human rights groups have repeatedly called for the release of Kavala and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas, who has been jailed since 2016. They say their imprisonment is based on political considerations. Ankara denies the claims and insists on the independence of Turkish courts.

The European Court of Human Rights called for Kavalas release in 2019, saying his incarceration acted to silence him and wasnt supported by evidence of an offense. The Council of Europe says it will start infringement proceedings again Turkey at the end of November if Kavala is not released.

The current U.S. ambassador, David Satterfield, was appointed in 2019. The nomination of his replacement, Jeff Flake, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

After Erdogans order was reported, the State Department said in a statement, We are aware of these reports and are seeking clarity from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Erdogan orders removal of 10 ambassadors, including US envoy

Speculation over Erdogan health following two videos …

Two videos posted on social media ofPresident President Recep Tayyip Erdoganhis absence from the global climate conference in Glasgow have ignited new speculations about theauthoritarian leader's health.

Meanwhile, Turkeys police cybercrime unit has opened an investigation into the increase in baseless social media posts questioning Erdogan's health, AFP reported on Wednesday.

One video circulating on Twitter appears to show Erdogan holding onto an aides shoulder while walking at the recent G20 Summit in Rome. None of the videos have been independently verified by Haaretz.

According to AFP's report, the investigation will focus on posts by 30 people who tweeted the hashtag #olmus (#heisdead in Turkish), and is a response to the widespread speculation regarding Erdogans health and capacity to continue in his current role.

In an apparent attempt to rebut the allegations, which have spread widely among Turkish social media users, national communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted a video of the president walking down a blue carpet along with the comment trust the friend, fear the enemy

On Monday, Erdogan cancelled plans to attend the global climate conference in Glasgow because Britain failed to meet Turkey's demands on security arrangements, Turkish media quoted him as saying, resulting in speculation that the cancellation was actually related to his allegedly failing health.

There are reports that #Erdoan's no-show at #COP26 resulted from #Scotland's failure to fully meet his security related demands & also rumors of a health issue, tweeted Aykan Erdemir, the Turkey Program Senior Director at the Washington DC-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Last month, Foreign Policy ran an article detailing several recorded incidents of Erdogan appearing to have problems negotiating stairs as well as struggle with garbled speech during an event, although it noted that he looked perfectly fine during other public appearances.

At times, he has looked quite gaunt, the author wrote, noting that in tandem with this footage are rumors about the presidents healthincluding stories alleging he has been dealing with increasing forgetfulness, bouts of breathing problems, confusion, vomiting, and the implantation of an internal defibrillator. According to these same accounts, the president has increased the number of doctors around him, reduced encounters with the press, and is being pumped up with painkillers before public events.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Speculation over Erdogan health following two videos ...

Erdogan Orders Removal of 10 Ambassadors, Including U.S …

ISTANBUL (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that he had ordered 10 foreign ambassadors who called for the release of a jailed philanthropist to be declared persona non grata.

The envoys, including the U.S., French and German representatives in Ankara, issued a statement earlier this week calling for a resolution to the case of Osman Kavala, a businessman and philanthropist held in prison since 2017 despite not having been convicted of a crime.

Describing the statement as an impudence, Erdogan said he had ordered the ambassadors be declared undesirable.

I gave the instruction to our foreign minister and said You will immediately handle the persona non grata declaration of these 10 ambassadors, Erdogan said during a rally in the western city of Eskisehir.

He added: They will recognize, understand and know Turkey. The day they dont know or understand Turkey, they will leave.

The diplomats, who also include the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and New Zealand, were summoned to the foreign ministry on Tuesday.

A declaration of persona non grata against a diplomat usually means that individual is banned from remaining in their host country.

Kavala, 64, was acquitted last year of charges linked to nationwide anti-government protests in 2013, but the ruling was overturned and joined to charges relating to a 2016 coup attempt.

International observers and human rights groups have repeatedly called for the release of Kavala and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas, who has been jailed since 2016. They say their imprisonment is based on political considerations. Ankara denies the claims and insists on the independence of Turkish courts.

The European Court of Human Rights called for Kavalas release in 2019, saying his incarceration acted to silence him and wasnt supported by evidence of an offense. The Council of Europe says it will start infringement proceedings again Turkey at the end of November if Kavala is not released.

The current U.S. ambassador, David Satterfield, was appointed in 2019. The nomination of his replacement, Jeff Flake, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

After Erdogans order was reported, the State Department said in a statement, We are aware of these reports and are seeking clarity from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Erdogan vows further support to Azerbaijan to restore liberated lands – AzerNews

11 November 2021 09:38 (UTC+04:00)

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By Vafa Ismayilova

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged his countrys furthersupport to Azerbaijan to restore its territories liberated from Armenias occupation in 2020, Azertag reported on November 10.

In a letter of congratulation addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Victory Day, Erdogan said: I am delighted with the rapid improvement of Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur and the elimination of the consequences of occupation in a short time. We will continue to provide support in the process of reconstruction and restoration of the liberated lands in the future too."

He stressed that "by signing the declaration in the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, Shusha, which was liberated from occupation on 8 November last year, we raised our relations to the level of an alliance, which is a historic step for our countries".

There is no doubt that the Turkish-Azerbaijani unity will continue to develop in all areas under the motto "one nation, two states", Erdogan said.

He remembered with respect the Azerbaijanis who died for the freedom of Motherland and veterans, who paved the way for victory.

Erdogan conveyed his best wishes to Aliyev for the health, happiness, well-being and prosperity of the Azerbaijani people.

Meanwhile, the Turkish parliament approved a bill to extend the term of stay of the Turkish military in Azerbaijan, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Thus, the term of office of the military working in the joint Turkish-Russian monitoring center in Aghdam was extended for another year.

on November 17, 2020, the Turkish Grand National Assembly authorized the Turkish armed forces to send Turkish troops to Azerbaijan for a period of one year.

On January 30, 2021, the joint Turkish-Russian monitoring center was inaugurated in Aghdam. The center aims to contribute to the restoration of lasting peace and security in and around the Karabakh region liberated from Armenia's occupation. Turkey and Russia are represented with an equal number of servicemen in the center.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

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Erdogan vows further support to Azerbaijan to restore liberated lands - AzerNews