INSIDER
Turkey sentences pro-Kurdish politicians to lengthy prison terms over deadly 2014 riots
Read full article: Turkey sentences pro-Kurdish politicians to lengthy prison terms over deadly 2014 riotsA Turkish court has sentenced several pro-Kurdish politicians to between nine and 42 years in prison over deadly riots that broke out in 2014 after Islamic State group militants besieged the Syrian border town of Kobani.
Erdogan orders removal of 10 ambassadors, including US envoy
Read full article: Erdogan orders removal of 10 ambassadors, including US envoyTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered 10 foreign ambassadors who called for the release of a jailed philanthropist to be declared persona non grata.
Turkey expels pro-Kurdish legislator, seeks to disband party
Read full article: Turkey expels pro-Kurdish legislator, seeks to disband partyOmer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a human rights advocate and lawmaker from the People's Democratic Party, or HDP, center, reacts after the parliament stripped his parliamentary seat, in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, March 17, 2021. In the latest crackdown on Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition party, Turkey on Wednesday stripped a prominent legislator of his parliamentary seat following his conviction over a 2016 social media post. (AP Photo)ANKARA โ In the latest crackdown on Turkeyโs pro-Kurdish opposition party, Turkish authorities on Wednesday stripped a prominent legislator and human rights advocate of his parliamentary seat and took a step toward disbanding the entire party. The government accuses the HDP โ the third largest party in Turkeyโs parliament โ of links to the PKK. Gergerlioglu, the former head of an Islamist human rights association, has exposed several human rights violations in Turkey, including alleged illegal strip-searches of detainees by police.
Turkish lawmakers pass bill monitoring civil society groups
Read full article: Turkish lawmakers pass bill monitoring civil society groupsTurkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to his ruling party's lawmakers, in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 23. Speaking to his ruling party lawmakers Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called imprisoned politician Selahattin Demirtas a terrorist and accused the European court of defending a terrorist. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)ISTANBUL โ Turkeyโs parliament approved a law Sunday that would increase government monitoring of civil society groups, which rights groups have warned would violate the freedom of association. Turkeyโs anti-terrorism laws are broad and have led to the jailing of politicians, journalists, civil society activists and thousands of others. Nearly 680 civil society groups signed a declaration against the bill, saying it would limit their ability to raise funds and organize while putting them under ministry pressure.
Turkey's president slams European court for Demirtas ruling
Read full article: Turkey's president slams European court for Demirtas rulingTurkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to his ruling party's lawmakers, in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 23. Turkeys president has lashed out against the European Court of Human Rights after its ruling that Turkey must immediately release a prominent Kurdish politician. Speaking to his ruling party lawmakers Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called imprisoned politician Selahattin Demirtas a terrorist and accused the European court of defending a terrorist. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)ISTANBUL โ Turkeyโs president on Wednesday accused the European Court of Human Rights of โdefending a terroristโ after it ruled that Turkey must immediately release from prison a prominent Kurdish politician. Speaking to his ruling party's lawmakers, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called imprisoned politician Selahattin Demirtas a โterrorist" who was responsible for dozens of deaths during violent protests five years ago.