Todays Zaman under threat

[JohnF]

A few years ago I'd have been happy to see the demise of the Zaman Group - they were nowt more than a mouthpiece for the pious shoebox loving AK Party.

Wind on a bit and we have the spectacular falling out of little reginald and his favourite media group.

Since then, they've managed to turn themselves into a decent rag, the fact they're very anti AKP helps     Since the release of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül last week, the pious ones have all been frothing at the mouth with rage and indignation.  How dare the constitutional court go against the wishes of the pious ones?

Well, its looking like the pious ones have their revenge ready - reports are surfacing that the government is ready to seize the Zaman Group, just as they did with the (pro Gulen) Koza Ipek media company last year.  Trustees are (allegedly) in place to take over and run the group as another government puppet news outlet.

I hope this comes to nothing as it'd be another, fairly large, nail in the coffin that presents itself as the freedom of expression in Turkey.

JF

[kevin3]

   Too late it seems. A Court has this morning appointed Trustees to take over Todays Zaman.   Absolutely disgusting.

   Who will want to invest in Turkey.??     

[JohnF]

This just illustrates that the current Turkish government have cast aside any pretence of this country being a democracy.

Dissenting voices are gradually being silenced.  The highest courts in the land are being circumvented to their own aims.

I'd paraphrase Pastor Martin Niemoller again, but cant be arsed.

JF

[Colwyn]

From a personal safety point of view I'm not bothered by terrorism either in the UK or Turkey {road accidents are the main cause of sudden death for both residents and tourists} but if Turkey continues down the present road then it will implode into one more repressive Middle East dictatorship and I don't think I could stomach that as a holiday destination. Perhaps my 20th year of visiting the country will be my last.

[kevin3]

   Common sense would say why aren't the US and the EU doing anything to stop this happening.??

   Answer.

   Yesterday the US sold £700 millions worth of smart bombs to Turkey, and Turkey has some useful air bases.

   The EU are giving £3 billion to Turkey to hope they will put right Merkel's Mistake.    (few shoe boxes there)

   Democracy.?  It was just a dream.

 

[JohnF]

Perhaps my 20th year of visiting the country will be my last.

I hope not.

JF

[Troy]

Grrr. I don't care what affiliation anybody is. If they don't hurt anybody else, they should be free to be, to speak, to believe, to publish, whatever they want.

[Scunner]

What is frustrating is how it is obvious what is happening, and the people (and opposition) just let it continue in front of their eyes. The day when it is too late to do anything gets ever closer.

[villain]

Was never good, but getting steadily worse:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Now ranked behind that shining beacon of liberalism - Zimbabwe.

[JohnF]

Not sure if folks in Turkey will see the same page, but this is worth a look:

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists

The first article is "Turkey builds large prisons for mass crackdown" and makes for interesting reading.

JF