June 30, 2014

Playing with the military as a tool for political gains

Lale Kemal

The Turkish government's massive ongoing purge within state institutions knows no boundaries as it has allegedly spread to the military.

Crime and punishment

Ekrem Dumanlı

Former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin, who submitted a parliamentary question to be answered by Interior Minister Efkan Ala about a multifaceted government plan to “finish off Hizmet," will certainly have an impact on history. It has been seen that the government is manufacturing false crimes against one particular segment of the society in order to oppress them. Why? Because the immoral and irrational accusation of this group being a parallel state, an illegal organization and a criminal gang have been proven false. The government mobilized all its resources and orchestrated unimaginable scenarios, but could not find anything illegal to use against the Hizmet movement. Because there are none to be found; the Hizmet Movement does not engage in illegal activities. Now, they are destroying the legal system in order to create the legal framework for an illegal investigation of the Hizmet Movement. But the investigation, launched seven months after the major corruption probe that was made public on Dec.17, 2013, will have no real legal basis. If there were a crime, those who have been voicing the “parallel structure” lies would have found evidence of this crime. They could not find anything, despite the appointment of new judges and prosecutors who promised to commit illegal acts to hurt members of the Hizmet movement.

Prep school students dominate LYS university entrance exam

Students at prep schools (dershanes) -- privately owned university preparatory institutions that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is seeking to close down -- dominated the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS) university admission exam whose results were announced on Saturday night.

Students bid farewell with hopes of meeting next year

There was a flood of tears after the closing ceremonies held in the 12,500-person-capacity ISS Dome in Dusseldorf. Hugging fiercely, students comforted one another with the words, “See you next year.”

Başakşehir Municipality removes Fatih College's advertising

Despite growing reaction to the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality's removal of signs from the Fem prep school in İstanbul's Mecidiyeköy district last week, the Başakşehir Municipality has taken similar action and ordered the removal of billboard advertising featuring the success of Fatih College students on the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS) and in the Turkish Olympiad.

BBP leader: Anti-Hizmet plot recalls practices of Feb. 28

Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici has likened an alleged secret plot devised by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government against members of the faith-based Hizmet movement to the practices of the Feb. 28, 1997 military coup when there was immense pressure on pious people in the country.

TSK strongly denies Akşam's report on 'parallel' pashas

In a move to foil attempts aimed at dragging the Turkish military into politics, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has strongly denied a news report published in the pro-government Akşam daily on Friday claiming that there are 40 senior military officers who are linked with the so-called “parallel structure.”

Bank Asya's corporate governance rating increases

Bank Asya, a leading Turkish financial institution, announced on Sunday that their corporate governance rating had increased in June over its score from last year.