October 5, 2014

Gov't's hate campaign against Kimse Yok Mu draws condemnations

Various segments of the society, including politicians, volunteers and legal experts, continue to express frustration at a recent government decision to remove the status of public interest of Kimse Yok Mu, the largest volunteer and global aid organization based in Turkey.

Loyal depositors shoulder Turkey's Bank Asya while political war rages

(Reuters) Selling everything from their sofas to their wedding rings, Bank Asya clients are battling to shore up the Turkish lender against what they say is a government-orchestrated bid to scuttle it.

Order came straight from the top: Sink the parallels!

Zafer Özcan, a former correspondent for the Zaman daily and current economy news manager for the Bugün daily, recently released a book titled “Paraleli Batırın” (Sink the Parallels), which unfolds the government's attempts to take over Bank Asya and the smear campaign led by pro-government media outlets, aimed at institutions allegedly affiliated with the Hizmet movement, comparing them to the aggressive attacks on Islamic capital in the Feb. 28, 1997 coup era.

The flaying of civil society in Turkey

Mümtazer Türköne

One of the most chronically over-discussed topics at Bayram time in Turkey is that of what gets done with the hides of sacrificed animals. Since actually putting certain parts of the animals -- like their hides and their intestines -- to good use is so difficult, these parts often get donated to charitable organizations.

Opposition deputy seeks answers on gov’t ban on charity

A lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has directed questions at Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on why the government banned charity group Kimse Yok Mu from collecting donations.