This is how democracy dies in Turkey
Submitted by gjohnsit on Sat, 03/05/2016 - 12:07pm
This is the scene in Instanbul last night.
Turkish authorities were today in control of a newspaper staunchly opposed to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after using tear gas and water cannon to seize its headquarters in a dramatic raid that raised fresh alarm over declining media freedoms.
Police fired the tear gas and water cannon just before midnight yesterday at a hundreds-strong crowd that had formed outside the headquarters of the Zaman daily in Istanbul following a court order issued earlier in the day, an AFP photographer said.
The swoop caused immediate concern in Washington and Brussels amid the intensifying worries over the climate for freedom of expression in Turkey. EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said he was "extremely worried".
Why did this happen? Last week Zaman reported this.
Wiretapped telephone calls between a leading figure from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and several members of the Turkish military reveal cooperation between ISIL and the Turkish military in letting smugglers cross the Turkey-Syria border, a report by a Turkish daily has alleged.
Documents prepared by a prosecutor's office contain a large number of transcripts of “friendly” telephone communications between military officers and Mustafa Demir, the ISIL member in charge of Turkey's Syria border, the Cumhuriyet daily said on Monday.
You can see why someone might be upset with that news report.
So the government decided to crack down on the people reporting about the terrorists.
This is how it was reported in the Turkish-state approved outlet.
A court greenlit the appointment of trustees to Zaman daily, a mouthpiece for the terror-linked Gülenists, while police launched an inquiry into a major conglomerate for the alleged financing of Gülenists on Friday in the latest bid to crack down on the shady Gülen Movement
Just a few months ago I posted this, which will give you a better idea of the situation in Turkey. It got very little attention.
Comments
Sorry this isn't getting more attention.
With the changeover this story was just badly timed, I guess.
It's horrible news, and a cautionary tale for independent media.
Especially in our own country with our collaboration between corporation and government. How long before they decide that those who don't fall in line be silent? Already happening through financial means, but what happens when it's down to the people with one printing press?
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
It was more subtle in the U.S.
The takeover of our media in the U.S. was not done in such a violent fashion but by the more insidious takeover of media outlets by the billionaires who only want us to hear the propaganda they spew, and this includes all MSM, including MSNBC. It's pretty sad when we have to get our news from the Comedy Central channel.
Life is like Disneyland - if you haven't been on all the rides by the end of the day, you have no one to blame but yourself.
From a few years back....
From: http://www.frugaldad.com/media-consolidation-infographic/
Compensated Spokes Model for Big Poor.
NATO
A chartered NATO member... that's what I find scary as well. Terrible events unfolding in Turkey... looks like Ergodan is going strongman. Too bad this story is being buried a bit by the primaries and whatnot.
Thanks for the informative diary.
Progressive to the bone.
Thanks for sharing. I hope
Thanks for sharing. I hope that there is lots of room on here for the fight for global democracy. I really appreciate hearing what is happening in places like Turkey.
Do Afghan Lives Matter?
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Yes they do and have for decades.