Police briefly detain Kurdish journalist Baysal on accusations of terrorism

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 3, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

Nurcan Baysal, a Kurdish journalist and human rights activist, was briefly detained on Monday on accusations of membership in a terrorist organization, Turkish media reports said. Baysal was detained due to her participation in a Democratic Society Congress (DTK)...

[VIDEO] 23 including 6 children detained while escaping from Turkey to Greece in boat

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

A total of twenty-three people including 6 children were intercepted while they were reportedly on their way to escape to Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Media reported Sunday that the group was rounded up in a boat near Ciplak Island off Balikesir’s resort district...

Ankara prosecutor launches investigation against German journalist for insulting Erdogan

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

Ankara prosecutors have opened an investigation into German journalist of Turkish descent Süheyla Kaplan, over posts on her social media accounts, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported on Friday. Three posts she shared on Facebook and Twitter are now subject to...

Communist mayor under investigation for using province’s Kurdish name

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

Turkey’s Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into a recent decision of the municipal council of Tunceli in eastern Turkey to start calling the province by its original Kurdish name of “Dersim,” Turkish media reported on Friday. By a majority vote on May 7,...

550 high-ranking Turkish diplomats including Harvard, Oxford, Columbia grads, purged since 2016 coup attempt

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

At least 550 high-ranking Turkish diplomats have been fired from their jobs by the Turkish government since a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. According to Bahadır Gülle, who claims to be one of the 550 purged-diplomats, among them are those with degrees from the...

Turkish woman sent back to prison with newborn 4 days after birth: report

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

Hatice Şahnaz, in pretrial detention on charges of alleged links to the Gülen movement, was put back behind bars in southern Turkey a few days after delivering a baby. Her four-day-old newborn, Safiye, joined more than 700 children who Turkey is keeping in jail with...

Mother of 2-year-old gets 9 years in prison on terror charges: lawyer

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

Duygu Çevik, a Turkish housewife, has been given nine years in prison over alleged membership in the Gülen movement, which the Turkish government accuses of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. According to a tweet posted by Sıdkı Zilan, a lawyer and a human...

Former Hacettepe rector held in solitary confinement on coup, terror charges: report

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Human Tragedies

Murat Tuncer, a Turkish professor and the former rector of Hacettepe University, has been held in solitary confinement for over two years at Ankara’s E Type Sincan prison over alleged membership in the Gülen movement, which the Turkish government accuses of...

36,664 investigations launched for insulting Erdogan, Turkish gov’t in 2018: report

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 2, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

At least 36,664 investigations were launched in Turkey for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish nation and government officials in 2018, Birgun daily reported Saturday. In 11,337 investigations, the overseeing court ordered decided non-prosecution, the...

Armenian weekly AGOS now among newspapers banned by Turkish airlines

by TurkeyPurge | Jun 1, 2019 | Today in Crackdown

Turkey’s national carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) will no longer offer Armenian weekly newspaper Agos to its customers at the international terminal in İstanbul, the Artı Gerçek news website reported on Friday. Agos has been among the print media available free of...