Erdogan Wins : But Turkey More Divided Than Ever (Parts 1 & 2)

Where's Turkey Headed After Its Referendum? – Inside Story

Turkey's President has declared victory in Sunday's vote that grants the presidential office new sweeping powers.

Turkey Referendum, Trump's Trigger Happy Foreign Policy

EU Observer in Turkey Condemns Referendum as 'Neither Fair Nor Free'

THE INDEPENDENT: European delegation 'deeply worried' as opposition calls for result to be annulled

Fears the Yes vote in Turkey's referendum which granted far-reaching new powers to Turkey's President may have been unfairly influenced in his favour have been heightened by criticism from an EU observer sent as an impartial witness.

Opposition parties are saying the result should be annulled after alleging electoral fraud in Sunday’s referendum, in which 51% of the electorate voted for constitutional changes that include the abolition of the office of Prime Minister, and could allow Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stay as President until 2029.

The EU sent a delegation of 20 impartial observers to ensure the referendum complied with European standards. Read on and comment » | Niamh McIntyre | Monday, April 17, 2017

Turkey Referendum: First Results Show 'Yes' Vote Ahead

Turkey referendum: Initial results from the Turkey referendum on constitutional change indicate that the 'yes' vote is ahead. If enough people vote yes, the country's parliamentary democracy would change to a more powerful presidency. Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports from Istanbul.

Turkey Breaks Company with EU in Gay Vote
HÜRRIYET: ANKARA - In an atmosphere where Turkey is being criticized for the slow pace of its EU reforms, the country refuses to sign a declaration calling all states to take steps to stop the criminalization of homosexuality, contradicting its commitments to the EU in promoting human rights

Turkey refused to sign a European Union-led declaration presented last week at the United Nations calling all states to take steps to stop the criminalization of homosexuality. The move contradicted Turkey’s commitments to the EU to promote human rights for all without any discrimination.

"It’s very frustrating for Turks who wish the state to become a member of the EU. Turkey’s position with regard to this issue is more important than Cyprus to us," an EU ambassador told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review after it became clear that Ankara declined to join the 27 EU countries who endorsed the groundbreaking initiative.

Co-sponsored by France and the Netherlands, the declaration urged all states "to take all the necessary measures, in particular legislative or administrative, to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests or detention."

The appeal is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article One: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Out of 192, 66 countries signed the document, saying they "are disturbed that violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and prejudice are directed against persons in all countries in the world because of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The signatories "condemn the human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity wherever they occur," especially "the use of the death penalty on this ground," as well as their "arbitrary arrest or detention and deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health." >>> By Serkan Demirtaş | Monday, December 22, 2008

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: EU Enlargement Commissioner Urges Turkey to Take Steps toward Admission

BRUSSELS: Turkey must overcome internal divisions and get back to long-delayed reforms early next year to show it is serious about wanting to join the European Union, the bloc's enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in an interview.

Rehn also said he expected more Balkan countries to apply for EU membership following Montenegro's move earlier this month, but he urged them not to rush in because they must first show a track record of reform.

He warned EU hopefuls in Southern and Eastern Europe not to take the financial crisis as a pretext to give up on reform, adding that these countries must be helped to avoid going into free fall because of the crisis.

Next year should also be the year of a settlement in Cyprus, Rehn said.

"Next year will be an important litmus test of whether Turkey is serious about its EU accession perspective," Rehn said in the interview. "After one or two years of domestic difficulties, we would expect Turkey now to put up a new gear and seriously start to pursue the reforms again."

Turkey began accession negotiations in 2005 and has made slow progress in satisfying the EU. Analysts say political distractions at home and a lack of appetite for further enlargement among EU states have pushed accession to the back burner in Turkey.

Turkish society has long been divided over the role of religion in an officially secular but predominantly Muslim country.

Turkey narrowly avoided a crisis this year over a public prosecutor's attempt to have the Constitutional Court ban the governing Justice and Development Party because of its Islamist bent.

"I am aware of the dilemmas of the Turkish society in relation with the more secular and more religious lifestyles," Rehn said.

"It is essential that Turkish society find a modus vivendi.

"There is too much energy used on internal tensions which could be used for pursuing legal and economic reforms that are required for EU membership."

He said it was essential for Turkey to reform its Constitution and increase freedom of expression, and religious and linguistic rights, to be in line with EU standards. He said trade unions and business federations were blocking a trade union law essential to Turkey's EU accession process. >>> By Ingrid Melander, Reuters | Sunday, December 21, 2008

LE MONDE: La Turquie négocie avec Bruxelles mais bute toujours sur Chypre

La Turquie a fait un pas supplémentaire dans sa marche vers l'intégration à l'Union européenne avec l'ouverture, vendredi 19 décembre, de deux nouveaux chapitres des négociations d'adhésion. L'un est consacré à la liberté de circulation des capitaux et l'autre à la société de l'information et aux médias. Cela porte à dix, sur trente-cinq, le nombre de volets des négociations ouverts depuis octobre 2005.

"La présidence tchèque, puis suédoise, pourra ouvrir de nouveaux chapitres comme l'éducation et la culture, ou la taxation, mais après, c'est terminé", prédit cependant Cengiz Aktar, directeur du département européen de l'université Bahçesehir d'Istanbul. Huit chapitres restent en effet gelés depuis décembre 2006 en raison du blocage sur la question chypriote : la Turquie refuse toujours d'ouvrir ses ports et ses aéroports aux navires et aux avions de la République de Chypre, qu'elle ne reconnaît pas. Les Vingt-Sept doivent réexaminer ce problème en 2009. >>> Istanbul Corresponance | Samedi 20 Décembre 2008

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Turkey's AKP Fined after PM Broke Secular Principles
THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey's prime minister made a "determined and intense" effort to undermine the country's founding principle of secularism, the country's constitutional court has ruled.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the Justice and Welfare Party (AKP) who won a sweeping election victory last year, became the first prime minister ever to face legal criticism for breaching the secular provisions of the constitution.

Turkey's highest court had been asked to ban the AKP altogether and prevent Mr Erdogan from having any role in politics for five years. The judges refrained from imposing these penalties, choosing instead to fine the AKP, which has Islamist roots.

When the Court explained its decision on Friday, the justices said that Mr Erdogan had been guilty of "determined and intense activities" against article 68 of the constitution, which establishes Turkey as a secular state. >>> By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor | October 25, 2008

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