Turkish state channel bans dozens of songs

[Anthea]

PYD/PKK lies aim to tilt int'l support 'against' Turkey

Deputy Premier Bekir Bozdag says If Turkey did not worry about civilians, Afrin operation would end in 15 to 20 days

ANKARA

If Turkey did not worry about civilians, Afrin operation would end in 15 to 20 days, according to Deputy Premier Bekir Bozdag on Wednesday.

In remarks made to TGRT television, Bozdag said claims the Turkish Armed Forces targeted civilians were "perception operations aimed at eliminating international support".

"They are all lies," he said. "There are many photographs. Children are seen in the photographs… They [terrorist groups] even used Anadolu Agency's award-winning photograph [to mislead the people that] a child had been shot by the Turkish Armed Forces. We are deciphering all of this now."

About the U.S. proposal to establish a safe zone, he said: "If this safe zone aims to stop Operation Olive Branch from proceeding towards Afrin, then it cannot stop it.

"It is impossible for Turkey to give consent to a safe zone that would allow terrorists and terrorist organizations to maintain their presence safely."

On ties with the U.S., he said Ankara was making an effort to better relations with the U.S.

"The U.S. should make the same effort. Good Turkey-U.S. relations will benefit both countries.

"We do not hide our intention. We say the same thing to U.S. officials and officials of other countries: as long as the PKK, YPG, Daesh remain present here [in Manbij and east of Euphrates], threat to Turkey continues.

"Either help us clear these [terrorist organizations] or we will take our steps through our own means and ability.”

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch along with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity.

http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/pyd-pkk ... ey/1049794

[Anthea]

I take it that everyone knows Erdogan not only controls the Turkish media - but his family actually own most of the Turkish media

Do you remember Kobane?

Turkey was so keen to help civilians that it's troops sat by the border watching ISIS head towards Kobne without firing so much as a single shell to ward them off

Turkey was so keen to help civilians that at first it did not want to let the population of Kobane cross the border into Turkey to escape from ISIS jihadists

Turkey was so keen to help civilians that when the people from Kobane grabbed their most precious possessions as they fled in fear - the kind caring Turks refused to allow them to take all their possessions across the border, cars full of personal and valuable items were left behind in Syria for ISIS

Turkey was so keen to help civilians that when ISIS went to claim all the cars and precious items left on the Syrian side of the border - they prevented anyone from Kobane returning across the border to save their belongings

Turkey was so keen to help civilians that when ISIS started looting and burning Kobane Turkey allowed the civilian population of Kobane to sit on the hillside screaming and crying as they watched their homes go up in Flames

Of course we all noticed Turkish Troops rushing across the borber into Syria to fight ISIS

[Anthea]

Turkey slams propaganda against Afrin operation

ANKARA

Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Friday slammed defamatory publications and black propaganda against the ongoing Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hami Aksoy said propaganda has been made that Operation Olive Branch is targeting civilians in Afrin.

"During the implementation of the operation, only terrorist organizations PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh elements, as well as their positions, shelters and weapons located in Afrin region are targeted," the statement said, adding utmost importance has been given to ensure that no civilian is harmed.

"Actually, PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG are using civilians as human shields, not letting them to flee the area and even force underage persons to take up arms and drag them to conflict areas, as well as pushing Daesh members to fight along with them," said Aksoy.

"Religious and cultural sites, historical artifacts and archaeological remains, as well as public service facilities within the area of Operation Olive Branch​ are definitely not among the targets of Turkish Armed Forces elements," he said.

"Any ammunition prohibited by international law and agreements, such as napalm, chemical, biological, etc. are not being used by our Air Forces. Such ammunitions do not exist in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces," Aksoy added.

The spokesman added Turkey shows the same sensitivity towards civilians in Afrin which they showed during Operation Euphrates Shield against Daesh terrorist group.

http://aa.com.tr/en/politics/turkey-sla ... on/1052793

[Anthea]

Erdogan’s Turkey and its likely quagmire
SP Seth

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has Ottoman complex. He wants to restore his country’s historically old role and prestige.

He finds his country and even himself to be surrounded by perceived enemies. At home, he is paranoid about the powerful elements in military that are allegedly conspiring to overthrow his democratically-elected government. As usual, he overreacted to this threat and put thousands of people behind the bars after the July’s failed coup attempt.

He has been cracking down on the Gulenists in bureaucracy, judiciary, media and even in military. Gulenists are the followers of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan claims that Gulen has been conspiring to topple his government.

In the past, Gulen and Erdogan had formed a political alliance against the country’s powerful military and its pervasive role in the governance. But they ended up becoming political rivals in their race to reign victorious over the political landscape of Turkey.

Now after putting many of his real and imagined enemies behind the bars, Erdogan enjoys an upper hand. Turkey is now said to have the largest number of journalists behind the bars than any other country. But this has not satiated Erdogan; he still feels besieged.

Erdogan feels that even though Turkey is a western ally as a NATO member, it is not treated like one. It is kept at an arm’s length when it seeks membership of the European Union. It has been criticised for its poor human rights record.

In spite of having foiled the recent coup attempt, Turkey still gets frequently slapped by heavy criticism for its mistreatment of journalists who raise questions over his governance. Erdogan thinks he deserves appreciation for ‘saving democracy’ in his country.

According to Ankara’s stance, it has already been proven that the US-based cleric and his supports living in Turkey were behind the recent attempts to sabotage Erdogan’s government. But the US has its own reservation over the allegations made by Erdogan administration. The US has refused to hand over Gulen to Erdogan and face ‘justice’ merely on the claims of Erdogan. This lack of trust has been a thorn in the Turkey-US relations.

Another important complicating factor between Turkey and its Western allies is the Kurdish problem. Even though the militant PKK — behind Kurdish insurgency for an autonomous status in Turkey for the country’s Kurdish minority — is regarded as a terrorist organization in the US and much of Europe, that doesn’t apply to Kurds operating along the Turkish-Syria border. They have been the US’ most effective ally on ground to eject IS from northern Syria. Ankara, though, regards them as terrorists with alleged links to PKK. And would like the US to not only disown them but share Turkey’s concern about a potential autonomous Kurdish state alongside its border, creating more trouble for Turkey.

The US has refused to hand over Gulen to Erdogan and face ‘justice’ merely on the bases of the claims made by Erdogan. This lack of trust has been a thorn in the Turkey-US relations

But the US hasn’t been so solicitous of Erdogan’s concerns on this score. For Turkey, though, it is a serious issue because, from Ankara’s viewpoint, it is a bigger threat than IS. Indeed, at the height of the US operations against IS, the YPG, the Kurdish armed wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was its vanguard fighting force on the ground. On the other hand, Turkey appeared to be turning a blind eye to foreign jihadists crossing its border to swell the IS ranks. But for the YPG fighters on the ground, the IS most likely would still be in northern Syria.

It is, therefore, not surprising that the US doesn’t share Turkey’s concerns regarding YPG. Turkey has decided to take things into its own hands and launched a large scale military offensive to evict the Kurds from the border region across the Turkish-Syrian border. Caught between its strategic ally, Turkey and Syrian Kurds, who played a decisive role in ejecting IS from its Syrian strongholds, the US is keeping largely quiet against Turkish military’s large scale offensive into Kurdish areas across the Syrian border.

The Turkish forces seem to have entered Afrin and are headed towards Manbij, where the US is said to have sizable Special Operations units. Turkey would like the US to clear out of Syria’s Kurdish region altogether, thus allowing it to effectively carve out a border region under its control.

That is not all. Erdogan wants to play a determining role in Syria’s future disposition, preferably without Bashar al-Assad; which has been his intention since 2011 when the regime came under rebel attack. Erdogan had advised, indeed told Assad, to quit but that didn’t happen. Syria was then embroiled in a civil war, with regional and international forces, like the US, Saudi Arabia, Iran and al-Qaeda, supporting and encouraging their proxies. And just when the Assad regime seemed most vulnerable, Russia stepped in, with large scale military intervention, to turn the tables in its favour.

Erdogan felt sidelined and his intervention by way of shooting a Russian warplane, which Ankara claimed violated its air space, proved counter-productive, with Moscow freezing all ties. Which eventually led Erdogan to apologize for his country’s action and restoration of normal relations between Russia and Turkey. Since then, Ankara has been trying to work through its new ties with Moscow to tone down its commitment to the Assad regime.

Erdogan is, at the same time, pushing Turkey’s advantage from its military advancement into Syria’s Kurdish border region, to raise the question of settlement of nearly 3 million Syrian refugees, currently in Turkey. Which gives Ankara considerable political and military ammunition in the final disposition of the Syrian question. How it will all pan out remains to be seen! While Turkey’s deepening involvement in the Syrian situation might have short term political gains but, in the medium and long terms, Ankara might be creating its own quagmire.

The writer is a senior journalist and academic based in Sydney, Australia

https://dailytimes.com.pk/199129/erdoga ... -quagmire/

[Anthea]

Kurdish writer jailed for his posts on social media

Turkey arrested Kurdish author Mirza Kurt on Friday for his posts on social media.

A Turkish court arrested author Mirza Kurt for his posts on social media on Friday in Cizre, a district of Sirnak province.

Kurt had been detained three days ago by Turkish police in Cizre. On Friday he was taken to the courthouse where he stood trial for the allegations made by the prosecutor’s office.

The judge ordered Kurt’s arrest for his posts on social media and some notes on his notebook.

Posts on social media

How can someone be arrested for notes in their notebook

I blame Mirza Kurt entirely, because he must have written something really bad against the kind-hearted, caring, lovable Mr Erdogan

[Anthea]

Former PYD leader Salih Muslim, pro-Assad group leader
Mihraç Ural added to Turkey’s ‘wanted terrorists’ list

Turkey’s Interior Ministry has added former Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) co-leader Salih Muslim and the leader of an outlawed pro-Bashar al-Assad organization, Mihraç Ural, to its “wanted terrorists” list along with several new names.

Salih Muslim is among 44 names added to the “red list,” which includes most sought-after individuals such as leaders and senior figures of groups deemed as terrorist organizations by Turkey.

It is claimed that Muslim is one of the leaders of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its alleged urban wing, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK). Anyone giving solid information on his whereabouts will be rewarded 4 million Turkish Liras, daily Habertürk reported.

According to Turkish media reports, in 2013 and 2014, Muslim was invited by the Turkish government to Ankara and Istanbul to hold talks on the Syrian crisis and the northern Syrian territories under PYD control.

But following those visits the 2nd High Criminal Court in the southeastern province of Mardin rendered a verdict regarding PYD and its military wings, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), as “terrorist organizations.”

Mihraç Ural on ‘red list’

Mihraç Ural, allegedly the leader of the outlawed People’s Liberation Party-Front (THKP-C) and a staunch supporter of the al-Assad regime in Syria, has also been added to the “red list” which includes 136 names.

Ural’s appearance at a conference in the Russian city of Sochi on the Syrian crisis last month prompted Turkey’s protest. He is one of the main suspects behind bomb attacks in May 2013 in the district of Reyhanlı in the southern province of Hatay that left 52 people dead.

Previously, Ural was on the “green list,” which includes individuals with 1 million-lira bounties placed on their heads.

In total, there are 880 names on the five lists - red, blue, green, orange and black - each based on the hierarchal differences between the wanted individuals. Of them, 599 are allegedly “separatist terror organization” members, 128 are militants of outlawed left-wing organizations, 73 are members of radical Islamist organizations and 80 are members of the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) led by the U.S.-based Fethullah Gülen, believed to have been behind the July 2016 coup attempt.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/former ... ist-127163

Where is the logic of placing Salih Muslim on such a list now that he is no longer in control of PYD - Erdogan is behaving extremely irrationally at times

[Anthea]

Erdogan has been dreaming again

Turkish, Free Syrian Army forces free village in Afrin
By Omer Koparan and Levent Tok

Turkish and Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces on Sunday liberated three villages from PYD/PKK terrorists in Afrin, northwestern Syria, according to correspondents on the ground.

Anadolu Agency reporters in the region said that the villages of upper and lower Hecika and Dervish Ubashi in Rajo, western Afrin were cleared of PYD/PKK terrorists as part of the ongoing Operation Olive Branch.

Meanwhile, a female terrorist was captured alive by FSA forces during a sweep of upper Hacika after its liberation.

The villages put the total areas liberated from terrorists at 68, including 47 villages and 17 strategic mountains or hills. Erdogan is dreaming

Turkey on Jan. 20 launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist cruelty and oppression.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military has also said that only terrorist targets are being destroyed and the "utmost care" is being taken to avoid harming any civilians.

Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight.

http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkish ... in/1066905

[Anthea]

Turkish state channel bans dozens of songs

Singer Mihemed Sexo died 29 years ago. His song, titled “My rose,” was declared material “promoting terrorism” by Turkey’s state-owned television network, TRT, on Wednesday.

TRT announced it will no longer air the popular Kurdish folk song

The measure, unprecedented in decades, targeted 208 songs, including modern pop Turkish-language music such as Sila’s Afitap, whose YouTube version has more than 50 million views.

While most of the Kurdish songs were banned on terrorism-related charges, the Turkish songs were blacklisted from several state-funded radio and television channels because they were deemed “immoral.”

By immoral, TRT said in a tweet, it meant content that shows consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.

Rudaw has found that many of the songs don’t include such scenes.

The last time TRT took a similar measure was after the 1980 coup when the military imposed draconian rules on society, including banning the public from reading certain poetry books.

TRT has not explained the basis on which music is judged to be terrorist propaganda material.

Some people saw Thursday’s measure by the government broadcaster as a move within a broader attempt by the Islamist-leaning government to impose a certain lifestyle on all of society.

“They would like to impose their way of life over all the country,” said Zeynep Tanbay, a political activist in Istanbul.

“Just because they don’t listen to these songs they want nobody to listen those songs. Just because they call something ‘terrorism’ they want whole Turkey call it ‘terrorism’. They believe in a lifestyle and impose it on all of the country. But by oppression they can’t do it,” she added.

Following the failed 2016 coup attempt, Turkey has jailed hundreds of people including journalists, human rights activists, and lawmakers on terrorism-related charges.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/01032018