Steel worker’s planned strike action denied by Turkish Ministers

The planned strike action by steel workers in Bursa, namely Asil Celik, has been banned for “security reasons” according to the Council of Ministers. However, we believe that the emergency state which has recently been extended is used as a pretext to deny workers the right to protest or strike. The decision by the minsters […]

SPOT delegation visits Turkey

Over the Christmas period we convened a delegation of journalists and activists from the UK. This delegation travelled to Istanbul last week to meet with prominent individuals and groups that are being persecuted for opposing the politics of the ruling AKP government. The delegation, which included journalists from the Guardian, Morning Star, The Telegraph, PEN […]

The failing Turkish economy

The rise in unemployment and the fall of Turkish Lira against the dollar has prompted the president to name those who hold dollars instead of Turkish Lira as terrorists and attacked institutions for not releasing cash into the markets.  In the same breath, without a hint of irony, the president threatens to remove the citizenship […]

The road to dictatorship

A new constitution has been passed by the Turkish Parliament. The new controversial constitution substantially expands the powers of the presidency under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and removes the office of the Prime Minister. The new constitution, which is expected to be put to a referendum in the spring, is opposed by pro-democracy groups and politicians […]

‘Feel this support and be powerful!’

Özgür Gündem guest editors’ trial adjourned until 21 March 2017   The trial took place today at Çağlayan High Criminal Court, İstanbul of Ahmet Nesin, Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Financı and RSF reporter Erol Önderoğlu. The three acted as guest editors in support of the pro-Kurdish newspaper Özgür Gündem in association with which Aslı Erdoğan […]

Prominent journalist Ahmet Şık arrested

Even as extremist groups gain momentum across the country and innocent citizens die at the hands of brutal terrorists, the AKP government intensifies its attacks on democratic rights and freedoms. On 29 December 2016,a prominent investigative journalist Ahmet Sik was arrested over his social media posts. Ahmet Sik was due to join a photo in […]

NY terror attack in Istanbul nightclub

During the New Year celebrations last night, a gunman stormed the well-known Reina nightclub in Istanbul killing 39 people and injuring a further 65. The attacks followed a series of statements in preceding weeks by Turkish officials and ultra-nationalist muslims denouncing Christmas and New Years Eve celebrations as evil and anti-Islamic. Mehmet Gormez of the […]