Authoritarianism

TeleSur | – – The group leaked the documents despite being under a major cyber attack for more than 24 hours by suspected allies of the Turkish government. WikiLeaks released its first batch of leaked emails from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Tuesday. Founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the whistleblowing group […]

Authoritarianism

Turkish People Power foils attempted Coup

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The poorly planned junior officers’ coup in Turkey on Friday appears to have failed as I write late Friday night, though rebel military elements still hold positions in some parts of the country, including Ankara, the capital. Their allegiances and motives are still unclear. Remarkably, among […]

Authoritarianism

The rise and fall of Turkey’s progressive opposition

contributors

By Nick Ashdown | ( OpenDemocracy) | – – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition party, the HDP roared into parliament on the back of a rainbow coalition of alienated progressives and minorities. Now, armed conflict is pulling it back into the messy tangle of Kurdish politics. “It started like a forest fire,” said HDP deputy and honorary president Ertuğrul […]

Authoritarianism

UN: Return Saudi-led Coalition to ‘List of Shame’ Secretary-General’s De-Listing Opens Door to Political Manipulation

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (New York) – The United Nations secretary-general should immediately return the Saudi-led coalition to his “list of shame” for violations against children in Yemen, Human Rights Watch and 19 other organizations said today in a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. On June 6, 2016, the secretary-general announced that he […]

Authoritarianism

Dear Graduates: We’re Leaving you a Trumpian America; Please Fix It

contributors

By Tom Engelhardt | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | – – I’ve long had a weakness for commencement addresses, or at least for what they might be rather than what they usually are, which is why I’ve written them relatively regularly myself. Since no actual college or graduating class has ever asked me to give such […]

Authoritarianism

New Turkish PM Firmly Behind Erdogan on Executive Presidency

contributors

TeleSur | – – Binali Yildirim was unanimously selected by members of Turkey’s ruling party to be the country’s next prime minister. Turkey’s incoming prime minister says his government’s top priority will be a new constitution to create an executive presidency, a move that would give President Tayyip Erdogan the broad powers he has long […]

Authoritarianism

What Next for Turkey After President’s Power Play?

contributors

By Efe Kerem Sozer | (GlobalVoices.org) | – – Ahmet Davutoglu was disliked by many in Turkey. [Even after] he step[pped] down as Turkey's Prime Minister amid an apparent confrontation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he will fail to distance himself from the grave human cost of the government military operation in Eastern Turkey and […]

Arab Spring

The Biggest threat to the Mideast isn’t ISIL, it’s bad, Corrupt Governance

contributors

By Marwan Muasher | (Project Syndicate) | – – WASHINGTON, DC – A recent survey of 100 Arab thought leaders conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace revealed a sweeping consensus about what underlies many of the region’s problems: a lack of good governance. Indeed, those polled emphasized domestic problems resulting from that failure […]

Authoritarianism

Is Turkish PM’s forced exit a Harbinger of greater Authoritarianism?

contributors

By Winston Obertan | ( GlobalVoices.org ) | – – Turkey's Prime Minister of nearly two years Ahmet Davutoğlu has announced his intention to quit his post “for the unity of the party” amid evidence of a bubbling conflict with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Davutoglu was the second most important figure in the AKP […]