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It’s exactly a month ago today that youtube.com was again closed in Turkey. Previous closures usually didn’t last so long, and this time it’s even a ‘double closure’: when you try to open the site, you now get two notifications of court orders banning youtube. On the other hand, all the wordpressblogs are …
It’s a pity that I didn’t really closely observe people before the smoking ban in public places was introduced, on Monday of last week. It’s now forbidden to light up even on the outside deck of the ferry. The ferry ride I take regulary lasts only ten minutes, but for smokers, that can be too long. I know, I’ve been …
Some time ago, I interviewed a political scientist. The interview was not about the government, but of course we had to discuss the policies of the ruling AK Party, which is accused of trying to Islamize Turkey and undermine secularism. He said people had no reason to be afraid of any Islamic agenda in the AKP. In fact, …
Gold mines threaten green Turkey: even national parks are no longer safe. Villagers protest and go to court. “We expected more support from Europe.”
If only it was so simple, sighs Kumsal Yenilmez, protester against the opening of more mines in the west of Turkey. A judge recently decided that a gold mine close …
Next to the truck a boy is polishing lemons with a cloth. Then he puts them in a plastic bag. For his mother I suppose. A bit further on an elderly man bites into a lemon. Whether his face grimaces or not, I can’t see very well from a distance, but actually I don’t think so. These few lemons …
Turkish opposition asks for Lagendijk’s dismissal
A conflict with Dutch Euro MP Joost Lagendijk, chair of the Turkey commission in the European Parliament, is escalating now that the biggest opposition party in the Turkish parliament, CHP, wants Lagendijk to be removed from his position, Turkish Daily News reports. Lagendijk is blamed for having made unfounded criticism of the CHP and Turkish democracy. He himself announced …
Whenever you register or apply for something in Turkey, you have to mention your father’s name. Last name – in my case Geerdink – not necessary, first name – Henk – will do. Like last year, when my foot was broken and I had to go to the hospital a few times. I registered once, and every …
Turkish owner regrets buying the Otapan
The Otapan is finally on it’s way to Turkey to be broken up. Will the Turkish owner earn some money with it? “No, the Otapan only gave us trouble.”
If they had known beforehand what trouble buying the Otapan would cause them, they would never have bought the ship. Financially it has been a loss-maker, it has damaged the image of …
Busy times for weekly comic magazine Leman. In court, that is. Last week finally an old case against them came to an end. The High Court did not convict Leman, for the same reason as a lower court last year rejected Erdogan’s complaint regarding a cover on which Erdogan was shown as a tick: the cartoon …
A dead end street called Republic
It’s hilarious sometimes what strict secularists and pious Muslims can fight over. The first group is faithfully represented by daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, which excels in finding proof of how religious Muslims are slowly turning Turkey into a non-secular state. As its most recent evidence it reports how, in a neighbourhood where some religious people were in charge, …
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