Prime Minister Wiretapped — Vast Corruption Upending Turkey's Government 123
cold fjord writes with an update on the political upheaval happening in Turkey "From the article: 'Dawn raids last Tuesday nabbed almost 60 people and implicated three government ministries, the directors of state banks, and some of Turkey's most powerful businessmen in a massive corruption probe spread across three different cases. Three members of Turkey's cabinet resigned on Christmas Day, and one called on Erdogan to follow suit as accusations of kickbacks, smuggling, and abuse of office continue to mount. The scandal has even acquired an international dimension as suspicions that Iran has been using Turkey's banks to shirk sanctions were further bolstered by the arrest of Reza Sarraf, an Iranian businessmen who is accused of bribing the Economic Minister while coordinating transactions from Iran worth $120 billion. The AKP is scrambling to defend itself by claiming the arrests are a result of a dastardly foreign conspiracy ... while police officials have been removed and reshuffled and special prosecutors appointed to a degree that makes Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre look like exemplary justice. The Turkish press continues to eagerly publish the latest colorful details that emerge from the probe, including police reports of $500,000 bribes administered in boxes of chocolate and news that Erdoan himself was being wiretapped as part of the investigation.' Erdogan has been urged to resign, three days ago Turkey banned journalists from entering police stations, and police are using tear gas on protesters."
Real reason: power struggle (Score:4, Interesting)
The economy looks strong and religious zealots are praising the PM and this is getting to his head. He forgets that it is Fethullah that actually controls everything in Pennsylvania and he openly started fighting Fethullah by banning prep schools, which is the main source of fresh meat for Fethullah. (there must be other behind the scene issues, but we dont know them yet). That link is the Zaman newspaper, which is also owned by Fethullah [todayszaman.com]
So now Fethullah/CIA is tired of PM's shit and they are unveiling what was already known for who knows how long. Interesting things are unfolding if you are Turkish.
Re:OK.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Religion is a personal choice, you moron. At least it should be.
You might want to get out in the real world a bit more. Religion is often what you're born with. Yes, it would be nice if everyone got to pick and chose after careful deliberation, but that rarely happens. And, in many places in the world, religion is also a tag or badge or category that places significant restrictions on your life at many levels.
Very few countries have the separation between church and state that is jealously guarded in the US.
Re:They named a country after a bird? (Score:1, Interesting)
There is corruption, and then there is Corruption. I can't imagine paying a bribe in the Western world as part of a driver's license application. But there are countries where that is necessary, and similar arrangements are needed for basic interaction with the government or other institutions. That is a fight that various parts of the world fight, and which drives the public mad. The people hate the corruption, but then when given a job in which they can extract payments too few people resist the temptation or social pressure to extract the payments to pass on to the tribe or extended family. That explains some of the attraction of political Islam. The Islamists rightly decry corruption, and Muslim people turn to them, but the results are almost always disappointing. In time corruption rears its head and you are still stuck with the hand and head chopping and other harsh laws brought by the Islamists, and the corruption continues.
Re:They named a country after a bird? (Score:4, Interesting)
Its actually pretty interesting to read where the various state names originated. People don't really think about them, but its almost invariably not nearly all that ... impressive.
Half a dozen at least are named for Kings and Queens (Carolinas, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginias...) New York is named for the Duke of York. Kind of amusing the names stuck what with the revolution and all.
Indiana is roughly 'land of indians'
Oklahoma is literally 'red person' in a native dialect
Caliornia is 'hot oven' in spanish
Vermont is 'green mountain' in french
And perhaps most amusing Texas amusingly is "hello friend'.
With only minor changes in history, we could have had a nuclear superpower named roughly "The Republic of Hey Buddy"
Names are funny things. :p