dokuz8HABER https://www.dokuz8haber.net Son dakika haberleri, güncel haberler, siyaset, toplum, yaşam haberleri, ekonomideki gelişmeler, emek dünyasından ekoloji mücadelesine ve kadın hareketine yerel ve dünya haberleri dokuz8haber.net'de tr-TR Copyright © 2025. Her hakkı saklıdır. News Fri, 01 May 2026 22:47:30 +0300 1 <![CDATA[#Election2023: Regional Media Coordination is preparing for the vital election]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/election2023-regional-media-coordination-is-preparing-for-the-vital-electio Local journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations from different cities talked about the preparations for Turkey's critical election. The meeting took place upon the call of Dokuz8HABER, the preparations for the election were discussed in the meeting and a forum was held on various proposals.

At the meeting which was held at MMO Lokal on July 29 and 30 with the participation of journalists and NGO representatives from different cities, the significance of local media in the election safety and the fate of Turkey were discussed. Journalists from more than 20 cities shared their own experiences and contributed to the election preparations of dokuz8HABER.
dokuz8HABER Editor-in-Chief Gökhan Biçici told about the experiences of DOKUZ8HABER in the elections, which was established during the 2014 Municipal Elections process, and reminded about the activities of Regional Media Coordination of Election 2019.
“We are preparing for an election to be held as early as the beginning of November. We do not want to be caught unprepared for the critical election of Turkey after all the work  we have been putting our efforts in over the course of many years. We have closely monitored 8 elections since March 2014. We are a platform that conducts news-oriented election monitoring in Turkey and takes into account election safety. We are aiming for a comprehensive network with journalists who will monitor the election in 973 districts and with citizen journalists around them.


Biçici emphasized that what they will do in a few months can determine the next 10 years and added:

‘’Where will we find election-related news? Although we do not have an independent national news agency, we have an institution that fulfills this function in every city across Turkey. Now it is necessary to aim to establish a national news agency. Finance and sustainability are the key problems. We aim to create an opportunity without being dependent on any funds. We want to write a success story with a fully independent media''


Biçici stated that they wanted each participant to actively discuss their role in the selection process at the meeting. He emphasized that they took important steps in a short time in the study they announced at the event held in October 2021. He reminded that they had two separate trainings in İzmir and three trainings in Hopa, Samsun and Ereğli in the Black Sea region. Biçici also said that the election news site, sendennehaber.net, is also launched.

Explaining that they are a part of the Election Safety Platform and that they are holding talks focused on civil society to enhance cooperation with various social platforms and civil society, Biçici said that many trainings are being considered within a month or two to prepare for the election, including a raid-election. Gökhan Biçici emphasized that they will meet with several local media outlets across the country including cities like Antalya, Trabzon and regions such as Çukurova, Van.

After Gökhan Biçici's presentation, the meeting continued as a forum. Medeni Sungur, founder of Kuest Media, stated that the presence of a local journalist in all 973 districts is a rare thing and said, “No other media organization has such a capability. It is an exciting process,” he said. Samsun Journalists Association President Mehmet Yazıcı stated that there is a "news agency" problem in Turkey and said, "It is clear that the existing news agencies have a political aspect. We also hear that there are various preparations in this direction. Everyone sees this gap. Turkey will see something different this time.’’

Assoc. Dr. Erkan Saka and Güventürk Görgülü also shared their previous election monitoring experiences and emphasized the significance of monitoring the elections as a reporter.


Healthcare professional Mahfuz Karaaslan shared his experiences as a citizen journalist in the previous elections and stated that the unions have important duties in this regard. Aydın Haberleri Editor-in-Chief Ayşe Yılmaz also touched upon the difficulties of being a woman in the local media and keeping a local media organization alive. Yılmaz emphasized that there is a need for reliable local news flow.

On the second day of the #Election2023 Regional Media Coordination and Citizen News Network Turkey Preparatory Meeting, the role of media and civil society in the framework of Election 2023 and preparation for Turkey's new political period was discussed.
Gökhan Biçici stated that they are considering cooperation with NGOs working in complementary fields, targeting elections. Ertim Orkun, President of the election-safety focused Oy ve Ötesi Association, emphasized that there are studies that civil society and local journalists can do together. Denizcan Sarı from verification network Doğruluk Payı stated that is not possible for an institution to fulfill its verification duties alone in times of crisis, such as during the election period, and offered suggestions on what can be done.

İz Medya Broadcast Coordinator Murat Atilla, Gazete Graffiti Editor-in-Chief Ali Taş, journalist Uğur İstanbullu from Artvin, citizen journalist Ozan Devrim Yay on behalf of the Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği, Adana Bir  Buçuk TV Editor-in-Chief Armağan Kabaklı and other participants gave examples from their own experiences, presented cooperation proposals. Public Health Specialist Dr. Ayşegül Tözeren, on the other hand, reminded that these elections will be the first to be held under pandemic conditions, and said that it is necessary to be ready for all kinds of possibilities.
#Election2023 Regional Media Coordination and Citizen News Network Turkey Preparatory Meeting ended with discussions and the suggestions. New schedules and plans were also considered and work plans for the upcoming period were created.
 

]]> EN, Elections, Regional https://www.dokuz8haber.net/election2023-regional-media-coordination-is-preparing-for-the-vital-electio Thu, 04 Aug 2022 12:12:00 +0300 <![CDATA[Ahmet Türk: We want a process where weapons disappear]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/ahmet-turk-we-want-a-process-where-weapons-disappear Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Ahmet Türk, who was dismissed and replaced by a trustee, stated that the opposition agreed to return to the parliamentary system. He suggested acting with a common mind to solve the problems.

The HDP, which is expected to be the key party in the next election, announced a statement of attitude yesterday. Experienced politician Ahmet Türk evaluated the critical points in the document in question.

Speaking to Ruhat Mengi from Sözcü, Türk talked as follows about the solution to the Kurdish issue, the election agenda and HDP's stance:

"WE WANT TO INTEGRATE, NOT SEGREGATE"

Dear Turk, HDP has issued a declaration calling for a liberal regime and a state structure with an independent judiciary that respects democracy instead of an authoritarian regime, but some issues remain hidden. When you and other leading figures of the HDP speak, you say, "The Kurdish issue is multi-layered, it has many social, economic, cultural and military aspects", but it is not clear. For example, in your last speech, you said, "Kurds are a people, they should have the right to speak their own language and govern their own region." Is it meant "Kurdish being the second official language" and the demand for a separate region covering some provinces in the Southeast?

What we want is for our people to meet in common democratic values. We wanted to develop a fair and equal management approach as much as possible. Just as everyone is meeting in the parliamentary democratic system in Turkey today, a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem can only be possible with dialogue and politicians acting with a common mind. The important thing here is a democracy, which is a participatory democracy. You know, in Europe, there is the Local Government Principle, and even if this is implemented, many problems in Turkey will be solved by themselves. In other words, we are based on a policy of "integration", not a policy of "segregation". An understanding based on rights and freedoms must prevail for the integration policy.

"MUNICIPALITIES ARE THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE"

When you say "European Local Government Principle", are you talking about an autonomous system in some provinces in the Southeast? For example, should Diyarbakir be autonomous?

No, I am not saying such a thing, the whole point here is the development of a political understanding that will respect the will of that people. The power of the people is important in the locals, municipalities are the power of the people. Of course, they are sensitive about the native language, you cannot remain silent about the disappearance of a language. Opportunities must be provided for this language to survive. We are not saying that "Kurdish should be the official language", but that this language can be used in life, in every field, and that education in Turkish should not be prohibited.

"EVERYONE SHOULD BE SINCERE AND RENOUNCER WHEN THE ALLIANCE IS FORM"

According to what you said, is it possible to conclude that the HDP does not demand that Kurdish be the second official language and that there is no demand for self-government?

What we miss, of course, is that the Kurds have a status, but today it is not right to bring this up first before democracy is established. Now, it is necessary to move from a process of weapons, violence and conflict to a dialogue process. Many things can be discussed in this process. Of course, the Kurds have some demands, but those who run this game can also put forward their thoughts on whether these will happen in the face of these demands. When common sense emerges, everyone has to be sincere and renouncer. But of course, a people wants to have the opportunity to govern themselves locally.

"FOR PEACE, DEMİRTAŞ AND ÖCALAN SHOULD BE RELEASED FROM PRISON"

Among the issues you call the Kurdish issues, there is also the release of Öcalan, Demirtaş and other HDP members from prison, right?

Of course, if the country is looking for opportunities and roads for the silence of weapons and the start of the peaceful process, all the mines on that road must be cleared. 10-12 thousand politicians in Turkey are in prison today because of their ideas and thoughts. How can a process begin when this debris is in the middle?

"THE DOOR TO THE ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY IS OPEN"

What if they don't be released?

We are not in search of an electoral alliance, the HDP enters the elections with its own identity, but its doors are also open to taking part in an alliance for democracy.

"WE WANT A PROCESS IN WHERE WEAPONS AND VIOLENCE ARE ELIMINATED"

While you and Mithat Sancar were talking, you said "The address of the solution is the Assembly", but you also said "Öcalan is also the actor of the solution", how will the two of them work together, what will the peaceful solution look like? Will PKK terror not end before Öcalan is released?

Let's say party A says "I will solve the obstacle", negotiations are being held, will it not come back to you eventually? Won't the people holding a gun asked what they think? Will they not ask, "If I take these steps, will they take away weapons?" We aim to achieve just peace, to start a process in which violence and weapons disappear, isn't that what we are all looking for?

"PROPAGANDA"

What does the HDP think about Barzani's map, that the state being established there on our border and almost declared by Barzani includes a part of Turkey as well? So the PKK's disarmament is not related to this, isn't it?

The Turkish state is running wild in every aspect there, which map are you talking about? There is no such map. They have come to a point where they cannot protect themselves, could it be after a map and in an aggressive attitude? This is propaganda, which is carried out to bring people against each other. There is no such thing. The relations between Barzani and the Turkish state have come to the point of disturbing the Kurds, and you are still making comments as if they are using them.

It's not like they are using it, I'm talking about the link between the PKK in Turkey and the PKK across the border.

What kind of a distinction do you make between the PKK across the border and the PKK inside the border, there is no such thing. I'm having a hard time understanding what findings you are expressing this with.

"THE OPPOSITION SHOULD REVEAL ITS PROJECTS MORE CLEARLY"

You said, "We supported the main opposition party in the last election, but in this election, they should reveal their projects for the future more clearly." What points do you expect them to put forth clearly and precisely? 

Now see; he says a strengthened parliamentary system, but what are the projects related to human rights, democracy, the solution of the Kurdish issue, the problem of students, and people struggling with poverty, they should be explained openly to the public.

"WE TRY TO STOP ALL KINDS OF VIOLENCE"

HDP Co-Chair Mithat Sancar said, "AKP made a mistake by identifying us with a terrorist organization." Does the HDP separate itself from the PKK, do they call it a terrorist organization?

HDP is a party that makes democratic politics, a party that has a group in the parliament. A party that represents the people. There's no point in taking it to another point. If you are defending democracy, human rights and the solution of the Kurdish issue, they immediately declare you as a terrorist. You cannot act with such logic. It is like declaring all members and voters of a party that received 6 million votes as terrorists at that time. It's not a fair approach. We strive to eradicate all forms of violence.

"THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE SOCIETY GET OUT OF THIS CONFLICT PROCESS"

What kind of effort do you make to end PKK violence?

It matures in this process. This has happened all over the world. For example, in the past, the IRA carried out terror in Ireland for years, a political party stepped in and an atmosphere of dialogue emerged. There have been some developments in Colombia, in Africa, as well. These are things that will mature over time and will be discussed over time. The important thing is for society to get out of this conflict process.
 

]]> EN, Elections, Politics https://www.dokuz8haber.net/ahmet-turk-we-want-a-process-where-weapons-disappear Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:48:00 +0300 <![CDATA[What did International Commentators Say about June 23 #IstanbulElections?]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/what-did-international-commentators-say-about-june-23-istanbulelections Following March 31 municipal elections in Turkey, governing Justice & Development Party AKP had contested the results and forced a repeat of elections for Istanbul's highest seat, for the metropolitan mayor. Opposition alliance's candidate Ekrem Imamoğlu, having won with only 13.500 margin on March 31, has extended his victory to more than 806.000 ballot margin this time, causing distress on the side of the government. International media has generally reflected upon Imamoğlu's victory through AKP chair & President Erdoğan's crushing defeat.
#dokuz8/Gürkan Özturan
On June 23, approximately 9 million Istanbulites have cast their ballots for a second time in three months to elect a mayor for the city's highest seat at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Previously the National Alliance of the Opposition had nominated former Republican People's Party CHP Beylikdüzü Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu for March 31 elections and won with a slight margin of only 13.500 votes. The victory though not only belonged to CHP but also to its ally IYI Party, as well as silent party in the alliance Peoples' Democratic Party HDP that had abstained from nominating anyone in favour of the opposition in order to defeat AKP. Governing AKP had contested the results, observers and opposition members spent sleepless weeks to receive the mandate on April 17, only to see it canceled on May 6, with a declaration of repeat elections in Istanbul scheduled for June 23. Backed by their far right allies Nationalist Movement Party MHP, the governing AKP has led a campaign making use of all state resources and promising to "serve justice" claiming the vote had been stolen by opposition on March 31. Only two hours after polls closed, right after the election-silence was lifted by Supreme Election Council, Presidential Alliance's candidate Binali Yıldırım had conceded the election congratulating his opponent for his lead in the polls. After several hours when more than 99% of the polls had been counted and registered in the system, Imamoğlu had received more than 806.000 ballots more than his opponent Yıldırım with a 54% of the ballots in Istanbul, authorizing him to be the mayor of Europe's biggest city. There are many reasons why the results have come as they are, but what have international commentators and non-Turkish media said about the Istanbul Elections?

PEN NORWAY

[caption id="attachment_19459" align="alignright" width="300"] Norwegian PEN,
Kjersti Løken Stavrum[/caption] Kjersti Løken Stavrum, the president of PEN Norway, CEO of Tinius Trust and secretary general of the Norwegian Press Association has observed the election results coming in at dokuz8NEWS' Election Watch Centre on Sunday, after which she has proceeded to observe the Occupy Gezi Trial on Monday and Tuesday when 16 democracy & human rights advocates were put on trial being accused of attempting to overthrow Turkish government through organizing peaceful protests. Stavrum evaluated the Istanbul Elections results for dokuz8 saying, "the result is a clear message to Erdogan that there is time for political adjustments. However, how he will interpret the message and what he will do about it is another issue. The country is full of surprises and layers of context. I must admit I was hoping for a retake of the last result, but with greater margin. The hope came true, but I would not confuse that with an expectation based on deep analyses, unfortunately. I think it would be a wiser decision if Erdogan were to look closely at the figures and listen carefully to the soft voice of Ekrem İmamoğlu, and figure out how he can use these results for a new and more promising approach to rule of law and freedom of the press. But since we have several years of experience with him, I also fear for some retaliation or recoil in one creative way ot the other."

JOURNALIST INGEBORG SENNESET

[caption id="attachment_19494" align="alignright" width="254"] Aftenposten / Ingeborg Senneset[/caption] Board member of PEN Norway and journalist Ingeborg Senneset of Aftenposten who has also been in Istanbul before for trial-observation as part of the international mission monitoring journalist trials in Turkey, has also commented on the election results in Istanbul, "The result seems to reflect what I see and hear when observing trials against writers and editors. The Turkish people are aware and awake. They are strong willed and well informed and wish to use their democratic rights, not only on the surface but to make real change. Through these elections, Turks did express a want and need for change and for expressing their will. However election results alone are not proof of democracy. Real democracy depends on freedom of speech and thought, and more importantly, of access to information and press freedom. A piece of the puzzle has been laid down, but there is still far from a full image."

INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE

[caption id="attachment_19461" align="alignleft" width="300"] IPI / Scott Griffen[/caption] As an international press freedom organization, International Press Institute has for years been monitoring Turkey closely and having meetings with Turkish officials, demanding release of imprisoned journalists, lifting of pressure from independent media and for rule of law to be respected in general. Recently after dokuz8NEWS' flagship account had been suspended on Twitter only 2 days before the Istanbul Elections, IPI had also joined an international campaign to get it reinstated immediately. Deputy Director of IPI, Scott Griffen has evaluated the Istanbul Elections for dokuz8NEWS and said "On the one hand, the election results in Istanbul were expected given the polling numbers and the initial results in March. On the other hand, they are quite surprising if you consider that one party controls 90 percent of the media and that it is very difficult for the public to receive balanced and critical information about the candidates. In this sense, the results indicate both the strength of voters’ desire for change in Istanbul despite nearly full control of the mainstream media and that new journalistic platforms and digital media have proved that they were able to play an effective role in helping form public opinion. What we hope is that this result will be a sign of encouragement for Turkey’s journalists and may offer them some relief from an environment of fear and intimidation that has been the status quo for the past few years under a vast state media crackdown. It is also encouragement for the existing independent media in Turkey to continue their critical work to provide the public with pluralistic news and information."

EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR PRESS AND MEDIA FREEDOM

Another significant press freedom organization that also keeps Turkey on its focus is European Centre for Press and Media Freedom ECPMF, which also had joined the international call to get dokuz8NEWS reinstated on Twitter a couple of days before the Istanbul Elections. An institutional commentary has been published by ECPMF for dokuz8NEWS regarding the election results, "despite the crackdown on media freedom and the rule of law, the results of renewed elections in Istanbul send a positive sign for democracy in Turkey. However it should not be forgotten that there are still over 140 journalists in jail, many others are standing trial, with accusations of 'insulting the president' or 'terror propaganda'. We hope that Turkish President Erdogan now will not be even more restrictive to manifest his power. We hope for positive change."

JOURNALIST ADAM KLASFELD

[caption id="attachment_19462" align="alignright" width="300"] Courthouse News / Adam Klasfeld[/caption] In the last two years, Courthouse News reporter Adam Klasfeld has become a popular journalist in Turkey thanks to his coverage of Reza Zarrab trial in New York, US. In his commentary for dokuz8NEWS Klasfeld said, "If journalists are advocates for anything, we are advocates for and defenders of democracy because without democracy our work is hobbled. We help voters make informed decisions, hold officials into account, and uphold the right to dissent and disseminate facts others would like to censor. On June 23, Istanbul’s voters provided inspiring evidence that Turkish democracy is very much alive, and its citizens would not accept the government decreeing that their will and their choice was mistaken. The trial of Osman Kavala and the other 15 rights advocates of Gezi taking place on June 24-25, highlights how the fight to restore democracy has not ended.”

KlasseKampen

[caption id="attachment_19552" align="alignleft" width="160"] KlasseKampen / Mari Eifring[/caption] Norwegian daily newspaper KlasseKampen (Class Struggle) International News Editor, Mari Eifring commented on Istanbul elections for dokuz8NEWS, "I was curious about how this re-election would turn out. Both from the last result in March and from the polls, it looked like CHP would win, but there was the question, how such a result would be handled this time. I was not that surprised that Ekrem İmamoğlu won again, but it was in surprising in a way that the lead had strenghtened significantly since the last election. I suspect this had to do with many Istanbulites, also some of those who voted for AKP in the last round, reacting negatively to the fact that the last election was annulled on dubious grounds. It will be very interesting now to see what this result will lead to. My impression is that many oppositional voices are relieved and revitalized after seeing that it is actually possible to win elections, and that democracy still has a place in Turkey. However, it remains to see also how the government will respond to the loss of Istanbul as a stronghold. Even though president Erdoğan was quick to congratulate İmamoğlu, I think it remains an open question whether the government will be more open to opppositional voices or if it will choose the opposite strategy and crack down even harder on opposition in its different forms. So, to sum up, the election results gave hope for a more democratic development in Turkey, but it will be even more exciting than ever to follow Turkey and see if this development finds strenght."

SWEDISH RESEARCH DEFENCE AGENCY

[caption id="attachment_19467" align="alignleft" width="200"] FOI / Bitte Hammargren[/caption] Formerly a journalist and now an analyst for the Swedish Defence Research Agency FOI, Bitte Hammargren has also evaluated the Istanbul Elections for dokuz8NEWS, "These results show that the political landscape in Turkey is so much more colorful than the parliamentary and presidential elections in 2018 showed. And the opposition has found a new strategy to unify and to beat the AKP, with Kurds coming out as kingmakers. İmamoğlu's non-confrontational posture has brought in much needed fresh air to Turkish politics. President Erdogan may plan a revenge, but the time is approaching when he will be seen as 'yesterday's man' in Turkey, The strengthening of the Turkish lira just after the elections is also a clear sign of how the financial markets are interpreting the elections. Many, including me, are curious to see if the former economy minister, Ali Babacan and others from AKP will step forwards to form a new party. This would make the political landscape even more colorful. Concerning the rule of law locally, I am less optimistic in the short term. But let's keep some hope for the longer term. The gap between İmamoğlu and Yıldırım was bigger than expected and it was a surprise to see that İmamoğlu came out first even in conservative districts like Eyüp and Fatih. But it was expected that many of those who hesitated to vote for İmamoğlu in 31 March, would come out in his favor in the re-run, since they felt that an injustice had been made against him."

DR. LISEL HINTZ

[caption id="attachment_19463" align="alignright" width="267"] Johns Hopkins SAIS / Dr. Lisel Hintz[/caption] Johns Hopkins University, Advanced International Studies, International Relations professor Dr. Lisel Hintz who has also published a book on Turkey's identity politics in the past year, titled 'Identity Politics Inside Out: National Identity Contestation and Foreign Policy in Turkey' has commented on Istanbul Elections for dokuz8NEWS as well. Dr. Hintz said, "The significance of Ekrem İmamoğlu's -second- win in Istanbul cannot be understated for several reasons. Turkey's opposition actors certainly deserve an immense amount of credit for uniting under very difficult circumstances. İmamoğlu in particular represented a much-needed change in political discourse, emphasizing the power of unity over divisiveness and polarization. Erdogan's go-to tactic of identity politics fell flat against this optimistic, relatively soft-spoken CHP candidate. Unlike the aggressively feisty Muharrem Ince, İmamoğlu refused to take Erdogan's bait; he also refused to allow media attention to fade away on the night of March 31 election, which I see as crucial in preventing the AKP from simply declaring a win that night. İmamoğlu's message of strength through unity also facilitated the support of Kurdish and HDP voters who traditionally have felt ostracized by the CHP. Despite all of Erdogan's last-minute outreach, extending even so far as to leak a letter from Abdullah Ocalan calling for Kurds to remain neutral, initial numbers seem to indicate Kurds maintained and possibly even increased their support for the CHP candidate. This cannot be underestimated. However, before we understand the significance for Turkey's system of governance more broadly, i.e. whether this means democracy has returned to Turkey, we need to see how Erdogan reacts to İmamoğlu's victory. Over the past decade as prime minister and president Erdogan has been constructing what has culminated in a highly consolidated personalistic authoritarian regime, and Istanbul serves not only as a symbol of where he launched his political career but also as a massive source of rents that can be used to garner electoral support. We've seen already through the re-run that he was not willing to let it go easily. We now have to wait and see whether İmamoğlu's tenure as mayor will be interfered with in any way, whether by cutting off funding and hampering his office's ability to provide services or by removing him under some legal pretext (allegedly having insulted the mayor of Ordu, for example) and replacing him with a trustee. In terms of Turkey’s international image, I do think this will bolster discussions about a “return to democracy,” a “rebuke of authoritarianism,” and a “crumbling of Erdogan’s personalistic grip.” As much as I appreciate these sentiments and believe the opposition should enjoy their hard-fought and well-earned victory, I worry that such sweeping pronouncements are too early and too optimistic. To understand how this shapes the future of democratic practices in Turkey, and in turn how the international community responds to and interacts with Turkey’s democracy advocates, we need to see how the AKP regime will respond as I mentioned above. The mere existence of the Gezi Trials - that democracy and human rights advocates have been detained on the most absurd charges - means that democratic norms and practices have a long way to go before they are internalized. One election - and a big one at that - can be a catalyst that galvanizes momentum for change, but it’s going to take much more progress, and most probably the end of Erdogan’s rule, before internal and external observers can rightfully claim democracy has returned to Turkey."

INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES

[caption id="attachment_19464" align="alignleft" width="300"] INSS / Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss[/caption] Senior Research Fellow, Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, focusing also on Turkey, Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss has commented on the results of Istanbul Elections for dokuz8NEWS also, "It has been a stunning victory - much more than the March elections, since from a gap of less than one percent between Imamoglu and Yildirim, it was now more than 9 percent. The rerun of elections was a colossal mistake on part of the AKP. When comparing the current rerun to what happened in the Turkish general elections in 2015, I did think Erdogan had a plan of how to reverse the results of the March 2019 elections. Even if he had such a plan, clearly it didn't work. What was also surprising was the landslide victory this time. In the short run clearly it has improved the image of Turkey. In the long run it depends on the effects of the local elections on the national politics -whether Imamoglu positive campaign will also have a mitigating effect on Turkish foreign policy, which seems to many actors in the international system as revisionist."

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS

[caption id="attachment_19517" align="alignright" width="385"] Imamoğlu, June 23[/caption] A Senior fellow for National Security and International Policy at Center for American Progress and formerly covering Turkey as senior staff member at the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives, Alan Makovsky evaluated the Istanbul elections for dokuz8NEWS, “The most important result of the election was the triumph of democracy. Around 800,000 people who did not vote for Imamoglu on March 31 did vote for him this time simply, it appears, for the sake of righting an injustice. Those voters thunderously confirmed the well-established legitimacy of İmamoğlu’s March 31 triumph. Post-March 31 polls have consistently shown that most Istanbulites, including a significant minority of Yıldırım voters, viewed Imamoglu as the legitimate victor on March 31 and saw no need for a second election. How many of those 800,000 will become actual supporters of İmamoğlu remains to be seen. For now, the landslide vote must be seen primarily as a rebuke to the high-handed tactics that attempted to take from İmamoğlu what he legitimately won and as a rebuke to President Erdoğan personally, since he is widely perceived to be the force that compelled the YSK to revoke İmamoğlu’s mandate and require a second vote. The second result is that Erdoğan’s waning reputation as a political genius has been seriously further tarnished, perhaps destroyed, creating the perception that he is politically weakened. It is not yet clear what the impact of that perception will be in practical terms. Perhaps journalists will feel bolder in criticizing the government and courts will act somewhat more independently, as was the case during a brief interlude when AKP lost its parliamentary majority in June 2015. Perhaps AKP supporters and deputies will be more inclined to join the breakaway movement reportedly in the works involving Gül, Babacan, and/or Davutoğlu. Following June 2015, Erdoğan re-fortified his and AKP’s position with a second election five months later. With no election in sight this time, Erdoğan now might use his vast powers as President and his sway over the judiciary to try to intimidate potential opposition and thereby re-affirm the unassailability of his leadership. For now, it is clear that Erdoğan responded to a significant defeat on March 31, by turning it into a disaster. The June 23 election overshadows all the March 31 results in the rest of the nation, virtually obliterating what claims to success AKP could legitimately make on that disappointing day (disappointing for AKP, that is). Although CHP took 5 of Turkey’s 6 largest cities (including Istanbul), AKP won more provincial capitals, more metropolises, and far more provincial councillor positions (as well as the popular vote for those positions). Also, notwithstanding Yildirim’s narrow loss, AKP seemingly remained the most popular party in Istanbul (evident because HDP supporters formed such a significant element of İmamoğlu’s March 31 vote total). Those achievements may have paled in newsworthiness to the opposition’s success in big-city mayoralties, but they were hardly insignificant. Yet, in popular perception, they are now diminished almost to nothing in light of Imamoglu’s June 23 blowout. For the first time in AKP’s existence, it is even questionable whether AKP is the most popular party in Istanbul. According to Metropoll’s mid-June pre-election survey, AKP would best CHP only 38% to 36%, within the margin of error, in a putative parliamentary vote among Istanbulites (a pure measure of party popularity). In the last actual parliamentary vote in Istanbul, only one year ago, AKP out-polled CHP 42% to 26%. The third result is that CHP has found a formula to overcome some of the historical baggage that has burdened its previous campaign efforts: accepting religion and religious people as a legitimate part of Turkey’s political and cultural landscape, and running candidates with whom center-right voters are comfortable. Both İmamoğluand Mansur Yavaş, although differing from one another in background, fit the latter profile. For decades, the secular center-right dominated Turkish elections, until it was swallowed by AKP. Ironically, it is beginning to re-emerge somewhat through the vehicle of its old nemesis, the CHP. A final result was already clear after March 31, and that is the swing-vote role played by HDP. Reckoning with HDP’s electoral clout will impose challenging policy and political decisions on every party as it plans its future strategies.” Mr. Makovsky continued to evaluate the repercussions of the Istanbul elections in international community in terms of government and country image, “The message sent to the international community is that the democratic spirit remains vibrant among much of the Turkish electorate, to the extent that a segment of the pro-AKP and pro-People’s Alliance populace was willing to change its vote for the sake of ensuring that justice is done. The government’s anti-democratic image, however, has only worsened. It is seen to have acceded to Imamoglu’s election only because of an overwhelming vote — and a smotheringly effective ballot-box monitoring operation staged by CHP — that rendered result-reversal impossible, not because of a sudden commitment to democratic values. Indeed, Erdogan’s resort to a second election was an “own goal.” The international community now will be watching closely — more closely than it would have had Imamoglu been allowed to assume his seat immediately after March 31 — to see how the central government treat."

SCANDINAVIAN MEDIA SEES "VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY"

Swedish state broadcaster SVT has announced the results of Istanbul Elections as "Victory for opposition" while the Norwegian counterparts NRK have used the title "voters have saved the last pieces of democracy". Norwegian daily KlasseKampen also announced the election results, with the title "Erdoğan lost Istanbul" while in the news article they drew attention to governing AKP losing major metropolises of Turkey following March 31 municipal elections. Popular Norwegian paper Aftenposten also used the title "Crushing defeat for Erdoğan in Istanbul" in its election coverage. Danish publication Berlingske also published an extensive article on the results of Istanbul elections where they have drawn attention to growing pressure targeting the opposition, civil society and media in recent years while Istanbulites have reclaimed democracy. Berlingske chose the title "Erdoğan thought he could change the results in Istanbul, but fortunately made a grand mistake" for the article that highlights the hope that emerged out of the ballot box for those wanting to see substantial democratic change in Turkey.

GREEK MEDIA DOES NOT MENTION ANYTHING ON PONTUS DISCUSSION

Prior to Istanbul Elections governing AKP's officials had made comments suggesting that opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu is coming from Pontian descent -ethnic Greek community living in Blacksea region of Turkey- and would convert Hagia Sophia Museum back into an Orthodox Greek Cathedral. İmamoğlu had reacted against claims saying he does not wish to see any remarks that would create divisions within the society and asked 'what difference would it make if someone was Greek or Armenian?'. Following İmamoğlu's win in Istanbul, Greek newspapers would be some of the first to be seen by those wishing to find proof of AKP's claims, however it was nowhere to be found. [caption id="attachment_19465" align="alignright" width="300"] Imamoğlu[/caption] One of the most popular Greek newspapers, Kathimerini came out with the headline "İmamoğlu's victory, Erdoğan in a difficult position". Another Greek paper Ta Nea said "Istanbul: İmamoğlu's triumph, the beginning of the end for Erdoğan" while Ethnos published a photo of İmamoğlu's victory speech and used the headline "Municipal crash for Erdoğan, beaten twice in Istanbul." Efimeritha ton Syntakton also reflected on the Istanbul Elections through "Triumph for Ekrem İmamoğlu in Istanbul and humiliating defeat for Erdoğan" while finally Eleftheros Typos published a victorious İmamoğlu photograph with the headline "A slap in the face of Erdoğan."

UNITED STATES

New York Times that is published in the United States has reflected on the Istanbul Elections with the title "Turkey’s President Suffers Stinging Defeat in Istanbul Election Redo" for the first article where Istanbul correspondent Carlotta Gall drew attention to rising unemployment and inflation in Turkey as well as both camps' efforts for election safety and weeks-long training of lawyers for that reason. Carlotta Gall published a second piece on the paper with the title "Erdogan Faces Fallout After His Party’s Loss in Istanbul Mayor’s Race" where she explained how the election results were perceived as 'earthquake' at the ballot box, and especially being referred to as one by former pro-AKP journalists most of whom now favour a break-away movement led by former AKP officials, Davutoğlu, Babacan and Gül. New York Times also published an op-ed by Selim Koru with the title "A New Dawn in Turkey After Erdogan Loses Istanbul" where Koru announced "Istanbul's newest mayor promises something unthinkable under the president: coexistence." Another American publication, Washington Post also reflected on the Istanbul Elections and used the title "By pushing for revote in Istanbul, Erdogan gambled — and lost". The article that was published under Kareem Fahim's signature drew attention to the election results being a victory for democracy, as well as a political earthquake for Turkey. In the article it is also mentioned that President Erdoğan's intervention into the election process has not even been enough to convince the AKP voters and could not mobilize popular support to beat İmamoğlu, while he has become the new mayor of the city with a historic record vote. In the article, there is also extensive references to the Gezi Trial which has taken place on June 24-25 in Silivri Prison Courthouse with extensive participation of international observers. The article also cites AKP member of parliament Mustafa Yeneroğlu's statement regarding Gezi Trial, "I could not find any financial evidence that Kavala was the organizer, director or financier of the Gezi events."

]]> Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/what-did-international-commentators-say-about-june-23-istanbulelections Tue, 25 Jun 2019 22:20:43 +0300 <![CDATA[dokuz8NEWS' Flagship Twitter Account @dokuz8haber Suspended & Later Reinstated]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/dokuz8news-flagship-twitter-account-dokuz8haber-suspended-1 Citizen journalism focused independent non-profit news organization dokuz8NEWS operating in Istanbul/Turkey has been suspended on popular social media platform Twitter. The news organization has been showing efforts to combine dynamism of citizen journalism and the experience of professional journalism since its foundation in 2014, and has gained visibility as a result of the need for citizens both to circulate news about their own struggle for human and environmental rights, and to access reliable, verified and accurate news, both locally and globally. The account suspension has targeted the news organization only 3 days before it operates an extensive coverage of Istanbul Elections in Turkey, mobilizing thousands of people across the city.

In May 2019, dokuz8NEWS has received four notices concerning the American legislation Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) which protects copyright for published material on digital platforms. As a result, on June 12, 2019 a final warning has been issued concerning repetitive copyright infringement. While dokuz8NEWS affiliates had been discussing how to proceed regarding this matter and clearing content that might cause another warning and trigger a complete suspension from the global social media platform, another independent news organization @ilerihaber's twitter account was suspended.

COPYRIGHT VIOLATION OF NEWSWORTHY MATERIAL

Ileri Haber had published an article which was supported with a short video content regarding islamist theologist who supports marriage with minors. The video content that caused @ilerihaber account to be suspended was an excerpt from Yıldız's speech in support of marrying little children. Ileri Haber's Can Soyer says "when someone gives a comment to support marrying children, this is news material and would be on headlines anywhere. No one can consider this in terms of 'private content and copyrighted material'. History of journalism is full of such cases being revealed to public and our profession will continue creating more examples of this kind of behaviour." Soyer adds that Yıldız has previously taken Ileri Haber to court and has attempted to get content taken down multiple times, however the news organization has been acquitted in the trial; which led Yıldız to seek another measure: to use Twitter's copyright infringement clause and get the platform shut down. Nurettin Yıldız's video is not a private one; it is from a speech he is making to the public. It is not filmed secretly and does not violate the speaker's privacy. The most recent content removal request has come to the news article with the headline "do not speak to atheists or you may become one too". While Yıldız continues to keep his speech up on his YouTube account, he is attempting to get the video removed from news organizations's social media channels which reaches millions of readers.

INDEPENDENT MEDIA AT RISK DUE TO COPYRIGHT NOTICES

Ileri Haber's Soyer continues to explain how they believe the process works, "this is not an isolated case; just another example of what many news organizations are experiencing recently. It seems like Twitter's user settings and content applications are being conducted through algorithms and although algorithm is analyzing the content, it is not possible to realize whether or not there was news material or satire intended when one shares the same content. Just like anywhere else around the world, Twitter is a popular platform for Turkish news organizations as well. Under these circumstances, it is obvious that the relationship between copyright and news publications must be handled in caution in order not to cause damages for either side; yet it is also obvious that this process cannot be handled through algorithms. For that reason I can say that Twitter should also take into consideration the concerns of news platforms as well as copyright holders in order not to violate millions of readers' right to information." Soyer also calls on Twitter to consider independent news organizations' concerns, "news is news; but when one takes over original content and copies or shares it for profit, this is something else, not news. And this would be breach of copyright agreement. Twitter must realize the difference between the two; but currently they are only hearing the side of the copyright holders and causing a hard time for journalism which is a public issue. They are not only causing us a hard time but also our readers and millions of citizens who all have right to information."

DOKUZ8NEWS SUSPENDED AFTER DMCA TAKEDOWN NOTICE

Following the final warning on June 12, dokuz8NEWS has taken down any content that could be used to trigger another DMCA takedown notice. Similar to @ilerihaber's case, the content that caused the final warning for dokuz8NEWS -for the news network- had a different meaning than the original content provider. At Madrid Open Tennis Tournament during the game between Federer and Gasquet in the audience there were two Turkish spectators who shouted main opposition CHP candidate for Istanbul Elections, Ekrem Imamoğlu's slogan which was taken over by dokuz8NEWS to be incorporated into its Istanbul Elections coverage. dokuz8NEWS is not a sports network, nor is it regularly publishing sports news. dokuz8NEWS operates in the field of media through conducting citizen journalism and publishing news in Turkish and English, offering trainings, organising forums & conferences, conducting research. Since its foundation one of the primary roles of dokuz8NEWS has been to report on irregularities & violations in campaigning process & election safety. Moreover, in the last year dokuz8NEWS has also expanded its activities to cover mobile video journalism, data journalism as well as regional media. However, when two tennis spectators chant a political slogan during a game, this becomes newsworthy for any news organization and should not be limited to copyright as it is the journalists & editors' duty to inform the society on these developments.

MULTIPLE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT COMPLAINTS

Other complaints targeting dokuz8NEWS includes a rather older video of a 9 year old boy with down syndrome who is passionately singing Whitney Houston's "I have nothing" in a vehicle. The video is still available on multiple platforms and many news organizations' social media channels. However the rights-holders to the song, Sony Music Entertainment has filed a complaint asking for the "song" to be taken down from dozens of twitter accounts, including @dokuz8haber. As this video included a song playing in the background while the little boy was singing, the algorithm would have caught it up and taken down the content, which presents a risk factor in terms of online culture & creativity through suppression of reproductive content. Next complaint has been filed about a Netflix video, promoting the series that aired on May 10, "The Society". This Netflix series' trainer has Billie Eilish's "bury a friend" song playing partly in the background. Ideally, in order for Netflix to use this song in the series, the necessary rights would have to be bought from the Universal Music Publishing Group UMPG and then this video would be forwarded to other media organizations in order to access wide readership. In this case, UMPG has issued a request to Twitter demanding taking down dozens of accounts' content that shared this video, again including @dokuzhaber.

TURKEY'S POOR TWITTER RECORD

Turkey has been the top country in filing content removal requests to social media platforms over the last 5 years. Most recently, Twitter has announced its Transparency Report on the country-specific content removal requests filed in the second half of 2018, where Turkey and Russia combined have filed 74% of the total global volume of all requests. The report also suggests in addition, requests from countries other than Turkey increased by approximately 90% since the first half of 2018, showing globalization of the problem. While we at dokuz8NEWS have been unsuccessfully applying for the blue tick of verified accounts, Twitter states 253 accounts of verified journalists and news outlets were the subject of 146 legal demands; three Tweets were removed for violations of Twitter’s TOS, and three Tweets and one account were withheld in Turkey due to violations of Turkish anti-terrorism laws. They also announce that Twitter filed legal objections for court orders from Turkey that involved journalists or news outlets, arguing that those decisions may be contrary to the protection of freedom of press. In the meantime we still believe that long-denied verification of our news platform could have saved us from some of the problems already.

TURKEY'S DEMANDS REVOLVING AROUND CENSORSHIP

Turkey's Constitutional Court had ruled against blocking access to social media platforms through a blanket-ban before, however Turkish government had then applied throttling practices, bypassing the ruling of the court. Today Twitter takes DMCA in the United States as basis of protection of copyright, and this turns independent media's social media accounts into a target through systematic complaints. There is no guarantee that dozens of independent media accounts, or even significant individual accounts would not be suspended and censored in the early hours of June 23 Istanbul Elections morning, based on this reason. Turkey is already a country with bad record when it comes to government-related censorship. Dokuz8HABER is one of the few remaining independent news outlets in Turkey which operates on social-first principle using Twitter as its primary medium, and for the health of political conversation in Turkey in upcoming elections.

ELECTION AGENDA & SUSPENSION OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTS

When the first DMCA takedown notice was received, it was generally considered to be an isolated case where the algorithm could have caught an unlucky video containing a copyrighted song in the background. Yet, the suspension of accounts for both @ilerihaber and @dokuz8haber have come only days before Istanbul Elections, which is repetition of March 31 Municipal Elections in Turkey after opposition parties have made major gains and few remaining independent news organizations have been influential in informing the society on developments. It has to be mentioned that representatives of the two news organizations have filed official objections to Twitter and requested full reinstatement of both accounts. However, seeing how long the process has already been taking for @ilerihaber extending over a week, it seems unlikely that the election agenda will already be over by the time any meaningful action is taken regarding these platforms. One of the most significant citizen-focused news platforms, dokuz8NEWS which has almost 200K followers on Twitter and millions of readers, with hundreds of citizen journalists across the country and dozens of regional media organizations as its partners will for sure not stay quiet in the face of this censorship attempt. dokuz8NEWS will continue its publications based on accurate, reliable and verified information; and will mobilize its network for extensive coverage of Istanbul Elections on June 23, through hard work of hundreds of thousands of observers, thousands of correspondents, hundreds of contacts in Istanbul's all 39 districts to make sure election safety measures are met. Since the day it has been founded in March 2014, with its experience in establishing Election Watch Network, dokuz8NEWS will never let its readers be left without news. Until dokuz8NEWS' flagship account is reinstated, you may continue reading dokuz8NEWS' coverage on @dokuz8secim

INTERNATIONAL REACTION AGAINST TWITTER'S SUSPENSION OF DOKUZ8NEWS

Following DMCA takedown notices and eventual suspension of dokuz8NEWS' main Twitter account @dokuz8haber, many international organizations including Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe OSCE's Representative for Freedom of the Media, International Press Institute IPI, Article 19, Freedom House, PEN Norway, European Centre for Press & Media Freedom ECPMF and Reporters Without Borders RSF have called for reinstatement of the account. Prominent journalists from Turkey as well as Europe have called on to Twitter to reverse the decision of suspending the account, drawing attention to the news organization's crucial role in Istanbul Elections which is to take place on June 23. ACCOUNT REINSTATED Following suspension of @dokuz8haber account on Twitter, following reactions and dokuz8NEWS's counter-statements, the account has been reinstated on Twitter after an 18 hour closure. dokuz8NEWS announced gratitude for all the solidarity & support shown by international press freedom organizations, readers and friends. Shortly after dokuz8NEWS, @ilerihaber's account has also been reinstated.

]]> Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/dokuz8news-flagship-twitter-account-dokuz8haber-suspended-1 Fri, 21 Jun 2019 02:26:00 +0300 <![CDATA[Imamoğlu's most recent 100.000 followers: mostly AKP supporters]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/imamoglus-100-000-followers-mostly-akp-supporters Turkey's first TV debate between two political rivals for the first time in 17 years, has become a milestone for democratization process of the country. During and after the debate, Republican People's Party CHP's Istanbul candidate Ekrem Imamoğlu has received over a hundred thousand new followers on his Twitter account and a sizable part of this group are coming from mostly pro-AKP backgrounds.

According to the analysis conducted by Onut Mat and Nilgün Yılmaz, National Alliance of the Opposition's candidate for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ekrem Imamoğlu who had won the elections on March 31 but was denied his mandate for a period of 17 days, and yet after 18 days in the office through a decision to renew elections on May 6, currently has 2.7 million followers on his Twitter account. While it does not necessarily mean that a follower would be interpreted as electoral support, considering that one usually follows like-minded people on social media, shows that to follow someone means to be not listless against them, furthermore to be curious about their thoughts. Among the followers that follow both Imamoğlu and a political party, CHP has the biggest correlation with 35.8%, which is to be expected as it is the party where he is already registered at. However, if we are to compare this to the most recent hundred thousand followers he received, there is a significant expansion in terms of party following bases.

VOTER SHIFT IN BETWEEN PARTIES AFTER A LONG TIME?

It has long been suggested that one of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's biggest success in politics had been consolidation of right wing voters in the same group that caused the opposition also to consolidate support behind them due to strategic voting. In the last 5 years especially when there has been held 7 elections, there has been but little change in terms of the support for political parties. When Imamoğlu's most recent hundred thousand followers are analyzed in terms of party following, majority of his followers are actually also following governing Justice & Development Party AKP with 30,5% and its ally Nationalist Movement Party MHP with 26.1%. [caption id="attachment_19305" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] most recent 100.000 followers

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_19306" align="aligncenter" width="750"]

all followers [/caption]   When these pie-charts are compared, among Ekrem Imamoğlu's most recent followers appear to be by far the biggest group and this is not something that is comparable to other political leaders.

[caption id="attachment_19307" align="aligncenter" width="1129"]

changes in party representation in Imamoğlu's follower base in time[/caption] The same analysis can not be conducted for AKP's candidate Binali Yıldırım due to Mr. Yıldırım taking over the official Twitter account of Parliamentary Speaker as of May 2019 and using it as his personal account, changing the username to @BY and this does not give a healthy result when taken under a retrospective analysis. However, Yıldırım's most recent hundred thousand followers show that 71.3% correlate to Presidential Alliance parties with 40% following AKP and 27.3% following MHP. On the other hand only 28.7% follow opposition parties, with CHP being the biggest opposition group with 12.3%





These numbers show that Ekrem Imamoğlu has been able to get his voice heard outside of his echo-chambers in a long-term polarized environment where transition between two camps has not been possible in a long time.  

]]> Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/imamoglus-100-000-followers-mostly-akp-supporters Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:38:00 +0300 <![CDATA[CHP's Manifesto regarding repeat of Istanbul elections]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/chps-manifesto-regarding-repeat-of-istanbul-elections Main opposition Republican People's Party CHP Party Council has gathered in extraordinary session today in the morning following Supreme Election Council's decision to cancel results of municipal elections held on March 31, and declaring repeat of elections on June 23. CHP has issued a declaration following the meeting, titled Democracy & Liberty Manifesto stating that "in our history there is no example of such an action that rule of law, justice and clean politics as well as economic sustainability has been sacrificed for one person's personal fears & will." Supreme Election Council has ruled for cancellation of municipal elections in Istanbul only for the metropolitan seat declaring repeat of elections on June 23. Following SEC's decision CHP has gathered in extraordinary session and released a manifesto drawing attention to the fact that while three layers of municipal seats had been placed in the same envelopes during the elections only one has been considered suspicious and called for repeat of district municipal elections as well as municipal council elections, if metropolitan elections are being repeated. CHP also called for members of SEC to resign as a whole. CHP's Manifesto: "May 6, 2019 is marked as a dark day in our history of democracy. This date shall never be forgotten. There is no other example of such an action that rule of law, justice and clean politics as well as economic sustainability has been sacrificed for one person's personal fears & will. The enemies of democracy that overstep the people's open & clear directive have taken another step in a civil-coup process and knowingly & deliberately committed a murder of rule of law. The instigators of May 6 coup, the executor without trial, applauder is clearly visible. Their names will always be condemned as of today. What is painful in terms of democracy is, the judges who assume duties for election safety are also becoming accomplices in this dirty coup. The Parliamentary oversight, independent judiciary, unbiased media, participation of civil society which are all indispensable for democracies, have unfortunately become a thing of the past. The final stronghold and honour of democratic legitimacy, ballot-box has been submitted to the desires of those who target the nation's will. The basis of democracy, 'rule of law', 'separation of powers' and 'suffrage' have been shelved with this decision. Those who have shifted the direction of our country from contemporary civilization to Middle East's failed dictatorships will surely find their fair end on the history scene and hearts of the people. As members of Republican People's Party which is the founder of Republic of Turkey and bringer of multi-party democratic system, we reject this re-direction that is forced upon our country. Once again we reclaim our country's 180 years of modernization, 73 years of democratic path and our founder and president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's path of 'catching up with the contemporary civilization and surpassing it'. The executive presidential system which allows a partisan president who chairs his party and the state has shortly proven to destroy borders between governing party and the state. Political investigators, police, prosecutors have all been pushed forward to work for the government's will to repeat elections. Public officers have been given directives and subjected to pressure as part of political goals. This system that blurs the boundaries between the governing party and state, has proven to be the greatest threat against our democracy.

ISTANBUL ELECTIONS MUST BE REPEATED AS A WHOLE The economic troubles in our country which have become too heavy to carry on, as unrest keeps growing, while internally and externally security risks are becoming more apparent, a crisis of legitimacy has been added on top of everything by those in government.

In order to overcome the legitimacy crisis and to defend the honor of ballot-box, Republican People's Party members of the Party Council and members of parliament see the following steps necessary to be taken:

1- If there is any shady irregularities concerning the ballot-box committees to cause cancellation of March 31 municipal elections, the April 16, 2017 referendum on executive presidential system and June 24 parliamentary and presidential elections must also be repeated in the same manner as well as district municipality and municipal council elections for Istanbul.

2- If there are problems regarding ballot-box committee members, the only responsible body is Supreme Election Council. The SEC's failure cannot be put on the voters as a burden; voters cannot be punished. SEC memebrs must resign as a whole, due to crimes they have committed against the voters.

3- There must be made regulations to ensure independence & neutrality of Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice in election periods. We as the members of Republican People's Party CHP, once again declare that we are on the side of democracy, rule of law, full guarantee of suffrage, before the nation and history.

Taking our strength from the nation, we guarantee that we will continue our democratic struggle with an ever-increasing determination and strong resolution.

We are thrusting out our hands for those who believe in democracy, carry the sentiments for rights, law and justice, regardless of their party-backgrounds, on this day of fork in the road for Turkey. This hand thrusted out, we deeply believe will be strongly received on June 23 and add to our strength for our democratic struggle, and bring a greater victory than March 31."

]]> Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/chps-manifesto-regarding-repeat-of-istanbul-elections Tue, 07 May 2019 15:44:48 +0300 <![CDATA[Turkey goes to polls to elect local mayors: #Elections2019]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/turkey-goes-to-polls-to-elect-local-mayors 57 million voters in Turkey are heading to the polls today to cast their vote and elect mayors and municipal councillors as well as community chiefs in 30 metropols, a total of 81 provinces consisting of 922 cities and 386 towns. 8.270 nominees are running for 1389 mayor seats.

Polling station boards took an oath: "I swear, without any pressure and fearing no one, to ascertain the complete and correct results of the election in conformity with the law, upon my honor, my conscience, and all that is sacred to me" The local elections on 31 March mean extra income for 2 million people. Polling clerks receive a remuneration of between ₺110 and ₺496, payable within 3 months from the election. In the municipal elections, 1 million 156.000 people reaching the age of 18 will vote for the first time. According to Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu, 53.099 naturalized Syrians have the right to vote as well. Istanbul Governorship announced, in Istanbul electoral region consisting of 39 districts, there will be 454 ballot boxes with 1 being mobile for a total of 132.784 voters in gendarme zone and 30.670 ballot boxes with 155 being mobile for 10 million 260.748 voters in Istanbul. dokuz8NEWS Election Watch Centre is ready with a network of 800 citizen journalists and 120 journalists from across Turkey and will be presenting the results from especially the most critical cities instantly... You may follow the latest developments on dokuz8NEWS' twitter and telegram channels.

]]> DOKUZ8, Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/turkey-goes-to-polls-to-elect-local-mayors Sun, 31 Mar 2019 08:18:00 +0300 <![CDATA[Turkey Elections Timeline set out by Supreme Electoral Board for 31 March 2019 Municipal Elections]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/turkey-elections-timeline-set-out-by-supreme-electoral-board-for-31-march-2019-municipal-elections As Turkey is heading for Municipal Elections on March 31, 2019, Supreme Electoral Board (SEB) has declared the election-timeline starting from January 1.  SEB has set out the timeline of municipal elections on a schedule for a period of 90 days starting with the new year.  January 1: Election period officially starts January 2: SEB will announce the parties that can participate in the elections January 4: Registered voter lists will be put up on community chief offices and citizens will be able to check their registration on SEB’s websites, www.ysk.gov.tr January 10: Voter registration lists will be put down and checks on SEB website will be ended. Deadline for applications to vote at mobile-ballot-boxes for disabled, bed-ridden, chronically ill voters January 27: SEB will hold a lottery to determine in which order the parties will appear on ballot lists January 31: Ballot lists for voters will be determined. Political parties will deliver list of nominations to electoral offices February 1: Number of members for provincial & municipal councils will be determined based on the population census as of December 31, 2018 for all towns, counties, cities & provinces.  February 3: All parties will declare in which electoral zones they will hold primaries & consultations to determine candidates and notify the local electoral boards of this. February 10: Primaries & consultations will be held February 18: Provincial electoral boards will deliver approved lists of municipal candidates and approvals of primaries to political parties February 19: Political parties will officially nominate candidates for municipal seats by delivering digital copies in DVD, flash disk, hard drive etc. and in paper format until 5 pm; independent candidates will hand in applications until 5 pm February 21: Deadline for political parties to fill empty places in nominations lists February 22: Temporary nominations list (including independents) will be announced locally at 8 am February 28: Voter registration papers will be printed and start delivery March 1: Rejections due to inspection or objection will be notified to the political parties; or in cases when nominees resign from the parties March 2: Deadline for political parties to refill the empty nominations March 3: Final candidate lists are put up including independents, by local electoral boards; printing of ballots will start and printed ballots will be delivered to local electoral boards as part of the designated plan March 21: Starting of electoral bans and propaganda period March 24: Voter information cards delivery to voters will be completed March 29: Necessary equipment for villages and districts outside of city centers will be delivered to ballot box committee presidents March 30: End of propaganda period March 31: Voting starts at 7 am for Eastern Turkey and 8 am for Western Turkey; election bans end at midnight. 

]]> Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/turkey-elections-timeline-set-out-by-supreme-electoral-board-for-31-march-2019-municipal-elections Sun, 30 Dec 2018 12:20:36 +0300 <![CDATA[Opposition passes a proposal in Turkish Parliament for the first time in years]]> https://www.dokuz8haber.net/opposition-passes-a-proposal-in-turkish-parliament-for-the-first-time-in-years A proposal to relieve the early pensioners has been accepted in Turkish Grand National Assembly, the bill is significant for being the first one in years to pass against governing AKP. Even though at the final voting stage MHP voted against it, proving that the governing party needs an ally to block proposals from the opposition for parliamentary inquiries or draft bills. Turkish Parliament for years has been voting on proposals and draft bills from opposition parties but they have been facing the same fate as always, "defeated with votes of governing AKP". Since declaration of the Presidential Alliance, the defeating of opposition proposals had been due to "with votes of governing AKP and MHP". Yesterday after MHP leader had called the end of Presidential Alliance, MHP votes have migrated to the opposition side and governing AKP thus has fallen below 50% in the parliament. The law proposal on the pensioners who have retired in early ages -which had been the retirement age by the time they had signed their work contract- has been brought to parliament floor by IYI Party which had promised to pass this law in the elections. The proposal has been brought to parliament floor and supported by main opposition CHP, HDP, IYI Party and recently opposition MHP. The bill has been carried to parliament floor with 145 votes against AKP's 135, while there are a total of 596 members of parliament registered in the system. Later during the approval voting of the bill, MHP changed sides again and voted with the governing AKP to block the proposal, defeating it at parliament floor. ERDOĞAN'S STATEMENT AKP chair & President Erdoğan had previously said in his parliamentary group speech that early retirement would harm the budget as one would work for only 20 years, retire at the age of 38 and then take a pension for 40 years. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2014 The last time an opposition proposal had been accepted in the parliament floor was in 2014 when CHP group had proposed a bill on mining and at the time of voting opposition was in the majority in the parliament quorum. On March 27, 2015 when main opposition CHP had proposed continuation of talks on internal security, AKP deputies had accidentally approved of the proposal which had later caused heated moments in the parliament.  

]]> Elections https://www.dokuz8haber.net/opposition-passes-a-proposal-in-turkish-parliament-for-the-first-time-in-years Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:06:39 +0300