Chair of Amnesty International Turkey swept up in post-coup purge

Via Amnesty International – Responding to the news that Taner Kiliç, the Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, was today detained by police along with 22 other lawyers in Izmir on suspicion of having links with the Fethullah Gülen movement, Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“The fact that Turkey’s post-coup purge has now dragged the Chair of Amnesty International Turkey into its web is further proof of just how far it has gone and just how arbitrary it has become. Taner Kiliç has a long and distinguished record of defending exactly the kind of freedoms that the Turkish authorities are now intent on trampling.  Continue reading Chair of Amnesty International Turkey swept up in post-coup purge

18 including AI Turkey chairman under detention over alleged Gülen links

Via Turkey Purge – At least 18 lawyers including Taner Kılıç, the chairman of Amnesty International Turkey’s board, were detained on Tuesday as part of an investigation into Turkey’s Gülen group.

According to the Hürriyet daily, detainees are accused of using a smartphone application called “ByLock.”
ByLock is considered by Turkish authorities to be the top communication tool among followers of the Gülen movement, which is accused by the government of masterminding a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Greece Has Adopted Illegal Border Push-Back For Erdoğan Critics

The Stockholm Center for Freedom reports on several illegal pushbacks at the Greek-Turkish land border, we as well have been reported about. It seems that these pushbacks are becoming a systematic method:

In a breach of European Union (EU) and international laws, Greek government appears to have adopted a policy of push-backs of Turks seeking asylum from repressive regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The new practice has been put into action as of mid-May and involved Greek security forces as well as unidentified and masked gunmen who intercept people near Turkish border and send them to other side by force, violence and threats.

Continue reading Greece Has Adopted Illegal Border Push-Back For Erdoğan Critics

Greece sends Turkish refugees back to Turkey

Via Turkish Minute – A group of people who were detained on Friday by Turkish gendarmes said they were sent back to Turkey after they crossed the river to Greece, TGRT reported on Saturday, the second such recent incident after journalist Murat Çapan, who had been sentenced to 22.5 years for two news stories, and others were returned home by Greece last month. Continue reading Greece sends Turkish refugees back to Turkey