AKP Watch

AKP Watch September 30th, 2007

History is full of unimportant men who lived like a creep till fulfilling their destiny. When their time has come, they obey the masters and instantly became historical figures by leaving ugly scars in the face of civilization. Like Harvey Oswald who murdered Kennedy or Ogün Samast who shot Hrant Dink dead. The masters of puppets always remained unknown. But not this time!

A Radikal Islamist and AK Party Supporter

Ali Kütüklü was one of those unimportant men who fired bullets to the free speech. He is an radical islamist and a die hard supporter of AK Party, one day, told by his master’s that it’s the time to fulfill his destiny. With a little help from Fethullah Gülen’s lawyers, he went to court in eastern city of Sivas and obtained an order to block the video-sharing site because of clips that it considered insulting to President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

YouTube ban has nothing to do with Atatürk

Kütüklü and the usual suspects (AK Party Officals in Sivas and Fethullah Gülen’s sect) added Atatürk’s name to the court documents, just to cover up their mess and distract the public. Fortunately public is not fooled. AK Party and Islamist see Atatürk as an infidel and biggest enemy. It’s ironic to see Islamists who do everything possible to wipe out Atatürk legacy from Turkey, now changed their minds to protect his memory. Sounds very suspicious!

AK Party’s Crusade Against Free Speech

Since AK Party is controlling most of the major media outlets in Turkey, WordPress and YouTube became a center of political opposition, especially during the recent elections, opposition parties made a good use of internet as a free speech platform. AK Party got worried and decided to address this problem by employing a new strategy, a strategy to covertly silence the leading free speech platforms in the world. The first victims were YouTube and WordPress.

The strategy is simple: First, find a wacko/freak like Adnan Oktar or Ali Kütüklü, then covertly provide them full legal aid, send them to courts and the most importantly always have the luxury of plausible deniability: deny any connection to or awareness of such act with the AK Party.

Google/YouTube Cooperates with Islamists

It was shocking for us when YouTube announced that it’s ready cooperate with Islamist in Turkey to remove the inappropriate content out of YouTube. It’s very sad to see a very Silicon Valley/Bay Area firm Google/YouTube’s betrayed their roots and cooperate with Islamists to bash free speech.

The Bay Area was once the center progressive movement and maybe considered to be most openminded place to live, witnessed even The Free Speech Movement led by Mario Savio and his historical speech in the Sproul Hall in University of Berkeley. Now Google/YouTube -an offspring of bay area’s progressive culture- is selling out the most important principle of western civilization -the free speech- to islamists for a fistful of petro-dollars.

Remembering Sivas (Hotel Madimak) Massacre

Eastern city of Sivas was always been an stronghold for radical islamist where Sivas Massacre took place. On July 2, 1993 (not 1493 of middle ages) radical islamists provoked by AK Party’s precursor, Islamist Walfare Party (President Abdullah Gul was Vice President of Walfare Party by then) gathered around Madimak Hotel and shouted for death to the infidels. The hotel was arsoned, flames engulfed several floors causing burned alive 37 people among whom were many famous and precious musicians, poets, few foreigners, guests, staff of hotel and even 2 of the attackers.

Walfare Party deputy Şevket Kazan, an attorney voluntary signup to defend the perpetrators and it’s ironic since he later promoted and became Minister of Justice!

Recently AK Party rejected CHP proposal to turn Hotel Madımak into a museum to remember the tragedy.

• AK Party , AKP , Free Speech , Freedom of Press , Islamist , Islamofascism , Opposition , Turkey , YouTube
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AKP Watch September 23rd, 2007

AK Party Opposition TV channel Kanalturk is once again targeted by the Islamist AK Party government. The channel have been shut down for six days as a penalty for Kanalturk’s broadcasts prior to July 22 general elections. The justification for the punishment was that while Kanalturk presented news about opposition parties in an objective manner, it discriminated against the ruling AKP by broadcasting PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s previous political statements and by doing so harmed his image.

Erdoğan would probably break a Guinness World Record, since he is most likely the world’s first and probably the last leader who believes his very own statements in the past is damaging his reputation and going to court for preventing the broadcast of his own speeches.

 Erasing the Past

Tayyip Erdoğan is trying to erase his past as a radical islamist by pressuring media companies to not broadcast his previous speeches.  As a part of new image building strategy, AK Party has zero tolerance those who exposing their past. Earlier journalist Sezai Şengün of Daily Star Newspaper, fined approx. $10,000 for publishing Erdoğan’s photos with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a designated terrorist by US State department, who has participated in and supported terrorist acts committed by al-Qa’ida and the Taliban.

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Censorist Molla

The suspension decision made by minister of censorship Islamist Zahid Akman, who earlier appointed by Erdoğan to head of RTUK (Islamic High Board of Radio and Television). Akman (aka Molla) is a controversial figure in Turkish media, once described as “Censorist Molla” by Serdar Turgut, the editor-in-chief of widely circulated Turkish daily Aksam, pointing out his jihadist past as a islamist sect (tarikat) member and his loyality (biat) to his former sect. Akman has a pivotal role in AK Party’s strategy to surpress opposition by abusing RTUK’s unlimited powers which even include a permanent suspension. Akman frequently inviting media executives to RTUK to attend mandatory Nazi style briefings to adjust their broadcasting policy according to AK Party terms. 

Prior to RTUK, Akman was an executive in Kanal 7, an islamist TV Channel founded by former Walfare Party which was a precursor to AK Party. Kanal 7 and their non-profit charity organisation Deniz Feneri under money laundering and terror finance investigation by German Authorities and most of Kanal 7 executives currently under arrest in Germany. (Source: Evrensel in German and Hurriyet in Turkish)

Akman previously prevented TV Channels to air the movies Brokeback Mountain and Valley of the Wolves (Kurtlar Vadisi).

• AK Party , AKP , Censorship , Erdogan , Free Speech , Freedom of Press , Islamofascism , KanalTurk , Opposition , RTUK , Turkey , Zahid Akman
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AKP Watch September 10th, 2007

Switzerland authorities investigating a possible terror finance case for Yimpaş Holding, Turkish daily Hürriyet reported.

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Yimpaş Group, one of the main financiers of AK Party, illegally raised 2,5 billion euros from pious Turkish guest workers in mosques throughout Europe who were not willing to put their money into banks, since Islam prohibits interest but permits dividends that are considered part of a company’s profits and where payment is not guaranteed.

Financial authorities in Germany and Switzerland began to closely scrutinize Yimpaş after some officials were caught at Customs hauling money or gold into Turkey in suitcases.

German and Swiss Prosecutors charged Yimpaş with crimes related international fraud and money laundering.The Manheim Federal Court in Germany issued an international arrest warrant for Yimpaş Chairman Dursun Uyar and Interpol at that time placed him on its Red Notice list, Hürriyet reported.

Switzerland was investigating possible international fraud by the Yimpas Group AG, Jeanette Balmer, spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office in Switzerland, said earlier. During the investigation Swiss authorities could not determined whereabouts of 18 million CHF, which possible end up with islamic terrorist organisations.

AK Party’s leading public figures, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coşkun , Justice Minister Cemil Çiçek, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu, Speaker of Parliament Bülent Arinç, were frequently apperaring in all opening receptions of Yimpaş Group.

Despite an international warrant for his arrest, Dursun Uyar, Chairman of the huge Yimpaş Group, has made several public appearances, in some cases close to police and government officials, without being detained.

• AK Party , AKP , Erdogan , European Union , Terrorism , Turkey
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AKP Watch September 3rd, 2007

Glenn Simpson of Wall Street Journal revealed the connection between Qadi and Erdoğan on his article called “Well Connected, A Saudi Mogul Skirts Sanctions”. 

Glenn Simpson is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering money laundering and other financial crime, including terrorist financing, tax evasion and corporate misconduct. Below the highlights from Simpson’s article:
Erdoğan: I trust him the same way I trust my father 

“Yassin Qadi is a well-known multimillionaire, founder of a large supermarket chain here [in Turkey] and a close friend of the Turkish premier. “I trust him the same way I trust my father,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on national television last year.”

According UN and US Treasury: A Major Financier of Islamic Terrorism

“But the Saudi businessman also is a major financier of Islamic terrorism with close business associates who are members of al Qaeda, according to the U.S. Treasury and the United Nations Security Council. At Washington’s request, the Security Council ordered Mr. Qadi’s assets frozen a few weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S.”

“The asset freeze has largely crippled Mr. Qadi’s international business empire. But previously undisclosed records show he has managed to free up millions of dollars of holdings in Turkey, in apparent violation of the Security Council sanctions — and without incurring punishment by Turkish authorities.”

“Mr. Qadi’s friendship with the prime minister also plays into the growing debate in Turkey over the role of Islam in a secular society. Turkey’s Parliament for the first time yesterday elected a politician with an Islamist background, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, to the presidency. Immediately after being sworn in, Mr. Gul pledged impartiality, saying, “Secularism — one of the main principles of our republic — is a precondition for social peace.” But the development nonetheless has heightened concern about the direction this pivotal nation, poised between East and West, is taking.”

Erdogan government intervened in Turkish courts 

“U.S. diplomats lodged strong objections last year when the Erdogan government intervened in Turkish courts to try to lift the freeze on Mr. Qadi’s Turkish assets, according to U.S. officials. The Turkish government reversed course.”

Erdoğan is far less interested in combating terrorism  

“That Erdogan personally vouches for this man…raises the possibility that the prime minister of Turkey is far less interested in combating terrorism than he says,” said former Defense Department aide Michael Rubin, a conservative critic of the Turkish government who has close ties to top officials in the Bush administration.”

Top Prosecutors of the case was recently fired by Erdoğan

“Two reports by Turkey’s financial police allege potential money-laundering and other possible crimes by Mr. Qadi and unnamed associates. But Turkish prosecutors declined to bring criminal cases in both 2004 and 2006, citing a lack of evidence. Mr. Erdogan’s political opponents say the probes were quashed by the Finance Ministry. The top officer on the case was recently fired. According to the government, he abused his authority to investigate top politicians.”

AK Party’s Chief Adviser Cuneyt Zapsu supported Al Qaeda linked Islamic Charity

“Mr. Zapsu, who in 2001 helped Mr. Erdogan found the Justice and Development Party, also supported an Islamic charity Mr. Qadi founded that is at the center of the U.S. and Security Council decision to freeze the Saudi businessman’s assets. A Turkish financial-police report seen by The Wall Street Journal found that in the 1990s, Mr. Zapsu and his mother gave $300,000 to Mr. Qadi’s Muwafaq charity, which U.S. officials labeled a front for al Qaeda shortly after 9/11.”

“Central Intelligence Agency reports say Muwafaq, now defunct, specialized in purchasing and smuggling arms for Islamic radicals. The U.S. government’s special commission on the Sept. 11, 2001, attack and law-enforcement agencies have cited Saudi-backed Islamic charities as a primary source of funding for al Qaeda.”

“Mr. Zapsu also has business ties to two Islamic banks funded with Saudi capital — Dallah Al Baraka and Dar Al Mal Al Islam — that were accused of supporting al Qaeda in civil suits filed by families of Sept. 11 victims in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Both defendants adamantly deny the allegations, and the court dismissed claims against Al Baraka.”

Charitable Terrorist 

“Some of Mr. Qadi’s dealings in Turkey are recounted in a 2006 book, “Charitable Terrorist,” by Nedim Sener. Mr. Qadi has filed a defamation suit in an Istanbul court against Mr. Sener, who in the Turkish daily Milliyet also wrote of a real-estate deal involving Mr. Qadi that may also violate the Security Council sanctions. The sanctions, legally binding on U.N. member states, ban any large financial transactions or international travel by the roughly 350 individuals designated as terrorists or their sponsors.”

• AK Party , AKP , Al-Qaeda , Cüneyt Zapsu , Erdogan , Islamist , Terrorism , Turkey
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AKP Watch September 2nd, 2007

AKP Watch is sick and tired to write posts about Adnan Oktar, but he is not tired to seek court orders to ban bloggers in Turkey.  It’s look like Oktar committed to be an internet celebrity, even his fame will surpass famous Mahir of 99’s.

Bad news arrived as Jim Collela wrote on his blog: [CORRECTED] “the CNN Political Ticker Blog and Flickr Blog are also blocked because of the same court order (decision no.: 2007/195) enacted by Adnan Oktar.”

AKPWatch double checked and now it’s confirmed, the CNN Blog is also affected by the recent block of WordPress by AK Party connected Islamist/Creationist cult leader Adnan Oktar (a.k.a Harun Yahya). Oktar, acting like a proxy to AK Party, obtained a court order to block WordPress in Turkey which effected all WordPress powered sites, even the ones not using wordpress.com domain name, such as CNN Political Ticker and Yahoo owned Flickr Blog.

Adnan Oktar and his infamous creationist nonsense is very populer among AK Party circles, even an AK Party’s Gaziantep MP Ahmet Uzer distributed Oktar’s 800 pages Creationist book to member of parliments. (Source: mainstream turkish newspapers,  Radikal on 27/02/07, Sabah on 03/03/07, Vatan on 02/03/07) 

When MP Ahmet Uzer defended himself, he unintentionally revealed that Oktar’s creationist book –Atlas of Creation- approved by Ministry of Culture and Turism as a scientific book. (Source: OlayMedya)

Moreover AK Party officals decided that Adnan Oktar books will be purchased by all public libraries in Turkey. Currently legendary even poet Nazim Hikmet’s book are banned in public libraries in Turkey. (Source: Hurriyet on 03/02/07 and Hurriyet on 13/01/07)

Oktar and his famous book is favored among AK Party elements, for example, AKP appointed governors writes recommendation letters to distribute the book in the schools, multiple AK Party municipals including Ankara and Istanbul provides exhibition areas, childred from primary schools brought to those exhibitions, and more surprisingly Istanbul Governor approves Oktar aide to teach creationism seminars in schools (Source: mainstream Turkish newspapers, Hurriyet on 25/06/2006 and Radikal on 11/03/2007)

The fourth largest blogging platform in the world, WordPress, still remains banned in Turkey since 15th of August 2007.

• AK Party , AKP , Adnan Oktar , Censorship , Free Speech , Freedom of Press , Harun Yahya , Islamist , Turkey
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