Police forcefully enter Zaman building after government takeover

www.todayszaman.com...

Zaman employees waiting near the entrance said police immediately tear-gassed readers to disperse them without even delivering the court decision.

Employees shouted 'free press cannot be silenced," as hundreds of police officers entered the building. Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Abdülhamit Bilici, who had hard time in speaking to to tear gas that covered inside the building, said the scene will be noted in the Turkish history as a black stain.

Police then went to the management floor in the building. Then police initially prevented Bilici from entering his office but they later let him in. Bilici was heard saying he does not recognize the court decision.

What the hell is up with the Turkish gov't? For what, years now, journalist in Turkey, both foreign and domestic, have been arrested at one time or another by the Turkish gov't. Even citizens have been arrested for speaking out against President Tayyip Erdogan on social media! And has the US gov't had anything to say about these crackdowns? Will they have anything to say about today's raid? Tear gas? Like really?

Of course, our biggest NATO ally in the Middle East gets a pass. I'm sure our politicians won't be talking about removing this dictator from power...

Coming soon, to a city near you...

a reply to: Swills

Dictatorship, It's the new old greatest Reality show on Earth.

a reply to: EequalsMC2

Oh I doubt it since those that control the media also control the gov't.

The US is between a rock and a hard place. If something happens people are quick to say, "Why doesn't the US do something!" If something happens and the US does something, people say, "Why are you interfering in a sovereign nation's internal affairs?" If the US intervenes, they're bad. If the US does not intervene, they're bad.

Which is it?

originally posted by: schuyler
The US is between a rock and a hard place. If something happens people are quick to say, "Why doesn't the US do something!" If something happens and the US does something, people say, "Why are you interfering in a sovereign nation's internal affairs?" If the US intervenes, they're bad. If the US does not intervene, they're bad.

Which is it?

Well, most often nobody asks them to intervene, they just do it!
I think the point here is why dont they just - Do it, in Turkey?
Because it suits them.

The ironic thing is that over the border the USA wanted to topple Assad because he supposedly oppessed his people.

Here in Turkey we see an ongoing nasty battle with the Kurds in an attempt to keep them down and opression of the media. So, the USA is mates with a guy who does the same thing in one country and wants to get rid of someone doing similar things over the fence.

Hypocritical alliances much?

OK here is what I don't get.
I know the US isn't perfect but our people are generally happy. ok that is arguable... so why do these dictators want to control their people so badly? I mean, if you are a citizen of Turkey can you just decide to fly to America or England or Fiji?

Before this civil war could the people of Syria decide they want to live in the Bahamas and book a flight? What about in Russia these days? can people leave?

If I don't like America, I know I can at least travel to the Bahamas or Bermuda, Don't know what it takes to actually live there but what I don't get is why these countries feel the need to suppress the people.

The rulers live in luxury sure, but so do ours.

uh oh. This sounds all too familiar........

a reply to: markosity1973

Hypocritical alliances much?

Apparently constantly markosity. It's become our M.O.

This isnt being mentioned of any UK media and yet is live on RT and ongoing,

I think something big is brewing in Turkey and this could be the start however, I think Erdogan wants something to kick off, why I'm not sure but I think his actions are part of a much bigger plan!

I believe the founding fathers were right about foreign adventures.....we don't need em....let the rest of the world find freedom in their own way and time....

a reply to: Swills

Swills you are patronizing, you have been a huge defender of anti-intervention, and also you fail to mention the islamification of turkey within the last decade. This is a dishonest political piece, based on a current event, if you'd like to debate intervention policy id love to debate that with you. While I cannot always support the choices our politicians make, I can give you a sound philosophical arguement for why intervention is acceptable and also perhaps shine light on some of our foreign policy, I think that's a better place to discuss, than the dishonest baiting tactics you are using.

So if you fail to understand what I mean in the above.

Point one: you cannot be both anti intervention and then honestly ask why the U.S is not intervening now, that's a dishonest opinion because you would be agreeable with the U.S not intervening. Or speaking from a position of ignorance.

Point two: the islamification of turkey in the last decade has lead to the silencing of reporters and many many more ugly autrocitys, and yet you still ask why this is occurring? Once again it's either dishonesty or complete ignorance.

a reply to: tinner07

Yes all the people of Syria, the people of Turkey, the people of Iraq pretty much any citizen of any nation apart from North Korea has been free to get on a plane or get in a car, on a train etc and go to another nation

I'm calling it now though, civil war coming to Turkey.

I somehow think though that when it comes the US, UK and France won't be arming the moderate rebels in this war but will be aiding Erdogans dictatorship, because he plays ball with them in this cloaked war with Russia that has been going on since WW2

a reply to: tinner07

The Middle East hasn't learned from the west of subliminally suppressing your people. They're literally still stuck in the Middle Ages in that aspect, and many others.

a reply to: markosity1973

Exactly, and this why no one should buy into the we are bringing them freedom speech from polticians as a justification for continued war. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, well hell, all the Middle Eastern nations are currently terrorist hell holes and that's a direct result of our so called war on terror.

It's all BS.

a reply to: anxiouswens

Really? Try UK Reuters because the US branch is reporting this.

Turkish authorities seize newspaper close to cleric Gulen: state media

a reply to: tinner07

I think something big is brewing in Turkey and this could be the start however, I think Erdogan wants something to kick off, why I'm not sure but I think his actions are part of a much bigger plan!

This is not the start.
You just not paying attention. Turkey have a major problems with Kurdish regions inside Turkey. Sometimes news even got published in the western media. www.theguardian.com...

A recent report by Turkey’s main opposition, the Republican People’s party, revealed that about 80% of all buildings inside the Sur curfew zone had been destroyed, and that most people had left even the intact parts of the neighbourhood for fear of the violence. According to the Turkish health minister, Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, about 355,000 citizens have been displaced by the continuing clashes in the Kurdish region.

a reply to: TechniXcality

What are you talking about? Are you seriously criticizing me for not wanting to engage in more wars, conflicts, drone strikes, etc? Who must intervene in Turkey, US politics or US military? I'm all for our politicians calling out theses acts of the Turkish gov't and pressuring them to cease and dissect but do you mean the US military must intervene? That I am not for because that's stupid.

What is it you want to debate about? You entire post is confusing.

a reply to: Discotech

Oh yeah, civil war could very well be brewing. Hell, just look at how riled up some people got over a bunch of militia men taking over a federal building. Imagine the feds ran up into CNN like this? But then again, F CNN.