Turkey

Police in Turkey detained a Dutch columnist over a tweet she posted that was deemed ‘critical’ of Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Ebru Umar a well know journalist of Turkish origin, was arrested at her home in Kusadasi, a resort town in western Turkey, early on Sunday and brought before a judge. A political storm erupted last week over reports that the Turkish consulate had requested that Turkish organisations in the Netherlands to forward emails and social media posts that insult Erdoğan or Turkey.

Submitted by Soeren Kern via The Gatestone Institute,

• The European Union now finds itself in a classic catch-22 situation. Large numbers of Muslim migrants will flow to Europe regardless of whether or not the EU approves the visa waiver for Turkey.

One month ago, we cited Turkey's president Tayyip Recep Erdogan who said that "it is not only the person who pulls the trigger, but those who made that possible who should be defined as terrorists, regardless of their title," when was urging parliament to include journalists, politicians, academics, and activists under the country’s anti-extremism laws.

Journalists in Germany have accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of behaving like a tyrannical “coward”, amid Turkey’s ongoing attacks against freedom of the press.  Turkish authorities have cracked down on journalists, activists, and anyone outspoken against their brutal regime in both Turkey and across Europe – incarcerating anybody who dares to speak out against Erdogan.

Homophobia seems to be rife in Turkey, at least towards a gay turtle. Watch people refusing to buy a pet from a shop in Istanbul once they realize he is gay.  Gay Star News reports: This is what happens when people are so blindly homophobic, they believe being gay is an illness, not ‘normal’, and could even be ‘contagious’. Even if it’s a turtle. And turtles aren’t exactly the easiest pets as they need specialist care. Launched by Amnesty International and TBWA Istanbul, the #GayTurtle project mocks the absurdity of homophobic attitudes.