Turkey expels British academic over invite to Kurdish New Year celebrations

[snoop1130]

Turkey expels British academic over invite to Kurdish New Year celebrations
Euronews

ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- A British academic has been expelled from Turkey after being found with invitations to Kurdish New Year celebrations.

Demonstrations have been held in support of Chris Stephenson, a well-known lecturer at Bilgi University in Istanbul.

Stephenson says he was detained on Tuesday at a courthouse where he went to support three scholars accused of terrorism propaganda.

It is reported Stephenson decided to leave Turkey after being told about a deportation order against him, and before officers turned up to physically remove him.

Speaking in Turkish before flying out of Istanbul, he told reporters there was no trial, no offence.

He says an invitation from the legal Kurdish HDP (People’s Democratic Party) was found in his bag.

He says he told the officers the papers were not from a terrorist organisation, that he doesn’t support terrorism, he wants peace and has always acted for peace.

Many people have spoken out in support of Stephenson, a computer sciences lecturer who has lived in Turkey for more than 25 years.

Stephenson was not officially charged with anything, but an administrative order was issued for his deportation.

Turkish officials have not yet commented on the case.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-17

[Saradoc1972]

Looks like this autocratic Erdowahn nutter-in-chief has been able to pull off a lot of things over the last couple of days he would not have dared if he hadn't Europe by the balls over this migrant issue.

And that's very likely only the tip of the Iceberg, the things international press even report. And it's only the start, it's going to be hard to raise freedom of speech and civil rights issues once any sort of deal is going when everyone stayed quiet because we think we need Erdowahn now, who will be ever more popular in Turkey because he's been pulling off a show of strength. Turks seem to like this, he even had the high and mighty German Chancellor over in his megalomaniac sultan's palace during his election campaign pleading for boons.

[Lukecan]

This is all I have to say as a Turk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7o_A1OYjzc

Take his coat

This guy was expelled for supporting PKK, nothing to do with supporting Kurdish New Year.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Lukecan

[wabothai]

Turkey going back to the stone ages. How stupid.

[humqdpf]

Looks like this autocratic Erdowahn nutter-in-chief has been able to pull off a lot of things over the last couple of days he would not have dared if he hadn't Europe by the balls over this migrant issue.

And that's very likely only the tip of the Iceberg, the things international press even report. And it's only the start, it's going to be hard to raise freedom of speech and civil rights issues once any sort of deal is going when everyone stayed quiet because we think we need Erdowahn now, who will be ever more popular in Turkey because he's been pulling off a show of strength. Turks seem to like this, he even had the high and mighty German Chancellor over in his megalomaniac sultan's palace during his election campaign pleading for boons.

I agree entirely with your assessment of the Turkish decent into dictatorship (although I am not sure way "boons" are!).

Of course, all this blackmail and leverage along with erosion of basic human rights and freedom of speech (the Government closed an independent newspaper recently and opened it again as a government mouthpiece) is not going to play well in the much longed-for prize, EU membership.

[Ulic]

This is all I have to say as a Turk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7o_A1OYjzc

Take his coat

This guy was expelled for supporting PKK, nothing to do with supporting Kurdish New Year.

Not sure how you draw a line between a rabble rouser being asked to leave a private

get together and escorted out of the premises and a University lecturer leaving the country

before he is thrown out merely because he has an invitation to a Kurdish New Years party

but it is clear to you.

[Saradoc1972]

This is all I have to say as a Turk.

Take his coat

This guy was expelled for supporting PKK, nothing to do with supporting Kurdish New Year.

What can I say? I do believe you when you say this is how you see things as a Turk. You're welcome to some German-bashing in reply.

And that is exactly why Turkey has not made any progress whatsoever joining the EU over the last 30 (!) years, being overtaken by minnows like Romania and Croatia, even when it got itself a full ministry for EU-Turkish affairs. Seems to have been important to them once, but playing strong man was even more important. Erdowahn has been going strong for a decade exactly because he is playing the strong man, they seem to like him for that. And his views on Islam, which is what EU countries fear most about Turkey. But then he has expressed his dissatisfaction about the frozen accession process, apparently wants to have the cake and eat it.

There has been no progress on civil liberties, freedom of press and speech, there are actually major setbacks. This Brit was "supporting" PKK? Doesn't say so in the OP, he was supporting a legal Kurdish party. But I suppose anything not in line with Big Indian Chief Erdowahn is terrorism now? And he's got a firm grip on the press to tell everyone some dissenter was a terrorist. It's come to that, and all the EU seems to be doing is appeasing him. You realize democracy is about having and voicing dissenting views? And that's exactly why Turkey apparently can't have it in anything but name for any prolonged period of time.

I don't see how this Trump video removing some out-of-place protester from a private meeting for supporters has anything to do with what apparently happened here. And btw. I don't think that protester got himself apprehended outside of that meeting by police or some political police on Trump's orders for not showing proper respect or anything.

[tartempion]

I will not allow Turkey to join the EU.

[attento]

If Germany allows Turkey to join the EU, that will be just one more reason for Brexit.

[Saradoc1972]

[sIGH] Guys, these dealings are NOT about Turkey joining EU in the foreseeable future, if ever.

It's about reopening some chapter of that accession process that were "frozen" because Turkey went on a rampage regarding civil liberties and its justice system some 10 years ago. Erdowahn needs that for internal politics, to show off as the strong guy under whose guidance Turkey can lead mighty EU by the nose. It will not mean those chapters will ever get closed, i.e. finished. So far they have a track record of 15 out of 35 finished chapters, mostly about economics and science where there was little to adapt in the first place.

We are looking at some 20y of a process even if Turkey were to do a complete volte face, and after that they still need a positive plebiscite in each and every single one of about a dozen member states. Germans are not going to be asked in a public vote, but it's not like Merkel could do that if she wanted. Thank goodness.

[billd766]

This is all I have to say as a Turk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7o_A1OYjzc

Take his coat

This guy was expelled for supporting PKK, nothing to do with supporting Kurdish New Year.

Any links, reports, other than something from Donald Trump or your word?