By The Istanbulian — Global Blogger
Tag: anti-Turkish
-
Maybe EU Can Be a Member to Turkey, One Day
The heading is about a possibility. Just a possibility. The EU must work hard to realize it.What do I mean?Let’s remember:In France, the right-wing Sarkozy government can comfortably start a xenophobic debate on national identity, then deport the Roma community by violating the EU acquis communitaire. In the end, the European Commission steps back after initially daring to criticize Sarkozy.In Germany, even a Social Democrat former minister can voice racist views, stating that the Turkish-Muslim community is lowering the average IQ of the country. And polls reveal that most Germans support these racist views… When the President opposes these views and states that Islam is also a part of Germany now, a right-wing politician, Norbert Geis, can snugly suggest that freedom of religion doesn’t mean the equality of all religions.Likewise, in the Netherlands, racism in disguise of free speech is now completely tolerated as long as it is anti-Muslim, not anti-Semitic, as can be seen from the ongoing farce to form a coalition government with the help of Islamophobic far-rightists. All these countries with some other ones are about to ban burqa as a stupid, populist action against Islamist extremism.A similar trend can be observed in several other EU countries, including Italy where the Northern League is a legitimate entity with an openly racist discourse that is adopted by the Berlusconi government and reflected in its asylum/deportation policies.On the other hand, in Spain, the courts can ban several political parties of an ethnic minority, the Basques, by simply stating that they just don’t condemn separatism. Political demonstrations to protest a court decision can also be banned easily.In Greece, the government can destroy all of its Islamic heritage dating back to 450-years-long Ottoman rule, making Athens the only European capital without a mosque. It can force its thousands of Muslim citizens and immigrants to pray in a city square on Fridays and in religious holidays.In Bulgaria and Romania, the government can keep ignoring EU’s economic criteria and take no notice of rampant corruption. Not only they have been accepted as full members of the EU in spite of these violations, but also the EU doesn’t do anything about them even now, although an accession monitoring system is still on as ridiculous first for the Union. “Still failing to meet EU standards” even after accession!I’m not going list all other EU members that systematically violate different EU rules, like it is with Britain and the rules to protect privacy or Poland and the rules on internal gas market or Hungary and the rules on state aid…Or almost all member states which don’t apply the decisions of the European Court of Justice that upheld the right of free movement of qualified Turkish citizens in the EU, calling for all EU states to comply with this decision, helplessly.* * *Imagine what would happen with the already-stagnated accession process, if Turkey violates one of these EU rules even slightly.With the French style anti-Roma deportation or the German-Italian-Dutch style normalization of racism, the anti-Turkish front in the EU could immediately stop the accession by naming Turkey as a fascist state… Remember how the EU officials were criticizing the Turkish ban on head scarves in university campuses and how they are silent now for a burqa ban in member states.The link between PKK, a terrorist organization according to the EU, and its political extensions have been documented clearly in the past (in a more clear way than the Spanish courts did with the links of ETA to Basque parties) and they have been banned in Turkey as such; but the EU had harshly criticized Ankara, while cooperating with Spain.While Greece was silently destroying almost everything from its Islamic past in spite of the religious needs of its Muslim population, Turkey was protecting most of its Christian and Jewish heritage even though most of the local congregations were too small to keep up these buildings. Then what happened? Turkey is now being criticized for not immediately installing a giant cross on the dome of a renovated Armenian church in a remote island in far east!And Turkey is still being scolded in EU’s Progress Reports for not fully adopting the economic standards of the Union, even though its economy is much healthier than -not only Bulgaria and Romania, but also- most of the member states now.* * *Such double-standards by the EU are not news anymore. However, for the times they are a-changin’, these double-standards are more dangerous now.The EU, with its right-wing old guard in charge, can still not see that it desperately needs Turkey, much more than Turkey needs it.If Turkey is alienated by the EU for some more time, the EU will miss the last train of membership, not Turkey.The rise of Turkey is not the product of the AKP government by the way (AKP still practices the economic strategy which was drawn by Kemal Dervis, a Social Democrat politician, in 2001). By reviewing Turkey’s demographic and economic trends, its prospective rise has been foreseen in early 1980s. In near future, if Turkey adopts a more import-oriented economic strategy, it will be able to support even a more aggressive foreign policy.By then, the EU may even collapse alongside Euro, while Turkey keeps flourishing by remaining outside the Union. So as I’ve said before, Brussels and the peoples of the EU have only one option as a stimulus now:Get rid of these racists and enlarge your EU with Turkey, before its too late!, October 7, 2010 -
SCANDAL: Duchess of York accepts bribe from undercover reporter
Background: The Duchess of York and her daughter had entered Turkish orphanages in disguise to promote anti-Turkish agenda, secretly filming the children without authorization, in criminal violation of privacy laws of both the UK and Turkey which has been under investigation for possible prosecution in coordination with Scotland Yard. -Turkish Forum
Desperate Sarah Ferguson promises access to Prince Andrew for £500,000
Katie Daubs, Staff Reporter, 24 May 2010
The Queen will not be amused.
Just when it seemed her former daughter-in-law had overcome her toe-sucking indiscretions of the early 90s, the cash-strapped Duchess of York has delivered another royal scandal.
On Tuesday, Sarah Ferguson was videotaped accepting a $40,000 U.S. advance from an undercover British reporter posing as a businessman. As she smoked cigarettes in a luxury apartment suite, she promised the man that a £500,000 payment would guarantee access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew, the international British trade ambassador.
“£500,000 to me, when you can, open doors” she can be seen saying on the video, smacking her lips midway through the sentence.
The undercover News of the World reporter asks if that means Prince Andrew, and she responds “yeah” before shaking his hand to confirm the deal.
Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth and fourth in line to the throne “categorically” denied any knowledge of the meeting that took place between the Duchess of York and the News of the World, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
In a statement on Sunday, Ferguson admitted she had financial woes, but “that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment and I am very sorry that this has happened.”
“I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused,” she said.
The scandal could mean the icy relationship between the Queen and Ferguson will return. In August 2008, Ferguson was briefly back in the family’s good books after Queen Elizabeth invited her for a weekend at the Royal Family’s summer retreat.
The News of the World said it infiltrated the Duchess’ inner circle after hearing rumours that she was peddling her ex-husband’s influence as a way to rid herself of debt. Ferguson married Andrew in 1986 and they had two children, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, before divorcing in 1996.
Although she was caught with her toes in another man’s mouth before the divorce was finalized, Ferguson remains on good terms with her ex-husband, and reportedly agreed to a yearly £15,000 divorce payment to ensure a good relationship with the royals.
But the settlement has failed to pay her debts or finance her lifestyle. According to British media, Ferguson is facing legal action in Britain for £200,000 in unpaid bills. Meanwhile, the company she founded to manage her own career in the United States collapsed last year with debts of around $1 million (U.S.) According to The New of the World Ferguson said she didn’t have “a pot to p**s in.”
“As long as Sarah thinks you are rich she will be all over you like a rash. She will say she can arrange meetings with Andrew even though he has no idea what is going on. It’s incredible,” the News of the World quoted an unnamed source saying.
The sting was the latest scoop for Mazher Mahmood, nicknamed the “Fake Sheik” after his signature ruse of pretending to be a rich Gulf businessman to dupe celebrities, politicians and suspected criminals. In the video, his voice has been altered and his face is blurred.
During dinner negotiations with the man, the Duchess asked him to sign a confidentiality agreement, but pushed ahead with the deal when he refused. As the lamb and vegetables arrived, Fergie asked him if he was a reporter, but didn’t look into the man’s credentials. After all, he picked up the £273.25 dinner, a rare move for someone in journalism.
She accompanied the man in a limousine to his apartment, where she ogled the $40,000 advance fee and got back to the subject of more money.
The reporter said he would send a wire transfer of £500,000, and Fergie replied that the channels of communication would be opened to her ex-husband.
“As Andrew said, ‘Listen, if he’s going to be kind enough to want to play, the Andrew will play,’” she said.
In the video, Ferguson is seen leaving the apartment carrying the black computer bag filled with cash. She is concerned that the man might want to keep his computer bag, but he assures her it is old.
With files from the Star’s wire services
[2]
Fergie’s dirty deal
Sarah Ferguson shamelessly plots to sell access to Prince Andrew for £500,000
[3]
Türkiye’de çocuk bakımevlerinde gizli çekim yaparak yayınlayan İngiltere York Düşesi Sarah Ferguson 40 bin dolar rüşvet alırken gizlice görüntülendi.
Zengin işadamı gibi davranan ‘News of the World’ muhabirinden eski eşi Birleşik Krallık’ın uluslararası ticaret ve yatırım Temsilcisi York Dükü Prens Andrew’a ulaşması karşılığında 500 bin sterline anlaşan Ferguson, 40 bin dolar avans aldı.
New York’taki otel odasında zengin işadamı gibi davranan News of the World muhabiriyle buluşan York Düşesi Sarah Ferguson, eski eşi Birleşik Krallık’ın uluslararası ticaret ve yatırım Temsilcisi York Dükü Prens Andrew’a ulaşması karşılığında 500 bin sterlin rüşvet karşılığında anlaştı.
Ferguson, gizli çekilen görüntülerde zengin işadamı gibi davranan muhabire, “Andrew beni sağlama almak zorunda olduğunu biliyor çünkü benim hiç param yok. Eğer onunla buluşmak istiyorsan ‘bana bak’ ve Andrew’da “Sana bakar. 10 katını geri alırsın” diye vaatte bulunuyor. 40 bin dolar rüşvet aldıktan sonra kendinden oldukça emin konuşan Ferguson, “İstediğin bütün kapıları açabilirim. Ve senin için bunu yapacağım” diye böbürleniyor.
Ferguson, News of the World muhabirine yaptığını açıklamada, Kraliyet ailesinden 5 parasız ayrıldığını ve Prenses Diana’nın ise 20 milyon aldığını söyledi. Kraliyet bağlantılarından dolayı yapılacak her anlaşmadan yüzde 1 komisyon alması gerektiğini savunan Ferguson, rüşvetin kalanının ise HSBC Bank’taki özel hesabına yatırılmasını istiyor.
York Düşesi Ferguson’un rüşvet görüntülerini izleyen İngiltere Kraliçesi 2’nci Elizabeth’in, Ferguson’un şaşkınlık yaratan talepleri karşısında ‘şok’ olduğu belirtiliyor.