Latest news with #ChiefPublicProsecutor'sOffice
Cedar News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Cedar News
Poland and Turkey Clash with X/Twitter Over Vulgar Grok AI Content
Poland is weighing the option of banning access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) following a series of offensive and vulgar posts made by its artificial intelligence tool, Grok. Deputy Prime Minister [insert name if known] confirmed the government is exploring legal and regulatory avenues in response to the controversy. The backlash stems from Grok's posts that included insulting and derogatory remarks targeting various international figures, notably Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The incident has sparked outrage in Turkey, prompting the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to launch a formal investigation. Turkish authorities have also imposed an access ban on Grok within the country. As tensions escalate, Poland's response could signal a broader European scrutiny of AI-powered tools on global platforms. The incident raises pressing questions about content moderation, accountability, and the boundaries of AI-generated speech in the digital age. Further developments are expected in the coming days as legal reviews proceed in both Ankara and Warsaw.
Euronews
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Turkey detains mayors of opposition-run Antalya, Adana, Adıyaman
As part of the ongoing operations against the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) municipalities, Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were detained on Saturday morning. CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut announced soon after that Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek was also detained. Bulut said on his social media platform X, "Those who use the judiciary as a stick for political revenge do not care about the law, but about protecting their own power. We will never submit to this dirty system that strikes a blow to the will of the nation," Bulut said. "I was detained from my house in Ankara in the morning. I am being taken to Istanbul," CHP Mayor of Adıyaman Abdurrahman Tutdere said on his X account. Authorities reportedly executed a raid of the Adana municipality building, backed by a search warrant, which coincided with Mayor Karalar's detention. Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organisation", arrest warrants were issued for 10 people, including the detained mayors. Aktaş was detained in investigations targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). The businessman was arrested for allegedly leading a "criminal organisation", before being released on 4 June citing "effective repentance". Erdoğan previously hinted at corruption in other provinces Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan previously backed the ongoing operations, saying "the documents are all in the open. Unfortunately, the situation is disastrous not only in Istanbul but also in other provinces," stressing the need for urgent sweeps to combat corruption. An investigation against the country's third largest city of Izmir soon followed. on 1 July, raids of the municipality building were carried out, in which 138 people, including Mayor Tunç Soyer and CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu were detained. A few days later, on 4 July, 35 more individuals - of a total of 99 with pending arrest warrants - were detained including Heval Savaş Kaya, who heads IZBETON, a concrete production company subsidised by the Izmir municipality. On the same day an investigation was launched against the CHP-run Antalya and Manavgat provinces. Detention warrants were issued for 36 people, including Manavgat Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara. The crackdown started with Istanbul This legal process against CHP municipalities kicked off with Istanbul. Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on 18 March, one day after his diploma from Istanbul University was revoked, and then arrested on 23 March as part of a corruption and bribery investigation. İmamoğlu's arrest came just days before he was set to officially be nominated as the CHP's presidential candidate in the 2028 elections. The Istanbul mayor is widely regarded as the main political rival to Erdoğan, and his targeting is seen by many as an attempt to eliminate his competition. Erdoğan denied the allegations as he doubled-down saying tips of widescale corruption came from members within the CHP ranks, and hinted that the party is aware his government is justified in its investigation. "They know very well that the biggest radishes are still in the saddlebags. This is the reason for their panic," noted the Turkish president. The "biggest radish is still in the saddlebag" is a Turkish idiom which hints at a bigger leverage or surprise that would be used when necessary. İmamoğlu was however announced as the CHP's presidential candidate with nearly 15 million votes on the day of his arrest. He was then forcibly suspended from his post as mayor in a decision announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Nuri Aslan, a CHP municipal council member, was selected to replace İmamoğlu in an interim capacity. The mass protests triggered by İmamoğlu's detention and subsequent arrest turned into the largest demonstrations Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Protests were met with a harsh police responce, as pepper spray, tear gas and water cannons were deployed to quel the unrest. Protests in other cities, including Izmir and the capital Ankara were also met with a violent crackdown. More than 2,000 people were detained, including journalists. Some 300 people were arrested after their detentions and charged in court.
New Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Three mayors arrested in southern Turkey as part of Erdogan's crackdown on opposition
ISTANBUL: The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey were arrested on Saturday, state-run media reported, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were detained in early morning raids, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was arrested with two other suspects in a separate bribery investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolu reported. Karalar was arrested in Istanbul and Tutdere was arrested in the capital, Ankara, where he has a home. Tutdere posted on X that he was being taken to Istanbul. Ten people, including Karalar and Tutdere, were arrested as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into allegations involving organized crime, bribery and bid-rigging. Details of the charges against them were not immediately released by prosecutors but the operation follows the arrests of scores of officials from municipalities controlled by the CHP in recent months. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely considered the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 22-year rule, was jailed four months ago over corruption allegations. The former CHP mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, and 137 municipal officials were detained earlier this week as part of an investigation into alleged tender-rigging and fraud. On Friday, ex-mayor Tunc Soyer and 59 others were jailed pending trial in what Soyer's lawyer described as 'a clearly unjust, unlawful and politically motivated decision.' Also Friday, it was reported by state-run media that the CHP mayor of Manavgat, a Mediterranean resort city in Antalya province, and 34 others were detained over alleged corruption. CHP officials have faced waves of arrests this year that many consider aimed at neutralizing Turkey's main opposition party. The government insists prosecutors and the judiciary act independently but the arrest of Istanbul's Imamoglu led to the largest street protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade. Imamoglu was officially nominated as his party's presidential candidate following his imprisonment. Turkey's next election is due in 2028 but could come sooner. The crackdown comes a year after the CHP made significant gains in local elections. Adiyaman, which was severely affected by the 2023 earthquake, was among several cities previously considered strongholds for Erdogan to fall to the opposition.
Arab Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Turkish prosecutors target 63 members of military over ties to a 2016 coup attempt
ISTANBUL, May 24, (AP): Prosecutors in Turkey issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel Friday over links to a group accused of attempting a coup in 2016. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said the suspects included four colonels and came from the army, navy, air force and gendarmerie. Early morning raids across the country resulted in 56 suspects being detained. They are allegedly tied to an outlawed group that Turkey refers to as the Fethullahist Terror Organization, or FETO. Its leader, Fethullah Gulen, died in October last year in the United States, where he had lived since 1999 in self-imposed exile. Some 290 people were killed in July 2016 when rogue military units took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul in a bid to depose the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jet fighters bombed the parliament building and presidential palace while Erdogan narrowly escaped assassination or capture while vacationing on the west coast. A subsequent purge of the military, police, judiciary and other state agencies saw tens of thousands arrested. Schools, businesses and media organizations tied to Gulen were closed down. The prosecutor's statement said those targeted Friday were identified through telephone communications and said FETO still posed the "greatest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state.' Since the failed coup, 25,801 military suspects have been detained, it added. The statement did not specify the exact charges against the suspects. Gulen, a former cleric, amassed a worldwide following over decades and aided Erdogan's rise to power in 2003. The alliance broke down after the government closed some Gulen-run educational establishments and Gulenists in the police and judiciary pursued corruption allegations against Erdogan's government. Gulen always denied any involvement in the failed coup. He was wanted in Turkey, which repeatedly demanded his extradition from the US. The coup attempt contributed to the acceleration of authoritarian tendencies in Turkey, with Erdogan's government implementing measures that consolidated his powers.
Nahar Net
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Turkish prosecutors target 63 military members over ties to 2016 coup attempt
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 May 2025, 15:37 Prosecutors in Turkey issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel Friday over links to a group accused of attempting a coup in 2016. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said the suspects included four colonels and came from the army, navy, air force and gendarmerie. Early morning raids across the country resulted in 56 suspects being detained. They are allegedly tied to an outlawed group that Turkey refers to as the Fethullahist Terror Organization, or FETO. Its leader, Fethullah Gulen, died in October last year in the United States, where he had lived since 1999 in self-imposed exile. Some 290 people were killed in July 2016 when rogue military units took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul in a bid to depose the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jet fighters bombed the parliament building and presidential palace while Erdogan narrowly escaped assassination or capture while vacationing on the west coast. A subsequent purge of the military, police, judiciary and other state agencies saw tens of thousands arrested. Schools, businesses and media organizations tied to Gulen were closed down. The prosecutor's statement said those targeted Friday were identified through telephone communications and said FETO still posed the "greatest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state." Since the failed coup, 25,801 military suspects have been detained, it added. The statement did not specify the exact charges against the suspects. Gulen, a former cleric, amassed a worldwide following over decades and aided Erdogan's rise to power in 2003. The alliance broke down after the government closed some Gulen-run educational establishments and Gulenists in the police and judiciary pursued corruption allegations against Erdogan's government. Gulen always denied any involvement in the failed coup. He was wanted in Turkey, which repeatedly demanded his extradition from the U.S. The coup attempt contributed to the acceleration of authoritarian tendencies in Turkey, with Erdogan's government implementing measures that consolidated his powers.
