Salem-News.com Turkey articles Page 6

Request for BBC Director General to Dismiss Members of Panorama Team

As it stands BBC Panorama has its once formidable reputation in tatters and it is your responsibility to improve the situation in the interest of all BBC staff and viewers.

(DUBLIN) - Most of our readers are familiar with the human tragedy of Gaza; one and a half million people living in a walled 'open air concentration camp' operated by Israel, and that a flotilla of ships loaded with humanitarian relief supplies tried to reach these people last May to deliver food, medicine and much needed building material.

As the letter by Fiachra Oluain indicates, the explanation for transforming this BBC program into an Israeli propaganda documentary is not flying well with the world's humanitarian activists.

A Beautiful Gift from the BBC

If you Haven’t Seen It, Check out the BBC Panorama’s “Death in the Med” program (watch video below) and You’ll be Treated to First Class Propaganda as Only the BBC Can Deliver

(LONDON) - I am one of the passengers/witnesses interviewed for this program and I am very much aware of BBC’s role in justifying war and covering up Israeli crimes.

Gaza Flotilla Survivor Ken O`Keefe Will Visit Northwest for Speaking Tour

If you are in Oregon and you'd like to host a visit/speaking event from Ken and his entourage on our bus, let me know so we can make it happen.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Ken O'Keefe, survivor of the Israeli attack on an unarmed passenger ship seeking to break the illegal military blockade of Gaza, is coming to Oregon and Washington in the later half of September.

This is a priceless opportunity to help spread a valuable and powerful message, and contribute to a very high profile international event.

Israeli Nukes 101

Deception clouds the air when it comes to the critical subject of Israel and nuclear weapons.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Ha'aretz published an article 7 July 2010 titled "Secret document affirms U.S.-Israel nuclear partnership" explaining that the U.S. has reportedly pledged to sell Israel materials used to produce electricity, as well as nuclear technology and other supplies.

The publication is Israel's most progressive daily newspaper, known for exercising more fairness with regard to the occupation of Palestine and subsequent oppression of Arab people, than most other Israeli media.

Meet the Dead of the Mavi Marmara

Meen erhabi? - Who's the terrorist?

(SALEM, Ore.) - The events leading up to Israel's illegal high seas attack on the ship Mavi Marmara, part of a Freedom Flotilla trying to break the military siege of Gaza, are both tragic and incredible.

That notion that a military force can attack a civilian ship with deadly weapons, kill several while carrying assassin 'hit lists', and then turn around and play the victim, might be the biggest stretch in Israel's history, and that is saying something.

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to Try Gaza Flotilla Passengers

Islamic areas of the globe might meanwhile do well to adopt the Israeli model of immediate citizenship eligibility such that Muslims desiring to engage in jihad abroad might be relieved of the “foreign” denomination.

(ISTANBUL) - A June 13 exclusive on Intelwire.com purports to reveal the history of Osman Atalay, executive board member of İHH, the Turkish NGO instrumental in organizing the aid flotilla to Gaza intercepted on May 31 by Israeli commandos.

Collateral damage from the interception included 9 Turkish humanitarian activists.

Turkish Politicians Compete for Knowledge of 10 Commandments

Kılıçdaroğlu—known as as “Gandhi” for his glasses, mustache, and hairline—has confirmed the necessity of an international commission to investigate the flotilla attack.

(ISTANBUL) - Following Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s post-flotilla massacre reminder to Israel that “You shall not kill”, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu—leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), rival of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP)—jumped on the bandwagon.

He alerted the prime minister to the existence of additional commandments such as “You shall not steal” and “You shall not lie”.

Israel recalls drone specialists from Batman, Turkey

The Turkish military’s potential inability to use the drones may be viewed as a sort of punishment.

(ISTANBUL) - Today’s edition of the Turkish newspaper Zaman reports that Israel has recalled its Heron drone operators from the southeast Turkish city of Batman, where they had been training Turkish officers on the unmanned aircraft. The action occurs in the wake of the deadly May 31 attack on the Mavi Marmara and ensuing diplomatic crisis between the two nations.

In 2005, Turkey agreed to purchase 10 Heron drones from Israel at a total price of nearly 190 million dollars. Following a delay of over 2 years, 6 of the promised aircraft were delivered to Turkey earlier this year.

Urgent appeal: Bring back the Israeli Foreign Ministry Website!

As for more romantic labels applied to Gaza-related fatalities, Operation Summer Rains of 2006 has recently been joined by Operation Sea Breeze, the euphemism for the flotilla attack.

(ISTANBUL) - For over a week here in Turkey, I have been unable to access the website of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At first I assumed the site was down for routine maintenance purposes and to allow experts time to craft an explanation—possibly with accompanying video—of how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were merely trying to engage humanitarian activists on board the Mavi Marmara in a friendly game of paintball.

`They Looked in my Hair and Under my Tongue`

"I only cried when I saw that journalist Cevdet Kılıçlar had been shot." - Turkisn journalist Ayşe Sarıoğlu

(ISTANBUL) - Yesterday I posted excerpts from the first part of the Turkish daily Taraf’s two-part interview with 27-year-old journalist Ayşe Sarıoğlu, recounting her experience during last week’s attack on the Mavi Marmara.

Following is my (rough) translation of excerpts from the second part of the interview, which starts with the boat’s forced docking at Ashdod port and recounts the imprisonment of the passengers on board.