"Sanctions that Benefit" Iranian regime illicitly exporting oil disguised as Iraqi barrels.

"Sanctions that Benefit" Iranian regime illicitly exporting oil disguised as Iraqi barrels.(NCRI).

A shipping insurer has warned its member this week that that Iranian crude labelled as Iraqi oil was being transferred ship to ship by smugglers at oil cargoes at a port in the United Arab Emirates.

Insurer West of England has said the cargos may contain Iranian crude disguised as Iraqi barrels, and that it cannot insure these volumes as they are in breach of U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

The ship to ship (STS) transfer by smugglers has been taking place at the Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The insurer said in a statement published on its website on Jan. 13: "It appears that such oil may routinely be described as being of Iraqi origin and as having been loaded on board the transferring vessel at Basra some time before the proposed STS operation."

The insurer said it "cannot provide insurance to vessels which load Iranian cargo in such circumstances and cover will cease in its entirety if such cargo is loaded".

The insurer company said that documentation of barrels labelled as originating from Basra in Iraq, and which stopped over at Khor Fakkan, should not be taken at face value.

“There is evidence of a sophisticated smuggling operation and those responsible may go to considerable lengths to disguise the true origin of the cargo. Cargo documentation is likely to appear credible and there may be no evidence of any designated parties being involved. “

“Members are therefore advised to exercise extreme caution when engaging in STS operations in the Arabian Gulf. In particular it is recommended that Members check with port agents to ensure that vessels providing cargo by means of an STS transfer in the region loaded the cargo at the port stated in the cargo documentation before any cargo is received. “

The insurer said that Iranian vessels loaded with crude had shuttled across the Strait of Hormuz to supply ships with oil labelled as originating from Iraq and destined for countries that do not benefit from a waiver of U.S. sanctions legislation.

The insurer warned its members that transport of Iranian oil without a waiver under U.S. law "may trigger enforcement action against the vessel, its owners and related parties by the U.S. authorities". Hmmm.......Obama's 'Buddies' 'Moderate Iran'.

US Media: Obama’s Oil Sanctions Against Iran Are not Working.

US Media: Obama’s Oil Sanctions Against Iran Are not Working.

Iran is now exporting more oil than at any time since mid-2012, raising doubts about how effective that sanctions strategy has been, Foreign Policy said.

“This rise in Iran’s oil exports came while the Obama administration may be betting that sanctions on Iranian oil exports force the country to make concessions over its nuclear program,” the Foreign Policy said in its report.

“According to the revised data released Friday by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Iran’s crude oil exports jumped to 1.65 million barrels per day in February, thanks to increased purchases by China, India, and South Korea,” added the report.

According to Foreign Policy, that is well above the informal cap of about one million barrels per day set by the Obama administration as part of the limited sanctions relief given to Tehran during the six-month interim deal to hold nuclear negotiations.

The IEA said that preliminary data showed that Iran’s oil exports dropped to about one million barrels a day in March, “but that figure will likely be revised upwards closer to February levels upon receipt of more complete data.”

“In other words, Iran’s oil exports appear to have jumped and stayed consistently higher since the announcement late last year of the interim deal,” the Foreign Policy said.

The International Monetary Fund said this month that Iran could post modest economic growth between now and next year.

Elsewhere, the report reminded the statements of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif earlier this year that “a lot of intensive work will be required to overcome the differences” between the two sides, who will meet again next month in Vienna.

State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said Friday that the reported amounts of crude oil that Iran sold refers to volume over a six-month period, and that over time the amount will average out to one million barrels.

“Month-to-month variability is normal in oil markets,” Psaki said, “And we still expect and anticipate…that this will average out over a six-month period.”

Since 2012, the US and Europe have sought to hamstring Iran’s economy by limiting the amount of oil it can export.

As part of the interim nuclear deal — and in the teeth of heated opposition in Congress — the US halted further cuts to Iranian exports, but said that Iran could not sell additional volumes of oil while talks continue.
But the latest IEA figures show that China and India, in particular, continue to be large buyers of Iranian oil despite US efforts to get both countries to curb their consumption. The IEA said that China likely imported about 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day in the first quarter of 2014, compared with about 430,000 barrels a day last year.

According to the Foreign Policy report, India’s purchases of Iranian oil have also jumped sharply, despite both US diplomatic arm-twisting and Indian pledges to curtail imports.

The IEA said that India’s first-quarter Iranian oil imports were about 340,000 barrels a day compared with just 190,000 barrels a day last year.

“The latest apparent rebound in Iranian oil exports comes as Moscow is challenging the US-led effort to maintain pressure on Iran. Since the beginning of this year, Russia and Iran have reportedly been in talks regarding an oil-for-goods barter deal that could bring Iran as much as $20 billion in exchange for about 500,000 barrels of oil per day,” the Foreign Policy said.

Obama administration officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, have repeatedly stressed that such a deal, if it were finalized, could trigger US sanctions on Russia.
“Leading lawmakers, including Sens. Robert Menendez (D.-NJ) and Mark Kirk (D.-Ill.), the authors of key sanctions legislation, urged President Barack Obama to “put Iran on notice if it tries to evade limits on energy sales.”


Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has rebuffed those warnings, saying that Russia only acknowledges UN sanctions on Iran, not US restrictions on Iran’s oil exports.

Hmmm.....I've have posted many, many times about the 'oil sanctions' scam by the Obama admin.


Turkey's TUPRAS oil refining company imported around 130,000-140,000 barrels of Iranian oil per day in 2012 and the volumes of supplies amount to 105,000 barrels per day in 2013.

Turkey imported about 185,000 barrels of oil from Iran per day in 2011.

"Sanctions That Benefit" - Iran denies Turkey’s 200,000 barrels per day Iranian oil buying jump. 

"Sanctions That Benefit Obama's BFF Turkey" - Iran Bypassing Sanctions on its Oil, Aided by Asian Customers and the Obama Admin.



Related: As expected Obama will give BFF Turkey a waiver from sanctions, they 'only' import 45 percent of their oil from Iran and aid Iran avoiding sanctions.

Obama administration officials didn't say how much the seven countries had cut their oil purchases. In March, U.S. officials signaled that they were seeking reductions of 15% to 22% of purchases.

Several large countries, including India and Turkey, said publicly that they were reluctant to reduce imports of Iranian oil because of their long reliance on the Islamic regime. They appear to have met the minimum level of cooperation that Washington demanded, however.How Much did Turkey actually 'reduce' it's inports??

Answer:
Before May, Turkey was the only buyer in Europe to increase purchases from Iran, while other European refiners cut back on imports of the crude ahead of an impending EU oil embargo due to take effect from July 1.In the first four months of 2012, Turkey imported 210,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil on average, including a huge 270,000 bpd in March, much higher than its 2011 average of 185,000 bpd.

In May Turkey's state-controlled refining company, Tupras, imported around 140,000 barrels per day (bpd), a 20 percent drop from its 2011 average, according to the latest shipping data, obtained by Reuters. Port data showed 152,000 tonnes of Iranian crude was delivered to the port of Aliaga in May, while 443,000 tonnes of Iranian crude was delivered to its second import terminal, Tutunciflik. Tupras is expected to import the same volume in June.
From July 1, Turkey will remain effectively the sole buyer of Iranian crude in Europe. Official trade data showed that in the first four months of this year, Iran accounted for about 58 percent of Turkey's near 6 million tonnes in total crude imports.
THIS REDUCTION IS A PURE SMOKESCREEN APPROVED BY THE OBAMA ADMIN!

Erdogan's 'Just US' party judiciary removes all Prosecutors that ever investigated them.

Erdogan's 'Just US' party judiciary removes all Prosecutors that ever investigated them.(HD).

Turkey’s Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) reassigned the Chief Prosecutor of Istanbul, Turhan Çolakkadı, from his office to a passive position on Jan. 16, as a part of a reshuffle move involving some 20 prosecutors in critical positions.

The move follows a decision by the board on Jan. 15 to change two names in the first department of the board which is in charge of promotions and appointments, as proposed by Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ as the Chair of the HSYK.

Çolakkadı’s name was recently involved in a row with another Istanbul prosecutor, Muammer Akkaş, last month, when Akkaş wanted to open a second wave of a corruption probe right after a major one started on Dec. 17, 2013, but was stopped as the new Istanbul Police Chief Selami Altınok who refused to implement the prosecutor’s orders to carry out the arrests.

Altınok was appointed to the post after the government had removed the former police chief, Hüseyin Çapkın, right after the corruption probe arrests which involved the son of the interior minister of the time.

The probe has led Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to sack four of his ministers whose names were involved in allegations from the Cabinet. Erdoğan considers the probe as an unnamed “coup attempt” against his government by the sympathizers of Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-resident moderate Islamist scholar who used to be an ally of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) up until recently.

Bozdağ also gave permission for investigations against three Istanbul prosecutors, Akkaş, Zekeriya Öz and Celal Kara, whose names are involved in the probe operations while blocking an investigation against Çolakkadı, who had opposed Akkaş.

The HSYK decree yesterday also demoted Çolakkadı’s three deputies, Fikret Seçen, Cihan Kansız and Ali Güngör to rather passive positions in and around Istanbul. Hadi Salihoğlu was appointed as the new Chief Prosecutor for Istanbul.Hmmm.......Anyone doubting Erdogan's views on democracy should see this video.

The European Union asks Turkey to be consulted to ensure judicial bill in line with EU legislation.

The European Union asks Turkey to be consulted to ensure judicial bill in line with EU legislation.(HD).

The European Union has made a formal request to Ankara asking to be consulted on the controversial judicial bill on the Parliament’s agenda for ensuring that it is in line with EU legislation.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle said via Twitter that he “asked [Turkish] authorities to consult relevant amendments to laws before adoption to make sure they’re in line with principles of EU legislation.”

The EU had voiced last week strong concerns over the government response to recent graft probes that involve high-profile names and relatives of ruling party members through massive purges in the police and a bill increasing its control on the judiciary.

As a response, Turkey’s freshly-appointed EU minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who took over from an Egemen Bağış embroiled to the massive probe, urged calm further calling on Brussels to refrain from “unilateral and impatient statements via media.”

The judicial bill is expected to overturn the reform of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) in line with Turkey’s harmonization with the EU acquis. The body is at the center of the battle over control of the judiciary as its acting head has already condemned the bill as “unconstitutional.”

Füle’s statement was made both in English and Turkish

Turkish professor of political science: "Turkey is having its own Watergate" Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Turkish professor of political science: "Turkey is having its own Watergate" Absolute power corrupts absolutely.(TZ).

     "This is the basic scientific fact of politics: Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

“We had the Watergate scandal in the United States -- which appeared to be along these lines. There was a big effort by the Republican Party to cover it up at the time. Information about the scandal was leaked in small bits and accumulated over time. It looks somewhat like what is happening in Turkey today,” said Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, an esteemed professor of political science. He also said that the government lost much of its legitimacy and the rule of law is at risk.

“Look at the declaration made by the speaker of the Grand National Assembly, Cemil Çiçek, who is number two in power: Article 138, the article that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, is now dead. That means that there is no independent judicial review,” he said.

When the corruption investigation erupted in mid-December, the prime minister sought to discredit the inquiry by calling it a “foreign plot” and “an attempt to damage the government made by a parallel state nested within the state.”

He immediately ordered the removal of hundreds of police officers who contributed to the probe. The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) initiated an investigation into four prosecutors involved in the corruption probe and two of the prosecutors were removed from the case. In addition, the government issued a proposal to restructure the HSYK. If adopted, the bill will give the government a tighter grip on the judiciary.

The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal as a result of a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement. The scandal eventually led to the resignation of the Republican Party's Richard Nixon, the president of the United States, in 1974. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction and incarceration of 43 people, dozens of whom were Nixon's top administration officials.

Nobody yet knows what the results of the investigation in Turkey will be. But Professor Kalaycıoğlu, who specializes in political representation and participation, tells us specifics to Turkey in the scandal, whether or not early elections can be expected, whether or not a popular election can guarantee a democratic government, how the Turkish electorate behaves, where the economy is heading and more.

Were you expecting this development in Turkish politics?

I was expecting an increase in potentially corrupt practices mainly because there was a huge accumulation of power in the executive branch of the government, especially in the Prime Minister's Office, and such an accumulation of power leads to an increase in corruption. This is the basic scientific fact of politics: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

Is this true for every country?

Yes, this is true for every country.Read the full interview here.

Erdogan Obama's BFF

"Islamist Turkey" - Obama's BFF Pm Erdogan:"Turkish defence industry increases production from 10 to 50 percent'

It's high time NATO and the U.S. realize they have a problem

"Islamist Turkey" - Obama's BFF Pm Erdogan:"Turkish defence industry increases production from 10 to 50 percent'(Taz).

Half of the Turkish defence industry products are produced in the country, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an official visit to Malaysia, TRT Haber TV Channel reported on Jan.10.

Over the past 10 years, Turkey has been able to increase the share of defence industry products by domestic production from 10 to 50 percent, the prime minister said.

The Prime Minister also stressed that Turkey currently manufactures its own arms, missiles and military helicopters.
"The country's defence industry has built the first military ships that will soon be launched," Erdogan said.
In recent years, Turkey has been working actively to develop domestically built aircraft and tanks as well as training helicopters.Hmmmm......Why do i always think of WWII when confronted with Islamist Turkey.

Where will Erdoğan’s pogrom lead?

Where will Erdoğan’s pogrom lead? (HD).

There is a pogrom of sorts going on in Turkey currently. It reminds one of “The Night of the Long Knives.” It is not such a bloody affair of course, but the aim seems to be the same; namely, to weed out the “rival,” rather than the “enemy” within, although for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this one-time “ally,” who later became a “rival,” is now a bitter “enemy.”

Erdoğan is on the warpath against Fethullah Gülen and members his Islamist movement, who he says have established a “parallel state within the state.” Secularists have been claiming this for years of course, a claim that Erdoğan rejected in the past. But today he accuses members of the movement of organizing what he refers to as the “Dec. 17 coup attempt.”

That was the day prosecutors unleashed a massive corruption investigation that has shaken his government. Erdoğan sees it as a plot against his government on the eve of crucial local elections. The tripwire starting the current war is the “prep school” issue, which has been covered well by the Hürriyet Daily News.

The public now knows that 350 policemen in Ankara were shifted in one night to other positions. Many were moved from organized crime units to trafficking police. This process actually started shortly after Dec. 17, when a large number of senior police officers were moved away from their jobs.

The same applies to the judiciary, which government sources claim is rife with Gülenists. There are signs that the weeding operation will spread to the finance and education ministries too. Many wonder how the government has managed to find the time, since Dec. 17, to establish whose sympathies lay with whom, given the tens of thousands of people in the state apparatus.

Either Erdoğan had his own secret team of spies keeping tabs on people, or this is just a case of “You kill them all; Allah will separate the good from the bad.” Work is also under way to tamper with the judicial system to ensure it cannot create trouble for the government in the future. This is nothing but a sign of panic.Read the full story here.

Ruling AKP deputy likens Turkish prosecutor Öz’s fate to prosecutor found dead at home.

Ruling AKP deputy likens Turkish prosecutor Öz’s fate to prosecutor found dead at home.(HD).

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Ali Aşlık has said the fate of controversial prosecutor Zekeriya Öz will be like that of another prosecutor who was found dead in his home after opening a probe into corruption allegations last year.

“Prosecutor Öz will prepare his end like Prosecutor Murat Gök did! What was the saying: Don’t do wrong to those suffering; it will come back to you,” Aşlık posted via his Twitter account late on Jan. 8.

Gök opened several investigations into corruption allegations in a number of district municipalities in İzmir, before being removed from the İzmir prosecutor’s office and appointed to the Black Sea province of Samsun in April 2013.

On April 12, a friend of Gök found him dead in his apartment in Samsun.

Before his death, he had been receiving treatment for lung failure. In November 2013, forensic reports announced Gök’s cause of death to be “natural.”

Aşlık’s Twitter remarks came after Öz, who was removed from his post as deputy Istanbul chief prosecutor after opening a corruption probe including the sons of three former Cabinet members, told reporters that he had been “threatened” by two people sent by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In a press statement issued on Jan. 8, Öz said Erdoğan had sent two former members of the high judiciary to him carrying a message that he “would not be harmed” so long as he halted the graft investigation that he was overseeing.

The accusations were swiftly rejected by Erdoğan, who described them as “lies and slander” in a written statement.

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" - Graft prosecutor says threatened by officials dispatched by Erdoğan.

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" - Graft prosecutor says threatened by officials dispatched by Erdoğan.(TZ).

İstanbul Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, who was leading one branch of a major ongoing corruption investigation, has said he was threatened by two high-level jurists dispatched by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, adding that the officials called on the prosecutor to apologize to the prime minister through a letter.

In a written statement that appeared in the Turkish media on Wednesday, prosecutor Öz said the officials warned him to not proceed further with the corruption probe and end it, threatening that he would otherwise face dire consequences.

Öz said he met with the officials at a hotel in the western province of Bursa."The people from the judiciary sent by the prime minister told me the prime minister is very angry about me. They asked me to halt the investigation and to write a letter of apology to the prime minister," Öz said about the content of the meeting at the hotel.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Erdoğan, who is currently in Japan for an official trip, denied claims that he sent two officials to meet with Öz, asking for halting the investigation.Read the full story here.

CHP: Turkish PM Erdoğan to stand before judges one day.

CHP: Turkish PM Erdoğan to stand before judges one day.(HD).

The prime minister will stand before judges over corruption claims, on the day when clean politics prevail in the country, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has vowed.

“He [Erdoğan] says, ‘I would judge the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors [HSYK], if I had the authority.’ But he can’t have such an authority, he can’t judge. Judges do this. Will you stand before these judges one day? Yes, you will stand when clean politics prevail in this country,” Kılıçdaroğlu told his Republican People’s Party (CHP) parliamentary group meeting on Jan. 7.

He described the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as a “completely corrupt” party that has failed to keep its promises in the fight against corruption. “For the very first time in the history of the Turkish Republic, a prime minister is defending corruption and bribery,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The CHP head recalled that the prime minister was notified by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) on April 18, 2013 that his economy and interior ministers were involved in controversial relations with Rıza Zarrab, questioning Erdoğan’s inaction over his ministers’ “dark ties.” “I’m asking Erdoğan. When this report was put on your desk, did you talk to your ministers about these ties, about [the involvement] of their sons? No, he can’t have done. Why? Because he is the one who instructs them. He is the leader of the gang,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, claiming that the actual size of total corruption was as high as $247 billion.Read the full story here.

"Judge, Jury And Executioner" - No Truce in 'Corrupt' Turkey as Erdogan Party Sees Graft Probe as Coup.

"Judge, Jury And Executioner" - No Truce in 'Corrupt' Turkey as Erdogan Party Sees Graft Probe as Coup.(Bloomberg).

Turkey’s ruling party will continue to purge police and judiciary members pursuing corruption charges against government officials and will then seek to prosecute them for attempting a coup, a top party official said.

“My opinion is that they are criminals -- the police and the judges and prosecutors,” Osman Can, a member of the central committee of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, said in a Jan. 6 interview in Istanbul. “If you can destroy this organization, you can save democracy.”

Hmmmm.......After 'cleansing the Military, now 'cleansing the Judicial serices' ....Stalin cheering from the gates of Hell......Erdogan: “Democracy is like a train. We shall get out when we arrive at the station we want.”Read the full story here.

Related: Erdogan’s Son Caught with Al-Qaeda Financier

Turkish CHP leader to PM Erdogan: Did you warn ministers about MİT report?

Turkish CHP leader to PM Erdogan: Did you warn ministers about MİT report?(TZ).

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of being at the center of the corruption and bribery that is the focus of a sweeping investigation.

In a weekly meeting of his party's parliamentary group on Tuesday, Kılıçdaroğlu addressed reports published Monday in a number of media outlets claiming that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) submitted a report to Erdoğan on April 18, 2013 detailing the shady relations -- involving bribery and influence-peddling -- of certain ministers with Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab, who is under arrest. 

“I would like to ask the prime minister about what he did upon receiving this report. Did you call these ministers and talk to them? Did you talk to your children? He didn't. He is the one who gave these orders,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

Kılıçdaroğlu claimed that his party has opposed coups and has supported efforts to further democracy in Turkey.

He added the CHP has supported drafting a comprehensive law to effectively fight corruption, but that his party's proposals have fallen on deaf ears.

For Kılıçdaroğlu, the root of corruption is the existing Public Procurement Law, which has seen 164 changes since Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power 11 years ago.

Kılıçdaroğlu quoted the AK Party's democratization package, which said, “Adversities like corruption, nepotism and partisanship, which damage societies and states, are the most intensive battlefields for our party.”

The opposition leader added that the government's actions were poles apart from the prime minister's promises. He said that though the ruling party had vowed to rescue politics from being a hive of profiteering, now the entire country has become flooded with unearned income.

Eleven-point solution proposal

The main opposition leader called on the government to work together on an 11-point package to eradicate corruption from Turkish political life. He suggested a number of legal changes, including new laws and regulations:

• one, to remove legislative immunity in bribery and corruption cases and send suspects to the Supreme Court; 
• two, to bring the Public Procurement Law in line with EU standards; 
• three, to draft a law on political ethics; 
• four, to draft a law on political parties to bring transparency to the parties' accounts; 
• five, to draft a law that will make the judiciary independent from pressure by the executive; 
• six, to reinforce the court of accounts, giving it more authority to audit public spending; 
• seven, to redefine the legal concept of trade secrets; 
• eight, to establish a parliamentary commission to audit public spending; 
• nine, to draft a comprehensive anti-corruption law; 
• 10, to give autonomy to the Revenues Administration (GİB) and take measures to prevent politically motivated tax audits; 
• and eleven, to strengthen the independence of institutions such as the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK).

Bahçeli accuses Turkish PM Erdogan of reckless misconduct while in office.

Bahçeli accuses Turkish PM Erdogan of reckless misconduct while in office.(TZ).

Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of wanton misconduct while in office for being lenient on those who took bribes and misused funds while ruthlessly confronting the police force and judiciary, who were trying to do their jobs, saying such behavior by Erdoğan can be explained by the corruption and embezzlement allegations reaching him and his family members.

Addressing an audience of party members during a weekly group meeting on Tuesday, Bahçeli argued that Erdoğan and his government have obstructed the judiciary and legal enforcers and have thus committed a crime by preventing the detention of suspects. 

Mentioning the government's hurried removals and reassignments of thousands of police chiefs and officers as well as some prosecutors, Bahçeli said such a display of power and exploitation of authority can only be seen in tribal societies. “Guilt-ridden, Erdoğan contravened the law and has railed against jurists,” he said.Bahçeli claimed that the corruption probe on Dec. 17 marked the start of the government's demise.

In particular, Erdoğan's modifications to the laws and regulations one after another to impede the judiciary in order to escape the deepening of the graft dragnet is a clear act of misconduct.

He lashed out at Erdoğan for his attempts to explain the corruption probe as a conspiracy by external powers that aim to prevent Turkey from becoming a global actor with its strong economy. “His brakes have failed so badly that he has been tirelessly narrating the story that a global assassination and a foreign-oriented assault have been initiated against him, his government and the national will for the last three weeks. 

So to put it this way, everything is a plot, everything is a trap and everyone is under the influence of the domestic subcontractors of the external forces. That means, corruption is a lie and bribes are baseless stories. … To us, Erdoğan has been transfixed by illusions, stuck with lies and has lost his mind. He believes or has been made to believe in unreal chimeras, artificial threats and groundless fears. Erdoğan is deceiving both himself and the nation,” Bahçeli argued.

He claimed that Erdoğan's real purpose is to divert attention away from the corruption allegations and weather the storm. Bahçeli called on the prime minister to stop hiding the truth and answer the serious questions put forth with evidence from the corruption and bribery investigation.Read the full story here.

Turkish opposition CHP leader criticizes Erdoğan for steering public debate away from corruption scandal.

Turkish opposition CHP leader criticizes Erdoğan for steering public debate away from corruption scandal.(TZ).

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has said the government, under public pressure from corruption and bribery allegations, is trying to draw attention away from them with speculation on the Ergenekon and Balyoz (Sledgehammer) cases, in which the convicts, including a number of top-brass military commanders, were accused of forming a terrorist organization to topple the government.

After one of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's senior advisors, Yalçın Akdoğan, mentioned in a local newspaper that the “parallel state had made a plot against the military” in these cases, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) applied to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for a retrial of the Ergenekon and Balyoz convicts. Erdoğan confirmed on Saturday that a retrial is possible.

Kılıçdaroğlu said Erdoğan is not credible and that these debates are intended to change the direction of public discussion. He said the government has been enraged by the reporting of its members' corruption and embezzlement. Hence, the government has started to smear some groups, describing them as gangs aiming to topple the government.

“There is certainly a shoebox gang,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, referring to Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan, in whose home police found $4.5 million stashed in shoe boxes during a raid that was part of the biggest corruption probe in Turkey's history.“Whatever you do, you can't get away with the shoe box.

By mentioning the injustice they did in the Ergenekon and Balyoz cases, they are trying to change the topic. They are covering up the corruption and bribery,” he said. 

He said the CHP has been shouting as loudly as possible that the convicts of these cases were denied the right to self-defense and that many unjust acts have been committed against them, to all of which the government had turned a deaf ear.

“He turned to us and said: 'You are pro-coup fans of Ergenekon.' Now you have become pro-coup and a fan of Ergenekon,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, adding that he has no trust in the prime minister's sincerity.

However, he called on Erdoğan to prove his honesty. “I will submit a legislative proposal to Parliament,” he said, inviting Erdoğan to offer his support.

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a students' residence and social center named after Teoman Öztürk, a former president of the the Turkish Union of Engineers and Architects' Chambers (TMMOB), Kılıçdaroğlu said the investigations had shown everyone the government's true colors.

“We witness today that those who claimed to be fighting against corruption are sunk in a marsh of corruption,” the CHP leader said.

His speech was frequently interrupted by spectators chanting, “Government resign!” 

Kılıçdaroğlu responded by saying that someone must have a sense of shame in order to consider resigning before such grave accusations. Not even one prime minister had defended corruption in the past, the CHP leader claimed, adding that Erdoğan is the first to have backed graft and bribery.

Kılıçdaroğlu also mentioned Erdoğan's meeting with some pro-government journalists, describing them as “wallflowers” for failing to ask the prime minister real questions.

Erdoğan met with 45 columnists and journalists in Dolmabahçe Palace, İstanbul, on Saturday to repeat the government's views on the corruption probe. Erdoğan believes an international conspiracy is being carried out to topple his government and thinks that certain groups in the US, Israel, Europe and Turkey have collaborated to plot against his rule. He stated that the corruption investigations are merely a sham.

The CHP leader lashed out at some full-page ads run by the Civilian Solidarity Platform (SDP) that appeared on the back pages of a number of newspapers on Friday.

He said he had investigated those included in this platform and found the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş) and the Civil Servants' Trade Union (Memur-Sen). “There are lots of fictitious institutions [within the platform]. Who paid the cost of these ads? A rear page ad is TL 50,000. What is this platform? I call out to all my brother workers who pay dues to Hak-İş. How much does your president earn? Who is paying the cost of these ads that attempt to legitimize corruption? Let [your president] openly declare this. You will take the workers' elbow grease and promote a prime minister who defends bribe-receivers. We are not accepting this,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

Erdoğan isolates himself in power......"I'm not a Dictator"

Erdoğan isolates himself in power......"I'm not a Dictator".(HD).

On the road to have more control over ruling the country, Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdoğan seemingly isolates himself in power; in his own government’s power.

No, I am not talking about the latest confrontation with his once-closest ally Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-resident moderate Islamist scholar over a major graft probe and the private supplementary schools that Erdoğan wants to close down. Getting isolated in search of feeling more secure has started to show itself in many moves of Erdoğan.

One of the latest examples is about Erdoğan’s trip to Japan, Malaysia and Singapore planned to start on January 4. Erdoğan is already picky about journalists escorting him on board his official plane; he doesn’t like to see journalists asking annoying question around him anyway, but this time the criteria became really narrow. If there will be no last minute changes on the list, journalists from newspapers who have no objection to Erdoğan whatsoever will travel with him; columnist Ahmet Hakan Coşkun criticized Erdoğan for choosing to live with his own “ghetto” only. Umut Oran, Deputy Chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) asked the prime minister about his criteria, since Erdoğan excluded most popular papers like Hürriyet, Zaman, Posta, or critical ones like Sözcü, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, and whether the travel expenses of journalists from pro-government papers would be covered on the government budget.

Bekir Bozdağ, the new Justice Minister of Erdoğan following the December 25 cabinet reshuffle, (after the start of the major graft probe on December 17, 2013) appointed his brother Ünal Bozdağ as his Chief Advisor, seemingly another move of the government members in order to feel more comfortable among themselves. An advisor to PM Erdoğan defended the Justice Minister’s move as “moving his brother to a more passive position,” who was already the deputy head of the personnel department of the same ministry. Erdoğan had placed some of his closest advisors to cabinet in the recent reshuffle; his former translator, one of his former script writers and most importantly, his undersecretary.

CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu accused Erdoğan on January 3 of trying to manipulate the judiciary in order to block the graft probe which might be extended to his son, Bilal. “What is the privilege of your son?” Kılıçdaroğlu asked Erdoğan, “Why can’t he be interrogated like anyone else?” That is in reference to a second graft probe which could not proceed when Istanbul police chief appointed by Erdoğan after the December 17 graft probe refused to act upon the demand of an Istanbul prosecutor Muammer Akkaş. The new Istanbul police chief, Selami Altınok, criticized by opposition for not being experienced enough, is a classmate of the new Interior Minister Efkan Ala, Erdoğan’s former undersecretary.

Another prosecutor ‘invited’ Bilal Erdoğan, in a rare application in Turkish judiciary to answer some questions, but he did not show up.

The criticism of Turkey’s Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek on January 3 of the Turkish Justice system was actually stronger than any other opposition parties’. Serving as the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Parti) justice minister and deputy prime minister himself, before getting elected as speaker, Çiçek deplored that Article 138 of the Turkish Constitution, on the “independence of courts,” is now dead.

Yet the new Justice Minister Bozdağ is currently working on a plan to bring more government and Parliament (arithmetically dominated by government) control over the judiciary.

Hüseyin Gülerce, a columnist close to Gülen wrote on Friday that we have to expect the unexpected as Turkey gets closer to Presidential elections in August; a scary prophecy in itself. 
Hmmmm.....Obama's BFF Erdogan : "I'm not a dictator. It's not even in my blood," ......A Turkish SPRING is on it's way.

The 'Just US' Department - Erdogan Government plans to change Turkey's justice system.

The 'Just US' Department - Erdogan Government plans to change Turkey's justice system.(HD).

The government of Turkey is preparing for yet another extensive restructuring of the judicial system in a bid to escape from a massive graft investigation that has already pushed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) into the corner. 

The move by the government, which has suggested that it was fending off a “mini coup attempt” by elements in the police and judiciary who served the interests of foreign and domestic forces bent on humbling the country, comes around three years after a referendum which brought significant changes to the judicial system, that’s to say the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State.

The modification of those key bodies was carried out within the context of Turkish constitutional reforms that were approved in a referendum in September 2010.

The move is highly likely to irritate the European Union as at the time, both the EU and the United States hailed the results from the referendum on a package of changes to the country’s military-era Constitution, with EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle describing the reforms as “a step in the right direction as they address a number of long-standing priorities in Turkey’s efforts towards fully complying with the accession criteria.”

According to a Jan. 1 report by Turkish daily newspaper Radikal, the HSYK, which angered the government by delivering a statement on Dec. 26 and describing a new judicial police regulation obliging those carrying out investigations to inform superiors as “unconstitutional,” is the prior target of the government’s plan.

There are only 40 days left before the Parliament goes into recess due to the local elections in late March. During this short period of time, the government will try to at least make some legal amendments which will limit the authorities of both the HSYK and the Council of State, Radikal reported, noting that a new referendum which would deal with changes to the judicial system was not on the agenda. 

Given the difficulty of making these changes on their own, the government may resort to putting changes concerning the judicial system in a package which would also include arrangements that will pave the way for the release of jailed lawmakers, which would be relieving for those convicts and detainees in coup plot cases such as Ergenekon and Balyoz (Sledgehammer).

The 3rd Chamber of the HSYK will, meanwhile, hold a meeting on Jan. 8 in order to discuss the recent cross of swords between members of the judicial system, Turkish daily Hürriyet reported on Jan. 1.

Whether the prosecutors involved have been handling the corruption probe appropriately; whether they have violated the confidentiality of the probe; whether Zekeriya Öz, the Istanbul deputy chief prosecutor who supervised the prosecutors, is involved in inappropriate business relations at a municipality, as suggested by Prime Minister Erdoğan; and mutual accusations between Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş and Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Turan Çolakkadı will be on the agenda of the meeting which the newspaper described as a “surprise” meeting.  Hmmm.....Erdogan will sooner go for a dictatorship then allowing free elections putting him aside.As he said himself : "Democracy is like a train. We shall get out when we arrive at the station we want."

"Sanctions That Benefit" - Iranian multi-billionaire Zanjani arrested.

For an account of  Turkey's “Sanctions that Benefit” and Zanjani and Zarrab operations see the following post and links.
“Sanctions That Benefit” – Growing Corruption Scandal in Turkey Involves Iran – ‘Gas for Gold’ 

"Sanctions That Benefit" - Iranian multi-billionaire Zanjani arrested.(Taz).

Iranian multi-billionaire Babak Zanjani has been arrested, Fars News Agency quoted Iran Judiciary spokesman Mohsen Ejei as saying on Dec.30.

Before, the Central Bank of Iran announced on Dec. 28 that Zanjani has not paid any sold oil's money to the Central Bank of Iran.

Zanjani who is the owner or shareholder of at least 70 companies and banks including Bank Arzesh in Tajikistan and First Islamic Bank had been involved in Iran's oil sell and transferring the sold oil's money to the country to bypass the imposed western sanctions on the country.

Zanjani's name also was mentioned in Turkey's latest corruption scandal.

Earlier on Dec. 22, Iranian media outlets quoted Iranian MP Mostafa Afzalifard as saying Zanjani has paid his €2.06 billion debt to Iran's Oil Ministry.

The Central Bank has affirmed that the sum has been deposited to the Oil Ministry's account, Afzalifard added.

Iranian MP Saeed Heydari said that the document which Zanjani presented to the parliament's Article 90 Commission on payments is spurious.

In September, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that "Zanjani claims the Americans blocked his bank account so he is not able to transfer the money to the Iranian government".

Zanjani had said that the money was in bank account of a Hong Kong-based company which is a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, adding that, "transferring the money to Iran is not my concern".

In an interview with the ISNA News Agency in August, Zanjani said that he has helped transfer 17.5 billion euros of the Iranian banks' capital from outside the country to domestic bank accounts with a 0.007 percent interest.

He further rejected rumors about him selling Iranian oil at a cheap price. He said that the Hong Kong-based company is in charge of selling Iran's oil, but since no bank was ready to transfer money for the firm, the said the company asked him to help and he managed to transfer the money via the Malaysia-based bank (of which he was a member of the board of directors).

Zanjani also said he has helped the Hong Kong-based company with selling eight oil containers as well as some gas condensates containers. He claimed that he has helped Iran sell a total of 12 oil and gas condensates containers and secured the money transfer.
More, Much more here:
As expected Obama will give BFF Turkey a waiver from sanctions, they 'only' import 45 percent of their oil from Iran and aid Iran avoiding sanctions. “Sanctions That Benefit” – Iranian gold stars in Turkish corruption scandal 

Great overview of 'events' here: 

AKP's Longest Day: Erdogan's Omnipotence Backfires Spectaculary, But Will The Protests Trigger Early Elections?

Video - Turkey : Whole soccer stadium chant yesterday: 'thief Erdogan.'

Video - Turkey : Whole stadium chant yesterday: 'thief Erdogan.' 3 big teams of Turkey's fans chant against AKP and Erdogan every game.HT: WashingtonPoint.

Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadında oynanan Fenerbahçe - Kayserispor maçında ''Hırsız Tayyip Erdoğan'' sloganı 29 Aralık 2013.
(Google Translate): Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu stadium - Kayserispor match Tayyip Erdogan'' motto'' Thief December 29, 2013

Turkey - BBP leader Mustafa Destici 'No one should attempt to change law to save themselves.'

Turkey - BBP leader Mustafa Destici 'No one should attempt to change law to save themselves.'(Taz).

Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici, speaking about an ongoing corruption operation and the government's response to it, said on Sunday that everyone has a responsibility to respect the laws in the country and that efforts to change the laws to protect a certain group of people from accusations are unacceptable.

In the wake of a corruption operation which has extended to several ministers and their sons, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which views the investigation as a “dirty operation” to topple the government, has removed hundreds of police officers who took part in the operation from their posts, leading to claims that it is obstructing the investigation from proceeding.

Making a press statement ahead of his party's Central Decision and Administration Board (MKYK) meeting at the party headquarters, the BBP's Destici said: “What needs to be done here is not intervening in the job of the police and the judiciary or removing police officers from their posts. There is no end to this. It was you [the government] who appointed those policemen. It was you who established the judicial system you are complaining about today. If the new ones you appointed today act in the same manner tomorrow, will you also remove them from their posts? The right thing needs to be done. Everyone should respect the current laws and not try to evade them. No one should attempt to change or discredit laws in order to protect themselves.”

He said the laws in advanced democracies do not change according to events, time, persons or governments and that everyone is equal before the law.

‘Be acquitted or be held accountable'Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Diyarbakır deputy Altan Tan on Sunday called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to respond to the corruption allegations which his government is allegedly involved in, saying if these allegations are untrue, his government will be acquitted sooner or later.Speaking to the Cihan news agency, Tan said many politicians and their relatives have been prosecuted in Turkey due to claims of involvement in corruption and that it is not a new thing for some politicians to be facing corruption charges in the country.“Whoever was involved in such business [corruption] in Turkey was tried and investigated, and most of them were punished. Now, you [Erdoğan] are facing similar accusations. If you are right, you will be acquitted sooner or later. If not, you will be held accountable for your actions. … You just need to respond to these accusations,” Tan said.

Concerning Erdoğan's claims that the US, the UK, Europe, Israel and the Hizmet movement are behind the corruption investigation and that their aim is to topple the government, Tan said these groups have been supporting Erdoğan for the past 11 years and that he needs to explain why they withdrew their support from his government.
“Why have you [Erdoğan] been brought to power and why are you now being toppled? You just need to explain this but you don't,” he said in further remarks.

In the meantime, Felicity Party (SP) leader Mustafa Kamalak, who also shared his views about the ongoing corruption operation, said on Sunday that it is unacceptable to “present those individuals claimed to be thieves as innocent and those who detained them with an order from the prosecutor as criminals.”

Speaking at a meeting of his party, Kamalak said the best way to clear oneself of corruption charges is to allow the judiciary do its job, directing criticisms at the government for meddling in the corruption investigation.

Meanwhile, the house of a woman who held up a shoebox during a meeting of Prime Minister Erdoğan in Akhisar town in Manisa province on Sunday in protest of the government's alleged involvement in corruption was raided by Erdoğan's security guards.Shoeboxes have become a symbol of the ongoing corruption investigation as a huge amount of money was discovered hidden in shoeboxes in the house of state-run Halkbank's general manager.The woman, Nurhan Gül, was detained by Erdoğan's security guards.

Obama's BFF Turkish PM Erdogan declares his readiness to resign

Obama's BFF Turkish PM Erdogan declares his readiness to resign.(Taz).

Speaking in Sakarya province, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he is ready to resign if Turkish people demand this, TRT Haber TV channel reported on Dec.27.

"If the Turkish people demand us to step down from the power, we are ready, but the people do not want this," Erdogan said.

The Turkish people face a choice - to continue the development and create new Turkey or to become the previous weak Turkey, according to the prime minister.There are forces that want Turkey to become "as previous", according to Erdogan.

If there is corruption in Turkey, the government will reveal it sooner or later, the prime minister said.
Turkish police conducted special operations in Istanbul and Ankara on Dec.17, resulting in the arrest of 52 people that includes businessmen and sons of some ministers.

The businessmen are accused of corruption, smuggling and selling drugs.

Among those detained were the sons of some ministers, who are the members of Turkey's ruling party - Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan's son, Salih Kaan Caglayan, Interior Minister Muammar Guler's son, Baris Guler and Minister for Urban Development and Environment Erdogan Bayraktar's son, Oguz Bayraktar. All three were detained on suspicion of corruption.

Mayor of Istanbul's Fatih Municipality, Mustafa Demir, Director General of Turkish Halkbank Suleyman Aslan and well known entrepreneur Ali Agaoglu were arrested during the same operation by police. Searches were conducted at Halkbank's office.
Mustafa Demir and Ali Agaoglu were released on Dec.21.
After a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the new cabinet of ministers.
MP from Ankara Emrullah İsler was appointed Deputy Prime Minister instead of Bekir Bozdag. In turn, the latter was appointed Minister of Justice.
MP from the ruling party Lutfi Elvan was appointed Minister of Transport, Shipping and Communications.
Ayshenur Islam was appointed Minister for Family and Social Policy. Mevlut Cavusoglu will head the Ministry for EU Affairs.
Fikri Isik Bilim was appointed Minister for Science, Industry and Technology, while Gulluce Idris became Environmental and Urban Development Minister.
Akif Cagatay Kılıc was appointed Youth and Sports Ministry, Nihat Zeybekci - Economy Minister and Efkan Ala became Interior Minister.