134 Canadian deputies slam 'Islamist' Turkey's press suppression.

134 Canadian deputies slam 'Islamist' Turkey's press suppression. (Bugun).

The Canadian Parliament has sent a letter to Canadian Foreign Minister Nicholson expressing its deep concern regarding the rise of attacks against press freedoms in Turkey. Signed by two state ministers and 134 parliamentarians, the letter demanded more pressure be applied on Ankara.

Two state ministers and 134 deputies in the 413-deputy Canadian Parliament sent a letter to Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson. The lawmakers express their deep concern over the rise of press suppression in Turkey and call on the minister to take all possible steps to put pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish Foreign Ministry to “find a peaceful, democratic and permanent solution to end this dangerous situation in the country.”

Support for the letter came from all of Canada’s political parties, including Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats and Greens.

The letter referred not only to the Dec. 14, 2014 media crackdown -- where Editor-in-Chief of Zaman daily Ekrem Dumanlı and CEO of Samanyolu Media Group Hidayet Karaca as well as 27 other press and media personalities were arrested on questionable charges -- but also the ongoing imprisonment without trial of investigative journalist Mehmet Baransu.

Referring to the Dec. 14 crackdown, “Since that day, journalists critical of the government are increasingly harassed and intimidated. These developments are a direct violation of free speech and free press and threaten the principles of democracy Turkey adheres to. Turkey’s good people hope to freely exchange ideas without fear of oppression.”

Both the US Senate and House of Representatives sent similar letters to Secretary of State John Kerry earlier on in the year, calling on him to apply pressure on Erdoğan in defense of press freedoms.
Hmmm....Once again Canada proves they are the real champions of freedom, unlike Erdogan's BFF Obama.

Video - "America" Imagine the world without her....Trailer.

Live vid - Netanyahu calls Harper 'great friend of Israel' as Canadian PM arrives in Middle East

Netanyahu calls Harper 'great friend of Israel' as Canadian PM arrives in Middle East.(CTV).

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Stephen Harper "a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people" at a welcoming ceremony for the Canadian prime minister on Sunday.

Netanyahu said Harper has shown "great moral leadership" in fighting terrorism and also lauded Harper for his stands on anti-Semitism, Iran and Middle East peace.

"I think in all this and in so many other things you`ve shown courage, clarity and conviction," Netanyahu said.

"The people of Israel and I deeply appreciate your friendship, and the friendship of the people of Canada to us."

Harper said he was delighted to be in Israel but would save further comments for his speech to the Knesset on Monday.
He arrived earlier Sunday to kick off his inaugural visit to the Middle East.
Harper and a sizable entourage landed in Tel Aviv under sunny skies at Ben Gurion International Airport.
He and his wife, Laureen, were greeted by Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign affairs minister, and by Vivian Bercovici, Canada's ambassador-designate to the Jewish state.
The Harpers travelled in a motorcade along a winding, scenic highway to Mount of Olives to take in its spectacular views of Old Jerusalem. At various points along the way, children stood at the side of the road to watch the motorcade go by.
As the sun beamed in their eyes, Haim Cohen, a research fellow at the University of Haifa, pointed out the many points of interest to the couple, the most imposing being the Dome of the Rock.
The Mount of Olives is important in Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, and has been used a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years. It's named after olive groves that once grew on its hillside.
The prime minister left Ottawa yesterday with a large entourage in tow on a six-day trip that will include visits to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.
Harper is travelling with six cabinet ministers, a senator, 30 top business executives that include David Asper, Philip Reichmann and Air Canada CEO and president Calin Rovinescu. Twenty-one rabbis and a priest also accompanied Harper.
In total, there are just over 100 people in the entourage, and Canadian taxpayers will be covering the entire cost of travel and accommodations for at least 30 of them.
Stephen Harper has been a passionate supporter of Israel, and he will be the first Canadian prime minister to address the Knesset -- Israel's parliament.Hmmm....Canada's PM Harper...'A Mensch' among humanity. Live video here at CTV.

Video - Canada calls for removal of anti-Israel UN official Richard Falk.

Canada joined the United States and Israel late Thursday night in calling for the resignation of a United Nations official charged with monitoring and reporting on human rights in the Palestinian territories.
That official, Richard Falk, the UN's special rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, called for a worldwide boycott earlier Thursday of companies tied to Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. 
That recommendation was immediately condemned by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, who called Falk's call to action "irresponsible and unacceptable," and said it would "poison the environment for peace."
A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Rick Roth, said Falk's intervention was "offensive and unhelpful but not overly surprising."
In the past, Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, once compared the state of Israel to Nazi Germany, the Associated Press reported. He also once wrote on his blog that there was "an apparent coverup" by the U.S. over the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. He also once posted an anti-Semitic cartoon on his blog, though he later removed it. "Richard Falk has a long history of making outrageous statements, and frankly, has only tarnished the reputation and integrity of the United Nations," Roth said. Falk listed 13 companies that ought to be boycotted -- including Volvo, Caterpillar Hewlett Packard and Motorola -- in his report to the UN General Assembly "Mr. Falk has not only done a disservice to the United Nations, but also to the Palestinian people," Roth said. "Canada calls on Mr. Falk to either withdraw this biased and disgraceful report - or resign from his position at the United Nations." Caterpillar said in a statement that Falk's report was inaccurate and misleading, and "reflects his personal and negative opinions toward Israel." The company said it sells products to the U.S. government, which are then sent to Israel.Hewlett Packard said Falk was "far from an independent and unbiased expert in this matter," and that the company has a strong human rights policy and complies with the highest standards in every market in which they operate.

Video - Just imagine if Steven Harper Were President of the USA.