Massive rallies across France in memory of terrorist victims (video YT)

An estimated 700,000 took to the streets in cities across France Saturday to hold silent marches in memory of the 17 people who died in several terrorist attacks during one of the most traumatic and emotional weeks for the country in living memory.

According to local officials in the southern city of Nice, 30,000 people marched along the famous Promenade des Anglais on the beachfront, holding placards reading the now familiar message: “Je Suis Charlie”.


“Make the most of this silent march because we are a people who will never stay quiet,” another sign read.

There were similar scenes a few hundred kilometers west in Toulouse, where around 120,000 people took to the streets, according to police figures, in a city of 440,000 residents.

In Pau, in the southwest, some 30,000 people turned out to march – almost half the town’s population of 80,000.

Around 75,000 marched in Nantes in western France behind a banner reading “Living together, free, equal and united”, and in Orleans (population: 113,000), 22,000 took part in another silent vigil.

Demonstrations also took place in Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Lyon and numerous other towns and cities across the country.

In total, around 700,000 people took part in the marches across the country, said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

Saturday’s marches were just a small taste of what is to come with a vast demonstration set to be held in the capital Paris on Sunday. More than a million people are expected to attend, including President François Hollande and several other heads of state from around the world.

‘An exceptional moment’

The marches are a chance for French people to come together in both grief and determination following one of the darkest weeks in the country’s recent history that started with the murder of 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday.

The two gunmen in that attack were killed in a dramatic end to a hostage siege near Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport Friday.

Seconds later, police stormed a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris where a gunman held several people captive. The gunman was killed, but four hostages also lost their lives in the siege.

But though the worst may now be over, fears remained acute and security levels were kept at France's highest level Saturday, the fact that the girlfriend of the gunman killed in the supermarket siege remained at large a cause for particular concern.

Hundreds of extra troops were deployed around Paris, beefing up security on the eve of Sunday’s march.

But those who took to the streets were keen to show they would not be cowed.

“I’m in my ninth month of pregnancy and, being pregnant, it’s even more important to defend our values of liberty, equality and fraternity, said one woman at the march in Nice, 29-year-old Piérine. “I want my child to be born into a better world.”

“I never demonstrate “, added Emmanuell, 48. “It is an important and exceptional moment – to defend certain right and to pay our respects to the French citizens who have died."

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
http://www.france24.com/en/20150110-vast-rallies-across-france-memory-terrorist-victims-charlie-hebdo/
10/1/15
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The amnesty law is coming into force in Ukraine from February 17

The protesters have fulfilled a number of conditions necessary to give effect to this law...

KIEV, February 16, 23:12 /ITAR-TASS/. The amnesty law is coming into force in Ukraine from February 17 after the protesters in Kiev have fulfilled a number of conditions necessary to give effect to this law, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said in a statement posted on its official website on Sunday.

The law exempts from criminal prosecution and punishment people accused of committing offences in the period from December 27, 2013 to February 2, 2014 during mass street protests.


 Moreover, when the law comes into force criminal cases on the above charges are to be dropped and those who were already arrested will be released.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/719413
16/2/14
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• Putin rejects meddling in Ukraine. -Pas de révision des accords avec l'Ukraine si l'opposition arrive au pouvoir

• Ukraine: Ianoukovitch propose le poste de Premier ministre à l'opposition

• Ukraine : l'UE suspend les négociations, les manifestations se poursuivent/John McCain Visits Ukraine, Backs Opposition Protesters

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• Ukraine says will grant amnesty to protesters...

Ukraine said Sunday it would grant an amnesty to protesters arrested in anti-government unrest rocking the country, a key demand of the opposition after demonstrators vacated occupied public buildings.
"The (amnesty) law comes into force from February 17, 2014 and stipulates that charges against people having committed offences... will be dropped," prosecutors said in a statement.
Voice of Russia, AFP

16/ 2/14

Manifestantes prenden fuego a Palacio presidencial de Bosnia

Un grupo de manifestantes en Bosnia, furiosos por la situación económica que atraviesa el país, prendieron fuego este viernes a la sede de la presidencia del país en Sarajevo durante una jornada de protestas realizadas en todo el país y en la que también se registraron más de 150 heridos.
La agencia oficial de noticias Fena detalló que las llamas alcanzaron el segundo piso del recinto, cercano al del gobierno regional, que ya había sido incendiado por la enardecida multitud de manifestantes.
Los manifestantes irrumpieron en el edificio, rompieron las ventanas y tiraron parte del mobiliario hacia la calle para posteriormente incendiar el lugar.

Ante la situación, la policía intentó reprimir a la multitud, que se enfrentó al cuerpo de seguridad en varios puntos de la ciudad.
Las protestas sociales de Bosnia, que comenzaron el pasado miércoles en Tuzla (noreste del país), se extendieron este viernes a más de treinta otras ciudades. Las mayores movilizaciones se presentaron en Sarajevo, Bihac y Zenica, donde miles de personas salieron a las calles.
Algunos medios bosnios informaron de la supuesta dimisión de los jefes de los gobiernos cantonales de Tuzla y Zenica, sin embargo, esto no ha sido corroborado por fuentes oficiales.
Las protestas en Bosnia se originaron ante el malestar de la ciudadanía por el cierre de cuatro fábricas industriales luego de que fueran privatizadas, además de repudiar la corrupción y la pobreza que existe en el país.
 http://www.telesurtv.net/articulos/2014/02/07/manifestantes-prenden-fuego-se-palacio-presidencial-de-bosnia-4789.html
7/2/14
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•  Manifs contre la pauvreté en Bosnie, la présidence incendiée à Sarajevo...

Des manifestations contre la pauvreté ont tourné à l'émeute vendredi en Bosnie-Herzégovine : la présidence a été incendiée à Sarajevo, de même que les sièges des administrations locales à Sarajevo, Tuzla et Mostar.

Des échauffourées entre manifestants et policiers ont fait environ 150 blessés, dont 80 à Sarajevo et 50 à Zenica (centre), pour la plupart soignés pour des contusions. Il y a eu plus d'une dizaine de blessés à Tuzla (nord-est), dont deux, un manifestant et un policier sérieusement atteints, ont été hospitalisés.

Ces manifestations, qui avaient lieu pour la troisième journée d'affilée, sont d'une ampleur sans précédent dans cette ex-république yougoslave qui, il y a trente ans jour pour jour, accueillait les Jeux olympiques d'hiver.

Elles illustrent l'exaspération de la population face à une classe politique engluée dans des querelles politiciennes et incapable de redresser une économie sinistrée depuis la fin de la guerre inter-communautaire de 1992-1995.

A Sarajevo, un millier de protestataires "ont cassé les fenêtres et ont mis le feu aux guérites des gardiens et aux locaux" de l'immeuble abritant l'administration régionale, a rapporté la télévision officielle locale.............http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_manifs-contre-la-pauvrete-en-bosnie-les-administrations-regionales-de-tusla-et-sarajevo-saccages?id=8195153
7/2/14

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Protesters Set Fire to Govt Buildings in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica (video) 

An emergency situation has been declared around the building of the Sarajevo Canton government and the entrance of the building is in flames, according to reports of Al Jazeera Balkans for Sarajevo Times.
Protesters have managed to enter the building and are throwing things outside the windows. Fire engines cannot reach the site because of heavy traffic. At least four people have been injured, including a journalist. Main roads in Sarajevo have been blocked. Protesters are heading for the President's Office.
In the northern town of Tuzla, around 11 000 people staged a protest outside the government building. The rally escalated into unrest, as protesters managed to break through the police cordon and stormed the building. The building is in flames and firefighters are trying to put out the blaze amid strong winds. Five civilians and three police officers have been injured.
In Zenica, demonstrators have entered the Zenica -Doboj Canton (ZDK) building, setting fire to a number of rooms. Firefighters were not allowed to approach the building. Police officers who were guarding the building placed their equipment on the ground and allowed protesters to take control of the building....................................................http://www.ellanodikhs.net/2014/02/protesters-set-fire-to-govt-buildings.html
7/2/14

 

As Ukraine Opposition Rallies Intensify, Lenin Statue Falls. -A group of masked youths apparently belonging to the Svoboda nationalist party used a steel cable to rip it down

KIEV, December 8 (RIA Novosti) – Several hundred thousand people gathered in the Ukrainian capital Sunday for one of the largest protest rallies in the former Soviet nation’s history, throwing down the gauntlet to a government that has resisted calls for negotiation with the opposition.

In an incident that may have spark criminal investigations and cast a shadow over the generally pacific events, however, a group of nationalists ripped down a statue of Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin.
The mass assembly in Kiev was the biggest to date since the government last month pulled out of preparations to sign landmark political and trade deals with the EU, sparking widespread indignation across Ukraine.

In an indication that the standoff has provoked international concern, the European Commission announced Sunday that EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton will travel to Kiev next week to assist in seeking a way out of the political impasse.
Authorities have so far displayed little desire to compromise with the opposition, and have instead limited themselves to issuing ominous warnings that demonstrations could tip over into unrest.

Despite that, Sunday’s events had passed largely without incident until the late afternoon, as darkness began to descend.
While nationwide discontent was initially focused on the reversal of course over the EU– a move authorities justified by stating it was preferable to boost economic ties with neighboring Russia – it has with time taken on a more generalized anti-government flavor.
Ukraine’s weak economy, much of which is reliant on outdated heavy industry, has struggled to recover from the devastating impact of the recent global financial crisis. Rampant unemployment has driven large numbers of Ukrainians abroad for work and many bristle at perceived high-level corruption.

Shortly after light broke Sunday, Ukrainian Orthodox Church priests led open-air prayers from the stage as hundreds of those camped in overnight began awaking and collecting rations of tea and breakfast.
Toward mid-morning, the crowd on Independence Square had already swelled to a few thousand people, many of them waving an array of flags, from those of Ukraine to the standards of leading opposition parties and the European Union.
As the assigned time for the midday start to the assembly approached, a crowd of all ages grew fast and filled the square and streets leading off it. Groups affiliated with political parties marched in file to and from the square, reciting political chants and singing patriotic songs on the way.
Kiev police estimated the turnout at 100,000, but bird’s eye video footage of Independence Square and the sheer number of people filling side streets suggested a vastly superior figure.
One of the first to talk from the stage, which bore the slogan “For a European Ukraine” behind it, was Yevgeniya Tymoshenko, reading out a defiant and bellicose speech from her mother, jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
“Do not give up, don’t take one step back. Do not sit at the negotiating table with the authorities,” the younger Tymoshenko said, reading out her mother’s message. “Our aim is for the early, quick removal of (Viktor Yanukovych) as president of Ukraine.”
That drew an indignant response from ruling Party of Regions deputy Vitaly Grushevsky, who described Tymoshenko’s statement as an incitement to "hatred, disorder and chaos."
"Tymoshenko's appeal is nothing more or less than a call for a coup," Grushevsky said.
In what has become a verbal leitmotif of opposition meetings, speeches on Independence Square opened or closed with the slogan “Glory to Ukraine,” to which the crowd replied: “Glory to the heroes.”

It is unclear to what extent the opposition parties most actively engaged in the protest –Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna (Fatherland), the Udar (Punch) party of heavyweight boxer Vitaly Klitschko, and Svoboda (Freedom) – have control over the wave of discontent and leaders have often acted uncertainly in conveying their political demands.
That did not appear to be the case Sunday, however, as various party leaders stated their case.
Arseny Yatsenyuk, head of the Batkivshchyna faction in parliament, demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and announced that the scope of protests would be broadened.
Klitschko told the crowd that a decisive moment had arrived for Ukraine and urged a total revision of “the structures of power” through early parliamentary and presidential elections.
The protest movement had appeared to be losing momentum until November 30, when police aggressively cleared Independence Square, sparking outrage and prompting hundreds of thousands to rally on the spot the following day. The square, which served as the focal point of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution of 2004-2005, has been occupied and closed off to authorities ever since.

Thousands are occupying the space on a round-the-clock basis, huddling around wood-fueled fires in steel barrels to keep warm as temperatures hover around freezing point. Speeches to the assembled have alternated with musical acts, creating a festive mood among the determinedly peaceful crowd.
Police presence has been virtually negligible around the square, but security is tight at the nearby presidential administration and parliament buildings, which have both been targeted by rallies.
On Independence Square, volunteers clad in protective gear stood sentry at gaps in the barricades to check for suspicious elements among the many thousands constantly pouring in and out of the area. Dozens of tents, many of them equipped with heating stoves, have been installed as sleeping quarters and feeding points.
Graffiti, banners, fliers and stickers dotted around the area decry, in frequently bawdy language, leading figures in the ruling elite.

Those that have turned out in the square have rallied around numerous, often apparently disparate, causes. These have ranged from calls for deep governmental reform – typically expressed as an aspiration to emulate Western European standards – to demands that conditions be improved for small and medium business to flourish.
Outside parliament, sited a little more than a kilometer away from Independence Square, several thousand government supporters held their own meeting Sunday, as they have done in recent days. The number of attendees of that meeting was vastly inferior to that of the opposition – the figure claimed by organizers was around 15,000.
Pro-government gatherings have typically been more subdued. On Saturday evening, young men guarding entry points were turning people away, just as a raucous musical act was getting into its stride at Independence Square.

On Sunday, speakers called on the pro-government crowd to give their backing to President Yanukovych, who has been target of much vitriolic rhetoric on Independence Square.
In a telling detail, one speech after another was in Russian, in contrast with the Ukrainian favored at the opposition rally – a fact that underlines the regional aspect of the political divide. While Yanukovych enjoys the bulk of his support in the largely ethnic Russian east, the more European-inclined, Ukrainian-speaking population prevalently hails from the west.
Addressing the crowd in Russian and a smattering of Ukrainian, ruling Party of Regions deputy Nestor Shufrych urged supporter to give their backing to Yanukovych and condemned government opponents as a divisive force in the country.
“Don’t let them tell you that half the people of this country should not be allowed to think in Russian, the language of Pushkin, the language of Lermontov,” he said, in a reference to two classic 19th century Russian poets.

As sundown approached, groups of people in the opposition marched up the hill from Independence Square and erected tents at a crossroad one block away from a spot where the pro-government Party of Regions was holding its gathering.
At one stage, only a few rows of police officers separated the two crowds. Opposition representatives used a public address system mounted on a van to address people on both sides of the police lines.

In another part of the city, a group of masked youths apparently belonging to the Svoboda nationalist party used a steel cable to rip down a Lenin statue. The head and arms of the monument broke away as it hit the ground, after which people in the crowd took turns at smashing off fragments with a sledgehammer.

Alexey Yaroshevsky, a reporter for news broadcaster RT, posted a picture on his Twitter account of a priest joining in with the process of destroying the statue.
The Lenin statue had been the target of a similar toppling attempt on December 1, but that effort was thwarted by security forces.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20131208/185361590/Opposition-Ukraine-Rally-Draws-Massive-Numbers.html
8/12/13
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-
Related:

• Ukraine protesters demand Kiev sign deal with EU.

• Ukraine’s unused gas in 2013 may cause fines of almost ten billion dollars.

Ukraine protesters demand Kiev sign deal with EU.

Clashes between protesters and police erupted Sunday as tens of thousands demanded that Kiev sign a landmark trade deal with the EU next week as planned. Ukraine is widely seen to have bowed to pressure from Moscow not to sign the agreement.

 Tens of thousands of Ukrainian protesters, angered that Kiev has dropped plans to sign a landmark trade deal with the EU, clashed with police on Sunday as they tried to storm the government building in the capital.

Protesters waving EU flags tried to break through the police ranks surrounding the building, with some throwing stones and hitting officers with the signs they were carrying, as police fought back with batons and tear gas.

Police estimated attendance at the rally at around 23,000 people while the opposition said more than 100,000 people had turned out.

In the biggest street demonstrations Kiev has seen since the 2004 Orange Revolution, opposition leaders joined calls on President Viktor Yanukovich to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union on November 29 as originally planned.

Yanukovich is widely seen to have bowed to pressure from Moscow not to sign the deal, which is seen as a first step toward eventual EU membership and which would have solidified Kiev’s break from Russia.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov’s government stunned European leaders on Thursday by announcing it was suspending preparations for signing the pact after years of negotiations. Azarov said the decision was made to "ensure the national security of Ukraine" after taking into account the effects on trade with Russia.

• Moscow reportedly threatened Ukraine that signing the EU deal would have negative consequences on reviving trade and economic talks with Russia.

Ukraine was initially scheduled to sign the pact at an EU summit with Eastern European countries in Lithuania on November 28-29. Kiev announced Thursday that it had stopped the preparations after lawmakers failed to agree on legislation that would free jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a key condition of the EU.

(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP, REUTERS)
http://www.france24.com/en/20131124-ukraine-protesters-demand-kiev-trade-deal-eu-association-agreement?ns_campaign=editorial&ns_source=RSS_public&ns_mchannel=RSS&ns_fee=0&ns_linkname=20131124_ukraine_protesters_demand_kiev_trade_deal
24/11/13

Türkischer Minister droht Merkel mit Konsequenzen/ Οι Τούρκοι έχουν "σαλτάρει" και απειλούν τη Γερμανία....

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Der Streit zwischen Berlin und Ankara um das harte Vorgehen der türkischen Regierung gegen Demonstranten eskaliert. Wegen deutschlandkritischer Äußerungen der Regierung in Ankara wurde am Freitag der türkische Botschafter in Berlin, Hüseyin Avni Karslioglu, ins Auswärtige Amt (AA) einbestellt. Äußerungen zu den EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen seien auf großes Unverständnis gestoßen. "Das geht so nicht", sagte AA-Sprecher Andreas Peschke.

Kurz darauf bestellte das türkische Außenministerium den deutschen Botschafter Eberhard Pohl ein, wie eine Ministeriumssprecherin auf Anfrage bestätigte. Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu habe bei einem Besuch im ukrainischen Odessa gesagt, Grund seien Aussagen Pohls und aus Deutschland, meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Anadolu. Da Pohl sich nicht in Ankara aufhalte, werde ihn ein anderer Diplomat vertreten.

Der türkische Europaminister Egemen Bagis hatte Kanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) am Donnerstag davor gewarnt, den EU-Beitritt der Türkei aus wahltaktischen Gründen zu blockieren. "Sollte Frau Merkel innenpolitischen Stoff für ihre Wahl suchen, darf dieser Stoff nicht die Türkei werden", sagte Bagis nach türkischen Medienberichten. Bagis forderte Merkel zudem auf, "ihren Fehler bis Montag zu verbessern", andernfalls werde das Folgen haben.

Weitere Bemerkung kritisiert

Kritisiert wurde im AA eine weitere Bemerkung des Ministers, die sinngemäß lautete: Wer sich mit der Türkei anlege, werde kein glückliches Ende nehmen. Man habe dem türkischen Botschafter mitgeteilt, dass Außenminister Guido Westerwelle solche Äußerungen nicht für hilfreich halte, hieß es aus dem AA.

Merkel hatte Anfang der Woche kritisiert, die Sicherheitskräfte in Istanbul seien "viel zu hart vorgegangen". Sie sagte: "Das, was im Augenblick in der Türkei passiert, entspricht nicht unseren Vorstellungen von Freiheit der Demonstration, der Meinungsäußerung."

In Brüssel war am Donnerstag bekanntgeworden, dass die EU voraussichtlich nicht wie geplant am kommenden Mittwoch ein neues Kapitel in den Verhandlungen mit der Türkei eröffnen werde.

Dies habe vor allem technische Gründe, sagte AA-Sprecher Peschke. Zum Vorgehen der türkischen Regierung gegen die Protestbewegung gebe es "keinen direkten Zusammenhang". Die Dinge müssten aber im politischen Kontext gesehen werden. "De-Eskalation ist das Gebot der Stunde."

Auf gleiche Werte verpflichtet

Vize-Regierungssprecher Georg Streiter betonte, Merkel wolle den Beitrittsprozess nicht infrage stellen. "Es geht nicht um das Ob, sondern nur um das Wie der Fortführung." Die EU-Länder und die Türkei hätten sich auf die Einhaltung der gleichen Werte verpflichtet.

Hierzu gehöre auch das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung. Außenminister Guido Westerwelle und sein türkischer Amtskollege Davutoglu nehmen an diesem Samstag beide an einem Treffen der Syrien-Kontaktgruppe im Golf-Emirat Katar teil.

Die Zeitung "Hürriyet" berichtete in ihrer Online-Ausgabe, in der Hafenstadt Mersin habe die Polizei erneut Wasserwerfer gegen Demonstranten eingesetzt. Auf dem Istanbuler Taksim-Platz, in der Hauptstadt Ankara und in der Stadt Yalova sei es zu stillen Protesten gekommen.

Bei den Protesten, die vor drei Wochen begannen, kamen vier Demonstranten und ein Polizist ums Leben. Tausende wurden verletzt, zahlreiche Menschen wurden festgenommen. Die Protestwelle hatte sich an der brutalen Räumung eines Camps von Demonstranten im Istanbuler Gezi-Park entzündet.

"Kein Platz für Demonstranten"

Drei Wochen nach Beginn der Proteste beharrte Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan auf seiner Haltung, die geplante Bebauung des Gezi-Parks am Taksim-Platz diene den Demonstranten nur als Vorwand. "Ihr wirkliches Ziel ist es, die Wirtschaft und Demokratie der Türkei zu zerstören", sagte er laut Anadolu auf einer Kundgebung seiner islamisch-konservativen AKP im mittelanatolischen Kayseri.

"Der Taksim-Platz ist kein Platz für Demonstrationen. Der Gezi-Park gehört nicht Besetzergruppen."

Die Generalsekretärin der deutschen Sektion von Amnesty International (ai) kritisierte das Verhalten der Regierung und die Polizeigewalt als "Schande für die Türkei".

"Zur Zeit herrscht hier eine Menschenrechtskrise", sagte Selmin Caliskan. Sie appellierte an ausländische Staaten, der Türkei kein weiteres Tränengas und keine neuen Wasserwerfer zu verkaufen.

http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article117358699/Tuerkischer-Minister-droht-Merkel-mit-Konsequenzen.html

21/6/13

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• Türkei Deutschland Beziehungen...Ankara und Berlin bestellen Botschafter ein....

Krach zwischen Berlin und Ankara: Der türkische Europaminister warnt Kanzlerin Merkel davor, die Lage in der Türkei für Wahlkampfzwecke zu missbrauchen. Das Auswärtige Amt protestiert beim türkischen Botschafter. Ankara bestellt den deutschen Botschafter ein. Streitpunkt: der EU-Beitritt der Türkei......http://www.fr-online.de/tuerkei/tuerkei-deutschland-beziehungen-ankara-und-berlin-bestellen-botschafter-ein,23356680,23480700.html
21/6/13

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• Turkish fm slams blocking of fresh 'chapter' in EU policy alignment talks....

Davutoglu said it was unacceptable to hinder the opening of 22nd chapter because of 'unrelated issues'
ODESSA (AA) – Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, "It is not acceptable that this chapter would not be opened because of unrelated issues," regarding the news about Germany's veto against Turkey's opening of 22nd European Union (EU) accession chapter.

Davutoglu, participating in the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation's (BSEC) 28th Foreign Minister Council in Odessa, Ukraine replied to Anadolu Agency's (AA) questions.

Davutoglu expressed 22nd chapter's importance as being the first chapter to be opened after 3 years of stagnation and as a sign to revitalize accession process.

He stated that the opening of the chapter was finalized a couple weeks ago during his visit to Germany, and said, "Even German foreign Minister Westerwelle greeted me."

Stating that he talked to each of his European counterpart who are said to be against the opening of the chapter, Davutoglu said, "Every country's position is important for us. Turkey has always been open to criticisms within European values. It has always been able to answer to the criticisms maturely. However, it is not acceptable that this chapter would not be opened because of unrelated issues."

Davutoglu said Turkey would observe each country's position, and added, "There are those who approach Turkey in a constructive way, even if they criticize. But of course we would take an appropriate stance against those who try to freeze Turkey-EU relations."

Also reacting against the statements aiming at reflecting as if there was a chaos going on in the country, Davutoglu said, "Everybody should stay calm in this period. However, those who expect us to be calm, should first keep calm themselves."......http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/195726--turkish-fm-slams-blocking-of-fresh-chapter-in-eu-policy-alignment-talks
21/6/13

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• Berlin, Ankara trade protests over EU row ....

Germany and Turkey have summoned each other’s ambassadors, in the latest tit-for-tat in Ankara’s strained ties with the European Union, following Berlin’s reluctance to move forward with Turkey’s EU bid.

The German Foreign Ministry summoned Turkish ambassador Hüseyin Avni Karslıoğlu on June 21 in order to complain about EU Minister Egemen Bağış’s remarks, in which he said Germany’s resistance to opening a new chapter in EU accession talks was linked to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “election campaign.” Ankara swiftly retaliated Berlin’s decision and hours later summoned German ambassador Eberhard Pohl to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

“That is unacceptable,” German Foreign Ministry spokesman, Andreas Peschke, told reporters on June 21, referring to Bağış’s words. EU Minister Bağış said that if Chancellor Merkel was looking for material for her election campaign, it should not be Turkey, referring to the general election in Germany slated for September. “Those remarks met with great disbelief here. We will make our position abundantly clear,” Peschke said.

The EU was set to open talks on Chapter 22, on “regional policies,” next week, after a delay of three years. However, Germany insisted on a halt to negotiations as a response to Ankara’s recent police crackdown on Gezi protesters. Merkel said earlier this week that she was shocked by Turkey’s violent crackdown on protests in major cities, saying it had been “much too harsh.”

Peschke said there was “no direct link” between Ankara’s response to the demonstrations and the EU negotiations because the chapter in question dealt with “technical issues,” but he confirmed that Germany “and other countries” had expressed reservations on June 20. The representatives of the member states in the European Commission met June 20 to adopt a common position on whether to give a green light to Turkey, but they failed and decided to take up the issue in their next meeting on June 24.

Berlin’s decision prompted a swift response from Ankara. “We will convey our views and positions with regard to recent statements from German officials on the developments in Turkey,” a Foreign Ministry official said.

Concerns were conveyed to the German ambassador. Pohl was visiting the eastern province of Erzurum on June 21 and if he cannot make it for the summons, his deputy Thomas Kurz will meet with undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu. During the meeting, Sinirlioğlu is expected to touch on Germany’s decision to veto the opening of the chapter on regional policies.

Merkel’s deputy spokesman, Georg Streiter, has insisted that neither Merkel nor her government is “questioning the accession process.”.......http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/berlin-ankara-trade-protests-over-eu-row.aspx?pageID=238&nID=49209&NewsCatID=351
21/6/13

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•  Οι Τούρκοι έχουν "σαλτάρει" και απειλούν τη Γερμανία .....

Τουρκικές προειδοποιήσεις προς Μέρκελ για την ενταξιακή πορεία της χώρας....

Ο Τούρκος υπουργός Ευρωπαϊκών Υποθέσεων, Εγκεμέν Μπαγίς, προειδοποίησε σήμερα την καγκελάριο της Γερμανίας, Άγγελα Μέρκελ, να μην αποπειραθεί να εμποδίσει το άνοιγμα ενός νέου κεφαλαίου στις διαπραγματεύσεις για την ένταξη της Τουρκίας στην ΕΕ.
«Ελπίζω ότι θα διορθώσει το σφάλμα που έκανε την Δευτέρα (...) ή αυτό θα οδηγήσει σε αντιδράσεις», δήλωσε ο Μπαγίς σε δημοσιογράφους, αναφερόμενος στις δηλώσεις της Γερμανίδας καγκελαρίου με τις οποίες αυτή εξέφρασε την λύπη της για την «υπερβολικά σκληρή» καταστολή των αντικυβερνητικών διαδηλώσεων στην Τουρκία.
«Η Τουρκία δεν είναι μια οποιαδήποτε χώρα», συνέχισε ο Μπαγίς, σύμφωνα με τουρκικά μέσα ενημέρωσης, κι εξέφρασε την λύπη του για έναν «εύκολο προεκλογικό ελιγμό» από την πλευρά της καγκελαρίου Μέρκελ καθώς πλησιάζουν οι βουλευτικές εκλογές στην Γερμανία.
Παράλληλα, Τούρκος διπλωμάτης δήλωσε σήμερα στο Γαλλικό Πρακτορείο ότι το υπουργείο Εξωτερικών της Τουρκίας θα καλέσει τον πρεσβευτή της Γερμανίας για να ζητήσει εξηγήσεις σχετικά με το ότι εκλήθη σήμερα ο Τούρκος πρεσβευτής στο γερμανικό υπουργείο Εξωτερικών. Ο πρεσβευτής της Γερμανίας μπορεί να κληθεί στο τουρκικό υπουργείο Εξωτερικών ακόμη και σήμερα, διευκρίνισε η ίδια πηγή, εν μέσω της διπλωματικής κρίσης που ξέσπασε ανάμεσα στο Βερολίνο και την Άγκυρα μετά τις επικρίσεις που διατύπωσε χθες ο Μπαγίς εναντίον της Γερμανίδας καγκελαρίου Άγγελα Μέρκελ σχετικά με το θέμα των διαπραγματεύσεων για την ένταξη της Τουρκίας στην ΕΕ. «Αν ο πρεσβευτής βρίσκεται στην Άγκυρα, θα κληθεί σήμερα, αν όχι ο δεύτερος στην ιεραρχία της πρεσβείας θα τον εκπροσωπήσει ή θα αναμένουμε την επιστροφή του πρεσβευτή στην πρωτεύουσα», πρόσθεσε η πηγή αυτή, η οποία ζήτησε να μην κατονομαστεί.......http://infognomonpolitics.blogspot.gr/2013/06/blog-post_6121
21/6/13

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• Στο Βερολίνο ο τούρκος πρεσβευτής για σχόλια σχετικά με την Μέρκελ .... Είπε οτι η καγκελάριος επιτίθεται στην Τουρκία για πολιτικό όφελος 

Το γερμανικό υπουργείο Εξωτερικών κάλεσε την Παρασκευή τον τούρκο πρεσβευτή, προκειμένου να διαμαρτυρηθεί για σχόλια του υπουργού, αρμόδιου για τις ενταξιακές διαπραγματεύσεις με την ΕΕ, ότι η γερμανίδα καγκελάριος επιτίθεται στην Τουρκία, για προσωπικό πολιτικό όφελος.
Τη Δευτέρα η Aνγκελα Μέρκελ δήλωσε ότι η καταστολή των διαδηλώσεων «ήταν πολύ έντονη». 
Είναι γνωστός ο σκεπτικισμός της γερμανίδας καγκελάριου για τις τουρκικές φιλοδοξίες να ενταχθεί στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. 

Κύκλοι της γερμανικής κυβέρνησης αναφέρουν πως το άνοιγμα νέων κεφαλαίων στις διαπραγματεύσεις με την Άγκυρα «μάλλον δεν θα είναι εφικτό» στο αμέσως επόμενο διάστημα, αν και σημειώνουν πως ακόμη δεν έχει ληφθεί οριστική απόφαση.
Την Πέμπτη, ο Εγκεμέν Μπαγίς, υπουργός ευρωπαϊκών θεμάτων της Τουρκίας δήλωσε ότι εάν η Μέρκελ «ψάχνει για πολιτικό υλικό εσωτερικής κατανάλωσης» πριν από τις εκλογές του Σεπτεμβρίου στη Γερμανία, «αυτό δεν θα πρέπει να είναι η Τουρκία».

Μάλιστα, δεν δίστασε να αναφερθεί και στην εκλογική ήττα του γάλλου προέδρου Νικολά Σαρκοζί, ο οποίος, επίσης, είχε εκφράσει την αντίθεσή του στην ένταξη της Τουρκίας στην ΕΕ.
«Εάν η κ. Μέρκελ παρακολουθήσει και εξετάσει τι συνέβη στον Σαρκοζί, ο οποίος είχε και αυτός προσπαθήσει να χρησιμοποιήσει (την Τουρκία) ως πολιτικό υλικό, θα δει ότι η τύχη αυτών που τα βάζουν με την Τουρκία δεν είναι και πολύ καλή» είπε ο τούρκος υπουργός.
Ο εκπρόσωπος του υπουργείου Εξωτερικών της Γερμανίας, Αντρέας Πέσκε, είπε σε δημοσιογράφους ότι για το υπουργείο κάλεσε τον πρεσβευτή Χουσεΐν Άβνι Καρσλίογλου, προκειμένου να διαμαρτυρηθεί για σχόλια που έγιναν από τούρκο αξιωματούχο σχετικά με τη Γερμανία και το μέλλον των ενταξιακών διαπραγματεύσεων της Τουρκίας.
«Δεν κατανοούμε αυτά τα σχόλια. Δεν είναι σωστά» είπε ο εκπρόσωπος του υπουργείου.
Νωρίτερα, ο αυστριακός υπουργός Εξωτερικών είχε πει ότι η διαχείριση του κύματος διαδηλώσεων στην Τουρκία, οι οποίες έχουν απαντηθεί με ισχυρή καταστολή, θα καθορίσει την πορεία των ενταξιακών διαπραγματεύσεων με την ΕΕ.
www.tovima.gr21/6/13 ---ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ:

• Turkish EU Ministers warns EU not to misinterpret Taksim Gezi Park protests 

• EU has no respect for democracy, says Turkish PM Erdoğan ..... I do not recognize this Parliament of the European Union

• Turkey on way of being global power....

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ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ2:

• Γερμανία: Ανάρμοστο να ανοίξουν τώρα οι διαπραγματεύσεις ένταξης με την Τουρκία

• Main opposition urges Merkel not to block Turkey’s EU path....

• EU Enlargement Commissioner calls for removing obstacles in Turkey negotiations.....

• Ankara mulls cutting political ties with EU if chapter vetoed

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  TURKISH RIOTS LIVE RT..... Gezi Parkı olaylarında son durum

EU's Ashton calls for restraint following incidents at Taksim Gezi Park in Constantinople

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EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Ashton called on all sides to act with restraint after incidents in Taksim Gezi Park

 

Ankara (AA) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on Sunday called on all sides to act with restraint after the incidents in Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park.
In a statement made, Ashton's spokesperson said that they were concerned about Turkish police using "excessive force"[1] at Taksim.

We call on all sides to end violence and keep channels of dialogue open to find a peaceful solution, the statement also said.
Catherine Ashton wished speedy recovery to all those injured at the Taksim Gezi Park incidents.
 
-Protests in Taksim Square have subsided and a clean up started in Turkey's Istanbul-
 
Demonstrations in Taksim Square which started on Friday to protest the demoliton of Taksim Gezi Park and uprooting of trees have subsided and a clean up started in Turkey's Istanbul.
Municipal workers began cleaning the streets where flagstones and traffic signs were removed over the past two nights.
In the protests in central Ankara,Turkish capital 16 buses were destroyed and 6 cars which belong to the municipality were set on fire, bus stops and advertising boards were also damaged.
The protests initially started as a sit-in at the Taksim Gezi Park to protest the demolition but turned into big clashes after police crackdown and heavy use of tear gas and water cannon.
90 protests were held in 48 separate provinces and 936 people were arrested. Some of those arrested were released, while others will be put on trial.
Turkish police withdrew from Taksim Gezi Park early Sunday morning.

http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/189067--eus-ashton-calls-for-restraint-following-incidents-at-taksim-gezi-park
2/6/13
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ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ:

• Protest in Istanbul/Constantinople...... TURKISH RIOTS 

• Riots, barricades, street battles as police fight protesters in Turkey (VIDEO, PHOTOS) / Χιλιάδες περνούν το Βόσπορο για την Ταξίμ

• Turkish EU Ministers warns EU not to misinterpret Taksim Gezi Park protests

•  Manifestantes na Turquia afastados com gás lacrimogéneo.....A chefe da diplomacia externa da União Europeia, Catherine Ashton, lamentou o uso "desproporcionado" da força.....

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  •  [1] EU's Ashton Condemns Disproportionate Use of Force in Turkey....

  
  BRUSSELS, June 2 (RIA Novosti)
  – The EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has condemned the disproportionate use of force by police against protesters in Turkey and expressed “deep concern” over the violence.
  
  "[Ashton] hopes for a speedy recovery of all those injured, and calls for restraint on all sides and an end to the violence. Dialogue should be opened to find a peaceful solution to this issue,” a spokesperson for Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
  
  Almost a thousand of people were detained and 79 injured in Turkey when police fired tear gas on Saturday to disperse nationwide anti-government protests against the planned demolition of Gezi Park in Istanbul.
  
  The controversial project is aimed at easing congestion around Taksim Square but also involves rebuilding old Ottoman barracks and creating a shopping mall in the park, one of the few green areas left in central Istanbul.
  
  The rally in Istanbul triggered more than 90 separate protests in 48 out of the country’s 81 provinces. Unrest still continues in Ankara, Izmir and other Turkish cities.
  
  According to the Hurriyet daily, about 20,000 people took to the streets in Ankara, protesting against the government’s policies and demanding resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Troops were deployed to keep protestors away from the premier’s residence. Turkish police again used tear gas to disperse the crowds on Sunday, on the sixth day of riots, media reports said.
  
  Erdogan admitted on Saturday that the use of tear gas by police at the protest against the demolition of Gezi Park was a mistake, but said there will be no step back from the project.
  
  The use of tear gas in Turkey has been also condemned by Amnesty International that said it “breaches international human rights standards” and “constitutes a serious danger to health.”
  
  http://en.rian.ru/world/20130602/181472949/EUs-Ashton-Condemns-Disproportionate-Use-of-Force-in-Turkey.html
  2/6/13

'Wasting a whole generation of people in Europe is stupid'

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The “stupid” austerity measures imposed after the 2011 EU bailout may see Portugal losing all the gains of the Carnation Revolution, European MP, Rui Tavares, told RT on the anniversary of the peaceful coup of 1974.
Frustration with austerity is deepening among Europeans, with one in five of the workforce without a job in Portugal and Spain's unemployment jumping to a record of 27.2 per cent.

People in the two heavily-indebted nations are launching fresh protests against their governments and international lenders.


Member of European Parliament from Portugal, Rui Tavares, believes having so many young and educated people out of jobs is Europe’s biggest tragedy.

RT: More anti-austerity protests are planned for Thursday. What's fuelling the anger now among the Portuguese?

Rui Tavares: Today is the day of the 39th anniversary of our revolution (the Carnation Revolution of 1974). This revolution for us means a bloodless coup. The flowers were put in the rifles of the soldiers that not a single bullet was fired. But for us, it means the power of democracy – for prosperity, for dialogue, for a better education for everybody, for access to the universities – to overcome the illiteracy that we had in Portugal in those years. And what austerity means for us today is the possibility that we’ll lose it all. That our best generation will emigrate to Brazil and Angola, and the UK, and the US. That the investments that we did will be lost and that we’ll go back in history. 

RT: We’ve heard people talking about the “financial fascism” being imposed upon the Portuguese?

Rui Tavares: Upon the Portuguese and the Europeans, at large. I think that when you talk about fascism there’s a split in the European consciousness. People in Germany are living in a different world now, but we don’t renounce our rights to persuade them, to convince them that this austerity is stupid. Not because the Portuguese can’t live with scarce means. We can. But because it’s not working and it won’t work. 

RT: We see demonstrations not only in Portugal, but in neighboring Spain as well where the people took to the streets, following the announcement of huge unemployment figures (27.2 per cent). Is there a fear that this could spread to Portugal? Is there solidarity between the Portuguese and their Spanish brothers?   

Rui Tavares: Yes, of course. Our youth live in a very similar situation. One third of our youth is unemployed. The other third have very bad jobs. And that’s what you want to tell Europe: ‘isn’t it stupid to waste a whole generation of people – to have it not working’. These are very bright people, very educated people. If you go around Lisbon, you’ll see what they can do. Isn’t it stupid to have them out of a job? Today I think that’s the worst kind of waste that you can have on the continent, in the EU that we have today. 

RT: As a European parliament member, you have a chance to put your ideas forward. If you could speak to your colleagues from Germany, France and the Netherlands – what would you say to them right now?

 Rui Tavares: I speak to them every day. I tell my Dutch colleagues that 20 of our biggest companies are paying taxes in the Netherlands, not here. They’re making their money here, but paying their taxes there. I tell my German colleagues that it’ll be much better if they want to close down their nuclear power plants to have solar energy, coming from Portugal to the North. So there’s a way that we can work together. It’s not just the way that’s Berlin and Frankfurt on to the South. But there is a more intelligent, a more clever way that we can work together. And, you know, finally build this European Union.
.rt.com
25/4/13