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ANKARA, Turkey Opposition figures in Turkey say they have faced threats, violence, arbitrary detentions, a lack of TV airtime and even sabotage in the campaign for a referendum on expanding the president's powers.

The complaints come even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself has slammed European countries for not letting his ministers campaign on their soil for the April 16 vote on giving his office more power.

Politicians campaigning against the constitutional changes proposed by Erdogan also say the state of emergency in Turkey since a failed coup attempt in July prevents them from getting their message out ahead of the vote.

"Those who advocate for a 'no' vote are faced with a series of obstructions," said Utku Cakirozer, a former journalist who is now a lawmaker for the opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP.

While he, too, criticized moves by Germany and the Netherlands to stop Turkish ministers from campaigning to Turkish citizens abroad, Cakirozer said "our democracy bar has been lowered a great deal and needs to be raised rapidly."

At stake are changes that would usher in an executive presidential system, merging the powers of the prime minister and the president. Erdogan argues that a strong presidency will make Turkey better equipped to deal with economic and security challenges.

Critics say it would give Erdogan too much control and further erode the democratic separation of powers in the country.

With opinion polls suggesting the outcome of the tight race could be determined by yet-undecided voters, "no" campaigners say they face an uphill battle because Turkey's TV channels are either pro-government or refrain from broadcasts critical of the government for fear of reprisals.

Erdogan and members of the government have dominated the airwaves, holding twice-daily campaign speeches that are televised live in their entirety on all channels. Inauguration ceremonies and state-funded official trips also frequently turn into "yes" campaign events.

Meanwhile, the pro-government media largely ignore campaign rallies by the "no" camp. Even state-owned media, which is obliged to be neutral, cuts away early from speeches delivered by CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan's spokesman, disputed claims of an uneven playing field, saying the opposition was allowed to campaign freely.

"Just because the president and the prime minister's rallies attract more numbers and it looks like only 'yes' campaigning, that's not true. It's a misperception," he told journalists last week.

The CHP says it has counted more than 100 incidents of obstructions to the "no" camp, ranging from physical assaults and death threats to detentions by police.

Sinan Ogan, a "no" campaigner who broke away from a nationalist party that backs Erdogan, was interrupted in mid-speech this month at a university in Istanbul by a man who ran on the stage and knocked down the podium, sparking scuffles in the hall.

"It's either our electricity cut (during rallies) or leaflets torn apart, or (the rally venue) is being restored at the last moment, or the podium is attacked, or there is an interruption attempt so that we cannot speak," he told The Associated Press. "And even if you do speak, no TV station will air it."

His political ally, Meral Aksener, was forced to hold a campaign event in the dark after the electricity at her venue in the city of Canakkale was cut off.

Erdogan, who called the Dutch and German governments Nazis and fascists for barring Turkish ministers from campaigning in those countries, has said those who oppose the constitutional changes include terrorists and coup-plotters.

"That is why I believe my citizens, my brothers, will vote 'yes,'" he said.

Turkey's state of emergency allows the government to rule by decree and to suppress demonstrations and gatherings. Some 41,000 people have been arrested and tens of thousands of others dismissed from public sector jobs for alleged links to the coup attempt or alleged ties to terror groups.

Those in jail include some 150 journalists and a dozen legislators from Turkey's pro-Kurdish party, which also opposes the constitutional changes.

A decree issued under the emergency powers has eliminated the High Electoral Board's ability to slap fines on TV stations that don't devote equal campaign time to opposing sides.

During a visit to Ankara last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for election observers to be allowed to monitor the vote. European institutions have also expressed concerns over the campaign process, including the restrictions on the freedom of expression and the right to assembly.

"If a constitutional referendum must absolutely be held during a state of emergency, restrictions on political freedoms have to be lifted," the Venice Commission, a legal advisory body of the Strasbourg, France-based Council of Europe, said in a recent report. "If the restrictions may not be repealed, the constitutional referendum should be postponed until after the state of emergency."

The Sozcu newspaper, one of the few remaining outlets critical of the government, said in a front-page article Wednesday that what the Netherlands did was "wrong," but questioned what was going on at home.

"The country's system of governance is changing but those who say 'no' are given no space to breathe," it wrote.

___

Associated Press writer Mehmet Guzel contributed from Istanbul.

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Turkey's referendum campaign unfair, Erdogan opponents say ...

He fills an outsized global role these days and any hint of humiliation at not getting his way in the Netherlands will not sit well at home -- where he generally does get his own way.

His incendiary words brought sharp rebuke from both countries, the Dutch reminding him of the 200,000 people killed by Nazi forces.

This weekend his ministers were due to address expat Turks in the Netherlands to get their support for a Turkish referendum that will transfer and consolidate Turkey's powers in Erdogan's hands alone.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he doesn't think Erdogan was intent on upsetting the Dutch elections but that his ministers tried to force their way in to his country against the direct wishes of the Dutch government.

According to Rutte, his government was in negotiation with Foreign Minister Mevlet Cavusoglu to speak at a small gathering in Rotterdam. During the negotiations Cavusolglu threatened unspecified action if he didn't get his way.

For Rutte that was a red line: "we stopped talks ... when the Turkish Foreign Secretary started threatening us with sanctions." That's when Cavusolglu was denied permission to land at Rotterdam airport.

Hours later, undaunted, another of Erdogan's ministers tried to make it to Rotterdam to give a speech. Families Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya drove in from Germany but was later escorted back to the border by Dutch police.

If he could, Wilders would take the Netherlands out of the EU and close down its open borders that allowed Erdogan's minister to drive unhindered in to Holland from Germany.

At any other time this might have been a small diplomatic skirmish, but this is not a normal time.

Post Brexit, post Trump, Europe faces a round of elections where populist nationalists like Wilders thrive on immigration issues and pose an existential threat to the EU.

Erdogan has emerged as an increasingly influential leader, a key global partner on counter-terrorism, a necessary ally for the US in Syria as well as new partner for Russia in the same conflict, not to mention a vital floodgate holding back refugees from pouring in to Europe.

All this against a backdrop of increasing European unease at Erdogan's political reforms in Turkey that appear to many European diplomats to benefit only him and his cronies, taking him farther from his stated goal of EU membership.

Since the coup attempt last July, Turkey has shut down nearly 140 media organizations, arrested 41,000 people and thrown about 100,000 others out of their jobs.

Now the stage has slowly been set, Erdogan has his hands on levers that are already triggering tremors across the continent; however uncomfortably that sits with European governments.

Brexit was won on the issue of immigration, fueled by images of refugees streaming into Europe and compounded by fears of radical Islamist terror attacks.

Today the same fears fuel the populist narrative all across northern Europe. Not just by Wilders in the Netherlands but French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, whose country goes to the polls next month, and where she too has vowed to lead the country out of the EU if she wins.

Across Europe in the coming months more countries go to the polls and in most established parties face an erosion of support to nationalist populists in one shape or another.

To a degree, Erdogan holds the key to Europe's status quo: halting refugees crossing into Europe from Turkey (albeit as the result of a 6 billion euro deal with the EU) and cooperation around counter-terrorism stemming ISIS' insidious incursion into Europe to show the strength of his hand.

Yet in his handling of this recent diplomatic spat, Erdogan appears to show a brittle side to his personality. His actions reinforce European concerns that he is becoming increasingly autocratic.

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Why Erdogan's spat with Europe is significant - CNN.com

FRANKFURT Around 30,000 Kurdish supporters demonstrated in the German city of Frankfurt on Saturday against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and an April referendum that would give him sweeping new powers.

Protesters chanted "Erdogan terrorist" and "freedom for Ocalan", referring to Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), with many waving flags featuring Ocalan's face.

The European Union and United States consider the PKK a terrorist group and it is banned in Germany.

"The Europeans should hear us, empathize with our suffering and help us. It would be best if they imposed economic sanctions on Turkey," demonstrator Sinan Anin said.

The protest brought swift condemnation from Turkey, which said Germany was allowing open support for terrorism.

"We strongly condemn the German authorities for allowing the demonstrations by PKK terrorist supporters," Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan's spokesman, said in a statement.

He said Germany was treating terrorists as legitimate actors while calling meetings between Turkish politicians and citizens in Germany "dangerous", a reference to the recent ban in German cities on referendum rallies by Turkish politicians.

Police in Frankfurt, where hundreds of officers were deployed to the event, described the protest as peaceful and said on Twitter that most of the demonstrators had complied with German laws, adding: "We want to guarantee they can exercise their fundamental rights."

On Wednesday Martin Schaefer, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said the German government had approved voting by the estimated 1.4 million Turks living in Germany who are eligible to cast ballots in the April 16 referendum.

Erdogan is seeking support among Turks abroad for the referendum. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has said Erdogan is taking advantage of a sentiment many people of Turkish origin have in Germany that they are neither accepted nor welcomed.

Demonstrator Mustafa Bostan said if Erdogan won the referendum, things would worsen: "It could be that he'll say: 'I've won again' and then he'll start fighting again and destroying Kurdish towns or killing Kurds."

Relations between Ankara and Berlin have been burdened by the arrest of a Turkish-German journalist in Turkey and by Erdogan's description of the bans on planned rallies by Turkish ministers as "fascist".

(Reporting by Reuters Television; Additional reporting by Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Dale Hudson and Julia Glover)

BERLIN German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Germany owes NATO and the United States "vast sums" of money for defense.

MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday welcomed the prospect of the International Criminal Court (ICC) putting him on trial over his bloody war on drugs, saying he would not be intimidated and his campaign would be unrelenting and "brutal".

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan Three U.S. troops were wounded on Sunday after an Afghan soldier opened fire on them at a base in the southern province of Helmand, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said.

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Kurdish supporters in Frankfurt protest against Erdogan

BBC News

Germany Turkey: 30000 Kurds in Frankfurt anti-Erdogan protest BBC News Some 30,000 Turkish Kurds have held a demonstration in the German city of Frankfurt against the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Protesters came from all over Germany ahead of Kurdish new year celebrations. They called for democracy and a No ... Erdogan Aide: Germany Supports Cleric Behind Coup AttemptVoice of America Kurdish Supporters in Frankfurt Protest Against ErdoganU.S. News & World Report Another Turkish rally possible in Germany before referendum, Erdogan spokesman saysReuters Express.co.uk -Channel NewsAsia -Press TV all 58 news articles »

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Germany Turkey: 30000 Kurds in Frankfurt anti-Erdogan protest - BBC News

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Opposition figures in Turkey say they have faced threats, violence, arbitrary detentions, a lack of TV airtime and even sabotage in the campaign for a referendum on expanding the presidents powers.

The complaints come even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself has slammed European countries for not letting his ministers campaign on their soil for the April 16 vote on giving his office more power.

Politicians campaigning against the constitutional changes proposed by Erdogan also say the state of emergency in Turkey since a failed coup attempt in July prevents them from getting their message out ahead of the vote.

Those who advocate for a no vote are faced with a series of obstructions, said Utku Cakirozer, a former journalist who is now a lawmaker for the opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP.

While he, too, criticized moves by Germany and the Netherlands to stop Turkish ministers from campaigning to Turkish citizens abroad, Cakirozer said our democracy bar has been lowered a great deal and needs to be raised rapidly.

At stake are changes that would usher in an executive presidential system, merging the powers of the prime minister and the president. Erdogan argues that a strong presidency will make Turkey better equipped to deal with economic and security challenges.

Critics say it would give Erdogan too much control and further erode the democratic separation of powers in the country.

With opinion polls suggesting the outcome of the tight race could be determined by yet-undecided voters, no campaigners say they face an uphill battle because Turkeys TV channels are either pro-government or refrain from broadcasts critical of the government for fear of reprisals.

Erdogan and members of the government have dominated the airwaves, holding twice-daily campaign speeches that are televised live in their entirety on all channels. Inauguration ceremonies and state-funded official trips also frequently turn into yes campaign events.

Meanwhile, the pro-government media largely ignore campaign rallies by the no camp. Even state-owned media, which is obliged to be neutral, cuts away early from speeches delivered by CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogans spokesman, disputed claims of an uneven playing field, saying the opposition was allowed to campaign freely.

Just because the president and the prime ministers rallies attract more numbers and it looks like only yes campaigning, thats not true. Its a misperception, he told journalists last week.

The CHP says it has counted more than 100 incidents of obstructions to the no camp, ranging from physical assaults and death threats to detentions by police.

Sinan Ogan, a no campaigner who broke away from a nationalist party that backs Erdogan, was interrupted in mid-speech this month at a university in Istanbul by a man who ran on the stage and knocked down the podium, sparking scuffles in the hall.

Its either our electricity cut (during rallies) or leaflets torn apart, or (the rally venue) is being restored at the last moment, or the podium is attacked, or there is an interruption attempt so that we cannot speak, he told The Associated Press. And even if you do speak, no TV station will air it.

His political ally, Meral Aksener, was forced to hold a campaign event in the dark after the electricity at her venue in the city of Canakkale was cut off.

Erdogan, who called the Dutch and German governments Nazis and fascists for barring Turkish ministers from campaigning in those countries, has said those who oppose the constitutional changes include terrorists and coup-plotters.

That is why I believe my citizens, my brothers, will vote yes,' he said.

Turkeys state of emergency allows the government to rule by decree and to suppress demonstrations and gatherings. Some 41,000 people have been arrested and tens of thousands of others dismissed from public sector jobs for alleged links to the coup attempt or alleged ties to terror groups.

Those in jail include some 150 journalists and a dozen legislators from Turkeys pro-Kurdish party, which also opposes the constitutional changes.

A decree issued under the emergency powers has eliminated the High Electoral Boards ability to slap fines on TV stations that dont devote equal campaign time to opposing sides.

During a visit to Ankara last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for election observers to be allowed to monitor the vote. European institutions have also expressed concerns over the campaign process, including the restrictions on the freedom of expression and the right to assembly.

If a constitutional referendum must absolutely be held during a state of emergency, restrictions on political freedoms have to be lifted, the Venice Commission, a legal advisory body of the Strasbourg, France-based Council of Europe, said in a recent report. If the restrictions may not be repealed, the constitutional referendum should be postponed until after the state of emergency.

The Sozcu newspaper, one of the few remaining outlets critical of the government, said in a front-page article Wednesday that what the Netherlands did was wrong, but questioned what was going on at home.

The countrys system of governance is changing but those who say no are given no space to breathe, it wrote.

___

Associated Press writer Mehmet Guzel contributed from Istanbul.

Read the rest here:
Turkey's referendum campaign unfair, Erdogan opponents say - The Seattle Times