Mediaboss Marketing

What kind of law is this? If my bodyguards cannot protect me then why am I bringing them to America with me? Erdogan exclaimed, as reported by Hurriyet Daily News.

Washington, DC, police issued warrants for the bodyguards on Thursday, at a press conference decorated with photos of the men stamped WANTED in red. The charges involve assault against protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence in D.C. on May 16, during Erdogans visit to the United States.

We all saw the violence that was perpetrated against peaceful protesters, and its not something that were going to tolerate, said D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. He added that the suspects are all believed to have returned to Turkey and are thus unlikely to land in an American courtroom unless they surrender themselves, but he stated they would be arrested if the ever return to the United States. The U.S. State Department has not ruled out demanding their extradition.

In his remarks, Erdogan claimed the protesters were all affiliated with the violent separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is the Turkish governments name for the followers of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, currently a resident of Pennsylvania. The Turkish government insists Gulen is the mastermind behind last years unsuccessful coup attempt against Erdogan.

The U.S. police did nothing. Can you imagine what the response would have been if a similar incident had taken place in Turkey? Erdogan asked, insinuating that the protesters were a threat to his safety. Its something of a trick questionbecause it is not very difficult to imagine how Erdogans security forces would respond to a protest by suspected PKK and FETO members that got within 50 feet him.

Turkeys Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador John Bass on Thursday to declare the arrest warrants against Erdogans bodyguards unacceptable. The statement repeated Erdogans allegations that local security authorities were at fault.

This incident would not have occurred if the US authorities had taken the usual measures they take in similar high-level visits and therefore that Turkish citizens cannot be held responsible for the incident that took place, the Foreign Ministry said.

The UK Guardian quotes Center for Strategic and International Studies analyst Bulent Aliriza, who stressed the Turks are very serious about the matterand worried the U.S. relationship with Turkey could suffer significant damage if the warrants are allowed to stand.

There will be demands for action that may ultimately damage the diplomatic relationship to the point of ambassadors being yanked back, which is unprecedented, Aliriza said.

P.S. DO YOU WANT MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX?SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BREITBART NEWSLETTER.

Read more:
Erdogan Condemns US for Bodyguard Warrants over May Beating: 'What Kind of Law Is This?' - Breitbart News

The news from Turkey, arguably the most modernized of all Muslim nations, has lately been depressing. The country has suffered a string of terrorist attacks, and a bloody coup attempt in July 2016. Meanwhile, Turkeys democratic credentials have declined dramatically. According to Freedom House, in terms of press freedom the country entered the league of unfree nations. (It used to be at least half free.) The post-coup state of emergency went way beyond the purge of the putschists, and turned into a broad crackdown on dissent. And as if all this were not enough, with a referendum in April, Turkey passed a major constitutional amendment, which European authorities defined as a dangerous step backwards for democracy.

As any observer can see, there is a political figure at the heart of all this drama: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is a strongman who is either passionately loved or passionately despised by his countrymen. He is the one who was targeted by the failed coup, and also the one empowered by the new constitutional system. What is happening in Turkey, in fact, is an Erdogan revolution, as one of his supporters recently defined it. Like every revolution, it empowers some people while suppressing others. And like every revolution, it eschews freedom, rights and rule of law, for supposedly greater ideals.

However, focusing merely on the persona of the leader of this revolution would be misleading. There is also a deep social current at play: Under the banner of Erdogan, Turkeys religious conservatives, which make up roughly half of the nation, are taking their country back.

The story goes back to an earlier revolution the Ataturk Revolution that defined the early decades of the young Turkish Republic, established in 1923 from the remains of the Ottoman Empire. Ataturk, a war-hero-turned-president, not only ruled Turkey single-handedly but also imposed a cultural revolution to secularize and westernize the Turks. He, in fact, hoped to create a new Turk, for whom Muslimhood was a vague cultural identity but not a way of life.

The Ataturkists dominated Turkeys key institutions throughout the 20th century, and hoped to transform the rest of society thanks to education. They believed that progress was inevitable, and the reactionaries were destined to lose. In the past decade, however, they painfully realized that they themselves are losing, and the reactionaries are coming back with a vengeance.

What makes this story even more significant is that it is not unique to Turkey. It is in fact a pattern seen in some other revolutionary nations as well, as political theorist Michael Walzer demonstrates skillfully in his 2015 book, The Paradox of Liberation: Secular Revolutions and Religious Counterrevolutions. (Yale University Press) Walzer examines three very different countries India, Israel and Algeria and shows that while all of them had secular, progressive founders, they all were soon challenged by the rise of the religious right. He defines them as Hindu militants, ultra-Orthodox Jews and messianic Zionists, and Islamic radicals.

One point Walzer underlines is that the secular founders made some strategic mistakes. They took religion far too lightly, and instead of engaging seriously with tradition, they either suppressed it or assumed that it would vanish in the face of modernity. This only paved the way for the religious counterrevolution. The claim to a radical newness, Walzer notes, gives rise to a radicalized oldness.

Another important point is that the counterrevolution brings forth a form of religion that is much more concerning than the traditional one that secularists initially wanted to eradicate. Religion, Walzer explains, now appears in militant, ideological, and politicized forms modern even in its antimodernism. This is a fact noticed by many secularist Turks these days. They complain that the new political Islam is much more ambitious and aggressive than the Islam of their grandfathers. They are correct in defining the problem; they are just blind to their own role in its making.

None of this means that all religious counterrevolutions will follow the same political pattern. Israel is obviously not a replica of Turkey, and it is not going though its own Erdogan revolution. Still, the secular liberal elite that has traditionally shaped Israels political and cultural life are increasingly concerned about the rise of the religious right. Perhaps they should look at Turkish society for some lessons.

Walzer summons up nicely a lesson that must be noted by all: Traditionalist worldviews cant be negated, abolished, or banned; they have to be engaged. This means that modernity should not be imposed as a revolution against religion. It should, rather, be introduced as a new way of looking at the world, including religion an evolution rather than revolution, a reform within rather than a dictate from the outside.

It is probably no accident that nations whose progress toward modernity took this more evolutionary (and religion-friendly) path have experienced less severe culture wars. The United Kingdom and the United States are prime examples, and they stand in contrast to France, as historian Gertrude Himmelfarb explained in her notable 2004 book, The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments.

The road to modernity exported to the non-Western world, however, was often the French one, which implies abandonment of religion, and an inevitable conflict with it.

The French way did not have to be the only way. Walzer in fact reminds us that in the secular liberation movements of the 20th century were intellectuals who aimed at a critical engagement with the old culture rather than a total attack upon it had they won, the story might have turned out differently.

But later is better than never. For all societies that have gone through the secular-revolution-versus-religious-counterrevolution dilemma, the way forward lies in a modus vivendi, which requires all parties to engage with each other rather than sharpening their blades. While Turkey is certainly not there yet, it probably will arrive one day. The only question is how much more drama will it go through until then.

Mustafa Akyol is currently a visiting fellow at the Freedom Project at Wellesley College, and is the author of the recently released The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims (St. Martins Press).

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

Link:
What Israel Can Learn From The 'Erdogan Revolution' - Forward

The Indian Express

Turkey opposition chief accuses President Erdogan of second coup with purge The Indian Express Turkey's main opposition leader accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today of staging a second coup with the crackdown that followed last July's failed coup, as he presses on with a protest march to Istanbul from Ankara. Republican People's Party ... and more »

Continue reading here:
Turkey opposition chief accuses President Erdogan of second coup with purge - The Indian Express

New York Times

Erdogan Adversary Begins 250-Mile Protest March in Turkey New York Times Mr. Berberoglu, a former newspaper editor, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 25 years in prison for leaking to journalists a video of Turkish government trucks that were said to be taking arms to Syria. Mr. Erdogan viewed the leak as an ... Turkish opposition MP jailed for 25 years as part of Erdogan's ongoing political crackdownTelegraph.co.uk all 109 news articles »

Original post:
Erdogan Adversary Begins 250-Mile Protest March in Turkey - New York Times

Van Ann Bui

I never cried when Pac died / But I probably will when Hov does / And if my tears hold value then I would drop one / For every single thing he showed us. Drake

Earlier this month, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Law wrapped up its two-week intensive academic and career development training program for 2017.

The SEO Law Fellowship is a paid legal internship program that provides guidance to pre-law students on corporate etiquette, law firm expectations of summer interns, legal research and writing, networking, and much more.

After completing the training program, and prior to enrolling in their first semester of law school, SEO Law Fellows will spend a summer with one of the nations leading law firms. The program has over 1,300 alumni, including more than 650 who graduated from law school within the last 7 years.

This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Van Ann Bui, Director of the SEO Law Fellowship Program. Since being selected in 2009 as a 1L New York City Bar Diversity Fellow, she has been extremely passionate about and involved in promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Former Biglaw attorneys like Van Ann Bui, who have made it their mission to improve our industry, are role models for the rest of us. Bui and I had a fantastic discussion regarding how pre-1Ls can succeed in their legal education and careers.

The following is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

RC: You were fortunate enough to participate in the New York City Bars Diversity Fellowship Program during your first summer of law school. Can you tell us more about this program and your experience?

VB: Absolutely! The New York City Bars Committee on Recruitment & Retention of Lawyers sponsors the City Bars Diversity Fellowship Program, which provides summer internships at top law firms, corporations and government law departments across the city to first-year law students from underrepresented backgrounds who attend law school in the New York area.

Students are required to submit an application package, which includes preparing a legal memo and personal statement, to their law schools.

The participating law schools interview and select a certain number of their students to move on to interview with a panel of attorneys and other school representatives who sit on the City Bars Committee. From there, students are placed by the Committee at one of the Fellowships partner organizations.

I am forever grateful that the Committee placed me at Proskauer that summer. I had an incredible experience at the firm I was placed directly into the firms Summer Associate program and had the opportunity to work on interesting projects.

I went on to spend my 2L summer at Proskauer and am fortunate to have started my career there, where I continued to receive invaluable training and developed great relationships with my official (and unofficial) mentors many of whom I still keep in touch with today. Without the City Bars Diversity Fellowship Program, I would not have had this opportunity.

RC: You were a Biglaw associate for nearly five years. What advice do you have for those who are thinking about law school and/or about to take the bar and follow the same path?

VB: Seek out as much formal and informal training as you can whether that be at your own law firm or with other organizations, such as bar associations. Ask your supervising attorneys for feedback. I learned so much about how to be an effective communicator and attorney from the attorneys with whom I worked.

And start developing (or strengthening) relationships with your classmates and future co-workers. These are people who can help guide you throughout your career they could one day be in a position to help you find your next job, get promoted, or send you referral clients.

Ive been fortunate to have developed some very strong relationships with attorneys and other recruiting and diversity professionals throughout my career at Proskauer, the NYC Bar Association, and otherwise. I would not be where I am without the guidance and mentorship of these individuals.

RC: Now you are the Director of the SEO Law Program. Can you share with us a little bit about SEOs mission?

VB: Sure! Sponsors for Educational Opportunity has many wonderful programs aimed at providing academic and professional opportunities to underserved and underrepresented students. The SEO Law Fellowship Program works specifically to identify and recruit talented Black, Hispanic, and Native American students who are about to enter their first year of law school, to provide them with an internship at one of the nations leading law firms.

In addition to an internship, we require that our Fellows attend a two-week intensive academic and career development training program to help them develop necessary skills to excel in law school and in their internships.

RC: You recently wrapped up the training program for pre-1Ls. How does one get selected to participate in this program, and what exactly does this program entail?

VB: To be selected for the program, students must submit an application form and provide us with a copy of their rsum, transcript, and personal statement. Students must apply to the program during the same cycle in which they are applying to law school.

Once a students application has been reviewed, s/he may be invited to an interview. Interviews are typically conducted in the spring. Once interviews have been completed, we require that students submit proof of enrollment in law school in order to be extended an offer to participate in the program.

Our training program focuses on providing opportunities for students to learn and develop certain skills that we think they should know in order to give them a running start in law school skills such as reading and briefing a legal opinion, synthesizing a rule from a statute or a case, preparing law school outlines, and writing law school exams and legal memoranda. We supplement our skills-based seminars with subject-matter lectures.

This year, we had Professor Rachel Barkow of NYU teach a Criminal Law class and Professor Daniel Kelly of Notre Dame teach a Property Law class. At the end of each week, we administer an exam designed to simulate the law school exam experience.

In addition to the academic components, we provide career development workshops on topics such as networking and relationship-building and corporate culture/etiquette.

We also provide Panel Discussions and Networking Receptions each evening to allow our students to hear from and speak with top attorneys from our partner law firms regarding their practice areas and career paths.

RC: What were some of your favorite events from this years training program?

VB: I really enjoyed it all! But my highlights would have to be the Panel Discussions and Networking Receptions with attorneys from our partner law firms. We had discussions regarding different practice areas, the hiring partners perspective, and pro bono.

Our Fellows and panelists were so engaged and enthusiastic, especially during the networking portion the venue had to kick us out each night! Another favorite moment was getting to hear Judge Raymond Joseph Lohier Jr., a judge who sits on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, speak to our Fellows.

Lastly, I was truly motivated each day by our Fellows energy and excitement their hunger to learn motivates me to do the best job I can to help them succeed.

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

VB:Never be afraid to ask for help very few people (if any?) make it to the top of the ladder on their own. There will be many people willing to help all you have to do is ask.

If youd like to know more about the SEO Law Fellowship Program, please visit http://www.seolaw.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @SEOLaw_USA, where we offer free giveaways from time to time.

On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Van Ann Bui for sharing her story with our audience. We wish her continued success in her career.

Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Read the original here:
SEO Law Director And Former Biglaw Attorney Van Ann Bui's Advice For Pre-Law Students - Above the Law