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The Turkish governments dominance over TV and print media and its intimidation of critical journalists with arbitrary detentions and trials is well known.

Less known is a sweeping campaign of misinformation orchestrated by bogus fact-checking groups with ties to the government that propagate explosive claims: The Armenian genocide is a lie; the government didnt try to censor Wikipedia; thousands of government employees who were fired for political reasons have an effective appeals procedure.

These fake fact-checkers aim to refute critical stories about Turkeys government even when they contain verified facts.

Sarphan Uzunolu, a media studies lecturer at Istanbuls Kadir Has University, says Turkey established a post-truth regime before it became the word of the year in 2016. The regime has provided unique contributions to the field, he adds, such as propagandists use of the fact-checking title for political purposes.

Bengi Ruken Cengiz, a doctoral researcher and an editor at Turkeys first and genuine fact-checking service, DogrulukPayi.com, concurs that the popularity of fact-checking made it an appealing format for partisans trying to gain the moral high ground.

Enter Fact Check Armenia.

Fact Check Armenia

Turkey officially denies the Armenian Genocide, conducting campaigns and lobbying efforts against recognition of the genocide worldwide, especially in the United States.

It is aided in this goal by FactCheckArmenia.com, a site with ties to government-affiliated organizations that peddles misinformation about the death of more than a million Armenians.

Last year an aerial stunt spelled out 101 YEARS OF GENO-LIE, and promoted the website FACT CHECK ARMENIA.COM in the skies of Manhattan. The website was also advertised on Google results for search queries on Armenian Genocide.

FactCheckArmenia.com does not reveal who actually owns or runs the website. The whois records, which show ownership of registered websites, are hidden via a company in Bahamas. But their Facebook page say they are funded by the Turkic Platform. That platform, with similarly undeclared owners, is an NGO based in Istanbul according to the Turkish pro-government media, but many activities seem to take place in the United States.

The fact sheets provided on the FactCheckArmenia.com take a firmly pro-Turkish stance. This is most visible in the use of the word relocation, that mirrors Turkeys official narrative, instead of acknowledging orders for the forced deportation of Armenians that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Many other claims, such as No Armenians were harmed of the April 24, 1915 arrests, are simply untrue given that 79 of the first group of 235 intellectuals were reportedly killed.

The individuals who promoted the genocide-denying campaign in the U.S. left trails that connect the Fact Check Armenia project directly to the Ankara government.

Ayhan zmekik, the spokesperson for the Fact Check Armenia, and also for the Turkic Platform, is the founder of the Turkish American Youth and Education Foundation. The organization has good access to government officials, as zmekik later took a role in the AK Partys U.S. outreach activities. In 2015, zmekik produced an interview with President Erdogans son Bilal Erdogan for Fact Check Armenias sister project, LetHistoryDecide. The site was promoted by Turkeys Minister for Foreign Affairs Mevlt avuolu, the Turkish embassy in D.C. and ambassador Serdar Kl, Turkish consulates, and also by the ruling AK Party.

Derya Taskin, who organized the Manhattan stunt, was then the president of Turkish Institute for Progress (TIP), one of the prime Turkish lobbying organizations in the U.S. She also sits on the executive board of the Turkish-American Steering Committee (TASC) which organized the LetHistoryDecide rallies. Back in Turkey, Taskin was considered to run for a parliamentary seat from Turkeys ruling AK Party in the province of Afyon.

Ms. Taskin initially denied being involved with the project, but when provided with her own quote from an article on Turkeys state-run news agency that TIP organized the aerial stunt, she declined to reply further. Mr. zmekik, and the organizations he is affiliated with, did not respond to our requests for comment.

Fact Check Armenia also uses paid campaigns on other news organizations to spread its misinformation. Using the PR Newswire service, Fact Check Armenia managed to publish a paid story on Reuters in April 2015 that claimed Russia was behind the Armenian Genocide commemoration efforts that article was later deleted without correction. On the same day, TASC published an open letter, again paid as an ad on The Washington Post, that disputes the genocide and promotes the other denial website, LetHistoryDecide.org.

Turkeys English-language media outlets, such as public broadcaster TRT World TV and the pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah pursue the same objective improving Turkeys image abroad said Koray Kaplca, also an editor at DogrulukPayi. But in the name of national interest these outlets can turn into pure propaganda tools for the ruling party.

Case in point, Fact-Checking Turkey.

Fact-Checking Turkey

Just like Fact Check Armenia, FactCheckingTurkey.com, launched in 2016, is not a fact-checking service. Instead, it is a project to counter articles critical of Turkeys government.

Unlike nonpartisan fact-checkers, FactCheckingTurkey does not use a transparent methodology to adjudicate claims. Conclusions are usually reached by making reference to government statements.

Officials statements are often the only source and are treated as the ultimate truth, Kaplca said.

The recent article, Story behind Wikipedia ban in Turkey, is a case in point: An unnamed Turkish state official is the only source used to completely debunk nine global media outlets news reports about Turkeys censorship of the online encyclopaedia. The article even contends that a representative of Wikipedia privately confirmed the same unnamed state officials story saying the exact opposite of what the executive director of Wikimedia Foundation, Katherine Maher, stated publicly.

Yet, some counterclaims are more dangerous than others. On Twitter, the group recently targeted Amnestys report on Turkeys post-coup purge.

Based on 61 interviews, Amnesty concluded that in spite of the clear arbitrariness of the dismissal decisions, there is no effective appeal procedure for public sector workers against their expulsions. A commission proposed in January to assess the cases lacks both the independence and the capacity to make it effective. It is yet to start operating.

FactCheckingTurkey countered this with a month-old speech by a presidential advisor, Mehmet Uum, on a TV show, saying that an appeal commission is expected to start out soon.

In fact, the members of the commission have already been appointed. The seven-member commission, chaired by Justice Ministrys deputy undersecretary, is expected to face a barrage of 200,000 appeals in its two-year term. Yet, none of these developments addresses Amnestys warnings about its independence or effectiveness.

There are two main reasons these propaganda projects arent real fact-checkers, Cengiz said.

First, the claims that are chosen for analysis should be verifiable. Second, the fact checks should rely on more than one publicly available, preferably unbiased, source of information.

To debunk Amnestys report, Fact Checking Turkey offers a political argument instead of scrutinizing the effectiveness of the commission. And in the Wikipedia case, they rely entirely on an unnamed official while publicly available sources, such as Wikipedias page history, do not support their counterclaims.

With such sloppy research and no advertisements, how do Turkeys fake fact-checkers operate? A recently leaked cache of government emails provided a behind-the-scenes glimpse at their methods.

Last October, a Marxist hacker collective, The Red Hack, leaked the personal email archive of Turkeys Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, who is also Erdogans son-in-law. The email archive featured the budget for a think-tank, Bosphorus Global, to be run by a pro-Erdogan columnist Hilal Kaplan and her spouse. However, the biggest part of the costs were servers, firewalls, network infrastructure and the salaries of web designers and software developers.

Kaplan, Bosphorus Global and Fact-Checking Turkey did not respond to our requests for comment.

To date, Bosphorus Global has set up at least 20 projects in six languages, including a TV programme on the public broadcaster, TRT, dedicated to refuting criticism about the Turkish government. However, most of these projects initially appeared anonymous. The groups first project, GununYalanlari.com (Lies of the day) acknowledged its connection with the Bosphorus Global only to debunk news stories about an expensive waterside mansion alleged to be used as their headquarters. The leaked emails not only confirmed the existence of said mansion, but also that money came from Berat Albayrak.

Uzunolu credits this type of political propaganda for consolidating the governing AK partys support base and claiming the high ground against challengers.

Yet these fact-checkers are not a match for their global counterparts, he says.

The way they define themselves, with such partisanship and by picking sides, damage the truth the most.

Read more:
These fake 'fact-checkers' are peddling lies about genocide and censorship in Turkey - Poynter (blog)

Media rooms and home theaters are an increasingly popular feature in homes. Two major benefits are that they boost a home's entertainment value as well as its potential resale value. If you're planning to install a media room in your home but space is limited, you'll want to explore these small media room design ideas to ensure you maximize the square footage you have to work with and provide a comfortable and entertaining space for family members and guests.

Prior to deciding on the small media room design that's right for your home, you'll need to decide on a location for this entertainment hub. The most important features of a media room are light and soundit's important to place your media room in the space where you'll have as much control as possible over these key elements. For this reason, popular locations for small media rooms are basements, adjacent to living rooms, or in spare guest bedroomsplaces that are self-contained, quiet, and won't interfere with the home's day-to-day operation when in use.

Once you've decided on a location for your small media room, it's time to start thinking about technical, audio-visual (AV) and design requirements. First up, you'll want to investigate your chosen location's suitability for custom wiringyou'll likely need it for lighting, video, audio and internet access. The first three categories are a must for any media room. Internet access is recommended, as streaming video and multiplayer gaming are more popular media room features these days. You'll also want to ensure that you can hide the wiring for lighting and electronics in the room's drywall, or in discreet tubing throughout the room; clumps of wires are an eyesore, and they can be a fire hazard as well.

When the wiring's done, it's time to consider the AV and electronic equipment you'll feature in your media room. Since your space is small, choosing the right size TV or projection screen is a mustyou don't want to overwhelm guests with a screen that's too big for the space, or feature one that's too small and doesn't provide enough cinematic feel. Ultimately, size matters most for small media roomsthe room's dimensions will go a long way toward determining the size of the TV or projection screen needed, the number or speakers required for your sound system, and the scope of the lighting system.

Once you've procured the AV and electronic equipment for your small media room, it's time to think about the interior design and furniture. The scope and layout of the room will be a major consideration when it comes to the amount and type of furniture and accessories you'll choose. While larger media rooms sometimes use a movie-house theme to create a real cinema-style design, smaller rooms are more apt to feel like a traditional family room, with a comfortable configuration of couches and chairs for guests to utilize while they relax and enjoy the show.

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Small Media Room Ideas: Pictures, Options, Tips & Advice ...

But 'The Temple Mount is ours, not yours,' Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub says on Israeli TV

Jibril Rajoub, a senior official in the Palestinian Authority, has said that the Western Wall should remain under Israeli sovereignty.

We understand that the wall he [U.S. President Donald Trump] visited is sacred to the Jews and ultimately it has to remain under Jewish sovereignty, Rajoub said on Channel 2s "Meet the Press."

"There is no argument over this. Obviously, its a holy place for Jews," he added.

Rajoub linked sovereignty over the Western Wall to sovereignty over the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is ours, not yours, and I think you should stop talking as if its yours. Thats the status quo since 1967, as established by [Israeli general] Moshe Dayan, and we both have to strive for that. If you want to create an explosion just say its ours, its ours, he said.

The issue of sovereignty at the Western Wall came up around Trumps visit there last month, a first by a sitting U.S. president. Ahead of the visit, staff at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem refused to discuss media arrangements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus bureau, arguing that Israel has no authority there. The White House later dissociated itself from these comments.Later, Trumps National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was evasive when asked whether the Western Wall is part of Israel.

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In his interview on Israeli TV, Rajoub talked about Trumps meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Were waiting for a Trump initiative, were ready, he said. Trump is an opportunity for us and for the Israelis. He comes with clear objectives to make an ultimate deal and end the suffering of both peoples. I call on Israelis and tell them: Guys, its time to draw the correct conclusions, lets do business.

Regarding the U.S. administrations decision to defer the transfer of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem Rajoub said: I think its a message to both sides. It signals to the Israeli right that hes not in their pocket, and to us it signals that there is hope and that he intends to make the deal hes aiming for.

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Senior Palestinian Official: 'Obviously' Western Wall Should Remain Under Israeli Control - Haaretz

Post Date:June 4, 2017

By HENRY FREDERICK

Headline Surfer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- How well do any of us real ever know someone who is in a position of public trust and wieldspoliticalpower.Someone who comes across as engaging and above reproach.

Consider foul-mouthed Mike Chitwood, Volusia County Sheriff since January and ex-Daytona Beach PD chief,who, in the past10 1/2 years, has had more face time in the Central Florida media spotlight than any othernewsmaker alongthe I-4 corridor -- from Disney and the Attractions to the rollingocean surfand hard sands of the World's Most Famous Beach.

Chitwood has hogged the spotlight more thanTiger Woods andShaquille O'Neal. More than Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.More than Dwight Howard,Grant Hill andVince Carter. And way more than John Morgan of Morgan and Morgan and auto accident negligenceattorney Mark Nejame.

Chitwood has George Zimmerman and Casey Anthony beat. It's not even close, even when they are combined. Chitwood even created his own theatricalOscar moment by coaxing a despondent George Anthony from a seedy beachside motel in favor of a waiting bed in the psych ward at Halifax Hospital just up the road from Daytona International Speedway.

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Award-winning 24/7 Internet news from Daytona Beach, Florida, home of the World's Most Famous Beach & the ... - Headline Surfer

Terri Moravec has been actively involved with neighborhood watch for six years. Moravec is also a block captain in her Wildwood Park neighborhood in downtown Redding. "When neighbors get to know each other, and look out for one another, they become the eyes and ears for law enforcement when there's suspicious activity in the neighborhood."(Photo: Greg BarnetteRecord Searchlight)

Shes going to come up with a word for it.

BecauseRedding neighborhood watch captain Terri Moravec just cant describe the feeling she gets from keeping her downtown street safe at the same time shes fostering relationships with the other people who live there.

Im not sure what you call it; its just something that happens when neighbors unite and youve got a safer little community within a larger community called Redding, said Moravec, whos been involved with the program for decades and also volunteers for the Redding Police Departments office that oversees it.

And when Moravec found out the East Oak subdivision off South Bonnyview Road was hit by vandals last week pushing one resident to speed up her plans to leave Redding neighborhood watch was the first thing that came to mind. She believes the groups are the answer for frustrated longtime Redding residents who arent used to seeing the crime some areas have long been known for and who are tempted to leave because of it.

Related: After woman's truck vandalized, she says she gives up on Redding

There seems to be a groundswell of this thinking. For several years now, we seem to focus on the negatives of Redding because were dealing with things that those of us who have been here a while have maybe never lived with before, she said. Doing things that make your neighborhood safe, actually focusing on behaviors that make your neighborhoods safe, sometimes you just dont feel so alone.

Jennifer Long, the resident whose husbands truck was spray-painted, said she was interested in the idea of a neighborhood watch group, but ultimately, there would have to be one in every pocket of the city for her to want to stay in Redding.

I dont feel safe going into town after dark, she said, and I know a lot of women feel the same way.

Its true that not enough neighborhoods have watch groups, Moravec said. There are at least a few dozen groups, according to the Redding Police Departments map. But getting them spread throughout town would create a critical mass of safety, she said.

I believe that there are things that every average citizen can do to not only make their own home safer but their neighborhood as well, which ultimately translates into a safer city, really, Moravec said. Weve got a great network going, but not every neighborhood is represented with neighborhood watch groups. Thats our goal.

Moravec said its empowering to learn what to do to keep your neighborhood safe the Police Department educates watch captains on important phone numbers for reporting different problems, for example. But she said theres also a social component. And both pieces form a cycle the relationships people make through the watch could end up making them safer, Moravec said.

You become invested in their safety and hopefully, she said, the reciprocal is true of that.

Neighborhood watch-type groups dont come without their share of infamy.

Florida resident George Zimmerman was acquitted of shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin as a neighborhood watchman, though the verdict shocked many since Martin was unarmed and Zimmerman had been following him.

Locally, a Cottonwood father and son were arrested this month for allegedly beating up a family delivering newspapers while patrolling as part of a self-styled neighborhood vigilante group. Then there was the Redding man who served jail time for pepper-spraying a neighbor while voluntarilypatrolling the neighborhood.

Moravec said those types of incidents dont represent what neighborhood watch groups are really about preventing crimes by keeping a watchful eye, not vigilante justice.

A neighborhood watch group never, ever, ever puts the neighbors in an unsafe situation or takes the law into their own hands, she said. The neighborhood watch group simply exists to work as the eyes and ears of law enforcement and to report suspicious activity.

Anyone interested in starting a group can call the Redding Police Departments neighborhood watch program at 225-4209 or email nwu@reddingpolice.org.

Moravec said training helps volunteers learn how to report various problems, and each watch group can customize what their main focus is for example, educating people about deterring car thefts by always locking doors and rolling up windows, or about discouraging mail thieves by spreading word about the importance of daily mailbox checks to their would-be victims.

You feel better after you said, Hey, I was able to effect a positive change that way, she said. There are an awful lot of things that you can do in your neighborhood to actually be safer not only feel safer, but become safer.

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Neighborhood watch captain says program is the answer to quality-of-life woes in Redding - Redding Record Searchlight