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Women wawe Turkish national flags on March 5, 2017 in Istanbul during a pro-government women meeting. Some 12,000 women filled on March 5 an Istanbul arena in support of a Yes vote in an April referendum whether to boost Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans powers.
OZAN KOSE / AFP

Waving Turkish flags, women shouted Of course, Yes! ahead of the April 16 vote on constitutional changes that would give Turkey an executive presidency similar to political systems in France or in the United States, AFP correspondents at the scene said.

Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is running the Yes campaign, saying the changes would bring political stability. The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Erdogan himself because the proposed plan could see him stay in power until 2029.

Pro-govermment supporters gathered at the 12,500 capacity sports complex, known as Abdi Ipekci Arena, outside Istanbuls ancient city walls, with the campaign theme: Yes! If women are there, democracy is there.

The gathering was organised by the pro-government Womens and Democracy Association (KADEM), whose deputy chair is Erdogans younger daughter Sumeyye Erdogan Bayraktar.

For the survival of our country, it is a very important decision, said AKP supporter Ayse Gurcan, who came to the event from Erzurum province in eastern Turkey.

We must make our choice in a healthy way and I believe that everyone will say Yes, she said

Another woman, Zehra Ferahtay, said the approval of constitutional changes would unify Turkey especially after the failed coup attempt in July to oust Erdogans government.

Yes, I support the presidential system and especially after July 15, we must be more united and together for this country, she said.

Saliha Mantar, wearing an Islamic headscarf, said women had been granted more rights since Erdogan came to power as prime minister in 2003 and as president in 2014.

We, women, promise to be always behind our leader, she said, referring to Erdogan.

Critics however argue if the plan is approved, Turkey would lurch toward authoritarianism, saying it would not be a system based on checks and balances.

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Thousands of Turkish women rally in favour of Erdogan's powers - Guardian

By Ralph Boulton and Andrea Shalal | ISTANBUL/BERLIN

ISTANBUL/BERLIN Turkey said on Saturday it would keep holding rallies in Germany and the Netherlands to urge Turks living there to back a vote to boost President Tayyip Erdogan's powers, despite opposition from authorities in both countries.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu criticized German and Dutch restrictions on such gatherings as undemocratic, and said Turkey would press on with them in the run-up to the April 16 referendum.

"None of you can prevent us," he told a campaign event in southern Turkey. "We can go anywhere we want, meet our citizens, hold our meetings."

The defiant Turkish comments highlight the importance Erdogan places on securing the new powers, especially since a failed military coup last July, in what could turn out to be a close vote.

The disagreement has led to sharp exchanges between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners. Adding to the tensions, Germany has demanded the release of a German journalist arrested in Turkey on Monday, while Erdogan on Friday called him a "German agent."

Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone on Saturday with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, a German government spokesman said, without providing details of the conversation.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who will meet with his Turkish counterpart in Berlin this week, warned against stirring up tensions between the two countries, but also said Berlin would not refrain from criticism where warranted.

"The German-Turkish friendship runs deeper than the diplomatic tensions we are experiencing today," he wrote in an essay published in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday. "We cannot allow hate and misunderstanding to grow out of political differences."

Gabriel said Turkish politicians who wanted to campaign in Germany should respect the "rules of law, as well as decency."

Several members of Merkel's coalition voiced concerns on Saturday about Turkish politicians rallying support among Germany's 1.5 million Turkish citizens.

Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for her conservative Christian Democratic Union, told Reuters: "We don't want marketing for the undemocratic and illegitimate Turkish referendum on German soil."

Several events have already been blocked for security reasons, sparking anger among Turkish leaders who accused Germany of a double standard.

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci has had two events canceled, but plans to speak at events on Sunday in Leverkusen and Cologne in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), which has a large Turkish population.

The state premier of NRW and local politicians want the federal government to provide guidance about such campaign events, something that Merkel and Gabriel would like to avoid as they struggle to balance the broader issues at hand with Turkey, including migration and the fight against Islamic militancy.

Critics of Erdogan fear the proposed new powers, including freedoms to govern by executive orders, would entrench autocratic trends. Erdogan says they are vital in tackling Kurdish rebels, Islamist militants and other political enemies in a land with a history of unstable coalition governments.

The Dutch government said on Friday it would inform Ankara of its opposition to "undesirable" proposals to hold a referendum rally in Rotterdam.

"The Netherlands told us 'You can't campaign in our public spaces.' What do you mean, we can't? Where is democracy ... where is freedom of expression?" Cavusoglu said.

(Reporting by Ralph Boulton, Andreas Rinke, Gernot Heller, Reuters TV and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Richard Chang)

ISTANBUL A Syrian air force pilot who bailed out as his warplane crashed on Turkish territory has been found by a Turkish rescue team and is being treated at a hospital in the Hatay region, a hospital spokeswoman said on Sunday.

WASHINGTON The White House budget director confirmed Saturday that the Trump administration will propose "fairly dramatic reductions" in the U.S. foreign aid budget later this month.

LONDON Finance minister Philip Hammond said he would not take advantage of an expected lowering in Britain's future borrowing requirements and spend heavily because the country needs "reserves in the tank" ahead of its impending divorce from the European Union.

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Turkey plans more pro-Erdogan rallies, German concerns mount - Reuters

President calls to participate in aid campaign launched by Turkish Red Crescent

home > Turkey, world, africa 04.03.2017 Istanbul

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ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a series of tweets Saturday called to take part in the Turkish Red Crescent aid campaign for East African hit by drought and famine.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday called for urgent action to help over 20 million people facing famine in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and northeastern Nigeria. Kenya has also bee hit by a drought.

"We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to requests for help from those countries where the drought-related famine has reached critical levels," wrote Erdogan. "Turkey launches an aid campaign to reach people in East Africa and Yemen who need our urgent assistance."

Erdogan directed his followers to Turkish Red Crescents website at kizilay.org to make an online donation to support the campaign.

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Erdogan calls to help drought-hit East Africa - Anadolu Agency

Turkish supporters of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) launch the party's campaign for a "No" vote in April's referendum, during a rally in Istanbul, on March 2, 2017 (AFP Photo/OZAN KOSE)

Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey's pro-Kurdish party Thursday launched its campaign for a "No" vote in April's referendum on whether to give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers as its two leaders remained imprisoned.

Hundreds of people turned out for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) event in Istanbul where the party's spokesman described the proposal as "the greatest scourge in the history of our Republic".

Turkey is to vote April 16 on changing the constitution to give Erdogan an executive presidency along the lines of that in France or in the United States.

"Do not lose hope, do not be intimidated," HDP spokesman Osman Baydemir urged the audience. "Better days are within our reach if we say 'no'."

Simultaneously, there were events in the largest Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir in the southeast and the Aegean city of Izmir.

After the July 15 failed coup, the government launched a large-scale crackdown, detaining, dismissing and sacking over 100,000 people suspected of having links to coup-plotters and those accused of links to Kurdish militants.

HDP co-chairmen Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag have been imprisoned since last November facing accusations of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"By imprisoning the leaders of the HDP, they are imprisoning millions of people who voted for the party at the same time," 25-year-old activist Zeynep told AFP holding a green poster with a black "No".

The country's second-largest party, which held the gathering at a hotel conference hall, has been forced to hold meetings indoors due to the risk of an attack.

This stands in stark difference to the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) first rally for a "Yes" vote in front of thousands in a sports arena at the weekend.

Despite such limitations, activists told AFP they were still confident.

"The 'No' vote has already won, they just don't know it yet!" Sirri Sureyya Onder, HDP MP for Ankara said to which the audience responded raucously with supportive shouts.

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Pro-Kurd party rallies against boosting Erdogan powers - Yahoo - Yahoo News

(TASS) Ankara has been taking all possible measures in order to prevent any military incidents with Russia and the Free Syrian Army, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on a plane on his return journey from Pakistan.

Our goal is to do everything possible in order to prevent such incidents. I hope they do not occur because we do not want such mistakes to happen, he said. Erdogan made this statement while commenting on some expert opinions that military incidents between Russia and Turkey were possible in Syria where they both countries have been carrying out military operations with the line of contact between Turkish, the Free Syrian Army, Russia and the Syrian troops lying near the city of al-Bab.

When asked about the prospects of the Euphrates Shield operation that Turkey has been conducting in northern Syria together with the Free Syrian Army since August 24, 2016, Erdogan said that the town of Manbij, where Kurkish units from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are, would be the next goal of the Turkish air force and FSA. Turkey considers some of these units to be terror groups.

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I cannot say that the new US administration has made up its mind concerning Raqqa and Manbij and the possible operations there. However, we believe that the Syrian Democratic Forces should not participate. Our forces will head to Manbij next. This town should be liberated (from the Kurds) because it belongs to the Arab people living in Syria, Erdogan said.

Erdogan plans to discuss cooperation with Russia in the struggle against the Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) in Syria when he visits Moscow on March 9-10. According to Haberturk TV, he made a statement to that effect to journalists on board a plane while returning from Pakistan.

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We will be able to go ahead with the struggle against the Islamic State together, if a corresponding request comes from Russia. In March I will pay a visit to Moscow. We will have a chance to discuss these themes in detail at our negotiations, he said. Erdogan will arrive in Moscow on March 9 for participation in a meeting of the High Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council, he said.

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Erdogan says Turkey trying to prevent military incidents with Russia in Syria - AMN Al-Masdar News (registration)