"Turkey’s ban on YouTube ruled illegal" Associated Press May 30, 2014
ANKARA, Turkey — The country’s highest court ruled Thursday that a 2-month-old ban on YouTube violates constitutional rights to freedom of expression, a setback for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who wanted to shut down the website.
The Constitutional Court said it would order telecommunications authorities to ‘‘ensure that the rights violation is removed,’’ the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The restrictions were imposed in late March after the leak of an audio recording of a government security meeting. In the recording, senior officials appeared to be discussing a possible military intervention in Syria.
They were discussing how to stage a false flag!
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Related: Media Neglect Turkish False Flag Attack Leak And Its Implications
Also see: Turkey moves to block YouTube
Turkey’s ban on Twitter unleashes protest
"Protesters subdued with tear gas, water
ISTANBUL — Police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to push back crowds of protesters who defied a warning by Turkey’s prime minister and gathered in Istanbul and Ankara on the anniversary of last year’s nationwide antigovernment demonstrations. Riot police fired tear gas on hundreds of protesters on a main pedestrian street leading to Istanbul’s main square, Taksim, after a standoff with police. Clashes also erupted in the capital Ankara (AP)."
Related: Turkey in Turmoil
Also see: Turkey Coal-Cocked by Protests
UPDATES:
"Last body removed from Turkish mine; Fire hampers efforts; death toll now at 301" by Kareem Fahim | New York Times May 18, 2014
SOMA, Turkey — Rescue workers removed the last remaining bodies from a stricken mine here Saturday afternoon as the death toll in Turkey’s worst mining accident rose to 301 people, according to the prime minister’s office.
The final recovery efforts were hampered by a fire that broke out underground Saturday morning, as well as the leakage of methane gas, according to the energy minister, Taner Yildiz.
Some of the 17 bodies removed overnight were so badly burned that DNA testing will be required to identify them, he said.
Smoke could be seen rising near an entrance to the mine Saturday. For the first time since the accident four days ago, there were no relatives of victims seen waiting. Some of the families moved to a nearby state hospital, to await the results of the DNA tests.
With so many dead, the tragedy rippled for miles around the coal mine, affecting towns and tiny villages in a region where thousands of men work in the industry.
Public anger was focused on the facility’s owners, who were accused of shirking safety measures to make the mine more profitable, and on Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose abrasive response to the accident during a visit here last week infuriated a region in mourning.
During protests against Erdogan’s visit, an aide to Erdogan was photographed kicking a demonstrator who was being held on the ground by military police officers.
Erdogan himself responded to the heckling by defiantly taunting protesters.
Why are all leaders assholes?
Prosecutors are investigating the accident, which occurred when a fire tore through the mine.
The mine owners, who have denied any negligence, have speculated that unexplained “warming” in the mine sparked the fire, without providing further details. They conceded that there were no safe rooms in the mine where workers could take shelter, but asserted that they were not required by Turkish law.
Yeah, right, global warming did it.
Engineers who worked in the mine, however, have faulted the management of the facility, saying that poorly insulated cables there may have caught fire, sparking a larger conflagration in power distribution units.
Speaking on Saturday afternoon, Yildiz, the energy minister, said that the investigation into the cause was continuing and that “primary inspections were done, as inspectors went as far as they could.”
He said labor inspectors would “gradually reach” deeper sections of the mine.
“Our mining world has many, many lessons to learn,” he said. “This has been a highly painful experience for us.”
For some more than others!
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"3 face charges in Turkey mine disaster" by Desmond Butler | Associated Press May 19, 2014
Let the scapegoating begin!
ISTANBUL — In the face of widespread anger about Turkey’s worst mining disaster, prosecutors on Sunday arrested three people, including a company manager, on charges of negligence that contributed to the deaths of hundreds of miners.
The three were charged with causing the deaths of more than one person, a charge that does not imply intent, prosecutor Bekir Sahiner said at a news conference in the western town of Soma, where 301 coal miners were killed in Tuesday’s accident.
The arrests follow allegations by miners that the company failed to heed safety concerns and that government inspections had been superficial. The disaster has provoked anger at a critical time for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as he mulls running in August’s presidential election.
A total of 25 people were initially detained for questioning and six were released, Sahiner said. Prosecutors will now decide whether to charge or release the remaining 16 people in custody.
Sahiner said one of those arrested was the company’s operations manager. The manager is Akin Celik, though Sahiner did not identify him by name.
The charges can lead to sentences of between three and 15 years in prison, according to the Turkish penal code.
Other company executives were among the detained as Turkish officials investigate the mining disaster. Sahiner said they included the mine’s technical supervisor, its head of operations, it safety manager, duty managers, and a high ranking company executive.
The Dogan news agency reported earlier that Ramazan Dogru, general manager of the mine owned by Soma Holding, was detained.
Government and company officials have insisted that the mine was inspected regularly and negligence was not a factor in the explosion and fire. But reacting to anger and sympathy for the miners, government officials promised to investigate and pledged that any mine officials found to be negligent would be punished.
That's never good enough anymore, not when it comes to negligent bastards.
Still, anger has been mounting in Turkey, leading to protests and clashes in several cities.
About 2,000 people, who were angry at perceived insensitivity on how the disaster and its aftermath were handled by Erdogan and his government, marched in Istanbul chanting ‘‘Damn AKP’s dictatorship!’’ referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials AKP.
Previous protests in Soma and other cities have turned violent as police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse rock-throwing protesters urging Erdogan’s government to resign.
I'm awaiting U.S. criticism momentarily.
Milliyet newspaper said Saturday a preliminary report by a mine safety expert who inspected the Soma mine suggested that smoldering coal caused the mine’s roof to collapse.
The report said the tunnel’s support beams were made of wood, not metal, and the mine had too few carbon monoxide sensors. Sahiner said that the authors are continuing their inquiry to prepare a final report.
Company officials have described safety levels as high, noting that the mine contained 50 gas sensors and employees were provided with gas masks.
On Saturday, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said rescue workers retrieved the bodies of the last two miners missing in the disaster, putting the death toll at 301.
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"High levels of gas reportedly ignored at Turkish mine" Associated Press May 20, 2014
ANKARA, Turkey — Sensors pointed to high levels of toxic gas inside a coal mine days before Turkey’s worst mining disaster, but company officials took no action, Turkish news reports said Monday.
Prosecutors formally arrested two more people Monday over the fire in the mine in the western town of Soma that killed 301, raising the number of suspects to five. They are facing charges of negligence and causing multiple deaths.
The charges can lead to sentences of between three and 15 years in prison.
The Hurriyet and other newspapers say data seized by prosecutors indicate that sensors showed high gas levels inside the mine as early as two days before the disaster.
They did not cite a source for the report, but miners also alleged that supervisors ignored rising gas levels and failed to take precautionary measures. Most victims died from toxic gases.
Government and company officials have insisted that the mine was inspected regularly and negligence was not a factor in the explosion and fire.
The Milliyet newspaper said Saturday a preliminary report by a mine safety specialist suggested that smoldering coal caused the mine’s roof to collapse. The report said the mine had too few carbon monoxide sensors.
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Story burned itself out I guess.
Also see:
Turkish drama wins Cannes award
Turkish drama ‘Winter Sleep’ wins top prize at Cannes
Show's over!
