Ankara is facing growing national and international criticism over Wednesday’s arrest of Turkish philanthropist and businessman Osman Kavala. Kavala –  a leading member of Turkey’s civic society – was detained Wednesday night at Istanbul airport. According to his lawyer, he is being held at Istanbul’s counterterrorism department.  

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert voiced concern on Thursday.

“It’s just another example, right, of a lot of things taking place, of respected civil society leaders, human rights defenders, journalists  we’ve all followed this story closely  academics, also activists detained in that country,” she said. “The detentions are often made without  very little evidence, very little transparency, and we consider that to be a very alarming trend in that country.”

The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, Kati Piri, wrote on Twitter, “Very disturbing news that Osman Kavala has been detained in Istanbul.” Piri added she would propose the European Parliament launch an urgent call for his release.

The European Union has been voicing growing concern over Turkey’s ongoing crackdown following last year’s coup, which has seen over 60,000 people arrested.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, attending a summit of EU leaders this week, described developments in Turkey as very negative and said she would propose funding to Turkey be curbed.  

Kavala has set up and funded projects to bridge deep social and ethnic divides in Turkey and encourage cultural diversity. Human rights groups nationally and internationally have voiced outrage over his arrest.

Political scientist Cengiz Aktar said Kavala’s arrest is a watershed moment.

“He was one of the main movers and shakers of the Turkish liberal civil society and nothing will be like before since the custody of Osman Kavala,” he said. I think now the Turkish liberal civil society activist will be much move cautious in their actions in Turkey. It actually confirms a very frightening trend whereby the Turkish liberal civil society is targeted if not annihilated.”

Ankara strongly defends the ongoing crackdown, insisting it is facing a continuing threat from conspirators seeking to overthrow the government.

International pressure over the crackdown is likely to grow with the trial beginning Wednesday (Oct. 25) of leading Turkish members of Amnesty International and two European nationals detained at a human rights meeting.
…

Slovenia, the Alpine home country of Melania Trump, is holding a presidential election Sunday that incumbent President Borut Pahor — a former fashion model, like the U.S. first lady — is favored to win. Eight other candidates are vying for the largely ceremonial, but still influential head of state post.

Opinion polls show Pahor, a veteran politician who gave up modeling long ago, could win a majority of votes and avoid a runoff election two weeks later.

Below is some background on the race being decided in nature-loving Slovenia:

A president who is king of Instagram

The 53-year-old Pahor started his political career when Slovenia was part of the former Yugoslavia. He served as parliament speaker, a member of the European Parliament, prime minister before he took office as president in December 2012.

Pahor has been nicknamed Slovenia’s “King of Instagram” for his frequent presence on social media. He walked about 700 kilometers (420 miles) during the presidential campaign, posting photos and short videos all along the way. Critics think Pahor has degraded the presidency by turning himself into a “celebrity.”

The competition

Pahor’s main opponent is Marjan Sarec, a former actor and comedian who is the mayor of the northern town of Kamnik. Before becoming a politician himself, Sarec was known for imitating politicians. He starred in Slovenian satirical shows until he mounted an independent bid for mayor in 2010 and won against an established candidate.

Sarec, 39, is currently serving his second term as mayor. He toured Slovenia in a rented bus during his campaign.

Other presidential candidates include Romana Tomc, a tax expert backed by the conservatives; Ljudmila Novak, a former teacher who leads the New Slovenia Christian-Democrats; and Angelca Likovic, who is promoting Catholic Christian values.

What opinion surveys say

Pre-election surveys showed Pahor could win as much as 55 percent of the vote on Sunday, trailed by Sarec with 21 percent. The survey conducted by Ninamedia polling agency has put all other candidates far behind.

Why the vote matters

Slovenia’s presidency holds no executive powers. However, the president proposes the prime minister who runs the government and the office-holder’s opinion carries weight on important issues. Key topics facing Slovenia include the economy, a border dispute with neighboring Croatia stemming from the 1990s’ breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the future of the European Union, the large numbers of migrants and refugees who have reached Europe or are attempting to immigrate.

Election day

Slovenia, which has a population of around 2 million, has about 1.7 million voters. Polling places are set to open Sunday at 0500GMT and close 12 hours later. Initial results are expected a few hours after the polls close.
…

The U.N. Children’s Fund warns that more than 320,000 Rohingya refugee children are living in desperate conditions in squalid makeshift settlements in Bangladesh, putting them at risk of disease and vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers.

UNICEF reports that up to 12,000 children a week are fleeing to Bangladesh to escape violence and persecution in Myanmar. In what is the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis, nearly 600,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Cox’s Bazar since the end of August. Almost 60 percent are children.

Heart-breaking report

The UNICEF report graphically describes the fearful existence of these many children. It says they arrive in Bangladesh — painfully thin, malnourished and hungry. After having escaped a near-death experience, the report says the children find themselves living in flimsy shelters. They are reduced to drinking dirty water and having to scrounge for whatever food might be available.

Author and UNICEF senior communications adviser, Simon Ingram, says the chaotic, overcrowded refugee camps are dangerous and challenging for the children.

“People surging in all directions.” he said. “So, for children caught up in that, they are getting lost. … And then in the longer term, it is the sense that these children feel so abandoned. So, completely remote and without a means of finding support or help. And, in a sense, it is no surprise that they must truly see these places as a hell on earth.”

Traumatized children

Ingram said it was particularly painful to see how traumatized the children were from their horrendous experiences in Myanmar.

“Talking to children, hearing their stories and really getting the sense that they had been through something absolutely terrible, absolutely horrific. And, yet, so often the delivery that came across was almost matter of fact. It was almost like they were already shutting it out from their minds,” he said.

UNICEF is calling for an end to the atrocities against civilians in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and for aid agencies to be given unrestricted access to all child victims of violence there.
…

European Union leaders pledged more money Thursday to help Italy work with Libya to stem the flow of migrants from North Africa trying to get to Europe.

“We have a real chance of closing the central Mediterranean route,” European Council President Donald Tusk told reporters at a Brussels summit.

Tusk was referring to the extremely dangerous sea crossing between Libya and Italy’s Lampedusa island — the first EU territory the migrants encounter. Thousands have died trying to cross the Mediterranean on unsafe boats or after being left on their own by human smugglers.

Italian officials say the number of migrants leaving Libyan shores has dropped 20 percent in 2017, since Italy began working with Libya to stop the flow. This includes Italy providing more training to the Libyan coast guard to crack down on human smugglers and rescuing migrants stranded at sea.

Italy has been demanding more money and help from the EU for several years.

“Member states so far have committed 175 million euros [$207 million]. This is clearly not enough,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.
…

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Thursday described Russian interference in U.S. elections as “warfare.”

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used cyber-enabled means in an attempt to help President Donald Trump win the White House, an allegation the Kremlin has denied.

“We have to be so hard on this and we have to hold them accountable,” Haley said during a panel discussion with former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice held by the George W. Bush Institute in New York on Thursday.

“When a country can come interfere in another country’s elections that is warfare. It really is, because you’re making sure that the democracy shifts from what the people want,” she said. “This is their new weapon of choice and we have to get in front of it.”

Congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller are investigating alleged Russian interference in the election, including whether there was any collusion between Trump associates and Moscow. Trump has denied that there was any collusion between his campaign and associates and Russia.
…

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on mayors of three major cities to resign, including the high-profile mayor of the capital, Ankara, the Hurriyet newspaper reported Thursday, in a push to revitalize his ruling party ahead of 2019 elections.

The comments mark Erdogan’s most explicit demand yet for a shake-up of veteran politicians, some of whom are nationally prominent, after voters in many cities rejected an April referendum granting him sweeping power.

While Erdogan narrowly won the referendum to change the constitution and create an executive presidency, voters in 17 of Turkey’s 30 largest cities voted against the change. Since then, Erdogan has spoken of the need for renewal in local government and the ruling AK Party, citing signs of “metal fatigue” within administrations.

“People do not take these offices as independent candidates but as candidates shown by parties. We cannot regard these posts as chairs, which are kept eternally and never abandoned,” the Hurriyet quoted him as telling reporters on his plane back from a trip to Poland this week.

A request had been conveyed for the resignation of the mayor of Balikesir in northwest Turkey, the newspaper quoted him as saying.

“Likewise, this situation was conveyed to (Ankara Mayor) Melih (Gokcek). The same with Bursa,” he was quoted as saying. Bursa is a city in northwest Turkey.

The mayor of Istanbul has resigned in the last month, as has the mayor of Duzce city in northwest Turkey. The mayor of Nigde city in central Turkey, resigned Wednesday.

But Gokcek, who has been Ankara mayor since 1994 and won five consecutive elections, has so far stayed in place, despite widespread speculation that he would step down.

Gokcek has avoided addressing the resignation issue and pointedly steered clear of the subject in public when he made an unexpected visit to the presidential palace this month.

“I presented to my president all the project details of the museum to be built opposite the (presidential) palace. I also gave various information about ongoing municipal projects. … For the public’s information,” he wrote on Twitter.

Gokcek, generally regarded as a staunch Erdogan loyalist, is well known in Turkey for tweets in which he has engaged in spats with journalists and other senior members of the AKP.

In February he suggested the U.S.-based cleric blamed for last year’s failed coup might be plotting an earthquake, with the help of foreign powers, to damage the economy.
…

Catalonia’s leader on Thursday threatened to explicitly declare independence if no talks with the central government were offered. Spain then called a special Cabinet session to be held over the weekend to activate measures to take control of Catalonia’s semi-autonomous powers.

Catalan president Carles Puigdemont’s warning came in a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy with minutes to spare before the expiration of a deadline set by the central government for him to backtrack on his calls for secession.

“If the central government persists in impeding dialogue and continuing its repression, Catalonia’s parliament will proceed … with a vote to formally declare independence,” Puigdemont’s letter said.

Cabinet session called

Spain’s government quickly responded with a statement saying it was calling a special Cabinet session for Saturday in which it would trigger the process to activate Article 155 of Spain’s Constitution. It allows for central authorities to take over the semi-autonomous powers of any of the country’s 17 regions, including Catalonia.

The Cabinet meeting will “approve the measures that will be sent to the Senate to protect the general interest of all Spaniards,” the statement said.

The measure has never been used in the four decades since democracy was restored at the end of Gen. Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

Spain’s government needs to outline what are the exact measures it wants to apply in Catalonia and submit them for a vote in Spain’s Senate.

The ruling Popular Party’s majority in the top chamber would be enough to approve the measure, but Rajoy has held discussions with opposition leaders to rally further support.

Referendum and violence

Catalans would consider the application of the measure an “invasion” of the region’s self-government, while Spain’s central authorities have portrayed it as an undesired move, yet a necessary one, to restore legality after Puigdemont’s government pushed ahead with a banned referendum that violated the country’s constitution.

More than 40 percent of Catalonia’s 5.5 million eligible voters cast ballots in the illegal Oct. 1 referendum as police used violence to try to enforce a court order to stop it from going ahead.Opponents boycotted the vote.

Catalan officials say that hundreds of people were injured in police violence, while Spanish authorities say hundreds of police officers were also hurt and the use of force was proportional to the resistance they met.

The separatists declared an overwhelming victory despite the boycott by opponents and on the grounds that it was illegal and lacked basic guarantees such as an independent electoral board.

Spain’s government had said it would be willing to hold off on applying Article 155 if the Catalan separatist leader were to call a snap regional election. But Catalan officials have ruled that out.

The Catalan government’s international affairs director, Raul Romeva, told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday that Catalonia’s banned secession referendum gave the region’s separatist government a mandate to declare independence from Spain.
…

Catalonia is one of 17 autonomous areas of Spain, but as home to the country’s second-largest city and 20 percent of its economic output, the region holds special prominence as its leaders seek independence.

History of separatism

— The history of separatism movements in Catalonia stretches back several centuries, including a decision in 1640 to align itself with neighboring France.

— More recently, in moves rejected by the Spanish government, voters in Catalonia approved independence referendums in 2014 and earlier this month, while in 2015 lawmakers approved a roadmap for secession.

— The independence movement gained momentum in the past decade as Spain went through an economic crisis, but polls in the region show support for self-rule declining as the economy rebounds. A vast majority of those who voted in the latest referendum chose for independence, though well under half of eligible voters cast a ballot and polls suggest more Catalans favor remaining in Spain.

Tourism key to region’s economy

— With its Mediterranean coast and the historic city of Barcelona, tourism is a key part of the region’s economy.

— An estimated 18 million foreign tourists visited there last year.

— One in every seven people in Spain live in Catalonia, which has been operating as an autonomous region in its current form since 1979.That structure includes its own president and parliament.

Rich cultural history

— The latest version of its official Statement of Autonomy, issued in 2006, highlights Catalonia as a community “based on respect for individual dignity.”

— “The civil and associative tradition of Catalonia has always underlined the importance of Catalan language and culture, of rights and duties, of knowledge, of education, of social cohesion, of sustainable development and equality of rights, and today, especially, of equality between men and women,” the preamble reads.

Economic powerhouse

— The region is one of the richest in Spain and accounted for about one-fourth of the country’s exports last year.

— There is a large agricultural sector, as well as an automotive industry that includes factories that make cars for Nissan and a division of Volkswagen.

— Catalonia is also home to a large portion of Spain’s pharmaceutical industry, housing major drug makers, biotech firms, medical device manufacturers and research institutions.
…

United Nations judges will decide next week on a verdict in the trial of former Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladic, who is accused of war crimes stemming from the conflict in the Balkans during the 1990s.

Mladic, dubbed “the butcher of the Balkans,” is the last soldier to face war crimes charges in the court, which was set up to deal with the fallout from the Bosnian war that raged from 1992 through 1995.

Mladic has been charged with 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in leading sniper campaigns in Sarajevo and the killings of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica.

Prosecutors have asked the International Criminal Tribunal to sentence Mladic to life in prison. Last year, attorney Alan Tieger said anything less than a life sentence would be “an insult to the victims, living and dead, and an affront to justice.”

Mladic’s defense lawyer Dragan Ivetic has accused prosecutors of seeking to make the former general a “symbolic sacrificial lamb for the perceived guilt” of all Serbs during the war.

He called for Mladic to be acquitted on all charges.

 
…

The European Union on Wednesday unveiled new measures to help counter deadly low-tech attacks following a spate of killings in major cities by extremists driving vehicles into crowds of people.

The European Commission, which proposes and ensures compliance with EU laws, said the measures aim to better protect major gatherings like concerts or sports events.

They include additional funding and training to improve cooperation between police and private security at malls or concerts.

“Terrorists don’t stand still. They change and adapt their methods. We need to be ready to adapt our response,” EU Security Commissioner Julian King said.

The response, he said, is meant to “build our resilience, to limit terrorist access to the means they use to carry out attacks, and to strengthen international cooperation.”

Brussels also wants to review rules for the sale of bomb-making material to make it harder for extremists to obtain the ingredients, and help investigators tackle encrypted phone or computer data. The Commission didn’t explain exactly how this would be done, though King said EU countries with more experience in tackling encryption should share the know-how.

To help protect public spaces and raise awareness about potential dangers at events, the Commission has earmarked a total of 118.5 million euros ($140 million) in funding for this year and 2018.

It also hopes to boost European police cooperation with Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, notably to secure the transfer of personal data to combat serious crime.
…

Hungarian police say they are carrying out a search at a Church of Scientology center in Budapest.

Police said the search by members of the National Investigation Bureau is related to an investigation into the suspected misuse of personal information and other crimes, but will not be releasing more information because the inquiry was ongoing.

Online publication ripost.hu said over 50 police officers surrounded the church’s Budapest headquarters on one of the Hungarian capital’s busiest roads early Wednesday.

The Church of Scientology is not among the 32 churches officially recognized by Hungary since a widely disputed law on churches and religious matters went into force in 2012.

The church did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
…