People's Party

Turkish cabinet members "may get right to block internet"

ANKARA -- The Turkish prime minister and any cabinet member could be given the right to block any website, without a court order.

A new bill submitted to the Turkish parliament envisages that government members may use this right "for broad reasons such as protection of public order," the daily Hurriyet reported.

The Turkish Green Crescent Society (Ye?ilay), an organization that endeavors to protect society and its youth from "harmful habits," has added "prostitution, technology and gambling" to its list of habits, as it prepares to receive more government funding into its budget.

Turkey's prime minister or any of his ministers will have the right to block any website without a court ruling for broad reasons such as "protection of public order," according to a new omnibus bill.

A senior government official has indirectly slammed Turkish daily Cumhuriyet's decision to publish the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's cover cartoon, describing the move an "open provocation."

Selahattin Demirta?, the co-leader of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has said the debate about entering the upcoming general elections with independent deputies is "over," stressing his confidence that the party will surpass the 10 percent election threshold.

"We are determined to go to the polls as a party," Demirta? said in an interview with Haberturk late on Jan. 13.  

Turkey's main opposition party has called on Islamic countries to adopt secularism in order to end the roots of terrorism, denouncing last week's deadly Paris attacks and stressing that "killing innocent people has nothing to do with Islam."

The mining company responsible for the operation of the disaster-struck mine in the Aegean coal capital of Soma, where 301 workers lost their lives in Turkey's worst mining accident last May, has obtained authorization to build a new plant in the northern province of Amasya, daily Cumhuriyet has reported.

The leader of Turkey's main opposition party has claimed that all his family members and party officials are being eavesdropped on, without specifying who is responsible.

An Istanbul district municipality responsible for the area that includes the historic Grand Bazaar wants a say in the management of the market, which has been controlled by its craftsmen for around 555 years, as part of a renewal plan, daily Cumhuriyet has reported.

An opposition lawmaker has asked Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu whether Russian citizen Diana Ramazova, the perpetrator of last week's terror attack in Istanbul, was given a diplomatic passport by Turkish officials.