Erdogan: If the people want the death penalty we must listen to what the people say

The Turkish government is ready to work with all the main opposition parties in drafting a new constitution, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said. “All the main parties are ready to start work on a new constitution,” he told journalists. Agreement on this was reached at a meeting on the consequences of the 15 July attempted coup held between President Recep Erdogan and two opposition leaders – Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party Selahattin Demirtas was not invited to the meeting. The Turkish government has been calling for the amendment of the constitution as Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party wants the installment of a presidential system in the country. Meanwhile, as regards the idea to reinstate the death penalty in the country, President Erdogan stated in a televised interview: “If the people want the death penalty we must listen to what the people say”, whatever EU officials may say; a number of EU officials havestated that if the country reinstates the death penalty Ankara’s accession negotiations must be called off immediately.

Erdogan confirms visit to Russia on August 9

Turkish President Recep Erdogan has confirmed that he will be visiting St. Petersburg on August 9 where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek announced at a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Arkady Dvorkovich. Moscow and Ankara must normalize their relations, Simsek said. Relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated when in November 2015 the Turkish air force brought down a Russian Su-24 bomber over Syrian territory.

Vecer newspaper: Fethullah Gulen’s movement has bases in Macedonia

The Yahya Kemal schools in Macedonia are an Islamic political base of the Hizmet movement of radical Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was accused of masterminding the attempted coup in Turkey, the Macedonian newspaper Vecer writes. Gulen’s teaching has been preached in Macedonia for over ten years, Vecer writes, adding that Hizmet is copying the practice of the Catholic Opus Dei during Franco’s rule in Spain by taking over political power and building its political influence through the medium of religious education.

Kosovo authorities accuse Iranian national of “terrorism funding and money laundering” via NGOs

The authorities in Kosovo have charged an Iranian national of terrorism funding and money laundering, stating that in 2014 and 2015 he received the undeclared sum of 900,000 euro. The official authorities are not divulging the man’s name, but local media have identified him as Hasan Azari Bejandi, head of the NGO Koran. He is also said to control the activities of another four religious organizations, suspected of ties with Teheran and spreading anti-Western and anti-Semitic propaganda. As a result of the investigation the activities of these organizations have been put an end to.

130 migrants declare hunger strike on Serbia-Hungary border

Around 130 migrants went on hunger strike not far from the border between Serbia and Hungary, in the transit zone near Horgos border checkpoint. The migrants who are mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran left Belgrade a few days ago. The migrants say they will only drink water until they are allowed to continue on their way to Germany or some Scandinavian country. The Hungarian government has stated that it will not succumb to duress. “Protests like this are often not organized by the migrants themselves but by so-called citizen associations which want to put pressure on the Hungarian government to open the country’s borders so everyone will all be able to cross over to Austria,” said Gyorgy Bakondi, security advisor to Prime Minister Viktor Orban.