Justice and Development Party (AKP)

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has ruled out its responsibility in the appointment system that was used by Turkish expatriates in voting abroad.

The Foreign Ministry proposed a “flexible appointment” system for the overseas electorate to the Supreme Election Board’s (YSK), but the body refused, Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru told reporters on Aug. 7.

Four more police officers were arrested in the second wave of a wiretapping probe operation on Aug. 7, while six officers were released pending trial.

The number of arrests is likely to increase as 21 other police officers detained last week are expected to be sent to court. Two other officers are still being sought for interrogation.

The lira weakened to above 2.16 against the U.S. dollar Aug. 6, hitting its lowest level since March 31 due to emerging markets weakening through geopolitical tensions and anticipations that rating agency Moody’s Turkey announcement will be negative.

As Turkey witnessed a second wave of mass operation of detaining police officers as part of the “illegal wiretapping” probe, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s plans for restructuring the country’s top judicial body have been revealed.

There are several speculations about the day after the presidential elections. It is as if some of our friends travelled in time, saw Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan win the presidency with a comfortable majority in the first voting on Aug. 10 and appointed a prime minister and chairman to the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The High Elections Board (YSK) has banned the broadcast of a television ad by presidential hopeful Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s that was released on Aug. 4.

The YSK justified the ban on the grounds that “the footage of a woman who prays on a rug and the sound of the call to prayer in the ad were abusing religious values.”

Presidential hopeful Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been constantly blaming the Supreme Election Board (YSK) for the low turnout among Turkish expatriates voting abroad.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has requested to rent all of the available billboards in Turkey for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s soon-to-be-concluded presidential campaign, a representative of the main opposition claimed.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he has worked with the President Abdullah Gül in harmony during his term at the Prime Ministry despite some “small problems,” speaking at private Kanal 24 channel on Aug. 4.

“We did not conflict with each other. We worked in harmony except for some small problems,” said Erdoğan.

A second operation was launched early Aug. 5 against police as part of the “illegal wiretapping” probe in 14 provinces across Turkey.

Police raided colleagues’ residences at a number addresses around Istanbul, daily Hürriyet has learned. The list of detentions include 33 police officers according to initial information.