Republicanism in Turkey

An Istanbul court ordered the arrest of a soldier on Aug. 23 on charges of "insulting the legacy of Atatürk" through his social media posts.

The Kumburgaz Gendarmerie Private Training Center Commandship informed the local prosecutor's office about one of its soldiers, identified as specialized sergeant Erdal Kaya, who had allegedly insulted Atatürk via his social media account.

A statue depicting a five-year-old girl, modeled in memory of Ayten Alper who was photographed in 1931 handing flowers to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, has been attacked by unidentified assailants in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak.

An arrested attacker of a sculpture of Atatürk (founder of modern Turkey) said that he "acted upon a message from God."

Mehmet Malbora, wearing traditional religious clothes and a turban, had climbed onto the pedestal of the statue in Siverek's Cumhuriyet Square and began to hit it with a sickle on July 30. He was arrested by court on July 31.

It might be a surprise for some, but it is an unfortunate reality of this country. At the end of June there were 171 journalists in prison. Prominent human rights activists, among them Amnesty International Turkey director İdil Eser, have been placed behind bars on grounds of membership in a terrorist gang.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has criticized the country's new education curriculum, saying that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, was being left out of it.

An Istanbul court ordered two and a half years in jail for Islamic preacher Hasan Akar on July 19 for insulting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who was the founder of modern Turkey.

The court decided Akar's jail sentence in the second hearing of the trial.

The leader of the main opposition party has reiterated his challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a televised debate over the July 15 coup attempt, after he was harshly accused of supporting coup plotters for calling the putsch a "controlled coup."

The Republican People's Party (CHP) is prepared to carry out more street protests following the 25-day justice march, said its chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on July 17. Kılıçdaroğlu also rejected President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calling his walk from Ankara to Istanbul a "terrorist march."

It is the first anniversary of the terrible July 15, 2016, coup attempt, which deserves to be celebrated as the victory of civil politics over such a dark plot and to be considered as a national day. Indeed, we have to be proud that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and all opposition circles duly defended democracy against an attempted coup last year.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks on the anniversary of the July 15, 2016, have created rifts within the society, according to a senior member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).