Free Republic

Leading up to the the most bizarre and unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey's history, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been choking out the civil liberties of his citizens, punishing journalists and threatening the country's top constitutional court. Erdogan has taken Turkey further from secularism and closer to Islamic theocracy, which is claimed to be one of the reasons behind the attempted coup. He somehow convinced Germany to punish a writer for reciting a negative poem and has imprisoned journalists in his own country for their negative criticisms of his increasingly authoritarian rule. It is suspiciously obvious that the recent failed coup...

Turkey has entered a second day of violent protests, with fresh clashes between police and demonstrators in Istanbul and the capital, Ankara. The unrest began as a sit-in over plans to redevelop Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square, but escalated after police used tear gas. Tear gas was again fired Saturday at protestors in Istanbul and Ankara. In a defiant speech, PM Tayyip Erdogan insisted that the park project would go ahead. He also said that police would remain in Taksim Square to preserve order. Correspondents say that what began as a local issue has spiralled into more widespead anger...