The past Sunday saw even more protests in Turkey after the government insisted on a bill that would outlaw abortions only four weeks after conception, a time when many women are still unsure if they are pregnant. The law may also restrict the ability for women to elect for a Caesarian operation when giving birth. Unlike previous protests earlier in June, this protest was a response to the bill from mostly men and was held in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul.

A survey published in the Turkish newspaper HaberTurk showed that 55.5% of those interviewed about the ban were against the newly proposed law. Although the majority seem to oppose the creation of the law Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is still trying to push it through. His party, AKP Party, has at least fifty percent of the votes in the parliament after the most recent parliamentary election in June of 2011.

Previously women have displayed their distaste of the proposed law with large protests. One woman stated, “we are here today because we are against this law that’s forbidding abortion because abortion is a woman’s right and this is not about abortion being a bad thing or anything. It’s about government wants woman to be only wife and mother and we are against it. We are individuals, we have rights.”

Erdogan opposes abortion and c-sections for several reasons. Erdogan is a moral and religious conservative and believes that abortion is murder. Additionally Erdogan believes that c-sections, which can limit how many children a woman can have, and abortions are conspiracies against the demographic growth in Turkey. In order to ensure Turkey’s future as one of the top economies in the world Erdogan wants the population to grow quickly. He also wants the Turkish population to grow faster than the Kurdish, which is currently not happening.

The new group protesting the ban is a group of men called “Irritated Men,” formed in 2008 in response to violence against women. The group gathered in Istanbul on 5 June 2012 to talk about the anti-abortion bill.

After comments made by the mayor of Ankara, “Irritated Men” decided something needed to be done. The Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek said “women kill their babies born out of adultery. Why do babies die because of these so-called mothers? Let mothers kill themselves.”

Orhan Cerav, the spokesman for the group, stated, “our agenda, up until a week ago was the murder of women, now we’re talking about an abortion ban.” The group also recognizes the need for male support. Cerav told Hürriyet Daily News: “public opposition by a male front is badly needed. That’s why we gathered. It’s not just women; men are also irritated by the government’s anti-abortion campaign, but we also should show it.”

The group “Irritated Men” was supposedly formed after the rape and murder of Italian artist Pippa Bacca. Bacca was hitchhiking to the Middle East from Europe in a wedding dress to promote world peace when she went missing in Turkey and was later found dead.

Image Courtesy homeros / Shutterstock.com

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Fort Lauderdale, U.S.A - Voyages to Antiquity, the cruise industry’s premier specialty enrichment provider, has published its 2013 brochure including more port calls in the Western Mediterranean; itineraries to France and Spain; a stronger emphasis on Sicily, the epicenter of Ancient Rome 3500 years ago; additional Dalmatian Coast sailings from Venice along the Adriatic and an additional Black Sea voyage. The line continues to offer a unique array of experiences in Greece and Turkey.

“The Mediterranean itineraries are the heart and soul of Voyages to Antiquity and we endeavor to make each season full of unique experiences for our guests. This year we have expanded our product offerings in the Western Mediterranean while also providing an emphasis to the ancient civilizations found in Sicily,” said Mitchell J. Schlesinger, vice president of marketing and sales for Voyages to Antiquity.

“We’ve received growing support from prestigious organizations whose well-traveled clients are interested in an educational, enriching vacation experience, including Smithsonian Journeys, the Archaeological Institute of America and numerous alumni organizations.”

The Mediterranean season begins and ends with sailings between Cairo and Istanbul, highlighted by two Wonders of the World, as well as the following sites:

• Cairo to Istanbul – March 30, 2013 and Istanbul to Cairo – October 25, 2013

Western Mediterranean cruises along the Riviera coast include:

• Rome to Cannes – May 16, 2013

• Cannes to Venice – May 28, 2013

Itineraries highlighting the Adriatic’s Dalmatian Coast and the treasures of Sicily include:

• Istanbul to Athens – April 12 and September 9, 2013

• Athens to Venice – April 24 and September 21, 2013
  Venice to Athens – June 11, 2013

• Venice to Rome – May 6 and October 3, 2013

• Athens to Rome – June 23, 2013

• Rome to Istanbul – July 3 and October 13, 2013

Guest lecturers and celebrated speakers from around the world complement the in-depth shore experiences by bringing to life the art, history and culture of the Mediterranean region.  Regional foods and wines further immerse guests in the destinations visited.

Extraordinary value is a hallmark with cruise fares starting from $3995, including shore excursions with complimentary bottled water; gratuities to shipboard staff and wine, beer and soft drinks at dinner. To accommodate the significant demand from single guests, Voyages to Antiquity has increased the number of dedicated single cabins to 26 to complement single supplements in double occupancy cabins, which start from just 25%.

Roundtrip air is available from $595 per person from 60 North American gateways, including transfers and all air taxes and surcharges. Guests who book by September 30, 2012 can enjoy up to $1000 in stateroom savings on departures from March 30 through July 3, 2013.

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This past Sunday, 15th of May, a huge demonstration against liberty of expression was performed by hundred of thousand Turkish citizens. They all represented a mash up of Internet users, and gathered together in Taksim Square, located in  the center of Istanbul. They protested against the “draft bill that was appealed by Bianet in an application filed to the Council of State in April” (Bianet).

The demonstration was organized through Facebook and Twitter. The citizens walked through Istiklal Avenue. The main message they want to send out was  that the freedom of expression and right to access information of Internet should not be obstructed. Many organizations such as the Linux Users Association, the LGBTT initiative LambdaIstanbul, the Hands off the Internet Initiative, also many different groups took part in the manifestation.

The walk lasted around three hours, with the support of 31 Turkish provinces. The citizens protested against the filtering system, which will come into effect on August 22nd of the present year. Which will ban sites such as Youtube, Blogspot, WordPress and many other thousands of websites in Turkey.

The people express themselves by shouting and showing slogans that contains phrases as: “Internet without TiB”, “The strings of the BTK are attached to Fetullah’s hand” and “ Hands off our freedom, opinions, books and Internet”.

In a press released exposed and emitted by the Sourtimes, the declaration of May 15^Th, 2011 regarding some great points about why fundamental rights and Freedoms Cannot Be Obstructed are exposed:

• The BTK (IT and Communications Institute) decision dated 02/22/2011 with number 2011/DK-10/91 lacks legal basis. The unjust decision gives BTK a right, which is not prescribed by law. The legal decision also limits basic rights and freedoms protected by the Constitution and international treaties directly. While open and unfiltered Internet access is being regarded as a basic human right by international institutions, in Turkey filtered Internet is about to become “the standard”

• The comments made by the BTK president claiming the “standard profile” is the current standard and anybody who opts-out will be left out of the filtering system are not correct. Neither there is a notion called neither “the standard profile” nor an established filter mechanism currently. With the forthcoming mechanism it will not be possible to stay out of the filtering system. If the government officials are really sincere they have to provide an “unfiltered” alternative to Internet users in Turkey.

• Internet is about to become “the standard”. “The BTK filtering system which will take effect on August 22nd, 2011 is unpredictable by the users, arbitrary, and essentially a control and censorship mechanism structurally. The criteria for filtering websites through the different profiles under the BTK system are not disclosed to Internet users. The full authority to build and maintain the filtering lists is handed to BTK by BTK itself. Now BTK will render hundreds of thousands of websites unreachable arbitrarily which is far beyond the current disproportional blocking caused by Law No. 5651. Illegitimate, disproportional and arbitrary administrative operations are unacceptable in a democratic country.

• Similar to previous blocking decisions, state officials are trying to use irrelevant countries as examples to legitimize their unjustified decisions. They are intentionally perverting the description of various state policies in their justifications. It is impossible to accept the state officials’ appeal to negative examples from across the globe to interfere with everybody’s lives in Turkey.

• Member states must encourage the use of filtering software in houses, school computers and Internet cafes but must avoid employing mandatory nationwide filtering policies.If filter use is found appropriate by families, that should be use on their own personal computers.

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