In a country where thousands of people including journalists, medical doctors even people elected by the people in the last elections such as Mustafa Balbay and Dr. Haberal are kept in jail with no official charges against them over 1 year some over 2 years now, you can not talk about democracy. In a country where telephones are tapped without a court order, people are videotaped in the privacy of their homes, such as Deniz baykal, you can not talk about democracy.

There are many Turks In Israel working in many different jobs from banks to nannies, home cleaning to Doner kebab shops and they feel very freee and safe. Around Batyam near TelAviv ther is a park where they gather on week ends and barbeque as a community, sing, dance in Turkish. Do you think a group of Israelis could freely sing in Hebrew and dance at Taksim Square and not be harrased?

Turkey is not a city-state and have rights against terrorism and democracy abuse since history. We are not Russia in Chechnya. Nobody is listening and who is listening Sderot's kids? Who cares unfortunately? EU is not living in ME(already no intention) Dont tell me about EU. Do you know who is Ergun Ozbudun.???? Please Singaporean friend, do not try to read Latin right to left.

William makes a good point.

ALL the info I quoted are from RELIABLE sources. UNLIKE Anton, YOU seem to be concerned about CONTEXT and the intricate BACKGROUND to said events. So go TELL Anton to do the SAME cos had he NOT started the whole thing, no one will deliberately HIGHLIGHT many of Turkey's DARK secrets.

but this time I am firmly behind you. My wife is Persian and I know the Persian culture quite well. It's awe-inspiring and no one in their right mind can claim Persians are stupid, backward, or violent. It was under King Cyrus that the first Human Rights charter was written. Now Arabs and Islam which infiltrated Iran....that's a different story.

It had heavy police protection but the parade went as scheduled.

Hope he got the message...