Lafazanis Slams TA NEA Report over fuel shortages in case Greece leaves Euro

Minister of Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Panagiotis Lafazanis on Friday slammed reports stating that he had instructed Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) to prepare an emergency plan to secure Greece’s petroleum supplies for a period of nine months, should Greece be forced out of the euro.

According to a report in the (PASOK backed) Ta Nea newspaper, ELPE’s rumored emergency plan involved three phases. At first Greece’s strategic three-month reserves would be used, while in the second phase the refineries would purchase petroleum to last for a further three months. Finally, in the third phase, ELPE would acquire crude oil and pay suppliers with refined products.

On Friday press reports quoted Lafazanis as noting that the reports are nothing more than a “figment of a morbid imagination”, since ELPE already has a policy of maintaining and planning petroleum reserves. Anything else, said Lafazanis, is “aimed at terrorizing the Greek people” and only serve “unacceptable intentions”.

On his part, the managing director for ELPE Grigoris Stergioulis told the state news agency ANA-MPA that European directives provide that his company must secure fuel reserve for 90 days, adding that it is standard practice for companies to secure reserves to last more than three months.

Greek State News Agency to sign with Russia's Rossiya Segodnya (Part of RT)

ANA-MPA on Thursday announced that it is ready to sign a cooperation agreement with the Russian news organisation Rossiya Segodnya. The announcement came from St. Petersburg on the sidelines of the International Economic Forum, where Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is also to participate. It should be reminded that Rossiya Segodnya is the largest news group in Russia and includes the broadcaster Russia Today, the news agency RIA Novosti and the international radio station Voice of Russia.

According to the announcement, the agreement provides for the development of bilateral cooperation in the news sector with the view to upgrading the relations between Russia and Greece. For this reason ANA-MPA and Rossiya Segodnya are set to jointly implement programs that are going to cover the news on political, financial, cultural, tourism and sports sectors.

Additionally, the agreement includes the creation of a service that aims to focus on the cooperation between Greece and Russia in the sectors of energy, commerce, investments, tourism and culture.

The contract will be signed by ANA-MPA president and general director Mihalis Psilos and the general director of Rossiya Segodnya, Dmitry Kiselyov.

ANA-MPA

NEW Poll says 67.8% of Greeks predict compromise with creditors

According to a new poll conducted by GPO and presented on the Anatropi talk show that is broadcasted on Monday nights on MEGA tv, almost 67.8% of Greek citizens believe that the government will make concessions in order to come to a compromise with the creditors. The majority also hold Greece’s partners and creditors responsible for the delays in reaching an agreement.

When participants were asked who is responsible for the fact that 4.5 months after the elections there as been no agreement between the Greek government and the country’s creditors, the respondents answered:

• The Greek government – 37.4%
• The creditors and partners – 56.3%
• I don’t know / no answer – 6.3%

When asked how they believe the negotiations will conclude, the respondents answered:
Rupture between Greece and creditors – 8.3%

• Compromise with Greek, primarily, concessions – 67.8%
• Compromise with creditor, primarily, concessions – 19.4%
• I don’t know / no answer – 4.5%

The survey also questioned respondents on the EU’s interests and necessity for an agreement
Greece must remain in Europe, despite the EU not representing the majority interests, to avoid isolation – 57.5%

• The EU represents progress and it is necessary that Greece remains a part of it – 18.8%
• The EU represents interests that do not serve Greece, therefore we must leave – 21.3%
• I don’t know – no answer – 2.4%

Source To Vima

Gov't & President of POSPERT clash over ERT bill

The president of the National Federation of Television and Radio Employees (POSPERT) Panagiotis Kalfagiannis is not in agreement with the government’s bill that plans to restore the operation of public broadcasting service ERT. Kalfagiannis claims that it is “a tombstone for ERT” and has called on the government to reconsider its plans, while he also slammed his critics, namely SYRIZA parliamentary representative Nikos Filis.

It should be reminded that the previous coalition government (New Democracy/PASOK/DIMAR) shut down ERT as part of plan to restructure its services. Later on, a new public broadcasting service named NERIT emerged, which has repeatedly been criticized by many of the unionists and former employees of ERT.

One of SYRIZA's proclamations during the January 2015 general elections was to introduce a bill that would restore the operation of ERT.

OSCE slams defamation in Greece after journalist gets sentence of 26 months

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović condemned the recent libel conviction and sentence imposed on journalist Kostas Vaxevanis for stories written about banking practices in Greece.

     “This ruling has a chilling effect on media freedom because it restricts reporting on matters of public interest,” Mijatović said. “Once again, this proves the need to decriminalize defamation to ease the pressure on investigative journalism.”

Vaxevanis was convicted of libelling financier Andreas Vgenopoulos and was given a jail sentence of 26 months, suspended for three years.

Mijatović said the reporter’s story originated from official documents, making the conviction even less defensible.

     “When journalists base their reporting on content from official reports, international standards call for their protection in cases where this contributes to public debate on matters of legitimate concern,” Mijatović said.

Vaxevanis, who is facing 42 additional legal proceedings based on his reporting, has appealed the conviction.

Vaxevanis has already faced prosecution arising out of the same investigation which the Representative’s Office previously raised with the Greek government.

Her related statements can be found at http://www.osce.org/fom/109007 ,   http://www.osce.org/fom/96683 , and http://www.osce.org/fom/96846 .

mignatiou

Gov't calls on TV channels to cough up 40 million euros for frequencies

The government told nationwide private and pay TV channels on Thursday to pay a total of 40 million euros which are owed to the State since 2011 for the use of radiofrequencies. The debt concerns an annual two percent fee which TV channels are required to pay based on their revenues.

Based on the document issued by the government, private TV channels will now have to pay 24.15 million euros for the years 2011-2014 and pay TV channels OTE and Multichoice Hellas are asked to fork out 16.32 million euros for the years 2012, 2013, 2014.

The government said the operating license for television channels is granted on condition that the company pays the State a minimum annual fee for the use of some radiofrequencies. The fee has been set to a two percent of the channel's gross revenues, though the percentage can be amended with a joint decision of the finance and press ministries.

The document also says the same law can be applied to radio stations.

Earlier this week, and according to a document that was signed by Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis and submitted to Parliament, the government also said that it is planning to examine all loan agreements granted to highly indebted media companies.

The Bank of Greece, however, refuses to forward to parliament any substantial information regarding the subject, citing professional confidentiality. (No surprises here seeing that Simitis' man is holding the reigns.)

     "The government is determined to fight corruption and vested interests and end the preferential treatment - on behalf of the banks - of media companies," Varoufakis' document said, adding that all cases will come to light, including loans of highly indebted companies in other sectors, besides media.
     "The reason is that it is a completely unacceptable phenomenon to have media companies lavishly funded with state money - which has been given to banks through their recapitalization plans - at a time when hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses are excluded from liquidity," the minister added.

He also said the government has told banks not to give loans to media companies which don't meet conditions and don't provide collateral. He noted the aim is to examine thoroughly all loan agreement granted to indebted businesses in various economic sectors and bring everything to light.

The aforementioned document was submitted to parliament following a question by Independent Greeks MP Nikos Nikolopoulos who wanted to be informed about loans given to media companies in the past five years and which are considered "bad loans" by common bank financing criteria.

In his answer, Varoufakis said Nikolopoulos' question was also sent to the Bank of Greece which refused to provide any information.

ANA - MPA  and other Combined Reports

Daily Mail: Varoufakis to rent out villa for 5,000 euros/week

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has put his luxury holiday home in the island of Aegina for 5,000 euros a week, according to an article published on the online edition of Daily Mail newspaper. Criticizing Varoufakis’privileged lifestyle and his recent celebrity style photo shoot with his wife in their Athens home, the article attributes the Greek FinMin’s decision to put his luxury villa on the market to the criticism he has received due to his anti-austerity look.

     “With his heiress wife and luxurious second home, Yanis Varoufakis has been mocked as a champagne socialist,” says the Daily Mail journalist.

According to the official listing on Boutique Athens, an agency that sells and rents luxury apartments, Varoufakis’ villa has a home cinema system, glass walls, a modern, stylish kitchen and five spacious bedrooms.

Read More: Daily Mail

Gov't to introduce bill on the reestablishment of ERT

A draft bill to reestablish the defunct public broadcaster ERT was released to public consultation earlier this week under the title "Regulations on issues of the state radio and television agency, Hellenic Radio and Television SA, and amendment of article 48 of Law 2190-1920."

The consultation period is expected to end at 10:00 am local time on Thursday.

It should be reminded that ERT was shut down in June 2013. The consultation announcement said that the event caused "an extremely problematic state in the operation of public radio and television in labour issues, and economic and legal issues raised during its liquidation."

It also said it was reinstating all the ERT staff who had permanent contracts by June 11, 2013 and said a fee of 3 euros would be introduced for ERT on PPC bills and the present name of the public broadcaster ("NERIT S.A.") to be replaced by ERT S.A.

A special review committee would also be set up to control the ERT assets under liquidation, including those of its affiliated stations.

Source: ANA-MPA

Varoufakis Reveals What Schauble Told Him At First Meeting - VIDEO

While speaking to journalist Nikos Chatzinikolaou on Monday night on the television talk show "ston eniko" live, Greek Finance Minister Yianis Varoufakis revealed that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble had told him that he did not envy his position when they had first met.

     "Who would have liked to be finance minister of Greece in the last 50 years?", Varoufakis asked as he stressed the difficulties ahead, and in particular the scheduled repayment of bonds in next July and August.

He said that Schauble had initially “disagreed" with his views that the "Greek debt should be restructured”. He did add, however, that the relationship between both men "is good"and that there is "mutual respect“ on a personal level as well.

The video is in the Greek language

Turkish Media Slams Austria For Not Being Tolerant Of Islam Anymore

From an extremely twisted point of view, Turkey's Daily Sabah heavily criticized the Austrian government for altering its current law system to tackle extremism. The new laws aim to come down hard on Muslims who promote extremism and according to the Turkish paper this will set a time bomb in Europe. The law, according to the paper, is also going to limit the number of clergymen who are sent from Turkey to Austria and this is certainly something that Ankara does not like. Take the Greek example: When the previous conservative government decided to pass a law to ban the influx of clergymen from Turkey to Greece (who we all know were promoting the Turkification of the Pomak, Roma and Muslim people in Thraki), the Turkish consulate in Komotini went ballistic.) The paper says that the repercussions of this decision will eventually lead to extremism. This is indeed laughable and a twisted theory, which could also very well be warning, because we all know that Turkey is tolerant (and supportive) of the Islamic State. HellasFrappe applauds the Austrian government for these measures because we feel that it will set a positive pattern that should then be adopted by all member states, especially after the Charlie Hebo attacks in Paris earlier this year.

      "Austria was hailed by Muslims as the leading country in Europe that understands and respects Islam and thus should be an example for others. However, current developments show that shortsighted Austrian politicians are prepared to change all that and set a time bomb in the heart of Europe.
      "Austria officially recognized Islam in 1912 and thus has been living in peace and harmony with Islam for more than a century. However, growing anti-Islamic sentiments and the transformation of xenophobia into Islamophobia has prompted some Austrian politicians in responsible places to follow the trends in Europe and turn against Muslims and Islam.
      "Austria is currently passing a law on Islam that is simply a blow not only to the Muslim community living in Austria, but also a serious threat to Islam in Europe, which will eliminate those Muslims who are calling for moderation and promote extremist Muslim clergymen.
      "For the past 40 years the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey (DİB) has been successfully educating Turks living in Austria on Islam, it sends moderate imams and preachers to lead prayers at the 200 mosques in the country and is helping Muslims to stay on the path of peace and compassion and encourages them to live in harmony with the people of other religions, cultures, colors and languages.What Austrian politicians are doing is setting the clock back a hundred years and destroying what has been built in a century.
     "This is not only a great shame, but is also a prescription to encourage religious extremism, clandestine activities and destroy the culture of coexistence in Austria. This is to destroy everything that other European countries have not done and are thus suffering from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) crisis as their young Muslims raised by extremist imams are leaving these countries to join the religious radicals in Syria and Iraq. Then they go back to their European countries and sow the seeds of ISIS there, hence the massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
     "The new Austrian law is directed at Islam and thus is fundamentally a discriminatory law. The law orders the moderate DİB's imams out of the country, bans any financial assistance to be received from Turkey for Muslims to learn Islam properly by moderate instructors and bans Turkish Islamic publications for Muslims from Turkey. In short, it amounts to banning DİB from Austria. What enmity, what shortsightedness?
     "The law also treats the Turkish Islamic Union of Austria as an extremist organization even though this organization helps DİB promote unity among Muslims as well as the supreme values of Islam like peace, moderation and compassion.
     "If people cannot learn their religion through legal and safe means they will then opt to learn it in a clandestine manner, which will throw them into the hands of religious extremists.
     "Austrian politicians and people in responsible places seem to miss the fact that the Catholic Church does exactly the same and may be more of what DİB is doing in Austria. The Vatican rightfully intervenes on issues regarding Catholics in Austria, it has a major say in how the Catholic Church is run and provides assistance whenever necessary. The fact that this new law targets Muslims directly and, that such measures are not even discussed concerning members of other religions, shows that the architects of this law do not mean well.
     "The Austrian government has said it wants Islam with an Austrian character. This is impossible. Islam has a universal character and attempts to create one's own brand of Islam will not work.
     "What is sad is that many European countries, and especially Germany, which houses a large Turkish Muslim minority is watching the Austrian example closely to introduce similar laws. The fuse that has been set off in Austria could well blow up in all of Europe. That is the last thing we need."

More at: Sabah

CNBC: “The brain drain" is the real tragedy for Greece

The real tragedy in Greece, which is being ignored by most economists, is the unprecedented “brain drain” which is taking place in the country, according to a report by the American news channel CNBC.

Lois Labrianidis, an economic geographer who researches migration at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, told CNBC that off the estimated 160,000 to 180,000 university graduates who have emigrated in the past few years about half have doctorate degree, while 46% of Greeks claims to plan moving abroad.

Labrianidis  claims that “the brain drain has huge implications for Greece”, which, according to him, is allowing young scientists to emigrate because “the economy keeps sinking and there is no one left to create high-value-added products or services”, thus creating a vicious cycle.

The managing director of Endeavor Greece Haris Makryniotis stated that the uncertainty in Greece has gotten worse since the recent elections, which further pushes people from all walks of life to emigrate. The recent loan agreement extension has also increased uncertainty, as everyone waits to see what is going to happen in four months.

WSJ: Samaras warned to expect little from the troika

The Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had been warned in the second quarter of 2014 not to expect much clemency from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). the European Union and the ECB (otherwise known as the Troika), notes an article in the Wall Street Journal which was published on Thursday.

It claims that German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefed Samaras when she visited the Greek capital ahead of the European elections. During her visit in Athens, the Greek Prime Minister requested help with the debt,

The article states that Merkel asked an interpreter to translate “debt relief", and then told Samaras that “it doesn’t sound as good in German”.

The retort was interpreted as an early sign that Greece should expect little clemency from the German-led troika.

Pro-SYRIZA Reporter Calls Samaras "A Wanker" - Government Outraged

The Greek government slammed the main opposition SYRIZA party at the weekend, after the director of its affiliated radio station, "Sto Kokkino", went on a rant and insulted Prime Minister Antonis Samaras by calling him "a wanker".

Addressing an event where he had been invited in Lamia on Saturday, Costas Arvanitis, the director of SYRIZA-backed "Sto Kokkino" radio station, commented on some reports in the French media, according to which Samaras had apparently attempted to use the Charlie Hebdo massacre to serve his anti-immigration agenda during the election campaign.

      "They (the government) are building fear... instead of telling us what happened and why it happened, he was telling us what will happen if [SYRIZA] comes to power. And of course it's not a coincidence the title used by the French media: 'It's hard to be loved by a wanker'," Arvanitis said and added, "this comment is unfortunately for the country's prime minister. And it's very tough on me to be calling the prime minister of my country a wanker. And the problem is not that they're saying it, it's that he is," he added.

During an election speech in the city of Halkida, in Evia, on Jan. 7, Samaras spoke about the massacre, and slammed SYRIZA's proposal to grant Greek nationality to immigrants living in Greece.

     "Some people in Greece have not realised it, SYRIZA wants to hand out nationalities and insurance to all immigrants. You see what is happening in Europe. Today in Paris we had a massacre with 12 dead and here some people are inviting foreign immigrants." 

Following the comment, government spokesman Stefanos Anagnostou and New Democracy spokeswoman Maria Spyraki both demanded Arvanitis' resignation saying his behaviour was "unthinkable".

Replying to Spyraki, Arvanitis said that the fact that she is demanding his resignation only reveals the government's continuous policy of attempting to silence criticism in the press which has led Greece at the bottom of the worldwide list in freedom of speech.

(Editor's Comment: What he did not say, however, is that he is one of the cry-babies who lost a fat state pay check when ERT closed down. And.. he did not dare criticize his party leader Alexis Tsipras of becoming chummy chummy with the Greek Orthodox Church, when we all know that Alexis has confessed that he is an atheist. Obviously Samaras is going to use it for political gain... didn't Alexis' appearance at the Piraeus port on Epiphany day aim for the same thing? The releasing of the dove from an atheist next to the Archbishop of Greece was priceless. LOL. Arvanitis should think before he speaks because if he wants to exercise criticism against the Greek premier then he should do this with solid arguments about national issues... Ever wonder why SYRIZA does not dare to address any of our public issues? But wait... SYRIZA does not address issues related to our security either, in fact some of its MPs not only applaud terrorists -such as certain members of November 17- they also want to disarm the Greek police force. And let us not even touch the subject of immigration because SYRIZA wants to legalize all the illegal immigrants in this country! Instead of addressing issues like this, Arvanitis chose to go with personal blow below the belt, a predictable Leftist strategy. Another thing that he did wrong, in our opinion, is that he gave a reason to the foreign press to criticize Greece. HellasFrappe believes that when we as citizens step foot out of Greece our hands and feet should not have a political color, but only the ethnic colors of blue and white. Finally, this former ERT reporter should also get accustomed to the Greek proverb "χεσε ψηλα και αγναντευε" - or to put it into simple terms in English... sh**t high and watch . Meaning: that he should expect criticism for his words because when you  sh**t high and watch , sooner or later it is going to come flying down straight on your face.)

Sources: enikos, Youtube, LamiaReport

WSJ - Greek economy's recovery could be knocked back because of political uncertainty

Greece's economy could be knocked back if the country enters a period of protracted political uncertainty and breaks with its international creditors, Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis told Wall Street Journal in an interview on Friday. He noted the probability of a bank run is very small and that a Greek exit from the euro is unlikely.

Since early December, the report said, Greece has been thrust into political turmoil by an inconclusive parliamentary vote for president, businesses have frozen investments, privatizations have stalled, and tax collections have slumped. If this uncertainty isn't resolved soon, said Hardouvelis, months of economic growth could be lost.

     "If you lose the first quarter of the year, where the economy could have taken off, and then perhaps the second quarter, that gives you half the growth that you would have otherwise had," he said.

Greece's 2014 official GDP data, to be released in mid-February, are expected to show the economy grew about 0.6 percent last year, according to the official government forecast. This year, the government sees the growth rate perking up to a 2.9 percent rate. But, Hardouvelis said, growth could fall to roughly half that rate in a "worst-case scenario".

If SYRIZA is elected as government and implements its policies, "these… promise to complicate Greece's efforts to negotiate a new credit line with its creditors; the country's current bailout program runs out at the end of February," the report said.

     "A new deal would, among other things, unlock some 7 billion euros worth of promised aid—without which the government will begin facing a cash crunch by end March—and guarantee Greek banks continued access to cheap European Central Bank loans," it added.

No deal could further undermine the economy, Hardouvelis said. "You don't just need a stable government to be formed quickly; you need a government with a clear policy forward," he said.

He also added that a Greek exit from the euro is unlikely. "Politics in a country follows the deep wishes of the population and the population has a deep wish to stay with the West; that is associated with staying in the euro area."

ANA/MPA

Turkish gov't arrests media chiefs in latest assault on free speech

Ekrem Dumannli, the chief editor of Zaman, Turkey’s biggest selling newspaper, cried "we are not scared" after he and other journalists were detained by police over terrorism allegations. The following article is an analysis of the recent arrests of many media agents in Turkey from the Erdogan government who it claims work on behalf of his rival Gulen. The article is from James Smart at the PressProject. To get a better understanding of the rift between Gulen and Erdogan HellasFrappe suggests that you also read the background to this story by clicking HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.

By James Smart (Press-Project) - It must have been quite a memorable Sunday afternoon for the locals. Four Turkish police officers briskly walked through the security gates at the offices of Zaman - Turkey's biggest selling newspaper, situated in the working-class suburb of Şirinevler, with a helicopter flying overhead and water cannon vehicles behind.

Surrounding them were 3-4000 protesters - some loyal Zaman readers, others there to defend the free press, who themselves had been tipped off and were also in present in large numbers.

     "Free media cannot be silenced" the crowd chanted as the police walked through the door, not stopping until shortly later when they came back out escorting the newspaper's Chief Editor Ekrem Dumanlı, having failed to breach the crowd at 7.15 that morning. Let those who have committed a crime be scared," Mr Dumanli said as he was ushered away with the police. 'we are not scared'.
     “The detentions have been ordered in order to take their testimonies on charges of founding and directing an armed terror organization, being a member of this organization, and engaging in forgery and slander,” said a statement released by the Istanbul Chief Prosecuters office later that day.

But the protesters believe this is merely another purge on the ever-shrinking media that is prepared to criticise the government.

Dumanli wasn't the only target. Around thirty-one people were detained, mostly other media chiefs, a TV scriptwriter, a TV show director, and a handful of former police chiefs who are suspected if having links to Hizmet, an organisation in confrontation with the AKP government.

Briefly, Hizmet is a popular and somewhat secretive movement founded by Fetullah Gulen, an elderly preacher in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Gulen preaches a brand of Islam that many Turks find agreeable, emphasising use of modern technology, moderation, interfaith dialogue, and promoting Turkishness.

The foundation operates schools and universities in over 140 countries and has other investments in health clinics, finance and media - including publications such as Zaman.

For ten years, Gulen's movement colluded with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's AKP government, proving particularly useful on the campaign trail. Gulen and Erdogan shared the same enemies and it seems that Gulenists in the police and judiciary may have assisted the AKP government by finding ways of putting political foes behind bars.

While the current government used to be happy enough to see their political enemies framed, they are now charging Gulenists in the police and judiciary with fabricating evidence. To understand the reason for this reversal, we need to explore the fading relationship between Gulen and Erdoğan.

From mid-2010, relations deteriorated between the Hizmet movement and the AKP to the extent that the AKP closed down part of the Hizmet operation in Turkey, and continues to work on this.

On their part, Gulenists were able to use their positions in the police and intelligence services to uncover and publicise a series of recordings that showed Erdoğan, his son, and his cabinet knee-deep in corruption. Four ministers were forced to resign, but the government emerged somewhat discredited but largely unscathed. Since then, Gulen has been accused of running a parallel state.

     "I want my dear nation to know that we are not just faced with a simple network, but one which is a pawn of national and international evil forces," said Erdoğan on Friday.
     "We have gone into their lairs, and we will go into them again.”
     “Whoever is beside them and behind them, we will bring down this network and bring it to account".

So, the tables have turned, and Gulenists are now the terrorists.

Is this a simple case then of a feud spiralling out of control?

Ozgur Kuçuk is a journalist for Zaman newspapers. "make no mistake" he says. "these arrests are nothing to do with animosity between Gulen and Erdogan per se. Erdoğan goes after anybody who criticises him publically. He goes after journalists who criticise him, and has them sent to jail".

With an estimated forty journalists currently languishing behind bars, Turkey is the world's biggest jailer of journalists. According to Reporters without Borders, Turkey lies 154th out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom. To avoid jail, most media outlets self-censor, disciplining and firing media workers who are critical of the government.

To avoid these pitfalls, some Turks post anonymously using blogs and fake twitter accounts. Turkey's most celebrated media outlaw is probably 'Fuat Avni', who claims to have close connections to Erdogan's inner circle, and regularly tweets warnings about operations against the public. This account tipped off the public about this Sunday's arrests, with a list of all those due to be arrested, and even the police officers responsible with each arrest, which were originally due to take place with an element of surprise on Friday.

Fuat initially tweeted that around 140 journalists were to be detained, with 400 citizens to be arrested in total. By Sunday, this had been revised. "Operations against mainstream and liberal journalists will not take place - for now".

The timing of these arrests are interesting. A new law was put in place only on Friday making it easier to arrest and detain citizens. And it is almost exactly a year to the day when police - presumably Gulenists - went after Erdoğan and his cabinet with audio evidence of corruption. Then, as now, reaction was fierce and relentless, with prosecutors, police and journalists moved or fired by the thousands.

Furthermore, last December the government had been easily able to placate much of the public by claiming they had been victim of a 'montage' - claiming that the recordings had been faked, as part of a campaign of dirty tricks. And this government is no stranger to dirty tricks.

During the Gezi Park protests in the summer of 2013, undercover police acting as agent provocateurs quite clearly threw a series of molotov cocktails at police water cannons, which in turn fired unusually inaccurate water cannon back near the provocateurs.

It was only because the campaign was conducted in such an amateurish manner that it was clearly not the actions of real protesters but of a police force needing an excuse to continue their heavy-handed campaign. Özgur Kuçuk thinks that further stunts may continue.

     "I predict" continues Kuçuk, "undercover intelligence officers will try to gain access to journalists, to pose as Gulenists and elicit responses that will act as evidence against them in court".

Ostensible, the Hizmet movement is being accused of fabricating evidence to put their rivals in jail. However, Erdoğan's attitude towards the media over the past few years leads many to suspect that this is another excuse to keep a critical media ever more silent.

     "Once again, President Erdoğan has shown he will embrace extreme measures to silence dissident voices. He believes in a compliant press, not a free press," said CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists) spokesperson Simon Rowe on Sunday.

Criticism of the government's position continues to come under fire from all corners. The lira slumped today as nervous investors pulled out their money.

Emma Sinclair-Webb, a senior Turkey researcher at Human Rights Watch, echoes Rowe's concerns.“The detention of journalists and editors in the context of this latest wider operation of arrests looks like another attempt to crack down on critical media,” she said.

The EU also chimed in: "The police raids and arrests of a number of journalists and media representatives in Turkey today are incompatible with the freedom of media, which is a core principle of democracy," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said in a joint statement.

Anybody who observes Erdoğan though, knows he can always be relied on to fight fire with fire.

      "The EU should mind its own business and keep its own opinions to itself," he declared. 

Turkey's President cares little for what outsiders have to say, at least publically. He may occasionally back down, but very quietly. Openly, he battles hard and nonstop. His supporters enjoy this streetfighter image, and tend to believe his various accusations of foreign plots. The opposition remain weak, largely because there isn't much historical evidence that they would behave any better if they were in power. Meanwhile the economy is weakening but on a visible level the country continues to modernise on many levels. Erdoğan still seems invincible.

He continues "We gave a promise to Ekrem (Dumanlı) - taking away editors will change nothing. We will print this paper even better. You can detain as many people as you want. Nothing will change here".

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso and its partners and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The project's page: Safety Net for European Journalists. A Transnational Support Network for Media Freedom in Italy and South-east Europe

Turkish-Greek dogfight Over Aegean - Turkish Sub. Sails Round Cyprus EEZ

Turkish fighter jets chased a Greek civil aviation aircraft over the island of Samos in the eastern Aegean, Real FM reported on Wednesday.  National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, who at the time was flying from the nearby island of Chios to Psara, told reporters that two Turkish F16 harassed a Greek civil aviation aircraft.

The chase apparently transformed into a dogfight with Greek fighter jets following Turkish planes over the island of Mykonos.

The report on Real Fm said that Tactical Airforce Headquarters chief Christos Vaitsi spoke with his Turkish counterpart on the "red line" and Turkey explained that the Turkish pilot acted on his own initiative.

(Of course anyone with a half a brain... doesn't buy into the Turkish Chief's excuse and knows very well that Ankara is trying to provoke the Greek side into reacting so that it can raise the tension even more in the East Mediterranean.)

Meanwhile, a Turkish submarine suspiciously escaped from the ongoing NATO military exercises that are currently being held in the Eastern Mediterranean and began sailing in the Cape Greco sea area.

A report from the military news site defencenet said that The Turkish submarine, Burakreis S 359, abandoned the NATO Exercise "Blue Whale" because the Turkish navy officials "felt" that this was the right thing to do.

The submarine did not update NATO as required and approached the Cypriot coast, or arrived in the Cape Greco area. It then began to sail around plots 3 and 13 of Cyprus' EEZ, and the greater area.

NATO officials are annoyed by the Turkish behavior but they are continuing with the naval exercises, and not necessarily slapping Turkey on the wrists for doing so.

(It is obvious that NATO is not at all concerned with Turkish aggression towards Greece and/or Cyprus and for yet another time, turns the other cheek whenever Ankara decides to throw its weight around in the Aegean.)

Putin Tops Forbes World’s Most Powerful People List for 2nd Year!

Russian President Vladimir Putin was named the world's most powerful person by Forbes for the second year running, while US President Barack Obama took second place.

     "For the second year running, our votes went with the Russian president as the world's most powerful person, followed by U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping," the article accompanying the list published Wednesday said.

The annual ranking is based on a voting by a panel of journal's editors, who consider parameters like the person's scope and use of power, the number of people impacted by the person in question and financial resources.

Forbes argues that the ranking singles out people, who "wield the kind of power that shapes and bends the works, and moves people, markets, armies and minds."

In 2012, Putin was in third place on the list, while Obama took first place that year. The Russian leader was also been named Person of the Year by Time magazine in 2007, and was named The Times International Person of the Year in 2013.

RIA Novosti

When Casualties Rise, The Coverage of War & Conflicts Becomes Even More Negative

As the number of U.S. casualties rose in Afghanistan, reporters filed more stories about the conflict and those articles grew increasingly negative about both the war effort and the military, according to a Penn State researcher.

     "When the war in Afghanistan started, the tone of the stories that reporters filed was generally neutral," says Michel Haigh, associate professor of communications. "However, over time, and as casualties increased, the coverage became more negative."

In 2003, as the media began to focus more on the conflict in Iraq, reporters wrote less than 20 stories about Afghanistan in the newspapers that Haigh and her assistants analyzed. They examined articles about the war from major newspapers during a 10-year period -- from 2001 to 2010. However, between 2009 and 2010, when casualties reached their highest levels, there were more than 450 articles written about the war in Afghanistan.

The negativity toward the war effort was reflected in the stories written by reporters in the field, as well as articles written by journalists in the U.S. and in other countries, said Haigh, who released her findings in a recent issue of Newspaper Research Journal.

While reporters who were embedded in military units in previous conflicts tended to be more positive about the military, embedded reporters in Afghanistan were typically negative about the military, according to Haigh.

In fact, reporters in Afghanistan wrote stories with tones that were slightly less positive about the military than reporters who wrote their articles outside the country.

     "This isn't the type of story we expected from embedded reporters," Haigh said. "Typically, the use of embeds in a military unit leads to more positive reporting, however, coverage in Afghanistan was negative, regardless of whether the journalists reported from in Afghanistan or outside the country."

The researchers also said that another difference in the coverage was how reporters framed their stories.

Framing refers to how reporters decide to tell the story.

For example, a journalist may decide to focus the story on the war on terrorism or on casualties. In this case, reporters both inside and outside of Afghanistan reported on the increasing casualties, although reporters who were not in Afghanistan did write stories on the economic and political impact of the conflict.

According to Haigh, there were fewer embedded reporters in Afghanistan than in previous conflicts. Because newspapers pay to have embedded reporters travel with the troops, the cost of sending reporters to file stories in Afghanistan was too expensive for most news outlets that were struggling during the economic downturn.

War fatigue may have been another reason for fewer embedded reporters.
The American public was tired of hearing about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Haigh and her assistants examined more than 1,100 articles from three national newspapers -- the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.

A group of eight coders was trained to analyze the frames and tone of the stories. The coders did not consider opinion and editorial columns when they analyzed the content. An area for future research may be to match this content analysis with public opinion polls to determine whether the media coverage affected public support for the war.

OPINION - Is The Corrupt Greek Media Suddenly Falling in Love With Alexis?

The participation of main opposition Alexis Tsipras in an international forum in Como a few days ago obviously disappointed some of his comrades who we all know preferred that he appeared in the demonstrations that were taking place in the northern city of Thessaloniki where Prime Minister Antonis Samaras gave a speech about the nation's economy, but for those who are still in touch with reality, it was an obvious initiative for a party and leader vying for power. This was the theme of an article that appeared in To Vima at the weekend and which obviously leaves us with the impression that the publishers (some of Greece's most influential oligarchs) are turning their backs on the coalition government and sucking up to Alexis. (For a possible run as prime minister?)

The article, which clearly speaks to voters of the center, says that if the left wants to claim a significant role in Greek political life then it must expand its horizons and decide on whether or not Greece is an integral part of Europe. And what is worse, it condemns some party members for not realising this, but hails Alexis who it said has a better understanding of things.

Huh?

The guy spoke at the “Forum of Como”, at the posh Villa d’Este and some of the participants at this event included names such as Barroso, Monti, Almunia Asmousen, Trichet, etc. (in other words, representatives of the  European Neoliberal \Establishment).

The forum is held every autumn in the famous Villa d’Este resort which in 2009 was declared by  Forbes magazine as being the best hotel in the world! And Tsipras represented Greece among other heavy names such as the former Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta and Mario Monti, the former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, the banker Jean Claude Trichet, the German Minister Jörg Asmussen, and Commissioners Joaquín Almunia and Michel Barnier. Just check out the luxury setting.

Alexis still wants Greek citizens to to believe that he is fighting for the weak and the poor when he is clearly and without a doubt getting into bed with liberals?

Are you kidding us!

They must be fluffing his image up like they did with George Papandreou. The only thing is that at least George knew how to speak English, whereas Tsipras does not!

Check out where Mr. I am a Leftist but with a Right pocket stayed!

Aside from the obvious there is also something else that bothered us about this meeting in northern Italy. Frappers, when some the top names in European political life get together at a secluded hotel at one of the most expensive and luxurious resorts in the world to discuss global security, then expect them another hush, hush Bilderberg-type meeting that is brainstorming on events to come.

Our guess is that aside from the speeches that were made, there was also a lot of talks behind closed doors. Why do we believe that? And why are we here at HellasFrappe convinced that the meeting also had something to do with Europe's relations with Russia and the Middle East. Well guess who else attended this exclusive event? It was none other than US warmonger John McCain himself. He was actually interviewed by the BBC at the site and if one wanted to come to a conclusion on what all these neoliberals were talking about behind closed doors at this meeting then all you have to do is watch the video below. SHOCKING!

So can we safely assume that Tsipras is getting into bed with war mongers? Strong statement but then again if you actually watched the second video with John McCain then you too will wonder the same thing. A conference which discusses global security and includes names such as McCain who is steadfast on getting boots on the ground in Syria and in Iraq is a NO NO for Greek politicians. Greece has to stay neutral to all the events which are unfolding in the Middle East because they are occurring in our neighborhood!

We slammed George Papandreou many times about siding with other neocon war mongers such as George Soros and the Clintons, and from what we see Tsipras is following his lead. Papandreou may have given speeches about defending the rights of the poor and desperate people of Greece but yet he was commpletely comfortable about renting a luxury apartment  in Manhattan next to Lady Gaga!

Seriously...! How much more garbage do we have to digest?

Now we know that the Greek media is corrupt, but are they that wicked? Would they suddenly flip-flop and begin prepping up Tsipras to govern us because they too belong to the same necon group of war mongering buffoons who only endorse the defence industry, the city of London, Soros and WallStreet?

Lol... bet your heads are shaking up and down.

Frappers... it looks like it is going to be pretty interesting autumn. Stay tuned.

Signed
HellasFrappe Team

Respect for Truth No Longer Exists By Western Media

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, who was Assistant Secretary of the United Sates Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal says that the Western media is comprised of ignorant and incompetent fools or a whorehouse that sells war for money. Roberts, who was also a columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate notes that Western media’s only purpose nowadays is not to tell the truth, but to demonize Russia.

Here is his latest article:

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts - The Western media have proved for all to see that the Western media comprises either a collection of ignorant and incompetent fools or a whorehouse that sells war for money.

The Western media fell in step with Washington and blamed the downed Malaysian airliner on Russia. No evidence was provided. In its place the media used constant repetition. Washington withheld the evidence that proved that Kiev was responsible. The media’s purpose was not to tell the truth, but to demonize Russia.

Now we have the media story of the armored Russian column that allegedly crossed into Ukraine and was destroyed by Ukraine’s rag-tag forces that ISIS would eliminate in a few minutes. British reporters fabricated this story or were handed it by a CIA operative working to build a war narrative. The disreputable BBC hyped the story without investigating. The German media, including Die Welt, blared the story throughout Germany without concern at the absence of any evidence. Reuters news agency, also with no investigation, spread the story. Readers tell me that CNN has been broadcasting the fake story 24/7. Although I cannot stand to watch it, I suspect Fox “news” has also been riding this lame horse hard. Readers tell me that my former newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, which has fallen so low as to be unreadable, also spread the false story. I hope they are wrong. One hates to see the complete despoliation of one’s former habitat.

The media story is preposterous for a number of reasons that should be obvious to a normal person.

The first reason is that the Russian government has made it completely clear that its purpose is to de-escalate the situation. When other former Russian territories that are part of present day Ukraine followed Crimea, voted their independence and requested reunification with Russia, President Putin refused. To underline his de-escalation, President Putin asked the Russian Duma to rescind his authority to intervene militarily in Ukraine in behalf of the former Russian provinces. As the Russian government, unlike Washington or EU governments, stresses legality and the rule of law, Russian military forces would not be sent into Ukraine prior to the Duma renewing Putin’s authority so to do.

The second reason the story is obviously false is that if the Russian government decides to invade Ukraine, Russia would not send in one small armored group unprotected by air cover or other forces. If Russia invades Ukraine, it will be with a force capable of rolling up the rag-tag Ukrainian forces, most of which are semi-private militias organized by nazis. The “war” would last a few hours, after which Ukraine would be in Russia’s hands where it resided for hundreds of years prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Washington’s successful efforts in 1991 to take advantage of Russian weakness to break apart the constituent provinces of Russia herself.

The third reason that the story is obviously false is that not a single Western news organization hyping the story has presented a shred of evidence in its behalf.

What we witness in this fabricated story is the total lack of integrity in the entirety of
the Western media.

A story totally devoid of any evidence to support it has been broadcast world wide. The White House has issued a statement saying that it cannot confirm the story, but nevertheless the White House continues to issue accusations against Russia for which the White House can supply no evidence. Consequently, Western repetition of bald-faced lies has become truth for huge numbers of peoples. As I have emphasized in my columns, these Western lies are dangerous, because they provoke war.

The same group in Washington and the same Western “media” are telling the same kind of lies that were used to justify Washington’s wars in Iraq (weapons of mass destruction), Afghanistan (Taliban = al Qaeda), Syria (use of chemical weapons), Libya (an assortment of ridiculous charges), and the ongoing US military murders in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.

The city upon the hill, the light unto the world, the home of the exceptional, indispensable people is the home of Satan’s lies where truth is prohibited and war is the end game.

Update: After pretending that the Russian humanitarian truck convoy contained a hidden invasion force, the stooge Kiev government was forced by facts on the ground to officially acknowledge that the trucks only contained aid for those that the Kiev stooge government has been bombing and attacking with artillery. http://rt.com/news/180844-ukraine-recognizes-russia-humanitarian-aid/

About the author - Dr. Paul Craig Roberts'  internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West and How America Was Lost.