Turkey's most senior judge rebukes Erdogan over Twitter banApril 25, 2014 - 16:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's most senior judge has delivered a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for criticizing his court's decisions, including one that lifted a ban on Twitter on the grounds that it violated freedoms, the Associated Press reports. Erdogan reluctantly complied with the high court ruling to unblock Twitter earlier this month. Erdogan said, however, that he did not respect the ruling and described it as being against national interests. On Friday, Constitutional Court Chief Justice Hasim Kilic slammed what he said was "disproportionate" and "shallow criticism" of the court's ruling. Speaking at a ceremony marking the court's 52nd anniversary, Kilic stressed the independence of Turkey's courts, saying they did not take orders. Erdogan and other officials did not applaud the speech. News reports said Erdogan left the ceremony without attending the reception, according to the AP. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |