【793-795】土耳其下令逮捕与居伦有关的人&两位情绪化画面中的帕克兰德母亲因枪炮而分道扬镳&泰国公主的总理提名被否决
Turkey Orders Arrests Over Links to Gulen
February 12, 2019
FILE PHOTO: U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller/File Photo
Reports from Turkey say the government has launched one of its largest operations against people suspected of supporting Muslim clergyman Fethullah Gulen.
State media say Turkish officials approved orders for the arrest of 1,112 people. The operation was related to reports of cheating in police examinations.
Officials accuse Gulen of leading efforts to overthrow the government in 2016. The new operation shows the government is not letting up on its fight against those who plotted the overthrow attempt.
More than two years ago, soldiers used warplanes, helicopters and tanks in an effort to seize power. More than 250 people were killed in the failed coup.
Gulen is a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The clergyman has lived in exile in the United States since 1999. He has denied involvement in the coup.
The Turkish operation related to a police force examination in 2010 for those seeking to become deputy police inspectors. There are claims that some of those who took the exam received the questions before taking the test, the state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday a “big operation” was coming against Gulen supporters. “We will finish them off,” he said.
The government claims that, over many years, they took control of state organizations, such as the security forces, often by helping people cheat on exams.
Since the coup attempt, the Turkish government has carried out a deep purge of state agencies. Government lawyers have launched many investigations against those suspected of links to Gulen.
Turkey’s Western allies have criticized the campaign, which began under a state of emergency that was declared after the coup. It remained in effect until July of 2018.
Erdogan’s critics accuse him of using the failed coup as a way to suppress opposition. The Turkish government says the measures are necessary to fight threats to national security.
More than 77,000 people have been jailed without trial since the failed coup. The government has removed or suspended 150,000 civil and military personnel.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said more than 15,000 military personnel have been dismissed since the coup. They are said to include 150 high-level military officials.
The government has also taken control of hundreds of businesses accused of links to Gulen and his supporters. Also, it has shut down more than 130 media companies as part of the purge.
I'm Susan Shand.
Daren Butler reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Susan Shand adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
coup – n. a sudden attempt by a small group of people to take over the government usually through violence
purge – v. to remove people from an area, country or organization, often in a violent and sudden way
AS IT IS
Two Parkland Mothers in Emotional Picture Now Divided over Guns
February 12, 2019
It is an image that represents the pain and suffering of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida: two mothers crying and holding each other outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, as they wait for news from inside the school.
But the connection between the two women in the now-famous image has not lasted. They soon found themselves on opposite sides of the gun control debate, much like the rest of America.
The shorter woman with red hair is Cathi Rush. She was trying to find out whether her son, Brandon, survived the shooting, in which 17 people were killed.
Mechelle Boyle is the name of the tall woman with lighter hair. The black mark on her head is a reminder that the shooting took place on Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day.
Boyle’s three children did not go to the school and were safe.
But she told the Associated Press in a recent interview, “My heart just started breaking.” She said, “Oh, my God, she [Cathi Rush] doesn’t know if her son is alive or dead. She’s here crying and can’t reach him.”
Brandon was not harmed in the shooting. But when the picture was taken, Rush was still waiting to hear from him again. He had sent her phone messages earlier telling her that he was hiding under a table.
When she had not heard from her son for nearly an hour, Rush fell to the ground. All around her were other crying parents and the sounds from emergency vehicles.
Boyle pulled Rush up from the ground and held her.
The image, taken by an Associated Press photographer, soon appeared on the front pages of newspapers and on broadcasts and websites around the world.
Rush said of the image, “In that moment it was just two moms comforting each other, scared for their kids. Not only for their kids, but their kids’ friends, their kids’ teachers.”
Rush appeared on television news programs a few days after the shooting. She first said she hated the image and felt that the photographer had intruded on a private moment.
But Rush has since welcomed the image. She had the photo printed on clothes that her family wore to anti-gun protests. At the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, she and her family carried a huge banner with the image on it. She even made the image her main Facebook picture for a time.
Rush works as a school nurse. She wants to see stronger gun control laws. She attended a few meetings of the organization Moms Demand Action, which calls for more gun safety measures to protect people against gun violence.
After the shooting, Boyle turned down all interview requests from the media until now. She said she did not lose a child and did not feel she had anything to say.
Boyle, too, attended some meetings with Moms Demand Action. She owns a gun and had served eight years in the military. She supports gun rights but has also worked to pass stronger gun control laws.
Boyle said it “made no sense” that the Parkland gunman was able to buy an AR-15 rifle at age 18.
“The terror that we felt — I see it on my face every time I look at the picture,” Boyle said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t ever want any parents to feel that.”
Before the shooting, the two women were never especially close but always friendly. Their children had attended the same elementary school. And Rush’s former husband trained Boyle’s son in soccer.
A year after the shooting, the two women are no longer in contact. In fact, Rush refused to be interviewed with Boyle. Rush said she strongly disagrees with Boyle on gun control and politics.
Boyle said, “She was very upset at me because I was a little more pro-gun than her, and she wasn’t very happy about that.”
Rush said the shooting did not unite the community, as some have said or hoped. She said, “This community has fractured into two factions now.”
Some people want to turn schools into “fortresses.” They call for more security and for arming teachers with guns. Others, like Rush, want stronger gun control measures.
Rush said, “And they fight like you wouldn’t believe on Facebook. It’s gross. It’s disgusting.”
I'm Ashley Thompson.
And I'm Caty Weaver.
Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on an Associated Press article. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
photographer - n. a person who takes pictures, especially as a job
intrude - v. to become involved with something private in an annoying way
banner - n. a large strip of cloth with a design, picture, or writing on it
rifle - n. a gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it
tears - n. drops of liquid that comes from your eyes especially when you cry
interview - v. to question or talk with (someone) in order to get information or learn about that person
factions - n. group within a larger group that has different ideas and opinions than the rest of the group
fortress - n. a place that is protected against attack
gross - adj. rude or offensive
disgusting - adj. so bad, unfair, inappropriate, etc., that you feel annoyed and angry
AS IT IS
Thai Princess' Nomination for Prime Minister Is Struck Down
February 12, 2019
In this March 24, 2010, file photo, Thai Princess Ubolratana poses for a photo at the Thai Gala Night in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Thailand saw several eventful days after a princess’ name was officially entered -- and then struck down -- as a candidate for prime minister. Princess Ubolratana Mahidol is the older sister of Thailand’s king, Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Observers say the move adds to the confusion about the upcoming March 24 election. The country has been under military rule since 2014. Next month’s election could return it to rule by an elected leader, even if it is a largely authoritarian government that is friendly to the military.
Can the princess enter politics?
The princess’ short candidacy was the first time a member of the royal family had tried to enter a political election. The princess and her relatives have traditionally been expected to rise above the usual political fighting. Official rules also prevent the royal family from participating directly in party politics.
But Ubolratana says she does not have to follow those rules because she gave up her royal name in 1972 to marry an American.
Her candidacy was seen as a challenge to current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. He is a retired general who has led the country under military rule since 2014, when his group seized power. He said he was competing in the upcoming election to keep law and order.
But the princess’ candidacy was quickly struck down. Her brother, the king, called it inappropriate and unconstitutional. Then the Election Commission disqualified her, saying members of the royal family must remain politically neutral.
The party that nominated the princess said in a statement that it accepted the king’s order. The party, called Thai Raksa Chart, is led by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He and his group have been in a years-long conflict with the royal family and people who support the monarchy. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup after being accused of abuse of power and disrespect for the monarchy.
George McLeod is a political risk expert based in Thailand. He said that by putting forward the princess as a prime minister, Thaksin took a chance and lost.
But a professor for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University had another idea. Pavin Chachavalpongpun said Thaksin may have achieved exactly what he wanted: forcing the Thai monarchy to engage publicly with politics, and showing conflict within the royal family.
I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.
Kelly Jean Kelly adapted this story for Learning English based on reports by VOA News and the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
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Words in This Story
royal - adj. of or relating to a king or queen
challenge - n. an action, statement, etc., that is against something
inappropriate - adj. not right
disqualify - v. to stop or prevent someone from doing, having, or being a part of something