MEDIA - ALKHARYA

[Alkharya]

YARGITAY RULES BARBAROS' TAX TRANSPARENCY LAWS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND "A DANGEROUS BREACH TO PRIVACY"

Governor of Barbaros has resigned over the controversy.

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Showtime - This afternoon, Yargıtay ruled Barbaros' tax transparency laws are unconstitutional, as they are a direct violation of the right to privacy. The laws in question make it so that any EU citizen can see the tax returns without any requirements. According to the decision, while having a public tax database is not against the right to privacy, the court has ruled that publishing this database outside Alkharya is. In addition, the Government of Barbaros has also been repeatedly accused of not informing people who have checked their tax returns and has been sued multiple times.

7 of 11 judges who were able to vote, from the regions of Kaanpaşa, Geyikli, Açelya, Levent, Leylekhan, Alfur and Atlıkarınca have voted for the law's repeal or changes to the law in accordance with the Constitution.

Governor of Barbaros, Ilgın Erbakan has resigned over the controversy. She will be replaced by another election in the Barbaros regional parliament sometime next week. The other two regions with public tax laws, Etikel is expected to adjust their laws in accordance with the lawsuit.

[Alkharya]

This post is deleted!

[Alkharya]

A LITTLE TALK WITH AYLİN GÖKÇEN

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ONE Radyo - Hello everyone, you are currently listening to ONE Radyo, my name is Altuner Fadıl, it is now 18:00 in Alkharyan time which is the time in which many come back from work and stuff... so, I hope you had a great day so far! It is yet another episode of our series, A Little Talk, where we... well, have conversations with relevant people, have a cup of tea and just... have fun, you know? Today's guest is none other than our Councillor, Aylin Gökçen! Hello!

Hello!

Aylin, I've been waiting to do this episode for quite some time now and there are many questions I want to ask! But first, as the first Councillor of Alkharya, how's life in the city of Europolis, and how does it feel to be a councillor, or more specifically, the first councillor of Alkharya?

Well, life's fine in the city, I do feel homesick for my hometown Alderik sometimes, Europolis is good! I've started to use my bicycle more ever since I got here, though, as the traffic is really bad. Being a councillor is cool, though I am probably far from the most liked councillor, as long as I got the back of Alkharya, it's all good!

I believe that's because of the... what's it called... Protection of Body Integrity for Children and Intersex People Act..?

That's one of the reasons. You know, even our President hated that Act.

Oh wow, really?

She was all like, "Why is circumcision your business all of a sudden?" You know, I wouldn't even withdraw it if councillors weren't so distracted from the kid that came through, which, I can't blame them, I was terrified as well.

Yeah, that's- (wheezes) Ha-ha! That was something! I saw that live on TV and- (uncontrollably laughs, Gökçen starts laughing as well)

Haha, yeah- Nobody could focus on the Act. Anyway, so here's the thing, Altuner, there are so many cultures that love to just interrupt children's bodies, I couldn't believe it.

Well, yeah, not all countries value individualism and people as we do. Though I would argue that directly battling it out isn't going to solve problems, it will cause conflict.

I mean, I feel like, even if the Act would fail, it would clearly show my and most of Alkharya's stance on body interruptions. I mean, I knew that banning circumcision for kids was going to be controversial from the get-go. But there was also some objection against banning medical interventions against intersex people without their consent... like what?

I guess there would be less opposition if it was specified more. Medical interventions could mean anything, really.

Hmm. Maybe you're right. I'll note that in the second version.

Oh, okay. So, you have said that there are other reasons why people don't like you?

Oh yeah, well, for one, the EPA seems to think that I'm a Euroskeptic, which is such a buzzword at this point I don't even hear that anymore. People only call me that because I don't want other countries to tell Alkharya what to do with its democracy! It's ridiculous! Councillor Tusk loves to talk about how I give voice to the anti-EU folk only because I wanted to repeal EACA, can he say the same to Wesley Greene of Duxburian Union? One of the oldest countries in the EU that wants EACA gone?

That sounds ridiculous.

It is! It is ridiculous! These people love to just tell what to do to others! Does Alkharya look like a puppet state to you?

I mean, of course not. And it's no secret that Spain wants to increase its influence on the European Union. They've got permission from the ENAA to build nukes.

Yes, I am aware. I believe that this nuclearization of the EU is very concerning... Fremet, Icholasen and Gallorum all have nuclear bombs, so does Spain. We are literally covered with them, on all sides. I'm not sure what our response will be, honestly.

Okay, let's talk internal politics now. As we all know, Alkharya will go through a constitutional referendum on 26th to 27th of December, listeners, if you are over 16 and under 65, you are automatically registered to vote! Feel free to go to Alkharya's election website and look out for which voting booth you are registered to! Aylin, I would like to know your opinions about presidential elections.

I am against that.

Okay. Why is that?

I don't think it's equal. I think it reduces the political power of the North and it's an unnecessary change. We have chosen our presidents in Kurultay for centuries, why is it a problem now?

I mean... like, things change, policies change. We had many laws over the years that changed. Presidential laws can change, too.

Sure, you're correct but, for years we've had a bigger opportunity to have a Northern to be a president with the current system. Our ancestors deliberately built the system this way because a Southern does not have the capability to understand North, nor it's policies, nor it's estabilishments.

That's... degrading, I would argue that the North and the South are now much closer than ever.

I mean, yeah, I would count that as a good thing, as it is now easier to transform information. But still, the North has it's own way, and the South shall respect that.

I'm not sure. If I have to be honest, I don't see much of a difference between a Northerner and a Southerner. I lived in the city of Yeditepe until my 20s, and I saw all kinds of people there. I didn't see a difference between someone from Alfur and someone from Kaanpaşa. They were all the same, speaking the same. The only difference is that when the two argued, there would be fighting over the monarchy.

I mean, the South didn't had to execute the Royal Family now, did they?

I... won't argue about that.

Okay then. (Gökçen's phone starts ringing) Okay, Altuner, I think I have to go. I've been waiting for this call.

Sure. And that concludes this interview! People, thank you so much for tuning in. This was A Little Talk with Aylin Gökçen. See you all next week and have a great night!

Good night!

[Alkharya]

KAANPAŞA SEPARATED INTO TWO, FEDERAL CAPITAL REGION ESTABLISHED

The deal aims to ensure equality between all regions and ending a decades-old cold conflict.

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KUM SAATİ - The parliament of Alkharya that we all know and love today, Kurultay, has been seated in the city of Kaanpaşa since the establishment of Alkharyan democracy in all of Great Alkharya, after the catastrophic collapse of the Alkharyan Kingdom which ruled Northern Alkharya for the longest time. Over time, this has become controversial, with this move being one of the ways the Northern folk accusing the South of stealing political power from them. The city of Alderik was always proposed as a "second capital" for the interest of the North, though the idea never became reality. However, Alderik technically can not be a second capital, since there isn't one in the first place... on paper, at least. See, the Constitution of Alkharya never explicitly states a capital city for Alkharya. The Southern Republic has had its parliament in the city long before the reunification, and, since the North had succumbed to riots, uprisings and instability, there was just no reason to change that.

The other concern is the growing political influence of Kaanpaşa in general. The truth is, Alkharya hasn't really been a true federal state for the longest time. Most decisions made by the regions had to pass through the Kurultay, many of which just didn't pass. The region parliaments constantly had to keep Kaanpaşa in mind if they wanted laws to pass in the national parliament, voted by the regions that weren't affected by said laws, at all. Those laws were changed eventually, giving regions more freedom, though in expense, being a true part of Alkharyan politics became much harder, to make sure Alkharya was "at the hand of the experts".

A deal between the federal government of Alkharya and the regional government of Kaanpaşa has been going on for the past decades, regarding the conflict between the laws and regulations of the federal government and of the regional one, especially those who particularly affect the region itself. President Tülay Elçi has announced a new deal between the federal government and the regional government. The deal gives the region of Kaanpaşa full autonomy while creating a separate region for the federal government called Kaanpaşa Federal Capital Region (Kaanpaşa Federal Başkent Bölgesi). The deal was announced this evening. "I am glad that this decades-old cold conflict between the country and its regions is now over. This is another right step towards peace and unity between our borders." President Tülay Elçi announced on social media.

This was Demir Aygüzel, writing for Kum Saati.

[Alkharya]

Alkharyans say "YES" to presidential elections, candidates will still be chosen by Kurultay

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KUM SAATİ - This week, Alkharyans decided to have even a bigger voice in the democracy of their country by saying yes to presidential elections, following a referendum which was approved in November of 2020. From now on, instead of Kurultay choosing the president from a few candidates from itself, Alkharyans will choose the president, although the candidates will still be chosen by Kurultay. The referendum was published to Kurultay in the 10th of November and was approved 74-52, with strong opposition coming from Northern Alkharya. Regardless, Elçi approved of the referendum and it was scheduled to be held on 26th-27th of December 2020. The voting procedure was mostly smooth, although some voters complained waiting on lines for hours. In response, Tülay Elçi took it to social media, assuring that different ways of voting would be implemented to boost voting turnout. Despite the delays, though, the referendum did not have a turnout problem, it actually exceeded the expectations. Most experts predicted the turnout would be around sixty to seventy per cent, but the actual turnout was 78%. Alfur had the highest turnout with 84%, followed by Etikel and Yeditepe (82%).

YES kept its lead since the results were first announced. As per usual, Northern Alkharya was strictly against, but Geyikli upset the whole nation by merely winning the YES vote. Levent also voted NO, unexpectedly, by a difference of 816 votes. It is believed that a court case demanding a recount regarding these regions is underway, but it is uncertain at this moment. Açelya was another close region, with YES winning by more than 3000 votes. Alfur was the least supportive with only 20.8% voting YES.

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Full results can be found here.

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As the count got closer to finish, protests started all over the country. Some minor, some major, with biggest protests being in Alfur, Leylekhan and Alderik. In some cities like Yeditepe, Yeasayers and naysayers crashed with one another, occasionally turning violent. The police have taken the control shortly, In Geyikli, the governor declared a state of emergency for the whole night to calm things down, which was extended for a whole week.

President Tülay Elçi celebrated the referendum, once again congratulating the workers of the election, saying that it's her command to make the people's decision reality. She also announced her candidacy for 2022:

Dear Alkharyans, it's been an honour to see a democratic referendum take place here once again. The fact that we have established democracy with such longevity is enough to make our ancestors proud. I have watched the results progress alongside with you. I have no doubt that the election was done free and fair, as usual. I would like to honour those who worked to make this referendum come true. I would also like to honour those who have voted and made their voices heard. Your decision is the government's command. It is my command to make your decision become reality. It is truly amazing to see Alkharyans taking more control of our democracy. In 2022, The first presidential elections will be held, and I will be one of the candidates. Until then, long live democracy! Long live unity! Long live Alkharya!

It is expected for the president to sign the referendum into federal law in upcoming weeks.

This was Demir Aygüzel, writing for Kum Saati.

[Alkharya]

ART announces song and artist that will represent Alkharya in EuroVoice 40

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4x - Alkharya will debut in the 40th edition of EuroVoice, a music competition in the European Union done around every two to five months. In the last, Halloween themed edition, Spain barely won over Mennrimiak by a point, so they get to host the contest in the city of Antequera. According to insiders close to ART, the song selection procedure was a long process that took two to three months and many other songs were considered before the final decision. Çağlar Beyaz, head of the Alkharyan Delegation for the EUBC told ONE that the team was divided on which song to choose. Well, it appears that this division was resolved, as ART has announced it a few hours ago on their radio that the singer Karsu Dönmez, with her song "Siyah" will represent Alkharya at EuroVoice 40 in Antequera, Spain. The song is about the singer's personal struggles on love, success and life in general. It is accompanied by echoes, very high notes and it sure will make a mesmerizing scene in... Antequera Convention and Exhibition Centre. Okay. Got that right. Also uh, there are rumours that Tülay Elçi will present Alkharyan votes, which is, uh, quite the surprise for the debut. Anyway... The music. Karsu, Siyah.

So, let's have a listen together, shall we?

[Alkharya]

Alkharya is ready to offer assistance after recent Spanish earthquakes, says Minister of the External Affairs

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ART - In Granada, Spain, the earthquakes have been terrorizing the region since last Friday. Repeated earthquakes have shaken the region, the biggest one being of 4.5 magnitude. While no fatality has been registered, dozens of buildings have been damaged, ranging from minor damages to catastrophical structural damage. Many countries have offered condolences, including Alkharya- The Minister of the External Affairs Asuman Metin has made a statement on the press room, saying quote "The Government of Alkharya sends their commiserations to those affected by the recent earthquakes in Spain. We are ready to offer assistance and aid if necessary."

[Alkharya]

Alkharyan public poll - Commission elections and general political climate

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ART - The Alkharya Statistical Institute (AİK) has released its poll regarding the upcoming commission elections, as well as the general political climate of the country. This is the first poll done by AİK since Alkharya's EU debut on October last year.

I describe myself as...
Left-wing: 11,1%
Centrist: 14,4%
Right-wing: 5,5%
Unaligned, independent or other: 69%

I also...
Support European integration: 10,6%
Oppose European integration: 59,2%
Neutral / have no opinion on European integration: 30,2%

I believe that the European Union accurately represents the interests of Alkharya.
Agree: 6,1%
Disagree: 44,6%
Neutral / no opinion: 49.3%

I believe that Alkharya should leave the European Union.
Agree: 38,2%
Disagree: 51.6%
Neutral / no opinion: 10.2%

I believe that Merkel-Juncker-Reynels Commission was a good commission.
Agree: 10.4%
Disagree: 8,2%
Neutral / no opinion: 81.4%

On commission elections, I support this Premier Commissioner candidate:.
Leeson: 19,9%
Cocx: 38,6%
Le Berre: 34,8%
Undecided / no opinion: 6,7%

On commission elections, I support this Internal Affairs Commissioner candidate:.
Birdane: 85,7%
Winston: 9,4%
Undecided / no opinion: 4,9%

On commission elections, I support this Foreign Affairs Commissioner candidate:.
Reagan: 30,5%
Am Lind: 45,9%
Neutral / no opinion: 23,6%

I believe that Tülay Elçi is a good president.
Agree: 44,3%
Disagree: 39,2%
Neutral / no opinion: 16,5%

I believe that Aylin Gökçen is a good councillor.
Agree: 38,5%
Disagree: 34,6%
Neutral / no opinion: 26,9%

The 2020 constitutional referendum is a positive change for the Alkharyan democracy.
Agree: 48,6%
Disagree: 46,2%
Neutral / no opinion: 5,2%

[Alkharya]

Kurultay member publishes bill that will initiate a referendum on a "full name" for Alkharya

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This is a segment taken from ONE Radyo broadcast, in January 31st 2021 at 9 PM, hosted by Elnara Irmak.

ONE Radyo - All eyes were on Kurultay member, Melisa Atalay of Etikel today as she released a bill for a full name for Alkharya. For those confused: In many countries, there's a full name and there's a shortened name, right? For instance, do you know the full name of Inquista? The Most Blessed State of Inquista. What about Red Croatia? That would be The Absolute Monarchy of Red Croatia. No lie, I appreciate the honesty. Not many countries have the courage to just be undemocratic and act like nothing's wrong with it, you know what I mean? So anyway, Alkharya doesn't have this. Full name? Alkharya. Shortened name? Alkharya. We just didn't have these fancy, schmancy, pizzazz names because we didn't really need them, you know. Now, sometimes, people just throw the letter "H" out as it's mostly silent. I would argue almost all of us have done this at some point when writing, texting, whatever, unless you're a Turkish major or a gifted kid who pays too much attention to detail, slowly railing to severe depression and absolute perfectionism that doesn't let you try any skill whatsoever. Anyway, I'm getting off the track there- So it's not really known how the names will be chosen as that's left to the President, which, fair, we can safely assume she will do a good job, exactly like that time when she brought us all to this EU mess. I love more taxes! So, as of current, it's up for discussion in the Kurultay and will go into voting this week, I predict it will be approved as barely anything doesn't pass from there. Honestly, I oppose it? Like, just being named Alkharya while all these states have such old-fashioned names that should've been left off in the 16th century is so iconic to me. Melisa, I don't know what you're thinking, smoking or drinking, whatever is it, I don't want it. Period.

[Alkharya]

YENİ GAZETE - Town in Leylekhan Region bans all religious worship, challenged in Yargıtay and the High Court of Leylekhan

The decision deemed invalid as it was beyond the town's reach to make such a decision.

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• Gözükara, a small town in the Atlas Province of Leylekhan bans all religious worship, public or private
• Town immediately challenged in Yargıtay and the High Court of Leylekhan as the decision is assumed unconstitutional, based on 2002 religious freedom amendments
• High Court of Leylekhan rules the decision invalid as counties themselves do not have the legislative power to take such action

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Mayor of Gözükara, Bal Yükselen, a town of seven thousand people in the Atlas Province of Leylekhan, has had announced that they would ban all religious worship in the county, starting in January of 2021. Yükselen told ONE Radyo that the decision was done to "cripple outsider influence" and to "make sure that the children would grow healthy". Many citizens of the town seemed happy with the decision. However, outside the town, it was highly controversial.

For one, this decision technically violates the constitutional amendments of 2002, as the amendments grant every Alkharyan citizen religious freedom in public or private. This was one of the first amendments that were approved in Kurultay and Arzuhan Gülerman herself, former president of Alkharya between 2002 to 2008. While the amendment itself is vague and whether or not it protects the religious from discrimination, law experts argue that the blocking of religious worship itself is a direct violation. Therefore, the decision was challenged in Yargıtay.

However, the ruling of Yargıtay isn't needed at all. The High Court of Leylekhan ruled the decision illegitimate, as counties, third-degree administrative divisions used to divide provinces, do not have any legislative power and are directly ruled by the province itself. The mayor had taken the action all by themselves, which was heavily criticized in all of Alkharya, with the Governor of Leylekhan demanding their resign. However, the town is confident in their mayor and had a small march in support of them after the decision of the High Court.

Tensions in Northern Alkharya seem to be slowly rising, as the President and the Kurultay are mostly against the average Northerner's self-proclaimed values. The thin ice had melt even more after the constitutional referendum of December 2020, which approved presidential elections, something the North was heavily against. As President Tülay Elçi tries to take the country closer to the European Union with giving the country a makeover from its brutal history against the religious, following the steps of Gülerman, the North gets even angrier and Kaanpaşa constantly finds itself with a standoff against Gözükara, Alderik, Leylekhan and many others. With all this conflict, one does ask: Can Alkharya stay united in the next five years?

This was Ezgi Özer, writing for Yeni Gazete.

[Alkharya]

Alkharyan public poll - Update on commission elections

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ART - The Alkharya Statistical Institute (AİK) has released an update of its poll regarding the upcoming commission elections.

Correction: Candidate Jon Mitchell Am Lind's name should now correctly show his surname. We apologize for our mistake.

On commission elections, I support this Premier Commissioner candidate:.
Leeson: 23,3% (+3,4%)
Cocx: 36,7% (-1,9%)
Le Berre: 35,9% (+1,1%)
Undecided / no opinion: 4,1% (-2,6%)

On commission elections, I support this Internal Affairs Commissioner candidate:.
Birdane: 84,5% (-1.2%)
Winston: 9,9% (+0.5%)
Undecided / no opinion: 5,6% (+0.7%)

On commission elections, I support this Foreign Affairs Commissioner candidate:.
Reagan: 21,8% (-8,7%)
Mitchell: 54,3% (+8,4%)
Neutral / no opinion: 23,6% (+0,3%)

[Alkharya]

DÖRTKÖŞE - Here's how Alkharya voted in its first commission elections

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• Le Berre, Birdane and Mitchell are the winners of commission elections
• Birdane surprisingly weaker than expected in Northern Alkharya
• This election marks the first time the voting turnout is below 60%

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The European Commission election results have been finalized in Alkharya after a week of the voting period, which was extended as this was the first time the country had participated in a European election. The turnout was lower than expected (56%) with over 12 million people voting in the elections, which is the first time an election in Alkharya has a below 60% turnout.

Francois Le Berre upsets the previous predictions made by AİK and wins the Premier race over Walter Cocx, the favoured candidate. This was the most competitive race in the Commission elections in Alkharya and all around Europe, as predicted by the Union of Dissidents. Cocx dominates non-coastal areas while Le Berre snatches most of the mainland coast and a significant part of Northern Alkharya. Many predict that the upset happened because of Alkharyans fear of nuclear fallout in case of a war in the UNSR caused by Cocx's aggressive policy there. Peter Leeson of United Duchies barely wins a couple of counties here and there but is unable to get many votes because of the conflicts in the council between Alkharya and the United Duchies.

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Francois LE BERRE - 6,014,328 - 48.4%
Walter COCX - 5,445,070 - 44%
Peter LEESON - 940,512 - 7,6%

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As predicted, Münevver Birdane benefitted from home advantage and dominated all across the board in the Internal Affairs race, except in the North, where a lot of counties preferred Winston over her. This is possibly caused by the fact that Birdane is a southern politician, which shows the North-South separation in the country once more. Regardless, this did not affect the results in general.

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Münevver BIRDANE - 10,543,636 - 85,2%
Edmund Jasper WINSTON - 1,831,523 - 14.8%

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In the Foreign Affairs race, Jon Mitchell dominates Alkharya even more than the AİK predicted. It appears that people just don't trust Ronald Reagan, possibly because of his lack of knowledge regarding foreign affairs policy, compared to Mitchell.

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Jon MITCHELL Am Lind - 9,454,622 - 76,4%
Ronald REAGAN - 2,920,537 - 23,6%

This was Erin Karagül, writing for Dörtköşe.

[Alkharya]

Breaking News: Aylin Gökçen has been withdrawn from the European Council by the government

Reasons for the departure is currently unknown.

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ONE - A strange and shocking order has been issued by the Alkharyan government this afternoon, which withdrew the current councillor, Aylin Gökçen off Europolis. The order was issued this afternoon with the entire cabinet signing the order. The document declared that there will be no councillor for Alkharya until the special election at a future date and it demands Gökçen to come back to Alkharya within 72 hours.

Aylin Gökçen was elected as a councillor in September 2020 elections, narrowly beating the centre-right populist candidate Baykur Viron, she started as a councillor on October 14th that year. During her unexpectedly short career, Aylin Gökçen immediately stuck out like a sore thumb, for lack of a better term with her brazen and blunt attitude. She made a repeal bill on the Elected and Accountable Council Act (EACA), which narrowly failed. She submitted Protection of Body Integrity for Children and Intersex People Act, later withdrawn due to Austrian shenanigans, which caused backlash over the banning of male circumcision, which is a sensitive topic for religious people.

More recently, she ran for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections but failed to get a position.

The reason for the withdrawal is currently unknown. Neither Elçi nor Gökçen nor any other government source have made any statements regarding the removal. We will give you the latest updates regarding this situation.

[Alkharya]

SÖZ - Violent protests against the departure of councillor continue all across Alkharya

The protests came in response to Councillor Aylin Gökçen's calls on Twitter to save Alkharyan democracy.

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• Councillor Aylin Gökçen was recalled from Europolis in an unexpected move by the government
• Gökçen took it to Twitter, claiming the withdrawal was illegitimate and an attack on Alkharyan democracy and called for protests
• Independent sources claim that almost ten million people all around the nation have participated in the protests

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Something quite strange happened on February 16th, when the Alkharyan Government publicly released an order to withdraw the 1st Councillor of Alkharya, Aylin Gökçen. They gave her 72 hours to come back to Alkharya. There was no reason given in the document, but all of the cabinet signed it. Nobody was sure why it existed, or what happened. What could've Gökçen done? She certainly wasn't the most loved in the Council, but that can't be a reason for getting withdrawn.

Whatever the reason may be, Gökçen was livid. She immediately took to Twitter, saying that she would not come to Alkharya until there was a valid reason for her to come. She claimed that this was a clear attack on Alkharyan democracy. She called in for protests all around Alkharya.

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Her calls have been widely successful, especially in the Northern Alkharya. In Alfur alone, independent sources claim that around three million people have participated in the protests, which were observed in all twelve regions of Alkharya. "Democracy now!" protesters called, condemning the departure. The protests were not peaceful, as most Alkharyans do not believe in peaceful protests. Buildings burned, shops destroyed and looted... This was when the police had to step in, and they did: Almost one hundred and fifty thousand people were arrested in the first two days, three-quarters of which were released shortly after.

"Of course the Southern president wants to oppress the North!" One woman told ONE interviewer. "They're always like this. From generation to generation, cannot wait to annex us and our liberty! Demons!" She then proceeded to throw a gas bomb at police all by her bare hands.

"We cannot trust the government anymore!" Another protester told the same interviewer. "If they're going to just decide our decisions are invalid like that... They can't do that! I'll beat them!"

Police brutality has also been visible in the protests. Many photos from protesters getting affected by gas bombs and rubber bullets have been made public, even in the regions where both of those items are illegal. It is unknown how many people have gotten injured at this time.

Protests against the government continue, and it seems like they will continue until President Elçi withdraws the departure. Some people have reported sights of the military in the streets, possibly to deploy against the protests. What will happen after these protests remain unclear.

This was Gür Yaman, writing for Söz.

[Alkharya]

ART Radyo - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asuman Metin announces a 3-week travel ban to Union of Syndicates

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Tensions have risen in the Union of Syndicates once again after what appears to be a Cocx victory in the Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asuman Metin have announced that a three-week travel ban would be enacted against the Union of Syndicates effective immediately. This means that citizens of Alkharya will not be able to visit the Union of Syndicates for any purpose, aside from emergencies. Metin has also announced that the negotiations and cooperation with the Syndical government continue in order to take Alkharyan citizens currently in the Union to return home safely.

[Alkharya]

ADUS - CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE

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Acil Durum Uyarı Sistemi (ADUS) (en. Emergency Warning System) is the national warning system of Alkharya, operational since 1984.

[Distorted siren sound plays, added to catch attention. A robotic male voice starts speaking:]

ATTENTION, PLEASE. ALL NORMAL PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.

THE ALKHARYAN GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED A COMPLETE, 24 HOUR CURFEW, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. ALL GOVERNMENT WORKERS ARE SET TO HELP THE ALKHARYAN CITIZENS WITH SUPPLIES.

DUE TO THE GENERAL CIVIL UNREST AND RECENT PROTESTS IN ALKHARYA TURNING INCREASINGLY VIOLENT AND THREATS OF TERRORISM FROM THE UNION OF SYNDICATES, A COMPLETE CURFEW HAS BEEN PLACED UNTIL FURTHER TERMINATION FOLLOWING A CIVIL EMERGENCY STATEMENT.

THE ALKHARYAN POLICE AND MILITARY FORCES HAVE THE FULL RIGHT TO ARREST AND DETAIN ANY CITIZEN WHO BREAKS THE CURFEW.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE BATTERY RADIO TO NOT MISS ANY INFORMATION EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR TELEVISION.

ALL NORMAL PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN SUSPENDED. ALL TELEVISION CHANNELS ARE SET TO SEND YOU THE LATEST UPDATES REGARDING THE SITUATION. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

[Alkharya]

ADUS - CIVIL EMERGENCY UPDATE

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[Distorted siren sound]

ATTENTION, PLEASE.

THIS IS AN UPDATE FOLLOWING THE CURFEW THAT WAS IMPOSED FIVE HOURS AGO.

CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN FOLLOWING PROVINCES:

IN ETİKEL, SİRKECİ PROVİNCE
IN YEDİTEPE: MASLAK PROVINCE
IN GEYİKLİ: DOLUNAY AND KARAORMAN PROVINCES

IN ORDER TO ENSURE SAFETY FROM THE CIVIL UNREST, THE ALKHARYAN MILITARY HAS BEEN DEPLOYED TO THESE AREAS. IMMEDIATE EVACUATION AND/OR CURFEW ORDERS MAY BE IN EFFECT IN SOME PARTS OF THESE PROVINCES. CO-OPERATE WITH MILITARY PERSONNEL AT ALL TIMES.

THE CURFEW THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER HAS BEEN LIFTED IN ALL PROVINCES SOUTH OF PROVINCES MENTIONED BY NAME.

OUTSIDE TRAVEL HAS BEEN BANNED FOR THREE DAYS UNLESS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT. ALKHARYANS THAT WANT TO RETURN TO THE COUNTRY ARE EXEMPT.

[The message is repeated again.]

[Alkharya]

ONE - A MESSAGE FROM THE NORTH

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[After hours of black screen, the message "ÖNEMLİ DUYURU" (IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT) flashes red on the screen of ONE, with a couple of beeps following.]

Greetings to all watching as of current. The so-called united Alkharya comes to an end now, and hopefully forever.

The South has used every single tool in the shed to oppress the North. Its opinions, its views, cultures, many other things. It repeatedly stepped on our boundaries, by annexing us without our consent in the 1800s, by banning travel to Northern cities in the 1950s, by secretly poisoning Northern politicians since the forced unification, by killing the Northern journalists, by suppressing our political power, even to this day. The December 2020 referendum will go down as the worst referendum in the history of these lands. The re-calling of dear Councillor Aylin Gökçen was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The South sends its military as a last-ditch effort. It doesn't matter. We are winning on every front. We will separate. We will have our own voice. We will win.

We have these demands from the rest of Alkharya: Recognize The Alkharyan Realm as a sovereign independent state, and leave us out of the European Union.

We have chosen our own destiny.

Long Live the North.

[The broadcast ends with footage of the flag of the new Alkharyan Realm.]

[Alkharya]

ONE Radyo - Announcement - 21/02/2021

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A referendum of independence will be taken on the first week of March. Register to vote on a school near you. Outsider observers are welcome. See you there.

[Alkharya]

Dörtköşe - "We cannot lose more lives," says President Elçi

The motivation message comes after the Northern separation

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The Alkharyan unity, which lasted for more than two centuries, seems to be over for now as the North declares itself a realm free from the rest of Alkharya. The abrupt chaos comes from the departure of Aylin Gökçen as a councillor of Alkharya. Aylin Gökçen, which has been a politician for the region of Alfur for years had won the councillor elections of September 2020. She was called back by the Alkharyan Government. While no actual reason was given on the callback document, many believe that it's because of disagreements between Gökçen and Elçi.

Well, it appears that these disagreements came at a considerable price. The vast protests all around Northern Alkharya have escalated into insurgence. The final nail in the coffin was 2/5 of the military escaping to fight alongside the North, which made every citizen on the country suffers, as supplies (which were promised by the government itself) got delayed and emergency services were unreachable in most areas. Evacuations were made to make sure the hysteria didn't spread, as it was too late, it seems like. The Northern militia hijacked channel ONE and decided to release a final message, saying they have chosen their own destiny. They also hinted at a referendum in early March, though its legitimacy is heavily questioned.

Surprisingly enough, Kaanpaşa stayed mostly silent to Northern separation, for reasons unknown... Until now. President Tülay Elçi gave her first speech after all these incidents yesterday, which might show the reason why they have stayed silent all this time.

"Dear Alkharyans, the experience that we're going through is traumatic, tragedic and is certainly one of the lowest points in Alkharya in the 21st century. I have made the decision to kick Aylin Gökçen out of the Council for mere incompetence and provocation. This decision of mine has resulted in protests intensifying into insurgence and an illegitimate rogue state on our mainland. Just to be clear, we will not be recognizing the so-called realm. We will not give these terrorists what they want. However, we cannot immediately go into attack mode. We have to prepare. We cannot lose more lives. I promise you that we will return to normal better than ever. This was a small dent in Alkharya's success. We got this."

This was Erin Karagül, writing for Dörtköşe.