Peter Kenyon

Police Clear Protesters In Istanbul Park

Peter Kenyon — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:38:00 +0000

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The political standoff in Turkey is intensifying. Riot police there are firing teargas to prevent anti-government protesters from massing in Istanbul's Taksim Square. There were clashes with demonstrators through much of last night. Security forces sealed off the square and the adjacent Gezi Park, parts of the city that have been the focus of the protests over the last 19 days. Now, authorities say the park is off-limits to the public but many protestors say the crackdown has only strengthened their determination to return.

Not Everyone Cheers Turkey's Move To Tighten Alcohol Rules

Peter Kenyon — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:26:00 +0000

The ongoing anti-government protests in Turkey are about a lot of things — including a recent law to restrict the advertising and sale of alcohol. The limits aren't any more onerous than those in some other Western countries, but secular Turks see them as another step in a push by the ruling party to impose conservative social values on the population

Turkey has long tolerated and, in some quarters, embraced the Bacchanalian fruit of grape and grain.

Iranian Council Declares Ex-President Rafsanjani Unfit To Run Again

Peter Kenyon — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Iran's Guardian Council does not hesitate to use its power. That's the legislative body that vets political candidates for their commitment to the Islamic Revolution. Perhaps no surprise in the upcoming presidential election, voters are able to choose from a very narrow range of candidates - all of whom support the regime. All the high-profile or independent candidates have been eliminated by the Guardian Council.

Iran's 'Zahra' Tells Alternate Tale Of Presidential Campaign

Peter Kenyon — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:02:00 +0000

Iranians choose a new president next month, and one thing Iran's leaders are intent on avoiding is a repeat of the massive street protests that followed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election in 2009.

The sponsors of those protests, known as the Green Movement, have been effectively silenced inside Iran, but not online.

A Sign of Disunity? Iranian Candidates Jockey For Position

Peter Kenyon — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:57:00 +0000

Nearly 700 presidential hopefuls have thrown their names into the ring for Iran's June 14 presidential elections. But two last-minute entrants have altered the shape of the already-chaotic race: a former president once dismissed as a has-been and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.

Although not exactly a free-for-all, analysts say, there's a clear sense that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has failed to unify the political elite behind a single establishment candidate.