A Couple of RTs 3-4-16… “Syria Ceasefire Holds” and “Turkey Troubles” (and, “Holy Crap… yet another ‘IS’ acronym?”)

The new “IS”-cronym is bolded, below.

Syrian ceasefire holds, paves way to transition – Putin, European leaders

” During a conference call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Italy all agreed the Syrian ceasefire is a milestone achievement creating favorable conditions for inter-Syrian dialogue

“The leaders praised the Russian-US agreement that was also supported by the UN Security Council, noting the ceasefire regime is being observed and, more importantly, it is creating opportunities for getting the dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition groups underway.

“Putin, Merkel, Cameron, Hollande and Matteo Renzi promised staunch support for the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG), the UN Security Council and UN Syria special envoy Staffan de Mistura. The ceasefire was implemented on February 27, in compliance with the joint statement of the United States and the Russian Federation, which are acting as co-chairs of the ISSG. “

Court orders Turkish Zaman daily into administration, raising concerns of free press abuse

” The Istanbul-based daily newspaper Zaman, which has been sharply critical of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been ordered into administration by an Istanbul court. New managers to run the newspaper will be appointed by the court, which acted on the request of Istanbul prosecutors, the state-run Anatolia news agency said Friday.

“”Zaman would be taken over in a government-backed operation. Four batches of anti-terror squads and riot police would be sent over to Zaman headquarters in Istanbul… Erdogan “has no tolerance for any dissent or opposition, whether it’s in politics or in the media,” he added.

“Ankara’s move was criticized by Amnesty International on Friday, with the human rights NGO saying “rumors of an imminent government takeover… are deeply troubling amid the Turkish authorities’ ongoing onslaught on dissenting media. By lashing out and seeking to rein in critical voices, President Erdogan’s government is steamrolling over human rights,” Amnesty International’s Turkey expert Andrew Gardner said.”