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Shame of Turkey’s democracy caught in photo
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A photo published in Milliyet yesterday documented the desperation of a reporter at the lobby of Bilkent Hotel who was not let in by the prime ministry officials. The journalist, who went to the hotel to follow the Justice and Development Party, or AKP’s women assembly but was not let in, is Milliyet’s Prime Ministry reporter, Abdullah Karakuş. Karakuş’s accreditation was canceled due to allegations that he wrote false news. Later, it was revealed that Karakuş will neither be let into the prime ministry, nor to any other venue where the prime minister is present.
Although Karakuş documented that he made no mistake in the article which led to the cancelation of his accreditation, the situation did not change. Moreover, a mistake can be made, but this does not make the arbitrary cancelation of accreditation justified. Karakuş has worked as Milliyet’s reporter almost for fifteen years. He is not a journalist who will make a mistake consciously. As Milliyet’s editor-in-chief, I have full confidence in him.
The problematic side of the issue lies in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s defense of the attitude against Karakuş. "Accreditation of those who write false news are canceled. We do not proceed with them," Erdoğan said. Can you see the situation which Erdoğan got himself in?
The PM picks at not only media groups, their owners, columnists and newspaper administrators who do not abandon their right to criticize but also reporters. Blaming a reporter for being a liar, Erdoğan sees no harm in inviting those, who were convicted of insults on his plane or letting fundamentalist journalists who write anti-semitism sit next to him. Meanwhile, I sent the PM’s "liar" statement, which he addressed to Karakuş, back to him.
Such happens during military coups
The photo published yesterday is the shame of Turkish democracy in 2008. It is the document showing that government was caught red-handed while preventing a journalist from doing his job. It is a photo of autocracy and Saddam-type regimes where an absolute leader holds the authority and arbitrariness rule. It is not a photo of a country which proceeds for a full membership in the European Union, or EU.
I am a journalist who worked for three years under the rule of military government during post Sept. 12 era. We faced many arbitrary practices of martial law commanders or army officers during that period. However, as evident in its name, it was a military government and commanders did not hold aspirations to be democratic. There is a difference. At that time, we cherished the hope that the country would turn to democracy within the frame of the commanders’ promises.
Today, we experience the gloomy state of mind due to the withdrawal of democracy under the rule of AKP’s elected ones.
West’s Erdoğan perception changes
So, where are we heading to as we edge away from democracy? It is not surprising that the attitude towards our reporter and world-renowned the Economist’s announcement of Erdoğan as "autocrate" coincided.
Similarly, at the beginning of the week, one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world, The New York Times, published an article that tells liberals in the country withdrew their support from the AKP government and Erdoğan’s reformist character came to an end.
An article in another effective magazine of the U.S., Newsweek, which says that Erdoğan started to become like Putin and has tried to remove the opposition, is fresh in the memory. Examples of similar articles in the Western press increase at top speed. Most of them depict Erdoğan as a leader whose authoritarian affinity looms large and who walks away from democracy.
Together with this perception change, the West sees Erdoğan as a leader who drifts Turkey, not toward the EU but toward an authoritarian regime and a leader whose democracy is questioned.
Sedat Ergin is the editor-in-chief of the daily Milliyet in which this piece appeared on Saturday. This was translated into English by the Daily News’ staff
The problematic side of the issue lies in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s defense of the attitude against Karakuş. "Accreditation of those who write false news are canceled. We do not proceed with them," Erdoğan said. Can you see the situation which Erdoğan got himself in?
The PM picks at not only media groups, their owners, columnists and newspaper administrators who do not abandon their right to criticize but also reporters. Blaming a reporter for being a liar, Erdoğan sees no harm in inviting those, who were convicted of insults on his plane or letting fundamentalist journalists who write anti-semitism sit next to him. Meanwhile, I sent the PM’s "liar" statement, which he addressed to Karakuş, back to him.
Such happens during military coups
The photo published yesterday is the shame of Turkish democracy in 2008. It is the document showing that government was caught red-handed while preventing a journalist from doing his job. It is a photo of autocracy and Saddam-type regimes where an absolute leader holds the authority and arbitrariness rule. It is not a photo of a country which proceeds for a full membership in the European Union, or EU.
I am a journalist who worked for three years under the rule of military government during post Sept. 12 era. We faced many arbitrary practices of martial law commanders or army officers during that period. However, as evident in its name, it was a military government and commanders did not hold aspirations to be democratic. There is a difference. At that time, we cherished the hope that the country would turn to democracy within the frame of the commanders’ promises.
Today, we experience the gloomy state of mind due to the withdrawal of democracy under the rule of AKP’s elected ones.
West’s Erdoğan perception changes
So, where are we heading to as we edge away from democracy? It is not surprising that the attitude towards our reporter and world-renowned the Economist’s announcement of Erdoğan as "autocrate" coincided.
Similarly, at the beginning of the week, one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world, The New York Times, published an article that tells liberals in the country withdrew their support from the AKP government and Erdoğan’s reformist character came to an end.
An article in another effective magazine of the U.S., Newsweek, which says that Erdoğan started to become like Putin and has tried to remove the opposition, is fresh in the memory. Examples of similar articles in the Western press increase at top speed. Most of them depict Erdoğan as a leader whose authoritarian affinity looms large and who walks away from democracy.
Together with this perception change, the West sees Erdoğan as a leader who drifts Turkey, not toward the EU but toward an authoritarian regime and a leader whose democracy is questioned.
Sedat Ergin is the editor-in-chief of the daily Milliyet in which this piece appeared on Saturday. This was translated into English by the Daily News’ staff
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