Turkish President Erdogan Is Arresting Doctors On Terrorism Charges For Exposing The Country's Actual COVID Stats

from the terrorizing-people-with-all-these-facts dept

Anyone who says anything critical of the Turkish government is a terrorist. That's been the operative theory of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has jailed more journalists than China and somehow managed to make a handful of governments around the world complicit in the punishment of his critics.

The hits just keep on coming. The latest roundup of "terrorists" in Turkey is COVID-related, linked to the government's attempt to bury its bad infection numbers.

Sebnem Korur Fincanci, a forensic physician, and many other doctors had long insisted there was something dodgy about Turkey’s covid-19 figures. Excess deaths across the country far surpassed officially reported deaths from the virus. Case numbers seemed suspiciously low. Vindication came at the end of November, when the government revealed it had stopped reporting asymptomatic infections months earlier. Once it resumed doing so, the case-count rocketed from about 7,000 to over 30,000 a day. (The numbers later dropped, after new lockdowns were imposed.) For her troubles Dr Fincanci, who turned 61 last year, was labelled a terrorist by none other than Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The head of the Nationalist Movement Party, the president’s coalition partner, called for the group she heads, the Turkish Medical Association, to be disbanded.

That's how the bearers of inconvenient facts are being handled in Turkey. And the government has a brand new weapon to deploy against anyone saying anything it doesn't like. A law passed late last year gives the government direct control of civil rights organizations in the country, including local branches of worldwide groups like Amnesty International. The law allows the government to remove members facing bogus terrorism charges and seize their assets. It also allows the government to handpick replacements for organization members it has jailed. If that isn't enough to silence these rights-protecting loudmouths, the government can ban the groups altogether.

All this is happening while Turkey continues to suffer from numerous violent attacks by actual terrorists. But the government has chosen to focus on multitudinous "terrorists" who do nothing more damaging than raise justifiable concerns or undercut the official narrative.

These latest arrests just add to the breathtaking number of people arrested and/or jailed by the Turkish government following a failed coup in 2016. Only a small percentage of those were participants or have engaged in actual terrorists acts. A majority of those arrested are opposition party leaders, teachers, journalists, members of civil rights groups, and dissidents. This may be making things simpler and easier for Erdogan and his acolytes. But it isn't making his country any safer. With Erdogan in charge, the population's threat matrix now includes a vengeful, thin-skinned leader.

Filed Under: covid, free speech, recep tayyip erdogan, reporting, terrorism, turkey

Turkish President Sues Dutch Lawmaker Over A Bunch Of 'Insulting' Tweets

from the who-is-the-real-terrorist-here,-Recep dept

If anyone's to blame for this latest Erdogan related debacle, it's the thin-skinned "leader" of Turkey, R.T. "Gollum" Erdogan. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to find anyone else to blame if the Dutch government hadn't been an enabler of this bad behavior.

Back in 2018, the Dutch government, inexplicably, decided to prosecute one of its own citizens for "insulting" a world leader located in an entirely different country. For whatever reason, the Dutch government has yet to wipe its "insulting a foreign leader" law from its books and that's the weapon Erdogan wielded to engage in extraterritorial protection of his easily bruised skin.

A law may be on the books, but there's nothing compelling a country to enforce it, especially when the request comes from the Turkish consulate on behalf of an insulted foreign leader who, as the word "foreign" specifies, resides in another country altogether.

Having set this stupid precedent, the Dutch government has to take some of the blame for recent developments, which involve President Erdogan targeting a member of the Dutch government over some online besmirchment.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is suing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders after the anti-Islam politician posted a series of tweets against the Turkish leader, including one that described him as a “terrorist.”

The state-run Anadolu Agency said Erdogan’s lawyer on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint against Wilders at the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s office for “insulting the president” — a crime in Turkey punishable by up to four years in prison.

Wilders posted a cartoon depicting Erdogan wearing a bomb-resembling hat on his head, with the comment: “terrorist.”

Fortunately, at least one person is handling this latest Turkish broadside against free speech with all the respect it deserves.

Wilders, who leads the largest opposition party in the Dutch Parliament, shrugged off the Turkish criminal complaint and described Erdogan as a “loser.”

This is not to say Wilders is an upstanding individual without troubling views on foreigners and religions other than his own. But the insulted leader of a foreign country shouldn't be able to do anything more than complain about it like normal people complain about things: to anyone willing to listen to someone complain about stuff. Involving courts and foreign governments shouldn't be part of the equation. There's no defamation here and nothing credibly, legally actionable. It's just Erdogan being insulted, which is something that happens regularly.

If the Dutch government doesn't meet this with a strong "why don't you just go fuck yourself" statement, it will only encourage Erdogan to engage in more extraterritorial litigation over speech he doesn't like. That's something no one needs, especially now that Turkey has passed China in the number of journalists jailed and has prosecuted more than 29,000 people in the last half-decade for "insulting" the eminently insultable president.

Filed Under: criminal complaint, geert wilders, insults, lawsuits, netherlands, recep tayyip erdogan, turkey

Tinpot Administration Is Apparently 'Building Dossiers' On Journalists Who Criticize Trump

from the referred-to-the-House-Committee-on-Unamerican-Activities dept

President Trump openly admires authoritarians. It appears he believes he was being elected dictator rather than president, and has been openly bitter about his perceived lack of power ever since. The world leaders he enjoys talking to most -- Vladimir Putin, Mohammad bin Salman, Recep Erdogan -- are all notorious thugs who punish critics, dissidents, and anyone else who steps a little out of line.

Trump envies that power. He spends most of his phone time trying to impress a collection of international asshats. And he embarrasses himself (and us by proxy) when speaking about his favorite shitheels in public. Just recently, Trump spent part of his meeting with an American pastor recently freed from a Turkish prison praising the man who had put him there.

"I have to say that, to me, President Erdoğan was very good," Trump told [jailed pastor Andrew] Brunson. "And I know they had you scheduled for a long time, and you were a very innocent person, and he ultimately, after we had a few conversations, he agreed. So we appreciate that, and we appreciate the people of Turkey."

Like Erdogan, Trump appreciates at least one person in Turkey: Recep Erdogan. Those two are aligned there. They're also aligned in their desire to punish their critics, even as they preside over countries that have enshrined free speech and freedom of the press. (Yes, even Turkey has a Constitution that name-checks freedom of expression. It has been ignored for decades.)

In Turkey, this hallowed right has been hollowed out, moving Turkey to the top of the "Most Journalists Jailed" list. Here in the United States, we're not quite up to jailing journalists. But we are placing them under surveillance. And in the latest free speech chilling news emerging from the Trump administration, the White House is building an "ENEMIES" list filled with journalists.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Judd Deere accused The Washington Post of "blatantly interfering with the business relationships of the Trump Organization" and demanded "it must stop."

"Please be advised that we are building up a very large 'dossier' on the many false David Fahrenthold and others stories as they are a disgrace to journalism and the American people," Deere said.

This was unveiled in Farenthold's latest piece for the Washington Post, exposing the funneling of federal tax dollars to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and other properties -- places where the president spends an inordinate amount of time. According to Farenthold's report, at least $900,000 in taxpayer funds have been spent at Trump businesses, much of it for the Secret Service agents who must accompany Trump wherever he goes. Trump heads to his own properties when away from the White House. And he does this frequently: 271 times since he took office, according to this report. It's a wonder the price tag isn't even higher, considering the Trump Organization tacks on things like daily "resort fees" and $1,300 "furniture removal charges" to the bills taxpayers are footing,

The White House -- which should be fully separated from Trump's personal business ventures (as Trump promised to do shortly after being elected) -- is targeting journalists for digging into the Trump Organization and its federal "guests." It's not a jailing but it's a still a threat -- one that seems completely out of place in the Land of the Free where speaking about political issues is at the top of the list of things protected by the First Amendment.

It appears Trump regrets taking the top job in a nation that shields his worst enemies from government censorship and prosecution. But there's nothing preventing him from making them miserable. And when you're someone who appears indifferent to everything -- including bad optics -- why not compile a bunch of info White House officials can hate read whenever they feel "oppressed" by the people they serve.

Filed Under: 1st amendment, authoritarian, david farenthold, donald trump, dossiers, free speech, journalists, recep tayyip erdogan
Companies: washington post

Turkey Continues Its Attempt To Pass China In The 'Most Journalists Jailed' Category

from the WEEEEEEEEEE-ARE-THE-CHAMPIONNNNNNNNS-MY-FRIEND dept

Turkey continues to be awful. The President of the country, Recep "Gollum" Erdogan, continues to fight his own personal brand of "War on Terror." So far, this "war" is mostly on critics and journalists, since actual terrorism isn't something Erdogan seems to care about as much as his own reputation.

Critics located all over the world have felt the proxy wrath of the frequently-besmirched PM. Some countries have been especially obliging, turning over their own citizens to face criminal charges for insulting the Turkish head of state.

Journalists all over the world are feeling the heel of Erdogan's boot, the size of which is inversely proportional to the thickness of his skin. Rather than limit his censorial efforts to the war at home, Erdogan frequently calls on US tech companies to engage in censorship on his behalf. Twitter is a favorite.

You're nothing if you're not on the leader boards. Erdogan sees himself as a living superlative. So it's no surprise his government is seeking to overtake the Red Granddaddy of Censorship -- China -- in the category of "Most Journalist Jailed." Presumably, the Guinness people will just mail him his award, rather than risk being swept up in his "War on Terror" for listing Nobel Prize winners or whatever.

More journalists have been convicted of crimes against Herr Erdogan. Unfortunately for the authoritarian, not too many of them will actually be jailed, which isn't going to help him overtake China in the jailed journalist race. Prosecution in absentia is the new normal for Turkey since local journalists have realized staying in the country means forced retirement from their chosen profession.

Alert Interpol, I guess, as though that international partnership is really interested in converting itself into an extension of Turkey's government. The "War on Terror" continues, with Turkish courts fighting the war at home by sentencing journalists self-exiling abroad.

A Turkish court on Friday convicted six journalists and one other employee of an independent newspaper of aiding the network of a U.S.-based cleric who is accused of masterminding the failed coup in 2016, the state-run news agency reported.

Conjecture and hearsay are kinds of evidence, the Turkish lawyers certainly argued. Some of those sentenced will actually be headed to jail post-appeal, since there's no reason to believe this kangaroo courtship will be annulled upon further review.

Others will just spend their sentences not living in Turkey, as the supposed coup "mastermind" is doing.

[T]he primary target of Erdogan's wrath is Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic scholar in his late 70s living in exile in the United States. Erdogan blames Gulen for masterminding the failed coup attempt. The government has declared Gulen's movement a terrorist organization.

Jailing someone in their late-70s seems unusually cruel. (We do it here so stop throwing stones.) But it's just not going to happen as long as Gulen lives in the United States. Anyone with any connection to Gulen is being branded a terrorist, even if most of them are just journalists who had nothing to do with the failed coup that has led directly to the jailing of over 100 journalists.

Criticizing Erdogan from abroad really doesn't do much to diminish his power at home. But it does keep him busy. It keeps his courts tied up trying cases of suspects the government can never jail and it keeps the busybodies in the censorship department active filing social media complaints. Now, if only we (the US and its tech companies) weren't so eager to help...

Filed Under: free press, free speech, intimidation, jailing, journalists, recep tayyip erdogan, turkey

Turkish Court Says Government's Two-Year Ban Of Wikipedia Violates Freedom Of Expression Rights

from the I-see-you've-made-your-ruling.-Now-let's-see-you-enforce-it. dept

The world's second-largest jailer of journalists -- Recep Erdogan's Turkish government -- has just been pushed back against ever so slightly by the country's Constitutional Court. The government's long-running ban of Wikipedia has been overturned, the Associated Press reports.

Turkey’s highest court on Thursday ruled in favor of Wikipedia, saying the Turkish government’s two-year ban on the online encyclopedia constitutes a violation of freedom of expression, the state-run news agency reported.

This ruling is somewhat of a surprise, given the authoritarian stance of the government. This ruling is also no-brainer, but one probably viewed by President Erdogan as redundant. Of course, it's a violation of free speech rights. That's what it was intended to be.

The government's ban of Wikipedia began in April 2017 when the site refused to remove content the Turkish government claimed was a "threat to national security." This included content suggesting Turkey's government supported ISIS and other terrorist groups. When Wikipedia refused to engage in censorship on the Turkish government's behalf, the government pulled the plug on all versions of Wikipedia.

Two years later, Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia petitioned the European Court of Human Rights, asking for a ruling reversing the ban and declaring it a violation of rights. Wikipedia has now secured a ruling doing these things, albeit from a court few people expected to side with the site. However, it may have been ECHR pressure that motivated this ruling. The ECHR expedited Wikipedia's case, giving the Turkish government until the end of 2019 to justify the ban.

Apparently, no justification has been found. But this is only the beginning. The court has made its ruling. But the only thing that does -- at least at this point -- is keep the ECHR from handing down yet another judgment against Turkey. Not that those rulings have had any effect on the way the Turkish government goes about its business.

The ECHR has ruled against Turkey more than any other country. Ankara routinely ignores verdicts, choosing instead to pay court-ordered fines.

If it can ignore the European court, it can certainly ignore its own Constitutional Court. The ban may never be lifted. Erdogan seems willing to keep cutting checks if it helps keep pesky constituents in line and the government firmly in control of the narrative.

Filed Under: ban, censorship, cjeu, eu, free speech, recep tayyip erdogan, site blocking, turkey, web block, wikipedia
Companies: wikimedia

Turkish Gov't Demands US Embassy Apologize For 'Liking' A Tweet The Turkish Gov't Didn't Like

from the adults-in-room-capitulate-to-child.-details-at-11. dept

The government with the thinnest skin is at it again. Turkey can't handle being criticized in even the slightest way -- not after installing Recep "Gollum" Erdogan as president. A very, very long list of well-earned criticisms has led to an equally long list of retaliatory actions against the president's critics, which has included the misuse of other countries' laws to secure punishment of non-citizens and the jailing of of journalists declared to be terrorists by President Erdogan's government.

The government that can't visit other nations without beating up the locals recently decided it needed to have a little one-on-one time with a US diplomat who interacted with a tweet the Turkish government didn't like.

Turkey summoned a top American diplomat Sunday after the U.S. Embassy's official Twitter account "liked" a tweet that said the people of Turkey should prepare for a political era without the leader of Turkey's national party, who is reportedly ill.

The Foreign Ministry said the U.S. charge d'affaires Jeffrey Hovenier was summoned despite an embassy statement that said its Twitter account had liked "an unrelated post in error," and apologized.

The tweet, written by a Turkish journalist Erdogan wants to throw in jail, suggested nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli might die soon. Apparently the Turkish government decided it wasn't enough to hate on the tweet and its tweeter. So, it decided to scroll down the list of people who had interacted with the tweet and see if it couldn't find some way to express its displeasure.

This in itself is ridiculous. Apparently unaware of the fact that retweets and likes aren't always endorsements, the Turkish government decided to make itself look like even more of an easily-bruised dictatorship by demanding a US diplomat apologize for pressing a button on social media. Unfortunately, the ridiculousness doesn't end there. The US embassy decided to encourage this clownish thuggery by apologizing a second time for liking a tweet.

"We do not associate ourselves with Ergun Babahan nor do we endorse or agree with the content of his tweet," the embassy's second apology read. "We reiterate our regret for this error."

Thanks. That ought to keep Erdogan in line. I realize we're somewhat reliant on Turkey thanks to our decision to back combatants in a war being fought in Syria, but pacifying an impetuous child dressed in a president's suit is something we shouldn't even be doing domestically, much less halfway around the world. We're the country of free speech. Let's try to use it now and then when idiots start demanding apologies for things they have no right to be demanding apologies for.

Filed Under: diplomacy, diplomat, free speech, jeffrey hovenier, likes, recep tayyip erdogan, thin skin, us embassy

Turkish Gov't: Erdogan's Bodyguards Needed To Attack DC Protesters Because They Were Too Close When They Said Mean Things

from the welcome-to-the-insult-free-zone dept

A few years back, thin-skinned thug/President of Turkey Recep Erdogan paid the US a visit. He brought his security detail with him, which isn't unusual. World leaders always travel with security. What was more surprising were the actions of his security team. When faced with protesters hurling dangerous words in the direction of Erdogan, his security personnel decided "when in Rome" wasn't applicable. Acting as though they were on their home turf, Erdogan's bodyguards began physically assaulting protesters and journalists covering the protests.

This put Washington DC police in the awkward and novel position of protecting protesters and journalists from beatings. It also put Erdogan and his security officers under the heading of "Defendants" in a federal lawsuit. Erdogan's off-the-cuff defense of his bodyguards' actions -- that they were right to retaliate against insults targeting the president -- appears to be the defense the Republic of Turkey is using in its attempt to get this lawsuit dismissed. (h/t Adam Steinbaugh)

The motion to dismiss [PDF] alleges a lot of things. It claims protesters were dangerous. It claims the DC Metro Police did not keep protesters as far away from Erdogan as Erdogan felt they should be. It claims anti-Turkey protesters injured pro-Turkey supporters. But mostly it claims the use of force was justified.

Local law enforcement did nothing to enforce U.S. federal law making it a crime for two or more persons to harass or attempt to harass a foreign dignitary within 100 feet. See 18 U.S.C. § 112. MPD either ignored or was unaware that under U.S. law, and international treaty obligations, dignitaries are different, and that the United States promises a higher level of security to “internationally protected persons” than ordinary persons, as part of the fabric of diplomacy and international comity.

What kind of "harassment?" Well, it looks like people were saying mean things about Erdogan within hearing distance.

When President Erdogan arrived at the Residence, the angry Anti-Turkey Group, of which several members had already acted violently, continued to tout symbols of PKK/YPG support while yelling aspersions about President Erdogan within an unsafe distance of the Turkish president and the Residence he was attempting to enter.

After some barely-related narrative about how tough and dangerous it is to be the Turkish president in the age of ISIS, the motion continues with its claims of harmful free speech.

Section 112(a) broadly prohibits assaults against foreign officials, official guests, and IPPs, and attacks upon the official premises, private accommodations, and means of transport of such persons. 18 U.S.C. § 112(a). The provision also criminalizes attempts to commit such offenses. Id. Notably, neither intent to injure an IPP nor proof of injury is required to be found guilty of a crime under Section 112(a). See United States v. Gan, 636 F.2d 28, 29-30 (2d Cir. 1980), cert. denied, 451 U.S. 1020 (1981).

Which includes "harassment," a term the Turkish government's motion decides to define with an outdated version of the law it's citing:

Section 112(b) prohibits, among other things, (1) harassment or (2) attempts to harass a foreign official and (3) the congregation of two or more persons within 100 feet of a foreign official with the intent to harass. 18 U.S.C. § 112(b).28 The term “harass” has been interpreted to apply to “such activities as may seriously alarm or persecute foreign officials.” CISPES (Comm. in Solidarity with People of El Salvador) v. F.B.I., 770 F.2d 468, 476 (5th Cir. 1985). The legislative history of the statute (in its pre-amended form) includes the following example of individual misconduct criminalized by Section 112(b)(1) and (2):

Engaging in a course of conduct, including the use of abusive language, or repeatedly committing acts which alarm, intimidate or persecute him which serve no legitimate purpose

The law no longer references the "use of abusive language."

There's a lot to the motion, but the crux of it is that Erdogan's security team was justified in using physical force on protesters, most of whom were using nothing more than words. The Republic of Turkey will very likely escape being held liable for the actions of Erdogan's security team, but their actions at least gave more of the world a glimpse at what the country's favorite response to critical speech is: vindictive violence.

Filed Under: assault, attacks, bodyguards, free speech, protests, recep tayyip erdogan, turkey

Interpol Alert Issued By Turkey For Exiled Journalists President Erdogan Wants To Toss In Jail

from the shut-up,-he-BOLOed dept

Turkey's government has already locked up more than 70 journalists -- most of them in the wake of a failed coup. President Recep Erdogan says the imprisoned journalists are terrorists and criminals, but rather than offer evidence of wrongdoing, Erdogan just keeps throwing more of them in jail.

The notoriously thin-skinned president has been eliminating dissent and criticism since he took power, so there's no reason to give his accusations of criminal activity credence. Erdogan has leaned on favorable laws elsewhere in the world to press for criminal charges and extradition of citizens of other nations who've offended his delicate sensibilities.

As a player on the world stage, Erdogan and his government will use whatever tools they have available to continue to eliminate their critics. It appears Erdogan is now asking the world's police forces to help him track down journalists he hasn't yet jailed. (h/t Mutlu Civiroglu)

Journalism in Turkey has come under renewed scrutiny after an Istanbul court issued an international arrest warrant for two prominent writers living overseas.

In a hearing against journalists linked to the Cumhuriyet newspaper, the 27th High Criminal Court said it would request the issuance of Interpol “red notices” for Can Dundar and Ilhan Tanir. The order notifies all Interpol member states that the individual has pending arrest warrants.

Mr Dundar, the newspaper’s former editor-in-chief, and Mr Tanir, its ex-Washington correspondent, currently live in Germany and the US respectively.

No one's under any obligation to arrest and extradite these "criminals." And certainly no one should feel they have to enforce Turkey's draconian anti-press measures halfway around the world. But it will make travel difficult, as databases will be pinged and info alleging criminal activity will be returned. If they happen to travel to a country that feels compelled to take Turkey's disingenuous government at its word, these journalists find themselves being sent home to face ridiculous charges in a kangaroo court.

Critical speech is its own crime in Turkey, despite what Erdogan says publicly.

“Turkey numbers among the world’s leading countries in matters of press freedom, the most advanced communications technologies, social media, the internet and journalism,” he said on Journalists’ Day in January.

You can only get away with saying something this ridiculous in a country where a large majority of news services are under direct government control and internet blockades are only a kill-switch away. When most of your journalists are in jail or have left the country, you're not in the running for Free-est Press in the World awards. You're just a thug in nation-state clothing.

Filed Under: arresting journalists, free speech, interpol, journalism, recep tayyip erdogan, turkey