There’s freedom of the press if you own a newspaper. That was the sardonic response of one American newspaper owner when asked about freedom of the press.
However, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making it clear he alone will decide whether freedom of the press in Turkey will be tolerated.
In recent days, Erdogan proved that even those privileged Turks who control much of that country’s media were not immune from his autocratic actions to further his political power following the botched military coup.
Erdogan used his power to arrest thousands of individuals allegedly implicated in the takeover plot. He also took advantage of the failed coup to arrest anyone representing a threat to his power, including those involved in exposing alleged illicit payoffs to members of his ruling party, such as his own son.
High on his list were members of Turkey’s governmental, legal and educational systems as well as the country’s media, much of it controlled or influenced by prominent members of Turkish society, allegedly including cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan claims is always behind plots to remove him from power.
According to Turkish reports, 130 media outlets were effectively shut down following the failed coup.
It’s reported almost four dozen one-time executives of the country’s Zaman newspaper received detention orders for alleged links to Gulen, who once was a supporter of Erdogan, but after a falling-out, now lives in self-imposed isolation in Pennsylvania.
Reporters Without Borders has condemned the purges of journalists following the failed coup.
However, Erdogan’s move to stifle freedom of the press is simply the latest by him to ensure anyone who dares to question his policies or criticize his position as president will pay a price.
Since he came to power, Erdogan’s systematic threats and punitive actions against the media have reached the point where Reporters Without Borders in its 2015 World Press Freedom Index placed Turkish press freedom 149th out of 180 countries.
And one of the main targets on Erdogan’s list of enemies to be destroyed remains Gulen, whom Erdogan is demanding U.S. President Barack Obama extradite to Turkey.
However, considering Erdogan’s flagrant violation of the rule of law and his purge of anyone trying to uphold the law, plus his statement he would agree with the return of the death penalty in Turkey, it’s doubtful Obama would agree to Erdogan’s extradition demand.
(Were Turkey to reintroduce the death penalty, it would prevent the European Union from admitting it as a member.)
While many have mixed feelings about developments in Turkey, maintaining real democratic systems, with their obligatory rule of law and respect for authentic human rights, can come with a price tag.
Part of that reality is that for any country to truly believe in the rule of law and respect for human rights, there also must be a willingness to accept such concepts as freedom of speech, including for the media.
Such dedication is not always easy. Often, such commitments to human rights can be an evolving matter, confronting constant challenges and outright opposition. (Interestingly, one country where openness to diversity of opinion is widely accepted is Italy, once the homeland of fascism.)
Yet some sectors of society might see such commitment to democracy as harmful to their own interests, especially if choices made by some are seen as harmful to others. Such a situation confronts the seriously divided people of Venezuela.
The reality is that authentic democracy and respect for the human rights of all members of society are goals that require good will and true respect for others.
Erdogan is not a leader whom many in Turkey and elsewhere believe is truly committed to that goal.
Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa-based commentator. He served in Turkey.
