Opinion

Turkey’s authoritarian ossification

To fulfill the EU dream, one of the boxes Ankara will have to tick is learning to accept media critique

Ayesha Hasan April 28, 2016

The writer is a former sub-editor of The Express Tribune and is now pursuing a PhD in women and peace journalism at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She tweets @ayeshahasan08

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when it seemed almost possible that Turkey would be able to join the European Union (EU) after years of literally begging to be taken into the group. This might have seen the country strengthen its commitment to liberal democracy. Such an outcome now no longer seems possible. The damage has been done. Thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasing authoritarianism, the situation in the country with respect to freedom of speech, is getting tragic every day, with the government attempting to suppress each critical voice within and beyond its borders. The European parliament has already filed a resolution, expressing its concerns over Turkey’s “backsliding from democracy”; and as is the wont in any authoritarian system, the political opposition in the country is the governing regime’s worst target.

The issues that afflict Turkey at the moment are as distinct as they are convolutedly interwoven. The Turkish government has displayed clear dictatorial tendencies. Over and over again, the ruling Islamic-conservative Justice and Development party, or AKP, has demonstrated disrespect for a free media. Its crackdown on several media outlets critical of the government speaks volumes of its stance on a free press. Most recent to be blocked was the Sputnik News Agency’s website for a Q&A session with the Russian president, who was asked who he would save between the Turkish and Ukrainian presidents if, in a hypothetical situation, both of them were drowning. Moreover, in addition to two reporters currently involved in a closed-door trial with charges of espionage for an article accusing the Turkish government of providing arms to terrorist groups in Syria, 14 Turkish journalists were imprisoned last year; and most recently, there is the president’s direct complaint made to the German chancellor, seeking the trial of German satirist and journalist Jan Bohmermann, who read an “offensive” satirical poem on TV about President Erdogan.

Turkey has longed for membership of the EU for a long time, but its current regime clearly fails to understand that to fulfill the EU dream, one of the boxes Ankara will have to tick is learning to accept media critique, avoid exaggerated reactions to criticisms by journalists, writers, academics and cartoonists, and letting go of its habitual tendency of keeping the media under a tight leash. President Erdogan’s authoritarianism is, knowingly or otherwise, fanning the flames of Turkish nationalism. The crackdown on Kurds, and military adventurism in Iraq and Syria, manipulation of the refugee crisis and an October 2015 EU report accusing Turkey of human rights abuses — a report Ankara considers “null and void” for its reference to the Ottoman Empire’s mass killing of Armenians as genocide — have left a bad taste in the mouth.

Time will tell whether Turkey’s denial of rumours regarding the scrapping of secularism from the country’s new constitution will overshadow Erdogan’s recent demonstration of low-spirited commitment to democratic values. Mere assurances of maintaining Turkey’s secular character will do no good. Unfortunately, President Erdogan, through several recent controversial statements, is giving way to increased political and religious fundamentalism in the country, the biggest problem any secular democracy could face. It appears that increased authoritarianism in Turkey has created a social, religious and political vacuum, leaving it polarised. Not too long ago, Turkey was the envy of the entire Muslim world for its marriage of Western democracy and Islamic culture; a country that was seen to have the potential to serve as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East; a country free from the plague of terrorism and socio-political instability. But what is happening now is not what the world saw coming when President Erdogan promised a glorious “New Turkey”.

A spate of human rights abuses and the lack of media and political freedoms have hurt democracy in Turkey and made its chances of possible inclusion in the EU murky. Ankara needs to learn lesson(s) from the experiences of its neighbours, where authoritarian regimes could do little to save these countries from internal implosion. If these lessons aren’t learnt, and President Erdogan continues to ossify this totalitarian dogma and rigid backward drive, Turkey might just become another Syria.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2016.

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COMMENTS (10)

Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply @Rex Minor: I have accepted your point with some hitches . You are right I hope system will keep moving towards the path of development and egalitarianism and compatibility between Islam and democracy will take deep roots in the system . Have a good day Ahmad kainth

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply But Tayyab erdogen is also pursuing the same style of government lurching the country into social and economic chaos that may create more disorder The Turkish President under the current constitution has no political authority; its military has been reformed and economicaly it is second to none in the European community, It is a democracy and has to imrove further its standing but still the best among muslim majority countries and a challenge for those who are moving towards right in Europe and are expressing their doubts about Islam which brought egalitarianism in the world, compatibility with democracy. Have a nice day sir! Rex Minor.

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Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply @Rex Minor: Yah we both have difference of opinion as it will be helpful to reach at conclusion. Term absolute must not have meant to be used for lamenting derogatory remarks against minorities or other political faction . I like to say that they(europeans )have a right to reprobate the government if it does wrong in managing the affairs of state . Every country has its own law referred the cases to court to say final word if they is a case of sedition . But in turkey, government has made its own right to put people on prisons without following the due process of law . Turkey has faced difficult time engaged in a despotic style of government run by military . But Tayyab erdogen is also pursuing the same style of government lurching the country into social and economic chaos that may create more disorder . What will be the final outcome ? As you know it will be again military government saving the country not to be Balkanised .I believe that Turkey has modern liberal democracy and it must accept dissents with full spirit and fervor to stop the furore unleashed by the media and civil societies is all over world against Turkey .

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply @Ahmad: You Sir have expressed your opinion and I have mine; my critique of the article is simply because it contains mis-statements. You say that in western societies ,freedom of speech is absolute right there. This is not true, first of all there is no such absolute 'term' as the western societies per se, each country has its own constitution and laws. I am a European and a muslim too and am not supposed to insult or denigate others in my free speach or expression without risking prosecution. This is being tacked by the courts in Germany what the German journalist carried out against the turkish president risking upto five years imprisonment and the journalists in Turkey were given two years imprsonment. What you mentioned about the rights in France have been suspended until july this year.. it has taken a very long time for AKP to rid Turkey of the military controlled governments and it will be a real shame if they return to authoritarian system again. Rex Minor

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Years ago Turkey had to make a choice East Or West ?.....and it chose West. But the West rejected it saying Turkey was not ready......that is all water under the bridge and we have to now see how things play out. Having spent time in Turkey and seeing the people, I am not as pessimistic as the author.

Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply @Rex Minor: You are right . But what needs to be done is that turkey should stop humilating the journalists and media spokepersons. As you see in western societies ,freedom of speech is obsolute right there . If france president has subsided the judicial involvement from terrorists trial ,then people would have a right to criticise the government . France government would not humilate them in closed rooms as well as does not close their offices and shut mouth of dissents up there . Turkey has been hosting the refugees ,it is a fact but turkey might not have persecuted the kurds who made the biggest minority in modern democratic countries . Turkey should not join the european union .what it gets from it is visible .european union is not secular entity. It offers a membership to those countries which have same ideologies related to econmic development as well as white race supermacy and united countries against other civilizations . Turkey is torn country from international relation perspective needing to make its ideology from where it belongs . Even NATO refused to help it when it dropped the plan off of Russia . Turkey's strategic involvement in syria has prompted the non state actors to attack it bluntally. And turkey humilation of journalism is a deliberate as they crticise the government .i hope you get understood what i perceive and try to correct me in a positive way

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply @Ahmad: Well contented article . Tendency of authoritarianism could not be ruled out when tayyab erdogen changed the parlimentarian form of government to presidential form of goverment . Well contented indeed, but the Phd student has disqualfied herself for a visa to enter turkey. If the Presidential rule of Hollande in France is acceptable to the European Commission which has suspended the judiciary control in the country because of its indigenous terrorst attacks in paris while the new polish Government has suspended the powers of its constitution court, the Turkish Government is justified to take approprate measures in the country to protect its people from the well organised terror acts within its own borders whch now houses almost four million syrian refugees. Today the European Union needs turkey more than before to avoid the peaceful invasion of refugees from Africa and the middle east as well as the looming confrontation of the west against the Russians. Rex Minor

Toti calling | 8 years ago | Reply There was a time when many of us looked to Ataturk for trying to make a secular nation. Now we know the experiment failed miserably. People carry on voting for religious parties and even Hijab is back nine fashion. Erdogan has done his bit. After reducing army power, he has become a dictator himself. Only this week, the speaker of Turkish parliament, who happens to be a close friend of Erdogan, has suggested that Turkey should adopt Islamic constitution as it is muslim country. All very well, but then it has no claims to become member of EU which is secular union. Turkey is showing the world that Islamic countries do not feel at home with freedom of press and democracy. Now Pakistan has more press freedom than turkey, if you ignore the army influence.

Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply Well contented article . Tendency of authoritarianism could not be ruled out when tayyab erdogen changed the parlimentarian form of government to presidential form of goverment . More social chaos are inevitable in turkey as government is lashing out media spokepersons . govenment should come out from this dilemma .castigsting others anti-state will affect the turkey badly . Media should have to be independent and impartial. Media has a right to view the state functions from prism of dissidence.

Bairooni Haath | 8 years ago | Reply Turkey is proof that Democracy and Islam do not mix well.

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