To his conservative voters, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is an esteemed, religious man. To his opposition and most of the international community, he is an oppressive force on Turkey that is dragging the secular country back into Ottoman times. He has the well rehearsed rhetoric of America's best politician, but is as slimy and corrupt as our worst.
Few Turks were surprised with Erdoğan's response to the Academics for Peace letter. Whenever a government scandal arises, the Turkish government shuts down social media. Erdoğan claimed that he would "wipe out Twitter" when proof of his corruption was leaked.
In Erdoğan's defense, the Turkish government has been trying and failing to contain the situation in Southeastern Turkey. He and his advisors know that inciting fear will prevent people from attacking or publicly criticizing the government. It's a power move similar to violently shutting down the Gezi Park protests in 2013.
No one expected this harsh reaction to a group of academics exercising their academic freedom. However, Erdoğan believes that "those so called academics need to know their place" and that they are "dark, demented people."
This is a man who uses the word to terrorist to describe those who speak against him or expose his corruption. This is a man who, when called a dictator, sues his own people. This is a man who doesn't want to release his loosening grip on the country he already may have lost.
"Turkey will fight [Kurdish] terrorism until the last weapon of the last terrorist is placed on the ground."
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| Встреча Президента России Владимира Путина с Президентом Турции Реджепом Тайипом Эрдоганом в Баку. June 2015 |
In Erdoğan's defense, the Turkish government has been trying and failing to contain the situation in Southeastern Turkey. He and his advisors know that inciting fear will prevent people from attacking or publicly criticizing the government. It's a power move similar to violently shutting down the Gezi Park protests in 2013.
No one expected this harsh reaction to a group of academics exercising their academic freedom. However, Erdoğan believes that "those so called academics need to know their place" and that they are "dark, demented people."
This is a man who uses the word to terrorist to describe those who speak against him or expose his corruption. This is a man who, when called a dictator, sues his own people. This is a man who doesn't want to release his loosening grip on the country he already may have lost.
"Turkey will fight [Kurdish] terrorism until the last weapon of the last terrorist is placed on the ground."
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