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Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 29 2015
Any journalists to slaughter?
GÃ`NAL KURÅ?UN
March 29, 2015, Sunday
In the cartoon, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an is seen asking whether
officials at the new presidential palace in Ankara have prepared `any
journalists to slaughter,' referring to ritual sacrifice in Islam, to
mark his inauguration. This is a cartoon from the popular Turkish
satirical weekly Penguin, a counterpart of France's Charlie Hebdo.
Cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Ã-zer AydoÄ?an have been sentenced to 11
months in prison because `it [the cartoon] constitutes an insult to
the president.'
Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, one of ErdoÄ?an's most beloved politicians,
first tweeted to Cem Ã-zdemir, a Turkish-German member of parliament
from the Greens, asking if there were Armenians in Ã-zdemir's family
tree. Hayko BaÄ?dat, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, answered this
racist question over Twitter with a hashtag, stating that Gökçek is
Armenian and `they've [officials]' given the capital to an Armenian.
Through this, BaÄ?dat tried to highlight what Gökçek is trying to do.
In Gökçek's mind, being accused of being Armenian or having Armenian
roots is an insult. When BaÄ?dat reflects the accusation on Gökçek, it
looks like the mayor got mad and filed a case against BaÄ?dat. In the
preliminary statement, Gökçek stated that `Armenian' is a word used to
imply disgust; therefore, he was insulted by BaÄ?dat and asked for
punishment and compensation.
I've written this maybe a hundred times. There is an extreme need for
understanding the limits of freedom of expression for Turkish
politicians, especially for ErdoÄ?an and the president's men. At the
same time, they need to understand what racism is. ErdoÄ?an and his
family members have filed hundreds of cases against journalists in the
last 10 years.
In violation of the standards provided by the European Court of Human
Rights (ECtHR), ErdoÄ?an is still filing cases against those who
criticize his actions and operations. If a president acts in this way,
it is not surprising if his men tweet racist sentiments and file cases
against those who only reflect their racism.
In the Castells v. Spain case, the ECtHR highlighted that `freedom of
expression ¦ constitutes one of the essential foundations of a
democratic society and one of the basic conditions for its progress.
Subject to [legitimate restrictions] it is applicable not only to
`information' or `ideas' that are favorably received or regarded as
inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also to those that
offend, shock or disturb. Such are the demands of that pluralism,
tolerance and broadmindedness without which there is no `democratic
society'.'
The court states that politicians must stay open to any kind of
criticism, as they've chosen this profession. `In a democratic system
the actions or omissions of the Government must be subject to the
close scrutiny not only of the legislative and judicial authorities
but also of the press and public opinion. Furthermore, the dominant
position which the Government occupies makes it necessary for it to
display restraint in resorting to criminal proceedings, particularly
where other means are available for replying to the unjustified
attacks and criticisms of its adversaries or the media,' reads the
decision.
`I am very concerned about reports from Turkey indicating an increase
in the number of criminal cases for alleged insults against the
president of the Turkish Republic. In this connection, I condemn the
recent sentencing of cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Ã-zer AydoÄ?an,'
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks
said in a written statement released last Thursday.
If Bülent Arınç, deputy prime minister and government spokesperson,
was right about Gökçek when he said that he has sold government land
as if they were his, we will see lots of real criminal proceedings in
the future. American journalist Doug Larson says, `Instead of giving a
politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the
locks.'
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/gunal-kursun/any-journalists-to-slaughter_376618.html
From: A. Papazian
March 29 2015
Any journalists to slaughter?
GÃ`NAL KURÅ?UN
March 29, 2015, Sunday
In the cartoon, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an is seen asking whether
officials at the new presidential palace in Ankara have prepared `any
journalists to slaughter,' referring to ritual sacrifice in Islam, to
mark his inauguration. This is a cartoon from the popular Turkish
satirical weekly Penguin, a counterpart of France's Charlie Hebdo.
Cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Ã-zer AydoÄ?an have been sentenced to 11
months in prison because `it [the cartoon] constitutes an insult to
the president.'
Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, one of ErdoÄ?an's most beloved politicians,
first tweeted to Cem Ã-zdemir, a Turkish-German member of parliament
from the Greens, asking if there were Armenians in Ã-zdemir's family
tree. Hayko BaÄ?dat, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, answered this
racist question over Twitter with a hashtag, stating that Gökçek is
Armenian and `they've [officials]' given the capital to an Armenian.
Through this, BaÄ?dat tried to highlight what Gökçek is trying to do.
In Gökçek's mind, being accused of being Armenian or having Armenian
roots is an insult. When BaÄ?dat reflects the accusation on Gökçek, it
looks like the mayor got mad and filed a case against BaÄ?dat. In the
preliminary statement, Gökçek stated that `Armenian' is a word used to
imply disgust; therefore, he was insulted by BaÄ?dat and asked for
punishment and compensation.
I've written this maybe a hundred times. There is an extreme need for
understanding the limits of freedom of expression for Turkish
politicians, especially for ErdoÄ?an and the president's men. At the
same time, they need to understand what racism is. ErdoÄ?an and his
family members have filed hundreds of cases against journalists in the
last 10 years.
In violation of the standards provided by the European Court of Human
Rights (ECtHR), ErdoÄ?an is still filing cases against those who
criticize his actions and operations. If a president acts in this way,
it is not surprising if his men tweet racist sentiments and file cases
against those who only reflect their racism.
In the Castells v. Spain case, the ECtHR highlighted that `freedom of
expression ¦ constitutes one of the essential foundations of a
democratic society and one of the basic conditions for its progress.
Subject to [legitimate restrictions] it is applicable not only to
`information' or `ideas' that are favorably received or regarded as
inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also to those that
offend, shock or disturb. Such are the demands of that pluralism,
tolerance and broadmindedness without which there is no `democratic
society'.'
The court states that politicians must stay open to any kind of
criticism, as they've chosen this profession. `In a democratic system
the actions or omissions of the Government must be subject to the
close scrutiny not only of the legislative and judicial authorities
but also of the press and public opinion. Furthermore, the dominant
position which the Government occupies makes it necessary for it to
display restraint in resorting to criminal proceedings, particularly
where other means are available for replying to the unjustified
attacks and criticisms of its adversaries or the media,' reads the
decision.
`I am very concerned about reports from Turkey indicating an increase
in the number of criminal cases for alleged insults against the
president of the Turkish Republic. In this connection, I condemn the
recent sentencing of cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Ã-zer AydoÄ?an,'
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks
said in a written statement released last Thursday.
If Bülent Arınç, deputy prime minister and government spokesperson,
was right about Gökçek when he said that he has sold government land
as if they were his, we will see lots of real criminal proceedings in
the future. American journalist Doug Larson says, `Instead of giving a
politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the
locks.'
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/gunal-kursun/any-journalists-to-slaughter_376618.html
From: A. Papazian