Erdogan’s Turkey has been known for being very quick on the trigger to arrest any perceived dissenters, particularly when those dissenters are also seen as pro-Kurdish. The invasion of Afrin, Syria, unsurprisingly has led to a new round of arrests.
At least 91 people have been confirmed to have been arrested overnight Monday during nationwide “police raids” in Turkey targeting people who were “spreading terrorist propaganda,” which boiled down to expressing opposition to the invasion of Syria.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed as much, saying opposing the war was “the biggest villainy,” and that Turkey intends to hold responsible anyone who commits this “crime” on social media.
The arrests have included top politicians within the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which is often vilified for being pro-Kurd, and at least four reporters. Six of the detainees are also accused of planning a public protest in a park in the Kurdish part of Turkey, which is likely to carry an even stiffer sentence.
Turkey has banned all rallies, protests, public meetings, and even concerts in the capital city of Ankara for the duration of the war. Elsewhere in the country the laws aren’t very clear about banning public expressions of opinion, but the arrests are coming either way.
A real question is, is Erdogan also silencing voices of reason within his own military. The protesters will have no effect on the outcome; Edogan is politically secure for the time being as long as he wins.
If Turkey’s remaining post-coup generals cannot speak freely on the wisdom of their orders or second-guessed on how to carry them out, then things could turn out badly for Turkey.
The protestors are taking a greater risk than perhaps they understand; if the Afrin strike back a-la-Houthi, not just bombarding into Turkey but making successful armed incursions, Erodgan’s people will take it out on the people they can reach.
I think Erdogan is in it for the long haul. You see how he arrests people with opposing views, has cleansed all his checks and balances institutions and has curbed the powers of his Prime Minister. He clearly isn’t ever going to leave power and now he’s going after his own people for daring to oppose his baseless invasion of Syria. People on this forum should cherish there freedom that allows us to criticize the people who are in power in places like Turkey once a true Democratic society you can be arrested, detained and sentenced to death for it.
I do appreciate what freedoms of expression we do have. However as someone who was pre-emptively detained simply for walking down a sidewalk towards a demonstration, I know the US has some disturbing similarities to what Turkey is doing.
And also cherish the idea that your government can read your e-mails and listen in on your phone conversations.
And I guess in Russia, Iran, and China people aren’t being censored or worse. I guess we’re the only exception to every other nation. Save it. You’re probably an Edward Snowden sympathizer. He just like you complained about the surveillance of American citizens so he left for get this China and Russia gave up national secrets and the ironic thing is those countries are more restrictive on the information and correspondence of there citizens than America is. Go get you a huge glass of Putin juice!!!
Then it is ok with you if your government spies on you because it goes on elsewhere? You never seem concerned with anything our government does as long as some other government is doing the same thing. And there you go with the Putin juice again. You certainly seem enamored by Vlad’s juices.
There should be a parade for Edward Snowden.
Go chug a big bucket of Snowden juice!!!
Although the “juice” comments are borderline with respect to the rules, I’ve elected not to say anything until now on the grounds that if you want to continually make yourself look like an idiot, who am I to stop you. I realize now that that’s uncharitable, and that when you make yourself look like an idiot, I should let you know that you’re making yourself look like an idiot so that if you don’t want to look like an idiot, you can stop.
Um … you’re making yourself look like an idiot.
So what you’re saying is that you wish America was just like Russia and China?
No not what I’m saying
Well, you’re lamenting the fact that the US regime wasn’t able to be as restrictive on Snowden as Russia and China are on their people. So which is it gonna be — should America be more restrictive, or is Snowden good to go?
The whole problem is easily solved — elimination of the classification system, and the death penalty for any government employee caught hiding information.
It seems like regime change is needed in Turkey. It shouldn’t be that difficult to take out Erdogan.
At the very least, couldn’t the Russians move some defense capability up to support Assad, since Turkey IS invading and attacking their ally?
Soros/Gulen rented “activists”. Why is Soris funding Antifa in Greece? The convenient location to recruit misfits for acting against fascism in Greece and Turkey. As the politics is getting more conservative, these are the future militants. It is funny that the ky news if Antifa jn Greece came via information that jfs headquarters have been burned jn Thessaloniki. These actuvists sre groomed slso to interfere in politics if Macedonia and Serbia. Eben thiugh colored revolution duceeded in Macedonia, and there is a mad dash to shive them into NATO — the danger of next elections looms. Serbia us getting cliser to Russia — utter panick. Antifa was licated in fhe “Refugee olaza”.