Erdoğan gov’t may soon launch witch-hunt type prosecution against opponents

There has been increased chatter in the Turkish capital signaling that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government may soon open legal cases in order to harass his opponents, especially people and companies affiliated with the Hizmet movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, for their critical stand against corruption that has implicated senior government officials.

The rumors began spreading after Erdoğan, who emerged victorious from Sunday's local elections, threatened the Hizmet movement. “We will go into their lairs,” he said, accusing followers of the Hizmet movement of treason without offering any evidence to back up his claims.

Erdoğan reiterated his earlier claim that Hizmet is behind the leak of a sound recording between government officials and members of the military talking about staging an attack on Turkey from within Syria in order to provoke a conflict with Damascus.

The Turkish prime minister’s tactics of intimidation are not limited to Gülen-affiliated groups but in fact extend to other opponents as well, especially those in the media industry.

Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, a journalist known for his close ties to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, claimed that media holdings which had “betrayed the government” would soon be called to account.

The journalist named, among others, Doğan Holding, which owns the Hürriyet daily, and Ciner Holding, which owns the Habertürk daily. He said the newspapers of these two holdings did not show the necessary reaction to the leaked voice recording allegedly featuring the voices of Turkey's foreign minister, intelligence chief and a top army general discussing the developments in neighboring war-torn Syria.

According to the journalist, those newspapers -- as a result of their choice to cover the leaked recording -- showed that they are siding with “the parallel gang,” a reference to the faith-based Hizmet movement. Prime Minister Erdoğan has on numerous occasions accused the Hizmet movement of operating a state within the state.

“Nothing will be the same for Turgay Ciner. He should know this very well. And if Aydın Doğan believes he will be able to save himself, he will pay a high price. I call on Ciner and Doğan: The coming three days are very important for you. If you do not side with your state, then this state will finish you off,” Kütahyalı said during a televised program on March 28.

Prime Minister Erdoğan filed a complaint against Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief Dr. Bülent Keneş, Zaman Deputy Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Kamış, Today's Zaman columnist Emre Uslu, journalist Önder Aytaç and former İstanbul Police Department intelligence bureau chief Ali Fuat Yılmazer on Saturday, a day before the local elections.

Erdoğan's lawyers claimed in a petition they submitted to the Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office that Keneş and Kamış had humiliated the prime minister in their tweets.

Erdoğan had previously filed a complaint against Today's Zaman journalist Mahir Zeynalov for posting tweets that include “heavy insults and swear words in a bid to provoke the nation to hatred and animosity.”

Zeynalov said his tweets were mostly about news reports that had appeared in the media and that they included no insult against Erdoğan or content that would provoke society.

Turkey's opposition parties slammed Erdoğan for employing hateful language and leveling threats at certain segments of society in his victory speech, saying they will oppose the government's attempt to stigmatize civic groups critical of Erdoğan.

“The government is saying it will start a witch-hunt. But whoever is subjected to any injustice, the [main opposition Republican People's Party] CHP will stand by them,” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the CHP, said.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli criticized Erdoğan in a press conference at his party's headquarters in Ankara on Sunday night, saying that the prime minister is determined to provoke further polarization in Turkish society.

Erdoğan, targeting the Hizmet movement, said its members are worse than even the Hashashi, a group that existed in the 11th century and that carried out assassinations while under the influence of opium. Erdoğan made the statement during his balcony speech -- so called because he delivers his post-election speeches standing with his family on the balcony of the AK Party's headquarters.

Published on Today's Zaman, 01 April 2014, Tuesday