In this Turkish election season, with presidential elections scheduled for May 2007, and the general elections later in the year, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has been accused of a speech infraction from a number of years ago, but which is a current criminal offense in Turkey.
Specifically, Erdogan has been accused of referring to Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan with the honorific title, “sayin or esteemed Ocalan,” during an interview with an Australian radio station seven years ago. While this reference would not be an issue of concern in many countries, in Turkey, choice of language and certain opinions can get people into trouble or even arrested.
The outrage at this long ago comment can be viewed as mere political mudslinging. However, although Erdogan has not publicly stated that he will be running in upcoming elections, opposition groups, namely the Republican People’s Party, have called for his disqualification from running for office because of the resurfaced comments. Despite the fact that Erdogan has immunity from prosecution, (it would be highly unlikely for the Turkish Parliament to revoke this privilege), the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office has now opened an initial investigation regarding Erdogan’s comments.
Controversy Heats Up
The irony surrounding the alleged incident is Erdogan’s repeated efforts to limit freedom of speech and anti-Turkish pronouncements throughout his time in office as an effort to appease nationalists in the country. While it is likely that Erdogan has no special affinity for Ocalan, and the term “sayin,” if he said it was probably a slip of the tongue, freedom of expression and use of language has been denied to many others in the state. In March 2007, the leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), Ahmet Turk was sentenced to six months in prison on charges of vocally supporting a criminal during a speech. Turk was accused of using the same “sayin” term in reference to Ocalan. Turk was also recently convicted of distributing party materials in the Kurdish language, which is also illegal. In a short time, fifty members of the DTP party have been arrested with at least seven senior officials being charged with various infractions. The DTP claim the government is trying to enfeeble the party before the general elections through whatever legal measures are at their disposal.
These investigations, arrests, and convictions all point to the hypocritical and dangerous nature of current Turkish laws. While Turkey has come a long way in dealing with Kurdish minority rights, considerable progress is still needed. Although the Kurdistan Workers Party PKK has resurged since 2004, many Kurds have tired of the violence the PKK and related groups advocate, and wish to engage in political organization and the political process in Turkey as another avenue to promote their viewpoints and needs. However, the Turkish government’s continued denial of freedom of expression and political thought limits the ability of disenfranchised PKK members to choose alternative political paths.
Under Article 301 of the Penal Code, people can be prosecuted for insulting “Turkishness.” After the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who had been recently prosecuted under the Article 301, the law was widely condemned as being undemocratic and a method of inciting ultra-nationalists. Currently, Turkey is under immense pressure to repeal this law.
Reform May be on Horizon
Until the Turkish government reforms freedom of expression rights, it will face continued internal and external pressure and condemnation. As for Erdogan, he will most likely weather the current storm of controversy, as he has in the past. In 1998, Erdogan was convicted of inciting religious hatred because of the public reading of an Islamic poem, and was banned from holding the Prime Minister’s office. However, the law banning him from office was later changed. If the current allegations of Erdogan’s long ago comments prove to be true, political critics will likely again seek Erdogan’s ouster from the Prime Minister’s office. However, one significant by-product of the controversy may be the increased awareness of the problems with Article 301 in that no one is above the law. This may ultimately assist in the repealing of the law.