Hate Speech and Beyond: Targeting the Gülen Movement in Turkey


Date posted: June 15, 2014

WASHINGTON D.C.

COVER1On December 17, 2013, a graft probe alleging corruption among some members of the cabinet became public. Immediately thereafter, the Gülen movement (a.k.a. Hizmet), one of the largest faith-based communities in Turkey, became the target of offensive statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.  The paper argues that from the standpoint of human rights law, there is little doubt that some of the prime minister’s statements are fundamentally incompatible with the principles underlying the concept of human rights. Some of these expressions, indeed, amount to prima facie hate speech as understood by the European Court of Human Rights, the jurisdiction of which is already accepted by Turkey.

According to the European Court of Human Rights, any language which spreads, incites, promotes or justifies hatred based on intolerance, including racial and religious intolerance, is considered to constitute hate speech and is unworthy of protection under the guarantees of freedom of speech. As a matter fact, if the element of hatred is detectable at first sight, the European Court of Human Rights defines such language as abuse of freedom of expression. In this regard, some of the language used by Prime Minister Erdoğan to describe the Gülen movement – i.e. “perverts”, “hashashins”, “traitors”, “spies”, “worse than Shiites”, “leeches” and “a terrorist organization” – do indeed constitute prima facie hate speech.

A government leader’s perpetration of hate speech is unprecedented for Strasbourg jurisprudence. In case law in the European Court of Human Rights, there is not a single case in which a High Contracting Party to the European Convention on Human Rights has been convicted for failing to sanction individuals using hate speech, let alone for perpetrating hate speech itself. However, the expressions of the Turkish prime minister exhibit so much seriousness and vehemence that they tend to extend beyond the already existing contours of hate speech as drawn by the European Court of Human Rights. Not only did Mr. Erdoğan blatantly insult the movement, but he also encouraged the masses to do the same, and actually succeeded in creating mass hatred towards the Gülen movement.  In the process, he put out a boycott call to exclude the Gülen movement from the layers of social life that led to repercussions among his supporters.  In tandem with the boycott call, he declared that he would use the powers of the government to discriminate against the Gülen movement and started a “witch hunt.”  For these reasons, in light of ECtHR case law, it is hard, if not impossible, not to consider Prime Minister Erdoğan’s expressions targeting the Gülen movement as unprecedented prima facie hate speech.

Source: Rethinkinstitute , June 15, 2014


Related News

Turkey: ‘Exclusion for all’ state

No matter how many times I say, “Nothing worse or more unbelievable could happen,” Turkey never stops surprising me. Of course, as many agree, the unpredictable nature of things in Turkey makes this country a gold mine for journalists and researchers, but it’s exhausting at the same time. On Tuesday, the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s […]

Fethullah Gulen: Violence can not be a remedy for violence

BAHADIR BERK Interpreting the violent events in France for Aksiyon, Fethullah Gulen said: “Intelligence organizations should work in Turkey more sensitively. Violence should be suppressed even before it gets out of its slot. If you exhaust your power with delusions such as ‘It is possible that these will pose a threat in the future. Let […]

Gulen followers encourage education, awareness

In spite of the recent subversive attempts to have cleric Fethullah Gulen extradited to Turkey, members of the Alliance for Shared Values are encouraging education and awareness to combat the government’s tactics.

Daniel Skubik on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement

Dr. Daniel Skubik is Professor of law, ethics & humanities at California Baptist University. He teaches public and private international law, constitutional law, and philosophy of law. He earned his master degree in political science and his doctoral degree in philosophy.

Bank Asya recovers from gov’t provocation

The clampdown on the Bank Asya first started with a defamation campaign run by pro-government media outlets and was later followed by a claim by Interior Minister Efkan Ala, who asserted that the bank had made extraordinary profits on the foreign currency market. All these allegations were refuted by the bank, which published their currency transactions; the central bank has confirmed that there has been no wrongdoing by the bank.

Students give International Turkish Olympiad a moving sendoff

İPEK ÜZÜM, İSTANBUL The 11th International Turkish Olympiad, a competition in which Turkish speakers from around the globe recite poetry, write essays and sing songs, wrapped up on Sunday with a ceremony at İstanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Nearly 250,000 people attended the event. Students from 140 countries participated in this year’s 16-day Olympiad, fascinating local […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Torture – Turkish prisoner says tied to chair, pushed into sea while under custody

Filipino-Turkish School of Tolerance Donates Beef in Feast of Sacrifice

New Jersey Celebrates Turkic Day

Medialog calls for law against hate speech and crime [in Turkey]

Turkey’s Gulen movement sees a smear campaign

Charity Kimse Yok Mu to conduct 30,000 cataract surgeries

Govt Brushes Of Claims Of Terrorism At Afghan-Turk Schools

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News