Turkish Repression Targets Americans


Date posted: June 6, 2017

Max Boot

On May 16, during a state visit to Washington, Erdoğan’s bodyguards beat up peaceful protesters, many of them American citizens, in front of the Turkish embassy. At least 11 protesters were injured. Two arrests were made—both of the demonstrators. Erdoğan’s security force, assisted by freelance Turkish goons, got away with their assault in the heart of Washington.

By examining videotape of the incident, the New York Times was subsequently able to identify 24 attackers—most of them members of the presidential detail and hence presumably protected by diplomatic immunity. But even if so protected they could be designated “persona non grata” and denied future entry to the United States.

Eight of the attackers were simply Erdoğan supporters, including one man who lives in New Jersey and another in Virginia. A third is from Toronto. One of them even admitted to the Times that he had kicked a female demonstrator who was lying on the ground. As far as we know, though, none of the perpetrators have been prosecuted.


The U.S. needs to work with Turkey in the Middle East, but that doesn’t mean we should extend Erdoğan a blank check for repression. Trump’s slogan is “America First.” The president needs to apply it when a foreign dictator is victimizing American citizens.


The most that happened was that the Turkish ambassador in Washington was summoned for a dressing down at the State Department from Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, a career Foreign Service Officer. It is doubtful that the Turks took this talking-to very seriously since it was not echoed on President Trump’s Twitter feed, who has been effusive in his praise for Erdoğan.

Nevertheless, the Turkish Foreign Ministry had the temerity to lodge a formal protest with the U.S. ambassador in Ankara over “aggressive actions by American security personnel during a visit to Washington.” What really seemed to offend the Turks is that the Washington police “had failed to quell an ‘unpermitted’ and ‘provocative’ demonstration.” Having repressed freedom of speech at home, Erdoğan apparently is now intent on repressing it in Washington as well—and he’s not getting much pushback from the U.S. government.

So now we come to the sequel: Erdoğan is going after Enes Kanter, the Turkish basketball superstar who plays center for the NBA’s Oklahoma Thunder. Kanter is an outspoken supporter of the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdoğan blames (without any real evidence) for a failed military coup last summer. Last month, while on a global tour for his charitable foundation, Kanter had his Turkish passport revoked. He was in Rumania at the time and was briefly detained; he feared that Rumania was going to extradite him to Turkey, where Erdoğan would be able to jail him. Luckily, with help from the Department of Homeland Security, Kanter was able to make it home to the United States.

But his family remains in Turkey and is vulnerable to retaliation. The hoops star’s father, Mehmet Kanter, a genetics professor, went so far as to publicly denounce his own son: “I apologize to the Turkish people and the president for having such a son,” he wrote in a statement published across Turkish media. “His statements and behavior trouble our family.”

But that did not prevent the elder Kanter from losing his teaching position along with tens of thousands of others. And now it has not saved him from being arrested by the regime along with roughly 45,000 other political prisoners. On June 2, Enes Kanter tweeted: “HEY WORLD MY DAD HAS BEEN ARRESTED by Turkish government and the Hitler of our century. He is potentially to get tortured as thousand others.”

The treatment of Enes Kanter and his family is an outrage, even if does not rise to Nazi Germany, as his tweet suggested. But it’s bad enough that so many Turks have to suffer from this crackdown by their new sultan. The U.S. cannot stop Erdoğan, but it can register its disgust with what he is doing and highlight the need to respect basic human rights—especially on the part of a NATO ally. But that’s not what the Trump administration is doing. Trump even called Erdoğan in April to congratulate him on winning a rigged referendum that will further increase his already vast power.

The U.S. needs to work with Turkey in the Middle East, but that doesn’t mean we should extend Erdoğan a blank check for repression. Trump’s slogan is “America First.” The president needs to apply it when a foreign dictator is victimizing American citizens.

Source: Commentary Magazine , June 5, 2017


Related News

Turkey’s anti-Gulen campaign: Strengthening militants and jihadists

The dilemma for the Pakistani government is stark. Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim has warned that Turkey would be at war with any country that cooperates or aids the Gulen movement. Yet closing down schools that prepare their students for a modern society and economy is something Pakistan’s deeply troubled education sector can ill afford.

Canada’s Green Party leader on human rights violations in Turkey: I am entirely horrified

Canada’s Green Party leader and lawmaker Elizabeth May said during a panel discussion held at the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on widespread human rights violations in Turkey that “I am entirely horrified by the behaviour of the Turkish government. We need to be more speaking out loud.”

Parents protest demolition of Fatih College wall

Parents from Merter Fatih College gathered in front of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality building on Wednesday to protest the demolition the wall of the school as well as a security cabin in the school’s courtyard by municipal teams in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Erdoğan draws ire from all segments of society over bid to close Turkish schools

Members of opposition parties, prominent businessmen and figures in the education world have severely criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for campaigning for the closure of Turkish schools in African countries that are affiliated with the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement, inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who is a former ally of the president.

Persecution of the Gülen Movement in Turkey

The Gülen (a.k.a Hizmet) movement, a faith-based community, has been subject to political persecution for more than two years by the Turkish government since they stood up against corruption and injustice under the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan has publicly called for a “witch hunt,” and arrests, threats, and harassments have now become a routine for participants and sympathizers of the movement.

Police raid schools in Diyarbakır where locals go on strike in protest of recent gov’t practices

Police officers and inspectors carried out raids on a number of schools inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement as part of a government-led operation against the movement in southeastern province of Diyarbakır, where people have gone on strike in protest of the government’s recent practices in the province.

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

I am a teacher, not a terrorist

PACE concerned over lack of domestic remedy for purge victims in Turkey

Pro-gov’t journalist proposes torturing jailed Gülen followers to force them to talk

An Armenian from Turkey in Los Angeles (2)

Silencing Taraf daily

Indialogue Essay Contest on “Culture of Living Together”

Gülen’s lawyer denies any link with bugging probe suspect

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News