AK Party’s social media instructions to ministries raise questions of legality


Date posted: November 20, 2013

Instructions sent to ministries by the ruling AK Party on Monday regarding what and how to share thoughts on social media go against the legal and democratic structure of Turkey as well as the separation of powers, lawyers say.

The Taraf daily reported on the written instructions sent in an email to social media coordinators at government ministries by the AK Party’s media coordinator, Burak Gültekin. The instructions provide suggestions to civil servants on what to post on Twitter related to the prep school row that has been growing following the leak of the government’s draft law to close private prep schools across Turkey.

Millions of citizens have posted tweets with the hashtag #dershaneylehgelenadalet criticizing the government’s plan to close prep schools since it was revealed on Thursday. In an effort to mobilize not only party members but also civil servants, the AK Party apparently sent written instructions to ministries, which by law should remain independent of party politics.

Günal Kurşun, president of the Human Rights Agenda Association (İHGD) and professor of law at Çukurova University, told Today’s Zaman on Tuesday that such a move is against both laws and the principle of the separation of powers. Criticizing the AK Party’s effort to mobilize civil servants, Kurşun said, “The AK Party has rapidly been turning into the CHP [Republican People’s Party] of the 1940s,” referring to the single-party era of the republic. Stating that in 1940s, as the state was equal to the party, the CHP was equal to the state.

As a result, according to Dr. Kurşun, any criticism of the party is then considered criticism of the state.

During the ongoing prep school debate, hashtags like “#DershaneyleGelenADALET” and “#EğitimdeReformYalanı” have become worldwide trending topics due to the growing reaction to the government’s plan to shut down these educational institutions without any public discussion.

The email from Gültekin read as follows: “Dear ministry social media coordinator, Attached please see a note on prep schools. We will focus on the prep school issue at 8:30 tonight on Twitter.” The attachment included templates for tweets that are expected to be posted on the Internet. Some of them include content teasing the Hizmet movement and the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, since they are considered pioneers in the prep school field.

Reşat Petek, a retired prosecutor and currently a practicing attorney, told Today’s Zaman on Tuesday that the way in which ministry officials can be instructed is determined by law, with no exceptions for any institution. “The ministries receive instructions from the office of the prime minister according to the hierarchical order,” Petek pointed out.

On Monday members of Parliament from the AK Party were also sent similar instructions. An email sent by the media advisor of the AK Party parliamentary group, İrem Sarp, told deputies about the Twitter campaign regarding the prep school debate and offered suggestions on what to post.

Source: Today's Zaman , November 19, 2013


Related News

Post-coup purge in Turkey leaves children parentless after mother and father are put behind bars

Turkey’s post-coup purge is continuing to hit children, leaving them parentless in myriad cases, shattering their families, disrupting their education and upending their emotional life.

Fethullah Gülen’s message of condemnation and condolences for victims of the terrorist attack in Gaziantep, Turkey:

I condemn, in the strongest terms, the barbaric terrorist attack on attendees of a wedding ceremony in Gaziantep, Turkey that took the lives of more than fifty citizens, including children, and wounded many others.

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

A Turkish man, identified with his initials D.G., was bound to a chair and pushed into sea on multiple times as police officers tortured him while under custody. Detained as part of an investigation into the Gulen movement in October 2016, D.G. was put in pre-trial detention after days of torture, he told his brother during latter’s recent visit to the prison.

Turkish Colleges wins mathematics, science awards

NIGERIAN Turkish International Colleges (NTIC) was on Tuesday honoured by the National Mathematical Centre (NMC) for winning 12 awards in national and international Mathematics and Science Olympiads.

Turkish groups call for global peace at historic İstanbul meeting

Inspired by esteemed Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, Turkish activists have established intercultural and interfaith organizations in more than 100 countries all around the world. The primary objective of these organizations is to encourage tolerance and build bridges across different ethnic and religious groups.

Erdoğan raising new army of political Islamists

Gülen had to take a stand, not seeking power for himself at his advanced age, but to protect the fundamental teachings of Islam that emphasize humility, moderation, justice, accountability and transparency in governance.

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

Gabon is very satisfied with Turkish school

Albania Ignores Erdogan’s Tirade Against Gulen

Building bridges through knowledge, experience and friendship

International Conference on Hizmet Movement in Taiwan

TUSİAD chairman says does not see ‘parallel structure’ within state

Turkish school opens in northern Iraq, more schools in demand

Sacrificing a legend for a shoebox*

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News