Turkey has intensified its crackdown on public life in the run-up to the Nato summit in Ankara, arresting more than 200 people during raids across the capital last month, jailing a comedian, and blocking a cruise ship carrying LGBTQ+ passengers from docking. The arrests followed a ban on demonstrations in Ankara that remains in effect until 10 July.
Human Rights Watch Condemns Crackdown
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the crackdown was evidence of Turkey's “ruthless intolerance of freedom of speech and assembly.” The watchdog group stated that the Nato summit, which begins on Tuesday, is taking place amid “far-reaching restrictions on the main political opposition party, the media, and freedom of expression in general.”
Comedian Jailed Over Jokes About Erdoğan
Last week, standup comedian Deniz Göktaş was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention after arriving at Istanbul airport from a holiday. He was charged with “insulting the president” and “denigrating religious values” for a show in which he referred to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a dictator and made jokes about suicide bombers. The performance took place on 1 June, and a recording released on YouTube on 24 June has been viewed nearly 9 million times.
According to the Turkish news outlet Bianet, Göktaş told prosecutors: “The word ‘dictator’ is a political term, a topic frequently discussed in public, and I have no intention of insulting or belittling anyone with this statement.”
LGBTQ+ Cruise Ship Blocked
Authorities in the coastal town of Aydın blocked a cruise ship operated by Atlantis, a company specializing in gay-friendly holidays, from docking. Officials said those on board were “known for behaviours” that did “not align with the structure of our society and our moral values.” US actor and singer Patti LuPone, scheduled to perform on the cruise, wrote on social media: “The Atlantis cruise I am performing on next week has been banned from entering Turkey … simply because of who is onboard.”
Press Freedom Deteriorates
This year, Reporters Without Borders ranked Turkey 163rd out of 180 countries on its press freedom index, accusing the country of using “all possible means… to undermine critics.” On Sunday, two journalists were arrested: Buse Söğütlü, international news editor at online newspaper T24, and Ceren Erdoğdu, a journalist at OdaTV. Söğütlü’s lawyer Erman Öztürk told Agence France-Presse: “We believe it is linked to the Nato summit.” Ezgi Onalan, head of the Istanbul branch of the Association of Contemporary Lawyers, was also detained.
Prosecutions for Criticizing Erdoğan Rise
Right groups and opposition parties have long accused Turkish authorities of muzzling free speech, with prosecutions for criticizing Erdoğan rising sharply in recent years. Ankara’s prosecutor’s office said the late June dawn raids would “decipher the action and activities of terrorist organisations” and accused those held of links to socialist and Marxist groups as well as the Islamic State. HRW said authorities provided no evidence of crimes committed by those accused of terrorism. Among those detained were journalist and LGBTQ+ activist Yıldız Tar, two lawyers, an academic, and 14 members of an environmental organization focused on reforestation.
Western Silence Encourages Authoritarianism, Critics Say
Western leaders have mostly avoided publicly raising concerns about Turkey’s rights record, focusing instead on security ties with the regional military power and arms exporter. Some critics believe this silence encourages Turkey’s authoritarian slide. David Satterfield, former US ambassador to Ankara and now director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, told Reuters: “It remains important for the west to continue to comment on the degradation of democratic institutions in Turkey because the course is not irrevocably set, Turkey is not beyond the pale. It’s important that Turks hear others talking about their system in this way.”
Opposition Crackdown
In the past year, Turkey’s primary opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has faced a sustained crackdown. Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, has been arrested and put on trial, along with hundreds of other municipal opposition politicians. In late May, a court unseated the CHP leader, a move critics feared was intended to stifle the party’s ability to challenge Erdoğan. İmamoğlu, 56, is standing trial on graft charges and was ejected from a courtroom last week after clashing with the judge, who enforced a 9 July deadline for defense statements. The CHP says İmamoğlu is its chosen presidential candidate, even if he runs from prison.
