Turkey: corruption, media, and power

Yesterday morning, Freedom House hosted a panel discussion about its recent special report on government corruption and freedom of the press in Turkey. The event featured Steven Cook (Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations), Susan Corke (Director of Eurasia programs, Freedom House), and Andrew Finkel (Co-Founder of P24). Carla Anne Robbins, Clinical Professor of National Security Studies at City University of New York, moderated.  The video above was shown at the event.

What is your reaction to the report?
Steven Cook: The issue of media censorship in Turkey should have received greater attention in Washington DC long ago. Frequently Turkey has gotten a free pass on this issue and more generally on illiberal politics in the last 4 or 5 years. One could argue that Turkey is more liberal than it was 20 years ago, but it is less open than 7 or 8 years ago. Freedom of the press is a barometer and hallmark of democratization. The fact that Turkey is experiencing these problems is a clear indicator to its illiberal turn. The most important aspect of the report is its focus on journalists who are in prison. That is simply part of a broader systemic problem that has developed over the last decade. Ownership structures of media properties have created an environment where journalists have to self-censor or get fired.

Washingtonians, however, are still in thrall to AKP, the Turkish Justice and Development political party. Yet AKP has a social media policy in which there is a virtual army of Twitter trolls. The government leverages technology to intimidate people. It also intimidates journalists into providing press releases for the government rather than reporting honestly on events.

The Obama administration has been tepid in the way in which it has addressed the situation. In 2011 former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized the Turkish government for its poor record of freedom of the press. Later, so did Ambassador Ricciardone, who was then silenced. Since then, the US has not spoken up.

What is it like to work with journalists in Turkey and what attempts are being made to get around the media censorship?
Andrew Finkel: At the moment, Turkish society is so polarized between supporters and opponents of the government that sections of the press are becoming more outspoken than they used to be. Media censorship is suppressive. At the same time, voices do get through from the mere nature of modern communication. However, many journalists are not given the opportunity to do their jobs. They are now banding together to try and fight back. With very little resources, we can still reach a large audience through the Internet.

From your experience, the EU has been quite critical – much more so than the Obama administration. Can you talk about what it can do in light of recent events?
Susan Corke: In the last several years I have observed shifting policy relations between Turkey and the European Union. What has changed in particular is where the red lines are. Starting in 2003, the EU served as an engine of reform. It spurred important improvements in Turkey. This continues to be the case today, although it floundered for a few years. Once again, it is a potential driver of reform. The EU should continue emphasizing media liberalization and transparency.

For the US, the problem of not being outspoken about Turkey’s internal democratic problems is not new. The US has concluded that having Turkey as an ally would justify overlooking problems within the human rights sphere. Turkey is critical to current issues in Syria and Iraq and President Obama has fostered a close relationship with Prime Minister Erdogan. In this situation, the opportunity for leverage was missed. Since the Gezi protests, the US does not know how to handle the situation, so it is ignoring its relationship with Turkey. Ignoring these problems will only allow them to fester. The Obama administration should develop a relationship with Turkey that places human rights and democratic issues on par with policy ones.

Steven, do you think Erdogan will listen?
Steven Cook: It is difficult for me to believe that the prime minister can be moved by anything that the US or the EU does. However, the EU could play a crucial role. If there is another prospect of Turkish membership, this could be used as leverage to change the current situation in Turkey. Instead of ignoring Turkey, the Obama administration should have taken a page from the Turks. Good friends speak bitterly to good friends. When looking at the Middle East, Turkey is at odds with every major country in the region. The US should speak up.

As long as AKP remains a potent force in Turkish politics, there will be no real break from it. There is no viable opposition and the press is under assault. Those framing the terms of the debate are those in the pay of the Turkish government. One day we will see a full-blown authoritarian system that does not look like the AKP of 2007.

Carla Anne Robbins: Since the report was released, there have already been updates. On Wednesday, the Turkish parliament approved a legislation allowing the government to block websites without a court order. It also applies if citizens complain of a “violation of privacy.” This law is also intended to enhance web censorship. Blocking proxies prevents Internet users from circumventing the government to access the blocked websites. The Turkish government has worked hard to suppress coverage of tapes that purportedly expose corruption at the highest levels of government. Now that the new legislation is on the desk of President Gül, we fear there are more orders to come. Prime Minister Erdogan is remarkably defiant and tone deaf to criticisms.

The full Freedom House report can be found here.