Turkey Warns US Ambassador against Interfering in Affairs

[Argamemnon]

Turkey Warns US Ambassador against Interfering in Affairs

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Turkish officials have warned the new US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone against interfering in its domestic affairs after he commented on Turkey detaining reporters despite pledging support for press freedom.

Prominent journalist Soner Yalcin and three colleagues were detained this week and were due to appear in court on Thursday in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the government. "On the one hand there exists a stated policy of support for a free press. On the other hand, journalists are put under detention. We are trying to make sense of this," Ricciardone told reporters on Tuesday.

His remarks drew a barrage of criticism from several Turkish officials. Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party, said there was a line that ambassadors should not cross. "Of course, ambassadors cannot interfere in our internal affairs. They can't design our domestic policy. They have an area designated for them on this subject," he said in comments widely reported by Turkish newspapers on Thursday.

State Minister Egemen Bagis, Turkey's chief negotiator in talks with the European Union, said the United States had itself detained reporters in the past for not revealing their sources. "The ambassador is very new. His comments about Turkey are not linked to his knowledge and experience, but what he has heard," Zaman newspaper quoted Bagis as saying. "There are journalists in his own country who are in jail for not revealing news sources."

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in turn it was a matter for the courts if journalists were involved in illegal activity unrelated to freedom of expression. "Maybe the esteemed ambassador must serve a bit longer to see this detail," Arinc said.

[titus]

Istanbul, Turkey (CNN)

“Thеrе аrе over 50 journalists іn prison currently, another 100 аrе facing thе same threat аnd thеrе аrе аbουt 2,000 cases involving journalists аnd media organizations,” ѕаіd Dogan Tilic, a spokesman fοr Turkey’s Freedom tο Journalists Platform. “Thе more thе AKP consolidates іtѕ power, thе more intolerant іt becomes. I see a direct link between thе AKP’s consolidation οf іtѕ power аnd press freedom.”

In a 2010 report, thе European Commission accused Turkey οf “nοt sufficiently guarantee(ing) freedom οf expression.”

In аn interview wіth CNN, a lawyer fοr Soner Yalcin, one οf thе arrested Oda TV journalists, ѕаіd thе police interrogation wаѕ nοt focused οn alleged links tο thе Ergenekon coup рlοt.

“Mostly, hе (Soner Yalcin) wаѕ аѕkеd аbουt hіѕ relations tο thе CHP (thе opposition Republican People’s Party) аnd аbουt thе TV station hе wаѕ going tο launch,” ѕаіd defense attorney Feza Yalcin. “Hе wаѕ аѕkеd аbουt hіѕ calls tο οthеr journalists regarding thе TV station. Hе wаѕ qυеѕtіοnеd аbουt thе ѕtοrіеѕ hе dіd, whу hе dіd thеm.”

Colleagues аnd friends ѕау Yalcin, a wеll-knοwn Turkish secular writer аnd outspoken critic οf thе Erdogan government, wаѕ finalizing plans tο launch a TV channel whеn police raided hіѕ home аnd office.

Two οf Yalcin’s employees, editors Baris Pehlivan аnd Baris Terkoglu, hаνе аlѕο bееn arrested “within thе framework οf thе Ergenekon investigation,” reported Turkey’s semi-official Anatolian Agency.

Prosecutors аnd police first ѕtаrtеd mаkіng arrests аѕ раrt οf аn investigation іntο thе alleged Ergenekon coup рlοt іn 2007, thе same year thе Oda TV website wаѕ launched. Hundreds οf suspects hаνе ѕіnсе bееn detained, including scores οf military officers, businessmen, academics аnd journalists. Many οf thе suspects аrе still awaiting trial.

“Wе hаνе concerns thаt during thіѕ endless investigation thеrе аrе attempts tο eliminate аll opposition, everyone whο thinks differently,” ѕаіd Tilic, οf thе Freedom tο Journalists Platform. “Journalists іn Turkey аrе worried іn general thаt thеіr phones аrе tapped, thаt thеу аrе being watched аnd thаt something саn happen tο thеm anytime.”

Turkey’s interior minister stepped out οn Thursday іn defense οf hіѕ government’s record. “Wіth regard tο press freedom, іt’s much better іn Turkey thаn іn thе United States,” ѕаіd Besir Atalay, іn a statement tο reporters thаt wаѕ widely quoted іn Turkish newspapers.

the United States had itself detained reporters in the past for not revealing their sources.

Yes, but that is very different than this case. The man was not arrested for not revealing a source or because of any information he may have had about a coup, at least not from what I have read. It seems he arrested more for his views than for some plot.

In the USA it usually happens when a criminal trial is in progress and a reporter is known to have information regarding the guilt or innocence of the person on trial. In these cases it is often a difficult balance between justice and freedom of the press. The last instance of this happening I am aware of was 5 years ago.

Why exactly does Turkey have 50 reporters in prison right now?

[Argamemnon]

This is how you deal with hypocrites who are trying to teach others human rights and freedoms which they violate across the world (as well as in their own countries). Hopefully other Muslim countries will learn from Turkey and Iran how to deal with western hypocrites, have some pride and dignity! Nobody gives you respect; you earn respect by standing up against wrongdoings, by exposing their hypocrisy and by not bowing to their "demands".

[titus]

This is how you deal with western hypocrites who are trying to teach you human rights and freedoms.

You deal with it by bringing up something only tangentially related, then jail those that disagree with the party in power?

With every reply like that, and every statement like that from a "Muslim" nation politician it makes me sooooooo thankful to live in the West. You seem to be asking for oppression and less rights, and if so then you deserve it.

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[Argamemnon]

Titus, I don't know where to begin, you are making it hard for me to debate when nearly everything you post is nonsense. How can I address so much nonsense? I'm not that patient and obviously have other things to do. Are you doing this on purpose or out of ignorance?

[Zuzubu]

Now that's JIHAAAD!!

VIVA TURKIYE!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKAkX3N8W7A (Ottoman turkish song / contains music) lol

Turkey should kick USA, really.

[Argamemnon]

What happened in Iraq for example would never happen in Turkey. Turks have always refused to be colonized by western imperialists, we have crushed all of them in our independence war when they were at the peak of their military and economic might and we were labled the "sick man of Europe". They attacked us with huge armies and modern weapons, but it was all in vain. And what did Iraqis do? Instead of uniting and fighting the invaders they started killing each other. Allah (swt) will never grant victory to such losers whoever they are. That is what you get when all you're doing is causing division and sectarian hatred.

:w:

[Pygoscelis]

Hmm. I agree that the US shouldn't be interfering in internal Turkish affairs. But from the article it appears all that was done was a commentary on the status within Turkey. If that's all that happened (an opinion given) then I think this is all quite the over reaction.

[Argamemnon]

Hmm. I agree that the US shouldn't be interfering in internal Turkish affairs. But from the article it appears all that was done was a commentary on the status within Turkey. If that's all that happened (an opinion given) then I think this is all quite the over reaction.

What happens in the U.S. when one criticizes Zionist occupation and plundering of Palestinian lands or supports Hizbullah and Hamas; the resistance? Hamas has every right to fight against the brutal occupying power under International law. What happened to that old and prominent female reporter, what was her name again? The U.S. (the West) is not as free as people in the West think it is. A lot of very ugly things are happening there that people are unaware of and which, in most cases, are swept under the carpet. Instead of focusing on these serious internal problems many people prefer to criticize other countries about issues that don't even concern their own life or safety!. It's just not credible, I don't care about US internal affairs, I'm happy enough if they stop oppressing other nations, am I asking too much?

As long as the U.S. keeps waging wars, (overthrowing governments, imposing sanctions etc.) - as long as they keep violating International law and International agreements and in some cases "amend" them to suit their imperialistic goals, they have absolutely no right to criticize other nations. They simply have no credibility whatsoever.

[Pygoscelis]

's just not credible, I don't care about US internal affairs, I'm happy enough if they stop oppressing other nations, am I asking too much?

No, you're not asking too much. And I completely agree with you.

As long as the U.S. keeps waging wars, (overthrowing governments, imposing sanctions etc.) - as long as they keep violating International law and International agreements and in some cases "amend" them to suit their imperialistic goals, they have absolutely no right to criticize other nations. They simply have no credibility whatsoever.

They will appear as hypocrites, but that doesn't mean they have no right to comment or criticize. In doing so and by our pointing out the hypocracy, it may actually help them to realize their own faults.

[titus]

They simply have no credibility whatsoever.

Which country does? I can't think of any nations without some skeleton in the closet or some fault. Does that mean that other nations should never voice their opinion on anything internal in another nation?

I have asked a similar question before, but did it upset you when Muslim politicians voiced their negative opinion of France's hijab ban or Denmark's allowing those cartoon to be published?