As Western leaders like Angela Merkel cave into the authoritarian demands of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in crushing free speech, journalists and cartoonists are fighting back. After a Dutch journalist was arrested in Turkey this weekend for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the most-read newspaper in the Netherlands threw down the gauntlet and published a front-page editorial cartoon that shows Erdogan as an ape crushing Europe’s free speech. Since Erdogan demands the prosecution of journalists even outside of Turkey who insult him, the publication could force another confrontation with the aspiring dictator. In the meantime, the West (including the United States) continue to prop up Erdogan as he destroys secular government in Turkey, arrests journalists, and denies the most basic forms of free speech.
The cartoon, entitled “the long arm of Erdogan” was published by the populist daily De Telegraaf, has an ape with Erdogan’s face squashing a woman who appears to be Ebru Umar, the Dutch writer who was arrested in Turkey on Sunday. In the cartoon, the Turkish president is standing on a rock labeled “Apenrots” — a Dutch term meaning “monkey rocks” that is used to refer to the Dutch Foreign Ministry but can also refer to a place where one dominant individual holds power.
It will now to interesting to watch whether the government follows Merkel’s lead in profusely apologizing to Erdogan for the exercise of free speech and/or attempts to bring charges of some kind in the case. The problem for Western leaders who have been leading the rollback on free speech is that citizens are beginning to see the implications of the loss of this defining right for Western Civilization. We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in France (here and here and here and here and here and here) and England ( here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). Much of this trend is tied to the expansion of hate speech and non-discrimination laws. We have seen comedians targeted with such court orders under this expanding and worrisome trend. (here and here).
Erdogan (like Vladimir Putin) is the face of modern authoritarianism — promising prosperity in exchange for the dismantling of basic civil liberties. The question is whether the West will rally to the side of free speech in time to stop these leaders from returning the world to age of criminalized speech and censorship.
Bravo, Observant Duck!
Not only that, plenty of commenters here will tar and feather certain conservatives, liberal intolernce for opposing views on par with Erdogan’s.
KenRogers: You will not observe censorship unless you observe the absence of commentors who get kicked off the blog and can not come back.
“Erdogan (like Vladimir Putin) is the face of modern authoritarianism — promising prosperity in exchange for the dismantling of basic civil liberties.” Interesting that you would compare Erdogan with Putin. I would be more inclined to associate Erdogan with our last few presidents. It is they who have been dismantling our civil liberties over the last few decades, it is the US who is Erdogan’s ally and chief sponsor of NATO and it was Turkey who shot down Russia’s plane. Also Russian forces were invited into Syria, the US is sending in more troops, none of whom have been invited.
@Chenrezik, April 26, 2016 at 9:54 am
“I find it sadly unsurprising that someone sees racism in picturing Erdogan as an ape and is reactively unable [to] differentiate that image and the intent of that image from the racist motivations of those who depict Obama as an ape.”
You’ve articulated precisely my own reaction to the comment here depicting the Dutch cartoon as being racist.
Additionally, however, in what sense is it racist to depict Obama as an ape? Was it racist of those who depicted George W. Bush as “The Chimp-in-Chief”?
In all three examples (Erdogan, Obama, and Bush), it seems to me that it’s the innocent apes who suffer more by the comparison, inasmuch as none of the latter has ever indulged in the organized homicide of aggressive warfare.
I have to remind folks of the US complicity in the Greek dictatorship which murdered thousands of Greek leftists. Not a word was said by the lame stream media that was/is State Dept controlled. I even had the unfortunate experience of hearing a lecture in Hartford, CT of a retired Col from the US Army expounding on the great benefits of that dictatorship for the Greeks and the US. I had just returned from having an up close and personal experience of that sorry regime and was outraged that the audience sat passively as he said that it was necessary to suspend democracy to preserve it! Seems like Erdogan took notes from this US Army Col, and is simply following his lead.
It is time to kick Turkey out of NATO and/or disband it. It does not exist to fight for freedom or anything like it. THAT can only change from HERE!
@Elmer Fudd, April 26, 2016 at 9:35 am
“Some of the argument, reasoning and seasoning, made by Merkel and Erdogan is made on this blog to justify or defend without justification censorship on this blog.”
Can you provide any evidence to support this assertion? I ask because I’ve haven’t observed any censorship here.
Erdoğan the Ape Man.
I am shocked and outraged at this depiction of Erdogan as an ape. Apes have never been known to place any restrictions on free speech. This political cartoon in an insult to the entire Hominoidea community.
The greatest threat to any government is a citizenry that will not tolerate ANY infringement of unalienable rights. And the greatest threat to the security of those rights is a citizenry that either denies they exist or has no idea they exist.
Islam is a mediaval and retarded religion, just as Christianity was many hundreds of years ago. Fortunately Islam has the positive evolutionary history of Christianity to reflect upon and envision how their religious beliefs can become unfettered by this their most disgusting era. Christianity had no model, but is a pretty good model of how not to take oneself too seriously. Unfortunately if the Christian and secular societies of the world, such as Denmark use Islam and its thugs like Erdogan as the brunt of humor, more innocents will be blown up. There must be a multi pronged attack on Islamic extremism with humor being at the vanguard.
Dutch security should be in heighten state of awareness after this mock. Airports, subways, buses, cafes, and malls.
Hurray for De Telegraaf! Come on, Netherlands, this is an easy call whom to support.
What newspaper here would stick its neck out like that other than an underground countercultural rag? Props to De Telegraaf.
I find it sadly unsurprising that someone sees racism in picturing Erdogan as an ape and is reactively unable differentiate that image and the intent of that image from the racist motivations of those who depict Obama as an ape.
Clearly, from mere observation, many people have become over-sensitized by neoliberalism to see racism where none exists.
If I had time I’d muse further at the puzzle of how a white man depicted as a destructive ape could be racist. Perhaps the apes of the world should take offense…
Free speech and expression by all means!
But Jonathan — you and your blog readers should clearly dissociate yourselves from and condemn the racist content of the cartoon. Erdogan is not an ape, but a human criminal and ally of NATO and the USA.
Too often we have seen disgusting portrayals of the POTUS as an ape or monkey, usually the work of racists in your country, but also others. Such racist expression is not acceptable. Prohibition is no answer, but sharp criticism surely is called for.
Felipe Stuart
Some of the argument, reasoning and seasoning, made by Merkel and Erdogan is made on this blog to justify or defend without justification censorship on this blog.
Before we start praising the journalists and cartoonists, let’s not forget that most journalists and cartoonists cowered and failed to come to the rescue of free speech after the Charlie Hebdo massacre and near-massacre at Garland, Texas. Few dared show the provocative cartoons! Few dared underscore Islam, as entirely incompatible with free speech. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund would not even show the winning Garland, TX cartoon by Bosch Fawstin. It wouldn’t even mention Fawstin’s name! And National Coalition against Censorship (NCAC) wouldn’t even include Islam as one of its “15 Threats to Free Speech,” despite HR 569 and the Istanbul Process (see
http://www.globalfreepress.org/contributors/usa/g-tod-slone/3936-15-threats-to-free-speech-2015-an-egregious-and-purposeful-omission). And let’s not forget the mob of PEN members who stood against the massacred Charlie Hebdo cartoonists! Let’s not forget cartoonist Gary Trudeau who sought to justify the massacre. And still the front page cartoon depicted above does NOT dare mention ISLAM as the larger culprit, standing inside the skull of Erdogan…
G. Tod Slone, Ed.
http://www.theamericandissident.org
Let’s hear it for the DUTCH! Small but mighty.
I am a big believer in a bill of rights being part of a constitution, but our “leaders” have shown how to whittle away rights legally. They are aided by a compliant judiciary.