Press for freedom

Turkey is passing through some rather unpleasant days. The president of the country is publicly targeting newsmen. The premier, talking at a local convention of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), says everyone was taking an examination nowadays. What examination? Those who align with "democracy" or engage in an allegiance relationship with the government would be awarded, while those who exercise the fundamental right to criticize, that is, oppose the government in any manner, would be severely punished.

Can this mentality be reconciled with the notion of democracy? Quite possible if democracy is comprised solely of the election box and whoever wins the majority has the right to walk in the village in any fashion they would like. How can the president of the country target a section of the society and accuse them of being traitors who deserved to be smashed? Or, how could the prime minister place himself in the shoes of an "examiner" to award loyalists and botch up the opponents?

Since the early hours of yesterday, Dec. 14, an operation has been continuing in the country against the former allies of the ruling AKP, the Fethullah Gülen Islamist brotherhood. Scores of people, including top executives of newspapers and TV stations and many top cops were placed behind bars. It was not a surprise for anyone, for the past many days, even the names of those detained were published on electronic media. Indeed, Zaman's editor-in-chief prepared and waited in his office for two days with thousands of people chanting support for him outside. Why?

The main opposition branded the development as a "coup against democracy." Can there be a coup against anything else, it is always democracy and freedoms castrated in coups and Turks know this far...