Erdogan lashes out at international coverage ahead of Turkish elections
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Turkish government has hit back against Germany’s ‘Stern’ magazine, who in this week’s issue called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an “arsonist”.
The magazine put Erdogan and the upcoming Turkish elections, scheduled for May 14, on its front page.
“The Turkish President would like to use his influence on many well-meaning German Turks for his upcoming election campaign,” Stern Editor-in-Chief Gregor Peter Schmitz wrote. “He wants to remain a troublemaker and arsonist nationally and internationally.”
Two weeks ago, violent remarks made by a member of Erdogan’s party at a cultural center in Germany had led to widespread condemnation. Erdogan consequently disinvited German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Turkish media outlets with ties to the government issued visceral critiques of Stern’s coverage. CNN Turk, A-Haber, Yenisafak, and Hurriyet, among others, called the piece “an attack” and part of an “international plot” against the Turkish president.
Stern’s editor-in-chief clarified that “critical reporting on heads of state and governments are essential for democracy. It is not Stern’s purpose to defame the Turkish president, but to show his instrumentalization of conflicts in and outside Turkey for the elections.”
A report on Erdogan by the UK’s ‘The Economist’ magazine had led to similar reactions last week. The report had showcased Turkey under an “increasingly erratic president”.
Erdogan’s Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, hit back, calling the Economist’s piece “intellectually lazy, dull, and purposely ignorant”. Erdogan himself had quipped saying “Does a British magazine determine Turkey’s fate?”
Yet few journalists in Turkey – the world’s eighth biggest jailer of journalists – have a reason to laugh. As critics of the president are muzzled at home, outside coverage remains ever-important.