21st Century Wire says…
Since this past summer’s alleged ‘failed’ coup d’etat attempt in Turkey, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has undertaken one of the most systematic and brutal crackdowns on civil society seen so far in the 21st century. What started as a purge of 7,000 suspected military plotters, judges, politicians, journalists has expanded, bringing the total to upwards of 100,000 people – all suspended and arrested by the government for either treason or “having terrorist ties.”
This week, the government in Ankara has expelled some 28,000 teachers who it deems as having “links to terrorism,” along with 785 members of the Ministry of Labour, and 24 elected mayors.
Erdogan’s purge is certainly reminiscent of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s great purges of the 1930’s, a reign of terror enacted upon every sector of civic and public life, as hundreds of thousands were arrested, jailed and placed into gulags after a series of mass administrative show trials for anyone under suspicion of subversion against the state.
Back in July, thousands of Turkish public servants and members of the military were purged in the first week following the coup. In addition, the Turkish government stood back and sanctioned some of the most horrific violence, as Islamist mobs beat, tortured and executed any soldiers suspected of treason. The government in Ankara did not object to this, and appeared to be quietly encouraging what was being described by some as “street justice.” Only one day after the supposed ‘failed coup’, Erdogan ordered that 2,745 judges be dismissed and detained. This was likely because the government wanted to remove any justice who might call for due process in the coming administrative show trials where Erdogan will process tens of thousands of Turkish citizens that his government deems to be “enemies of the republic.”
According to Reuters this week, 28,000 teachers have been expelled from the profession, and 9,465 others suspended -over alleged “links with terrorism,” Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Monday.
Also, 24 elected mayors were removed from office for alleged, and as yet, undefined links with “PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) terrorism.”
The civil service has also been included in the purge this week, as some 785 members of Turkey’s labor ministry have been removed from their positions for alleged ties to Fethullah Gülen, a US-based cleric who Ankara blames for organizing the alleged failed coup in July. Beyond the Gullenists however, clearly, Erdogan has used this opportunity to eliminate political opposition, dissenters, prominent Kurds and anyone else who might oppose what is clearly a transition that’s taking place – from a pluralistic, secular society to an Islamist one.
Where will it end?
As Erdogan’s epic purges continue–still, no word from the moralists in Washington or London regarding this autocratic regime which has effectively shut down society in one of the world’s most pivotal geopolitical nations, which also happens to be a member of NATO. Judging by its recent illegal invasion of Syria, Turkey is undoubtedly one of Washington’s and its allies’ (including Israel) key tools in the dismantling of the nation state of Syria.
From a dictatorial perspective, is there very much difference between Erdogan in 2016, and Stalin in the 1930’s?
The only real difference might be that Erdogan has injected a potent Islamist flavour to his purge, which makes this scene much more disturbing considering Turkey’s own proven role in facilitating the free flow of foreign jihadist terrorism over its border and into Syria, including thousands of ISIS fighters which NATO still claims to be fighting against.
And Turkey wants to join the European Union, too… which is amazing in itself, all things considered.
READ MORE TURKEY NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Turkey Files
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