NATO needs to take punitive measures against Erdogan, here's why - opinion

• Published date: 07 April 2024
• Author: ALON BEN-MEIR
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Western officials often explain that Turkey occupies a critical geostrategic location between East and West and is the energy hub for Europe. In addition, Turkey hosts NATO's long-range missile systems and US military forces at Incirlik Air Base. It's hard to reconcile these explanations, however meritorious, with Erdogan's egregious human rights violations and abrogation of Western values. To change his behavior, it's essential to first assess the litany of his egregious domestic and foreign transgressions and take the necessary measures corresponding to the scope of his transgression

Erdogan's human rights violations

Widespread human rights violations have continued since the failed 2016 coup, which includes arbitrary detentions, infringements of freedom of association and expression, violations of the right to work, and freedom of movement.

In addition, he fired 150,000 people, including public servants and teachers, falsely accusing them of affiliation with the Gülen movement, which Turkey alone considers a terrorist group.

He also sought the extradition of Turkish citizens from other countries who are allegedly affiliated with the movement. Torture and ill-treatment became routine in police custody and prisons, which included severe beatings, sexual assault, and deprivation of sleep. To make matters worse, he detained human rights defenders and activists, intended to exert pressure on civil society groups and NGOs critical of him. Furthermore, he removed thousands of judges and prosecutors and replaced them with lackeys to do his bidding, and led a witch-hunt throughout the Turkish Air Force, accusing many officers of being Gülenists behind the coup.He regularly bypasses legal procedures and engages in enforced disappearances and illegal transfers. Erdogan aggressively pursued critical journalists while blocking websites, media outlets, and general restrictions on the Internet, with over 100,000 websites blocked. Erdogan targeted the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which predominantly represents the Kurdish community, by shutting down the party and attacking the rights of millions of Kurdish voters, deliberately subverting parliamentary democracy. He has also used excessive force, torture, and violence against Kurdish women while destroying their housing and cultural heritage, which has become standard under his reign of terror.

Erdogan's defiance of his Western allies

Since 2016, many contentious issues have strained the relationship between...