The escalating crisis and the growing threat of ISIS (The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq have many ramifications for the region, some unforeseen but many long predicted.
For those of us that had been regularly writing and warning about possible consequences of short-sighted, opportunistic, sectarian and often ignorant policies of some of our leaders, there is much to report, comment and question. Yet, with dozens of people held hostage by a force that that already committed unfathomable acts of brutality, we have to be aware that everything we write and say may exacerbate the situation.
So, why should we feel outraged when we hear the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan telling the media to be quiet about the hostage crisis in Iraq?
Knowing that there are special sensitivities in times of conflict does not stop us from upholding the principle of the right of the public to be informed accurately at all times.
It is partly because the hectoring tone of the Prime Minister, long used to giving orders to the media and his use of the term “provocation by the media”.
But it is also because in the very same speech delivered in Trabzon, days after 49 people were taken hostage in yet-to be explained circumstances in Iraq’s sectarian strife, Mr Erdoğan continues to use a divisive, polarising and harsh language against his political opponents at home. No wonder Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) responded as saying that “he is finding it difficult not to be rebellious any more”.
Four days before expressing his dismay, Mr Kılıçdaroğlu’s party had temporarily withdrawn two separate motions it submitted to Parliament against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, citing extraordinary developments in Mosul requiring a national unity.
Whilst the Prime Minister and his senior colleagues were demanding silence and submission from the independent media, Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru was telling reporters on Sunday that they did not think the 49 consulate members were taken hostage. “They are abducted but not taken as hostages, because there is not a negotiation with militants for give and take,” Koru said. In an even more questionable statement, he declared that the ISIS attack on the mainly Turkmen town of Tal Afar was already “repulsed”; only to be contradicted by the news that the city was overrun by militants.
At times of national crisis, it would be seen as reasonable for a government to ask the media and the opposition to respect a temporary news black-out in order to protect lives and to avoid compromising security operations. But no one can demand the media to report information that is untrue or inaccurate or ignore an issue of public interest.
Asking for a news black-out on anything other than sensitive information that may endanger lives is blatant censorship and it is unacceptable. Happily, despite pressures, there are still a handful of brave and serious journalists that continue to risk their lives and livelihoods to report from the danger zones and ask awkward questions.
In the meantime, the Islamist press barely disguises its delight at the possibility of a new Sunni state appearing on Turkey’s borders while some at the pro-government media enthusiastically pursue the “anti-Turkish foreign plot” rhetoric, suggesting that it is the UK and/or the USA that are really behind the turmoil created by ISIS.
This post is also available in: Turkish
Salih says
Dear Ms Robinson,
”the “anti-Turkish foreign plot” rhetoric, suggesting that it is the UK and/or the USA that are really behind the turmoil created by ISIS.”
Which many Turks also believe(d) and some still do, because the UK/USA did it before as well. Al Queida/ Taliban these are USA/UK inventions, the newly state of Iraq is the same case so lots of minorities feel not represented there and then this ISID comes along which uses this ” hate ” toward Maliki’s gouverment. But our Prime Minister is likely to have been involved in this, as we expect it from him due to his remarks about it on how our hostages would not be hostaged but just abducted, how stupid is that ? At the same time providing a full truck loads of US weaponry into Syria where ISID is also active, there is a possibility that they gained it from Erdogan/El Nusra with support of ” Friends of Syria ”
( Arab +The Western World )