- Turkey has targeted me for years due to my denouncement of its strongman, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which has resulted in my passport being revoked, 12 lawsuits against me, and my name being put on Interpol’s “Red Notice” list.
- The earthquake that struck Turkey earlier this month represents one of the biggest disasters the country has ever faced, and the world has generously offered much-needed resources to help us recover.
- Erdoğan has taken full control of the legislature and judiciary after a coup failed to oust him in 2016, dismissing thousands of judges who could have resisted his orders.
- Erdoğan has committed human-rights violations which have been carried out under the pretext of anti-terror measures, resulting in Turkey being ranked “not free” by Freedom House and 117th out of 139 countries in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index.
- Erdoğan has used his leverage with the West to further his hunt for dissidents, such as attempting to compel Sweden and Finland to extradite up to 130 of his critics in exchange for supporting their NATO-membership bids.
- Erdoğan is getting desperate and even more dangerous as the presidential elections in Turkey are only a few months away, and he has failed to stem a years-long economic crisis. He will come under increasing pressure to further consolidate his power and shore up support however he can.
- The West must make clear that Erdoğan will be shunned from the world stage if he continues down this path of threatening the lives of opposition members in sovereign states.
Published February 26, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Enes Kanter Freedom’s original post Erdoğan Is Getting Desperate