Man charged for insulting Turkish president Erdogan

[DaffyDill]

Bilgin Çiftçi, a Turkish doctor, made the meme shown below, and shared it on Facebook. It was appreciated by quite a few people, and was widely shared.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/02/turkish-court-asks-gollum-experts-if-erdogan-comparison-insult

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/12/02/erdogan-on-gollum-meme-we-hates-it-we-hates-it-forever/

http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/man-facing-jail-over-gollum-meme/news-story/3e862063b53c29fa61dd9658dd2dbc17

However, once the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan caught wind of it, his lawyers were instructed to sue Dr Çiftçi for insulting the President, which could result in a prison sentence of up to two years for the good doctor.

Apparently, Erdogan's presidency has been known for the prosecution and imprisonment of several journalists.

The trial has reached an impasse, as the judge is unable to decide whether Gollum is indeed an evil character and therefore an insult, or a somewhat sympathetic one, a character whose mind is imprisoned by the power of the ring, but who still shows occasional flashes of humanity.

So, the trial, farcical in my opinion, has been adjourned, while a panel of experts, including academics, are assembled to discuss this very crucial issue. Dr Çiftçi was fired from his job back in October as a result of the charges brought against him. It will come as no surprise that the internets have exploded with Erdogan/Gollum memes. Mr Erdogan would have been better off just ignoring it for the joke it was, rather than behaving as he has, and possibly ruining a man's life over something so simple.

Somebody is feeling preciousssssssss....

Thoughts? 

[Arete]

Edrogan is bad for Turkey and bad for all the countries Turkey shares policy ties with.  He has given the nod for a Turkey's riot police to escalate aggression again demonstrators.  We aren't talking about the type that throws gasoline bombs, we are talking about people marching with signs and being clubbed or having the water cannons turned on them.  I have lost track of how many journalists he has thrown in jail for bringing up uncomfortable subjects like the Armenian Genocide and the Asia Minor Massacres.  He is very open about the fact that he would like to see Turkey become less secular.

This man is bad news...

[laPapessaGiovanna]

He is bad news indeed. I'm still shocked by his reelection, I can't believe turkish people chose him. I'm all for respecting a nation's sovereignity though, so if they want him they are free to keep him. On the other side we are free to severe our ties if turkish politics become even more problematic. BTW I don't think Erdogan's Turkey can be part of EU, as some of our politicians still seem to believe.

[Anny Nym]

He is bad news indeed. I'm still shocked by his reelection, I can't believe turkish people chose him. I'm all for respecting a nation's sovereignity though, so if they want him they are free to keep him. On the other side we are free to severe our ties if turkish politics become even more problematic. BTW I don't think Erdogan's Turkey can be part of EU, as some of our politicians still seem to believe.

I am so disgusted by the "protection money" of 3 billions the EU is paying that little tinpot dictator for border controls!

[Clementine]

I am so disgusted by the "protection money" of 3 billions the EU is paying that little tinpot dictator for border controls!

It does feel like hush money from the EU. Pay or Turkey will continue to let people from all over the world travel through their country to the EU without any border controls.

[Arete]

It most certainly is plain extortion, and frankly I am shocked with the ease that both European and American leaders are trying to present it to their electorates as some big "win".

i have to give Little George Papandreou a lot of credit here, and it hurts.  Years ago when the argument over wether Turkey should be in the EU was exploding, Greece was always taking the lead and saying "We will NEVER vote "Yes"  until the country is fully democratized, certain historical facts are acknowledged, etc."  So the powerful countries in the EU like Germany, France, and GB would turn around and tell Turkey, "As for us, we would have you in this club tomorrow, but those damn Greeks won't see reason."  One day about 10 years ago Little George made the decision to perform a complete 180 in Greek Foreign Policy and announced that Greece no longer had any objections to the beginning of Ascension Talks with Turkey.  All of a sudden "We'd let you in tomorrow" became "Wait, wait!  We have a list of conditions you have to meet!  We just met, what's the rush to get married?"

The EU was always happy to tell Turkey the problem was Greece, not Turkey's own internal dynamics.  Now the EU is paying extortion money and calling it good.  Dammit, just be honest.  They want business and military alliances with Turkey  but at the core do not consider the country part of Europe.

[DaffyDill]

I am so disgusted by the "protection money" of 3 billions the EU is paying that little tinpot dictator for border controls!

"tinpot dictator" describes him perfectly. 

[nomoxian]

Comparing Erdogan to Gollum is an insult - to Gollum!

[47of74]

I went to Turkey in 2012 and had a great time there.  The people were quite friendly and at no time did I feel unsafe there.  I felt safer there than I do in this country sometimes.  I can't stand Erdogan and what both he and his ilk are doing to Turkey.  The man is trying to undo everything Atatürk did in pushing forward a secular, modern Republic to replace the Ottoman Empire.

[Arete]

I've been to Istanbul twice.  Not only did I have a lovely time as just some garden variety American tourist, I was positively showered  with extra kindnesses when some of the locals found out I was an ethnic Greek.   People making sure I had somewhere to eat every night, making sure I could spend a minor holiday with a Greek family,  telling me, a stranger, how much  they missed the city of their youth and their Greek, Jewish, and Armenian neighbors.   Whoever these people were, they were not the monsters I had been taught about.

[AnywhereButHere]

There is something really funny about academics and judges seriously discussing the moral character of a fictional creature.

Turkey itself however is not so funny.  The government has a bad habit of suppressing (many times violently) anyone or anything that even hints at a negative portrayal. Journalists are especially at risk, being jailed at the slightest provocation or even assassinated (Hrant Dink in 2007). 

That said, a friend still has family in Istanbul and goes back to visit frequently. She loves it there. My dad went back a few times to see his birthplace and met many wonderful people. I was seated next to a Turkish lady during jury duty, and once we shared a nervous laugh over the irony (Turk and Armenian), we had a great bonding discussion about, of course, food. 

I don't know why they are so terrified of admitting anything negative and don't get how they don't see that the more they try to squash dissension and cover up atrocities, the worse they look. they're not fooling anyone.

[Aurora rising]

Because of private and spiritual bonds I spending a lot of time in Turkey. I really love this country and (most) of the people with all my heart, however the politic is ... a shame. It´s pure tyranny and suppression and unfortunately the people get involved as well: you are either for Erdogan or against him and if you don´t like his party or himself you cannot sign business deals, even as a foreigner. Since the new election it´s getting even worse, some even suggest that Erdogan himself is behind all those terror attacks because he wanted a new election.

It´s so sad, really.

[latraviata]

[latraviata]

 

Oh dear, this what the man actually said!! Reality is harsh isn't it??

[laPapessaGiovanna]

3 hours ago, latraviata said:

 

Oh dear, this what the man actually said!! Reality is harsh iselse'sn't it??

You two seem really like-minded. Same opinions, same disregard for anyone else's opinions...