Swiss Government Blows Off Turkish President's Demands For Prosecution After He's 'Insulted' By A Local Tabloid
from the towards-a-unified-world-opinion-of-ring-hoarding-leaders dept
Perhaps the thinnest skinned politician on the planet — Recip “Gollum” Erdogan — is at it again. His legacy of injunctions, legal threats, and even copyright abuse continues. The latest to draw Erdogan’s wrath is Switzerland, which, to be fair, has drawn his wrath in the past. The repeat “offender” was targeted by Erdogan in 2016 for an art exhibit he didn’t care for. This wouldn’t have happened if Switzerland didn’t have a law on the books forbidding insulting foreign leaders. Erdogan has the uncanny ability to sniff out foreign laws that might help him remain un-insulted, but so far has only managed to Streisand himself into infamy.
This time around, it’s a Swiss tabloid earning the Turkish president’s disdain/threats of prosecution.
The Zurich-based tabloid Blick made Turkish television on Monday night when the country’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan held up an edition of the Swiss paper with the front-page headline ‘Vote no to Erdogan’s dictatorship’.
The article in German and Turkish called for Turks in Switzerland to vote no in the April 16th referendum which, if successful, would give more powers to Erdogan.
Seems like a logical stance. Erdogan has abused every power he’s been given. There’s really no reason for other countries to give him more powers to abuse, even indirectly. The Turkish government went full Godwin in response, comparing this editorial’s call for a “no” vote to Nazism.
Obviously, the Turkish government saw no irony in immediately demanding the Switzerland government do something about the tabloid’s “insults.” It has sent four requests for “legal aid,” presumably in hopes of getting the tabloid’s writers/publishers locked up for saying bad things about the Turkish president.
The Swiss government has responded, telling Turkey to stick to bullying its own citizens.
On Thursday a spokesman from the Swiss justice office, Folco Galli, told broadcaster SRF that four requests lodged by Turkey in mid January had been rejected, citing free speech.
Switzerland would only be obliged to cooperate if the act concerned was considered a crime in both Turkey and Switzerland, he said.
Speaking to the SRF Galli said: “If similar criticisms had been expressed in Switzerland against a federal councillor in the course of a political debate, they would of course have been tolerated as an expression of free speech.”
Which is precisely why the pending referendum should be shot down. The tabloid has perfectly demonstrated why such a law should not be instituted in Switzerland. If it had already been law, Switzerland’s government might have been more inclined to assist Erdogan in pushing the editorial’s writer.
The statement by the Swiss official is a healthy affirmation of Swiss citizens’ protections, but is likely unintelligible to those it’s directed at. “Tolerance” and “free speech” are concepts the Turkish president is completely unfamiliar with. As is pointed out in the article, the Turkish government is currently pursuing 2,000 domestic prosecutions over “insulting” social media posts and cartoons. Apparently Erdogan feels his persecution success at home should translate easily abroad. Fortunately for citizens in other countries, it doesn’t.
Filed Under: free speech, insults, switzerland, tayyip recep erdogan, turkey
Comments on “Swiss Government Blows Off Turkish President's Demands For Prosecution After He's 'Insulted' By A Local Tabloid”
A NATO member, ladies and gentlemen.
Re: Re:
Real Politik, my friend. Real Politik.
"Why didn't anyone tell me my face was this hideous?!"
Given how many people this putz sues for saying mean things about him I’m kinda surprised he hasn’t sued the people who made the mirrors in the various bathrooms he uses. I mean making him have to deal with that kind of sight any time he goes to wash his hands is certainly not flattering.
Of course the exterior is downright amazing compared to the kind of person he is on the inside, and it’s not like the idiot could ever admit what a terrible, atrocious troll he is, so maybe it somehow doesn’t affect him.
Re: "Why didn't anyone tell me my face was this hideous?!"
Be sure to let us know when you get notified of Erdogan’s actions against you. We know how intolerant he is…it’ll be interesting to see how fast he is.
I heard he has a thing for Mexican midgets and dressing up like Judy Garland.
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Baron von Robber said:
Wrong. He has a thing for Mexican midgets dressed up like Judy Garland.
Why in Switzerland?
From my reasearches it rather seems the referendum is hold in Turkey, the rally was just aimed at Turks in Switzerland.
Switzerland has allready a law in place for “Majestätsbeleidigung” and I haven’t heard about it being changed by parlament, so there would be no referendum.
But should there be an iniative on the way (which I also haven’t found anything towards) to cut that law, just tell me where I can sign.
Should the parlament cut out the law, I wouldn’t see a reason for a referendum unless it’s an obligatory one.
Re: Why in Switzerland?
While the referendum is about changing the system of government in Turkey, to my knowlege, all people with turkish citizenship (including dual citizenship) are allowed to vote. Additionally some countries with a significant amount of turkish citizens, will allow them to vote where they live, instead of traveling to turkey.
Re: Why in Switzerland?
Erdogan is under pressure. The polls in Turkey aren’t very independent, well-conducted or precise. Different pollsters have completely different guesses about the result. But they are a mixed bag indicating a somewhat close election.
Erdogan is a nationalistic demagogue. Having some controversy with external “enemies” is a classic way of invigourating patriotism. At the same time the rejections he is getting is for his vote yes campaign. He is counting on people voting yes to spite the foreign devils and their “interference”.
gol needs to go away.
I was reeling in horror and was unable to continue with the rest of the headline for several minutes after reading that much.
Godwin’s Law: The party who first invokes a Hilter reference (i.e. Nazis) is presumed to have lost the debate. You lose, Turkey.
That would president asshat Erdogan, no doubt.
Thinnest skinned politician on the planet?
How can you say Turkey has the thinnest skinned politician on the planet? Don’t you know? America is number one at everything, including this.
Re: Thinnest skinned politician on the planet?
No.
Re: Re: Thinnest skinned politician on the planet?
Yes.
Trumplethinskin is anemic from his lack of epidermal neuronos.
Preciouss, the truthses, it hurtsz usss!! – Recip “Gollum” Erdogan
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We hates Swissesss!
Erdogan is probably the *second* most thin skinned politician on the planet. Arguably Kim Jong-Il is the most thin skinned. The difference is North Korea is too backward to figure out how to do anything more than act like 3 year olds having a tantrum. Erdogan at least acts like a sullen 20 year old that flunked out of college.
Everyone should have the right to criticize and insult anyone else. Well, except Islam. Islam must be respected at all costs…