The prime minister is a tall man with a moustache

"Soon, under the new penal code, it will be an offense to call a bald man a bald man. Before the new laws take effect on April Fool's Day (God, what an irony!), may Equilibrium take the safe liberty to say that Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a tall man? Or, that Mr. Erdogan is a man with a moustache? In fact, the prime minister is more than a tall man with a moustache."

"Mr. Erdogan is constantly brawling with the media. When a court turned down his appeal for compensation from a political cartoonist for drawing the premier as a cat entangled in a web of wool, he ordered criminal proceedings against the cartoonist. Mr. Erdogan believes �someone� has pushed the button to end his days in power. He feels threatened and behaves like a cornered cat, feeling threatened and ready to scratch."

"It was the same man who successfully tackled a raft of political reforms aimed at more civil liberties and freedom of speech. Ironically, shrugging off his own EU aspirations, Mr. Erdogan is now trying to run Turkey with an iron fist.

His most recent offensive in his battle with the press is a slew of amendments to the penal code that include provisions which will curtail press freedom and could land more journalists in jail. The amendments will take effect on April 1, only half a year before Mr. Erdogan's pro-EU government hopes to start EU accession talks.

The changes include new regulations for the press, including prison sentences ranging from six months to five years for journalists or publishers who �insult� the state, discourage military service or publish classified information. Covering issues such as euthanasia or cases of rape or suicide can also land journalists in jail under the new laws. Legal experts say the changes bring about jail terms for journalists on more than 20 different charges."

"But it's not only journalists who must �behave� if one wants to stay away from trouble. For example, an article brings prison terms of up to one year for imams, priests and rabbis if, during religious services, they criticize the government, its governance or its laws. The penalty is up to two years in jail if religious leaders encourage their communities to be disobedient towards the government."

"True, domestic politics in Turkey is a slippery slope. Things may turn upside down in a matter of weeks. All the same, Mr. Erdogan will be doing himself harm if he has to antagonize everyone he comes across. After all, Turkey's political wasteland is full of former leaders who felt threatened by free speech and tried to intimidate the press to make their governments immune to negative publicity."
Turkish Daily News - The prime minister is a tall man with a moustache