Erdoğan aide, justice minister slam The Economist over report on Turkish gov’t crackdown

The Turkish presidency’s communications director and the country’s justice minister have condemned a recent report by The Economist detailing a renewed government crackdown on opposition politicians, journalists and activists, calling it a “defamation campaign” against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his administration.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun both issued statements on Sunday denouncing the British magazine’s coverage of recent arrests and prosecutions in Turkey.

The Economist’s article, published on February 13, described an intensifying government crackdown, including the revival of a years-old investigation into the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the detention of opposition figures and the arrest of journalists and artists.

Tunç, in a social media post, accused the magazine of “targeting our country and our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with lies and slanders based on ongoing investigations.” He defended the Turkish judiciary, claiming that it operates “independently and impartially within the framework of the rule of law.”

Echoing Tunç’s stance, Altun dismissed The Economist’s coverage as a “global conspiracy” and criticized its alleged bias in favor of Western governments. He linked the publication’s report to efforts to undermine Turkey’s regional influence.

Aylardır dünyanın gözü önünde en vahşi katliamlara imza atan, soykırımcı İsrail terörüne tek kelime edemeyen The Economist dergisi, bugün Türkiye’nin bağımsız yargısı tarafından sürdürülen bazı dava ve soruşturmaları çarpıtarak, Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’ı hedef…

— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) February 16, 2025

“This publication, which disregards universal legal principles and unconditionally supports Israel, has no lessons to offer us,” Altun wrote on X. He also suggested that Turkey’s opposition-run municipalities were funding “cheap PR operations” aimed at tarnishing the government’s image.

The Economist article highlighted several high-profile cases, including the late January arrest of Ayşe Barım, a well-known talent manager accused of attempting to overthrow the government due to her involvement in the Gezi Park protests.

The protests, which began as a local movement against a construction project in central İstanbul, grew into nationwide demonstrations against Erdoğan’s rule. The government continues to frame the protests as an attempted coup, despite widespread criticism of the legal cases against participants.

The article also noted the questioning of prominent actors and reports that prosecutors were reviewing news coverage of the protests to determine which outlets “legitimized” the demonstrations.

The magazine also reported that authorities were pursuing legal action against İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence and a political ban for İmamoğlu over allegations that he insulted and threatened the city’s chief prosecutor. The crackdown has also seen the arrest of journalists and municipal officials, including five reporters detained for broadcasting a phone call with an expert witness in a case against İmamoğlu.

The Economist further reported on a broader pattern of repression against opposition politicians, particularly those from the pro-Kurdish movement. Since 2016, over 100 Kurdish mayors have been removed from office and replaced with government-appointed trustees.

Just today, 22 people, including Mezopotamya news agency reporter Bilal Babat and journalist Behçet Bayhan, were referred for arrest in the southeastern city of Van for participating in protests against the recent appointment of a trustee to the local municipality.

Again on Monday, Tatvan Co-mayor Mümín Erol from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) was detained in his office on charges of “insulting the president.”

According to Mezopotamya, Erol was taken into custody after he removed a photo of Erdoğa from his office following his inauguration. “There is no law requiring that the president’s photo be displayed,” Erol said, arguing that his arrest was a pretext to justify further government control over local municipalities.

Mehmet Türkmen, president of the BİRTEK-SEN union, was arrested on Monday after leading ongoing worker protests in the Gaziantep-based Başpınar Organized Industrial Zone. More than 3,000 workers have been striking due to low wages and poor working conditions. Türkmen was charged with “inciting a crime” and “violating the right to work and employment” and was jailed without giving a statement to the prosecutor.

The Economist’s report also touched on the arrest of Ümit Özdağ, leader of the far-right Victory Party (ZP), who was jailed on charges of “insulting the president” and inciting public hatred against Syrian refugees. Analysts cited by The Economist suggest that Özdağ’s detention is linked to a broader government strategy to manage Turkey’s outreach to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has fought an armed insurgency against the state for decades. Reports indicate that the PKK’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, may soon call on the group to lay down its arms, a move that could shift Turkey’s political landscape.

While Turkey’s next presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2028, analysts suggest that Erdoğan is already maneuvering to suppress potential challengers.

“He’s trying to intimidate artists and journalists,” political analyst Berk Esen told The Economist. “So when he decides to go after İmamoğlu, no one will dare protest or rally behind him.”

This is not the first time Turkish officials have denounced The Economist over its coverage. In 2023 Erdoğan criticized the magazine for a cover story warning that Turkey was sliding into dictatorship, calling it foreign interference in the country’s politics. The cover featured the Turkish flag with Erdoğan’s silhouette inside the crescent and warned of Turkey’s “looming dictatorship.” At the time Altun similarly accused the publication of spreading “cheap propaganda and disinformation,” insisting that Turkey remained a strong democracy.