Turkey believes in freedom of the press, constitutional debates

The Republic of Turkey is a partner of the U.S. in addressing regional and global threats, a staunch NATO ally and the only secular democracy of which the majority of its population is Muslim in a region besieged by terrorism and war. By overlooking these facts in their Contributors blog post, “Turkey’s democratic rollback” (April 2), Sarah Kreps and Gustavo Flores-Macías portray Turkey as if it somehow needed to be “propped up” by the U.S.

In reality, tangible improvements over the last 12 years in the nation’s democratization, judicial reforms and economic development testify to the fact that preservation of democratic governance is one of the top priorities in Turkey. As professors of government, the authors should know that it is usual practice for presidents all over the world to have funds at their discretion to be used for national security purposes.

{mosads}Contrary to allegations in the post regarding the new domestic security bill, which was approved by the European Union Harmonization Commission in the Turkish Parliament in compliance with EU rules and regulations, the legislation brings Turkey’s freedom of assembly laws more in line with EU standards and promotes public order and the advancement of individual freedoms.

As evidenced by recent terrorist attacks, one resulting in the tragic murder of a prominent public prosecutor and another targeting the police headquarters in Istanbul, terrorism is a real and a critical threat to Turkey’s national security. The bill includes improved and clearer protocols for police who encounter armed and violent aggressors by specifically stating that public safety officers may only use weapons “against those who attack schools, public buildings and places of worship with Molotov bombs, explosives, inflammable materials and weapons.”

Turkey’s record on media freedoms as illustrated by Kreps and Fores-Macías contains misleading information as well. Turkish media regularly exercise freedom of speech without government intervention. As reported by the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, there were seven individuals under detention in Turkey as of December 2014; two of them have already been released and the rest face serious charges such as possession of unauthorized weapons, armed assault and bank robberies that clearly do not constitute journalistic activities.

Finally, Turkey is a vivid democracy and it is normal to have proposals and discussions over constitutional matters. The Turkish constitution has been amended several times and today there is a new debate over a constitutional reform on the establishment of a presidential system. Isn’t it strange that, based on the views of “experts,” professors of government question why there are constitutional debates in Turkey? Criticizing constitutional debates is actually in stark contradiction with the defense of freedom of expression that the authors intend to put forward.

From Serdar Kılıç, ambassador of Turkey to the United States, Washington, D.C. 

Let your well-being guide your choice, for an America you want

The upcoming presidential race is now upon us (“Hillary: ‘I’m running for president,’ ” April 12). Now is the time to put our personal well-being first in choosing a candidate. Forget party, that is a thing of the past. Now is when intelligent people think about their own needs. Vote for your personal well-being and you will truly be voting for an America you want and not what a special interest that spends billions to fool you wants. 

From Norm Stewart, Aventura, Fla.