Hate Crime, Hate Speech

Grand Assembly Speech of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

01
Oct

Incident Information

Date of Incident: October 01, 2023

Location of Incident: Turkey

Identifying information of Perpetrator(s) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Republic of Türkiye

Source: https://www.youtube.com/live/CWvgtan_t0Q?si=qX3JZE4uo_zRdCVL&t=3320

Hate Speech Analysis

Transcription of the hate speech statement: ” ”FETÖcü” alçaklara bu karardan ekmek çıkmaz.” (“FETÖ” scoundrels will not benefit from this decision-by referring to the Grand Chamber Yüksel Yalçinkaya v. Türkiye judgment  of ECHR)’’

Target group(s) of the hate speech: The hate speech in this statement is directed against the Gülen movement.

Justification of the hate speech: There is no justification for hate speech. Hate speech is generally rooted in prejudice, intolerance, and a desire to demean or harm individuals based on their true or perceived affiliation, characteristics or beliefs.

Analysis of the hate speech statement: The perpetrator refers to Gülen movement because the perpetrator uses the term ‘FETÖ’ in his statement. It is important to acknowledge that “FETÖ” is a derogatory label used by the Turkish government to stigmatize and marginalize followers of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar residing in the United States. The deliberate usage of this term on media outlet’s website perpetuates negative stereotypes and contributes to the stigmatization of individuals associated with the Gülen movement. It is important to recognize that hate speech targets specific groups or individuals based on their characteristics, affiliations, or beliefs, and serves to demean, marginalize, or incite hatred towards them. By employing the term “FETÖ” to refer to individuals allegedly affiliated with the Gülen movement, the statement contributes to the amplification of discriminatory and harmful rhetoric. Such language further reinforces negative perceptions, fuels social division, fans the flame of hatred and can lead to the marginalization and discrimination of the targeted group.

Contextual information: The hate speech statement is part of Grand Assembly Speech of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who used the term “FETÖ” in his speech and targeted publicly the Gülen movement. The term “FETÖ” is a derogatory term that the Turkish government coined to refer to the Gülen movement, which it deems a terrorist group responsible for a failed military coup in July 2016. Its US-based leader, Fethullah Gülen, denies any involvement in the putsch. The European Union and the United States have refused to adopt Turkey’s views on the group. The context of the post suggests a potential misuse of the term “FETÖ” to label and stigmatize individuals associated with the Gülen movement.

On September 26, 2023, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in Yüksel Yalçınkaya v. Turkey. In the judgment, the court found Turkey in violation of Articles 6, 7 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and ruled that it was unlawful to prosecute the Gülen movement and its members as terrorist organizations and members of terrorist organizations. In the ruling, the court emphasized on the fact that there are systematical problems on the evaluation of the proofs regarding the use of Bylock application and this fact had been voted by judges 16 to 1.  Five days after the court’s ruling, the President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made the above-mentioned hate speech in his parliamentary speech, stating that members of the movement cannot benefit from the court’s ruling.

Impact of the statement: The usage of the term “FETÖ” may contribute to further stigmatization and discrimination against individuals associated with the Gülen movement and be a reason to legitimize arbitrary detentions. It has the potential to perpetuate negative stereotypes and create a hostile environment for this specific group.

Conclusion

The statement contains hate speech due to the usage of the derogatory term “FETÖ” to refer to individuals associated with the Gülen movement. Hate speech targets specific groups or individuals based on their characteristics, affiliations, or beliefs, and serves to demean, marginalize, or incite hatred towards them. The usage of such hate speech perpetuates negative stereotypes, contributes to the stigmatization of individuals, and fosters an environment of discrimination and social division. It is crucial to recognize the harmful impact of hate speech and to promote responsible journalism that upholds principles of equality, fairness, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their affiliations or backgrounds.