Hate Speech – Yeniakit Publisher

The term ‘FETÖ’ is a politically charged label that was produced and widely disseminated through state discourse in Türkiye after 2016, without a clearly defined legal basis. By grouping all individuals and entities associated with the Gülen Movement under a single, homogeneous category of ‘terrorism,” the term eliminates the principle of individual criminal responsibility and creates a framework of collective guilt. From the perspective of international human rights law, the criminalization of a community on the basis of alleged ideological or religious affiliation, without individualized judicial determination, is incompatible with the presumption of innocence, freedom of expression, and the prohibition of discrimination. In this context, the term ‘FETÖ’ functions not merely as a descriptive label, but as a stigmatizing and targeting form of rhetoric. The systematic use of the term in media, political, and public discourse contributes to portraying individuals associated with the Gülen Movement as security threats, facilitates their dehumanization, and exposes them to social hostility. For these reasons, when used irrespective of context, the term ‘FETÖ’ constitutes a slur that meets the criteria of hate speech and discriminatory language.