Turkey’s pro-Erdoğan thugs in abroad have launched a new method of systematic intimidation targeting the dissent people who have to live in exile because of autocratic Erdoğan regime’s persecution in Turkey. However, they could not save themselves from the long-arm of Erdoğan even in those countries.
His fanatics have started a campaign of systematic insult targeting the alleged members of Gülen movement and some other opposition figures in order to prove their allegiance to Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They shoot the videos of their insults, threats and share in the social media. These videos have later been widely covered in pro-Erdoğan media and TV channels in Turkey.
As a last example of these kind of attacks, Vakkas Doğantekin, an Erdoğan fanatic, a columnist and the president of the California-based Turkish community organization, TURCA, has attacked a Turkish speaking ice-cream seller by calling him “terrorist” and “dogs of Jews” on Saturday.
“FETO supporter traitors will find no peace anywhere in the world,” Doğantekin tweeted on Nov. 5 and shared a video recording below. FETO, short for alleged Fethullahist Terrorist Organization, is a controversial buzzword coined by the Erdoğan to define the Gülen movement.
The quarrel took place at a Turkish community gathering, attended by several traditional food sellers. Doğantekin is seen approaching to buy ice-cream from one of the sellers and entering into rather offensive conversation with the man at the other side of the ice-cream booth.
Facing reaction against his discriminatory wording on social media, Doğantekin later tweeted: “Last saturday, I had a non-violent, non-physical, harmless verbal exchange with a Gulenist in OC and thousands of Gulenists attack me now.”
Doğantekin’s bio on TURCA’s website says he is a California resident for over 10 years and a freelance journalist contributing to Al Jazeera. He wrote at least three Op-Eds in 2017 for the pro-Erdogan daily news paper, Daily Sabah.
The script of what Dogantekin said during the conversation is as follows:
Vakkas Doğantekin (VD): We were gonna buy ice-cream…
Ice-cream seller (IS): Yes sir
VD: But, I found out that you are FETO supporter and I changed my mind.
IS: It is OK. I can treat you with free ice-cream
VD: Aren’t you embarrassed for wearing this ‘Turkey cap’ and selling Maraş ice-cream as you are dishonoring Maraş’s reputation?
IS: …
VD: Don’t you feel guilty? Do you think I am gonna eat the thing you would give me? You guys killed 250 of our fellow citizens. You will live like dogs in those foreign countries, like dogs. Dirty FETO supporters.
IS: Come on, get out of here
VD: You are still not ashamed of wearing this Turkey cap, are you?
IS: Come on, get out of here
VD: You don’t care at all, do you? You don’t feel ashamed of attending this Muslim fest meanwhile you are fighting against Muslims! You are fighting against Muslims! You, dogs of Jews! You don’t deserve to speak a single word. You can’t even look me in the face.
IS: Why on earth can’t I?
VD: Shameless terrorists!
IS: How do you know that I am a terrorist?
VD: Because you are a FETO supporter. You tell me ‘Fethullah Gulen is a scumbag, traitor’ and I will know you are not a terrorist. Say: ‘Fethullah Gulen is a scumbag, traitor’ Look me in the face and tell me. Say: ‘Fethullah Gulen is a scumbag, traitor’ You see. …You terrorist dogs.
Dogantekin, who was not satisfied with this, in order to use it for his PR, his friend (@kayhansusuz) has taken video of those moments by a camera. Then he shared these video footages on his twitter account (@vdogantekin) and continued his threats: “I chastened a member of Gülen movement who says that Turkey is a terrorist country and is not ashamed to make money with the Turkish cap,” he said.
In a short time these images caused reactions in social media. These statements, which are criminal offenses under US law, have already been forwarded to relevant authorities on the social media, particularly the FBI. The AKP troll, who subsequently realized what he did was wrong, asked for help by expressing that he was threatened from the same twitter account.
Doğantekin, who tweeted to the relevant authorities in English, requested support from the trolls in Turkish as well. “Friends please give the latest english message retweet support please? I’m being threatened by the Gülenists in the US,” he said.
Previously, Turkish journalist Kerim Balcı, who had to flee from Turkey and live in exile in the UK was target of similar intimidation attack and insults. As Balcı was appeared at a meeting in England some Erdoğanist Turkish expatriates who saw Kerim Balcı and said, “Hodja, are you not the one who was shocked by the night of the coup on television?” Erdoğanist thugs have taken video of Balcı as they were continuing to say “Alas, you are doomed to live your life like this abroad.” The video and insult were covered in pro-Erdoğan media in Turkey.
Journalist Can Dündar, who had to flee from Erdoğan’s persecution and now live in exile in Europe, has experienced a similar attack in Strasbourg, France. Pro-Erdoğan fanatics have taken video of journalist Can Dündar as they insulting him while Dündar was sitting at a cafe.
One of Erdoğan fanatics called out to journalist Dündar and said, “Excuse me, you are traitor Can Dündar, aren’t you?” Dündar seems shocked by the question in cellphone video.
President Erdoğan’s son-in-law and Turkey’s Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, addressing university students being sent abroad on scholarships, has said “You’ll probably see them in the countries you are visiting. By God, I could barely contain myself if I were you. I would strangle them wherever I see them.”
President Erdoğan had said that “We are purging every Gülenist in the army, in the police and the state institutions. And we will continue to cleansing them. We will eradicate this cancer virus from the body of this country and the state. We will not give them right to live even in abroad.”
Turkey survived a controversial military coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that killed 249 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.
Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants since July 15. Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup. (SCF with turkeypurge.com)
