President Erdogan had been steadily concentrating his power for years already and he’s made moves against the opposition and their media before. However, the latest attack was by far the most blatant and globally condemned of them all. Immediately after its seizure, Zaman completely changed its editorial angle and began striking a remarkably pro-government tone, confirming observers’ worst fears that the authorities were now totally in charge of the outlet.
The crackdown on independent media comes right at the moment when Ankara and Brussels are negotiating to restart Turkey’s accession to the EU, raising questions about whether Europe is on the verge of sacrificing its values.
Alexei Voskresenky, Dean of the School of Political Affairs at the MGIMO University and editor-in chief of Comparative Politics magazine (studio guest); Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, senior fellow and professor at the Center for Global Affairs, New York University, and senior fellow and Middle Eastern Studies Project Director at the World Policy Institute; and Jan Van Benthem, foreign affairs commentator at the Nederlands Dagblad(The Netherlands Daily), shared their thoughts on the topic.
