Editorial: Coddling a dictator
We told you a few weeks back about the Turkish president’s effort to sue a German comedian for making fun of him during a late-night broadcast on German television. Rather than stand up for free expression and speech, Chancellor Angela Merkel — who has relied on Turkey to help stem the flow of Middle East refugees — shamed herself by granting Recep Tayyip Erdogan permission to proceed with legal action.
But appeasement rarely succeeds, serving instead to telegraph weakness and encourage further transgressions. And sure enough, this week, the Wall Street Journal reported, Mr. Erdogen filed papers in German court seeking to gag the head of a media company who has been outspoken in defense of the performer, Jan Bohmermann.
“Everybody now thinks they can offend the president because of Mr. Bohmermann,” said the German attorney who represents the Turkish leader. “So everyone must also face the consequences.”
Mr. Erdogan in recent months has cracked down on internal critics, jailing Turkish reporters and shutting down media in an effort to turn Turkey into his own personal safe space. Now he seeks useful idiots to impose his authoritarian vision in Germany. It’s time for Ms. Merkel to hit reverse on her misguided effort to coddle the Turkish dictator.
