Incident Information
Date of Incident: July 1, 2023
Location of Incident: Turkey
Identifying information of Perpetrator(s) Burak Bekiroglu, Lawyer
Source: https://twitter.com/burakbekiroglu/status/1675249204623552513
Hate Speech Analysis
Transcription of the hate speech statement: " Mali açıdan sıkıntıya giren FETÖ, örgüt mensuplarına finansal destek verebilmek için son 1 yıldır 160 ülkede uyuşturucu sevkiyatını organize ediyor. Kokainden, Eroine, Esrar’dan, Metamfetamin’e, Crack’tan, Morfin’e, Haşhaş’tan, Kloroform’a, Eter’den, Captagona kadar her türlü uyuşturucunun ticaretini bana mısın demeden yapıyorlar. Kolombiya’dan , Bolivya’ya , Ortadoğu’dan , Çin’e, Avustralya’dan , Afrika’ya kadar tüm uyuşturucu güzergahları ellerinde. Gemi gemi uyuşturucu sevkiyatlarını gerçekleştiriyorlar. Uyuşturucu ticaretinden elde ettikleri gelirler ile bir yandan Pensilvanya’da ki kamp’ın giderlerini karşılıyorlar, bir yandan örgütün üst düzeylerini zenginleştiriyorlar, diğer yandan tabanlarının kopmasını engellemek için dünyanın her yerinde ki örgüt mensuplarını yardım adı altında uyuşturucudan elde ettikleri gelir ile fonluyorlar. An itibariyle dünyanın en büyük uyuşturucu baronu FETÖ elebaşı Gülen." (Translation: " FETO, which is in financial trouble, has been organizing drug shipments in 160 countries for the last year in order to provide financial support to its members. They trade all kinds of drugs from cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, crack, morphine, hashish, chloroform, ether and captagon without a care in the world. They control all drug routes from Colombia to Bolivia, from the Middle East to China, from Australia to Africa. They carry out ship-to-ship drug shipments. On the one hand, they cover the expenses of the camp in Pennsylvania with the revenues from the drug trade, on the other hand, they enrich the top levels of the organization, on the other hand, they fund the members of the organization all over the world with the income from drugs under the name of aid in order to prevent the breaking of their plebs. Currently, the world's biggest drug baron is FETÖ, ringleader Gülen.")
Target group(s) of the hate speech: The hate speech in this statement is directed against those alleged to be members of the Gülen movement and Mr. Fethullah Gulen.
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 statement contains hate speech due to the usage of the term "FETÖ" in twitter post. 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 social media 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. Moreover, conspiracy theories linking the Gulen movement to drug trafficking and the dissemination of hate speech targeting the same social group are highly problematic and should be unequivocally rejected. These unfounded claims not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also contribute to the stigmatization and marginalization of individuals associated with the Gulen movement.
Contextual information: The hate speech statement is part of a twitter post on Burak Bekiroglu, a lawyer in Turkey, who used the term "FETÖ" in his post. "FETÖ" is a derogatory term that the Turkish government coined to refer to the faith-based 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.
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. In addition, he defames the movement with baseless slander as a drug smuggling group.