[Hurriyet Daily News] The President’s Office has dismissed growing criticism of a police raid on a Turkish magazine over its cover bearing a montage picture of a smiling President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan taking a “selfie” in front of the coffin of a soldier, claiming that “insults” cannot be considered part of freedom of expression.“It is never possible to consider insulting the presidential office within freedom of expression,” Presidency Spokesperson Ä°brahim Kalın told reporters at a press conference on Sept. 15 in response to questions concerning the raid on the magazine on Sept. 14.
“Attacking the presidential office to score small political goals with small political estimations is not politics. Trying to become the center of attention by attacking the presidency and our president’s personality and his family is not journalism. It is often just common activism or militarism,” Kalın added.
According to the presidential spokesperson, “there is a vibrant environment of debate in Turkey” and “all kinds of views can be voiced comfortably.”