Kurdistan Center
for Democracy in the Middle East
Khoyboun Flag
About us
www.kcdme.com
[INTERVIEW] In US Congress, a veteran voice raises concern over Turkey’s democratic backsliding
24.06.2025
By Turkish minute
Source: https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/06/24/interview-in-us-congress-a-veteran-voice-raises-concern-over-turkeys-democratic-backsliding/
Abdülhamit Bilici, Washington, D.C.
US Representative Chris Smith, a senior member of the House of Representatives and longtime advocate for global human rights, has been closely monitoring political and legal developments in Turkey. Representing New Jersey’s 4th District since 1981, Smith has chaired numerous congressional hearings on international rights issues, including a recent session focused on Turkey’s democratic decline, political imprisonments and restrictions on civil liberties.
In this interview Smith discusses the challenges of promoting human rights in allied nations, the political dynamics that have complicated international responses to Turkey’s internal policies and what he believes the United States and its partners can do more effectively. He also shares his thoughts on how the governance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has affected democratic institutions and offers a direct message to Turkish leadership.
Over the past several years Turkey has been suffering from a deteriorating human rights record and an ailing economy. President Erdoğan is criticized for mishandling the economy, emptying the state’s coffers and establishing one-man rule in the country where dissent is suppressed and opponents are jailed on politically motivated charges, especially after a failed coup in July 2016.
The Turkish government launched a widespread crackdown on non-loyalist citizens under the pretext of an anti-coup fight following the abortive putsch, purging some 130,000 civil servants from state posts and prosecuting hundreds of thousands of people on bogus terrorism or coup charges.
You’ve made significant efforts to support human rights globally, including in Turkey. What makes Turkey unique in that regard and why has it been so difficult to see progress?
That’s a great question. Unfortunately, because Turkey is seen as an “ally” and a fellow NATO member, there are far too many people in Congress and in the European Union who look askance when it comes to human rights. They’ll say something, but there’s no linkage, no effort to really hold Erdoğan to account. And because of that, he gets away literally with murder.
I think it’s time, really time, that we all double down on the facts, and the facts on the ground are horrific. The use of jailing and incarceration as a means of political control, the pervasive use of torture, which he is known for, the persecution of religious believers of various kinds, it’s all about perpetuating his stay in power. And he has used every brutality method known to man to do it. We need to call it out.
The people deserve far better in Turkey than they have now. They deserve a democracy that’s robust, with checks and balances, with a judiciary, the executive branch and a congress. I was in the parliament building for an OSCE parliamentary assembly. It can all happen if there is the political will to do it.
I would remind Erdoğan himself, history is littered with dictators who have done horrific things to their people. Once they’re out of power, or if they’ve passed away, whatever the case may be, like Ceaușescu in Romania, all of a sudden the people say, “He was not good, he did terrible things.” That’s what the remembrance will be.
He ought to change. Reform. Open up. Let people have their freedom and respect democracy.
If you had the chance to meet President Erdoğan today, what would you say to him directly?
If I met him today, I would say: Stop it. You may have the power now, but you’re abusing it so horribly against innocent people. Charging large numbers of people with terrorism and all these other false charges brings dishonor on this president. I think we need to call that out, and I would say it to his face.
I’ve said it to other dictators’ faces when I had the opportunity, including [President Omar] al-Bashir from Sudan. I met with him personally and argued with him about Darfur.
As I mentioned during the hearing, when Erdoğan was asked to effectuate an arrest and send him [al-Bashir] to The Hague for the indictment that was pending against him by the International Criminal Court, he laughed at it. He laughed at it.
I met people in Darfur. I went to two major camps in Darfur. Now it’s all back in Sudan, and there’s a lot of bloodletting. It was a genocide. How could you laugh at a genocide?
Maybe when we all recognize the Armenian genocide, that’s one insight. You know, the people deserve better.
Many countries have poor human rights records. What makes the situation in Turkey particularly troubling?
Turkey could be a robust democracy. The people deserve it. Unfortunately, Erdoğan has seized the reins of power, and he made sure that his opponents can’t gain traction.
But again, when you use the police and a lack of rule of law to crush people, yeah, you have power, but what good is it? Really, what good is it? You say that to all the dictators of the world, current and past: What good was it?
Why does he behave like he does? Only a psychiatrist could tell us that. But the consequences for the people are outrageous.
As a Republican member of Congress, what would your message be to President Trump and the current administration regarding Turkey’s human rights violations?
I would say: Call it out. Call it out honestly. Link it to policy, including imposition of the Global Magnitsky Sanctions.
I was the author of that here in the House, and it became an amendment. It’s a very, very good tool of individually sanctioning people right to the very top for egregious behavior.
So, speak truth to power. Back off.
24.06.2025
By Turkish minute
Source: https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/06/24/interview-
Abdülhamit Bilici, Washington, D.C.
US Representative Chris Smith, a senior member of the House of Representatives and longtime advocate for global human rights, has been closely monitoring political and legal developments in Turkey. Representing New Jersey’s 4th District since 1981, Smith has chaired numerous congressional hearings on international rights issues, including a recent session focused on Turkey’s democratic decline, political imprisonments and restrictions on civil liberties.
In this interview Smith discusses the challenges of promoting human rights in allied nations, the political dynamics that have complicated international responses to Turkey’s internal policies and what he believes the United States and its partners can do more effectively. He also shares his thoughts on how the governance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has affected democratic institutions and offers a direct message to Turkish leadership.
Over the past several years Turkey has been suffering from a deteriorating human rights record and an ailing economy. President Erdoğan is criticized for mishandling the economy, emptying the state’s coffers and establishing one-
The Turkish government launched a widespread crackdown on non-
You’ve made significant efforts to support human rights globally, including in Turkey. What makes Turkey unique in that regard and why has it been so difficult to see progress?
That’s a great question. Unfortunately, because Turkey is seen as an “ally” and a fellow NATO member, there are far too many people in Congress and in the European Union who look askance when it comes to human rights. They’ll say something, but there’s no linkage, no effort to really hold Erdoğan to account. And because of that, he gets away literally with murder.
I think it’s time, really time, that we all double down on the facts, and the facts on the ground are horrific. The use of jailing and incarceration as a means of political control, the pervasive use of torture, which he is known for, the persecution of religious believers of various kinds, it’s all about perpetuating his stay in power. And he has used every brutality method known to man to do it. We need to call it out.
The people deserve far better in Turkey than they have now. They deserve a democracy that’s robust, with checks and balances, with a judiciary, the executive branch and a congress. I was in the parliament building for an OSCE parliamentary assembly. It can all happen if there is the political will to do it.
I would remind Erdoğan himself, history is littered with dictators who have done horrific things to their people. Once they’re out of power, or if they’ve passed away, whatever the case may be, like Ceaușescu in Romania, all of a sudden the people say, “He was not good, he did terrible things.” That’s what the remembrance will be.
He ought to change. Reform. Open up. Let people have their freedom and respect democracy.
If you had the chance to meet President Erdoğan today, what would you say to him directly?
If I met him today, I would say: Stop it. You may have the power now, but you’re abusing it so horribly against innocent people. Charging large numbers of people with terrorism and all these other false charges brings dishonor on this president. I think we need to call that out, and I would say it to his face.
I’ve said it to other dictators’ faces when I had the opportunity, including [President Omar] al-
As I mentioned during the hearing, when Erdoğan was asked to effectuate an arrest and send him [al-
I met people in Darfur. I went to two major camps in Darfur. Now it’s all back in Sudan, and there’s a lot of bloodletting. It was a genocide. How could you laugh at a genocide?
Maybe when we all recognize the Armenian genocide, that’s one insight. You know, the people deserve better.
Many countries have poor human rights records. What makes the situation in Turkey particularly troubling?
Turkey could be a robust democracy. The people deserve it. Unfortunately, Erdoğan has seized the reins of power, and he made sure that his opponents can’t gain traction.
But again, when you use the police and a lack of rule of law to crush people, yeah, you have power, but what good is it? Really, what good is it? You say that to all the dictators of the world, current and past: What good was it?
Why does he behave like he does? Only a psychiatrist could tell us that. But the consequences for the people are outrageous.
As a Republican member of Congress, what would your message be to President Trump and the current administration regarding Turkey’s human rights violations?
I would say: Call it out. Call it out honestly. Link it to policy, including imposition of the Global Magnitsky Sanctions.
I was the author of that here in the House, and it became an amendment. It’s a very, very good tool of individually sanctioning people right to the very top for egregious behavior.
So, speak truth to power. Back off.