Once a beacon of democracy and human rights in the Middle East, Turkey is now considered by many scholars as a textbook example of authoritarian populism and associated human rights violations. Turkey jails more journalists than any other country, with dozens of journalists in jail for crimes related to their jobs, and reportedly more than 150 media outlets have been shut down. Reports indicate that after the July 2016 coup attempt, approximately 500,000 people were  investigated because of alleged links with a terrorist organization considered responsible for the attempted coup and nearly 100,000 were arrested. Tens of thousands of civil servants have been dismissed from their jobs by government decree, including teachers, police and military officers, doctors, and scholars. A current Turkish LLM student will discuss the impacts of these investigations and prosecutions on the legal system, politics and society in Turkey, and consider what enabled the philosophy of “desperate times call for desperate measures” to take root in Turkey today.

Please join us Wednesday, May 1 for this brown bag discussion. Light snacks will be served to complement your lunch.