Censorship of anti-government sentiments is growing worldwide.
For years, Americans have been accustomed to “man on the street” or “candid camera”-type interviews where a humorist asks random citizens about their opinions.
In Turkey, such shows are secretly monitored by government police. Citizens who express negative opinions about government are arrested afterward.
One Turk expressed the opinion that government officials are all vampires. He was arrested afterward.
“Turkish authorities regularly prosecute and harass citizens for any perceived criticism of [President] Erdogan. In 2018, a prominent Turkish singer, Zuhal Olcay, was sentenced to ten months in prison for rewriting the lyrics of a hit song during a concert” in a way that mocked Erdogan.
“Şenol Buran, the head cook at the Cumhuriyet office cafeteria, was arrested two years earlier for saying of Erdogan, “I would not serve that man a cup of tea.””
