Failed coup not licence for further repression

Viewpoint: Los Angeles Times (excerpted) The failure of a military coup in Turkey, a NATO member and a key U.S. ally, was a welcome victory for democracy in a region with too little of it. But as he exults in the defeat of the plotters, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to be using the rebellion as a pretext for suppressing dissent and purging the bureaucracy of his political opponents. That is a dangerous course.

It’s understandable that Erdogan would arrest participants in Friday’s uprising by a group of military officers that claimed to be rescuing the country from Erdogan’s oppression. But the dragnet has swept up a ridiculously large number of people in Turkey’s employ. The government has detained thousands of military officers and has suspended 3,000 members of the judiciary and 9,000 officials in the Interior Ministry.

The U.S. criticized the coup attempt as it was unfolding, with Obama calling on all parties to “support the democratically elected government of Turkey.” Nevertheless, the U.S. long has expressed concerns about a drift toward authoritarianism in Turkey. In its most recent report on human rights in that country, the State Department cited interference with freedom of the news media — including the arrests of 30 journalists, at least some of whom worked at publications critical of Erdogan — and an “overly broad application of antiterror laws,” resulting in “politically motivated investigations and court verdicts.”

The failed coup must not become a licence for further repression. On Monday, Kerry pointedly reminded Turkey that the treaty that created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization commits member states to respect “principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.” Federica Mogherini, the head of foreign affairs for the European Union, which Turkey aspires to join, stressed “the importance of the rule of law prevailing” in that country.

The U.S. and its allies depend on Turkey, and not only as a member of the NATO alliance. The U.S. air force has used the airbase at Incirlik to launch airstrikes against Islamic State. But Turkey also benefits from its association with Europe and the United States. That relationship will become more strained if Erdogan undermines the democracy he claims to represent.