Obama spoke behind my back on press freedom, says Erdogan

ISTANBUL // Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Barack Obama of going behind his back for criticising Turkey’s press freedom record and linked it to efforts to divide his country.

The US president said on Friday after meeting Mr Erdogan at a nuclear summit in Washington that he was troubled by curbs on media in Turkey. He had urged Mr Erdogan not to repress democratic debate in his country.

Turkey has drawn international condemnation for charging two journalists with treason for publishing footage allegedly showing the intelligence agency shipping lorry loads of weapons to opposition fighters in Syria in 2014. Can Dundar and Erdem Gul of Cumhuriyet face life in prison.

“I was saddened to hear that statement made behind my back. During my talk with Oba- ma, those issues did not come up,” Mr Erdogan said.

He returned to Turkey yesterday after a five-day trip to Washington.

“You cannot consider insults and threats press freedom or criticism,” he said.

Turkey has seized control of opposition newspapers and TV channels and cut the satellite feed of a pro-Kurdish channel, accusing them of terrorism-related activities. Mr Erdogan has brought more than 1,800 criminal suits against individuals, including journalists and children, for insulting him since becoming president in 2014.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 13 journalists were in jail for their coverage and described a “massive crackdown” that included self-censorship and harassment of media-business owners.

Separately, Mr Erdogan said the US and Turkey had edged closer in their stances on Syrian Kurds, close US allies in the fight against ISIL.

Turkey sees the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its political arm, the PYD, as part of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against Turkey.

US officials have said they distinguish between the groups.

Vice president Joe Biden and secretary of state John Kerry promised Mr Erdogan during meetings that they would not allow the formation of a PYD-run state in Syria, the Turkish leader said.

Turkey is putting forward the names of 2,400 trained Arab and Turkmen fighters to battle ISIL,Mr Erdogan said, describing them as part of the moderate opposition.

This was “so the US no longer has an excuse” for cooperating with the YPG and PYD.