Press freedom interpretation that will pass into history from Erdoğan: “Freedom ends where my boundary begins."
President Erdoğan, who gave an interview to Israeli television Channel 2 in Ankara, said, “Do journalists have unlimited freedom? Certainly, they have freedom till the boundary of my own freedom.”
cumhuriyet.com.trPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about the freedom of the press, said, “I ask to you all, do those people who are called as journalists, have unlimited freedom? don't they have a limit to their freedom? certainly, they have freedom till where my freedom limit is, they can not go further than that.”
“A journalist’s freedom ends where my limit begins!”
Erdoğan, who has responded to the question of the reporter about the press and media freedom in Turkey, said; “No one has arrested for doing journalism in this country. This country is a state of law. I ask to you all, do those people who are called as journalists, have unlimited freedom? Don’t they have a limit to their freedom?”
As an answer to the question of the reporter, “So, where is the limit Sir? Erdoğan said;
"The place where my boundary begins, journalists have freedom wherever my freedom limit is, they can only come up to it, they can not go further than that. Do you think as a journalist, you will insult the municipal politicians, the president, the prime minister, the ministers, the party and the families as you want and you will be uncomfortable when we file a lawsuit against you. Is there such a thing? Nowhere in the world the members of the media are irresponsible, they have an obligation to account, they will also give this account.”
In a reply to the reporter’s question “You have said 'Democracy is like a train, when there is a need, and when you know you have reached the stop you wanted to reach up, you have to get off, do you still think this is the case? Do you still defend your statement?” President Erdoğan said “You have probably misunderstood that translation. The fact of this statement is different. Democracy is like a train and in democracies when the time comes, you need to know to get off. For example, many leaders in the West do the same thing. What I mean by this? if they lose the selection. They leave.”