|
|
Post by Admin on Jan 3, 2018 17:23:46 GMT
Derek is this week's administrator.
Original posts by Thursday January 11th at 11:59pm
Peer reactions by the start of class on Monday, January 15th
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek on Jan 3, 2018 17:29:12 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Alex Aspinall on Jan 8, 2018 19:58:15 GMT
"I think, therefore I am dangerous." that is this issue summed up. I think that Kanter is compleatly innocent and the Turkish government is absolutely in the wrong, in no way is it fair to consider Kanter a dangerous man ( not concerning his game). Kanter wasn't even in his home country at the time he made the comments, so how can the Turkish government even conceive of punishing him in any way? are they suddenly an international judicial superpower? Does Turkey suddenly have the power to prosecute people in different continents for breaking Turkish law? Kanter should face no jail time for expressing his political views, and should continue playing in the U.S. on his green card. The U.S. shouldn't see anything hes done as a crime, as that would be unconstitutional, in fact I think Kanter should look into becoming a full citizen.
|
|
|
|
Post by $Derek$ on Jan 9, 2018 23:25:53 GMT
Turkey has now became a prison for journalists. Since their most recent president coming into power he has decreased the tolerance for expression for journalists. But not just only journalists. According to “TheGuardian.com” “over 4,400 public servants were sacked in an act branded by critics as a witchhunt targeting the political opposition.” There seems to be no freedom of speech currently in Turkey and to me that is not fair. It is also ridiculous that the president is trying to get Enes Kanter sent back over for doing what is legal in the United States. We have freedom of speech so for the Turkish president to think that he can have him delivered back to Turkey is absurd and unfair. As a president of a country why would you not want your citizens happy? I know some people might be thinking well look at the United States at the moment. Well compared to most countries our country is in a way better off state and sometimes things like this show us how good we have it.
Why does the Turkish president not let the citizens have a say in their own country?
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarah Shumaker on Jan 10, 2018 16:16:53 GMT
The extreme lengths at which Turkey is going to in order to try and put Kanter in jail is baffling. Freedom of speech is obviously not evident in Turkey as over 150 journalists have been jailed since last summer because of their opinions. Kanter is known as a dangerous man (despite never breaking any laws) to the people of Turkey, and because of this, his own father had to denounce him. His family is also facing the backlash when they go in public. However, Turkish government has since revoked Kanter's passport making it difficult for him to leave America now. Legally, there is nothing to be done and the US cannot deport Kanter as he has a legal green card that allows him to be here. The only way he could be deported is if his "crime" was both illegal in Turkey and the United States. Additionally, the actions were not committed in Turkey, so technically Turkey has no jurisdiction over him at this point because of the first amendment in the US.
Normally when traveling to another country and you commit a crime, you are subject to that countries discipline unless it is a capital offense. Why is Kanters situation different?
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2018 19:02:38 GMT
Please make sure you are directly referencing the articles when making your posts.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Williams on Jan 11, 2018 23:54:39 GMT
According to The Washington Post Enes kanter said “You guys need to know what is going on in Turkey right now” meaning he doesn’t say what he says as a joke he is just trying to inform his people on what’s going on in the real world. He’s just trying to get people to understand that our world is not perfect and that there is human abuse and things like that still happening today. Now turkey’s government wants Kanter to go back so they can charge him for all the things he is saying about them. For example he says that people there get raped, tortured, and worse but he is only stating the true so if the turkey government doesn’t like it then they shouldn’t allow it to happen. But to be honest the punishment doesn’t really seem like it would bother Kanter just because of his reaction when turkey said they would sentence him for four years because according to The Washington Post Kanter said “Four years? That’s it?” meaning he thought it would have been way worse because of all the bad things he has said about them. But just from what Kanter said he is just stating facts so he shouldn’t be punished for telling the truth maybe if he was lying I could understand but why would someone lie over national TV. Also if Kanter is over on this side of the World why does it matter what he says as long as he is not trying to destroy them or something like he should have his freedom of speech on what he thinks people may need to know to change their thoughts on the world we live in today. Like according to Alo. Kanter said “he believes the Turkish government would kill him if he were imprisoned” he also says that if he wasn’t playing basketball here in America he would be very worried because all the things he knows they have done to other people. Most people don’t talk bad about their hometown or country so when he says bad things about them then there is a real reason why he is doing it.
Kanter is not really worried about being charged because he is in the US but should he be worried because they could possibly charge his dad with his punishments instead of him if he refuses to go?
Kanter is a NBA player meaning he is making some money do you think they could basically fine him for all the comments he said?
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Williams on Jan 11, 2018 23:57:02 GMT
@derek they probably don't allow citizens to have a say because it is basically like the US if they say anything no one really listens
|
|
|
|
Post by E.V.V.Y on Jan 12, 2018 3:37:07 GMT
Its hard not to snicker at the reasoning of why Turkey wants Kanter behind bars. The President ( A title that is hard to address this man as) Seems to have a complex inside of his head where he refuses to let any critics speak out against him or his actions. Citizens seem to be hunted down if they speak out against him, and Kanter is no exception . The president asking the United States to hand him over is heavily ironic , being that he was exercising free speech which is protected by the american people, on american soil. He should not have to face Turkey for his opinion if he does not wishes, and the United States should not hand him over, They have no responsibility or obligation to go against their own rights their own foundations and send someone back home to be prosecuted for something the American people hold dearly and wish to protect. Is it logical or nonsensical for a country to be able to convict someone of a crime done in another country because it is against the law in their own?
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolinski on Jan 12, 2018 4:08:17 GMT
What fascinates me the most about this situation not just with Kanter, but with the entire country of Turkey is their fierce loyalty to Erdogan. Supposedly these people are being oppressed yet they despise any bashing of their president. It's mind boggling what some simple "brainwashing" can do. Kanter is simply trying to speak out against the awful circumstances of Turkey and is being denied by those who need the most help. You know it's bad when someone who hasn't even been in the country for years realizes the true oppression at hand. One of the things I dug into with this whole debacle is Fethullah Gulen, who Kanter said he is a big fan of. Turkey has been wanting to get Gulen back since Erdogan labelled him a terrorist in 2016. They have halted extraditions of people (which are mainly terrorists) to the U.S. until they get Gulen. Their main reason is because Turkey has extradited 12 people to the U.S. in which they say the U.S. "made up excuses from thin air" to get them back. Now what doesn't make sense is how they are making absurd accusations against Kanter and Gulen to have them extradited from the U.S. The hypocrisy at hand is crazy and completely dumbfounds me. Now the New York Post article did say Kanter will most likely not be extradited "because the United States doesn’t extradite to Turkey unless the alleged infraction violates both US federal law and Turkish law." In this case, those in the U.S. are free to speak out against government officials not matter how high up. So, in reality, this whole situation is just a show of Turkey trying to prove itself to the world somehow. Link to the Deutsche-Welle article on Gulen: www.dw.com/en/turkey-to-halt-extraditions-to-us-until-it-gets-fethullah-gulen/a-42116304Is this whole thing just to stir up controversy and publicity in Turkey's favor? |
|
|
|
Post by Autumn Painter on Jan 12, 2018 4:14:00 GMT
I don’t think Kanter should have to face jail time because of his opinion, it is not like he is a terrorist threatening the government. He simply was trying to make people aware of the concerning conditions in Turkey. I don’t think he really did anything wrong, and by the way he speaks, he knows he didn’t do anything wrong. He says, “ Four years that’s it? For all the trash i’ve been talking?” In a way, Kanter is mocking the Turkish government. His statement shows how controlling and absurd the Turkish government is and I think that was his point; to make it aware how ridiculous and unstable the condition of Turkey has become. It is also interesting to see how completely different things can be from place to place and how fortunate we are. The article mentions how newspapers and media have been restricted and many people are imprisoned without any real charges. The article states, “ More than 73 reporters are behind bars.” This probably seems extreme to us considering how much freedom we have. The US also should not be held responsible for having to send Kanter back because of the extradition treaty; “between the two countries, someone can be extradited to Turkey only if the offense is punishable under both the federal laws of the United States and the laws of Turkey.” Therefore, since Kanter’s actions aren’t punishable in the US, they aren’t entitled to send him back to Turkey. When Kanter comments, “You can’t catch me. Don’t waste your breath. I will come on my own will anyway, to spit on your ugly, hateful faces.” Yes spitting in someone's face may be rude, but it is not an act of terrorism. People say things like that all the time when they are angry, it is not considered a real threat. Ultimately, I don’t think Kanter should have to be punished for sharing his opinion. Imagine how it would be if expressing your opinion was punishable in the US? ... Our own president would convicted!
The article mentions how if Kanter were to contact his family, they would probably be thrown in jail. He also states that they can’t even go out anymore because people literally spit in their faces. If you were in Kanters situation, how would you react to the unfair treatment to your family? Would you take action on the situation?
|
|
|
|
Post by nick newman on Jan 12, 2018 4:32:15 GMT
It is honestly sad that problems like this are still problems being that it is 2018. Governments should have so much more on their plate then to worry about what every and anybody have to say about them. Enes Kanter, a professional basketball player for the knicks, is being wronged in many ways. In this day in age, free speech to us Americans is something we take for granted. We cannot imagine a world without it because we have had it for almost all of America's existence. Enes Kanter is being punished for tweeting things that “defame and deride” the current government in Turkey. To put this into perspective, when US President Donald Trump was elected, the hashtag “NotMyPresident” was literally trending on twitter. According to USA today, almost one hundred thousand tweets went out with the hashtag “Not my president.” To the surprise of no American people, nothing was done about it, because freedom of speech is a assumed right that everyone should have. The Turkish government deserves no support here, for they are very questionable in nature. According to the New York Post, “15 of his personal bodyguards were indicted for attacking peaceful demonstrators outside the ambassador's office in Washington DC.” Erdogan, the Turkish President, called these charges “scandalous.” The fact that he is so opposed to anybody who does anything to try and hurt his credibility is a red flag for me. This sounds like something leaders would do hundreds of years ago, and it should have stayed there. Another thing the Turkish government did was treat Enes Kanter’s family unfair because of his actions. While talking to is brother, Kanter revealed that his family fears leaving the house because of what will happen to them. He said that his father went to the market and they literally spit in his face. This type of social injustice is outdated and just plain wrong.
Should something be done about this regime in Turkey? Would there even be a good replacement available?
|
|
|
|
Post by nick newman on Jan 12, 2018 4:36:28 GMT
@mr. Williams
i think the turkish government could fine Kanter, but they dont want to. They arrest anybody who talks bad about them, and they want Kanter as well
@autumn
If i were in Kanters shoes, it would be hard to say what i would do. I would not want to give myself in, because that would be basically certain death or a life in prison, but i would probably think about it for the sake of my family.
|
|
|
|
Post by Erin Reimers on Jan 12, 2018 4:47:10 GMT
The current issues that are revolving around Enes Kanter and the Turkish government show the true governmental corruption that goes on in Turkey in present day. The disparity between the Turkish government and governments of the first world, specifically the United States, emphasize the magnitude of the issues in Turkey. Free speech has always been a foundation of the United States constitution so it may be difficult for others to imagine being a part of a nation that polices speech in forceful ways. With the accusations being placed upon Enes Kanter by the Turkish government for defaming the president of Turkey on Twitter, it sheds light on the injustice currently polluting the nation. The Turkish government is calling for a four year imprisonment sentence for Kanter. The roadblock in this issue is that since Kanter currently resides in the United States he can only be summoned to Turkey if the law he violated is also in affect in the United States which it is not. There has been controversy surrounding whether or not he should have to fulfill his prison sentence. With all the human rights issues occuring in Turkey this is an event that will not negatively affect Kanter but instead shed light onto the oppressive regime of the Turkish president. Enes has even scoffed at the seemingly light punishment for his bold actions. Even with the threat of imprisoning his family, which has limited his contact with them, he still shows great defiance towards the tyrannical government. Enes Kanter should be able to fulfill his career as a successful basketball player in the United States and simultaneously critique his home government without actions being imposed on him. He shows an image of great character and strength and proves that oppressive governments are unstable and can fall apart with the slightest resistance, starting from the civilians.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eithan Beckwith on Jan 12, 2018 19:03:25 GMT
The Whole situation to me seems to not be an issue but it was promoted when the National Basketball Association basketball player then antagonized the situation when he comments on the 4 year jail sentence the Turkish President threatens him with. I think there is a problem that may arise because america is letting him do him because he is not breaking any laws but was only slandering his homeland government which is protected by the us as well as the Turkish rights.But I believe there should not be a punishment to be given to the NBA player because first his "democracy" form of government is corrupted and there is no explanation on the punishment because it is no crime to slander your company because as i said before it is protected right.But the us should have no choice but to give him back because he is wanted in his home country and if not then it is going to seem that we just harbor wanted criminals from other countries which is not the case and we should let the case between him and his country play out because we have no right to keep the man if his government is requesting him to expedited back because the only reason he is here is for work.
Do you think that something as small as this is considered treason?
Would you give them man back if you were the United States President? if so why or why not ?
|
|
