The latest signs of the coming catastrophe

Finally, the crackdown on the Gülen movement has been extended to the Gülenist media, and 16 people, including two editors-in-chief (of daily Zaman and Samanyolu TV), were detained on Dec. 14. The timing was also very symbolic since it was the anniversary of the Dec. 17-25 corruption probes against the government last year. The government insists that it is a judicial affair which is nothing to do with political revenge, but it does not sound convincing. In fact, pro-government media could not hide the link and reminded everyone of the "Dec. 17-25 coup and treason" as they call it, along with the trial news in a decidedly revengeful tone.

The government portrayed the corruption allegations as "a coup attempt against the government by the Gülen movement" last year. Again, a year-and-a-half ago, it was the Gezi demonstrations (May and June 2013) which was defined as a coup attempt against the government and was crushed brutally by the police. As an unhappy coincidence, on Dec. 16 last week, 35 football fans went on trial accused of "attempting to stage a coup" by helping Gezi protesters. The political suppression of critics of the government is not a new thing in Turkey, especially after the government took hold of total "state power," following the 2011 general elections, yet it has intensified every single day since then. Moreover, now "a totalitarian ideology" has started to be shaped that those who are against the government are "the enemies of the nation." In this view, Turkey under Erdogan's rule is challenging "the global unjust order under the leadership of the West" and therefore is the target of all "dark forces." Those who are critical of the New Turkey and its "historical mission" are pawns of internal and external enemies.

Unfortunately,...