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This is a particularly bad sign, and one that seems to support the worst fears about the future of Turkey. Ousting judges and other powerful figures in the gove

This is a particularly bad sign, and one that seems to support the worst fears about the future of Turkey. Ousting judges and other powerful figures in the government and military makes a certain ruthless sense, but intellectual purges seem to always be the ultimate canary in the social coalmine.

Freak_NL 10y ago
Working on reintroducing the death penalty is another. Its saddening to see how the large secular part of the population that has no desire to live in an Islamic state has little recourse but to keep quiet and hope nobody points a finger in their direction.
- api 10y ago
  ... or leave. The USA and Europe should welcome them. The American Century was in many ways built on brain drain from totalitarian regimes. When Germany went insane we got quite a bit of the cream of the crop of German intellectuals including many of history's greatest physicists, the Bauhaus School of design, etc.
  - JoshTriplett 10y ago
    > ... or leave. You're assuming a country that broken won't also prevent emigration, and that everyone who wants to leave has the means to leave.
    - madelinecameron 10y ago
      True, Operation Paperclip wasn't exactly the, uh, most optional thing from what I understand.
    - egeozcan 10y ago
      The situation is bad, yes, but not war-zone-bad. Borders are open and non-political actors (well, most of them) get to keep their passports and freedom of mobility (obviously not all freedoms).
    - hx87 10y ago
      > won't also prevent emigration Preventing emigration is rare for non-Soviet-descended governments, even the most authoritarian ones. Most governments are pretty happy when dissidents leave. > has the means to leave Not everyone, but as the Syrian and Afghan refugees that were formerly pouring out of Turkey illustrate, if you are in decent health, have 2 feet and have a way of acquiring sustenance along your way, you don't need much means to leave. Most people are kept back by attachments to community and property, not a lack of means.
      - AnimalMuppet 10y ago
        > and have a way of acquiring sustenance along your way Aye, there's the rub...
  - egeozcan 10y ago
    I've been living in Germany for less than a quarter of my life but in the recent years I started feeling more German than Turkish and that is while my German is still far from perfect and having way less friends here than I do back in İstanbul (and yes, never switched my keyboard layout too). I'm actually thinking to apply for a citizenship - I think I may be eligible after 7 years here. My point is, yes, leaving is the right thing for most of the people who don't feel like they belong there. Also, I think that will also help Turkey too. A very large group of like-minded people will (I guess) live up to their choices and they become very successful and everyone is happy or it all crashes and burns, hopefully leading to a story about successful recovery like Germany.
  - dragonwriter 10y ago
    > The USA and Europe should welcome them. Maybe, but I'm not sure I see it likely with the current political mood that a wave of political refugees from an advancing Islamist movement in a country in that region will be welcomed with open arms in the USA. Just, you know, judging from recent history.
  - Aelinsaar 10y ago
    A day later, and those same academics are now barred from traveling out of Turkey. Thoughts?
jerf 10y ago
It's not the canary, it's the death-by-poison. By the time this happens, it's too late. The idea of the canary is that when it dies, you still have a bit of time to leave.
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  Good point, I did butcher that metaphor.

Freak_NL 10y ago

Working on reintroducing the death penalty is another. Its saddening to see how the large secular part of the population that has no desire to live in an Islamic state has little recourse but to keep quiet and hope nobody points a finger in their direction.

api 10y ago
... or leave. The USA and Europe should welcome them. The American Century was in many ways built on brain drain from totalitarian regimes. When Germany went insane we got quite a bit of the cream of the crop of German intellectuals including many of history's greatest physicists, the Bauhaus School of design, etc.
- JoshTriplett 10y ago
  > ... or leave. You're assuming a country that broken won't also prevent emigration, and that everyone who wants to leave has the means to leave.
  - madelinecameron 10y ago
    True, Operation Paperclip wasn't exactly the, uh, most optional thing from what I understand.
  - egeozcan 10y ago
    The situation is bad, yes, but not war-zone-bad. Borders are open and non-political actors (well, most of them) get to keep their passports and freedom of mobility (obviously not all freedoms).
  - hx87 10y ago
    > won't also prevent emigration Preventing emigration is rare for non-Soviet-descended governments, even the most authoritarian ones. Most governments are pretty happy when dissidents leave. > has the means to leave Not everyone, but as the Syrian and Afghan refugees that were formerly pouring out of Turkey illustrate, if you are in decent health, have 2 feet and have a way of acquiring sustenance along your way, you don't need much means to leave. Most people are kept back by attachments to community and property, not a lack of means.
    - AnimalMuppet 10y ago
      > and have a way of acquiring sustenance along your way Aye, there's the rub...
- egeozcan 10y ago
  I've been living in Germany for less than a quarter of my life but in the recent years I started feeling more German than Turkish and that is while my German is still far from perfect and having way less friends here than I do back in İstanbul (and yes, never switched my keyboard layout too). I'm actually thinking to apply for a citizenship - I think I may be eligible after 7 years here. My point is, yes, leaving is the right thing for most of the people who don't feel like they belong there. Also, I think that will also help Turkey too. A very large group of like-minded people will (I guess) live up to their choices and they become very successful and everyone is happy or it all crashes and burns, hopefully leading to a story about successful recovery like Germany.
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  > The USA and Europe should welcome them. Maybe, but I'm not sure I see it likely with the current political mood that a wave of political refugees from an advancing Islamist movement in a country in that region will be welcomed with open arms in the USA. Just, you know, judging from recent history.
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  A day later, and those same academics are now barred from traveling out of Turkey. Thoughts?

jerf 10y ago

It's not the canary, it's the death-by-poison. By the time this happens, it's too late. The idea of the canary is that when it dies, you still have a bit of time to leave.

Aelinsaar 10y ago
Good point, I did butcher that metaphor.