Incident Information
Date of incident: January 8, 2023
Location of incident: Turkey
Identifying information of perpetrator: Ümit Özdağ, Chairman of Zafer Party
Source: https://twitter.com/umitozdag/status/1612085785636868096
Hate Speech Analysis
Transcription of hate speech statement: "Zekeriya FETÖ[1] scoundrel, Turcophobic murderer. We know who you / FETÖ scoundrel spies are working for. You are a member of the last Crusader army. Former partner of AKP Party, soldier murderer, you shamelessly slander as in Ergenekon indictments. Drown in the blood of the officers you martyred."
Target group(s) of hate speech: Zekeriya Öz and members of the Gülen (Hizmet) Movement
Justification of hate speech: Ümit Özdağ and his party, the Zafer Party, hold a strong political stance against the Gülen movement and its members
Analysis of the hate speech statement: The statement uses highly pejorative and dehumanizing language to attack Zekeriya Öz, calling him a "FETO scoundrel" and "Turcophobic murderer" and implying that he is a member of a "last Crusader army" and a "soldier murderer". This type of language implies that Zekeriya Öz and the members of the Gülen movement are not legitimate, and portrays the movement as a criminal and violent organization. It also implies that Zekeriya Öz is responsible for the deaths of officers, which is not true. This can contribute to further stigmatization and marginalization of Zekeriya Öz and people perceived to be members of the Gülen movement, and can also fuel discrimination and violence against them. Additionally, the statement also implies that Zekeriya Öz is a "FETÖ scoundrel spy" and a "Former partner of AKP Party" and "shamelessly slander as in Ergenekon indictments". This can be considered as defamatory and can damage the reputation of Zekeriya Öz.
Contextual information: The statement was made in response to a tweet that has not been verified as true. There is no evidence that Zekeriya Öz made the statement that Ümit Özdağ is responding to.
Impact of the statement: It can contribute to further stigmatization, marginalization, and defamation of Zekeriya Öz as well as members of Gülen movement, and can also fuel discrimination and violence against them.
Conclusion
The statement made by Ümit Özdağ, Chairman of Zafer Party, can be considered as hate speech as it is demonizing, dehumanizing, defamatory and stigmatizing towards Zekeriya Öz and implies that he is a member of a criminal and violent organization, responsible for the deaths of officers, which is not true. The statement also implies that Zekeriya Öz is a "FETÖ scoundrel spy" and a "Former partner of AKP Party" and "shamelessly slander as in Ergenekon indictments" which is also not true. This can contribute to further stigmatization, marginalization, and defamation of Zekeriya Öz, and can also fuel discrimination and violence against him. Additionally, the statement is made in response to a tweet that has not been verified as true.
[1] FETÖ is a derogatory term that the Turkish government coined to refer to the faith-based Gülen movement, which it deems a terrorist group responsible for a failed military coup in July 2016. Its US-based leader, Fethullah Gülen, denies any involvement in the putsch. The European Union and the United States have refused to adopt Turkey’s views on the group.