OPINION: Dear Friedman, Thank You for Realizing Peace Journalism in Turkey

This week, an experienced talk show host and lawyer Michel Friedman interviewed Ravza Kavakci Kan, Vice-Chair of the AKP.

Friedman has been defined by Deutsche Welle as a "fearless and uncompromising interviewer" and his interview with Kavakçı included a range of sensitive issues from human rights to Turkey's operation in Afrin.

Friedman was in Turkey a couple of months ago to conduct interviews and in his quest Turkish authorities have confiscated the footage of his interview with the Turkish Minister for Youth and Sports Akif Çağatay Kılıç.

In his later statement Friedman said that "the minister had acted in an authoritarian way."

Friedman is carrying out peace journalism

This interview with Kavakçı excited many in Turkey, as there has been "hard questions" for the AKP and consequently Erdoğan.

This is something that the Turks are not accustomed to hear these days.

Also, the rationale of his questioning has been in accordance with the principals of peace journalism as he starts the interview by asking the quote from Erdoğan "what does Erdoğan's words if the terrorists in Afrin don't surrender, we will tear them down mean?"

Later on he underlines how easily people could be labeled as "terrorists" and asks Kavakçı whether asking for peace is a crime.

This is again a way of reporting that the Turks are not accustomed to or have been punished to do so.

While many in Turkey today turn off the television and watch instead Youtube channels to acquire information of the state of affairs, this interview portrayed a clear representation of how the government thinks and what legitimization strategies it tries to hold in response to international pressure.

The Kavakçı interview is a must watch to understand AKP's discourse and the Representation of the "New Turkey" under the AKP. Even though one might say that it is the "usual" reply, the reactions, the halts and the responses tell a lot.

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