Mr. Erdogan has carried out a purge of Turkish society, punishing his perceived enemies.  He has closed 189 media outlets and jailed some 319 journalists.  Turkey is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the Reporters without Borders 2019 index of press freedom.  All told, 96,885 people have been arrested, 6,021 academics have been dismissed from their posts, and 4,463 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed in the purge.

Source: Washington Post Editorial Board (May 13, 2019). Reprinted in California Courier in article, “Erdogan’s Expanding Dictatorship is Steering Turkey Towards a Dead End,” May 23, 2019.