Lady In Red

One of the scenes that has come to symbolise the popular protests in Turkey's Taksim Square - is this photograph  of a young woman - Ceyda Sungur - being violently attacked with pepper spray when she posed no threat or risk to anyone.

Ceyda was protesting peacefully with some of her colleagues - academics one and all - and she was not throwing rocks at anyone - as the picture demonstrates for all to see.

Now there are rogue police officers all over the world - for example, an officer from the Met Police was exposed for his violent attack upon a member of the public - following a student demonstration in London.  

But that's the point, at least the police officer - Simon Harwood - was exposed by the press and media for his out of control attack on Ian Tomlinson - and was held to account for his cowardly  behaviour. 

Yet in Turkey the press and media have largely ignored the incident and the scale of the protests in Taksim Square - preferring instead to cosy up to the Turkish Prime Minister - Recep Erdogan - and his increasingly intolerant government.

Clearly these dreadful scenes do Turkey no favours especially as a country which would like to join the European Union (EU) - because that means signing up to certain standards of behaviour. 

I think it would be a good thing for Turkey to join the EU - but for that to happen surely the press and media have to abandon their fawning attitude - and be seen to stand up, on occasion, to their own government. 

And I imagine it would help if the Turkish Prime Minister could find it within himself to stand up for his own citizens - by condemning a completely unprovoked and violent attack on a young woman.

After all that's what democracy, press freedom and basic human rights are all about.