Renowned linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky called Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a “murderer” in an interview with Al Jazeera, which will be aired tonight.
Responding to the interviewers quote by Erdoğan, “You are on the side of the Turkish government, or you are on the side of the terrorists,” Chomsky said, “He [Erdoğan] is undoubtedly carrying out vicious, repressive actions attacking the Kurdish population. You can call it what you like.”
When asked what he would call it Chomsky responded, ““I’d call it [him] a murderer. A deeply authoritarian regime.”
The war of words between Erdoğan and academics, primarily Chomsky, began following a declaration by over 1000 academics entitled, ” ” was released criticising the Turkish state for the curfews, deliberate massacre and deportation in the Kurdish regions of Turkey (North Kurdistan).
Erdoğan attacked the signatories calling them “so-called intellectuals” and members of the “fifth column” supporting terrorism.