A French journalist and Turkish immigrant have filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office over threats from supporters of Turkey’s government, reports The Times.
Claire Koch said she is being accused of “betraying” Turkey in response to her book, in which she describes in detail her integration into French society.
The journalist, who works for the state-run France Télévision, said her story of French citizenship and lifestyle, as well as her desire to distance herself from her Turkish roots, was met with insults and threats, particularly on social media, where some users even went so far as to portray the woman as a member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. “By insisting that I am a Kurdish terrorist, those crazy extreme nationalists stabbed me in the back,” Koch said. “This situation is terrible because it has no end.”
Her lawyer, William Goldnadel, said the threats are cause for concern, given attempts to determine the journalist’s whereabouts.
Claire has been supported by French politicians, including Senator Valérie Boyer. “It is unbearable that she is being persecuted for loving France too much,” Boyer said. “How long will these threats continue?”
Erdogan’s supporters are accused in recent years of pursuing critics of Turkey and its government in Europe.
Deutsche Welle had reported that more than 20 German citizens of Turkish origin who criticise Turkey’s government received threats in the first three months of 2021.
