It is clear that Erdoğan does not know what “witch hunt” means or what historical incidents the metaphor refers to. The Urban Dictionary defines a “witch hunt” as “a search, chase or pursuit for one or more ‘witches'.” However, the theme of a “witch hunt” has a much broader and more negative connotation. The reasons behind the witch hunt frenzy in the 16th and 17th centuries are debatable. But what is for sure is that the witch hunt in Europe resulted in thousands of innocent people -- especially women -- being tortured to force a confession of their alliance with the devil and sorcery, which unfortunately resulted in some of the most brutal deaths of history, like being burnt alive at the stake. That's why the 17th century historical witch hunt trials have attracted the attention of many scholarly works as well as renowned films and fiction writers. What is mentioned and highlighted in many of these research and popular culture references is the lack of verifiable proof to support accusations of witchcraft. This theme, for instance, was central to Arthur Miller's argument in his play “The Crucible.”
Miller was one of the first authors who used contemporary popular culture forms to express concern about the problems that had been caused throughout history when judges presiding over “witch trials” failed to require proof before finding someone guilty of a crime. It is also important to note that Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible” during the Cold War era. In a 1996 New Yorker article titled “Why I wrote The Crucible,” Miller recalled the source of his creation while watching the filming of the new movie of "The Crucible." When he wrote the play, Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) were prosecuting alleged communists from the State Department to Hollywood; the Red Scare was becoming the dominant fixation of the American psyche. Miller did not know how to deal with the enormities of the situation in a play. "The Crucible" was an act of desperation; Miller was fearful of being identified as a covert communist if he were to protest too strongly. He could not find a point of moral reference in contemporary society. Miller found his subject while reading Charles W. Upham's 1867 two-volume study of the 1692 Salem witch trials. Douglas Lavanture, in an article titled “Fear as Governance: Arthur Miller's The Crucible as Contemporary Reflection” recalls the political atmosphere at the time when Miller's play was written.
McCarthy's rule with an iron fist
“When Arthur Miller finished 'The Crucible' in 1952, the United States was embroiled in the post-World War II Red Scare, bolstered and spearheaded by the fiery Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy began to rule America's conscious with an iron fist, weeding out accused communists with his extensive use of the House Un-American Activities Committee, originally established in 1938 to condemn Nazi sympathizers in World War II. McCarthy's primary tactic of control was fear -- fear fed by the dangerous power of unfounded accusations, secret evidence and testimony, and unfair trial practices.” Today, McCarthyism is remembered as the use and abuse of state power and the creation of a climate of fear in order to control and repress the activities of the “other.” J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the FBI at the time, is remembered for exploiting fears of communism to enhance his bureaucratic power. Today, Erdoğan is treating his own people atrociously by applying the same tactics and mentioning “witch hunts” to his opponents to demonize the Hizmet movement. Erdoğan's efforts to expand the government's power to demonize and root out his opponents have already crossed acceptable lines. It is obvious that Erdoğan tends to choose his advisers from those who do not hesitate to kick his own people in front of cameras rather than those who are more knowledgeable and have a more academic background.
*Aydoğan Vatandaş is an investigative journalist based in New York.
Read original article at Today's Zaman: Erdogan's ‘witch hunt' and abuse of state power
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