THE Washington Post carried an article by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday in which the autocratic ruler vowed uncover the truth behind the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Mr Erdogan writes: “That, one year on, the international community still knows very little about what happened [to Mr Khashoggi] is a serious source of concern. Whether all aspects of the Saudi journalist’s death will ever come to light will determine what kind of world our children will live in.”

Since the Washington Post journalist was brutally hacked to death inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul a year ago tomorrow, Mr Erdogan claims his administration has “adopted a policy of transparency.”

The president also appears eager in the piece to make a distinction between Khashoggi’s executioners and Saudi Arabia’s autocratic monarchy.

“Turkey has always seen, and continues to see, the kingdom as its friend and ally. My administration, therefore, made a clear and unmistakable distinction between the thugs who murdered Khashoggi and King Salman and his loyal subjects.”

Unsurprisingly the piece in the corporate newspaper makes no mention of Mr Erdogan’s own brutal crackdown on journalists.

“It is surreal to hear Erdogan talk of ‘transparency’ when his regime has one of the worst ratings for press freedom in the world,” a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign told the Star.

“Turkey is the world’s biggest prison for journalists according to Reporters Without Borders and has shut down all critical news agencies as well as engaging in heavy censorship of social media.

“It is especially galling to see yet another Western media outlet — along with the New York Times and the Guardian — offer up op-ed space to the Turkish dictator under the guise of free speech and liberal values.”

“These values mean nothing to the Yazidis, Arabs and Kurds of northern Syria whose lives were destroyed by Turkish-backed jihadists including Isis, nor the thousands of journalists and political opponents — particularly Kurds in the HDP [Peoples’ Democratic Party] — in Turkey’s prisons or on trial.

“Why not give this column space to a Turkish journalist facing repression, instead of allowing Erdogan to cleanse his reputation?”

Hakki Boltan, a Kurdish Turkish writer and activist with the Free Journalists Initiative told the Star that Erdogan was a hypocrite and an enemy of journalism. 

“The Erdogan government should look at its own prisons. Now 142 journalists are in prison.

“It has closed all opposition TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and associations. Every journalist is scared and doesn’t want to write.

“Everyone is scared and does not express their opinions. His government created these fears.”