Dick Cheney’s Torture Logic is ‘Deeply Offensive’: Hurriyet, Turkey

Dick Cheney’s defense of what many call torture has Turkish journalists shocked. This editorial from Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper says in part:

“The reason U.S. policy is so important to us, in particular this new policy, is that our own struggle to rein in such heinous practices in Turkey is directly related to the standards set in Washington. Like most newsrooms in Turkey, ours is intimately familiar with the topic. In the past, torture as an instrument of state power was common in this country. … Of course, valuable information results from torture – and nonsense and fabrications, too. Cheney’s logic is that of the Spanish Inquisition. It is deeply offensive.”

EDITORIAL

April 23, 2009

Turkey – Hurriyet – Original Article (English)

In this space we are reluctant to issue comments on American policy – outside of occasions like a U.S. presidential visit or other dramatic event. There is plenty in Turkey to demand our attention and no shortage of international pundits to opine on the actions of the U.S. Congress or White House officials.

But yesterday, during our daily news meeting in which we discuss the subject of the day’s “Straight” section, our unanimous attention was captured by a story that appeared on Wednesday: “Obama Defends Memo Release During CIA Visit.” The topic of discussion, of course, was the ban by President Obama and his new CIA chief Leon Panetta on the use of techniques widely regarded as torture.

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