The mayor of Turkey’s capital has challenged a U.S. State Department spokesperson by referring to a pro-government media report that slammed her as “stupid blonde.”
“Come on blonde, answer now,” Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek said in a tweet early April 29. The tweet also included an image from the recent riots in Baltimore, as well as the photo of Marie Harf and a caption that reads: “Where are you stupid blonde, who accused Turkish police of using disproportionate force?”Gökçek was referring to a report on Ensonhaber.com, a staunchly pro-government online news website. “U.S. police displayed a harsh attitude against the activists in Baltimore. But U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf, who had been repeatedly criticizing Turkey during the Gezi incidents, is now silent,” it said.
Many national and international organizations had criticized Turkish police officers for using disproportionate force during the massive Gezi Park protests in 2013.
Gökçek, a veteran politician from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), also slammed CNN International and the Economist for the same reason in separate tweets.
As it generally happens, hundreds among his more than 2.5 million followers joined Gökçek’s online campaign which targeted Harf and the international media on April 29.
Gökçek has been a polarizing figure, most recently by being accused by Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç of corruption and stirring another debate by erecting a giant robot statue near Turkey’s new presidential palace in the capital city.