Cash prize in Erdogan 'Offensive Poetry Competition'
Matt ZuvelaApril 20, 2016
One thousand British pounds are on the line in a competition designed to personally insult Turkish President Erdogan. A German comedian is facing prosecution over a satirical TV spot that caused Erdogan to take offense.
Image: Reuters
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The British magazine "The Spectator" launched a contest on Monday that will reward the person who writes what it deems to be the best "filthy and insulting as possible" poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with 1,000 pounds (1,266 euros, $1,440).
The lewd example provided by the creator of the contest, Douglas Murray, is in limerick form. While the magazine says "almost everything insulting that is worth saying can usually be included within the five lines of that beautiful and delicate form," it says it will not exclude other forms of poetry.
German late-night television host Jan Böhmermann recited a poem on public television that called Erdogan a "pervert" and "zoophile" who has sex with goats, represses Kurds and watches child pornography.
Turkey responded by requesting that Böhmermann face criminal prosecution. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the poem was "deliberately offensive" and that she would allow Turkey's request for prosecution to continue. In Germany, it is against the law to insult a foreign head of state, although Merkel has admitted it is time for the law to be repealed. Böhmermann has since been put under police protection as the charges are examined.
Quadriga - Germany’s Satire Affair - Who Will Have the Last Laugh?
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"The fact such a trial could even be contemplated demonstrates that Germany is becoming little more than a satrapy of Erdogan's," Murray writes in "The Spectator."
He adds "I'm a free-born British man, and we don't live under the blasphemy laws of such despots" before announcing the poetry contest.
Initially, no prize was offered, but the online story was amended to announce that a reader "who shares The Spectator's belief in the freedom of speech" had offered the prize of 1,000 pounds. In outlining the selection criteria, Murray writes "limericks will be excluded from consideration from the top prize if they are (a) not obscene or (b) non-defamatory" and encourages sexual jabs such as those in Böhmermann's poem.
The magazine's website claims it is "the oldest continuously published magazine in the English language." Despite existing since 1828, the site reads, "The Spectator's taste for controversy remains undiminished."
Erdogan vs. Böhmermman: 10 world politicians targeted by satire
German satirist Jan Böhmermann has sparked debates on freedom of speech in Germany with his snide video on Turkish President Erdogan. Here are other politicians around the world who've inspired parody - including Merkel.
Image: ZDF Neo Magazin Royale
Angela Merkel
As bailouts for the Greek debt crisis were negotiated, Angela Merkel was often depicted in Greek magazines wearing Nazi symbols. This cover from the satirical magazine "Mystiki Ellada," from 2012, does not explicitly do so, but does portray the chancellor wearing a World War II army uniform and a vulture on her shoulder. The German government never considered any legal claims for such depictions.
Image: picture-alliance/Rolf Haid
Donald Trump
The controversial potential Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump is often the target of cartoons and satire. The real estate mogul is not exactly open to criticism. Last Sunday (10.04.2016), "The Boston Globe" published a parody front page showing the world under his presidency. Trump shot back calling the story "stupid" and "worthless."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/The Boston Globe
Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin likes to show off his muscles on holiday photos. After he let the world see a picture of himself riding a horse bare-chested, Putin's presidential torso was also emphasized in satirical representations - such as here, during a Carnival parade in Dusseldorf in 2015.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Weihrauch
Kim Jong-un
The communist ruler of North Korea really doesn't appreciate being at the center of a joke. Upon the planned release of the satirical movie "The Interview," depicting a fictional interview with the North Korean leader and CIA plans to assassinate him, hackers attacked Sony Pictures studios. The FBI determined that the North Korean government was behind the cyber attacks.
There's a long tradition of poking fun at top politicians: This British cartoon from 1915 portrays Winston Churchill, then Secretary of the Navy, as a decadent Achilles during the Trojan War. The drawing criticized the failures of his leadership during the Battle of Gallipoli in the Dardanelles.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
George W. Bush
The 43rd president of the United States was one of the most reliable suppliers of jokes for late-night comedians in the US. Cartoons often underlined his alleged lack of intelligence. Satirists recently jumped on the opportunity to ridicule him once again when he revealed he had turned to painting.
Image: Getty Images/M. Tama
Jaroslaw Kaczynski
A float at this year's Carnival parade in Dusseldorf sparked diplomatic tensions between Poland and Germany. It depicted Poland as a battered woman trampled by the boot of the leader of the right-wing Law and Justice Party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The Polish Foreign Minister said that it showed "contempt for the Polish people and Polish politicians."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
Benjamin Netanyahu
The Israeli prime minister with the unmistakable deep voice is regularly lampooned by the comedians of the TV show "Eretz Nehederet" ("A Wonderful Country"). The weekly satirical television show is one of the most popular in Israel. Netanyahu was never publically offended by the parodies. On the contrary, "Bibi," as he's nicknamed, was even a guest star of the show in 2013.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Guez
Ayatollah Khomeini
Just like Jan Böhmermann, the Dutch-born entertainer Rudi Carrell, who lived in Germany, created a diplomatic controversy in 1987 with a photo montage showing the leader of Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, being pelted with lingerie during a state visit. As a result, two German diplomats were expelled from Tehran.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Wagner
Erdogan and Böhmermann
It is still to be seen if Jan Böhmermann's provocative poem on Erdogan will lead to a similar diplomatic crisis as back in 1987 with Iran. One thing is for sure, it is not the first time that political satire has led to tensions between countries - and the ways of dealing with it are just as varied as the ruler's political style.
