TURKEY

Below is the text of a letter published in the Daily Mail:

People in Turkey are fed up with Prime Minister Erdogan's authoritarian policies. The issues run far deeper than protests against demolishing a park. The past ten years have been a nightmare; one can feel increasing despotism in all aspects of daily life.

The Turkish media is under incredible censorship. The TV channel owners are big conglomerates with various business interests. To preserve their good relations with the government they're keeping a low profile.

Under pressure from the government, many TV presenters, producers and journalists have lost their jobs. Ordinary people are finding it difficult to get any news reports they can trust.

There are record numbers of journalists in prison. For five years, high numbers of intellectuals, doctors, scientists, authors and generals – even elected members of parliament – are being kept in jail for long periods, awaiting trial.

Last year, 85 state schools in Istanbul were converted into religious schools without the parents being given advanced notice. This came as a shock to us, but few newspapers or TV stations covered the story.

Some people say all state middle and high schools will become religious schools in the near future.

The arts are in a very dark place. Erdogan wants to abolish all state or municipally funded theatres. His party dislikes statues and is collecting them on various excuses and placing them in warehouses instead of displaying them in public squares.

His policies impact on all aspects of life, including fashion. He even wanted to decide how Turkish Airlines' hostesses should dress.

Many believe he and his followers don't want women in the business environment. He used to say Turkish women should have three children and has recently updated this to five – leaving no career path for women.

He and his party don't want our nation to celebrate our national public days, such as Republic Day (October 29 in Turkey), commemorating the roots of the secular Republic's foundation. Erdogan and President Gul (his lifelong friend) always find excuses not to participate.

Taksim Square represents the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. They want to ruin Taksim Square, which means, symbolically, to ruin the roots of our Republic.

Erdogan even wants to dictate what we can drink. Municipalities won't renew restaurants' alcohol licences.

He and his party are acting alone in trying to bring in a new constitution. 'Two drunken people established the Republic's constitution,' he says.

You can imagine what people in Turkey think about someone talking about our Republic's founding fathers in that way.

Erdogann and his party are putting everything in Turkey into a religious orbit – and the use of force by the police is too excessive.