Turkey’s COVID-19 strategy: “the West is jealous of us”

Populist nationalist attacks on health and human rights have been increasing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These attacks may be used to divert attention from the government’s inability to control the virus, to deflect blame, or even to consolidate power. Authoritarian governments have increased the rhetoric of nationalism, created bogus enemies and alternative narratives, increased the authority of security forces, and banned democratic demonstrations. In this article, we discuss how the Turkish government has hidden the truth about the extent of the disease, spent considerable effort on polishing its own image, promoted the notion of Western jealousy, and fabricated a host of scapegoats to blame for its own failure to protect its people from the ravages of this crippling epidemic.