Reuters anti-Erdogan job advert stirs controversy

A job listing by news agency Reuters has drawn strong backlash from Türkiye for targeting the country and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Responding to the Reuters advert for a deputy bureau chief in Istanbul, Turkish English-language broadcaster TRT World published a listing of its own to employ a London-based correspondent, drawing attention to the political instability, economic problems and the fact that the UK is still ruled by the kingdom in the 21st century.

TRT World used similar -- yet more temperate -- wording in the advert, refraining from targeting a political leader.

"Failure of consecutive governments to respond to challenges like COVID-19, Brexit and global economic crises left Britain in political turmoil. Short lived governments put the UK's future in uncertainty, shifting it away from Europe," said the job description.

Pointing to the death of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year, it noted that this had "reignited" the debate about the future of the monarchy in the UK, questioned by many as a medieval form of rule that endured into the modern world.

Echoing the words of the advert by the British news agency, it said: "We are seeking an individual with strong writing and reporting skills with the ability to deliver deep-dive enterprise stories."

Prospective recruits would also need to "provide support to our high-performing team as they embark on the coverage of major issues such as the Scottish Government's pursuit of independence and the threat it poses to the unity of the U.K., runaway inflation and a battered pound combining to further endanger Britain’s unstable political situation," it added.

- Job advert or political 'manifesto?'

"We need someone with strong writing and reporting skills who can deliver deep-dive enterprise stories at the same time as supporting our high-performing team covering a critical juncture in Erdogan's rule – with runaway inflation and a battered lira combining to threaten his bid for re-election in the months ahead," said the Reuters advert, describing the position.

Some social media users have said it resembles less a call for job applications and more the election "manifesto" of a political party.