turkey press freedom

The head of Axel Springer quoted a sexually crude term to describe the Turkish president from a poem by comedian Jan Boehmermann.

A Secret Service agent at an event for the Turkish president told a Turkish security guard to "calm down" and "act like an adult."

"We have become a society of anger, paranoia [and] intimidation. And artists, writers, academics -- people who have been trying to build bridges so as to promote coexistence and peace -- know that they have lost big time."

They want European leaders to step in as Turkey pushes for an EU bid.