Another Lesson to the Media from Chief of General Staff

General İlker Başbuğ, Chief of the General Staff, lectured the media on news about terrorism in his speech at the "Global Terrorism and International Cooperation Symposium".

Başbuğ said that the media is also a tool for struggles such as abolishing inequality in the military and in economy. He indicated, "Nowadays, we have got a global understanding of security. Of course we respect the freedom of news. Nevertheless, news and comments can also be harmful to society".

"Let's think about the news, are they beneficial or harmful?"

Başbuğ pointed out that the sensitivity of the public and the increasing media governance have reached a strategic dimension. He asked his audience to consider whether the news given is beneficial or harmful to society.

"The context, length and number of repeats of the news is crucial"

Başbuğ stated that the media reached a state where it may accept terrorism. He continued:

"Showing footage of terror on international TV channels can in fact be accounted for spreading propaganda of terror actions in the media. The context, the length and the number of repeats of the news is very important. News must be based on facts. Let us please not stretch a two-minute incident to a 15-minute news item. This serves the purpose of the terror organizations".

Threat of imprisonment for a few lines of news

While Başbuğ regards these "standards" as appropriate for the media, several journalists are on trial facing severe prison sentences.

Milliyet newspaper journalist Namık Durukan faces imprisonment of up to 7.5 years by reason of his news item entitled "We won't put down our weapons even in case of a general amnesty". Durukan had quoted a few sentences from Duran Kalkan, executive of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and referred to Fırat News Agency (ANF) as his source.

Radikal newspaper responsible director Hasan Çakkalkurt and journalist Rıfat Başaran stand trial because of an interview with Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) MP Emine Ayna from Mardin in the pre-dominantly Kurdish region of south-eastern Turkey.

Both journalists will be prosecuted in April under article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Act (TMY). They stand accused for "spreading propaganda of the PKK organization" in their interview entitled "Ayna: Our base tells us to go to the mountains".

47 people, among them 22 journalists, tried under TMY in 2009

According to the 2009 Media Monitoring Report published by the Independent Communication Network (BİA) Media Monitoring Desk (English version available soon), a total of 47 people, 22 of them journalists, were tried last year under charges of "spreading propaganda for a terror organization", "revealing or publishing the identity of public officials on duty for the struggle against terrorism or revealing these people as targets". (EÖ/VK)