Shooting Ban on Journalist Hacaloğlu in Kilis

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Journalist Hilmi Hacaloğlu has been prevented from shooting by police in Kilis. He has been told that he cannot shoot without Yellow Press Card or Governorship permission.

In order to be able to shoot in the city, he first talked to Security supervisor, then Security Bureau police officers, and finally Kilis Governorship Information General Directorate. Subsequently he managed to obtain a permission of shooting for one day.

“Spy” worry in Kilis

Hacaloğlu from 32. Gün and Voice of America in his statement to bianet conveyed that the people he talks with constantly mention “espionage”, and the police asking for ID tell him “How shall we know you are not a spy, put your card on your neck”.

“Almost everyone regards people coming from out of the city as ‘spy’. The people we speak with say ‘There are ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and US spies’. Such mood is widespread in the city”.

Every official called the other

Hacıoğlu explained the incidents as follows:

“We came to Kilis from Antep this morning. We were shooting at Kuyumcular Çarşısı (Jewelry Bazaar) and talking to the citizens. President of the association of the artisans went near my cameraperson fellow, Volkan. ‘Do you have warrant to shoot?’ he asked and said ‘turn off the camera’. He turned off the camera to avert any tension. We sat to drink coffee, and at that time the person telling us to turn off the camera was speaking on the phone in front of us.

“Then we stood up. After we went 20 meters down the Governorship, Security Directorate supervisor called out to us from behind. He asked for ID, we showed it. He asked for Yellow Press Card. When we said we didn’t have it, ‘You cannot shoot’ he said. Then another two police officers on motorcycle came. They also checked our IDs. The security supervisor told them to ‘do whatever is necessary’.

“This time, they called Security Branch Directorate. Two police came from there 15 minutes later. Meanwhile, we tried to explain them that we were journalists by showing our card. Nevertheless, they told us that any card other than Yellow Press Card is invalid. They said ‘you cannot shoot here’. We told them that we interviewed Kilis Mayor and people and passed ID check by police earlier. We told them that we were journalists over and over. Upon that, a police from Security Branch called Kilis Governorship Press Publishing Information General Directorate. They directed us to Sinan Kürün, one of the authorities. Kürün came to where we were stopped 15 minutes later.

“Sinan Kürün first said that we cannot shoot unless we have a Yellow Press Card or obtain permission from the Press Information. ‘You will be stopped constantly, so get a permission’, he said. When we told him that we would leave the city tonight and asked for a permission for one day, he replied ‘I already know you’ and told the police that he will stand surety for us, used personal initiative. That is how we obtained permission for one day. We are allowed to work till tonight”.

It is prohibited to shoot without permission on “border”

“Kürün told us that we cannot shoot in regional and border cities such as Kilis, Antep, Batman without permission of the Governorship”, explained Hilmi Hacaloğlu.

“He told us that the foreign press comes to town and they initiated such a practice to put things in order, and that the journalists need to obtain permission”.

What do people in Kilis say?

We asked Hacıoğlu of general situation and people’s reaction in Kilis on where rockets are being launched almost every day.

Hacıoğlu explained the followings:

“Most of those speaking to the journalists say ‘We are afraid, children are worried, we think bomb explodes even a door slams. There is a widespread fear in the city, especially in the children. Most of the people whom we talked to said ‘We voted for the AKP (Justice and Development Party) but they’ve left us alone’. We are telling the press but they don’t publish it, they say. Minority of the ones we talked to say ‘May god protect our state, ISIS is enemy, and enemy attacks’”. (AS/TK)

According to the report of Hatay Comitia Curiata, 11 attacks were launched on Kilis from the areas in controlled by Al Qaeda, ISIS and their allies in Syria. 17 people lost their lives, 62 wounded. Six of those killed were citizens of Syria whereas the 11 were citizens of Turkey.