Journalist Association: Journalism Has Been Blacklisted

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Turkish Journalists Association (TGC) in its statement made for May 3 World Press Freedom Day has underlined that “the media outlets and their employees practicing objective journalism and keeping its distance with the government have been blacklisted by financial, legislative, and social pressure”.

TGC stating that the World Press Freedom Day in 2016 has coincided with a period in which very serious pressures are being experienced in terms of journalism and freedom of the press, emphasized that journalism in Turkey has become the most stressful job for being exposed to verbal and physical assaults by being pointed as target, falling out of work, being detained and facing the risk of arrest.

TGC reminding that journalists are constantly being tried on the basis of Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and Anti-Terror Law (TMK) on charges of “terror” and “espionage”, expressed that people’s right to information has been blocked by accreditation sanctions imposed on media outlets keeping their distance with the government, and the broadcast bans put into effect after each social incidents.

TGC highlighting that approximately 500-1,000 journalists fall out of work per year because of the media outlets forced to bankruptcy via appointing trustees, noted that the unemployment rate in media sector has reached triple of country average.

TGS stating similar pressures are being imposed on international press workers in its statement said, “This picture reveals that the media outlets and their employees practicing objective journalism and keeping its distance with the government have been blacklisted by financial, legislative, and social pressure”. (EA/TK)