Women to Erdoğan: Apologize to Amberin Zaman

127 women of authors, journalists, academics, and activists released a press statement, urging PM Erdoğan to immediately apologize to Amberin Zaman.

Since the press statement gathered too much support in the social media, Women Group of Equality Following (EŞİTİZ) made the campaign public to accumulate signs. Those intending to support the campaign can sign it in the following link. 

“Politicians aren’t punished due to their immunity”

PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had denigrated Amberin Zaman on the public demonstrations in Malatya and Ankara since he raged about a question she posed in an TV program he attended during political campaigns.

Initially signed by Ayşe Hür, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Füsun Erdoğan, İpek Çalışlar, Mehveş Evin, Melek Ulagay, Meltem Ahıska, Nebahat Akkoç, Oya Baydar, Pelin Batu, and Pınar Öğünç, the statement stated that:

“PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denigrated journalist Amberin Zaman during the political campaigns, prior to presidential elections. Due to their immunity, protecting politicians from sentence of any crime including criminal offense, they are not sentenced.

“We demand PM Erdoğan to publicly apologize to a female journalist Amberin Zaman and all women for his insults he hurled in the demonstrations.” 

Support from female journalists

Recently, Initiation of Female Journalists Follow, Turkey Journalist Syndicate, Women and LGBT Commission, and MEDİZ (Initiation of Media Following by Women) had made a common statement for the purpose of supporting Amberin Zaman.

Some of the highlights from the statement are as follows:  

“What we say to PM and those who try to intimidate women and female journalists by force is that:

“This followed policy through hostility and intimidation does not frighten us. Despite of efforts of giving women a lesson, intimidating, and targeting them by using concept of “honor”, “morality”, and “propriety” , we won’t learn your lesson and be silent. We will continue to exist, write and shout” women said. (ÇT/MUY/BM)

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso and its partners and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The project's page: Safety Net for European Journalists. A Transnational Support Network for Media Freedom in Italy and South-east Europe. 

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.