Press freedom in Turkey: ‘Journalists could not breathe in August, either’

"Journalism is not a crime"

Click to read the article in Turkish

Republican People's Party (CHP) former MP and journalist Barış Yarkadas has released his "Violations of Rights in the Media Report" for August.

Referring to the  rulingJustice and Development Party (AKP) government, Yarkadaş has said, "As the AKP government does not want the truths to be heard, it resorts to silencing journalists."

He has also noted, "Our colleagues could not breath in August, either; but it was not because of hot weather, but because of pressures."

Yarkadaş has summarized the violation of rights faced by journalists in Turkey in August briefly as follows:

• Two journalists were arrested, two journalists were detained and four journalists stood trial.
• An investigation was launched against three journalists, six TV channels were fined and one journalist was attacked.
• A lawsuit was filed against one journalist, house of one journalist was raided, an access block was imposed on a website for 10th time.
• A legal action was taken against one TV channel and four journalists were subjected to attacks and battery.
• Access blocks have been imposed on hundreds of news stories.

Rights violations in August

Some highlights from Yarkadaş's report are as follows:

August 5, 2020: The house of journalist Gökhan Özbek was raided and searched by the police in İstanbul in early morning hours.

August 6, 2020: Reporting on a 17-year-old girl who was driven to suicide after being sexually abused by a specialist sergeant, İdris Yayla, the Grant Holder of Jiyan News faced an investigation.

August 13, 2020: The Information and Communication Technologies Authority blocked access to JinNews website for the 10th time.

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) fined the KRT TV and Radio Harman over the criticisms of their guests physician Serdar Savaş and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chair Saruhan Oluç about the coronavirus outbreak and the government's Syria policies.

August 15, 2020: Journalist Hakan Aygün was taken into custody in the district of Datça in Muğla province.

August 17, 2020: An access block was imposed on the news regarding the alleged visit of Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar to the grave of Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front (İBDA-C) leader Salih Mirzabeyoğlu.

August 20, 2020: The RTÜK fined the broadcasters TLC, Sözcü TV, Akit TV, TV 8 and TELE 1 on a series of grounds.

August 21, 2020: Şaban Önen, the Grant Holder of Bursa Karacabey Yörem local newspaper, was attacked by the relatives of ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Karacabey Mayor Ali Özkan.

August 24, 2020: Taken into custody in Kocaeli, Erkan Akkuş was arrested on charge of "membership of the organization" and sent to Silivri Prison.

In the district of Ünye in Turkey's Black Sea province of Orfu, "News Ünye Portal" Grant Holder Samet Girmeç appealed to the Ünye Police Department, complaining that he had been battered by two people over his articles criticizing Ordu Metropolitan Mayor Hilmi Güler.

August 25, 2020: An armed attack was launched against the house of local journalist Yakup Kocabaş from the Dim Medya Gazipaşa Temsilcisi local newspaper. While there were no casualties in the incident that happened at around 3.30 in the morning, Kocabaş announced that he was being threatened due to his news.

On the same day, the vehicle of Nevşehir Journalists Association was set on fire in an attack of arson by an unidentified person or persons.

August 26, 2020: Ministry of Interior announced that a legal action would be taken against TELE 1 for reporting on the release of specialist sergeant Musa O., who was arrested for sexually assaulting İpek E. in Siirt.

August 26, 2020: A lawsuit was filed against journalist Can Ataklı for "insulting the President" with his statements about the earthquake tax. Ataklı now faces 1 year, 2 months to 4 years, 8 months in prison.

With his prison sentence from six years ago upheld, News Director of Gerger Fırat newspaper in Adıyaman was arrested.

August 27, 2020: The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) fined TELE 1 over daily Evrensel's 25th anniversary video where a girl was holding a kerchief in yellow, red and green.

August 28, 2020: Distributing daily Evrensel to subscribers in Elazığ, the readers of the newspaper were interrogated and harassed by the police.

August 29, 2020: The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against journalist Sabahattin Önkibar.

August 30, 2020: A suit for damages of 50 thousand lira was launched against Contemporary Journalists Association Rize Branch Chair, Nabız newspaper owner and Artı Gerçek reporter Gençağa Karafazlı over a news story where he said that Ennur Türüt, the wife of AKP Rize Provincial General Assembly Chair İbrahim Türüt, was standing trial on FETÖ charges.

CLICK - 'Journalist should not question! We arrest! We close down!'

(HA/SD)