Journalists Treated like Criminals after Complaint of University Rector
Batman Express newspaper owner Mehmet Şah Ayaz and Yenigün newspaper official Yılmaz Ekinci had their finger prints taken at the Homicide Board upon a complaint by Batman University Rector Abdulselam Uluçam. Both newspapers had accused Uluçam for corruption preceding the complaint.
Rector Uluçam complained to the Batman Prosecution claiming that he had been sent one hand-written and one printed letter each containing insults and threats. The Prosecution appointed the Homicide Board team to take finger prints of the people Uluçam pointed out as suspects.
The group of "suspects" include Mehmet Şah Ayaz, who is Chairman of the Batman Financial Consultancy Chamber and owner and editor-in-chief of Batman Express newspaper, his son journalist Furkan Ayaz, journalist Yılmaz Ekinci and several heads of department from the university in Batman, a province in the south-east of Turkey.
Ekinci: Targeting us with unsigned letters in unjustifiable
Three journalists were ordered to the police upon the complaint to give their finger prints on 8 January. The journalists went to the Police Directory Homicide Board on 11 January to leave their finger prints and a sample of their hand writing.
Journalist Ekinci, describing the procedure as unjust, told bianet, "I do not think it is correct to target us as suspects of the two letters that were neither signed nor had any name on it". Ekinci added that they did not experience any further problems at the Police directorate which acted on the directive of the prosecution.
Ekinci said that a criminal case and a case for compensation was filed against the journalists because of making corruption allegations and forgery of documents concerning the university a topic of gossip throughout the last two or three months. The cases are still pending. "As journalists we have to be objective. Regarding the rector's latest complaint, I do not think he is objective" Ekinci argued.
Ayaz: Who is going to protect us?
Journalist Ayaz expressed his reaction to the treatment which was deemed proper by the prosecution in a column entitled "Who is going to protect us!" indicating that the journalists were taken to account by the university.
Ayaz stated that the rector's business was delegated to the Police Directorate homicide office after the source of the news of the published allegations could not be determined. Ayaz argued that the journalists "who were summoned to the Police Directory as witnesses were treated as suspects. They were addressed as criminals and their finger prints were taken".
Journalist Ayaz finishes his column by saying, "Without aspirations to follow the legal way, he applies to the armed forces. He tries to cover what he did with these fictitious letters and threat scenarios. We have experienced very dark days. Who knows if these people who called us to the homicide office and tried to intimidate us will be taken out through this door handcuffed together with their son tomorrow!" (EÖ/VK)