Violence towards journalists continues by both police and civilians

The detention of photojournalist Bülent Kılıç has drawn strong reactions from journalists.

In the last two weeks, four journalists were physically assaulted while a photojournalist was violently detained by police officers while covering the LGBTI+ Pride March, according to bianet's Media Monitoring Database.

Also, cases of three journalists were concluded, a new case was filed against a journalist and a new investigation was opened against another.

Here is a summary of interferences with press freedom between June 14 and 27:

Attacks on journalists

• Bülent Kılıç, a photojournalist for AFP, was violently detained by police while covering the LGBTI+ Pride March on June 26. Officers kneeled on Kılıç's neck as he was heard saying "I can't breathe."

Both national and international journalism organizations condemned the violence towards Kılıç, the Security Directorate stated that they had realized he was a journalist after he had been taken to the police station. The deputy interior minister defended police officers, saying that "Detaining the ones resisting the police is not tyranny."

CLICK - Journalists protest police violence: 'We can't breathe'

CLICK - Twelve attacks on journalists in six months

• İbrahim Akkuş, a reporter for Yeniçağ Newspaper who reported on the deficiencies of a public hospital constructed in the district of 19 Mayıs in Samsun, was battered by the employees of the contractor. The attackers were released after detention.

• Akın Kavi, the owner of the Zonguldak-based local Elmas TV channel, was subjected to an armed attack in the morning on June 17, 2021. Kavi was reportedly targeted following a broadcast about loan sharks (June 17).

• İhlas News Agency (İHA) reporter Mustafa Uslu, who was covering the demolition at the farm owned by an opposition MP in Kocaeli province, was attacked by four people who were allegedly the workers of the farm.

Severely battered, Uslu was taken to the hospital by paramedic teams in an ambulance. Having broken Uslu's camera and equipment as well, four assaulters were taken into custody.

• Hanifi Güzel, a reporter for İhlas News Agency (İHA), was battered by the relative of a person who attempted to commit suicide at the minaret of a mosque in Nizip district of Gaziantep province (June 12).

Three journalists were acquitted

Two separate cases of three journalists were concluded in two weeks.

In the case concerning an article on the 2015 Ankara Massacre in daily Cumhuriyet, Alican Uludağ and Olcay Büyüktaş-Akça were acquitted of "disclosing the identity of an informant" at the final hearing on June 15.

The report subject to the case revealed that the police did not take action despite receiving a tip on two people involved in the suicide bombing that claimed 103 lives.

Journalist Cem Bahtiyar was acquitted of "insulting the president" at the final hearing of his case on June 14. A lawsuit was filed against Bahtiyar because of his comment "Yeah, right..." on a Twitter post by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"I am addressing the entire world: No matter what the cost, we will not allow a state to be established in the north of Syria, in the south of Turkey," Erdoğan had said in the tweet he commented on.

New investigations

• A lawsuit was filed against local journalist Yakup Önal for "disseminating personal data in an unlawful manner" because of his online criticism about the flagstones being laid in front of the housing estate where the house of the district deputy mayor is located in Şarköy, Tekirdağ.

Önal, a journalist for 32 years, became a defendant without his statement taken by the prosecutor's office. He will stand trial in the next months and face up to four years in prison over the video that he filmed in 2019 because "public loss was caused through personal gain by using position and rank."

• Upon the criminal complaint of Deputy Commander of Gendarmerie Musa Çitil, an investigation has been launched against Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin, journalists Yağmur Kaya and Ahmet Kanbal on the charge of "turning a counterterrorism official into a target."

(VK)