RSF Representative: Journalism Being ‘Criminalized’

Click here to read the article in Turkish / Haberin Türkçesi için buraya tıklayın

Entry of another two journalists from international media outlets into Turkey was denied. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative, Erol Önderoğlu speaking to bianet as to these enforcements against international journalists has said, “This attitude involves the message that ‘Love it or leave it’ against the ones who don’t truckle to New Turkey, criticize the President, question the foreign policies”.

Önderoğlu: They give the message that ‘Love it or leave it’

Önderoğlu reminding of Vice Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş putting forward “security motive” as to journalists not being let into Turkey spoke as follows:

“Kurtulmuş claims that they have security motives for each deported journalist but we can’t learn what sort of security threat a journalist can pose other than criticizing.

“His statements clearly demonstrate how much critical journalism is being ‘criminalized’ in Turkey. This attitude involves the message that ‘Love it or leave it’ against the ones who don’t truckle to New Turkey, criticize the President, question the foreign policies”.

Recently entries of freelance journalist David Lepeska making reports for international media outlets such as the Guardian, Al Jazeera, Foreign Affairs, and photo journalist from Greece making reports for Bild, Reuters, Time, Al Jazeera, Newsweek, and CNN have been denied.

Was just hurried onto a flight to Chicago after being denied entry at Istanbul Ataturk. This is… https://t.co/4Vrn52vMXF

— David Lepeska (@dlepeska) 25 Nisan 2016

ARD’s Cairo Department executive Volker Schwenck and Sputnik Turkey General Director Tural Kerimov were banned to enter Turkey last week.

Schwenck was detained in Atatürk Airport on April 19 as he attempted to enter Turkey.

Schwenck had shared the “inadmissible passenger information form” on Twitter with the following post:

Endstation Istanbul. Einreise in Türkei verweigert. Es sei ein Vermerk an meinem Namen. Bin Journalist. Ein Problem? pic.twitter.com/wA7er0fJHn

— Volker Schwenck (@VSchwenck) 19 Nisan 2016

“Last stop is İstanbul. My entry to Turkey is being prevented. They said there is a record on my name. I am a journalist. Is that a problem?”

Schwenck was deported on the same day.

Residence permit of Kerimov has been seized

Entrance of Kerimov to Turkey was denied on April 20 in addition to seizing his press card and residence permit. Kerimov stating there is no justification in the notice handed to him had said that the officials in Atatürk Airport demanded that the returns to Russia by the next plane.

Kurtulmuş: He wasn’t an accredited journalist

Kurtulmuş as to the matter had made the explanation that, “One of the journalists deported yesterday was in fact not an accredited journalist in Turkey. Security motives are being brought forward for each of these instances. Such decisions are being taken within frame of security motives”. (EA/TK)