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After the Council of State annulled the "journalist grata" regulation on press cards, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Vice Chair Gülizar Biçer Karaca applied to the Presidential Communications Center (CİMER) and asked the number of journalists whose press cards were cancelled or not renewed and whose applications were rejected or put on hold.
The Press and Publication Department of the Presidential Communications Directorate has answered the questions and announced that in the process of transition from the yellow press cards to turquoise press cards, 10,486 applications had been made to renew the press cards. The press cards of 9,115 journalists were renewed in this process.
According to the Directorate's answer, the press cards of 1,371 journalists were not renewed despite their applications.
The Directorate has indicated that the gap between the two figures "stems from the fact that the press member left his or her job, lost his or her life, started working in/with another institution/title than the applied institution/title during the evaluation period or there emerged an impediment in his or her judicial record that prevented him or her from getting a press card."
It has also noted that "the cancellation of the applications does not mean that the applicant will never be able to get a press card; on the contrary, the applications will be positively evaluated, if the deficiencies are rectified."
The Communications Directorate has indicated that 220 applications are still in evaluation while 1,238 press cards have been cancelled in the last 2 years, namely from December 14, 2018 to December 31, 2020.
According to the answer of the Presidency's Communications Directorate, "press cards are cancelled as per the relevant provisions of the Press Cards Regulation, for reasons such as resignation, the closure of the institution, change in the press card information, expiry of the card, application due to a worn-out card, change in title, retirement, passing, etc."
As of March 9, 2021, the number of press card holders in Turkey is 15 thousand 145, according to the Directorate.
Who is in the Press Card Commission?
CHP's Biçer Karaca also asked the CİMER whether there are plans to repeal the Press Cards Regulation and govern the issue by a law, whether there are plans to stop the practice of granting press cards by the Presidential Communications Directorate and whether there are plans to change the structure of the commission evaluating the press card applications in such a way that civil society organizations can also take part in the process.
In response to these questions, the Communications Directorate has said, "The Press Card Commission has been formed in such a way that the stakeholders of the press sector are represented." (HA/SD)
