How did Turkey's newspapers cover closure case against the HDP?

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It was on March 17 when Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was stripped of his MP duty after the final ruling of conviction against him was read out at the Parliament.

While Gergerlioğlu and other MPs of the party were refusing to leave the general assembly hall in protest, it was reported in the news that the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation filed a closure case against the HDP, demanding a political ban on 687 people.

While some print newspapers stopped printing to cover these two developments on March 18, others reported on the issue today.

Here is a brief overview of how the print newspapers of Turkey, pro-government and critical alike, reported on the closure case filed against the HDP and expulsion of its MP Gergerlioğlu from Parliament...

Korkusuz

Korkusuz newspaper, a critical newspaper from the same media group with Sözcü newspaper, reported on the closure case in a single column while March 18 Çanakkale War Commemoration hit the headline.

On March 19, the newspaper covered the economic crisis in its headline, while not mentioning the case against the HDP on the first page.

Akşam

The pro-government Akşam newspaper covered the closure case in the headline on March 18, saying, "Chief Public Prosecutor's issued an indictment: Closure case against the HDP." It also reported on Gergerlioğlu's expulsion from the Parliament on the first page.

The allegations of the prosecutor hit the headline today.

Aydınlık

Aydınlık newspaper, a news outlet close to the Patriotic Party of Doğu Perinçek, did not report on the issue on March 18.

Next day, the daily covered the HDP closure case through the remarks of Hasan Korkmazcan, the Vice Chair of the Patriotic Party. Korkmazcan said, "Closing the HDP is a move to defend democracy."

Cumhuriyet

On March 18, four developments in Turkey hit the front page of Cumhuriyet newspaper within the context of the "Human Rights Action Plan" recently unveiled by President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. These two developments were the closure case against the HDP, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's expulsion from the Parliament, the judicial fine imposed on İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu for "insult" and the trial of Boğaziçi University students.

Referring to the action plan, the critical daily asked, "Did you say reform!" The closure case also hit the headline on March 19, 2021.

Evrensel

On March 18, Evrensel newspaper, a critical media outlet, reported on the issues in the headline, saying, "Coup against the people's will, intimidation to the opposiiton. The newspaper's headline on March 19 was also about the closure case filed against the HDP.

BirGün

BirGün, another critical media outlet in Turkey, covered the issue in its headline. On March 18, the issued covered by the daily on its first page was the coronavirus pandemic, economic crisis and other political issues. On March 19, the daily said, "The government desperately attacking."

Hürriyet

On March 18, pro-government Hürriyet newspaper's headline read, "Closure case by the prosecutor against the HDP." The day after, the daily reported on the allegations of the prosecutor in the headline.

Karar

Karar newspaper reported on both the closure case against the HDP and Gergerlioğlu's expulsion from the Parliament in the headline on March 18. Its headline on March 18 read, "Case for HDP, prison for MP."

Milliyet

On its front page on March 18, pro-government Milliyet newspaper covered the commemoration ceremonies held for the Çanakkale (Dardenelles) War and increasing coronavirus case numbers. As for the closure case against the HDP, it reported under the page, citing the allegations of the prosecutor and saying, 'Gergerlioğlu is not an MP.'

Sözcü

Sözcü newspaper's headline on March 18 was about Çanakkale Commemoration and the "Student Oath" ruling of the Council of State. It mentioned the closure case in a single column.

The next day, there was no mention of the case.

Yeniçağ

Yeniçağ newspaper, a news outlet close to the opposition İYİ Party, reported on the speech of İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener in the headline while covering the closure case in a single column on March 18. The next day, it once again addressed the issue, this yime through the remarks of Devlet Bahçeli, the Chair of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is in the People's Alliance with President Erdoğan's AKP.

Yeni Asya

Yeni Asya newspaper covered the expulsion of Gergerlioğlu from the Parliament on March 18. Next day, it covered the reactions against both the closure case against the HDP and Gergerlioğlu's expulsion, saying, "The nation's will and the law is trampled upon."

(HA/SD)