Access block to bianet news: ‘Do ministries have data on male violence?’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Oya Ersoy has submitted Parliamentary questions regarding the access blocks imposed on 141 bianet news articles, including its male violence monitoring reports.

Seeking an answer to the question why an access block has been imposed on bianet's male violence monitoring reports, the MP has addressed Parliamentary questions to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül, Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık and Vice President Fuat Oktay.

"Let alone collecting data on violence against women, there is an attempt to remove the news of the news websites that have been collecting this data upon the request of the Access Providers Association (ESB)," the MP has said, underlining that "the male violence monitoring reports published by bianet are used as a source by research and member of the Parliament."

As indicated by Evrim Kepenek from bianet in her article, an access block has been imposed on some male violence monitoring reports of bianet, for instance on its October 2013 report, by the ESB.

'Did you give the instruction?'

Questions addressed to Vice President Fuat Oktay:

• What is the reason for preventing statistical data on dimensions of violence against women from being reported in the press?
• Are these news blocked to access because they made the dimensions of male violence visible?
• Do you think that making male violence invisible will lead to new incidents of violence or encourage perpetrators of violence?
• Have you given an instruction to the ministries about the collections of data on violence against women?
• Will you make a statement about the access blocks imposed on the news reports containing data on male violence?
• Do you think of initiating administrative proceedings about the access blocks imposed on news containing data on male violence?

'Do you keep data on male violence?'

Questions addressed to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül:

• Do you, as the Ministry of Justice, have any studies containing statistical data on the women who are subjected to violence by men? Do you keep data on a daily basis?
• Do you, as the Ministry of Justice, think that making male violence invisible lead to new incidents of violence or encourage perpetrators of violence?
• Do you, as the Ministry of Justice, make a statement about the access blocs imposed on the news containing data on male violence?
• What is the reason for preventing statistical data on dimensions of violence against women from being reported in the press?
• Are these news blocked to access because they made the dimensions of male violence visible?
• Do you think of initiating legal proceedings regarding the access blocks imposed on the news containing data on male violence?

'Will you make a statement?'

Questions addressed to Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık:

• Do you, as the Ministry of Family and Social Services, have any studies containing statistical data on the women subjected to violence by men? Do you keep data on a daily basis?
• Will you, as the Ministry of Family and Social Services, make any statement about the prevention of statistical data on dimensions of violence against women from being reported in the press?
• Do you, as the Ministry of Family and Social Services, think that making male violence invisible lead to new incidents of violence or encourage perpetrators of violence?
• Why is the Ministry of Family and Social Services not working to collect data and gather statistics about the women subjected to violence by men?
• What is the reason for preventing statistical data on dimensions of violence against women from being reported in the press?
• Are these news blocked to access because they made the dimensions of male violence visible?
• Do you think of initiating legal proceedings regarding the access blocks imposed on the news containing data on male violence?

(EMK/SD)