"This is an exception. We can say that we have accepted Yeni Safak as an intern. We will test their attitude," said the Secretary-General of the General Staff, Major-General Sabri Demireren, in response to a question.
Basbug: No invitation to insensitive media
The General Staff invited the Ankara representatives of accredited media organizations and defense reporters to its meeting on January 16 at the General Staff's military quarters.
The Incirlik Airbase, PKK, Iraq and Cyprus were among the topics discussed at the briefing. Deputy chief of staff General Ilker Basbug, in response to a question about the accreditation of media organizations, said the Turkish Armed Forces wanted unlimited press freedom, but expected the media to use this right with responsibility.
Basbug answered the question as follows:
* We view this issue with the basic principles of the Republic and universal values.
* We do not invite those media organizations that are not sensitive enough about these issues, to our activities.
* View this completely as institutional and personal. We have the right to review our list when we feel the need.
Demireren: We accepted Yeni Safak as an intern
According to the daily "Yeni Safak," the attitude of Secretary-General of the General Staff, Major-General Sabri Demireren was a little different:
"This is an exception. We can say we have accepted Yeni Safak as an intern. We will test their attitude and decide if we will invite them next time or not."
Yeni Safak writer Kursat Bumin's article had the headline: "Most Unfortunate for a Newspaper: Being accepted as an Intern." In his article, Bumin described the General Staff's "style" as "scandal in terms of democracy," and criticized media organizations for remaining silent. (EO/BB/EA/NM)
