‘Freedom of press is the freedom that is most oppressed and attacked’

Click to read the article in Turkish

In the joint statement on May 3 World Press Freedom Day, the Association of European Journalists' (AEJ) Turkey Agency, Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), and Press and Publishing Workers' Union of Turkey (DİSK Basın-İş) have reminded that "freedom of the press is guaranteed by universal and local law, and any practice contrary to it is a crime."

Having stated that fundamental rights and freedoms, especially freedom of thought and expression, are increasingly restricted, professional organizations have stated that their individual and social rights and freedoms are ignored and even punished by subjective decisions without legal basis.

'Polarization destroys our rights, freedoms'

The professional journalism organizations have made the following remarks in their joint statement:

"Although there are relative situations, the authoritarian ruling tendency has turned into the dominant understanding throughout the world. The COVID-19 outbreak is also seen as the aim of legitimizing the course of this direction, and all kinds of discriminatory policies are desired to be normalized.

"On the one hand, there are those who lost their lives on the migration routes, those who were massacred due to their skin color, those who died among the gears of the economic wheel based on exploitation, while on the other hand, half of the world's wealth is concentrated in 26 people, the results of scientific activity (vaccine, etc.), which is humanity's joint effort, are confined within the boundaries of private property, and hundreds of thousands of people die and are seen as a means of enrichment.

"The most important consequence of these polarizations is the destruction of our fundamental rights and freedoms, and the freedom of the press, which is one of the main areas of freedom of thought and expression, which is the guarantee of many other freedoms, has been one of the most oppressed and attacked freedoms in this process.

"The freedom of the press has been sacrificed for either the interests of the country or the ambition for profit, except for a few countries in Europe that have established their democratic functioning to some extent. In this context, Turkey is in the category of countries with the worst press freedom. According to the Press Freedom Index prepared by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) based on 180 countries, Turkey ranked 153rd last year. The common characteristics of the countries behind Turkey are that either wars and conflicts are experienced or they are closed societies.

'A stand must be taken'

"Freedom of the press is a social duty undertaken by journalists responsibly, and obstructing this duty is a crime under both universal legal principles and national legal regulations. In this context, the circular issued by the Directorate General of Security three days ago to prevent audio and video recording is undoubtedly illegal.

"Beyond that, its duties and responsibilities are defined by the law and legal boundaries, and it justifies illegal practices of the security forces.

"On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, while we call on the public authority to renounce all kinds of practices contrary to the freedom of the press, which is guaranteed by universal and local law, we once again emphasize that everyone who has the ideal of living under the roof of a democratic state of law should take a common stance against all kinds of pressures against freedom of the press." (HA/DCE/SD)