Journalists File Complaint Against SETA for 'Foreign Media Report'

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The Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) has filed a complaint against the Politics, Economy and Social Research Foundation (SETA) for the report that targets journalists who work for foreign media outlets in Turkey.

The petition of complaint that was submitted to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on duty requested a public prosecution to be launched against İsmail Çağlar, Kevser Hülya Akdemir and Seca Toker, the authors of the report.

The TGS requested the authors to be investigated upon "recording personal data" upon Article 135 and "provoking people into animosity and hatred" upon article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code.

TGS Chair Gökhan Durmuş, speaking to reporters at the İstanbul Courthouse before submitting the complaint, said, "The text that called a report pictured many media outlets who continue publishing in Turkey as 'pro-terrorist' and sharing news reports that were published in these outlets as a crime."

The petition of complaint stated that the report "marginalizes journalists, making them targets and pictured journalists' posts within the scope of freedom of expression and freedom of thought as radicalism."

"This situation shows that a group of press employees are under serious threat and that they might be subjected to more serious and close threats in the future.

"This document that is called a report by the suspects and the aim of which is not stated pose a serious threat to freedom of press and freedom of expression in Turkey."

Barış Yarkadaş, a former MP for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), told bianet that the report aims to do the groundwork for a possible operation against journalists: "This is not a simple report. It is clear that the foundation called SETA monitors, surveils, and reports on journalists and finds the courage to announce this report."

"The essence of this report indicates that journalism is still viewed as a crime by the government. The government views all the acts of journalism that criticize itself as a crime and declares this to the public.

"If the SETA wants to do the right thing, it should destroy this report, apologize to the public, and declare that it won't do studies of memorandum and profiling."

Zafer Arapkirli, a journalist whose name is mentioned in the report, told bianet that as a journalist for 40 years, "he is used to such things and continue to struggle."

"In the paragraph related to me, they list the institutions I previously worked for, all of which are very reputable, and says, 'he posts against the government on social media,' as if it is a crime. This is saying indirectly, 'We don't want you to criticize the government. We don't want you to actively use social media. We don't want you to oppose'. But, who are you?" (TP/VK)