Journalists Got a Share of Police Violence

At least eight journalists were subjected to police violence while trying to cover the May Day demonstrations in Istanbul. The city was paralyzed as mayor Güler cancelled all public transportation and the police employed excessive force to anyone in sight

Erol Önderoğlu

Alongside with more than 800 arrests and ubiquitous violence, police battered at least eight journalists trying to cover the May Day demonstrations in Istanbul last Tuesday.

Together with physical violence, all journalists had been subjected to tear gas used by the security forces in an unrestricted manner.

Turkey's Union of Journalists (TGC) condemned the authorities' violent attitude towards their colleagues while at least one reporter of Cumhuriyet daily, Alper Turgut filed a legal complaint after being subjected to police violence.

Vatan daily photo-journalist Bülent Turgut had been tried to be arrested while trying to cover the events and Radikal daily reporter Demet Bilge Ergün had been beaten up by the police without any prior notification.

As she declared her identity as a journalists, the police officer responded as "Don't walk around then", she recalled after the incident.

Their colleagues protested the police's action on lieu. Furthermore, it's reported that one of Su TV's cameras were broken by security forces.

On another account, Jineps newspaper editor-in-chief Görkem Yılmazer, who had been taken under custody on allegations of possessing explosives is set free after the public prosecutor collected his testimony.(EÖ/EÜ)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.