Media Still has Serious Problems

TGC head Erinc said that the Labor Ministry would finalize its preparations on the Press Labor Law in 2005 and expressed hope that the medias problems will be solved. The amendments to the TCK indicate that were not going to have a good year, he told.

Erol Önderoğlu

Although Orhan Erinc, the president of Turkish Journalists' Association (TGC), thinks there have been some positive press reforms in 2004, he isn't hopeful about the year 2005.

According to Erinc, the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which will go into effect in April 2005, has some unfavorable regulations for the press. The new penal code, contrary to the Press Law, reverts to handing out prison sentences instead of fines, and allows resorting to the penal code besides penalties, such as suspension of broadcasts, by the Radio and Television Higher Board (RTUK).

"If journalists were provided with jobs and social security, such complaints would be minimized."

According to Erinc, it is important that reporters now have the right not to disclose sources and cannot be forced to testify, under the new law. "But this has left us with an incomplete outcome," said Erinc.

"Since media workers at radios and televisions are subject to a different law, they won't be able to benefit from these rights."

"Since broadcasting principles were transferred to the TCK, radios and televisions will be subject to fines, suspension of broadcasts, and warnings by RTUK, as well as prison terms by legal jurisdiction under the TCK," Erinc added.

Talking about media ownership, Erinc reminded that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "We don't approve bank owners to also own media organizations." He added that businessmen have owned media organizations in Turkey since 1950s. "The legal vacuum and the lack of job security has made media more susceptible to manipulation by owners," said Erinc. (EO/EA/YE)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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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.