‘Newspapers targeted by Interior Minister Soylu’

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Eskişehir MP Utku Çakırözer has shared the results of its monthly Press Freedom Report.

The May 2021 report of the MP has noted that "newspapers and journalists were targeted by the top authorities of the state in May."

"While the one launching an armed attack on a newspaper was released, a police raid was carried out against the house of a journalist who had reported on corruption. The government, which is obligated to protect people's right to get information and freedom of press, is a mere onlooker to what has been happening," Utku Çakırözer has protested in the report.

While 14 journalists appeared before the judge in May 2021, two journalists were sentenced to 3 years, 3 months in prison in total. The report has also noted that the amendment introduced to the Press Card Regulation disregarded the Council of State's justification for repealing the regulation and made it easier to cancel the cards on arbitrary and abstract grounds.

Detentions and investigations

Some highlights from the CHP MP Utku Çakırözer's Press Freedom Report for May 2021 are as follows:

• 14 journalists appeared before the judge. Pir News Agency's reporter for İzmir Ersin Özgül was taken into custody. Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Lezgin Tekay was deforced. Dokuz8Haber Editor-in-Chief Gökhan Biçici gave his deposition. Journalist and writer Ruhi Karadağ and former Chief Editor of the closed Azadiya Welat newspaper were sentenced to 3 years, 3 months in prison. Investigations were launched against journalists, including Cumhuriyet newspaper columnist Işık Kansu and Cumhuriyet executives. The Press Advertisement Institution (BİK) fined Evrensel newspaper by cutting its public ads for five days.

• Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu targeted newspapers due to their news and headlines. He targeted Sözcü and Karar over their news on the inquiry against İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu for folding his hands behind his back; Cumhuriyet, which published the photos of Commander of Gendarmerie Forces Arif Çetin with Tolga Ağar and crime group leader Selahattin Yılmaz; daily BirGün following its news regarding the videos of crime group leader Sedat Peker. Referring to BBC Türkçe, he said, "It is a channel of both economic and political disinformation."

Journalists prevented from news follow up by decree

• The decree issued by the Directorate General of Security and banning audio and video recording during demonstrations was used as a justification to prevent journalists from news follow up in May. Covering the 1st of May protests, Yol TV reporter Özge Uyanık and journalist Sultan Eylem Keleş were prevented from following up news by security forces. Journalists Derya Saadet and Fatoş Erdoğan, who wanted to film the detentions during the protests against Israel's attacks targeting Palestine, were also prevented on the grounds of the related decree. The journalists who wanted to cover the May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day celebrations at Atatürk's Monumental Tomb were not allowed to attend the celebrations on the stated grounds that "they had not been vaccinated".

Police raid following corruption news

• The house of journalist Hasan Tolga Balcılar, who reported on the corruption in the municipality's tenders in Osmaniye province, was raided by counterterrorism teams. In his statements, Balcılar announced that he would no longer do journalistic work. On the other side, an attempted armed attack targeted the İstiklal Newspaper's office in Zeytinburnu, İstanbul. The person who carried out the attack was released.

Cancelling press cards made easier

• Repealed by the Council of State on the grounds that it was against press freedom, the Press Card Regulation was amended again.

With this amendment, the Council of State's justification for repealing the press card regulation was disregarded and it has been made easier to cancel press cards on arbitrary and abstract grounds.

Access blocks to news

• Access blocks were imposed on 7 websites, including the websites of JinNews and Mezopotamya Agency (MA). Access blocks were also imposed on the news and content regarding Aksaray Sarıyahşi Mayor's use of municipality means for himself, the battery of an official because he did not stand up before the Van İpekyolu Sub-Governor, about Çalık Gayrimenkul Executive Board Chair Ahmet Taçyıldız, and the question shared by crime group leader Sedat Peker. Serhat Albayrak filed a lawsuit against Prof. Yaman Akdeniz, who had announced the access block imposed on the news regarding the dismissal of his case against Paradise Papers news. Albayrak demanded 100 thousand lira in damages. (KÖ/SD)