‘Police circular is nothing but hostility towards journalists’

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The Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD) released its latest monthly Media Monitoring Report today (July 6).

Published within the scope of the Association's efforts for freedom of press, opinion and expression, the report has covered censorship, threats, violence, arrest and prosecution towards journalists, losses in professional and labor rights of journalists and media manipulations.

Physical assaults against journalists have been the main focus in the 38th consecutive monthly report of June 2021.

In the introduction to the report, the Association has reminded the public that there was an increase in the assaults targeting the journalists threatened by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

"Offenders of such assaults against journalists happened to be police forces in May and June," the ÇGD report has underlined.

The main findings of the report are as follows:

'A systematic crime'

The police; who are supposed to protect the right to report and information, or press freedom in other words, are systematically and purposefully committing crimes against press freedom by preventing our colleagues from doing their job.

"Practices such as barring journalists from reporting on the field on May 1 Workers' Day in Ankara and İstanbul reached the level of an attempt to kill a journalist last month. AFP photojournalist Bülent Kılıç was faced with danger of death while being forcefully detained by police officers who intervened in the Pride March of LBGTI+ in İstanbul's Taksim on June 26.

"A group of police officers pushed Bülent Kılıç to the ground, then pressed their knees and hands into his feet, back and throat.

"Kılıç, who was actually covering the march for AFP, was heard saying 'I can't breathe' at that moment. Police assault against our colleague reminded us of images of the murder of George Floyd, a Black person, by a police officer in the U.S. who had pressed his knee into Floyd's neck.

There is still no investigation into these persons who in a way attempted to kill Bülent Kılıç while having the status of "state security force," and they are still on duty. This fact is the clear indicator of the underlying mentality of this crime.

"Continuation of enforcement of National Police's circular prohibiting filming or recording police forces, the circular which is the basis of such assaults, is nothing but hostility towards journalists and anti press freedom stance.

CLICK - Journalists protest police violence: 'We can't breathe'

'Hostility becoming more widespread'

"Another act of violence against journalists took place last month was the physical assault against İhlas News Agency (İHA) correspondent Mustafa Uslu while covering construction demolition at a farm owned by İYİ Parti MP Lütfü Türkkan in Kocaeli Dilovası.

"Journalist Mustafa Uslu was wounded in many parts of his body by the assault allegedly carried out by Lütfü Türkkan's bodyguards.

"This incident has once more shown that hostility towards journalists has been becoming more and more widespread in Turkey. This hostile attitude of those who publicly defend press freedom against critical reporting raised more concerns on press freedom in Turkey."

CLICK - İHA reporter Mustafa Uslu attacked in Kocaeli

'7 journalists targeted and threatened'

The Association has also shared the following statistics:

"As part of ongoing trials, 70 persons appeared before the court in 24 separate cases. One lawsuit was filed against a journalist after acceptance of the indictment. 2 journalists were given prison sentences.

"7 journalists and 6 media outlets were targeted and threatened in 9 separate incidents. Accession ban were issued on 7 news topics in 10 different media outlets." (HA/SD)