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Presidency's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has shared a message condemning the alleged attacks targeting pro-government A Haber news channel reporter Çağdaş Evren Şenlik and camera operator Ayhan Arıtürk in Şile district in İstanbul.
Shortly after this message was shared, several social media users have reminded Altun of the police violence inflicted on journalists in Turkey. It has sparked reactions and criticisms that Altun failed to condemn previous incidents where journalists were subjected to violence.
With his house raided and himself taken into custody by the police in May over his news reports on corruption, Hasan Tolga Balcılar has said:
"My house was raided 3 times in total; what was done to me and my family reached the ninth heaven, but you were silent. Even an investigation was not launched, even a condemnation was not expressed. And now they are doing everything they can to cancel my press card."
Twitter user Murad Çobanoğlu has referred to AFP photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, who was taken into custody while covering the 19th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride March with his neck pressed by the police. Sharing a video of the incident, he has written, "Violence against the reporter on duty."
"Görevi başındaki haberciye yönelik şiddet" pic.twitter.com/GXu69nUutf
— Murad Çobanoğlu (@muradcobanoglu) July 25, 2021
An anonymous Twitter user has also reminded the public of the attack on Levent Gültekin by dozens of people on his way to his program on Halk TV in İstanbul in March. "When Levent Gültekin was attacked, you didn't condemn anyone," the Twitter user has said.
İrem Kebelioğlu, another social media user, has said, "You are creating sides within press freedom. You are creating a dualism about press freedom, which is no longer in place because of you."
Basın özgürlüğü içinde taraf yaratıyorsunuz. Sayenizde kalmayan basının özgürlüğü konusunda da ikilik yaratıyorsunuz.
— İrep Kebelioğlu (@repKebeliolu) July 25, 2021
What happened?
Covering the search and rescue efforts for the two people who went missing in Şile's Ayazma and Kızılcaköy Beach in İstanbul, A Haber news channel reporter Evren Şenlik and camera operator Ayhan Arıtürk and the lifeguards had a row. Reporter Şenlik was battered.
Following the incident intervened by the police, Şenlik and Arıtürk went to the Şile District Police Department in the Anatolian side of İstanbul and filed a criminal complaint against the five lifeguards.
While press organizations have condemned the attack, Presidency's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has shared a message implying that the opposition-led İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İMM) was responsible for the attack. He has condemned the incident as follows:
"I condemn the incident where the AHaber team was subjected to insults and physical attack by the İMM personnel during news follow-up in Şile. I extend my get-well-soon wishes to battered camera operator Ayhan Arıtürk and reporter Çağdaş Evren Şenlik and to AHaber family.
"Violence against reporters on duty is unacceptable in any way at all. This vandalism is also an attack against media freedom. The silence of the ones who are constantly talking about press freedom in the face of this attack will be a certificate of shame on their part." (HA/SD)
