Ayşegül Doğan: 'All press cards are under the control of Directorate of Communication'

Ayşegül Doğan, the Spokesperson of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Deputy from Şırnak, who is also a journalist, took the floor today in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) where the budgets of the Presidency and its affiliated institutions are being discussed.

While speaking about the 2024 budget of the Directorate of Communication, which she stated has increased by 1097% compared to the year 2019, Doğan criticized the attitudes of the presidency towards journalists.

"Directorate of propaganda"

Regarding the Directorate of Communication, Doğan said, "Since its establishment, the Directorate of Communication acts as if it is the directorate of showing lies as truths, convincing and spreading them. It is doing the presidency of propaganda. Not only that, it exhibits a presidency performance that wants to decide what, how much, where, when, how, and for whom we will say."

Doğan emphasized that journalists who strive to convey the truth are the ones being banned, restricted, hindered, and imprisoned. Referring to journalism during the earthquakes on February 6, the deputy said, "Who bandaged the wounds? Official search and rescue teams could only reach Hatay on the fourth day. Thanks to them, we learned that many people left under the rubble for vital hours, minutes, and even days died due to hypothermia. We couldn't learn the truth through the media you support. In fact, you learn the truth not through the media you support but through the media you try to restrict."

Who is a journalist?

The deputy mentioned that the Minister of Justice stated in the parliament a few days ago that there are no imprisoned journalists, and she pointed out that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made similar statements on multiple occasions.

Doğan emphasized that veteran journalists are being disregarded thanks to the Directorate of Communication. She stated, "All press cards are also under the control of the Directorate of Communication. The Minister of Justice is absolutely right. Why is he right? He asks who is a journalist through the courts. The courts inquire with the Directorate of Communication, and individuals not deemed suitable by the Directorate of Communication are no longer considered journalists in this country. The courts decide based on the letter received from the Directorate of Communication."

The journalist MP added the following to her words: "Those without registration in the Directorate of Communication, without a turquoise press card, are not considered journalists; they are considered "members of an organization." One of them is Dicle Müftüoğlu, the co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association. She recently received the International Resilient Journalism Award. She is in prison. According to the Minister of Justice, she is not a journalist. According to the Minister of Justice, Aydın Engin, whom we lost at the age of 81, and who won the lawsuit regarding his press card after his passing, was also not a journalist."

Doğan also drew attention to the proposed budget for the Directorate of Communication for the year 2024, criticizing that it would see a 1097% increase compared to the year 2019.

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The deputy concluded her words by quoting Kurdish journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who was released on December 8 after seven months of imprisonment, saying, "The thing they fear the most is the truth. This truth will bring about their end."