Analysis / Kamil Arlı / International Journalists Association
Committee to Protect Journalists describes China and Turkey as “world’s greatest journalist prisons ”. Committee says, “Currently, in Turkey dozens of journalists who have not jailed yet face with trials or appeals. Journalists abroad were convicted in absentia and being arrested if they return to the country.”
The pressure on the media and journalists in Turkey is increasing each passing day. adio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), the Turkish state agency for monitoring, regulating, and sanctioning radio and television broadcasts, closed the TELE 1 TV channel for five days due to its critical show about
the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II., which demonstrated the extent of the censorship in the country. One hundred sixteen media outlets shut down through the presidential decrees during the state of emergency, which played havoc with the press’s freedom. According to a report by the International Federation of Journalists, 177 journalists are still in Turkey’s prisons. A report by Reporters Without Borders titled 2020 World Press Freedom Index ranks Turkey 154th out of 180 countries in press freedom.
European Council: There is extra ordinary pressure on journalist in Türkey An extraordinary pressure on journalists continues, the joint report of twelve international organizations focusing on press freedom says despite the state of emergency ended in the country. The annual report published by international media organizations that support the “Platform for Improving the Safety of Journalists and the Protection of Journalists” established by the Council of Europe, states that the number of journalists arrested and detained for doing their job after the coup attempt in 2016 and the state of emergency exceeded
200.
Censor increases; No freedom of speech on social media Amnesty International’s annual regional human rights report dated 2019 underlines that press freedom and speech were demolished in Turkey. “There is no judicial independence and freedom of speech in Turkey, the censorship is increasing, journalists are behind bars,” the report states.
Amnesty International’s report heavily criticizes the ruling AK Party and judiciary over press freedom: “The courts blocked online content, and criminal investigations were launched against hundreds of social media users. In August, a new regulation came into effect that requires internet broadcasting platforms to apply for licenses to the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK). The content of the platforms will be monitored by the RTÜK, expanding its censorship powers over online content. At least 839 social media accounts were investigated for allegedly “sharing criminal content” related to “Operation Peace Spring.” Hundreds of people were taken into police custody, and at least 24 were remanded in pre-trial detention.” (https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/ europe-and-central-asia/turkey/report-turkey/)
Committee to protect journalists: Turkey amongthe worst jailer of journalists in the world The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticizes Turkey over press freedom in its 2019 report. (https://cpj.org/ reports/2019/12/journalists-jailed-china-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt/) The report defines Turkey as the second-worst jailer of journalists following China. “Dozens of journalists not currently jailed in Turkey are still facing trial or appeal and could yet be sentenced to prison, while others have been sentenced in absentia and face arrest if they return to the country,” the committee says.
59 journalists sentenced to 200 years in total in 2019 The 2019 press freedom report released by the main opposition party (CHP) lawmaker Utku Çakırözer points out that the pressure of the AKP government on the media continues increasingly. The number of arrested journalists increased eleven times in 16 years, he says. “Only in 2019, 59 journalists were sentenced to 200 years in prison. Between 2001 and 2004, the number of journalists detained was 10.
Today it has increased 11 times, reaching 110. In 2019, 59 journalists were given a total of 200 years in prison, 11 journalists were detained, 19 journalists were arrested. We are ranked 157th among 180 countries in the world in terms of freedom of the press.”
Reporters without borders: Pressure on the internet media on the rise According to a report by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Turkey ranks 154th out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index. The report emphasizes that Turkey is one of the top jailers of journalists in the world. The report underlines the increased censorship on online media in Turkey. According to RSF’s partner organization, Bianet, at least 586 news reports were censored in 2019. Countries such as Belarus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brunei, and Bangladesh, according to the report, have a higher rank than Turkey.
Rwanda is following Turkey as the 155th country on the list.
Media pressure increases in 2020 Turkish Journalists’ Association released a media monitoring report in 2020 in cooperation with the European Union
as part of a project titled “Media for Democracy, Democracy for Media (M4D).” The report exposes the AKP’s oppression on the dissident media outlets by listing several press and speech freedom violations. Some of the highlights in the report are as follows: Presidency’s Directorate of Communications decided to “cancel” all press cards of journalists working for dissident media, despite the cards were not expired and registered as “valid” in the government electronic database (e-devlet) system in January.
After the reactions, the press card cancellations were revoked. Anonymous people simultaneously attempted to attack three journalists from Sputnik while they were their houses. Right after, the three journalists were briefl y detained. Odatv News Director Barış Terkoğlu and reporter Hülya Kılınç were detained after sharing the funeral footage of the MIT (Turkish intelligence) offi cials killed in Libya. Then, two journalists and Oda TV Chief Editor Barış Pehlivan were arrested.”
One man; one voice Dogan Holding sold Turkey’s largest media group to the Demirören Group, known for its close relationship with the government. The group includes the Hurriyet daily, Posta daily, CNN Turk TV, and Kanal D TV. With this sale, most of the media and the distribution of newspapers passed under the government’s control.
No advertisement to the dissident media The Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning did not include any opposition media in the media organizations list given public service advertisement. The ministry issued invitations for tender over its investments, services, and activities to be carried out in 2020. The tender specifi cations announced on June 10 listed the media outlets to broadcast the ministry’s public service ads, advertisements, and promotions.
These included the following media organizations: Akit TV, TGRT News, TVNet, Ülke TV, Bloomberg HT, Ekoturk, Bengütürk, Kanal M, Uçankuş TV, A Spor, many other newspapers and websites.
Dissident media is not on the list Dissident newspapers such as Sözcü, Cumhuriyet, Yeniçağ, Birgün and TV channels such as Fox TV, Halk TV, KRT, Ulusal Kanal, and Tele 1 were not included on the list. 2 thousand 750 ads (82 thousand 500 seconds in total) have been assigned to the media outlets included on the list. The ministry also preferred the websites of pro-government newspapers and TV channels to broadcast promotional videos on digital media platforms.