DİYARBAKIR - Journalists who are faced with pressures and obstructions on the World Press Freedom Day told that the journalists who should get awards are on trial for doing their jobs or even behind bars.

 

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared the date of May 3 as World Press Freedom Day in 1993 with the aim of battling censorship, commemorating the murdered journalists and reminding the role of the press in democracy. The day in question has been met with pressure, censorship, access bans and closing of news outlets and professional organizations this year, as was in the recent years. Turkey is one of the countries ranking in the bottom of the list in terms of press freedom. According to the "World Press Freedom 2020 Index" of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Turkey ranks 154th among 180 countries. According to Dicle Fırat Journalists Association's (DFG) "Report on Rights Violations Against Journalists in 2020", at least 90 journalists are still behind bars in Turkey. According to the same report, the number of news articles that has been blocked in the country last year is 960.

 

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER 2016

 

Stating that the press has never been free in the country, DFG Co-chair Serdar Altan noted that journalists are faced with constant pressure, intimidation and use of force. Emphasizing that the prohibitions against the press have become a tradition, Altan stated that the journalists who expose the policies of the government and reveal the invisible and the unheard are frequently oppressed and targeted. Pointing out that the pressures against the press increased after the 15 July 2016 military coup attempt, Altan said, "The institutions and media organizations were closed. An attempt was made to create a 'one-voice and one-color media'. "A media empire that accepts what the government says is true and hides the truth from society. Almost all of the 700 televisions broadcasting today serve the government. The only tradition that opposes this, is the organizations that come from the tradition of the free press."

 

JOURNALISTS ARE BEING PUNISHED

 

Noting that journalists and professional organizations are punished and intimidated by the judiciary, Altan said, “In this way, they are trying to push the journalists away from the field. The best example of it is the journalists in Van that broke the story about two villagers thrown from a military helicopter by Turkish soldiers and got arrested for it.This clearly shows where freedom of press stands in Turkey. Underlining that journalists are accused of being 'members of a terrorist organization' just for doing their jobs, and the courts acquit these practices.

 

CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL SECURITY DIRECTORATE

 

Referring to the circular that prohibits recording police violence which is based on 'right to privacy', Altan said: "The government does not want anybody to report on the field, we saw this with this circular. The police are building a wall between journalists who want to record demonstrations and press releases with their shields. These images are still fresh in everyone's memory. But journalists could take photos anyway. Now they want to prevent this with this circular. Now both journalists and citizens will not be able to film the police violence. This is what happened is Turkey's freedom of the press. " Emphasizing that journalists must strongly resist pressure, censorship, closure and arrests and weave a network of solidarity, Altan stated that this "dark picture" will not continue forever.  

 

JOURNALIST WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GRANTED AWARDS ARE ON TRIAL

 

Jinnews reporter Beritan Canözer, who has been under arrest for a while, emphasized that freedom of the press cannot be spoken of at a time when journalists are being battered and detained. Canözer pointed out that the freedom of the press in the country got worse during the AKP governmet and told that the government only considers those who have a press card issued by the Presidency as journalists, and the rest are terrorists to them. Stating that she was also targeted by the government for her journalistic activities, Canözer told the accusations are absurd. Canözer said: "They filed lawsuits against me for my questions to my sources. Had the stories written by our friends were published elsewhere, they would be granted awards, but in Turkey, they are behind bars. I am not only on trial for being Beritan, I am prosecuted for being a reporter for Jinnews. This also shows that women are being targeted in Turkey."

 

 

 

MA / Ergin Çağlar - Mehmet Erol