Tough Year For Journalists: Closures, Assaults, Censorship

Media Council released a report entitled “2014, Tough Year” concerning violations on press freedom and freedom of expression in Turkey. 

Some of the highlights from the report are as follows: 

* Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) issued 81 program suspensions, 27 warnings, 21 fines and 7 fine sanctions. 

* Journalists spent 5 days of 2014 in hunger strike. 

* Higher Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) and YSK warned Turkey’s official media network TRT for its partial coverage on elections. 

* RTÜK issued 6 warnings and 3 fines to television networks related to December 17 Corruption Probe. 

Raids and closures 

* 10^th Village, a newspaper based in the southern province of Antakya, have been raided by the police and its issues have been seized. 

* In the northwestern province of Bolu, 2 local newspapers have been closed by municipal authorities, saying that their licenses have certain faults. 

* Karşı Gazete faced police raid. 

* Within December 14 Operations, Zaman newspaper editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanlı and Samanyolu TV Broadcasting Chairman Hidayet Karaca have been detained. Karaca has been jailed. 

* Education Ministry restricted the access of an article on Cumhuriyet newspaper regarding the police violence from Berkin Elvan’s funeral. 

* Karşı Gazete, Sol Gazete and Radikal newspapers closed their print versions. 

Attacks against journalists 

* At least 32 journalists have been affected by police violence. 

* At least 16 journalists have been attacked. 

* Journalists have faced the following words: “I will kiss your midwife as well”, “Indecent woman”, “Know your limits”, “Militant in disguise of journalist” and “Yes-man”. 

* Twitter and YouTube have been banned.

Censorship

* Bülent Arınç announced that media bans were issued in the following events: Bingöl Attacks, child rape case in Adapazarı, Yüksekova attack, Roboski Massacre, downed jet incident, Reyhanlı Blasts, MİT’s trucks, ISIS hostages and tapping case. (EA/BM)

* Click here to read the full report Turkish. 

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.