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
* 10th 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.