Meral Akşener: 'Everybody will need free press one day'

Leader of the opposition party stated that they were informed that the government was preparing to fine some TV channels due to the reporting from the earthquake-hit regions.

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Meral Akşener: 'Everybody will need free press one day'

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Meral Akşener, leader of the İYİ (Good) Party expressed her support for the journalists working in the earthquake-hit areas and criticized the government for putting pressure on the freedom of the press in Türkiye following the disastrous February 6 earthquakes.

In a written statement issued today (February 16), Akşener said that they received information that the government was preparing to fine some TV channels through the Radio Television Supreme Board (RTÜK) for their reporting.

The people of Türkiye are trying to learn what is happening in the earthquake-hit areas, underlined Akşener, but that RTÜK was preparing fines for TV channels.

Reporting should be appreciated, let alone fined

"Reporting is not a crime, everyone will need free press one day," she said.

"Reserving the right to criticize some," Akşener said that the reporting from the earthquake-hit areas, informing people who are struggling to get information from their beloved and from the region, making clear the dimensions of the disaster, and giving us good news from the wreckages deserve to be appreciated, let alone be fined.

The government should think about why our people are following the developments not from the TV channels that they have paid millions of dollars to take over, but from other TV channels that report independently, Akşener said.

Assaults on press freedom following February 6 earthquakes

Mesopotamia Agency (MA) correspondent Mahmut Altıntaş and JinNews correspondent Sema Çağlak were taken into custody while taking images during the work carried out in the wreckage of a building in Birecik, Urfa on February 8.

On the same day, MA correspondent Mehmet Güleş was taken into custody together with the rescue volunteer Mehmet Nuri Güzel whom he interviewed during the rescue efforts in the Işık apartment building in Diyarbakır. The two were accused of "inciting hate," and they were released on condition of judicial control and an international travel ban after standing before the judge.

Halk TV correspondent Ferit Demir was assaulted by the police while taking images of a person pulled from the debris in Malatya.
İrem Afşin was threatened by a police manager in Urfa. Afşin commented that the attitude of the police toward the journalists changed after the declaration of a State of Emergency.

The correspondent of the weekly Le Point (France) Guillaume Perrier was not allowed to enter Türkiye. It was revealed that the entry of Perrier to Türkiye was banned since November 2022 for posing a "threat to national security."

The bandwidth of Twitter was seriously restricted for over 10 hours on day two of the earthquake on February 8. NetBlocks confirmed there was a restriction in access to Twitter.

Journalist Seyhan Avşar, making announcements about the death of a youth in custody in Antakya was subjected to intimidation on social networks.

Journalist Mir Ali Koçer shared a video showing that his interview with an earthquake victim in Kahramanmaraş about the lack of coordination in the rescue efforts was interrupted by a police officer saying "the state is here."

Kazım Kızıl wrote that he was prevented from taking images by the police in Maraş, although showing his press card, and that the police pointed the finger at him showing him as guilty to the people.

(HA/PE)