Turkey: CFWIJ Fears Escalating Crackdown On Press Freedom, Journalists Must Be Acquitted Of All Groundless Charges
Location: Turkey
Date: June 8, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
It is a dark day for press freedom in Turkey. Today, four journalists appeared in court in four separate cases against them on terrorism charges. Each journalists’ trial -except Melike Aydın- was postponed yet again. Expert reports, testimonies of witnesses were given as an excuse to adjourn the hearings again. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is aware that the constant postponement of trials is a new method managed to intimidate journalists. We strongly condemn the Turkish legal system and demand an immediate acquittal of journalists who allow the truth to be revealed. We reiterate that “Journalism is not a crime”.
On June 8, 2021, one of the darkest days for press freedom is once again in Turkey. Today, four female journalists appeared the court in cases where they were prosecuted on terrorism charges. Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporter Ruken Demir, Jin News reporter Melike Aydın, journalists Sadiye Eser and Canan Coşkun are on trial for terrorism charges based on their journalistic activities.
Two journalists, whose homes were raided during the simultaneous operations against journalists Ruken Demir and Melike Aydın, were arrested on November 16, 2019, after four days of detention. Ruken Demir was beaten by the police during her detention. She was also subjected to a strip search when she was delivered to the prison. The journalist faced many inhumane living conditions during her detention. She was banned from sending and receiving letters. Authorities allegedly accused her of leaking information, even from behind the prison walls. Her left eye was also giving her trouble. Despite the prison doctor confirming her health issue, she was not able to transfer to a hospital.
After remaining 115-days behind bars, the journalist was eventually released conditionally with a travel ban at her first hearing held on March 6, 2020.
The case against the MA reporter on charges of being a member of an armed terrorist organization is still ongoing. The journalist faces terrorism charges based on the news about the hunger strikes in prisons and the protests in Kaz Mountains, in short, her journalistic activities were behind the scene.
RUKEN’S HEARING IS DELAYED FOR THE SIXTH TIME
Ruken has appeared in court six times since her release and the hearing was adjourned again. This time, the court postponed the next hearing to October 5, 2021. Due to the change of the court committee and deciding to wait for the result of the cyber investigation. Speaking to CFWIJ, Ruken said that although two of her three computers were returned, she could not obtain any information about the other.
“JOURNALISM FAILED IN TURKEY”
Ruken stated that she was neither the first nor the last journalist to be arrested. Emphasizing that many of her colleagues were arrested for "ridiculous" reasons, the journalist said, "We were arrested for doing our job. Today, 95 per cent of the journalists in Turkey write things that come out of a single person without exception. Five per cent are either detained or arrested or subjected to crackdown for revealing the truth.” “Unfortunately, journalism failed in Turkey,” says Ruken.
The accusation of being affiliated with an armed terrorist group was alleged against the journalist. "What am I? A gun or is it my camera? Or is it my computer? Isn't it too funny? Unfortunately, these are considered as weapons in this country.” she addresses. Describing the postponement of the hearings as an intimidation policy of the current government, she stated that she will continue to do her job.
Another case today belonged to former MA reporter Sadiye Eser. Sadiye’s trial was also postponed for the fourth time. Just like Ruken, the journalist is on trial for being a member of an armed terrorist organization. The journalist, who was taken into custody on November 29, 2019, was arrested on December 2, 2019. She was released conditionally at the first hearing held on March 26, 2020. Sadiye’s case has been ongoing since March 2020. A prison sentence of seven to 15 years is sought for the journalist.
“THEY WANT TO USE THE TRIAL AS A SWORD OF DEMOCRACY”
Speaking to CFWIJ, Sadiye says, "No need to go into deep research to understand whether the press is free in Turkey. If we only look at the courthouses, we will see the situation of press freedom today.” “Instead of covering news, many of my colleagues spend most of their time in the courts because of the lawsuits against them,” she continues. Underlining the situation, Sadiye says, "This in itself clearly shows that the press is not free in Turkey."
Stating that the case in which she was tried along with journalist Sadık Topaloğlu is full of groundless accusations, the reporter says, the witness, who testified the accusations, was not present in all four hearings. “They know well that there will be no crime or punishment according to my case, but they want to use the trial as the sword of democracy.”
Today, the court ordered that the witness, Özgür Baran, be brought to the hearing by order and heard. The case was adjourned for the fourth time. Sadiye’s next hearing will be held on September 21, 2021.
THREE YEARS IMPRISONMENT DEMANDED FOR CANAN COŞKUN
Another journalist whose case was brought was Canan Coşkun. The trial against journalists Canan Coşkun, Ali Açar and Cansever Uğur on charges of "targeting the counter-terrorism officer to terrorist organizations" was adjourned for the fifth time. Giving the opinion, the prosecutor demanded a three-year prison sentence for Canan. The court adjourned the case to October 7, 2021, to complete the defences against the opinion.
During the Taksim Gezi Park protests, 15 years-old Berkin Elvan died as a result of a tear gas canister thrown by a police officer on June 16, 2013. After Berkin’s death, an investigation was conducted into the murder, with several journalists covering the details of the inquiry. Relating to the news stories they aired, one of the police officers involved in the investigation claimed that he was revealed and targeted by leftist organizations threatening his life. Canan’s story, "The Police Allegedly Shot Berkin Elvan Did Not Remember His Place of Duty", was published in the Cumhuriyet newspaper in March 2016.
This trial is not the first case filed against Canan Coşkun. Previously, a lawsuit was filed on allegations of insulting the President for the article she wrote titled "Erdoğan ordered, journalism arrested". Coşkun was eventually acquitted of the charges.
REPORTER MELİKE AYDIN ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES
In the case against Jin News reporter Melike Aydın, held today, the court acquitted the journalist due to lack of evidence. The journalist was arrested along with MA reporter Ruken Demir on November 16, 2019. She was released on January 30, 2020, with the court's interim order. The journalist was being tried for the phone calls she made with news sources and the book named "Purple Color of Kurdish Politics" which was seized as evidence during the police raid on her house. She was facing up to 15 years in prison. Eventually, today, Melike was acquitted of all the charges alleged against her.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the lawsuits against four different journalists in one day due to their journalistic coverage. Journalists are obliged to reveal the truth. They cannot be prosecuted on baseless grounds. Today was another dark day for Turkey in terms of press freedom. We demand that all journalists on trial be free and acquitted like Melike. Journalism is not a crime.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.
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