Turkey: CFWIJ Welcomes The Verdict Regarding The Defamation Case Against Journalist Canan Kaya
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: April 1, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The fourth hearing of the case against Medya Koridoru news website’s Editor-in-Chief Canan Kaya was held in Istanbul today. The court ruled to dismiss the case. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the court's verdict. We demand a similar decision to set a precedent in other cases. Journalism is not a crime.
Demirören Media Group filed a lawsuit against Canan Kaya, the editor-in-chief for online news website Medya Koridoru, and five other media companies, TELE1 TV, İleri Haber, Ajans Press, Aykırı and Medya Koridoru. The media outlets were targeted after airing a story on a female employee that was forced to resign after failing to take her shoes off on a management floor.
Canan’s story, “Scandal in Demirören! A female employee was forced to resign for passing the management floor with shoes on” was published on the news website Medya Koridoru and other media companies, which credited the story from Canan in May 2020. Thereafter, Demirören Media Group sued journalist Canan Kaya and five news organizations for 50 thousand Turkish Lira in compensation for their accusation of intentional reporting to defile the brand’s reputation.
The fourth hearing of the case against Canan and other media outlets was held today at the İstanbul Bakırköy 6th Civil Court of First Instance. The court ruled that Demirören Media's compensation case against journalists was dismissed in terms of all defendants.
Speaking to the CFWIJ, journalist Canan Kaya's MLSA lawyer Zelal Pelin Doğan said, “This decision is primarily important for freedom of expression and press freedom. Because while journalists enable the public to get information with their news, they also create a public debate environment.” “Freedom is one of Turkey's biggest media organizations, in particular, are known by the public during a pandemic event occurring and the opening of the debate should be protected in a democratic society," she followed.
Stating that the court was given a fair decision regarding Canan Kaya and other media organizations, Lawyer Doğan emphasized the verdict of the case set a precedent for the other defamation cases against independent journalists and opposition media with high compensation demands. Doğan also said, “The decision is also important in terms of mainstream media's targeting, intimidating and deterring the policies on independent media. For a long time, this is a decision in favour of the opposition media and independent journalists against the mainstream media, protecting their freedom of expression.”
Journalist Canan Kaya also took her Twitter account to announce the court’s decision. She said, “Journalism won. The judge dismissed the case! This victory is not only ours but everyone that Demirören Media has been victimized.”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the verdict of journalist Canan Kaya and other media organizations. We demand the court decision to set a precedent for other lawsuits against journalists. We find that defamation cases are used, in particular, as a way of intimidating journalists reporting on abuse of power and corruption. Yet we reiterate once again; 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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