Turkey: Defamation Lawsuit Filed Against Journalist Canan Kaya
Location: Turkey, İstanbul
Date: February 1, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Demirören Media Group filed a defamation lawsuit demanding 20 thousand Turkish Liras against Canan Kaya, Medya Koridor’s editor-in-chief, for her journalistic coverage. The journalist has been charged with damaging the reputation of Demirören Media Group and violating personal rights. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) extends solidarity with Canan Kaya and demands the Turkish authorities to dismiss the case immediately. Journalism is not a crime.
Demirören Media Group filed a lawsuit demanding compensation of 20 thousand TL after the reporting journalist Canan Kaya revealed on an online news portal she owned on November 26, 2021. Allegedly, the journalist reported 'delusive and slanderous' information, damaged the media group’s reputation, and severely violated the personal rights of Demirören.
The report that is the subject of the lawsuit, said that the 750 dollar loan taken by Demirören Media Group from Ziraat Bank in 2018 could not be repaid. A team affiliated with the bank was managing the media group after the debt. It was also claimed that Milliyet newspaper and Demirören News Agency (DHA) would also be closed and many media workers would be unemployed due to unpaid debts. The media outlets were affiliated with Demirören Media Group.
On January 31, Canan took to her Twitter account and announced that two police officers came to her home as part of the investigation launched by İstanbul’s prosecutor office and that the journalist was summoned to testify. Today the journalist declared that a defamation case was filed against her. Speaking to the CFWIJ, the journalist said that she will go to give testimony with her lawyer, Veysel Ok on February 7.
Demirören Media Group had previously filed a defamation lawsuit against Canan Kaya, demanding 50 thousand TL compensation. That time Canan reported a story on a female employee of the media group that was forced to resign after failing to take her shoes off on a management floor. In the fourth hearing, where the journalist appeared before a judge on April 1, 2021, the court decided to dismiss the case.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the lawsuits filed with claims for extortionate compensation to intimidate Canan Kaya. The journalist indicated a good example of journalism with her stories and clarified a development that concerns the public. Being prosecuted for her journalistic activities and threatening policies against her are extremely concerning and unacceptable. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish authorities that journalism is not a crime again and demand the dismissal of the case.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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