Turkey: Police Restrain, Physically Assault Journalists Covering Labor Day Press Briefing
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: April 18, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
At least six women journalists were physically assaulted and restrained by the police force following the press briefing about the coming Labor Day in Istanbul. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand that Turkish authorities end their policies of silencing journalists.
The police attacked the declaration of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) and the People's Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul’s Branch for the coming Labor Day on May 1. According to news reports, at least 20 people were detained. 12 journalists, including six women, were battered by the police and restrained from the briefing area. Although the journalists showed their press credentials to the police, they were not allowed in the area where the statement took place.
HDP ve HDK'nin Kazancı Yokuşu'nda düzenlediği 1 Mayıs anmasında güvenlik güçlerinin gazetecilere yönelik uyguladığı şiddet anları...
— DİSK Basın-İş (@Disk_Basin_is) April 18, 2022
Vaktinizi ayırıp izlemenizi rica ediyoruz, takdiri size bırakıyoruz... Yeter, yeter, yeter! #GazetecilikSuçDeğildir pic.twitter.com/NRmmnRkEpu
Artı TV reporter Meral Danyıldız, dokuz8news reporter Fatoş Erdoğan, Yol TV reporter Özge Doğan, Etkin News Agency (ETHA) Elif Bayburt, Jin News reporter Rozerin Gültekin and Cumhuriyet reporter were among the journalists who were brutally assaulted.
Meral indicated the police violence in a video that she posted on her official Twitter account. “This is the case even though I have repeatedly said "I am a journalist". It has become a routine for us not to be allowed to film or take pictures of the events. If the press remains silent, that means nobody can be heard,” she said.
Speaking to the CFWIJ, Meral pointed out that violence against the press is alarmingly escalating day by day. Stating the journalists’ only duty to report to the public, Meral said, “It is horrible to be facing so much police violence when all we are doing is our job. Which is to report the truth to the public. However, despite all these facts, I will continue to do my work and act in accordance with the principles of journalism. No one can violate the public's right to know and our right to inform.”
Fatoş Erdoğan also shared the scenes of the police violence and said "Enough is enough! Journalism is not a crime”.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned about the escalating police violence and pressure against journalists. Journalists are responsible for informing the public and reporting developments. The police forces must end violating the journalists' right to report and the public's right to know. Rather than attacking journalists, law enforcement must ensure journalists’ safety. We reiterate once again journalism is not a crime.
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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