Turkey: Police Violence Towards Dokuz8NEWS Correspondent Fatoş Erdoğan
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: October 27, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Dokuz8NEWS correspondent Fatoş Erdoğan exposed the police violence while reporting on protests of the Youth Movement in Istanbul on October 25. While reporting and filming the demonstration, police attacked and attempted to detain Fatos Erdogan, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Musa Piroglu prevented the journalist’s detention. As a result of police violence, Fatos Erdogan’s shirt was torn.
Unlawful acts against journalists have risen in Turkey. Speaking to Gökhan Biçici, the founder of dokuz8HABER, expressed the importance of freedom of expression and added these interventions are aimed to eliminate press freedom. Biçici said “The intervention and attempted detention to our correspondent Fatoş Erdoğan, is a result of diminished social support for Turkish authorities. However, these rising pressures will not prevent journalists from doing their job, no matter how much they struggle reporting. Women journalists are the most affected part of these practices yet they are the most important fighters of these dynamics”.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been following these events in Turkey, as a similar incident has happened to Mesopotamia and Jinnews reporters recently and we have a great concern. We strongly condemn the police violence towards women journalists and we declare that we are standing in solidarity with journalist Fatos Erdogan.
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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.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
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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