Turkey: CFWIJ Condemns The Crackdown Imposed On Mesopotamia Agency Reporters In Ankara
Location: Turkey, Ankara
Date: April 27, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporter Diren Yurtsever was deliberately prevented and physically assaulted by the police while following the Kobani Trial which took place in Ankara. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the violence and prevention attempts by the security forces against journalists working in the field. We urge the Turkish authorities to provide journalists with an environment where they can freely conduct their journalistic coverage.
Following the first hearing in Ankara, Sincan Penitentiary Institutions Campus of the lawsuit filed regarding the protests and violence that took place in 2014, known as the "Kobani incidents" or also known as the "October 6-8 incidents" was held yesterday. ‘The Kobani Trial’ against 108 people, 28 of whom were arrested, in which former co-chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were also tried in the case. The trial was held at the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court yesterday. MA reporters Diren Yurtseven and Selman Güzelyüz, who wanted to follow the tense case, were violated by the police and prevented them from reporting.
According to MA, the police prevented the news outlets from the scene and told the MA reporters that they were specially ordered to stop them, saying, "We have received orders from our manager, we will not keep the Mesopotamia Agency here."
Speaking to the CFWIJ about the raised tension in the courtroom, Diren Yurtsever said that while following the news, the police were physically assaulted and prevented her from doing her job. Underlining that they wanted to be taken out from the area, the journalist stated, the police misdirected her and said "We have received orders from our manager, we will take you away from here."
Stating that the problem was solved when the lawyers of the trial appeared in the scene, Diren said, “We are not experiencing this situation for the first time. We went there to follow a trial closely as we follow every detail, every development instantly and write stories about it. We are reporting not only the day of the trial but also about the processes as well.” “The pressure, blocking us from the area and not allowing us to film was a situation we were subjected to all the time,” she included.
DİREN: THIS IS THE POINT WHAT FREE PRESS FACES CURRENTLY
The journalist also added that the targeting of MA, where she works, has increased the pressure in terms of the point where the free press has come. She said, "We are journalists, we are covering the news, but not allowing the MA is an obvious attack that without hesitating any legal regulation means putting an enemy policy towards us.” “Because there, besides a general restriction on the press, they see no obstacle in applying very overt psychological and physical violence against us,” she concluded.
The CFWIJ documented similar censorship, which was previously applied in the case of arrested journalists Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala. Journalists and NGOs, who were wishing to follow the case, were not allowed into the courtroom. The limited number of journalists, who succeeded in entering the courtroom, were restricted by demanding to turn off their phones.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the increasing crackdown against the opposition press in Turkey with great concern. We call on the Turkish authorities to interfere in creating environments where journalists can freely follow the news, rather than targeting the media and applying vicious repression and censorship. The most fundamental duty of journalists is to inform the public. We demand the Turkish authorities to adopt an approach that respects press freedom and complies with its criteria. 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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