Political Prosecution of Journalists
Hidayet Karaca
Bulent Kenes
Gultekin Avci
Samanyolu TV Chief
Editor in Chief of Today’s Zaman
Columnist for Bugun Daily
Has been in a high security
Imprisoned on October 10, 2015
Arrested on September 20, 2015;
prison since December 14, 2014
over tweets “insulting Erdogan”
wasn’t allowed to testify in court
Mehmet Baransu
Jake Hanrahan;
Muhammed Rasool
Columnist & Correspondent for Taraf
Philip Pendlebury
Iraqi Journalist
Arrested on March 2, 2014;
VICE Journalists
Arrested w/ VICE journalists on
solitary confinement in high
Detained alongside M. Rasool;
Aug. 28, 2015 for “links to terror
security prison
were released six days later
organizations”- was not released
Ekrem Dumanli
Frederike Geerdink
Ugur Dundar
Ex-Editor-in-Chief of Zaman
Dutch Reporter in Diyarbakir
Columnist for Sozcu, TV producer
Detained on Dec. 14, 2014 for
Detained twice in 2015 for “PKK
Jail sentence of 11 months and 20
“leading a terrorist organization” propaganda” -deported on Sep. 9 days for “insulting Erdogan”
Sedef Kabas
Can Dundar
Ivan Watson
Journalist; TV Presenter
Editor-in-Chief of Cumhuriyet Daily
Ex- Istanbul Correspondent for CNN
Detained in Dec. 30, 2014 over
Erdogan filed a criminal
Detained filming a live news
tweet on government corruption; complaint against him for
report on 2014 Taksim
Acquitted on October 6, 2015
publishing images of arms
demonstrations
allegedly being shipped to Syria;
life sentence was requested
Ahmet Altan
Stephen Kinzer
Hasan Cemal
Journalist; ex Editor-in-Chief of Taraf
Journalist; Academic
Journalist; Chairman of Platform for
Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office Honorary Turkish citizenship
Independent Journalism (P24)
opened investigation on Sep. 20,
revoked in May 2015 for article
Was called by the İstanbul Chief
2015 for insulting Erdogan
in Boston Globe on Erdogan’s
Public Prosecutor's Office to
palace
testify over column on Erdogan
Ahmet Hakan
Columnist for Hurriyet & TV Producer at CNN Türk
Has been injured after an assault in front of his home by a group of
AKP supporters lead by an AKP parliamentarian in front of his house
on October 1, 2015 because of his criticism against Erdogan and
AKP. He suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.
.
Pressure on Media Companies
Koza Ipek Holding (Bugun and Kanalturk)
Hurriyet
-Tax inspections
-Huge tax fines
-Raided by police on Sep. 1, 2015 only hours
-Group of 200 attacked Hurriyet headquarters on
after Bugun published photos showing
Sep. 7, 2015 with sticks and stones; one organizer
clandestine shipment of materials used to make
of the attack is an AKP MP; occurred immediately
arms for ISIS militants in Syria
after Erdogan called out the Dogan media group)
Nokta (Turkish Magazine)
Zaman Newspaper/ Today’s Zaman
-raided on Sep. 14, 2015
-Raided on Dec. 14, 2015 and Oct. 10, 2016
-copies were seized for mock Erdogan selfie with - 23 arrested during the first raid accused of
the coffin of a soldier (an allusion to comments
“forming an illegal organization and trying to
that families of soldiers killed by Kurdish rebels
seize control of the state”
could be happy about their martyrdom)
The following were subject to either harsh fines
or tax inspections:
Cihan News Agency
Hurriyet Newspaper
Taraf Newspaper
Halk TV
Samanyolu TV Group
-Raided on December 14, 2014
-Struck with large tax fines
Continuous raids on Gulen-inspired schools and NGOs
20 police raid Izmit office of
Kimse Yok
Mu humanitarian organization (Ecosoc Member) on Sep. 2, 2015
Police raided
daycare centers in
Zonguldak with inspectors on August
7, 2015
Counterterrorism units raided
Samanyolu kindergarden in Ankara on
September 21, 2015
Censorship of Social Media (Direct)
a.
July 22, 2015 - After the deadly bombing in the Turkish city of Suruç, and just three months after
the country’s last ban on social media, a Turkish court extended another gag order to a national ban of
content on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as 38 news websites.
b.
October 8, 2015 -After the Ankara bomb attack that killed 97 people , Prime Ministry declared
temporary media ban on all news outlets from covering the Ankara bomb attack.
c.
April 6, 2014- Twitter, Youtube, Facebook temporarily blocked before local elections over
Istanbul prosecutor siege images.
d.
May 28, 2013- Twenty-nine people were put on trial for tweets posted during the Gezi protests in
a court case in which the then-Prime Minister Erdoğan is himself listed as a victim. All of the tweeters
were accused of “inciting the public to break the law.” Three of them were also accused of “insulting the
Prime Minister.”
e.
May 11, 2013. After the twin car bombs shook the district of Reyhanli in Turkey's southeastern
province of Hatay a local court issued a ban on all news outlets from covering the incident, alleging that
coverage "violates the secrecy of the investigation,"
f.
In March 2014, a leaked recording from a meeting at Turkey’s foreign ministry detailed the
government’s considerations for military involvement in Syria. Shortly after that recording was posted on
YouTube, access to the platform was blocked entirely in Turkey.
Censorship by Satellite Carriers
TV streaming services Digiturk, Turkcell TV, Tivibu and TTNet stopped broadcasting Bugün TV,
Kanaltürk, Shaber, Samanyolu, Mehtap TV, Irmak TV and children's channel Yumurcak TV by order of the
Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office on the suspicion that the channels support a terrorist organization.
International Watchdog Reports on Turkey
Human Rights Watch:
“Significant obstacles remain to securing justice for victims of serious human rights abuses by police,
military, and state officials, creating what amounts to a culture of impunity.”
“Over the past year, Erdoğan’s AKP has responded to political opposition by tearing up the rule book,
silencing critical voices, and wielding a stick”
“In terms of its make-up, the National Human Rights Council of Turkey lacks independence from the
executive, is tied to the Office of the Prime Minister, and seven out of eleven members of its board are
appointed by the cabinet.”
“A law passed in February increased the power and discretion of the TIB to demand that internet service
providers (ISPs) remove content or block websites with just four hours’ notice. The TIB must refer the
matter within 24 hours to a judge, who must rule on the matter within 48 hours. ISP administrators may
face a penalty of six months’ to two years’ imprisonment for failing to comply with a judicial order. “
U.S. State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014
According to internet freedom NGO Engelliweb, as of October a total of 58,635 websites were blocked--
54,091 by the TIB. According to the Transportation, Maritime, and Communication Ministry, as of
September the government took a total of 18,491 decisions to block websites.
World press freedom index in 2014:
Turkey is ranked 154th out of 180 countries.
Reporters Without Borders:
Turkey is ranked 149th out of 180 for hostile environment for journalists.
Freedom House, Freedom of the Press 2015
Turkey’s score in freedom of expression declined from 62 to 65 due to a number of legislative changes
and continuing state efforts to influence reporting through intimidation and economic incentives. New
laws restricted the freedom of journalists to report on national security and empowered the intelligence
service to access a wide range of information without oversight, while amendments to the internet law
increased authorities’ power to block online content. In November 2013, PEN International reported that
73 writers and intellectuals were being held in Turkish jails, up from 60 in 2012.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that 40 journalists were incarcerated in Turkey as of
December 2013, more than in any other country. Most of those behind bars were Kurdish and charged
under antiterrorism laws in KCK-related cases.