- Bianet reported: “Prime Minister Davutoğlu has reacted in the press release following the bilateral talk held with German Chancellor Merkel against the journalist asking him about freedom of the press and imprisoned journalists in Turkey.” Davutoğlu Reacts Against Freedom of Press Question
- Former Today’s Zaman Chief Editor Bülent Keneş got sentenced to a 7080 TL monetary fine for insulting Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu with his blog post titled “The Misery of Davutoğlu.” The fine is delayed under the condition of not repeating the offense for the next five years. Keneş wrote about this development on his column: Will Davutoğlu throw a copy of the Constitution at Erdoğan? Diken report: ‘Davutoğlu’na hakaret’te bugün (2): Gazeteci Bülent Keneş’e blog yazısından para cezası
- İdris Emen, a reporter for the daily Hürriyet and website Radikal, is on trial because of revealing a police officer’s name in a story he wrote. He faces up to three years if he would be finding guilty for “making targets of public service personel who combat terrorism.” The first hearing will be on February 26. Bianet reported. Gazeteci İdris Emen Üç Yıl Hapisle Yargılanıyor
- Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş claimed there is diversity in Turkey media today. “We are ready to listen to all well-intentioned words uttered by all parties with a view to empowering media and moving Turkey forward, and to even make joint efforts to elicit further opinions… There is media diversity in Turkey and there is a multitude of media outlets able to voice a variety of opinions on different platforms. This is Turkey’s gain.” KURTULMUŞ: MEDIA DIVERSITY IS TURKEY’S GAIN Kurtulmuş: Demokrasinin Durduğu Yerde Medya da Durmuştur
- Etyen Mahçupyan, former adviser to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, is fired from the pro-government daily Akşam. Mahçupyan is the latest example of pro-government opinion writers who have tried to mildly criticize the president or his close circle and lose their jobs. Akşam fires Mahçupyan over debates with proponents of presidential system
- A dog carcass is used as a method of intimidation against the daily Afrika, a newspaper published in the Turkish part of Cyprus. The bloody corpse of a dog is left outside Afrika newspaper’s offices Gazetecilere kesik köpek başıyla ölüm tehdidi
- Today’s Zaman reported: “A distinguished array of academics and journalists have sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu asking for imprisoned journalist Mehmet Baransu to be released.” World’s journalists, academics send letter to PM for release of Baransu
mocked
Erdoğan and Davutoğlu make fun of press freedom on press day
The president and prime minister of Turkey decided to mock the journalists on “working journalists day,” a press day exclusive to Turkey, on January 10.
Erdoğan said the media must be independent.
Erdoğan underscores diversity, freedom of press on Working Journalists’ Day
Davutoğlu said they are the guarantee of press freedom.
“I want to express that freedom of press and expression is essential for me. The practice of these freedoms in a democratic country like Turkey is vitally important. We are the strongest guarantee of this freedom as a government which has its signature under great reforms for expanding the fields of freedom since 2002. Everybody should know that, beyond the people’s right to be informed, journalism is not forcing certain tutorship centers’ agenda over the country. I want to underline that misusing freedoms and especially making propaganda of terrorism and terrorist organizations is not within the scope of journalism.”
Davutoğlu: Özgürlüklerin kötüye kullanılması ve terör propagandası gazetecilik değildir!
