- In an interview with CNN International’s Christiane Amanpour on Nov. 9, Prime Minister Davutoğlu cited freedom of the press and intellectual freedoms as his personal redlines. “First of all, I was a columnist in the 1990s when I was in the academic life. So freedom of the press and intellectual freedom are redlines for me,” Davutoğlu said, in response to a question over concerns of a crackdown on the press by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and the AKP’s founding leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “If there’s an attack on any intellectual or columnist or a journalist, I will be the advocate for that [issue]. I can assure you this,” he added.
- Bianet reporter Beyza Kural was manhandled by the police and almost detained while on duty. The act was captured on video as a cop says: “From Now on Nothing will be Like Before, We will Teach it to You“
- “Insulting” Erdoğan: Hürriyet Columnists Ertuğrul Özkök and Cengiz Çandar and t24 columnist Perihan Mağden were the latest additions to the long lists of journalists who “insulted” the president according to the prosecutors. Turkish columnist faces probe for ‘insulting Erdoğan’ – Ertuğrul Özkök’e 4 yıl hapis isteniyor –Perihan Mağden Cumhurbaşkanı’na hakaretten ifade verecek Özkök also had another “insult” investigation presented to court as an indictment regarding two AKP officials Hürriyet columnist faces 1.5 years in prison for ‘insulting’ senior AK Party official
- “Insulting” Davutoğlu: Bülent Keneş testified as a result of a criminal complaint from Ahmet Davutoğlu. Journalist Keneş testifies in court over charge of ’insulting’ PM Davutoğlu
- Main opposition party CHP’s leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu criticized pro-gov columnist Cem Küçük who threatens his colleagues constantly: “Those words are a blow dealt on democracy. A journalist desiring his colleagues to be fired is an unprecedented incident in history of Republic. It is a proof that a Goebbelian regime has begun” Kılıçdaroğlu Slams Cem Küçük Who Threatens Aydın Doğan
- A regional bureau office of the Doğan news agency and the Ankara bureau of the NTV television station were raided on Thursday to protest a days-long curfew that has been in place in a southeastern Turkish province and the G-20 summit which is to be held in Turkey next week. Protesters raid media outlets over Silvan curfew, G-20
- Several dissident press organs were banned from watching the G20 Summit in Turkey WAN-IFRA condemns accreditation ban on critical media outlets for G-20
- Pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency’s web address is blocked for the 26th time; probably going for a record. Ajansımıza 26’ncı erişim engeli
- The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) has fined CNN Türk 225,000 euros for Tahir Elçi saying PKK is not a terror organization on Ahmet Hakan’s “Tarafsız Bölge” (Neutral Zone) program broadcasted on October 15. RTÜK Fines CNN Türk for Tahir Elçi’s Words
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Short updates from Turkey
The prosecution has objected to the release of the six out of seven suspects regarding the investigation on the attack on journalist Ahmet Hakan. The higher court rejected the appeal on Wednesday.
Ahmet Hakan Saldırısında 6 Kişinin Tutuklanması Talebine Ret
Pro-government Sabah and its sister publication the Daily Sabah in English accused the rival media group Doğan with being hypocritical about press freedom due to the insult and defamation complaints Aydın Doğan has filed against pro-government journalists. “Journalists critical of Aydın Doğan and media groups including Daily Sabah’s parent company Turkuvaz Medya face a barrage of lawsuits by the media magnate and his news outlets seeking the imprisonment of journalists in a move criticized for hypocrisy as Doğan complains about the lack of press freedoms” Daily Sabah argued.
Doğan Media Group under fire for efforts to imprison journalists
“The nine suspects who were sent to court over the allegations that they deliberately neglected intelligence that led to the 2007 murder of Hrant Dink, a renowned Armenian-Turkish journalist, have been released on Thursday” daily Sabah reported.
Court releases nine detainees in Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink murder case
“Daily newspaper Sözcü’s Necati Doğru has become the latest journalist in Turkey to be found guilty of “insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in jail” Hürriyet daily News reported. The sentence is transformed into a monetary fine.
Another journalist sentenced to 11 months in jail for ‘insulting’ Erdoğan
‘Erdoğan’a hakaret’te bugün (2): Sözcü yazarı Necati Doğru’ya 11 ay hapis cezası
Editor fined for ‘insulting’ Erdoğan, TV group and daily fined for reporting
Pro-Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) leftist daily Birgün chief editor Barış İnce is fined 7500 TL for “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about reports on corruption allegations of the process known as December 17-25.” The Istanbul Second Court of First Instance sentenced the journalist today by the Penal Code amendment 125 for insulting an individual.
Barış İnce’ye Erdoğan’dan 7500 lira ceza daha!
Meanwhile, pro-Hizmet Samanyolu News Group is sentenced to a total of 118.000 TL over their various reporting on Mehmet Görmez’s (President of Religious Affairs, the state’s official religion authority) one million TL worth car. The state has argued the car assigned to Görmez was one third of the claimed price but then it was documented otherwise and the subject was discussed in detail by politicians. The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) ignored the proof on the car’s actual price and fined the news group over a number of news stories.
RTÜK’ten Samanyolu’na ‘milyonluk Mercedes’ cezası!
Pro-Hizmet daily Zaman will pay 10.000 TL to Erdoğan for a story featuring the tweets of “Fuat Avni” the social media deep throat which is providing insider information from the government. According to the related tweets, the government would commit bloody crimes and blame them on Hizmet. Erdoğan’s lawyers have asked 100.000 TL as compensation but the Ankara 26th Court of First Instance said 10.000 TL is sufficient.
fuatavni’nin tweet’lerini haberleştiren Zaman, Erdoğan’a 10 bin lira tazminat ödeyecek
Dogan Media under fire by government remarks, criminal compliant, fine
Dogan media and its flagship publication the daily Hürriyet has been targeted by the government by threats, criminal complaints and fines.
The AKP media has been accusing Doğan Media and its honorary chairman Aydın Doğan with a number of things for the last months. Pro-AKP columnist Cem Küçük has been among the ringleaders of this campaign:
Doğan media group lashes out at pro-gov’t daily for slander
Former Egypt leader Morsi having sentenced to death last week was reported on Hürriyet’s website with the headline: “execution for the president who was selected with 52%” and since Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was also elected with the same percentage he criticized the daily harshly; arguing that the Dogan group wants him executed. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also joined Erdoğan in the criticism. Hürrriyet responded with the following statement:
Hürriyet’s address to the Turkish president
Newspaper targeted by Erdoğan over Morsi headline retorts: Will you banish us?
Also recently, PM Davutoğlu and the AKP media has accused Hürriyet with a defemation campaign against a political party. Hürriyet Chief Editor Sedat Ergin has responded as such:
Is Hürriyet responsible for Akşener case?
Moreover, a AKP lawyer filed a criminal complaint; demanding the arrests of Hürriyet editors:
Hürriyet daily, website editors face arrest over Morsi headline
Lastly; Hürriyet was sentenced to pay Eroğan 20.000 TL on May 21 due to a column they published last year.
TVs fined for broadcasting video of cop shooting minor
Government media watchdog RTÜK fined three TV channels for being “provocative” by broadcasting a video of a cop shooting a minor citizen.
CNNTürk, FOX TV and Halk TV got fined for video coverage of police shooting 12 years old Nihat Kazanoğlu at Cizre on January 14 according to a daily Evrensel report on February 25.
According to the RTÜK, the channels repeated the playback of the video too many times and it was “provocative”, it has “no value for the public good” and “saddening for the child’s family.”
Media watchdog fined TV stations for reporting corruption allegations
RTÜK, Turkey’s official media watchdog, fined Fox TV, Samanyolu, STV Haber, Bugün TV, Bengütürk and Halk TV for reading newspaper stories on air. The mentioned stories were about the corruption allegations against the government.
