Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Seriously, who imprisoned journalists in Turkey?

by Merve Şebnem Oruç

Apr 21, 2014 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Merve Şebnem Oruç Apr 21, 2014 12:00 am
Now I more often think that foreigners know very little about Turkey. They are so reluctant to learn more, yet they can't stop themselves from writing assertive pieces.

Last week The New York Times Editorial Board strongly advised Twitter to refrain from cooperating with the Erdoğan government, saying it persecutes critics and political opponents.

I think the board members should spend some of their spare time to learn about Turkey and see that even the journalists who posted tweets threatening Prime Minister Erdoğan with execution continue their lives outsides bars.

Citing the Committee to Protect Journalists' report, the board says that Turkey is the "world's top press jailer" imprisoning 40 journalists as of Dec. 1, 2013. But as of April, 2014, there are 15, seven of whom are sentenced.

I don't know if being a member of an outlawed organization such as the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C) – which they may remember claimed responsibility for the attack targeting the U.S. Embassy in Ankara in February 2013 – is a journalistic activity for The New York Times, as charges against members of the group mostly concern bombings, using explosives, murder, et cetera. But at least journalists covering Turkey for the paper can be contacted for accurate numbers. Or Yavuz Baydar, who wrote an Op-Ed for The New York Times last summer about the current situation of the imprisoned journalists, could be consulted. Maybe they could ask what changed in the two years since he defended the trials against the journalists in the Dec. 13, 2011 issue of Huffington Post.
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yavuz-baydar/imprisoned-journalists-turkey_b_1141650.html)

Maybe they could email famous journalist Cengiz Candar and ask what changed his opinion. In March 2011, he stood up for the arrest of journalists working for Oda TV while at The Guardian and said they were not arrested because of their journalistic activities. (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/28/turkey-freedom-speech-turkish-government)

Is it me or is it actually interesting that those who chose to side with Fethullah Gülen during the Erdoğan-Gülen showdown also changed their positions on press freedom in Turkey. They were defending the trials when there were over 70 imprisoned journalists and now they are criticizing Erdoğan's government while journalists are being released one after another?

Turkey was hell for all who objected to bow down in front of Gülen in 2011-2012 as the officials of the "parallel state," aka "the soldiers of Gülen" were in turbo mode. Now, all those arrested by them are being released from prison while the Gülenists are removed from their offices and Gülen-affiliated journalists debate that there is no press freedom in Turkey.

Actually, The New York Times could ask the released journalists – for instance Nedim Şener, one of the well-known names arrested within the scope of the Oda TV trial – who was responsible for their arrests in the first place: the Gülen loyalists or the Erdoğan government?

But apparently, being up-to-date or accurate is not one of the primary issues on their checklist.

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Apr 21, 2014 1:03 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    2022 Ballon D'or nominees announced as Messi, Neymar miss cut
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021