Warning of increasing repression against the press in Turkey, Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) called for media professionals to be granted access to Abdullah Öcalan as part of the democratization process.
In its latest monthly report, the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) has once again documented serious restrictions on press freedom in Turkey. According to the report by the organization based in Amed (tr. Diyarbakır), eight journalists were detained in July, five of whom were remanded in custody. Seven journalists were sentenced to a total of more than eight years in prison and fines of more than 40,000 liras each.
The DFG criticized the fact that attacks on the press are increasing despite public rhetoric about democratization. It stated that journalists are being prosecuted for reporting on environmental destruction, corruption, or commemorating colleagues who have been killed. Of particular concern is the ongoing KCK press trial against 44 Kurdish journalists, which the association says has been a “shadow over press freedom” for 13 years.
Censorship measures also remained the order of the day: the media regulatory authority RTÜK imposed a total of 15 days of broadcasting bans on two television stations and fined two others. Forty-five websites were blocked, as was numerous social media content.
The DFG demanded that both RTÜK and the telecommunications regulator BTK be removed from their “punitive function” and transferred to a democratic structure. The association considers the release of all imprisoned journalists, currently 34 according to the report, to be essential.
With an eye toward possible political openings in the context of the Kurdish question, the association emphasized that journalists must be granted access to Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.
“For this process to be successful, the obstacles preventing journalists from meeting with Abdullah Öcalan must be removed immediately. Journalists are the mirror of society, and their role in bringing this process to the public is vital. On this basis, we will continue to defend journalism and play a leading role in building a democratic society,” DFG stated.
