Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: May 13, 2019

Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe

Canan Coskun, a former Cumhuriyet reporter, was detained on Friday evening, for not paying a fine related to a 2015 court case, her lawyer Abbas Yalcin said.

Journalist Canan Coskun was later released on Saturday, some 13 hours after police detained her during a security check.

Canan was fined 12,600 liras (2,100 dollars) for insulting public officials in her report that alleged an Istanbul real estate project had been rigged to favor some judges and prosecutors during the purchase process, according to Cumhuriyet.

DİSK Basın, the Turkish union for media, shared that according to the established operation of the newspapers, Cumhuriyet was supposed t0 pay the fine. The sentence was approved by the court of appeals in October 2018.

Therefore Canan was taken under custody and held in Beyoğlu Police Station until the next morning. After paying the fine, she was released by a court on duty on Saturday.

Earlier this month, the World Press Freedom Day came at a difficult week for journalists in Turkey when the news of 14 local journalists from Cumhuriyet newspaper being sent to prison has primed the coverage. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns threats, attacks and limitations towards all journalists and especially highlights and condemns the attacks on women journalists.

We especially note that women journalists are given lesser leverage by the state here in Turkey, than in most other parts of the world.

“We request the state to revive the respect for women working in press in the country, and offer more leverage and support to women journalists. This cooperation by the state will give them more confidence to work effectively for the public interest, which alas is the mutual interest of both journalists and the state,” says CFWIJ Founder Kiran Nazish.

...

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org

The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.