Turkey: Al-Monitor’s Journalist Amberin Zaman Targeted With An Online Smear Campaign

Location: Turkey 
Date: December 15, 2020

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

Al-Monitor journalist Amberin Zaman, along with her colleague Dan Wilkofsky, was targeted with an online smear campaign after covering a story about recruiting young Syrian Kurds into armed organizations. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the lynching attempts against the journalist. CFWIJ stands with Amberin and commends her commitment to her work. We call on the authorities to identify the attackers as we reiterate that such vicious attacks can carry severe consequences.

Journalist Amberin Zaman was subjected to insults on social media for three days following her article titled "Child recruitment casts a shadow over Syrian Kurds push for global legitimacy" published on the news outlet Al-Monitor.

On her Twitter account, Amberin posted a statement about the ongoing online attacks she has endured. She said, “For the last 3 days, I have been lynched for baseless slanders and insults that will not be mentioned because of my article that I wrote with my colleague Dan Wilkofsky, which points to the distress caused by the participation of young people in the fighters, either on their own or outside, in a very critical period for Rojava administration.” She continued “This terminology, which is used when defending a movement that regards equality and respect for women as a principle, is a great contradiction indeed. It is also a separate paradox that some of the power and its trolls put in place similar methods to silence, suppress, discredit and create perception."

Amberin Zaman denied all allegations against her claiming she was working on behalf of the state or intelligence officials. The journalist underlined why she has not returned to Turkey for nearly five years, pointing to the lawsuits filed over claims shown in her interviews and posts on social media. The journalist shared that her mother passed away on November 20, and she could not even attend the funeral due to the lawsuits filed against her.

Amberin Zaman, who has been a journalist for 29 years, worked in many international media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Daily Telegraph, The Economist, America's Voice Radio and The Los Angeles Times. Her continued efforts and dedicated work are always appreciated.

CFWIJ condemns the deliberate attacks against Amberin Zaman and stands with her in solidarity. As she said, "The journalist must enlighten the public, to question power regardless of who they are." We earnestly agree with this promise, and we anxiously follow journalists' exposure to smear campaigns on social media. We reiterate that these callous attempts on social media can prove to have severe consequences. These online campaigns can lead to physical assaults, home invasions, and even murder. We demand the authorities apply the necessary sanctions to ensure the journalist's safety.

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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 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.

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