Turkey: CFWIJ Condemns Nationalist Movement Party For Targeting Journalist Ebru Baki
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: May 5, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Habertürk TV presenter Ebru Baki was deliberately targeted with the organised trolling campaign after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy İzzet Ulvi Yönter’s statement. Ebru was subjected to online attacks by many trolls. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns MHP for targeting journalist Ebru Baki with baseless accusations and insults. We remind the Turkish authorities to end these vicious attacks against journalists, aiming to intimidate them.
Habertürk TV presenter Ebru Baki, who brought MHP President Devlet Bahçeli’s new constitution draft to her broadcast yesterday, was later targeted by MHP Deputy Chairman İzzet Ulvi Yönter.
Yönter, who made a statement on his official Twitter account, pointed to Ebru on the subject, saying, "Ebru Baki is a so-called journalist who always reveals her intolerance to the MHP and distorts the facts with her sarcastic smile". MHP Deputy continued, “The efforts of Kemal Öztürk, Pınar Kandemir Hacıbektaşoğlu and Gülfem Saydam Sanver, who were guests of Ebru Baki in Habertürk, to defame the constitutional proposal of our President are rudeness. Aren't you mad?"
Following Yönter's statement, Edip Semih Yalçın, MHP’s İstanbul MP, was among those who targeted Ebru Baki. He took his Twitter account to attack the journalist. He said, “We are calling out to Ebru Baki, Bülent Aydemir and the like who appeared in Habertürk; You cannot target the institutional identity of MHP, which is represented in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and reflects the conscience through your media.”
MHP President Devlet Bahçeli also announced that he boycotted the news outlet and started an online smear campaign against the TV.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the party leaders' targeting of the journalist. We find these attacks were organized to intimidate journalists. We urge the Turkish authorities that organised trolling campaigns against journalists can have severe consequences. We demand an apology to journalist Ebru Baki.
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.
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