Turkey: CFWIJ Condemns Police Brutality Against Journalists On 1 May Labor Day
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: May 5, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Journalists Buse Söğütlü and Derya Doğan were obstructed by the police while documenting the police brutality against the demonstrators who gathered in İstanbul Taksim Square on Labor Day. Journalist Buse Söğütlü was also briefly detained while she was covering the unfolding events, despite having her international press credentials. The journalist was released after giving her statement. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) strongly condemns police violence and urges Turkish authorities to take immediate action against the police officers who are responsible for violating the rights of journalists.
Daily Yolculuk reporter Buse Söğütlü and independent journalist Derya Doğan were obstructed while following the demonstrators that took to Taksim Square for the Labor Day. Their right to report was violated because there was no "turquoise press card" provided by the Directorate of Communications. Journalist Buse Söğütlü was also briefly detained while she was filming the police brutality against protestors.
Taksim Square, one of the symbolic landmarks, holds a special place for labor unions and political groups in Turkey celebrating May 1st. However, the Istanbul governor has banned the celebrations in Taksim, giving a reason for “bloody Labor Day”, where 35 people died in 1977, during the celebrations. Since then Taksim was banned from Labor Day celebrations.
Announcing the detention on her social media account, Buse highlighted that the press card she obtained from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) was not accepted by the security forces. “Yesterday, when I was detained in Taksim Istiklal, my phone was filming [the police brutality]. In the video, you will see how three policemen declared the @IFJGlobal card invalid, torture me, how they [police] surrounded Taksim to the public and obstructed journalists,” she said on Twitter.
#Turkey: Police briefly detained Buse Söğütlü (@busesogutlu) while she was covering Labour Day events near İstanbul’s Taksim Square. Scores of journalists were obstructed & detained while following the rally, which officials termed “unauthorized”. #CFWIJ condemns the incident. pic.twitter.com/vHYkyeLVf0
— #WomenInJournalism (@CFWIJ) May 2, 2022
Journalist Derya Doğan, on the other hand, took to her Twitter account that she was also obstructed from entering the area. The journalist shared the video in which Buse Söğütlü was detained and said, “Look at the way journalists were treated on May 1. That's a shame. They stopped me from doing my job yesterday by saying that they do not accept the @IFJGlobal card, which is valid all over the world. The video explains pretty much the reason behind this obstruction and what they were trying to hide.”. The journalist also added that accreditation was applied at the entrances to Taksim Square.
Buse Söğütlü was previously detained while following the Feminist Night March held on March 8, International Women's Day in 2020. The journalist and 35 defendants were charged with "resisting public officers" and “damaging public property”. The trial of the journalist continues.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the police violence against journalists who are solely doing their job. We urge security authorities to ensure journalists' safety rather than detaining and beating them. We demand the Turkish authorities impose the necessary criminal sanctions against the police officers who abused their power and detained the journalist. Journalism is not a crime.
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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