Turkey: CFWIJ Condemns The Arrest Of Journalist Müyesser Yildiz Over 'Military Espionage' Charges
Location: Turkey, Ankara
Date: June 12, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷Türkçe
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the arrest of ODATV Ankara News Manager Müyesser Yıldız, who was detained on June 8 over allegations of “military espionage”. We demand that the journalist be acquitted of charges and released.
Müyesser Yıldız was detained alongside with TELE1 TV Ankara Representative İsmail Dükel on 8 June by Ankara Counter Terrorism Branch of the State Police Department.
Odatv Ankara News Manager Müyesser Yıldız, who was under detention for four days in the Ankara Anti-Terrorism Branch Directorate alongside Tele1 TV Ankara Representative İsmail Dükel and army officer EB who was detained with the allegation of “reveiling confidential information about the state's security, domestic or foreign political benefits”. The journalist gave her statement to the prosecutor yesterday.
Müyesser Yıldız was then arrested for “suspicion of spoliation of evidence and escape” over “military espionage” charges. In the initial arrest report, her phone calls and two news articles that she published on military operations Turkey conducted in Syria and Libya that are not related to the phone calls she made was mentioned as evidence.
Müyesser Yıldız had previously served 16 months in Silivri prison in 2012 over a series of “conspiratory arrests” that the state officials later declared.
Speaking with the Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül on the subject, journalist Cüneyt Özdemir criticized the decision with the words "I think, we are facing a world press history because a journalist was detained for not reporting".
It is a requirement of professional responsibility of a journalist to conduct research about the country where they live in. Journalists cannot be forced to reveal their sources of news. As a requirement of democracy, journalists should be able to report without being exposed to any civil, political and legal pressure.
Müyesser Yıldız is not the first women journalist to be arrested over “espionage” allegations in the country. Many journalists, especially women journalists, have been imprisoned with similar charges. The number of arrests and imprisonments have increased after the failed coup attempt in 2016.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands for immediate release of all women journalists in prison and drop charges against those who are being tried for doing their job.
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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 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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