Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Action To End Police Brutality Against Journalists

Location: Turkey
Date: July 28, 2021
Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

The CFWIJ recognizes police violence in Turkey as one of the most urgent issues. Our monitoring and research in the last two years has shown a consistent rise in physical police violence against journalists covering various issues in the country, and particularly a rise in violence against women journalists.

We demand an end to the systematic police violence that deliberately targets journalists in Turkey. In a country that claims to respect and protect democracy and the free press, journalists must be able to do their job without feeling threatened.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) continues to follow the direct targeting of journalists and the disproportionate use of force against women journalists who follow events in the country. We consider the latest events quite alarming and we are deeply concerned about the physical assaults women journalists have suffered.

Since the beginning of 2021, CFWIJ has recorded at least 44 women journalists subjected to police violence in Turkey. Three women journalists' had their houses raided and were detained for their journalistic activities. At least 13 female reporters were detained while following events in the field. Many of them were exposed to verbal harassment by the police at the same time as those cases.

The latest incident, which took place on the first day of the sacrificial Eid on July 20, 2021, proved the escalating police brutality in the country. Journalists following the commemoration for those killed in the Suruç Massacre were not only besieged by the police, but also faced severe physical violence that amounted to injury. CFWIJ took immediate action and recorded at least eight women journalists who were physically assaulted by the police force.

As seen in other years, women journalists face police violence almost every day in Turkey. In comparison to the cases we recorded in 2020, violence against women journalists has sharply increased by 170.14% this year.

In 2021, Evrensel Newspaper’s Ayşen Şahin was among the journalists whose house was raided and detained for following the student protests at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. Another one was Pınar Gayıp. The reason behind her detention was working for the opposition news outlet Etkin News Agency (ETHA). Jinnews reporter Beritan Canözer remained in custody for four days because of her journalistic coverage. 

The safety of women journalists is currently under threat. Women journalists were not only subject to the disproportionate force of the police in the field, but they were also detained. The outlet cards of most women journalists were not accepted as press ID because they were not approved by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications. With this pretext, the police intervened in the field, and the journalists were easily detained.

With the directive initiated by the General Directorate of Security (EGM) on April 27, 2021, it became nearly impossible for journalists to do their job. It paved the way for the direct intervention of journalists filming and the social movements they followed.

Women journalists no longer feel safe in the field, the places they work, or their homes. Being beaten by the police, unwarranted raids, verbal and physical harassment, the possibility of damaged equipment, and widespread detentions make it exceedingly difficult for journalists to do their job. 

CFWIJ invites everyone to join our campaign to raise awareness about this issue and to help us support women journalists. Join us in saying enough is enough to the police violence that is instigated by what we observe to be state oppression and extends into the justice system of the country. While we demand women journalists be free and safe, we would like to invite everyone to support women journalists and sign the petition to create social awareness with the hashtag #WeAreNotSafe.

Signatories:

  1. Kiran Nazish, Founding Director at CFWIJ

  2. Damla Tarhan, Operations Manager at CFWIJ

  3. Ceren İskit, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ

  4. Aimun Faisal, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ

  5. Ayesha Khalid, Researcher at CFWIJ

  6. Ali Şeker, Member of Parliament

  7. Erol Katırcıoğlu, Member of Parliament

  8. Filiz Kerestecioğlu, Member of Parliament

  9. Oya Ersoy, Member of Parliament

  10. Saliha Sera Kadıgil Sütlü, Member of Parliament

  11. Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç, Member of Parliament

  12. Turan Aydogan, Member of Parliament

  13. Utku Çakırözer, Member of Parliament

  14. Zeynel Özen, Member of Parliament

  15. Serpil Kemalbay, Politician, Former HDP Co-Chair

  16. Progressive Journalists Association (PJA)

  17. DİSK Basın-İş

  18. Erol Önderoğlu, RSF (Reporters Without Borders)

  19. Gülfem Karataş, Member of TGS Women and LGBTI+ Commission

  20. Özgür Öğret, Committee to Protect Journalists

  21. Sanar Yurdatapan, IFoX / Initiative for Freedom of Expression

  22. Adnan Bilen, Journalist

  23. Ahmet Dilekçi, Retired Journalist

  24. Ayşegül Kaplan, Journalist, Kozmopolitik

  25. Ayşegül Özbek, Journalist, Bianet

  26. Ayşen Şahin, Journalist, Evrensel Newspaper

  27. Ayşenur Arslan, Journalist, Halk TV

  28. Bahattin Seçil, Journalist, Newspaper Patika

  29. Banu Güven, Journalist

  30. Berna Kishin, Journalist, Mesopotamia Agency

  31. Buse Söğütlü, Journalist, Gazete Yolculuk

  32. Büşra Taşkıran, Journalist

  33. Can Dündar, Journalist

  34. Canan Kaya, Journalist, Medya Koridoru

  35. Candan Yildiz, Journalist

  36. Ceylan Bulut, Journalist, Sendika.Org

  37. Ceylan Şahinli, Journalist, Mesopotamia Agency

  38. Çağlar Tekin, Journalist

  39. Demet ARAN, Journalist

  40. Derya Saadet, Journalist, Sendika.Org

  41. Dilek Atlı, Journalist

  42. Dilek Dindar, Journalist

  43. Dilek İçten, Journalist, Media and Migration Association

  44. Durket Süren, Journalist, Eva Production

  45. Elif Cetiner, Journalist, Artı TV

  46. Elif Ekin Saltık, Journalist, Evrensel Newspaper

  47. Elif Ünal, Journalist, Yeşil Gazete

  48. Emre Orman, Journalist

  49. Erdinç Ergenç, Journalist, Mergermarket

  50. Erdogan Alayumat, Journalist

  51. Esra Tokat, Journalist, Dokuz8News

  52. Eylem Nazlıer, Journalist, Evrensel Newspaper

  53. Fatoş Erdoğan, Journalist, Dokuz8News

  54. Filiz Zeyrek, Journalist, Jinnews

  55. Füsun Erdoğan, Journalist, Jin TV

  56. Gözde Çağrı Özköse, Journalist, Mesopotamia Agency

  57. Gülbahar Altaş, Journalist, Independent Turkish Service

  58. Habibe Eren, Journalist, Jinnews

  59. Hamide Rencüzoğulları, Journalist

  60. İrem Afşin, Journalist, Medyascope

  61. Izel Sezer, Journalist, İleri Haber

  62. Mag Wompel, Journalist, LabourNet Germany

  63. Mehveş Evin, Journalist, Kısa Dalga

  64. Melike Aydın, Journalist, Jinnews

  65. Melis Alphan, Journalist

  66. Monia Minnucci, Journalist, Cittadina Italiana

  67. Murat İnceoğlu, Journalist, Gazete Duvar

  68. Musa Özuğurlu, Journalist

  69. Nazan Özcan, Journalist, Bianet

  70. Ogün Akkaya, Journalist

  71. Öznur Değer, Journalist, Jinnews

  72. Paola Rosà, Journalist, OBC Transeuropa

  73. Pervin Yerlikaya, Journalist, Yeni Özgür Politika

  74. Pınar Gayıp, Journalist, ETHA

  75. Rojin Altay, Journalist, Mesopotamia Agency

  76. Roman Dietinger, Journalist, Unsere Zeitung 

  77. Ruken Demir, Journalist

  78. Seda Balmumcu, Journalist, BirGün Newspaper

  79. Seda Taşkın, Journalist, Artı TV

  80. Serbeze Haxhiaj, Journalist, RTK

  81. Songül Altuntaş, Journalist

  82. Sultan Eylem Keleş, Journalist, Artı TV

  83. Tim Smith, Journalist, Brandon Sun

  84. Tuba Altunkaya, Journalist, Euronews

  85. Tuğçe Biçer, Journalist, ANKA News

  86. Turgut Dedeoğlu, Cameraman, Artı TV

  87. Vedat Örüç, Journalist

  88. Yadigar Aygün, Journalist, Gazete Karınca

  89. Yağmur Kaya, Journalist, Artı Gerçek

  90. Fatma Yörür, Amnesty Turkey

  91. Zale Karademir, Journalist

  92. Zeynep Erdim, Journalist, BBC

  93. Zeynep Kuray, Journalist, BirGün and Fırat News Agency

  94. Zülal Koçer, Journalist

  95. Zeliha Midilli, Retired Journalist

  96. Eren Siverek, Camera Operator, Red Advertisement

  97. Sibel Tekin, Documentary Filmmaker - Video Activist

  98. Ceren Sözeri, Academician

  99. Hakan Koçak, Academician

  100. Nilgün Çekin, Academician

  101. Özgür Müftüoğlu, Academician

  102. Pınar Dağ, Academician

  103. Günçe Balçın, Lawyer 

  104. Hülya Gülbahar, Lawyer

  105. Şenal Sarıhan, Lawyer

  106. Ayşegül Göktaş, Teacher

  107. Ebru Özkan, Teacher

  108. Elif Savaşcı Alparda, Teacher

  109. Emre Şolt, Teacher

  110. Fatma Deniz, Teacher

  111. Hülya Altuğ, Teacher

  112. Michael Knapp, Teacher

  113. Pelin Erkoç, Teacher

  114. Bengül Gölge, Doctor

  115. Füsun Düzcan, Doctor

  116. Gizem Yavuz, Doctor

  117. İlknur Aktaş, Doctor

  118. Mine Ergelen, Doctor

  119. Tuğba Baş, Doctor

  120. Gizem Karan, Vet

  121. Gül Gülgönen, Eczacıbaşı Health Services

  122. Bülent Atamer, Engineer

  123. Derya Kip, Textile Engineer

  124. Memet Ali Doruk, Softwre Engineer

  125. Erdoğan Aslan, Insurance Sales Person

  126. Hicran Altundal, Insurance Sales Person

  127. Olcay Yedikızanlı, Insurance Sales Person

  128. Gülnur Gümüş Sümer, Banker

  129. İsmail Demir, Graphic Designer

  130. Seda Çetin, Entrepreneur

  131. Burcu Bingöllü, NGO staff

  132. Nalan Sönmez, Accountant 

  133. Pelin Gümüş, Manager

  134. Yeşim Demirasal, Manager

  135. Arzu Erten, Student

  136. Beyzanur Alanbay, Student

  137. Dilek Ergün, Student

  138. Hacer Bakır, Student

  139. Kerim Küçük, Student

  140. Pınar Sungur, Student

  141. Birsen Küçüktoy, Retired

  142. Neval Dalçık, Retired

  143. Serpil Gönüllü, Retired

  144. Seval Eser, Retired

  145. Şaziye Aydoğan, Retired

  146. Özge Elif Salttürk, Housewife

  147. Baronchelli Federico

  148. Christopher Wilkner

  149. Gülten Tekinay

 

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.

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