Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Turkey To End Their Assault On Press Freedom
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: January 13, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The second hearing of the case filed against Olcay Büyüktaş Akça, the senior editor of Cumhuriyet Newspaper, and former reporter Alican Uludağ, was held yesterday in İstanbul. The journalists face terrorism charges for the news aired about the Ankara massacre of October 10, 2015. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) appreciates the journalists’ dedicated work commitment to keeping the public informed. Reporting the truth is not a crime but a fundamental duty of journalists. We demand Olcay and Alican’s immediate acquittal.
The second hearing of the case against the journalists was held yesterday at Istanbul’s 32nd High Criminal Court. Journalist Alican Uludağ and her lawyers were present in court, though Olcay Büyüktaş Akça did not attend. During the hearing, Alican denied the charges against him and requested his acquittal from the court. The journalist also stated that he does not want the announcement of the verdict to be postponed in case of a penalty. Alican’s lawyer, Buket Yazıcı, requested the discrepancies in the file be corrected.
The court rejected the journalist’s requests. The court is awaiting a reply to the letter written to Ankara’s 4th High Criminal Court in the previous hearing, requesting the indictment for the journalists’ story on the massacre. Pending the possible indictment, the trial will be shaped accordingly at the next hearing scheduled for March 16, 2021.
The massacre story revealed that the police were informed 11 days before the Ankara bombings that two ISIS members tried to get ammonium nitrate from a fertilizer dealer in Nizip, Gaziantep, a compound known to increase the power of the explosive.
One hundred and three people died from the terrorist attack at the Peace Rally held in Ankara on October 10, 2015.
Journalists Alican Uludağ and Olcay Büyüktaş Akça face charges of disclosing or publishing the identity of those who report crime and criminals. Journalist Alican Uludağ is alleged to have declared or published crimes and the identity of those who denounced the criminals. The prosecutor is requesting a prison sentence of three years for the charges.
Olcay Büyüktaş Akça claims she did not participate in the crime allegedly committed by Alican. Olcay faces a judicial fine should she be found guilty for her involvement.
At the previous hearing, the journalists denied the allegations against them, underlining their duty to inform the public about the worst terrorist attack in Turkey’s history.
Olcay Büyüktaş Akça has been named in a separate trial with Cumhuriyet newspaper reporter Hazal Ocak, editor-in-chief İpek Özbey and photojournalist Vedat Arık for the news published under the heading "There is a Fugitive in the Bosphorus" on April 14, 2020. The prosecution has requested the journalists be sentenced between five to fourteen years in prison. The charges include targeting persons who have taken part in the fight against terrorism, violating the privacy of secret life, violating privacy by recording images, and unlawfully disclosing images of persons' private life.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism appreciates the journalists for their determined stance in fulfilling their duties to reveal the details behind this massacre. We demand the authorities drop the charges filed against the journalists. We believe the judicial system used to silence journalists should be redirected towards finding justice for the families of the Ankara massacre victims.
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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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