Turkey: Journalists Detained After Police Raid Because Of 'Coronavirus News'

Location: Turkey, Antalya
Date: March 20, 2020

Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe

CFWIJ condemns Turkish authorities’ crackdown on journalists covering Covid-19. The novel coronavirus has begun spreading in the country; four people have died as of today, and another 359 are said to be infected.

We have been observing the situation and note with frustration that authorities are now trying to control the news journalists are producing about the disease. Two journalists, including one woman journalist, were recently detained in Antalya because of their stories.

On March 16, Ebru Küçükaydın, a general publication coordinator of news website Haberimizvar.net, was taken into custody from her home in Antalya because of her story about the coronavirus. She was released after her statement was recorded at a local police station. The news was also deleted from the website.

Releasing Ebru means nothing if it was only possible with the deletion of her story. We urge Turkish authorities to let women journalists do their jobs in peace.

This is no time for censorship and authorities should be controlling information and detaining journalists - the work that they do helps sensitize the public, and could help contain the spread of the disease.

While talking about the story, Ebru said that her only purpose was to inform the public. “They took me and my colleague İdris Özyol from our homes in the morning. We were accused of creating panic among people. We have given our statements and the prosecution will now decide if a lawsuit will be filed,” she said.

“We have deleted the news. Our aim was to sensitize people about the virus. The government has tried to keep the news under control when it comes to this issue,” she added.

During a time when the coronavirus has been classified a high-level risk, and a pandemic by the World Health Organization, it is abysmal that authorities are choosing to stifle information instead of raising more awareness.

This is not the time for censorship but collaboration. We urge the Turkish government to work with the press to keep people safe and healthy in these troubling times. We urge authorities to stop persecuting journalists for their work related to Covid-19 and ensure transparency of relevant information.

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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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