Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: May 28, 2021

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

Journalists Derya Saadet and Fatoş Erdoğan were prevented by police while covering the student demonstration of Israel strikes. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns police violence against journalists who continue their professions under such difficult conditions. We demand Turkish law enforcement to ensure journalists’ safety. None of the journalists can be prevented from doing their job.

Sendika.Org reporter Derya Saadet and Dokuz8News’ Fatoş Erdoğan were intervened by the police while covering the student protests. The students who made a press statement at Istanbul University to protest Israeli attacks against Palestine, were then followed and detained citing General Information Scan (GBT) as a reason. When journalists followed the incident, police prevented them from the scene, giving the Directorate General of Security (EGM) directive as an excuse. On April 27, the Director of EGM, Mehmet Aktaş, sent a directive to all police stations to “take necessary action” to stop people who are taking audio and visual recordings of public demonstrations. The police also demanded journalists to show the official press card and told them to leave by not accepting their institute identity.

The video of Fatos Erdogan's indicated that the police stopped her filming by pushing the journalist. Emphasising that the intervention was "unconstitutional", the police answered Fatoş saying that "What you do has nothing to do with the press."

Speaking to CFWIJ, Sendika.Org reporter Derya Saadet stated that the police violence against women colleagues is not new. She said, "It has been challenging for us to do our job before the police directive”. “When police put hands on my camera while I am filming, it is an attack on the people's right to be informed. Before the directive, the police were threatening us saying, ‘If you do not go, I will take action’ and now they are taking it. They are committing a crime according to the law," she added.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented three separate cases of police violence against Fatoş. Throughout Turkey, since the beginning of 2021, nearly 20 women journalists have been attacked while reporting in the field. Many were subjected to police violence while following protests. We condemn the police violence against journalists and are deeply concerned about the safety of journalists. We demand law enforcement to fulfil the conditions to ensure their safety rather than attacking journalists.

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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