Turkey: “Press Holiday” Is Yet Again “Day Of Struggle For Freedom Of The Press”
Location: Turkey, Ankara
Date: July 24, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The celebration of July 24 as the "Press Holiday" is based on the announcement of the second constitutionalism regime in 1908, transferring some of the powers of Sultan Abdulhamit to a Cabinet of Ministers.
Journalists, who have been inspected daily by Abdulhamit's “censorship servants” up until that day all decided to not allow censorship servants into their newspapers for the first time on July 24, 1908 so the newspapers were published without any interference from the Sultanate for the first time in many years.
In 1948, “The Community of Turkish Journalists” chaired by Sedat Simavi announced that from then on, July 24 would be celebrated as "Press Holiday".
However, after the military memorandum of March 12, 1971, with the increasing pressure on journalists and arrests of journalists, it was decided to refer to July 24 as the "Day of Struggle for Freedom of the Press".
In the past 49 years, Turkey has witnessed one military coup, a coup attempt, and numerous detentions and arrests of journalists, so that is why July 24 is still not a "holiday" to be celebrated but is a day of struggle.
As of today, 76 journalists, including Ayşenur Parıldak, Büşra Erdal, Hatice Duman, Hülya Kılınç and Müyesser Yıldız, are imprisoned. In the first half of 2020, 40 women journalists were subjected to lawsuits and investigations due to their journalistic activities. Journalists face police violence while reporting on the ground along with arbitrary arrests and impediment of work, the latest of which we have seen in the example of Sibel Hürtaş, member of Turkish Journalists’ Union.
Yesterday, just a day before this “holiday” a proposed law was presented to The Grand National Assembly to further impose censorship on online media. The proposed law called “Law Proposal for the Amendment of the Law on the Controlling of Broadcasts on the Internet and Combating Crimes Committed Through These Publications” will play a role in silencing the media furthermore, especially in an atmosphere where written and visual media tools are already under immense pressure and censorship. We urge the authorities to repeal the proposed law which would severely violate the rights of the public to access information as well as violate the constitutional right of freedom of expression.
As The Coalition For Women In Journalism, we do not celebrate a "Press Holiday" in an environment where journalists are accused of being "terrorists and crime machines", where they face countless threats and pressures every day, and are forced into "self-censorship". On this day, we declare that we are in solidarity with all journalists in their struggle for freedom of the press.
...
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.