Turkey: Trial Related To Hurriyet Employees’ Termination Begins
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: February 27, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Around 45 wrongly dismissed journalists took Hurriyet to court today. They were dismissed four months ago.
The journalists are members of the Turkish Journalists' Union (TGS). The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the unjust termination of all the journalists and demands that Hürriyet reinstate them immediately.
The journalists were notified of the dismissal through a letter which was sent to their homes, while they were still at work. They were terminated without any compensation, legal rights, or justice. Some journalists also reported that access to their computer and e-mail accounts was blocked.
Speaking in front of the courthouse, TGS President Gökhan Durmuş said, "They learned that they were dismissed with the notification which was sent to their homes. The right to be unionized was not respected, nor was their money paid for years."
TGS also protested the dismissal through a statement: “It's time to showdown. 45 of our friends, who want to work in better conditions, to use their pen freely in Hürriyet newspaper and who use the right to be unionized, were fired."
The statement further went onto say that the government acted as a spectator and did not do anything to help the situation. The case has been adjourned till April 17. The court asked for missing evidence and documents and decided to hear witnesses during the next hearing.
Unfair dismissals and the lack of respect for the union is becoming commonplace in the industry. The rights of all journalists must be upheld and we urge the courts to ensure that this trial does not run for a very long time. Our friends must return to their jobs and the newspaper must respect their rights as workers.
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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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