Turkiye: Çiğdem Toker Under Investigation for Election-Related Comments

Authorities first fined Fox TV for the comments, now opening criminal case against the journalist

Location: Turkiye, Ankara
Date: February 1, 2024

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the ongoing legal harassment and intimidation against Çiğdem Toker, a respected economic reporter with T24 news. We are deeply troubled by the recent criminal investigation initiated by Turkish prosecutors for her comments made during a televised program following the presidential election runoff in May 2023. Toker's expression of skepticism regarding the election's validity and a subtle suggestion of potential opposition protests led to fines on Fox TV, the airing network. Despite these penalties, authorities have escalated the situation by launching a criminal investigation into Toker herself. Her courageous journalism has repeatedly made her the target of court cases, fines, and harassment by the Turkish state. This pattern of relentless harassment of journalists in Turkey reflects the alarming state of press freedom in the country. We strongly condemn the consistent harassment of journalists by the Turkish state, evident in frequent court hearings on spurious charges, and unequivocally demand an end to this legal intimidation, urging the state to redirect its focus toward addressing genuine issues rather than futile attempts to criminalize journalism. The investigation into Çiğdem Toker must be dropped immediately.

On February 1, 2024, Çiğdem Toker revealed she was summoned by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for her comments made on Fox TV during a program following a presidential election runoff in May 2023. The runoff was held after neither President Erdoğan nor his rival, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, surpassed the 50 percent threshold in the initial election. Erdoğan eventually won.

During the show, Toker questioned the legitimacy of the election results, stating that "democracy is not just about elections" and implying that citizens should express their dissatisfaction through protests. She is now facing an investigation and being accused of criminal incitement based on a complaint from a viewer disturbed by her comments.

In response to the investigation, Çiğdem Toker testified to police, asserting that her remarks on election night were not criminal and merely exercised her democratic right to express dissent. She said that her comments were not intended to incite criminal behavior.

Fox TV, the channel on which Toker made her comments, was previously fined by Turkiye’s broadcasting watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), in June for violating broadcasting guidelines. The fines were imposed, in part, due to Toker’s statements.

Çiğdem Toker, known for her extensive reporting on irregularities in government tenders and financial misconduct by government officials, has faced numerous court cases in the past. In 2022, Toker was fined 30,000 Turkish Liras ($985) over an article on Istanbul Municipality’s budget.  

Turkiye, ranked 165th among 180 countries in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has faced consistent accusations of suppressing press freedom. The Turkish government repeatedly attempts to control the press by imprisoning journalists, shutting down media outlets, and influencing media ownership.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly denounces the decision to initiate a criminal investigation into the remarks made by Çiğdem Toker on Fox TV. It is both disconcerting and perplexing that the Ankara Public Prosecutor would choose to embark on such an absurd probe, targeting Toker for merely expressing her opinion on a political talk show. Journalism is not a crime, and the potential pursuit of criminal charges against Toker poses a serious threat to the principles of free speech and press freedom. We call upon the prosecutor to exercise reason, terminate this investigation, and stop subjecting journalists to unwarranted scrutiny and baseless criminal charges.

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 women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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