A word unbecoming of a journalist: Provocation

When Syrian refugees were attacked in Kayseri, first Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, and then the entire state apparatus, made the diagnosis: "provocative acts."

When there were attacks on the Turkish flag and trucks in areas of Syria under the control of the Turkish Armed Forces, the same diagnosis appeared: "provocation."

We have been reading news about "provocation" in the pro-government media for days, and it still continues. Explaining all these attacks as "provocation" is closely related to being a government satellite and taking the easy way out. After all, no matter where an incident occurs, just say "provocation" and move on; how easy, isn't it?

A journalist is a professional who does not just chase what is visible, but aims to uncover what lies behind it. When an incident occurs, they are obligated not to be content with what is visible, but to question the reasons, investigate, and report on all aspects.

How did the harassment of a child by a Syrian person in Kayseri lead to attacks on refugees? As journalists, this is the fundamental question we must investigate and seek the answer to. Of course, there may be instigators, and these must also be investigated. But if the attacks that started in one city are spreading rapidly like forest fires to Konya, Adana, and Gaziantep, if a 15-year-old Syrian youth is killed in Antalya, and if similar attacks have occurred before in Ankara's Altındağ, the "provocation" label is not enough to understand or explain these attacks.

As Yeni Şafak reported, "Syrians cannot go out for fear," and this is the case in many cities. When microphones are extended to them, these people express their fears and anxieties. On the other hand, there is a large, angry, and reactive mass that does not care that the refugees are in fear.

As journalists, if we do not try to understand and explain this reaction and the reasons why it turns into attacks, we will not contribute to a solution. As in the title of Bahar Gönül's interview in BirGün, "Ignoring it will not solve this problem"; we have to look at the source of the problem. Of course, investigating the source is harder and more arduous than slapping on a "provocation" label and washing one's hands of it.

Explaining the attacks in Syria with the "provocation" label and portraying them as the opposite of the events in Kayseri is also taking the easy way out. The burning of the Turkish flag and the stoning of trucks are connected to President Erdoğan's announcement two days ago that he could meet with Syrian President Assad. The protesters and attackers, among whom are soldiers from the FSA, are already saying this. You may recall that the day after Erdoğan announced last year that he could meet with Assad, there were protests in Al-Bab, Jarabulus, Idlib, and Afrin.

Journalist Hediye Levent, who knows the region well, says, "It is now necessary to ask questions like, 'Why is Turkey covering all the expenses of tens of thousands of FSA members, why does it still support these groups, what is the PTT and the public garden doing in northern Syria?'" She is very right, but the pro-government media, instead of asking questions, brushes it off by saying "provocation" and tries to cover up the problems; at the same time, it tries to spread the impression that Assad is ready to meet with Erdoğan at a moment's notice.

Slapping the "provocation" label on every such case so quickly does not suit the tongue or the craft of journalists. This is an attitude that is an enemy to our country, our people, and, most importantly, to the truth.

"INFLATION BASKET" AND JOURNALISM

Ekonomim columnist Alaattin Aktaş displayed a striking example of economic and data journalism by writing about the prices of items in the "inflation basket" that TUIK has not disclosed for two years, despite the criticisms of all politicians, economists, and a court ruling.

Moreover, he did not receive these prices as a ready-made list from someone; he sat down and calculated them by applying the inflation rates that TUIK has been announcing for two years to the prices of the items in the last "inflation basket" that TUIK announced in April 2022.

TUIK President Erhan Çetinkaya could not deny the list Aktaş announced at the press conference; he only tried to defend their practices, which no one trusts. No one from the opposition media was invited to the press conference announced before Aktaş's article; there were representatives and writers from the pro-government media. Naturally, when that was the case, no critical questions were asked.

Also, Aktaş's article confirmed once again that journalists do not read news to the end.

Because the table Aktaş announced was written and said in some media outlets as "TUIK announced it." There were even those who said "TUIK leaked the table to Aktaş." However, Aktaş clearly explained in his article how he calculated the table.

Ekonomim's editorial choice was also surprising. They brushed off the most talked-about economic news of recent times on the front page with a two-line announcement saying, "Here are the item prices that TUIK hides like a state secret."

That day, the headline also featured statements made to the newspaper by AKP Group Deputy Chairman Mustafa Elitaş.

The very ordinary words of a government spokesperson were found more valuable than the "inflation basket" news that millions were talking about and which deserved congratulations!

PARTNERS IN THE "TERRORISTS IN SKIRTS" LIE

The news published by Anadolu Agency in 2016, "Terrorists caught while fleeing wearing skirts and veils," was based on information provided by the General Staff.

Then, a few days apart, news stories titled "Four terrorists in skirts caught in Silopi" and "Terrorists in skirts caught red-handed" were published in Habertürk, Sabah, Milliyet, Karar, Yeni Akit, and news websites. All of them contained the same information and photos, but there were no names of those caught.


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The news published in January 2016 was forgotten, but M.S.A., one of the young people in the photo, started a legal battle and proved that the "terrorists in skirts" news was a fabrication.

Evaluating the young man's application, the Constitutional Court determined that "the police encountered the young people during a GBT (identity) check and took photos of them wearing skirts due to a traditional New Year's celebration, and then these photos were used in the 'Terrorists in skirts caught' news."

The Constitutional Court ruled that 150 thousand liras in compensation be paid to M.S.A., whose honor and reputation were violated due to these news stories, which it decided were "fabricated" and "clearly a lie."

After the Constitutional Court decision, it is expected that the TV channels, news websites, and newspapers that published the "terrorists in skirts" news eight years ago should apologize to both this young man and their readers and viewers. Principled journalism that respects truth and people requires this.

But the media organizations that published those news stories, let alone apologizing and correcting the news, did not even publish the Constitutional Court decision... They chose to be partners in the 'lie' willingly. Yet, if the goal is to support the fight against terrorists, the way to do that is to remain loyal to the truth, not to lies.

HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL THAT FOOTAGE BE SHOWN?

Footage of criminal organization leader Ayhan Bora Kaplan being caught at the exit of Esenboğa Airport has been on screens ever since that day. And not just 1-2 times in every news report, but the same footage keeps playing over and over throughout the news; "Lie down, lie down on the ground." Repeated five times, ten times.

This footage is still on the screens. Kaplan's footage was broadcast again during the statements of Serdar Sertçelik, the number two of the gang who fled abroad despite wearing an electronic shackle. After the arrest of police chiefs, that footage was broadcast again; it was broadcast once more after the indictment was prepared.

Finally, that footage kept spinning on screens with the news where İsmail Saymaz voiced the allegation that "Serdar Sertçelik gave a bribe to former Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ in his testimony," and Bozdağ denied this allegation. They repeat that footage at every opportunity. They will probably broadcast it after the first hearing of the police officers on July 18.

I am sure that everyone who watches television news bulletins in this country has been exposed to that footage dozens of times. For some reason, it never occurs to any TV executive to stop this torture. Moreover, they don't even feel the need to write "Archive" in a corner while these images are repeated.

There is already a state in the way TV news bulletins broadcast footage that bores and misleads the viewer. No matter what the event or speech is, the same footage is repeated many times throughout the broadcast without warning the viewer, and it is never stated that it is an archive. Most of the time, irrelevant footage keeps spinning on the screen just to have something to show.

The funniest thing is showing money counting machines in economic news, the Central Bank building, and everything they think is related to the economy. It was also magnificent broadcasting when the image of former president Hafize Gaye Erkan was played twice while talking about the Central Bank on a news channel's morning economy program!

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