Look at those who say 'so-called journalist'

The word "so-called," which has been worn thin, is now being used for journalists as well. Some people, who see themselves as having the authority to decide who is a journalist and who is a "so-called journalist," are labeling journalists too.

The newspaper Yeni Akit targeted journalists Nevşin Mengü and Özlem Gürses in its headline, "Both the CHP and its media are a national security problem," and slapped them with the "so-called journalist" label. Türkiye newspaper columnist Cem Küçük wrote that T24 editor Gözde Yel is a "so-called journalist." Bengütürk and MHP Deputy Chairman İsmail Özdemir also directed this characterization at Gerçek Gündem Editor-in-Chief Seyhan Avşar.  

However, these colleagues of ours are not "so-called" anything; they are journalists, plain and simple. Their "crime" in the eyes of those labeling them is that they maintain a critical stance toward the government, as required by journalism.

They detained Nevşin Mengü and filed a lawsuit against her because she conducted an interview with PYD Co-Chair Salih Müslim. But a journalist talks to everyone; the state cannot decide who they can speak with. If you don't like it or find it wrong, the most you can do is criticize or debate it. Attempting to detain and prosecute them is an effort to pressure and intimidate.

The reason for Özlem Gürses's detention was also a sentence in her YouTube broadcast. Even if it were not a slip of the tongue and she were saying what she believed, being detained, handcuffed, and sentenced to house arrest because of a single sentence is an interference with freedom of expression and thought. 

The reason for the investigation opened against Seyhan Avşar is her social media posts. 

Avşar had written about Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan, who were killed in Syria, saying, "...two of our journalist colleagues lost their lives due to a bomb dropped on them. Politicians are silent, journalists are silent, NGOs are silent." You may not like or agree with it, but as a journalist, Avşar was making a situational assessment and expressing her evaluation. 

Cem Küçük does not stop at labeling T24 editor Gözde Yel a "so-called journalist"; he also calls her a "DEM Party sympathizer." If he is saying this because an investigation was opened into T24's report on Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan, Gözde Yel's byline is not on that report; moreover, that report contains statements from professional organizations such as the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association and DİSK Basın-İş.

 I think Cem Küçük's real anger stems from the fact that Gözde Yel's article included the statement, 'If it is not a crime when Cem Küçük does it, but a crime when Tolga Şardan does it, then the balance of justice is skewed,' regarding the 'MIT report' case for which Tolga Şardan is being tried. Indeed, Cem Küçük, unable to contain himself, even writes that Tolga Şardan 'should rot in prison.' 

 The ironic part of the matter is that Cem Küçük, who constantly uses the 'so-called journalist' label, juggles being a writer and a shoe merchant! He is both a partner in a shoe company and a journalist!

 What Yeni Akit understands by journalism is evident from its insults, discrimination, hate speech, and publications that target individuals and institutions. As for Bengütürk and the MHP, their attitudes and threats regarding attacks on journalists have not been forgotten... 

A PROGRAM HOSTING A MURDERER 

Television stations cannot be free platforms where anyone can speak as they please, spout nonsense, commit crimes, or incite others to commit crimes. However, there is such a trend in our news channels; those who appear on screen say whatever comes to their mind, and most presenters are content with just nodding in approval.

Buket Aydın's program on TV100, which Oytun Erbaş attended, was just like that. While Erbaş mocked minimum wage earners by saying, 'Look, even if the minimum wage is fifty, give them fifty, people will still spend fifty. A poor life is the healthiest life,' there was no objection from Buket Aydın. On the contrary, Buket Aydın further elaborated on Oytun Erbaş's words, saying, 'So, they shouldn't be sad about the minimum wage, they should organize their lives according to the minimum wage,' thereby supporting his remarks. 

The 'Red Table' program on Akit TV, which featured M. Ali Ağca, the murderer of journalist Abdi İpekçi, is no different. The program's host, Muharrem Coşkun, did not oppose the harsh expressions and hate speech Ağca used against Abdi İpekçi and journalists. He even guided him with questions like, 'What should be done to those lieutenants?' and 'So, measures should be taken,' leading Ağca to say, 'If given the authority, I would hang them,' referring to the lieutenants at the Military Academy. 

Our news channels are like this, but a different example occurred last week on the BBC's Arabic channel. When Bekir Atacan, a Syrian Turkmen, said, 'If this murderer and terrorist insists on carrying weapons, the only solution is death,' while discussing the issue of the SDF laying down arms in Syria, the presenter immediately removed him from the screen. Then, the presenter ended the broadcast by stating, 'Inciting killing on BBC screens is morally unacceptable. These statements must be completely condemned.'

What should happen is what the BBC presenter did. When there is an incorrect or unacceptable statement, the presenter must immediately object and correct it on the spot. Otherwise, a journalist talks to everyone; even criminals can be brought on screen. The issue is how you conduct yourself when facing them.

But of course, if you cannot prevent Oytun Erbaş's mind-boggling speech, or if you cannot block the criminal remarks of murderer M. Ali Ağca—who feels no remorse for the murder he committed and even defends it—and instead act as a vehicle for him to whitewash himself, then you do not bring them on air; you cannot. 

When inviting a guest to a program, the fundamental criteria should be informing the public and the public interest... 

MEDIA THAT PROTECTS THE BOSS'S INTERESTS 

The story of the factory in Balıkesir, where 11 people lost their lives, is interesting. The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) seized the ZSR Explosives company, which owned the factory, after the July 15 coup attempt. Later, the company's shares were transferred to Zirve Holding and Senta Mining. Last April, 45 percent of the company's shares were transferred to a Czech-based firm called Topalipo AŞ.

The owner of Zirve Holding, which is still one of the partners of the factory, is Ömer Faruk Kalyoncu. In short, the owner of Turkuvaz Media, which includes media outlets such as Sabah and A Haber, is also a partner in this company where the explosion occurred.

We learned this information from news sites such as Gazete Pencere, BirGün, T24, Sol Haber, Sözcü, Gazete Duvar, Sendika.org, Veryansın TV, and 12Punto. However, this information was absent from the reports of Sabah, ATV, and A Haber, which are owned by Ö. Faruk Kalyoncu.

In fact, Sabah provided incomplete and misleading information to its readers by writing that it was a "factory belonging to ZSR Explosives Industry Inc., where the majority of shares and management are held by the Czech Republic-based CSG." This is because the Competition Authority's website stated that "joint control over the company" by the shareholders was permitted. Furthermore, information regarding who owned the other shares was hidden, and the boss's company was protected. It did not stop there; Sabah's report claimed that "security measures were complete," arguing that there were no deficiencies in terms of safety at the factory. 

Hürriyet also reported it as an "explosion at a Czech company's factory," making no mention of Ö. Faruk Kalyoncu or Turkuvaz Media. Newspapers and news sites such as Akşam, Milliyet, Türkiye, and Yeni Şafak did not touch upon the issue of the company's ownership at all. 

This incident once again reveals how important editorial independence is in the media. As can be seen, Sabah and other organizations within the Turkuvaz Group set aside the public's right to information and the public interest when the interests of their company owner are at stake, choosing instead to protect and shield their boss. Ownership structure and the formation of conglomerates are poisoning journalism. 

In a single sentence:

By filing a lawsuit seeking a prison sentence against BirGün Ankara Representative Nurcan Gökdemir due to a report from four years ago based on a Court of Accounts report regarding Ziraat Bank, an intervention was made into media freedom and the public's right to information.

A clothing brand with stores abroad took journalists from Akşam, AA, Cumhuriyet, Ekonomim, Türkiye, İHA, and A Haber on a trip to Belgrade, where they covered the company CEO's routine press conference and published signed reports.

Yeni Akit insulted CHP Spokesperson Deniz Yücel with the headline "CHP's clown, a monument to lack of standards" and insulted Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu with a report titled "'Corrupt' Ekrem." 

It was deceptive for the ABC, Sözcü, Yeni Akit, and Ensonhaber websites to use the headline "It was the first brand that came to mind when winter boots were mentioned: It went bankrupt" without mentioning that it was a Russian company.   

The report by Ali Gülen from Sözcü titled "Merkel earned 20 million euros from her memoirs" was quoted by the Akşam, Medyaradar, T24, Ensonhaber, and 10Haber websites without citing the source. 

Yeni Akit, which did not report on the protest by health professional organizations against the Family Medicine Regulation in Istanbul, wrote that family physicians were satisfied with this regulation, relying solely on two family physicians. 

Karar wrote that the prosecutor had "announced their decision on the merits" in the Narin Güran murder case, but prosecutors cannot announce a decision; they only announce their "opinion on the merits."  

Tele1, in its report that "the set where the series was filmed burned down," failed to provide the information that the set was built for the series "Şakir Paşa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar," which is broadcast on Now TV. 

ANKA, Cumhuriyet, and Sözcü used Murat Sabuncu's report from T24 titled "Footage of the torment inflicted on Tayfun Kahraman, for which 'investigation permission' was not granted!" without citing the source. 

Sözcü's report titled "She wants to divorce and move to London" lacked the information that Russian spokesperson Peskov had denied the claim that Asma al-Assad would divorce Bashar al-Assad. 

A tourism news site named GM promoted its paid news service via email, stating, "Deliver your brand's current developments to industry professionals through news sharing."

Yeni Şafak, which had previously published news on its front page four times and once as a headline calling for interest rate cuts, reported the Central Bank's decision in a single column with the headline "Interest rate cuts began with 2.5 points."

Regarding the reactions to the low minimum wage, only the Türkiye newspaper in the pro-government media reported it, with the headline "The public locked the phones of the deputies"; Cem Küçük also criticized it.

Yeni Akit mocked the public by reporting on the bread price hike in Afyon as 'A transition to healthy living. The weight of bread has been reduced in one province,' marking a new level in its support for the government. 

Sabah's report titled 'Total SGK debt of CHP municipalities is 112 billion TL' was prepared as if AKP-run municipalities had no premium debts at all.

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