On Erhan Afyoncu’s statement

Müyesser Yıldız, whom we have always known in the Turkish press for her upright stance, meticulousness, and unwavering pursuit of justice in courthouse corridors, signed off on another important piece of reporting yesterday. The report conveyed the details of the hearing in the case of Lieutenant Ebru Eroğlu, who was dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). However, this report clearly bothered National Defense University (MSÜ) Rector Erhan Afyoncu quite a bit.

In a written statement, Afyoncu accused Müyesser Yıldız of participating in a campaign of lies and defamation, going so far as to imply she was a "FETÖ apparatus." So, what did Yıldız actually do? She simply recorded and announced to the public the allegations made by Namık Öztürk, one of Ebru Eroğlu's lawyers, in the presence of the court panel in a courtroom.

IS A LAWYER'S STATEMENT NOT NEWS?

There is a fundamental truth that Erhan Afyoncu either does not understand or does not want to understand. If a journalist does not report what one of the parties' lawyers says to the judge in a hearing they are covering, what are they supposed to report? No matter how serious a lawyer's allegation may be, the moment it is voiced in a courtroom, it becomes "public information." The journalist here is not a party, but a conveyor. Müyesser Yıldız did what a good journalist should do; she wrote down the process completely, without adding commentary, and exactly as it happened.

THE EASE OF LABELING EVERY CRITICISM

There are two grave points in Afyoncu's statement:

First; in administrative court hearings, no minutes are kept, and there is no clerk. Only the judges listen, take notes if they wish, and later use them when writing the decision. Therefore, only the legal objections of the parties are reflected in the decision, and only if they so desire. Other assessments are not included.

Given this situation, not only is it meaningless for Afyoncu to say, "There is no such statement in the record," but since only Lieutenant Ebru Eroğlu, her lawyers, and the Ministry of National Defense have access to the decision in question, how did Erhan Afyoncu manage to access this "record" in such a short time?

Second; he makes the claim that "some individuals and circles who pretend to be Atatürkist and claim to fight against FETÖ are also being used as tools for these lies."

This language has become a "defensive reflex" that we are now very familiar with.

Whenever the government or figures connected to the government encounter criticism, an allegation, or questioning, they immediately throw their interlocutor into the "FETÖ" or "dark circles" bag.

We ask:

* Does a journalist reporting an allegation directed at a figure from the government side make them directly associated with a terrorist organization?

* Is journalism only about serving "approved" and "non-disturbing" information?

* How fair is it to make these accusations against a name like Müyesser Yıldız, who has spent her life fighting against such conspiracies, just because she reported a lawyer's words?

CONTINUING TO PURSUE THE TRUTH

A rector's duty is not to threaten journalists or label them ideologically based on allegations raised by lawyers in courtrooms as part of their right to defense.

We, as the 12punto family and journalists dedicated to this profession, know that the truth has a beautiful habit of coming out sooner or later.

Müyesser Yıldız's meticulousness is far more permanent than Afyoncu's accusatory statements. Journalism is not a crime; it is an honorable duty that serves the public's right to receive information. And this duty is far stronger than any "black propaganda" label.


You can read the article that bothered Erhan Afyoncu here.

Lieutenant Ebru's hair-raising defense: 'The Turkish Nation always has the final word'