January 10 message from the Progressive Journalists Association: 'It is not a holiday to be celebrated...'

The Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD) has released a written statement on the occasion of January 10 Working Journalists Day.

The statement included the following:

"The Constitution's provision that 'The press is free and cannot be censored' is now only on paper. Following the Censorship Law, journalists have been rendered unable to fully exercise their professional freedoms. In a journalistic environment squeezed by politicians and capital, the words we use most regarding our profession are; 'censorship', 'self-censorship', 'pressure', 'investigation', 'threat', and 'arrest'. Along with all these difficulties, journalists today are condemned to hunger.

Many of our colleagues, who are condemned to misery and starvation wages, are also forced to work without social security. The main business of the relevant institutions is not to fight against these processes of misery, but to fight against news under the guise of disinformation."

'DESPITE THE DARK PICTURE...'

In its statement, the Progressive Journalists Association also said, "Despite this entire dark picture and all the attacks, the journalistic profession is still standing. No other profession in Turkey has been able to remain standing with this strength and determination in the face of such heavy attacks. This has been made possible by the struggle of our colleagues who defend the public's right to receive information and insist on journalism."

HOW DID JANUARY 10 WORKING JOURNALISTS DAY EMERGE?

The foundation of Working Journalists Day was laid with "Law No. 212," which was adopted on January 4, 1961, and provided certain rights and legal guarantees to press workers. This regulation was published in the Official Gazette, making January 10 a special day of celebration.

The "Nine Bosses Incident," which marks an important period in the defense of journalists' rights, has left its mark on the history of the press.

During this period, journalists decided to publish a newspaper called "Basın" (Press) and carried out a three-day boycott.

The Basın newspaper began publication on January 11 and continued its publication regularly throughout the boycott. Working Journalists Day emerged as a result of this event, and January 10 began to be celebrated as "Working Journalists Holiday."

Today, it has become "Working Journalists Day" as of 1971.

WHAT IS THE NINE BOSSES INCIDENT?

The bosses of 9 newspapers, who did not want to accept the responsibilities imposed on them by Law No. 212, signed a joint declaration claiming that Law No. 212 and Law No. 195 regarding the formation of the Press Advertisement Agency would create professional drawbacks, and announced that they were closing their newspapers for 3 days.

Following this development, which went down in press history as the "Nine Bosses Incident," journalists carried out various protest actions and published a newspaper called "Basın" throughout the boycott so as not to leave the public without a newspaper.

The Basın newspaper began publication on January 11 with the headline "We Are Always at the Service of the Public" and continued its publication regularly during the three-day boycott. The editorial of the first issue of the newspaper included the following statements:

"Even on days when our fundamental rights and freedoms are truly restricted, and not just the press but the entire country is placed in an unprecedented danger, the newspaper owners who did not close their newspapers and did not resort to protest, this action they are now taking for an advertisement agency will surely not occupy an honorable place in our press history.

Publishing a newspaper is not like running a sock factory. The press is a public service."