TGC, TGS, TYS, PEN Turkey, DİSK Basın-İş and TÜRKYAYBİR: The 'influence agent' regulation draft must be cancelled

Six professional organizations held a meeting to voice their concerns regarding the obstruction of freedom of the press and expression, the increasing pressure on journalists, writers, and publishers, and the 'influence agent' regulation that the government intends to pass through the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). The meeting was held on Friday, November 15, 2024, at 11:00 AM at the TGC Burhan Felek Conference Hall.

Moderated by TGC Secretary General Sibel Güneş, the meeting featured speeches from TGC President Vahap Munyar, TGS Education Secretary Didem Mercan, TYS Secretary General Tahir Şilkan, PEN Turkey President Zeynep Oral, DİSK Basın-İş President Turgut Dedeoğlu, and Turkish Publishers Association President Kenan Kocatürk. The meeting addressed the targeting, physical attacks, and unfair, unlawful detentions and arrests of journalists, writers, and publishers during every event that shakes society. They demanded the cancellation of the 'influence agent' regulation, which has been temporarily removed from the omnibus bill in the TBMM.

VAHAP MUNYAR: WE WANT THE INFLUENCE AGENT REGULATION TO BE REMOVED

In his speech at the meeting, TGC President Vahap Munyar stated the following:

“We are together on a day when obstacles to freedom of the press and expression are once again defining Turkey's agenda. Obstacles to press freedom—the right of citizens to learn the truth and receive accurate news—negatively affect journalists, writers, publishers, intellectuals, and every citizen living in this country. Censorship, self-censorship, blocking access to news, suspension of publications, heavy fines, and the cutting of official advertisements continue to be significant problems for freedom of the press and expression. Unfortunately, psychological and physical violence against media workers and acts of targeting are increasing every day. With unfair detention and arrest decisions, journalists are prevented from performing their professions, and the free flow of news is obstructed. Finally, the 'influence agent' regulation included in the Notary Law Proposal brought to the TBMM in October takes the severe problems we are experiencing to a different dimension. We have always pointed out that the influence agent regulation, which constitutes an intervention in fundamental rights and freedoms, is unconstitutional and should be removed from the legislative proposal. Before the meeting we organized, we saw that the influence agent regulation was temporarily removed from the omnibus bill due to the objections of the TGC, press professional organizations, and opposition parties. According to the statements made, this regulation will be brought back to the agenda after the budget negotiations in the TBMM and after consultations with opposition parties. As we have stated before, with the influence agent regulation, it will be possible to silence information and ideas that create public outrage, shock, or discomfort. It is unclear what the regulation punishes. The ambiguity of the regulation is also contrary to the principle of legality in crimes and punishments, as expressed in Article 38 of the Constitution. We want this regulation to be completely abandoned. Also, as you know, we are in a period where violence against journalists seeking the truth is increasing worldwide. To date, 188 journalists have been killed in Gaza due to Israel's inhumane attacks. We once again condemn Israel's attacks on civilians, healthcare workers, and journalists.”

SİBEL GÜNEŞ: EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO FABRICATE CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS

TGC Secretary General Sibel Güneş, who moderated the meeting, pointed out that journalists are obstructed while reporting, targeted, and have their press cards cancelled, and spoke as follows:

“We are in a country where the government and its partners are working to fabricate crimes against journalists, writers, and publishers and to create a legal regulation for this purpose. Journalists are targeted in every event that shakes society. Every journalist who reports on the activities of the government and its partners that violate the public interest is kept under the pressure of unfair detention and arrest. We have entered a period where journalists are even arrested for news that will be subject to a correction. Journalists have started to be targeted just because they 'smiled' while talking about the government and its partners. As the Journalists Association of Turkey, we will continue to explain that reporting news is not a crime. If journalists did not do their jobs, would the Narin murder or the babies who died in the neonatal intensive care unit have received such effective coverage in the public eye, and would sanctions have been applied? It is fortunate that our colleagues who perform their duties with universal ethical principles continue to fulfill their duties without wavering. We want the influence agent regulation to be completely removed.”

DİDEM MERCAN: THE LATEST ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS IS THE INFLUENCE AGENT REGULATION

TGS Education Secretary Didem Mercan said in her speech, “We have gathered to express that we are against all kinds of attacks on our profession. The latest attack on journalism and journalists is the influence agent bill. The bill seems to have been averted for now, but it is our responsibility as a professional organization and as a union to remain vigilant and on alert against this threat,” and continued as follows:

“The influence agent debate, which was brought to the agenda by government partners AKP and MHP last May, had been shelved during the summer. As soon as Parliament opened, it was brought before us again within the Law Proposal on Amendments to the Notary Law and Certain Other Laws. It was announced that it was withdrawn due to the mass reaction of professional organizations, civil society, and the opposition. However, as we know from the Disinformation Law process, if the government says it needs a law, it does whatever is necessary to pass it through parliament. In a legal system where it is already effectively forbidden to report on the government, the families of those in power, and businesspeople close to the government, and where there are prosecutors and judges who block access to news in seconds, it is clear that journalists will be the professional group on which the 'agent' label will be most easily attached. For this reason, the proposal in question should not be enacted now or later, and press freedom, the crumbs of which we are already trying to find and hold onto, should not be completely eliminated.”

TAHİR ŞİLKAN: WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE "INFLUENCE AGENT" BILL!

Speaking on behalf of the Writers Syndicate of Turkey, Secretary General Tahir Şilkan included these views in his speech:

“The bill submitted to Parliament within the Omnibus Law and described as 'influence agent' is a clear threat to press freedom and freedom of thought, and a direct attack on the right to speak and write. With this bill, which is full of uncertainties, it is intended to eliminate the ability of journalists to report news that will enlighten the public under the threat of heavy imprisonment. Democratic mass organizations are being prevented from criticizing the political power. As journalist, writer, and publishing organizations, we consider it our duty to announce to the public that we will stand together against this new crime regulation. We will fulfill every responsibility that falls upon us to defend the public's right to receive information and to reveal the truth. For this reason, we will oppose this unlawful legal regulation in solidarity with all professional organizations and non-governmental organizations and will continue to inform the public. We will continue to defend a free press, freedom of expression, and the freedom to speak and write.”

ZEYNEP ORAL: IF THE INFLUENCE AGENT REGULATION IS ENACTED, EVEN PARTIES CANNOT EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS

PEN Turkey President Zeynep Oral emphasized that with the influence agent regulation, anyone who does not think the same as the government could be labeled a spy without legal evidence, and drew attention to the following issues:

“The government's influence agent regulation has been withdrawn for the second time. Tomorrow or the next day, they will change the wording and put it before us again. But I don't think anything will change. Because the government's goal is clear. The reason for such insistence on the influence agent regulation, rather than on the economy, poverty, unemployment, lawlessness, the disgrace of education, or the murders of women, babies, and animals, is clear. As is known, the goal is to silence all dissenting voices. If this proposal is enacted, from now on, even parties will not be able to express their own thoughts or campaign in this direction. Every NGO that adopts democratic, universal, and contemporary rhetoric will now be able to be treated as a spy. We say no to pressure on journalists, writers, and publishers until the requirements of a democratic, secular state of law are met.”

TURGUT DEDEOĞLU: 104 JOURNALISTS WERE TRIED IN OCTOBER

DİSK Basın-İş President Turgut Dedeoğlu pointed to the rights violations against journalists in the last month in his speech and said:

“During the past October, 104 journalists were tried in 39 cases, and 11 journalists were sentenced to 19 years and 8 months in prison. Investigations were opened against seven journalists, and lawsuits were filed against six. 19 journalists were detained. Seven journalists were threatened. A confiscation decision was issued for five issues of Yeni Yaşam Newspaper. The terrestrial broadcast of Açık Radyo, which has been broadcasting for 30 years, was stopped by an RTÜK decision. Pressure on journalists has increased. The influence agent regulation will make this picture even worse. As a result, we demand that this regulation, which contradicts the basic constitutional guarantees valid in a democratic state of law, conflicts with the principles of criminal law, and will negatively affect our country's reputation within the scope of international human rights law to which we are bound, be removed from the draft.”

KENAN KOCATÜRK: THIS REGULATION OPENS THE WAY FOR PENAL ACTIONS AND TRIALS

Turkish Publishers Association President Kenan Kocatürk also drew attention to the withdrawal of the influence agent regulation in his speech and said, “In a democratic state of law, it is impossible to accept the inclusion of vague expressions in the field of criminal law that are closely related to the right to personal liberty and security and freedom of expression, and whose interpretation is not foreseeable.” Kenan Kocatürk continued his speech as follows:

“The regulation in question has a scope that could lead to an increase in censorship and, worse, the increasingly normalized self-censorship, which is one of the main working areas of the Turkish Publishers Association, regarding freedom of thought, expression, and publication. It is our realistic concern that such a legislative proposal will lead to new pressures on research publications and academic studies, as a result of the pressures and arbitrary evaluations we have seen so far in both cultural books and K-12 educational publishing, as well as children's and youth books. Today, we are witnessing the removal of the word 'love' from textbooks. With this draft, which brings complete uncertainty, the way is opened for penal actions and trials against writers, dissidents, democratic mass organizations, and NGOs.”

News Source: 12punto