Erol Önderoğlu to step down as RSF Turkey representative

Erol Önderoğlu has decided to leave his position as RSF Turkey representative, which he has held for over 30 years, following a mutual agreement with the Paris-based organization. Önderoğlu, who will hand over his duties as of August 5, having served since February 1996, shared the following remarks regarding his efforts for press freedom:

“My institutional activities with RSF, which I have been involved in since February 1996, will conclude as of August 5. For many years, I have strived as much as I could for the development of press freedom and tried to be a part of a very meaningful solidarity. I would have very much liked to leave this post in a Turkey where the public's right to information is secured, but unfortunately, we have entered periods where efforts are being made to stifle pluralism. From now on, I will continue my struggle individually as much as my means allow. I owe a debt of gratitude to the journalist and lawyer friends who supported and inspired our work throughout this long process, to our sensitive parliamentary colleagues, to the citizens who followed our work, and to the officials who took it into account.”

Although Önderoğlu is leaving his post at RSF, he will continue to prepare the Media Monitoring Reports that Bianet has been publishing for 25 years. Throughout his long-standing journalistic career, he has been deemed worthy of international awards such as the SEEMO Dr. Erhard Busek South East Europe Award and the Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech, in addition to the Turkish Journalists Association's 2014 Press Freedom Award.

Having followed thousands of judicial processes against journalists within the scope of his RSF work, Önderoğlu was also an observer in many media trials, as well as the murders of Hrant Dink, Cihan Hayırsevener, Güngör Arslan, and Jamal Khashoggi. Having written over 10 thousand news reports and analyses for local and international media outlets, Önderoğlu has also served as a jury member for various journalism awards.

Önderoğlu, who was imprisoned for a period in 2016 along with Şebnem Korur Fincancı and Ahmet Nesin for showing solidarity with the Özgür Gündem newspaper, is still facing ongoing legal proceedings.

In the period ahead, Önderoğlu will continue to contribute to the struggle for press freedom and the rights of journalists through individual initiatives.

News Source: 12punto