Press professional organizations will hold simultaneous protests in many cities today against the detention and arrest of journalists, the appointment of trustees to media outlets, and access bans imposed on news websites and social media accounts.
'No to censorship, freedom for news' was the slogan used in the call, which announced that mass press statements would be held in various provinces on Saturday, October 24, at 14:00 to mark the first anniversary of the appointment of a trustee to TELE 1. It was stated that the protests in Adana and Istanbul would begin at 13:00.
Press professional organizations opposed the detention, arrest, or sentencing to house arrest of journalists due to their news reports, questions, and the truths they uncovered. The statement criticized the arrest of journalists who have no suspicion of flight or evidence tampering, and their confinement to house arrest with electronic monitoring tags.
Emphasizing that journalism is not a crime, the organizations stated that reporting news, asking questions, making criticisms, and conducting oversight on behalf of the public are rights under constitutional protection.
Reaction was also shown against the closure of television channels and news websites, the appointment of trustees to media organizations, and the imposition of access bans on the social media accounts of journalists and citizens who share news.
In the call made to political parties, unions, bar associations, human rights organizations, civil society organizations, and citizens who state that their right to receive information is restricted, it was noted that the message 'The press is free, it cannot be censored' would be delivered in many cities, primarily Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Eskişehir, Antalya, Adana, Kocaeli, Van, and Diyarbakır.
GATHERING POINTS FOR THE PROTESTS ANNOUNCED
The gathering places and start times for the protests to be held on Saturday, October 24, according to city, are as follows:
- Adana: In front of the Press Monument at Artists Park, at 13:00
- Ankara: March from Kolej Junction to Sakarya Street and press statement, at 14:00
- Antalya: March from in front of the Attalos Statue to Republic Square, at 14:00
- Bursa: Osmangazi, Şehreküstü Square, at 14:00
- Diyarbakır: March from in front of the Courthouse to in front of the BTK, at 14:00
- Eskişehir: Köprübaşı, at 14:00
- Istanbul: March from the Kadıköy Bull Statue to the square and press statement, at 13:00
- Izmir: March from in front of the Türkan Saylan Cultural Center on Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street towards the Port, at 14:00
- Kocaeli: Izmit Uğur Mumcu Park, at 14:00
- Van: March from Art Street to City Square and press statement, at 14:00
'NO TO CENSORSHIP! FREEDOM FOR NEWS!'
The full text of the press professional organizations' statement is as follows:
We, as press professional organizations representing journalists who defend the public's right to receive information and pursue the truth, declare: Enough is enough! We cannot breathe!
We will not remain silent in a system where journalism is considered a crime, news a threat, and the truth objectionable; where not only journalists but everyone who objects is subjected to censorship.
Press freedom is a fundamental right not only of journalists but of the entire society. We are raising our voices against the silencing of the truth, the obstruction of the public's right to receive information, and the subjection of all segments of society to censorship.
We do not accept the detention of journalists due to the news they write, the questions they ask, and the truths they uncover; their arrest despite there being no suspicion of flight or evidence tampering; or their sentencing to house arrest with electronic tags on their ankles.
Journalism is not a crime. Reporting news, asking questions, criticizing, and conducting oversight on behalf of the public are rights under constitutional protection.
We will not be spectators to the silencing of television channels and news websites one by one, the appointment of trustees to media organizations, or the blocking of access to the social media accounts of journalists, experts who inform the public, or citizens who share our news.
We invite everyone whose voice we have carried until today and who now face similar pressures; political parties, unions, bar associations, human rights and civil society organizations, all professional organizations, and most importantly, our citizens whose right to receive information is being obstructed, to stand with this joint objection on Saturday, October 24, on the first anniversary of the appointment of a trustee to TELE 1, against the seizure of HALK TV and the closure of many websites.
With the simultaneous protests and mass press statements we will organize in many provinces, primarily Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Eskişehir, Antalya, Adana, Kocaeli, Van, and Diyarbakır, we will say 'The press is free, it cannot be censored.'
If we remain silent, the truth remains in the dark. If we cannot write, the public cannot learn. If we cannot ask, those in power will not be held accountable.
News Source: 12punto
