Joint reaction from press organizations to Bahçeli: Politicians should not threaten our lives!

Press organizations have issued a joint response to MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli's recent targeting of media outlets and journalists. Numerous press organizations, including the Press Council, the Progressive Journalists Association, DİSK Basın-İş, and the Journalists Association, released a joint statement declaring, "Politicians should not threaten our lives."

Don't leave your news choices to an algorithm - decide for yourself what you read. Add 12punto to your preferred sources!

Joint reaction from press organizations to Bahçeli: Politicians should not threaten our lives!

Press organizations have issued a joint response to MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's increasingly frequent statements targeting media outlets and journalists. Press and professional organizations, including the Press Council, the Progressive Journalists Association, DİSK Basın-İş, the Journalists Association, the İzmir Journalists Association, KESK Haber-Sen, and the Journalists Union of Turkey, released a joint statement reacting to Bahçeli's remarks.

The joint press statement included the following: "While there is such concern and anxiety among our colleagues, it is clear that independent public prosecutors should decide whether those words constitute a threat. Those who, despite their political experience, do not refrain from directing dangerous rhetoric at journalists are responsible for the slightest negative incident that may happen to our colleagues."

In the text titled "Journalists call out: Enough is enough! Politicians should not threaten our lives and our jobs," it was stated, "We stand with media outlets and journalists."

The statement included the following remarks:

"In every event closely followed by the public, journalists verify, evaluate, and present information obtained from news sources to their readers as news, commentary, or analysis within the framework of universal journalistic principles. Unfortunately, this process, which is valid all over the world, has recently resulted in self-censorship in Turkey, meaning the journalist censors themselves while conveying information. As a result, the public's access to accurate information is blocked, causing society to remain deprived of information with which it can freely form its own decisions.

The root cause of self-censorship in the media is the pressure exerted by the judiciary and laws, as well as by lawmakers or politicians. Unfortunately, in our country, journalism is being forced into a narrow space where its boundaries are drawn by those in political power, rather than being allowed to operate freely. Every journalist who pushes these boundaries faces baseless accusations, defamation, or threats.

'THESE THREATS HAVE BECOME VERY DANGEROUS'

The latest accusations and threats directed by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli at media outlets and journalists known for their critical reporting, especially Halk TV, fall within this scope for us. We are members of press professional organizations that have repeatedly organized protests, reaction statements, and solidarity actions due to the violence directed at journalists as a result of Mr. Bahçeli's rhetoric. These threats, which are repeated almost every week, have now exceeded their limits and have become very dangerous. Journalists have begun to worry about their safety and fear losing their jobs as a result of political discourse.

In the statement made by the MHP, it was argued that Bahçeli's words towards journalists were not a threat, but it was also claimed that the MHP could decide whether we do our jobs properly by saying, 'We stand with all press members who do their jobs properly.' While there is such concern and anxiety among our colleagues, it is clear that independent public prosecutors should decide whether those words constitute a threat. Furthermore, it is not politicians, but the readers and viewers who determine and appreciate a journalist's success.

Those who, despite their political experience, do not refrain from directing dangerous rhetoric at journalists are responsible for the slightest negative incident that may happen to our colleagues. All media outlets and journalists exposed to threats, especially Halk TV, are closely followed by millions of readers and viewers. We declare once again that we stand with the media outlets and journalists who contribute to the public's ability to form healthy and free opinions, include alternative views within the widespread flow of information, and deliver accurate information and the analysis and commentary based on it to their viewers/readers."

News Source: 12punto