In his speech at the “10th Anatolian Media Awards” ceremony held at the Presidential Complex, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made remarkable statements on media freedom and street interviews. Erdoğan said, “Whoever picks up a microphone and a camera thinks he is a journalist or a reporter,” and claimed that some street interviewers were “terrorizing” the streets. The President said, “Whoever grabs the microphone finds the audacity to insult the nation. If we do not call every person with a stethoscope a doctor, not everyone who picks up a microphone is a journalist.”
Speaking about freedom of the press, Erdoğan argued that Turkey has a much freer media environment compared to pre-2002 and said, “Turkey today has a much freer, richer and unquestionably much freer media ecosystem compared to pre-2002. This environment of freedom often goes to the level of irresponsibility.” Erdoğan stated that compared to the Western media, the media in Turkey acts more freely on national security issues.
Drawing attention to the importance of Anatolian media, Erdoğan said, “Anatolian media, which is our source of pride, belongs to these lands. The existence of you, the capillaries of the media, is vital. You, who join forces under this roof, are closer to the public and closer to interacting with the citizens.”
06.05.2025
Sputnik Turkey