In the report, “Turkish Limbs of International Media Organisations,” prepared by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) Turkish journalists working for international broadcast organisations like BBC Turkce, DW Turkce, VOA, Sputnik Turkey and Euronews Turkey were targeted through the news they reported and their social media posts.
The report was prepared with the allegation of examining foreign press, accusing the organisations with “conducting perception studies.” The report asserted that news on workers’ protests, femicides, criticisms against the government, government pressure against the media, arrested journalists and journalist cases aim to damage the government. The report further included retweets of journalists; BirGün, T24, BiaNet, Cumhuriyet, Diken, DW Turkce and Reporters Without Borders were described as “organisations involving news of media organs known with their anti-government speech.”
Journalists and press organisations reacted against the report due to targeting journalism and aiming to tag people. Turkish Journalists Association said, “The report is a document of tagging that has the quality of police profiling.” Contemporary Journalists Association stated, “The tagging document of SETA will always be remembered as a dark spot in our history.” Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK) Press-Labour and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have also indicated that those preparing the report will be responsible of all attacks against targeted journalists in the report. Journalists Association, Media and Legal Studies Association made a criminal complaint against the report together with many journalists.
08.07.2019
bianet.org / dw.com.tr