Repression, arrests, censorship, and attacks… Journalists in Turkey are not free on May 3rd, World Press Freedom Day.
The 2022-2023 Press Freedom Report, prepared by the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), aims to identify any interference with press freedom over the past year and provide insight into the economic and social rights of journalists. This year, we shifted our report’s focus to the impunity faced by journalists. For our upcoming report, which will be published on the 100th anniversary of the Republic, we delved into Turkey’s press history. We specifically emphasized impunity concerning acts of violence against journalists and infringements on their right to life.
Esteemed legal scholar, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özden Kaboğlu, contributed with his article “Human Rights Violations and Impunity,” offering a comprehensive analysis of the root causes of impunity and potential solutions. Our report also includes a separate section examining the experiences of media personnel during the devastating Kahramanmaraş earthquakes on February 6, 2023.
In the past year:
47 journalists have been imprisoned.
96 journalists experienced physical assault.
43 journalists received verbal threats.
32 journalists were arrested.
As of May 3, 2023, 47 journalists are incarcerated due to their journalistic activities.
80% of these imprisoned journalists face charges of ‘membership in an armed organization.’
11 journalists were released.
97 journalists were detained, spending a collective 1,087 hours in detention.
33 journalists were interrogated following investigations initiated against them.
Last year, 263 journalists were on trial in 125 criminal cases. Verdicts were reached in 35 cases, while 90 remain ongoing. A combined sentence of 55 years, 1 month, and 21 days of imprisonment was handed out.
63 journalists were acquitted.
Judicial fines totaling 19,000 TL were levied.
Out of 14 compensation lawsuits against journalists, decisions were reached in 7, resulting in 120,000 TL in total compensation.
Access was denied to 4,148 news stories and 46 news websites.
The content was removed, either entirely or in part, from 682 articles.
9 news items were delisted from search engines, citing the right to be forgotten.
RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council) issued 58 different administrative fines, amassing 13,703,913.56 TL. Broadcasts were halted 33 times.
BİK (Press Ads Agency) fully retracted advertisements and promotions for the Evrensel newspaper as of its decision on August 22, 2022.
Following the earthquakes on February 6, 2023, 26 media professionals tragically lost their lives.
2 journalists were arrested under the charge of “publicly disseminating misleading information,” according to TCK 217/A (Turkish Criminal Code 217/A).
6 journalists were detained.
4 journalists were summoned for statements.
18 journalists faced physical attacks, some bordering on lynching.
21 journalists were obstructed from reporting through threats.
Other findings include:
3 journalists either faced termination or were coerced into resigning.
Due to earthquake-related broadcasts, RTÜK imposed fines totaling 4,324,251 TL and issued five broadcast suspension orders.
Bandwidth restrictions were enforced on social media during rescue operations.
Unlawful practices persist at both Hürriyet and Halk TV.
Regarding economic and social rights:
Registered employment in journalistic entities surged to 27,241, with journalists constituting 27.4% of this workforce.
While the official unemployment rate for 2022 stood at 10.4%, the figure was 11.3% for higher education graduates. Among those with a degree in journalism, unemployment was even higher at 15.7%.
Journalism graduates faced the third-highest unemployment rates, trailing only graduates from the fields of social services (22.4%) and arts (16.2%).
Despite these bleak conditions, TGS continues to combat the gloom brought about by unemployment and job insecurity through its successful organizational campaigns.
Currently:
TGS holds authority in a total of 15 media outlets. This number could rise to 19 if negotiations in four other enterprises culminate in the signing of a collective bargaining agreement. Among these companies, 8 operate internationally, 7 nationally, and 4 locally.
The anti-union stance of employers remains evident. TGS’s ongoing authority disputes with Hürriyet newspaper and Halk TV are indicative of this.
Despite challenges, such as prolonged authorization lawsuits and threats of job termination from employers, TGS has managed to boost its membership to 1,671 as of January 2023.
TGS maintains its prominence as the only union with a history and experience of organizing amongst journalists.
READ THE FULL REPORT
