“Media for Democracy/Democracy for Media” programme (M4D) hosted journalist and CHP member of parliament Utku Çakırözer for his talk titled “Climate of Press Freedom on the Anniversary of September 12th”.

Financed by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Association of Journalists “Media for Democracy/Democracy for Media” programme hosted journalist and CHP member of parliament Utku Çakırözer this week for its weekly journalist meetings. In his talk “Climate of Press Freedom on the Anniversary of September 12th” Çakırözer commented on the changes in freedom of the press and freedom of expression since the military coup. 

Bilgin “I know the trauma coups cause very well” 

Chairman of the Association of Journalists Nazmi Bilgin had a few words to say about his experience of the coup before the talk began: “I first experienced a coup in 1960. I was only 10 years old then. On the 26th of May I gathered all my friends to perform a “Hacivat and Karagöz” shadow play, somebody told on me to my father. He grabbed me by the wrists, shook me and shouted “you scoundrel!”. On the 28th of May they took my father away. We didn’t hear from him for five-and-a-half months. We later found out that he was being held at a military training camp in Sivas, so my mother, my four siblings and I went there. I found my father waiting next to a tent set up by the Red Cescent, he came to me and asked me “Does your wrist hurt?”. He thought about shaking me by the wrist for those five-and-a-half months. We’ve been through a lot. My father was a minister during the 12th March military coup, he was a government spokesman. I remember reading in one of my father’s letters the words “again we head towards and unknowingness”. I was a journalist during the September 12th coup, and witnessed it first-hand. I know the trauma coups cause very well. Out of all the coups, I believe the September 12 coup was the worst. It was a massacre. They first broke down the left and the right, and then they massacred them. I hope we will transition to a democracy never to return to those days. I have never lost my hope. I believe that pessimism is under no circumstances acceptable, especially for a journalist. If we were to lose hope as journalists, there would be no hope left for the public.”

Chairman Bilgin also talked about the support provided by the Association of Journalists’ and financed by the European Union: “We provide our young friends information on what journalism is not about, our senior colleagues give them information about how to practise journalism. Utku Çakırözer has always been regarded as an important figure of our profession. This is evident in his work in parliament and also in the reports he has been writing about the EU; we have been making use of his reports frequently. Our dear colleague Utku is going to talk about September 12th from the perspective of a journalist. One of the highest positions one can excel to is editor-in-chief. Çakırözer was the editor-in-chief of a respected newspaper like Cumhuriyet for many years. We have lot to learn from him.” 

M4D Assistant Director Seva Ülman Erten made the opening speech: “Çakırözer is in parliament as an MP for his second term, but he is still remembered for his journalism and is constantly ready to battle the problems our profession faces. Çakırözer completed a course in Computer Engineering at Bilkent University, he later completed a master’s degree at the same university in Political Science. In the meantime, Çakırözer worked as an intern for the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post newspapers. He worked as a reporter, chief-editor and chief clerk of the Ankara bureau for Milliyet, Akşam and Cumhuriyet newspapers. Çakırözer lectured on journalism at Ankara University and Gazi University, for which he was received awards. He has been awarded the Sedat Simavi Award, Nezih Demirkent, Progressive Journalists’ Association Awards and been granted a Humphrey Fellowship and Daniel Pearl Fellowship. Çakırözer, who is married, is the father of one daughter called Ayşe, he is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and a member of the Turkey group of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

“The press was affected by September 12th the most” 

Çakırözer gave the audience information about the developments in freedom of the press and freedom of expression on the 39th anniversary of September 12 and reminded them about statistics procured from the Ministry of Justice: “Today marks the 30th anniversary of the coup on September 12th. The military coup on September 12th left us with a scene of destruction and pain in its wake. There were many violations of rights, instances of injustices and unlawful activity. According to official figures of the Ministry of Justice around 650 thousand people were detained. 210 thousand court cases were opened, 230 thousand people were tried by military commissions. 14 thousand people were denaturalized. The press was affected by September 12th the most. Newspapers in Istanbul could not publish for 300 days. A total of four-thousand years’ worth of prison sentences were handed to journalists. 31 journalists were imprisoned. Thousands of publications were banned, and tonnes of newspapers, books and magazines were burned.” Çakırözer pointed to the developments in freedom of the press and freedom of expression since the military coup of September 12 “The number of imprisoned journalists was 30 in 2010, by the end of 2011 this number raised to 104. 2010-2011 was the period the AKP drifted away from its accession to the EU goal and showed tendencies of a single-man regime. We felt this in the freedom of press domain. The number of journalists who have been arrested since 2012 is at least 629. Following the coup attempt of July 15, the number of detained journalists raised from 31 to 131 in the first year of the state of emergency. By the end of 2017 a total of 122 journalists were imprisoned. The current number of imprisoned journalists is 131. The number of imprisoned journalists in Turkey has increased more than 4 times since 2010. Since the coup attempt on July 15 more than 179 media organizations have been shut down, around 10 thousand journalists were made redundant through statutory decrees. In 2017 a total of 166 and in 2018 a total of 157 journalists were made redundant or were forced to resign.”

“The first year of the Presidential System has left lasting marks on freedom of the press and freedom of expression”

Çakırözer talked about developments of freedom of press and freedom of expression in the first year of the transition to the presidential system “What happened in the first year? The first year of the Presidential System has left lasting marks on the freedom of the press and freedom of expression. On 25 June 2018 the number of imprisoned journalists was 148. When the first year of the presidential system was completed 134 journalists were imprisoned. This number is currently 131 but in the first year of the presidential system at least 50 journalists were given more than 130-year prison sentences. Turkey remains as 157th in the world in terms of press freedom. We haven’t moved an inch forward in the first year of the presidential system.”

Çakırözer mentioned his monthly reports: “In parliament, just like the Association of Journalists, we prepare reports on freedom of the press and freedom of expression. I’m going to tell you about what has happened in the last two months according to our reports. As you know, the last two months there was judicial recess. In the last two months, 26 journalists remained on trial. 3 journalists were handed two years and 11-month sentences. One of the prison sentences handed to the journalists was changed into a sentence of reading books. The 23 journalists on trial during these two months are wanted to be given 352 years and six months prison terms. 11 journalists were arrested and four journalists were subjected to new trials. Journalist Uğur Dündar was taken to court on the grounds of insulting Binali Yıldırım for an article Dündar wrote in 2014. The judicial decision made in the last years has caused a lot of controversy. Dündar was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison, but this was reduced to five months and 25 days later to be changed to a sentence of “reading”. What is a senior journalist such as Uğur Dündar supposed to read? It was discussed that Dündar would have to read articles, essays and theses on “crimes committed against honour” gathered from higher education institutions. 

“The Cumhuriyet Newspaper case has transformed into a pit of injustices”

Çakırözer commented on the court cases that will be held in the following months:

“So, what’s going to happen in terms of freedom of the press and freedom of expression this month? This month, legal proceedings concerning at least 20 journalists will continue. In October, at least 44 journalists will stand trial. Sözcü newspaper will continue to stand trial. The Court of Cassastion reversed its decisions about Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak; their trials will start over. How are journalists being tried? Let’s take a deeper look into the legal proceedings. Two separate indictments were prepared for Sözcü newspaper’s reporters and journalists who shouldn’t even be standing trial in the first place. Journalists such as Necati Doğru, Emin Çölaşan are being tried as though they are members of a terrorist organization. These accusations prove how unjust these legal against journalists are. This injustice stems from the Turkish Penal Code. The law states that individuals can aid a terrorist organization without being a member of one. Other prominent figures from Sözcü newpspaer have been charged with such crimes and are wanted to serve 5-10 year prison sentences. Celal Ürgen made a historical case for his defence in his last hearing. He said that journalism is based on news, and news is the right of journalists. The court listened to his defence and abated the hearing on the grounds of part of the panel of judges being on leave. The Cumhuriyet Newspaper case has transformed into a pit of injustices. This injustice, that is being practised so openly, is still continuing. The writers and executive board of the Cumhuriyet newspaper were handed hefty prison sentences despite the fact that they shouldn’t have stood trial in the first place. Some of these sentences have been finalized. Güray Öz, Hakan Kara, Musa Kart, Mustafa Kemal Güngör and Önder Çelik have been in prison for the last 140 days. Öz celebrated his 70th birthday in prison. Other journalists tried as part of the same case were not sent to prison. Again, due to the problematic legal structure they were able to appeal to the Court of Cassation. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ruled that the decision should be overturned. It was promised that this contradictory structure would be changed via legal reform; it’s been months now and nothing has changed.”

Trials concerning journalists, writers and public intellectuals have been going on nonstop since 12th September

Çakırözer drew the audience’s attention to the increase in imprisoned journalists for the last 39 years “Let us remember that we are on the anniversary of the 12th September coup. In those years 31 journalists were imprisoned, nowadays we have 131 journalists in prison. Those years newspapers and books were gathered and burned. Now, they are shutting down TV channels. Journalists were being killed in the streets; now they are been beaten in broad daylight, offenders are not being punished, on the contrary they are being awarded. Journalists are still being targeted and threatened. They are being marked by pro-government foundation reports, their websites are being threatened with closure. Even online platforms that broadcast TV shows and series are faced with this tyranny. Trials concerning journalists, writers and public intellectuals have been going on nonstop since 12th September. There has not been a single day where a journalist has not had to defend their news article in court. Producing news is a journalist’s right. Thus, military coups, coup attempts, state of emergencies or de facto state of emergencies cannot hinder the need for freedom of thought, the dissemination of critical thinking and objective discussion. Our only expectation is an independent and impartial judiciary to not view journalism as a focal point for crime. We want more tolerance for all types of ideas that do not incite violence.” 

Çakırözer evaluated the 16th Division of the Court of Cassation’s decision to halt of the proceedings concerning employees of Cumhuriyet newspaper “This is not enough, hundreds of our colleagues are still imprisoned and are being silenced.”