Journalists convened in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday for the ‘Truth in Days of Propaganda’ panel to discuss the persistent challenges they face under governmental pressure.
The event, organised by the Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS) and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) to mark World Press Freedom Day, drew attention to the plight of journalists, particularly Kurdish ones, in Turkey.
Dicle Müftüoğlu, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), highlighted the adversity journalists endure due to judicial harassment. “For instance, journalists who reported the incident of individuals being thrown from a helicopter in Van (Wan) were detained and spent six months in jail. They were later released, but only after enduring lengthy and unwarranted detention,” Müftüoğlu stated. She further added, “We are targeted because we endeavour to reveal what is hidden. For example, during the recent elections, we saw how the vote ratios changed and how the government interfered in the electoral process.”
The panel opened with a slide show about journalists’ conditions over the past year, detailing arrests, trials and the economic struggles they faced. Gökhan Durmuş, TGS chairman, underscored the union’s critical role in supporting journalists through these challenging times.
Barış Altıntaş, co-director of MLSA, shared insights on the legal support provided to journalists, pointing out the pervasive insecurity felt by them. “Nine out of ten journalists in Turkey do not feel safe. This represents a significant shame for our society. Seventy percent of journalists live in fear of arrest,” Altıntaş explained.
Dicle Müftüoğlu herself was also recently behind bars. Known for her significant contributions to journalism, which earned her the ‘Most Resilient Journalist’ award from Free Press Unlimited, she is an editor at Mezopotamya Agency (MA) alongside her role at DFG. She was detained on 29 April and imprisoned on 3 May 2023, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, and was released on 29 February 2024.
