Pope very rarely has such heavy agenda, say foreign journalists

June 24, 2016 By administrator

The foreign journalists accompanying Pope Francis during his trip to Armenia admit that the pontific’s agenda is not normally so busy as now.

Speaking to Tert.am, Andrea Gagliarduci, an Italian journalist and analyst (Catholik News) who always covers papal visits and meetings, said the Pope very seldom has such a busy schedule.

She said they have visited with a full team to attend and cover all the ceremonies and events to be arranged on the sidelines of the visit. The Italian journalist, who represents a Catholic media outlet, said the current visit is of special significance for them, especially after the 2015 holy Mass in Vatican (when the Pope used the word “genocide” to refer to the World War I ear massacres of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire).

An Associated Press reporter, who is of Georgian descent and whose name is Tako, says journalists’ work is responsible and important.

A Russian reporter said that the global interest in the Pope’s historic visit to Armenia is understandable. He is grateful for favorable working conditions and expressed hope that good conditions will be ensured during the coming two days. Russia’s catholic community would never forgive Russian media outlets for failing to cover the papal visit to Armenia.

“This is a significant event for believers. The Pope has said you are the first Christian people so it is good such events are taking place here,” says Sergey.

Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dundar & Erdem Gul go on secret trial in Terrorist State of Turkey

March 25, 2016 By administrator

journalists Can Dundar & Erdem Gul

Two Turkish journalists are standing trial on charges of espionage and aiding a terror organization. They were detained after publishing a video purportedly showing government weapons deliveries to Syria’s civil war.

The two journalists from the opposition “Cumhuriyet” newspaper appeared in an Istanbul court on Friday, facing life imprisonment for allegedly revealing state secrets.

Shortly after the proceedings got underway, the prosecutor asked that the hearing be closed to the public in a request that was granted by the judge.

Can Dundar, the paper’s editor-in-chief, and Ankara correspondent Erdem Gul, were arrested in November after publishing a video purportedly showing Turkish trucks transporting weapons over the border to Syrian militants. The report sparked an outcry, and gave rise to speculation about the government’s role in the Syrian conflict and its alleged ties to Islamist groups in the country.

The journalists spent three months in prison before the Constitutional court ordered the pair should be released pending trial. Following the decision, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the court and vowed the journalists would pay a “heavy price” for their reporting.

Before appearing in court Friday, Dundar, 54, told Reuters he would use the trial to refocus attention on the story.

“We will lay out all of the illegalities and make this a political prosecution … The state was caught in a criminal act, and it is doing all that it can to cover it up.”

Call for charges to be dropped

In the lead-up to the trial, international media advocacy groups and human rights organizations called on Turkey to drop all charges against the journalists.

“The trial of Dundar and Gul is a test for the state of law in Turkey,” Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders, said.

“Their release was encouraging, but things are only beginning now,” he added.

Meanwhile, more than 100 prominent writers, including Nobel Laureates, have written an open letter to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu demanding and end to what they describe as a crackdown on media freedoms.

“We believe that Can Dundar and Erdem Gul are facing life in prison simply for carrying out their legitimate work as journalists,” the letter said.

Freedom of the press

Turkey ranks 149th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.

Human rights groups say Turkey’s authoritarian government is increasingly seeking to stifle opposition press and critical voices in the country. Several news outlets have been seized by the government and handed over to businesses close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). A number of journalists have been fired for criticizing the government, while more than a dozen have been imprisoned.

Most recently, the government this month seized control of the country’s biggest opposition newspaper “Zaman.” In that case, the paper’s headquarters were stormed by police and the paper’s editors were sacked and replaced.

nm/jil (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Turkey: Jailed Turkish journalists freed after top court ruled their rights violated

February 26, 2016 By administrator

Two prominent Turkish journalists from a leading opposition newspaper have been freed in the early hours of Friday after Turkey‘s top court ruled that their detentions had violated their rights.

A large group of supporters greeted Cumhuriyet newspaper’s editor-in-chief Can Dündar and the paper’s Ankara representative, Erdem Gül, as they emerged from a van after being freed from Silivri prison on the outskirts of İstanbul.

The arrest of journalists last November drew international condemnation and revived concern about media freedom in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

They were detained after the publication of video footage purporting to show the state intelligence agency helping send weapons to Syria.

“We think the Constitutional Court’s ruling is a historic one,” Dündar told reporters outside the prison, next to their friends and families. “This verdict has cleared the way not only for us but for all of our colleagues and freedom of press and expression,” he said. He also said his release on Friday would be “a present” on Erdoğan’s 62nd birthday.

The two were charged with intentionally aiding an armed terrorist organization and publishing material in violation of state security. Cumhuriyet published photos, videos and a report last May that it said showed intelligence officials transporting arms to Syria in trucks in 2014.

Dündar also said the Wait for Hope vigil in front of Silivri Prison where he was held — which initially was started to show solidarity with him, Gül and other imprisoned journalists — should be continued, and that they would follow the fight of their imprisoned colleagues until the end. Saying that their case is about freedom of the press, Dündar vowed to fight for humanity, for press freedom and for freedom of expression until the Silivri Prison “turns into a museum,” as it is the prison where most of Turkey’s imprisoned journalists are kept.

Turkey: Almost 800 Journalists Fired, 156 Detained in Turkey in 2015

January 11, 2016 By administrator

Deputy leader of Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party, Sezgin Tanrikulu, stated that At least 774 journalists were fired and 156 were detained in Turkey.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — At least 774 journalists were fired and 156 were detained in Turkey during the course of 2015, a deputy leader of Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party, Sezgin Tanrikulu, said Monday.

In addition to the dismissals and detentions, 484 legal actions against journalists were taken by judicial authorities, while 200 workers of press and seven media companies were investigated in the country in 2015, Tanrikulu told a news conference, as cited by the local Hurriyet Daily News newspaper.

The opposition politician stressed that Turkish democracy was “bankrupt.”

Turkey ranked 149th out of 180 countries in the press freedom index, released by the international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders in February 2015.

Under international pressure The Two Vice News journalists freed from Turkish jail

September 3, 2015 By administrator

Two Vice News journalists arrested earlier this week in Turkey’s southeast on charges of having links to a terrorist organization have been released, a Turkish government source told the Hürriyet Daily News on Sept 3.

The two British journalists, correspondent Jake Hanrahan and cameraman Philip Pendlebury, and their Turkey-based assistant were detained last week in Diyarbakır, the main city in Turkey’s mostly Kurdish southeast, where renewed fighting has killed scores of people.

A court ordered the three formally arrested late on Aug. 30 on charges of aiding a terror organization. All three have rejected the accusation.

Although the Aug. 27 tipoff that led to the Aug. 28 detention of the two journalists claimed they had helped the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, the court issued the ruling for their arrest on suspicion they had supported the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeastern Mardin, Şırnak and Diyarbakır, provinces.

The abbreviations and English translations of organizations linked to the PKK written in a notebook were mentioned among the evidence seized by the police in the arrest of the journalists.

Turkish authorities had transferred the arrested journalists to a prison more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) away from their lawyers and the courthouse where they face trial, a lawyer said Sept. 3.

Turkey Journalist & Tourist at high-risk, Milliyet daily fires 7 journalists who are critical of government

August 28, 2015 By administrator

Mehveş Evin and Meral Tamer (R).

The Milliyet newspaper has fired two columnists and five correspondents who were drawing attention with their reports that were critical of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.

Columnist Mehveş Evin, who was fired by the daily on Friday, commented on the issue via her Twitter account, writing: “I was fired from the Milliyet newspaper. I still don’t know why. But, I will not give in, thus I continue to write!”

The daily also fired columnist Meral Tamer and three correspondents from its Ankara office — Kemal Göktaş, Evin Demirtaş and Sertaç Koç — on Thursday afternoon. Two other Milliyet correspondents also announced via Twitter on Friday that they were also fired by the daily. One of those two, Semra Pelek, wrote on Twitter: “I was fired by the Milliyet daily. It is very good for me.” The other correspondent, Alper İzbul, wrote on Friday: “Milliyet Newspaper fired me. Good luck…”

Göktaş also posted a tweet on Thursday evening about his dismissal, saying: “The Milliyet daily fired me, Evin Demirtaş and Sertaç Koç from its Ankara office. Good luck to everyone!”

The daily did not publish on Thursday a news report written by Evin about recent clashes between the security forces and members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Silvan district of Diyarbakır and the Silopi district of Şırnak.

According to media reports, the daily is also planning to fire 25 more people in the coming days.

The daily has previously fired columnist Kadri Gürsel over a tweet in which he criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as being responsible for the presence of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Turkey. Additionally, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş — a columnist critical of the government — announced her departure from Milliyet on May 29, in what appears to be another instance of increasing government pressure on journalists and media that criticizes it.

The head of the Milliyet daily, businessman Erdoğan Demirören, is believed to have played a critical role in the daily’s decision to fire the journalists.

Demirören, a close associate of President Erdoğan, has fired many journalists and forced prominent figures to resign upon Erdoğan’s order. Critics believe the patronage relationship between media owners and the government operates against the concept of media freedom and narrows the space for critical voices in Turkey to speak freely. For instance, an audio clip, purportedly of then-Prime Minister Erdoğan having a phone conversation with Demirören in which they spoke of a story published in one of his dailies, was uploaded onto YouTube on March 7 of last year.

The voice allegedly belonging to Erdoğan criticizes Demirören over the publication of the minutes of a meeting between Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the terrorist PKK, and a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in Öcalan’s prison cell on the island of İmralı. Demirören is heard explaining to Erdoğan that he was also shocked to see it on the page and that he would do what was necessary to fix the situation. However, after failing to calm Erdoğan, Demirören is heard crying. Toward the end of the conversation, the 76-year-old Milliyet owner is heard saying, “How did I get involved in this business?” while in tears following the then-prime minister’s insults.

Source: Zaman

Turkish police: detained Two British journalists in southeast Turkey

August 28, 2015 By administrator

DİYARBAKIR – Reuters,

DHA Photo

Turkish police have detained two British journalists from Vice News for reporting from the predominantly Kurdish southeast without government accreditation, security sources said on Aug. 28.

Police detained Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury in the Bağlar district of Diyarbakır province, where they were filming clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants, the sources said.

The two Britons and their Turkish translator were in close contact with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, the same sources said.

“We are aware of the arrest of two British nationals in Diyarbakir. Our consular officials in Turkey are providing consular assistance and are in touch with the Turkish authorities,” British Embassy officials told Hürriyet Daily News.

A 2-1/2-year-old ceasefire between Turkey and PKK militants collapsed in July after a group close to PKK militants shot dead two police officers. Ankara retaliated with strikes against the group in Iraq and Turkey.

Vice News describes itself as an international news organisation that focuses on under-reported stories around the globe.

August/28/2015

Journalists shot dead live on air in Virginia

August 26, 2015 By administrator

Two US journalists have been shot dead during a live TV report in the state of Virginia, their employer has confirmed, the BBC reports.

WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were killed during an interview in Moneta, Bedford County, the TV station said.

During the live broadcast, shots could be heard, sending the reporter and the woman she was interviewing running.

Police say they are investigating the incident and still searching for the suspect.

The station said the woman who was being interviewed had survived the attack.

“Alison and Adam died this morning at 06:45 shortly after the shots rang out. We do not know the motive or who the suspect or the killer is,” the station’s general manager, Jeffrey Marks, announced on air.

“I cannot tell you how much they were loved by the WDBJ7 team… our hearts are broken,” he said.

The attack took place at a large shopping centre, Bridgewater Plaza, near Smith Mountain Lake.

Ms Parker was starting an interview about tourism at the shopping centre when suddenly eight shots rang out, the camera spun and dropped to the ground, and her screams could be heard.

The footage captures what appears to be a fleeting image of the gunman, who is wearing black trousers and a blue top – and holding a handgun.

Yerevan, Media in Focus: Journalists targeted by police during protest break-up

June 23, 2015 By administrator

In dispersing the protest against electricity tariff rise in Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan at dawn police special forces used violence not only against the protesters, but also against journalists covering the event taking many of them to different detention centers.

Before applying a powerful water cannon and force, Yerevan Deputy Chief of Police Valeri Osipyan at 5:20 am once again urged protesters to return to Liberty Square unblocking Baghramyan Avenue.

Senior police officers also urged journalists and media representatives to leave and not to hinder their actions after which they opened water on the protesters.

After applying the water cannon, police representatives, dressed as civilians, forcefully dragging and heating, swearing, starting moving the protest participants, as well as reporters. Police reportedly broke journalists’ video and photo cameras, destroyed the memory cards of their devices.

Hetq reporters Ani Hovhannisyan and Hrant Galstyan were captured by plainclothes police and were forcefully taken to the central police station.

“Our journalist badges were ignored, we and other 13 citizens were forcefully put into cars and taken to the central police station. Here again they continue applying abuse against everyone. And now they say they are transferring us to the Malatia-Sebastia detention center,” Ani Hovhannisyan said.

Panarmenian.net website photo journalist Karo Sahakyan was detained and taken to the Echmiadzin police station. His camera was broken. The photo journalist was released later on.

The police removed and damaged RFE/RL’s live video-streaming equipment. The video-camera of the radio station, the phone of a reporter were broken as they were trying to record the developments.

Galla TV station reporter Paylak Fahradyan was beaten up. On the phone he said from the police station. “I was beaten, kicked and hit and forcefully brought to the detention center by the police in the presence of the police. In the presence of Chief of Police of Yerevan, I am shouting, I am yelling, I am saying that I am a reporter, but they beat and hit me. I am telling Chief of Yerevan’s Police Ashot Karapetyan that I am a reporter, and he yells “take him”. Right now all my face is in bruises, they hit me, a horrible thing is happening here.”

The actions were staged after the authorities failed to respond to the No To Plunder call for the decision to raise electric power prices by 7 drams (about 1.5 cents) per kilowatt/hour, or 16 percent, to be revoked.

The decision made by the Public Services Regulatory Commission is supposed to take effect on August 1.

’Persona non Grata’: Documentary tells story of Turkey’s journalists

May 3, 2015 By administrator

hasan Cemal

The Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) held an event on World Press Freedom Day at the Swedish Consulate in İstanbul during which they premiered the first screening of “Persona Non Grata,” a 41-minute documentary illustrating the difficult position many Turkish journalists have fallen into with the increasing oppression of the media.

The documentary, directed by Tuluhan Tekelioğu, interviewed various people who have faced pressure from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in recent years.

Featured in the film were journalists such as editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, Can Dündar, who faced an investigation on the charge of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after a lawyer for Erdoğan filed a complaint over an interview Dündar had with a prosecutor who oversaw a corruption probe. Doğan Media Group owner Aydın Doğan, who has previously been openly targeted by President Erdoğan and Ahmet Şık, who served a year in prison due to the Ergenekon trials, were also featured in the documentary.

In the documentary media mogul Doğan for the first time criticized the airing of a documentary about penguins on one of his channels, CNN Türk, when the Gezi Park protests were at their peak in the summer of 2013, a move that had attracted a lot of criticism to the channel. “That was complete foolishness. It was not a deliberate act,” said Doğan.

The Gezi Park protests were sparked by government plans to demolish Gezi Park in İstanbul’s Taksim neighborhood.

Speakers for Sunday’s event included veteran journalists and founding members of P24, Yavuz Baydar, Hasan Cemal, Andrew Finkel and Peter Preston, the former editor of the Guardian newspaper.

The event was held in commemoration of late journalist Mehmet Ali Birand, who lost his life to cancer in 2013.