Al-Arab online, UK
March 11 2007

Military’s media `Black List’ prompts probe

A revelation by a Turkish magazine of the existence of a list that
classified journalists on the basis of their perceived attitude towards
Turkey’s powerful military establishment has prompted a judicial inquiry as
well as widespread outrage in the country’s media.

The 17-page report listing journalists depending on their alleged
‘pro-military’ or ‘anti-military’ bias was published on Thursday by the
magazine Nokta.

The Turkish military has not denied the existence of the document and has
launched a judicial probe to discover who leaked the ‘black list’ to the
magazine.

The document, dated November 2006, was prepared by the Office of the Chief
of General Staff Public and Press Relations Bureau and is entitled ‘A
reassessment of accredited press and media organs’.

Journalists and media organisations that want to follow the activities of
the Office of the Chief of General Staff need to be accredited by the
office.

The document lists all the country’s mainstream national broadcast and print
media outlets and journalists, categorising them according to their comments
and reports on the Turkish military.

It also includes comments and recommendations on whether the media
accreditation handed out to individuals should be granted, denied or
revoked.

"The report is a shame for our democracy. It is a new obstacle for freedom
of expression and freedom of press," the main body representing journalists
in the country, the Turkish Journalists Association, said in its response.

Umur Talu, a veteran columnist for the daily Sabah and a renowned critic of
the influence of the military in Turkey asked Friday why he is described as
"treacherous" on the list.

"Is it ‘normal’ for a 21-year-old junior officer to commit suicide in his
military unit because he was being humiliated? No, then why should I be
described as ‘treacherous’ for having reported on it," Talu asked in his
column.

Other famous journalists and columnists that appear on the list in the
‘anti-military’ category include Murat Belge, Mehmet Ali Birand and Can
Dundar. Murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and his weekly Agos
are not included in the document.

Another prominent journalist, Mehmet Altan from the Star daily, said that
while he was scandalised by the existence of the list "there is at least a
group of high-ranking military officials who think that this report is a
serious mistake and that’s why they’ve leaked it."

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other government officials have not
commented on the report.

Media outlets with more radical positions, such as the socialist and
Islamist newspapers and television stations are not given accreditation to
follow the Office of the Chief of General Staff and hence do not are already
not accredited to military’s media events and are not included in the ‘black
list.’