The Nation (Thailand)
May 28, 2011 Saturday

Journalism Behind Bars

In a study released in early April, the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe’s representative on freedom of the media, Dunja
Mijatovic, reported that 57 journalists are currently in prison in
Turkey, mostly on the basis of the country’s ant

Such a situation is intolerable anywhere, but particularly in a
democracy that seeks European Union membership, and that recognises
freedom of expression as a fundamental right. Turkey’s behaviour thus
calls into question not only its desire but also its ability to commit
to the values underlying the EU.

Journalists linked to Kurdish or Marxist organisations have regularly
been targeted under Turkey’s anti-terrorism laws, and the OSCE study
found that they have faced some of the harshest punishments. One
Kurdish journalist was sentenced to 166 years in prison. Others
currently face ` wait for it ` 3,000-year sentences if convicted.

The relative lack of scrutiny of Turkey’s treatment of journalists by
many in the West has changed, however, owing to the recent waves of
arrests in the so-called “Ergenekon” case. Numerous military officers
and academics have been implicated in that case, which involves an
alleged plot by secular ultra-nationalists to overthrow the Turkish
government. The probe has now turned increasingly toward journalists.

One of those accused of participating in the plot is the daily
newspaper Milliyet’s investigative reporter Nedim Sener, whose work
includes a book about links between security forces and the 2007
murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The International
Press Institute (IPI) named Sener a World Press Freedom Hero in 2010.
Incarcerated following his arrest last month, he reportedly stands
accused of belonging to an armed terrorist organisation seeking to
overthrow the government.

Another journalist under fire is Ahmet Sik, who already faced
prosecution for co-writing a book criticising the government’s
crackdown on the Ergenekon plot. Sik was said to be working on a book
about the alleged influence of an Islamic group within Turkey’s police
force, which authorities last month ordered confiscat ed before it
could be printed.

A common thread in all of the cases targeting journalists is that the
alleged facts are shrouded in secrecy, and the authorities have
declined to release any evidence of crimes or criminal organisations.
Worse still, they have declined even to inform those brought before
courts ` sometimes in secret ` or their attorneys of the charges
they face. Indeed, journalists caught in this Kafkaesque affair can
expect to spend years behind bars before being allowed to respond to
the accusations against them. A climate of fear escalates with each
raid and arrest.

Meanwhile, Turkish authorities affirm the country’s commitment to
press freedom, even as they impugn the motives of those who exercise
it. Given that so many journalists have been jailed, and that all of
them have been critical of the government, it is difficult to avoid
the conclusion that journalists are being targeted because of their
work.

Such concern has been voiced not only by press-freedom groups such as
IPI, and journalists, like the Freedom for Journalists Platform (an
umbrella group representing local and national media organisations in
Turkey), but also by respected international institutions. The United
States’ Mission to the OSCE and the European Commission have joined
Mijatovic in calling on Turkey’s authorities to stop their
intimidation of the media immediately, and to uphold basic OSCE media
freedom commitments. The United Nations Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Turkey to guarantee
freedom of opinion and expression. Even Turkey’s president, Abdullah
Gul, recently called for “prosecutors and courts to be more diligent
in pursuing their responsibilities, and to act in a way that does not
harm the honour and rights of the people”.

Turkey plays a pivotal, bridge-building role between East and West,
and the country has been praised for demonstrating that democracy can
co-exist with Islam. But the arrests of so many journalists are
eroding this image.

The right of journalists to cover sensitive topics, including national
security, is fundamental. Those who do not engage in criminal activity
should not face arrest, imprisonment, or any other form of harassment
or intimidation for doing their job. Those accused of criminal
activity must be given due process and a fair trial. Evidence must be
provided, and the accused must be presented with the charges they face
and the opportunity to defend themselves.

Far from being defamatory subversives, journalists who investigate and
criticise their government’s actions demonstrate true patriotism,
because no democracy can survive without the open and independent
assessment of public policies that journalists provide. If Turkey, a
major regional power with an ancient cultural heritage, truly wishes
to be welcomed into Europe, to take its rightful place on the world
stage, and, indeed, to remain a democracy, its leaders must not hold
freedom of the press in contempt.

Alison Bethel-McKenzie is director of the International Press
Institute. Steven M Ellis is IPI press freedom adviser.

Project Syndicate.