Prison for journalists

Turkish PM has equated whistleblowing to “treason” when he slammed a Turkish daily for leaking state documents that included information on government’s profiling of citizens and surveillance on activities of religious groups.

Erdogan was speaking in reference to the leaked documents that Taraf daily published late November and earlier this month. The Turkish constitution, Erdogan reminded, strictly prohibits whistleblowing saying no one has a right to leak state secrets.

The first record Taraf published was a leaked document from Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK), of a secret plot against Hizmet, a movement founded by Islamic scholar FethullahGulen.

The 2004 document, endorsed by a number of politicians – including Erdogan and the foreign and justice ministers at the time – asked the government to monitor Gulen’s domestic and foreign activities, including private schools, student housing and foundations.

Taraf also published a series of documents leaked by journalist Mehmet Baransu implicating the PM and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) of profiling and blacklisting citizens in connection to religious groups. The publication also said the authorities continued to track the groups between 2011 and 2013, despite government’s claims it had stopped such practices back in 2010.

With Turkish government’s continuing crackdown on journalists, the Reporters Without Borders called Turkey the “world’s biggest prison for journalists” last year.
“With a total of 72 media personnel currently detained, of whom at least 42journalists and four media assistants are being held in connection with their media work, Turkey is now the world’s biggest prison for journalists – a sad paradox for a country that portrays itself a regional democratic model,” Reporters Without Borders said. The independent organization also wrote that “critical and investigative journalism is often criminalized.”

Another freedom of speech advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists has sent a letter to Erdogan outlining concerns over “jailing of journalists in retaliation for their work,” “heated anti-press rhetoric coming from the top echelons of power,” and an attempt to censor news coverage.
The Committee also noted government’s “official threats to restrict Turkey’s social media” and the crackdown on journalists“in retaliation for their independent or pro-opposition coverage of June’s anti-government rallies.”

Source: viralnewschart.com

B.N