Journalist Relagated Ahead of NATO Summit

Mehmet Demir, an Istanbul reporter for the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), was sent to eastern province of Erzurum with an urgent decision ahead of the NATO Summit, for a temporary mission. Demir, who is also a representative of the Media and Communication Workers' Union (Haber-Sen), has arrived in Erzurum.

Demir was appointed to Erzurum with an urgent decision taken on June 17. He is staying at a hotel in Erzurum. Since the TRT regional directorate has no necessary facilities, Demir cannot do any work.

Oral Calislar, a member of board of directors and committee of representatives of the Turkish Journalists' Society (TGC), and journalists Senem Toluay and Oguz Guven defined Demir's appointment to Erzurum as "driven".

Calislar: "Relagation is an attempt to prevent unionisation"

Calislar said he would bring up the issue at the TGC board of directors meeting and added that they would give the necessary response.

"This, of course, is a regulation," said Calislar. "Mehmet Demir was the representative of Haber-Sen in his workplace. For this reason, we need to look at this incident as an attempt to prevent organizations."

Guven: "Relagation upon police request"

Journalist Oguz Guven said he could not believe his ears when he first heard the incident. "It is horrifying that a colleague, who has worked at TRT for years, and who has covered the Prime Minister and President, is appointed to Erzurum with the demand of the police," he said.

According to Guven, Demir's appointment to Erzurum is "shameful." "With this implementation, the profession of journalism is being insulted. The professional honor is being ignored," said the journalist.

Journalist Guven also criticized the fact that the tables and cabinets at the TRT Istanbul Radio were searched. He said the media and journalists should not remain silent to the issue.

"Organizations such as TGC and Haber-Sen have made statements against the issue, but the journalists should also show some reaction," said Guven. "We don't see anything in newspapers. It's hard for me to find the right words to define such an implementation."

Toluay: "There can be no justification"

"Demir is a friend of mine who has done nothing else but journalism for years," said Senem Toluay from the private CNN Turk television. "I was shocked when I read the news. There can be no justification for such an implementation. There is no way to understand why this was done either."

Toluay added: "Imagine other media organizations were also based on the NATO Valley. How many journalists would have been subjected to the same treatment? You cannot justify this no matter how you look at it. Professional unions and journalists should not remain silent." (EO/EA/YE)