Has the Prime Minister Got yet Another Directive for the Media?
When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan returned to Turkey subsequent to the completion of his business in Moscow, he announced in the State Guesthouse at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport that he liked the way the media reflected the current crisis between Israel and Turkey.
Erdoğan told the journalists that Israel formally apologized to Turkey for the pejorative attitude displayed towards Ambassador Oğuz Demirkol. "I saw one thing during this process. The point where the Turkish media stopped regarding the recent incident is the point I was longing for as the Prime Minister. This cooperation carries Turkey away to a very different place. I would like to thank the media. We should succeed in the same way regarding all sorts of political, military and economic issues".
It seems impossible not to criticize the attitude of the Israeli Foreign Minister. However, Erdoğan's words cause discomfort once more. I do not know how you would interpret this kind of appreciation and expectation...
In the past, the "amity", cooperation or close contact of the government or army with the media in the name of security or continuity of the state generated a heap of injustice against rights defenders in society.
Concocting plans, psychological operations, crime etc. ...
Therefore, the Prime Minister's "sincerity" and his general content with the media that he consistently reprimanded for a part of the way naturally did not evoke positive memories, keeping in mind the days not long ago when he made the media toe the party line...
This is our trauma... It does not heal that easily...
Erdoğan is not entirely at peace with the world of thoughts. As a journalist it discomforts and blurs one's mind to gain points from a prime minister who frequently filed cases against journalists and caricaturists.
The media that was pleased with Erdoğan was pleased anyway. The other part of the media that displays a critical stance towards the government in this political environment does not work upon his order after all that time.But the latest signal of the Prime Minister might stem from the inebriation of diplomatic success related to Israel.
Let's say it again, independence suits our media!
Reminding us of our responsibilities, what does the Turkish Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities recommend?
"The responsibility of the journalist to the public supersedes all other responsibilities, including to employer and public authorities. Information, news and free thought are of a social nature that separates them from all other commercial commodities and services. The journalist carries all responsibility for the news and information he or she makes public. The limits and contents of journalists' freedom are primarily determined by their responsibility and professional principles" (EÖ/VK).