Journalists Union of Turkey: 'We will not allow journalism to be destroyed in this country'

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Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) President Gökhan Durmuş voiced concern about the continuence of oppressive policies and measures against journalists in the evaluation he made about the re-election of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the presidendy. 

Durmuş declared that they will continue to struggle for press freedom. Regarding the possibility that the government will continue its old oppressive policies towards the journalists, he said, "It is not possible for us to accept this." 

The full statement Durmuş made was as follows: 

Another election with historical significance was held in Turkey. The result is that the country has decided to continue the 21 year-old Justice and Development Party (AKP) Government. However, in an atmosphere where the society is divided exactly in two, it will only be possible to continue to be in power by continuing the oppressive pollicies. And President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already signalled to the whole society in his balcony speech that this will be their choice. 

It seems that the oppressive policies of AKP to the detriment of press freedom and freedom of expression, and their practices of criminalizing journalists, implemented for the last 12 years, will continue. The practices that keep the society away from the news, that casts a veil over the realities, and that identifies the journalists as terrorists when necessary in order to continue doing all this, will likely continue. 

But even if they have paved the way to this with the legal amendments that they have made, it is not possible for us to accept this. We will continue to fight in order to tell the society the realities even in the face of all oppressive measures . We will not allow journalism to be destroyed in this country. We will continue our fight both for freedom of press and freedom of expression and also for our rights, carrying on from where we were." 

 

(HA/PE)