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Turkish army accreditation policy to create problems
by
METİN YIKAR
by
METİN YIKAR
* * * *
A man who we later found out was a military official in civilian clothing escorted a Samanyolu News cameraman out of a room that was filled with journalists from all over the world and removed his press pass, saying, “You’re not accredited.”
Location: İstanbul Conference Center, Harbiye. A civilian location.
The person subject to this treatment: A cameraman from one of Turkey’s most prestigious television channels.
The reason: The General Staff’s accreditation policy.
* * * *
There are some points that those who kicked our friend out need to know.
The Samanyolu Media Group broadcasts in the countries where most of the journalists who witnessed the incident came from. It has an office or a reporter in most of the NATO countries whose defense ministers were there.
It is the only Turkish media group that broadcasts in English in Turkey, the only Turkish media group that has an office and dozens of employees in America and Germany and the first broadcast group to have culture, news and children’s channels. Its prestige in the eyes of the Turkish people is very high, and it is an institution that pushes for the top in ratings and has no purpose other than to simply broadcast. Erkam Uysal, the cameraman whose arm was grabbed and who was kicked out of the room, is a person of impeccable character who has been performing his profession with a great level of passion for close to 10 years, two of them spent in the United States.
He has all the credentials and qualifications that one needs.
So what does it mean to take someone by the arm and kick him out without any substantial reason or to reject him at the door?
What does it mean to say, “Call security and have them remove this guy”?
What right does anyone have to do this to a cameraman who has an ID on him and is only doing his job? This is pure media censorship.
* * * *
There were journalists from many countries there. Some were from countries that the architects of the accreditation policy would not consider allies. They are accredited, but we are not. No one came out to give explanation about the cameraman who was abandoned on top of a mountain in the freezing cold, about doors that were closed to the biggest media group or about reporters who were refused entry to holiday celebrations, and now this scandal, which has tainted an international meeting, has taken place.
Those who are putting the country in a difficult position in front of the entire world with this “accreditation absurdity” need to speak out or take action.
*Metin Yıkar is editor-in-chief of Samanyolu News TV.
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