Journalists in prison are not accused of ‘journalistic activities'

The criticism they voiced even made its way to an EU report on Turkey, but it is evident that they do not have strong grounds for such reactions. There is no official data at hand to suggest that there is a journalist in Turkey who was arrested for carrying out his profession as a journalist. Instead, journalists behind bars are being accused of charges such as becoming member to a terrorist organization, forgery in official documents, stealing documents related to state security, carrying unlicensed weapons and extortion. There are also journalists who are being tried on charges of membership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and al-Qaeda, which are listed as “terrorist organizations” in the international arena. There are 15 journalists that were arrested for PKK membership and three for al-Qaeda membership. It is also worthwhile to note that one journalist arrested for membership in Ergenekon is also a suspect in a murder case.

After the debate on the freedom of press in Turkey grew fiercer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a statement, saying there are currently 27 journalists in prison in Turkey who do not stand accused for their journalistic activities. The Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) and the Platform for Solidarity with Imprisoned Journalists (TGDP) disagreed, saying the number of arrested journalists is actually 68. The difference in the figures stems from the fact that the prime minister cited only journalists who possess a press card as “journalists.” However, the figures cited by journalist associations do not.

Different figures cited by different associations stem from a condition of uncertainty surrounding the journalists in prison. There is no problem regarding journalists who possess a press card. However, there is no sound data at hand to suggest that some under arrest are actually journalists. Some figures referred to as journalists by journalist associations are newspaper dispatchers. Professor Mehmet Haberal, the owner of Başkent University Hospital, is cited as a journalist because he owns a TV station. Professor Yalçın Küçük, on the other hand, is referred to as a journalist and columnist. Nine of the 68 journalists who are behind bars, according to journalist associations, have actually been released from prison, says data provided by the Justice Ministry General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers. This means the figure should be corrected to 59.

From PKK to al-Qaeda

According to data provided by the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers, the number of individuals who have links with a media institution and are currently under arrest is 59. Fourteen of these have already been convicted, while 45 are awaiting trial. Fourteen of the 45 are standing trial in the Ergenekon case. The institutions the imprisoned journalists are working for are press organs, known for their close ties with the PKK. Among them are Gün TV, the Azadiye Welat daily, the Günlük (daily) daily, the Özgürlük and Sosyalizm Yolunda Atılım (Move towards freedom and socialism) daily, the Devrim Yolunda İşçi Köylü (Worker villagers for revolution) daily and the Dayanışma (solidarity) daily. There are also those who work for the press organs of illegal leftist organizations.

The charges leveled at the imprisoned members of the press also confirm Erdoğan's remarks. According to data, the imprisoned journalists are not being prosecuted for their journalistic activities but other accusations against them. For example, one of the charges leveled at Ulusal Kanal's Hikmet Çiçek, Odatv's Soner Yalçın, Barış Pehlivan and Barış Terkoğlu, as well as journalist Mustafa Balbay is “damaging documents that include sensitive and classified information concerning state security.”

Yalçın, Pehlivan, Terkoğlu, Balbay, Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener face charges of being a member of terrorist organization. There is more than one charge leveled against some journalists.

Why are they in prison?

The charges leveled at the journalists currently imprisoned are as follows: falsification of official documents; bearing, being in possession of and buying unlicensed firearms and ammunition; purchase of, bearing and being in possession of firearms and ammunition of an alarmingly dangerous quality and quantity; establishing and leading an armed terrorist organization; membership in an armed terrorist organization; illegally bearing and transferring hazardous substances; attempting to destroy Parliament and attempting to prevent it from performing its duties; inciting people to revolt against the government of the Republic of Turkey; attempting to destroy the government of the Republic of Turkey and attempting to prevent it from performing its duties; willful murder, extortion, attempting to divide the country's lands; violation of the privacy of a workplace and depriving individuals of their freedom through weapons.