Erdogan's 'Stalinist' purges - state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation axes 800 reporters, stirs reaction over press freedom

Erdogan's 'Stalinist' purges - state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation axes 800 reporters, stirs reaction over press freedom. (TZ).


The state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) has fired some 800 correspondents without providing any specific reason, news wires reported on Tuesday. The dismissed reporters were mostly contractual or freelance workers who don’t have any right to severance or compensation payments.

Aydın Journalists’ Solidarity Association (AGD) Chairman Mehmet Aydın said the public broadcasting company’s decision victimizes a large number of journalists throughout Turkey. In a written statement on Monday, Aydın said the reporters were left helpless in the middle of the winter due to TRT’s mass layoffs and demanded that measures be taken to help them with the financial difficulties they will experience as a result of the surprise dismissals.

He said these journalists had already been working under demanding conditions and were in a bad economic situation due to low wages. A large portion of the press in the country are employed in such a way that they are deprived even of the social rights guaranteed under Press Labor Law No. 212 because they are not full-time employees, he said, adding that such a large number of job cuts only aggravates the situation. “We strongly condemn the TRT administration for ruthlessly and categorically victimizing our colleagues at such a time when the army of jobless reporters is growing like an avalanche,” he said.

Yozgat Journalists’ Association (YGC) President Osman Hakan Kiracı also criticized TRT’s decision and said that they are watching the government’s negative practices against the press, which he said had accelerated since Dec. 17 when a corruption probe implicating some members of the government became public, with great concern.

He mentioned the proposed new Internet law, which entitles the maritime affairs and communications minister as well as the head of the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) to block websites without first obtaining a court order, as well as the Turkish Airlines (THY) decision to halt the distribution of newspapers on its flights from media outlets that have been critical of the government. He said that the TRT’s massive dismissals are the latest example of the government’s increasing pressure on the freedom of expression.

THY stopped purchasing the Zaman daily, the highest-selling paper in Turkey, as well as the dailies Bugün, Today’s Zaman and Ortadoğu last month. Kiracı characterized this decision as an undemocratic practice.Hmmmm......Erdogan : "I'm not a dictator. It's not even in my blood,"...Police, Judges, prosecutors purged..........He got a blood transfusion recently?

Related: Erdogan on Democracy .