Turkish Media unions react harshly to criminal complaints against journalists by Erdogan.

Turkish Media unions react harshly to criminal complaints against journalists by Erdogan.(TZ).

Opposition party figures, in response to a criminal complaint filed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan against journalists, have stressed that tolerance of criticism and different views is an indicator of a democratic culture.

Noting that there is a visible increase in the number of cases filed against journalists, Deniz Gürel from the Media Association said this is mostly due to growing tension before the upcoming elections. Noting that politicians are acting irresponsibly given that they are supposed to alleviate this tension, Gürel told Sunday's Zaman: “Tension is particularly high because of the three upcoming elections in Turkey. The politicians who should be alleviating the tension are unfortunately contributing to its escalation. The number of cases and criminal complaints against journalists during this period has raised serious concerns.”

Noting that the cases result in self-censorship, Media Association Secretary-General Gürel said: “The cases filed against journalists are turned down by the courts. However, this is unacceptable for the sake of democracy because it leads to self-censorship. Many cases were filed against journalists in the past as well. We have drafted a report on this matter.

The good news is that most of these cases were dropped after the introduction of the third judicial reform package. We are going through a delicate period. It is not only politicians but also journalists who are filing complaints against each other. Serious allegations have been raised in the complaints because of growing tension. It is essential for democracy for those who are accountable to the public to act responsibly and be tolerant of criticisms.”

Noting that politicians should be tolerant of criticisms in democracies, Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Gürsel Tekin said: “The fact that the prime minister is filing complaints against journalists actually confirms that the criminal [Erdoğan] is powerful. This shows the democratic nature of the prime minister and the current situation in the country as well. In country rankings of cases filed by the prime minister against journalists, Turkey will sadly be in first place. The reason for this is the lack of an internalization of a democratic culture.”

Tekin asked, “Is it possible to talk about democracy and law in a country if people are unable to express themselves freely?”“The prime minister wants to intimidate journalists who are citizens of this country by filing complaints against them. But what can he do against those journalists who are citizens of other countries?

The world is globalizing; the global media is becoming aware of what is happening here. They are covering these developments. What will you do about it? If transparency is hindered in a country, then cleansing is also impossible. It would be a shame if Turkey does not go through a process of cleansing now. It would be a shame for the law, democracy and human rights. This opportunity should not be missed. For this reason, journalists should be able to express their critical views,” he added.

Stressing that the current developments reveal how the pressure on democracy will increase in Turkey, CHP Konya deputy Atilla Kart said: “Threats and restrictions on democracy will become more visible. Unfortunately, the current process confirms this. It is not proper to present the recent developments as a struggle between the government and the [Fethullah] Gülen movement. This is all about the political and constitutional irresponsibility of the government. 

Unfortunately, society will experience the grave consequences of the current process. We will see many cases of restrictions on democracy as well as attempts to intimidate the media and journalists. We will see this in the law on the Council of State and the law on state secrets.

We will see the introduction of restrictions of fundamental rights and freedoms. I hope that we can overcome this period without hurting our democracy and constitutional institutions.”Stressing that opposition and criticisms are inalienable parts of democracies, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Chairwoman Ruhsar Demirel said the ruling party and the prime minister should be more tolerant. 

Adding that the growing tension is detrimental to social peace, Demirel added: “Can we have democracy without opposition and criticism? It is not only opposition parties or journalists; everyone who votes is expressing their critical views. Without freedom of expression, there is no democracy. The ruling party is responsible for alleviating the growing tension.”

Noting that attempts to intimidate media organs and journalists mean restrictions on people's right to information, Demirel also said: “The greatest responsibility of a journalist is to inform people. I find restrictions on this to be very wrong. It is not proper in a civilized country; it is not proper for Turkey, which is seeking modern democratic standards. Let alone journalists, anyone can say anything in relation to the corruption probe.

One should be able to express one's views so that the truth can be found. … If you think that this is not necessary, this is not a democracy. Such a regime is defined as authoritarian or as a dictatorship.”

Hmmmm.......Erdogan: "Democracy is like a train. We shall get out when we arrive at the station we want."

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Kayasu suggested that the government should focus on the corruption claims rather than conspiracy theories. Maintaining that the real question should be whether the government is truly striving to ensure there is an impartial judiciary, Kayasu said: “Chaos prevails where there is no law. You cannot have democracy or a republic there. Rather, power and monarchs will step in. In that country, politicians believe they are powerful. But power should be derived from laws.”Kayasu warned that despite the fact it has public appeal for having done the right things, the government's meddling in the judiciary may take a toll on its electoral support in the coming elections.