“Journalist Stands Up For Peace”: Turkish Journalists Association

- President of Turkish Journalists Association (TGC), Turgay Olcayto, has declared that the association is highly concerned over some journalists defending war amid the security tension followed by clashes with ISIL and PKK and called on the government to end its oppression and censure measures against the press.

“Turkish Journalists' Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities addresses, the journalist defends peace. However some of our colleagues defend war” said the TGC.

The TGC’s statement also addressed the ban on Kurdish and left-wing online news portals including Evrensel, Özgür Gündem, Yüksekova Haber and Rudaw and the decision has been imposed on July 25 over the clashes with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Olcayto said, “The irresponsibility of politicians also play a part in this oppression. New ways of making pressure over the press, new obstacles on their way were founded. The Deputy Prime Minister has made a statement accusing Özgür Gündem and Evrensel newspaper, where I also work as journalist, of aiding terror. Then 96 websites were blocked and this decision affected our colleagues, news portals in southeast of Turkey the most”.

Olcayto stated that the mentality promoting a society "where people do not have to be informed, and confine themselves with the information conveyed by the pro-government wing". “This does not accord with the principles of journalism” added the journalist.

Video stream:

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- Speech of Olcayto

- Speech of Polat

- Footages from the meeting

- Details

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