Tweet
PRESS INSTITUTE: WHO ELSE IS BEING BUGGED?
BIAnet.org
June 1 2010
Turkey
The Press Institute Association criticized the wiretapping of the
Milliyet newspaper switchboard, "This is a new example demonstrating
a severe violation of press freedom and freedom of expression in
Turkey". Journalists organizations TGS and CGD condemned the incident.
Erol ONDEROÄ~^LU [email protected] Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center01
June 2010, Tuesday After criticism voiced by the Turkish Journalists
Union (TGS) and the Contemporary Journalists Association (CGD), also
the Press Institute Association condemned the telephone tapping of
newspapers' switchboards.
"We cannot expect to freely establish relations to sources of the
press in a country where telephone tapping becomes more widespread
in a carefree manner. A threat to press freedom means a threat to
democracy".
Former Deputy Chief of the Police Directorate, Emin Arslan, stated in
a hearing at the Istanbul 9th High Criminal Court on 28 May that the
switchboards of Milliyet, Radikal, Posta and Fanatik newspapers were
illegally wiretapped. While officials remained silent on the issue,
professional press organizations expressed their protest:
TGS and CGD condemned telephone tapping TGS President Ergan Ä°pekci
argued, "It was us who revealed Ergenekon, it was us who reached the
forces behind the 'deep' state". Ä°pekci indicated that neither the
state nor the Prime Minister could abdicate from their responsibility
for the telephone tapping. "Tapping of newspapers' switchboard and
journalists' phones cannot be accepted in any aspect related to
freedom of expression in the media".
Head of the CGD, Ahmet Abakay, criticized, "There is a common
guilt if the political power does not take measures. Somebody has
to be responsible for the state's bugging devices. Was that TÄ°B
[Telecommunication Communication Presidency] or was it the Minister
of Justice? Whoever, they should be called to account at court".
Press Institute: Totally carefree and illegal...
The latest announcement came from the Press Institute Association. The
Association emphasized that the telephone tapping of the Milliyet
newspaper switchboard after the same happened at Cumhuriyet newspaper
before constituted a severe violation of press freedom and freedom
of expression in Turkey. "Officials should declare which newspaper
switchboards have been wiretapped as soon as possible", the Association
demanded.
"Procedures and reasons for telephone tapping are clearly defined
by law. Nevertheless, the bugging of the switchboards was carried
out beyond any legal framework and thus became absolutely carefree
and illegal".
Defendant Emin Arslan is tried because of drug trafficking and was
released pending trial in his first hearing. If his claims are true,
the freedom of obtaining information was violated in hundreds of
cases since up to 850 employees of four different newspapers allegedly
were wiretapped.
Issue will be clarified if TÄ°B discloses referring data In the
same hearing, Arslan stated that IMEI (International Mobile Equipment
Identity) numbers of Milliyet newspaper were bugged as well due to news
concerned with the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
Arslan claimed that phones of journalists, politicians, members of
the judiciary and officers were wiretapped. He said that all the
information would be revealed if the court demanded the acquisition
of the referring data from TÄ°B. (EO/VK)
From: A. Papazian
BIAnet.org
June 1 2010
Turkey
The Press Institute Association criticized the wiretapping of the
Milliyet newspaper switchboard, "This is a new example demonstrating
a severe violation of press freedom and freedom of expression in
Turkey". Journalists organizations TGS and CGD condemned the incident.
Erol ONDEROÄ~^LU [email protected] Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center01
June 2010, Tuesday After criticism voiced by the Turkish Journalists
Union (TGS) and the Contemporary Journalists Association (CGD), also
the Press Institute Association condemned the telephone tapping of
newspapers' switchboards.
"We cannot expect to freely establish relations to sources of the
press in a country where telephone tapping becomes more widespread
in a carefree manner. A threat to press freedom means a threat to
democracy".
Former Deputy Chief of the Police Directorate, Emin Arslan, stated in
a hearing at the Istanbul 9th High Criminal Court on 28 May that the
switchboards of Milliyet, Radikal, Posta and Fanatik newspapers were
illegally wiretapped. While officials remained silent on the issue,
professional press organizations expressed their protest:
TGS and CGD condemned telephone tapping TGS President Ergan Ä°pekci
argued, "It was us who revealed Ergenekon, it was us who reached the
forces behind the 'deep' state". Ä°pekci indicated that neither the
state nor the Prime Minister could abdicate from their responsibility
for the telephone tapping. "Tapping of newspapers' switchboard and
journalists' phones cannot be accepted in any aspect related to
freedom of expression in the media".
Head of the CGD, Ahmet Abakay, criticized, "There is a common
guilt if the political power does not take measures. Somebody has
to be responsible for the state's bugging devices. Was that TÄ°B
[Telecommunication Communication Presidency] or was it the Minister
of Justice? Whoever, they should be called to account at court".
Press Institute: Totally carefree and illegal...
The latest announcement came from the Press Institute Association. The
Association emphasized that the telephone tapping of the Milliyet
newspaper switchboard after the same happened at Cumhuriyet newspaper
before constituted a severe violation of press freedom and freedom
of expression in Turkey. "Officials should declare which newspaper
switchboards have been wiretapped as soon as possible", the Association
demanded.
"Procedures and reasons for telephone tapping are clearly defined
by law. Nevertheless, the bugging of the switchboards was carried
out beyond any legal framework and thus became absolutely carefree
and illegal".
Defendant Emin Arslan is tried because of drug trafficking and was
released pending trial in his first hearing. If his claims are true,
the freedom of obtaining information was violated in hundreds of
cases since up to 850 employees of four different newspapers allegedly
were wiretapped.
Issue will be clarified if TÄ°B discloses referring data In the
same hearing, Arslan stated that IMEI (International Mobile Equipment
Identity) numbers of Milliyet newspaper were bugged as well due to news
concerned with the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
Arslan claimed that phones of journalists, politicians, members of
the judiciary and officers were wiretapped. He said that all the
information would be revealed if the court demanded the acquisition
of the referring data from TÄ°B. (EO/VK)
From: A. Papazian