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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Oct 2 2011
`Military ban on journalists resulted in lost jobs after 1997 coup'
02 October 2011, Sunday / KÃ-KSAL AKPINAR, Ä°STANBUL
Cüneyt Ã-zdemir, a young and promising journalist, said the biggest
threat faced by journalists during the Feb. 28 postmodern coup in
Turkey was losing their jobs if they flout a ban on their entering
military facilities and housing complexes.
Ã-zdemir spoke to the Cihan news magazine on a variety of issues
ranging from the relations between the media and the military to
parting ways with journalist Soner Yalçın, a jailed suspect in the
case of Ergenekon, a crime network that has alleged links within the
state and is suspected of plotting to topple the government.
Talking about the military pressure on the media, Ã-zdemir said when he
was working with veteran journalist Mehmet Ali Birand for the 32. Gün
(32nd Day) program during the Feb. 28 postmodern coup in 1997 -- when
the military ousted a coalition government led by the Islamic-leaning
Welfare Party (RP) -- Birand had an argument with then Deputy Chief of
General Staff Gen. Ã?evik Bir, which led the military to prepare a
document classifying journalists as either anti-Turkish Armed Forces
(TSK) or pro-TSK.
In 2007, the now-defunct weekly Nokta unearthed a secret military
document that revealed the military practice of grading newspapers and
journalists according to the news they published about the TSK,
labeling them as for or against the TSK. According to the document,
the military gave accreditation to newspapers and correspondents with
good grades while barring the rest from participating in military
press events, such as news briefings.
`The biggest threat faced by journalists of the time was being barred
from military facilities and military housing complexes. Entering
would mean getting fired from the media outlet you were working for.
As a matter of fact, Birand was fired,' Ã-zdemir said.
The relationship between the TSK and the media has been a problematic
one, as the military applies strict rules of accreditation to some
journalists and newspapers, preventing them from attending military
news conferences or events. Although this practice has eased over the
past years, the Turkish military is still criticized for restricting
freedom of the press.
In the interview Ã-zdemir also talked about his views on the Ergenekon
case, in which hundreds of suspects, including academics, journalists
and retired generals, are standing trial on charges of plotting to
topple the government.
He said when the Ergenekon investigation began in 2007, he was hopeful
that the case would bring everyone who made coup plans before the
court. However, when individuals that he could not even imagine making
coup plans were charged with being members of this organization and
the suspects were kept in jail for years while on trial, he lost some
faith in the case.
`These [Ergenekon] guys even planned to kill [Nobel laureate] Orhan
Pamuk. The killing of [Turkish-Armenian journalist] Hrant Dink [in
2007] is to a certain extent the result of the atmosphere created by
these people. I find the case very positive from that perspective. The
Ergenekon case has shown us that a certain style of thinking can be
punished in Turkey. Today, I can say that I give 50 percent support to
this case. I had more faith in it three years ago. Now, I think the
case has expanded too far,' said Ã-zdemir.
Ergenekon hearings have been taking place since October 2008. Critics
of the case argue that the trial is taking longer than necessary,
forcing suspects to spend more time in custody than they would
otherwise have to. In the interview, Ã-zdemir also focused on the end
of his friendship with owner of the Odatv website Yalçın, who was
jailed in February with two colleagues as part of the Ergenekon case.
`We parted ways due to Turkey's realities to some extent, and
ideological reasons played a role in our relationship's deterioration.
We were working together, but it became impossible for us to continue.
We got so we were unable to speak to each other, so we parted ways.
There was not actually a major reason. I do not want to go into much
detail,' he said.
Regarding his meeting with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen with a
group of journalists in Pennsylvania earlier this year, Ã-zdemir said
he was very impressed to see Gülen leading a very moderate life,
although he has millions of followers around the world. Ã-zdemir said
that after he returned to Turkey, he faced demoralizing attacks,
particularly from secular circles, due to his meeting with Gülen.
`They labeled me a Gülenist and said I was just taking advantage of
free trips. I could not believe how many accusatory articles were
written about me. I was not expecting such a reaction. What happened
next? I just stopped caring about the reactions. I gave them no
credit,' said Ã-zdemir.
Oct 2 2011
`Military ban on journalists resulted in lost jobs after 1997 coup'
02 October 2011, Sunday / KÃ-KSAL AKPINAR, Ä°STANBUL
Cüneyt Ã-zdemir, a young and promising journalist, said the biggest
threat faced by journalists during the Feb. 28 postmodern coup in
Turkey was losing their jobs if they flout a ban on their entering
military facilities and housing complexes.
Ã-zdemir spoke to the Cihan news magazine on a variety of issues
ranging from the relations between the media and the military to
parting ways with journalist Soner Yalçın, a jailed suspect in the
case of Ergenekon, a crime network that has alleged links within the
state and is suspected of plotting to topple the government.
Talking about the military pressure on the media, Ã-zdemir said when he
was working with veteran journalist Mehmet Ali Birand for the 32. Gün
(32nd Day) program during the Feb. 28 postmodern coup in 1997 -- when
the military ousted a coalition government led by the Islamic-leaning
Welfare Party (RP) -- Birand had an argument with then Deputy Chief of
General Staff Gen. Ã?evik Bir, which led the military to prepare a
document classifying journalists as either anti-Turkish Armed Forces
(TSK) or pro-TSK.
In 2007, the now-defunct weekly Nokta unearthed a secret military
document that revealed the military practice of grading newspapers and
journalists according to the news they published about the TSK,
labeling them as for or against the TSK. According to the document,
the military gave accreditation to newspapers and correspondents with
good grades while barring the rest from participating in military
press events, such as news briefings.
`The biggest threat faced by journalists of the time was being barred
from military facilities and military housing complexes. Entering
would mean getting fired from the media outlet you were working for.
As a matter of fact, Birand was fired,' Ã-zdemir said.
The relationship between the TSK and the media has been a problematic
one, as the military applies strict rules of accreditation to some
journalists and newspapers, preventing them from attending military
news conferences or events. Although this practice has eased over the
past years, the Turkish military is still criticized for restricting
freedom of the press.
In the interview Ã-zdemir also talked about his views on the Ergenekon
case, in which hundreds of suspects, including academics, journalists
and retired generals, are standing trial on charges of plotting to
topple the government.
He said when the Ergenekon investigation began in 2007, he was hopeful
that the case would bring everyone who made coup plans before the
court. However, when individuals that he could not even imagine making
coup plans were charged with being members of this organization and
the suspects were kept in jail for years while on trial, he lost some
faith in the case.
`These [Ergenekon] guys even planned to kill [Nobel laureate] Orhan
Pamuk. The killing of [Turkish-Armenian journalist] Hrant Dink [in
2007] is to a certain extent the result of the atmosphere created by
these people. I find the case very positive from that perspective. The
Ergenekon case has shown us that a certain style of thinking can be
punished in Turkey. Today, I can say that I give 50 percent support to
this case. I had more faith in it three years ago. Now, I think the
case has expanded too far,' said Ã-zdemir.
Ergenekon hearings have been taking place since October 2008. Critics
of the case argue that the trial is taking longer than necessary,
forcing suspects to spend more time in custody than they would
otherwise have to. In the interview, Ã-zdemir also focused on the end
of his friendship with owner of the Odatv website Yalçın, who was
jailed in February with two colleagues as part of the Ergenekon case.
`We parted ways due to Turkey's realities to some extent, and
ideological reasons played a role in our relationship's deterioration.
We were working together, but it became impossible for us to continue.
We got so we were unable to speak to each other, so we parted ways.
There was not actually a major reason. I do not want to go into much
detail,' he said.
Regarding his meeting with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen with a
group of journalists in Pennsylvania earlier this year, Ã-zdemir said
he was very impressed to see Gülen leading a very moderate life,
although he has millions of followers around the world. Ã-zdemir said
that after he returned to Turkey, he faced demoralizing attacks,
particularly from secular circles, due to his meeting with Gülen.
`They labeled me a Gülenist and said I was just taking advantage of
free trips. I could not believe how many accusatory articles were
written about me. I was not expecting such a reaction. What happened
next? I just stopped caring about the reactions. I gave them no
credit,' said Ã-zdemir.