Author Topic: A sad day...  (Read 2673 times)

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Offline JohnF

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A sad day...
« on: March 24, 2018, 08:42:32 AM »
... for press freedom in Turkey.  Well, for what was left of it really.

Over the past few years any dissenting (against the wee fella) voices in the media have been arrested, sacked or the whole outlet has been seized and passed to AKP sympathisers.  The last man standing is Doğan Media who own the Hurriyet and CNN Turk (and many other outlets), but not it appears for much longer.

Doğan Holdings, the parent company, are in talks with Demirören Holdings to sell all media interests for over one billion dollars.

Demirören Holdings are pro AKP and the wee fella.

That'll be the end of guys like Murat Yetkin and Serkan Demitaş. Forget any valid commentary on whats happening in Turkey, you'd be as well reading the Sabah.

So fecking typical, if you can't shut them up, buy them out.

This is the Guardians take on it:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/22/free-speech-turkey-fresh-blow-sale-of-independent-media-outlets-erdogan

JF



Offline JohnF

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Re: A sad day...
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2018, 16:03:21 PM »
I was told today that the reason why old man Doğan  is selling off his media interests is because if he didn't, him (81 years old) and several members of his family would likely be imprisoned on a variety of charges that have been brought against them. 

Remember, this is the company the government fined billions of dollars about ten years ago when they exposed a charity fraud by prominent AKP officials.  Doğan used to have a bit power and clout which was why his media outlets could be critical of the government, but it looks like that has gradually been eroded.  Such a pity.

As if this wasn't bad enough, a new bill was passed last Thursday which puts "the internet" in the hands of RTÜK, the jokers responsible for media censorship.  Expect further blocking of content and arrests, especially of online outlets critical of...  well anything I suppose. :(

JF

Offline JohnF

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Re: A sad day...
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2018, 13:24:02 PM »
Thirteen journalist from the anti government publication Cumhuriyet were jailed today for effectively just having a pulse.

"They were all charged with supporting, through their coverage, three organizations, outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the ultra-leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), blamed for the 2016 failed coup.

Supporters of the accused repeatedly said the charges against the journalists were absurd and the trial was political."

Political?  You're damned right it is.

Full HDN article here and BBC here.

JF




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