Reaction of world press organizations to the Turkish government

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the Turkish authorities to end the pressure and unacceptable interference with the press, and to respect the right of access to information. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also noted that journalists reporting on the earthquake should not be interfered with.

According to the news quoted by the Turkish VOA, in the statement on the RSF website, it was recalled that after the two major earthquakes that caused great destruction in Turkey, the authorities repeatedly resorted to different ways to prevent the work of journalists who were trying to convey the situation in the region. Since the earthquakes of February 6, RSF has recorded various interventions against the press, including attacks, arrests, filing lawsuits, blocking access to Twitter and online attacks.

It was noted that journalists were attacked under the pretext of “insulting the State or the security forces”, and the way in which the earthquake disaster was reflected and the attempts to take control of its administration began to become more visible. RSF noted that the flow of data online was also restricted.

Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator in New York, said: “Authorities must end all investigations against journalists, allow reporters to work freely, and ensure that journalists can do their jobs without fear of harassment”.