Journalist Gültaşlı: European institutions are ‘cherry-picking’ imprisoned journalists in Turkey


Date posted: March 7, 2018

“It is getting increasingly clear that European institutions are ‘cherry-picking’ the imprisoned journalists in Turkey for whom they want to protest,” wrote journalist Selçuk Gültaşlı, who was Brussels bureau chief for the Turkish Zaman newspaper, on the Brussels-based online news website euobserver.com on Tuesday.

“There are several groups of jailed journalists – and European reaction differs depending on which category you fall in,” Gültaşlı said in his article and continued: “If you are European or Turkish-origin European journalist, the reaction is of epic proportions, followed by open (or secret) meetings with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to ensure their release. Foreign ministers and even former prime ministers are involved in these dirty deals. This form of ‘hostage-taking’ has generally paid off.”

Stating that “The reaction for leftist, liberal or secular journalists is at a lower pitch, but still noteworthy. There are no European ministers’ visits to Turkey to get them freed but, nevertheless, European institutions make a lot noise,” Gültaşlı wrote that “The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the last resort for justice in Turkey, take their cases as a matter of priority.”

Pointing to Deniz Yücel and French journalist Loup Bureau as good examples of the first category, Gültaşlı stated that “Yücel should have never been imprisoned in the first place and it is very good that he is free at last. However, German media reported that it took two secret meetings between German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel and Erdogan to set him free. We do not yet exactly know what the final ‘price tag’ was for his freedom.”

Classifying the Altan brothers and Şahin Alpay in the second category, Gültaşlı reminded that “The Turkish Constitutional Court recently ruled that Mehmet Altan and Alpay should be released. However, in an unprecedented disrespect for the highest judicial authority and blatant breach of the constitution, local courts refused to implement the ruling. Altan and Alpay are respected, left-leaning liberals. Their cases were taken by the ECtHR as a matter of priority.”

“There is a third group nobody cares about and they are my colleagues from Zaman, the so-called ‘Gulenist’ journalists,” said Gültaşlı. The Zaman daily was seized by the Erdoğan government on March 4, 2016 and later closed by government decree in July of the same year.

“The other group in this class is the Kurdish reporters,” Gültaşlı said, and added: “Erdoğan squarely blames the Gülen movement as the sole perpetrator for the failed coup attempt of 2016 without convincing proof (most in Brussels believe that Gülenists were involved, but it was not Gülen who ordered the coup). Despite the lack of compelling evidence, the European institutions are careful not to anger Erdoğan, meticulously omitting references to the movement in their reports and statements.”

“At the beginning of February, the ECtHR refused the application of Mustafa Ünal, Zaman’s former Ankara bureau chief,” Gültaşlı reminded and added that “Ünal has been in jail for the past 19 months and the evidence presented in the indictment comprises nothing but his articles. Ünal is being tried in the same case with Alpay, and exactly with the same indictment, full of the same charges. Yet the court decided to take up Alpay’s application while rejecting Ünal’s.”

Gültaşlı wrote that “Vincent Berger, Ünal’s French lawyer in Paris, told me recently he was shocked and the court decision was ‘a real shame and a clear discrimination.’ Most disturbing of all, Berger said, the decision was a dangerous message to Ankara – implying that the government could do whatever it wants with this group of journalists.”

“The ECtHR has still not responded my question about why the court took two different decisions in the same case,” said Gültaşlı, underlining the fact that the ECtHR also rejected an application from Zaman, which was seeking compensation for damages suffered.

“The European Parliament, the most outspoken critic among the EU institutions, adopted a resolution in early February condemning Erdoğan’s despotic drift. While being quite vocal on media freedom, the report mentioned only Cumhuriyet daily whose four reporters are still behind bars,” Gültaşlı wrote, and continued: “According to the Stockholm Centre for Freedom, an NGO created by exiled Turkish journalists, out of 205 imprisoned journalists, 124 of them are either from Zaman or Gülen-affiliated media outlets. Yet, there was not a single reference to this in the European parliament’s report.”

Gültaşlı concluded his article on euobersver.com by saying that “My colleagues are discriminated against badly enough by Turkish authorities. They do not deserve to be further discriminated against by the European institutions.”

Turkey is the biggest jailer of journalists in the world. The most recent figures documented by SCF show that 240 journalists and media workers were in jail as of February 22, 2018, most in pretrial detention. Of those in prison, 205 were under arrest pending trial, while only 35 journalists have been convicted and are serving their time. Detention warrants are outstanding for 140 journalists who are living in exile or remain at large in Turkey.

Detaining tens of thousands of people over alleged links to the Gülen movement, the government also closed down more than 180 media outlets after the controversial coup attempt.

 

Source: Turkey Purge , March 7, 2018


Related News

US Human Rights Report: Tens of thousands jailed in Turkey with little clarity on charges

The 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices — the Human Rights Reports — released by the US State Department on Friday said that Turkish courts had imprisoned tens of thousands of people with little clarity on charges and evidence over their alleged links with a failed coup in July 2016 that was blamed on the Gülen movement.

Turbulent times [in Turkey due to corruption probe]

The arrest of several people close to the government, including three ministers’ sons, accused of taking significant bribes, has shaken the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to the core and plunged Turkey into political uncertainty. Whether it is the case or not — the Gülen movement denies it — the timing of the arrests has created the widespread perception that the investigation is linked to the growing tension between the AKP and the Gülen movement, also known as Hizmet.

Kyrgyz court overturns extradition of suspected Gülenists to Turkey

A Kyrgyzstan court on Tuesday overturned a decision by the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office to extradite two people to Turkey to face charges of membership of the banned Gülen movement, The Diplomat reported.

Boston Globe: Fethullah Gulen, a US resident wanted by Turkey, must be protected

Why was the White House even talking about Gulen, who has been living peacefully, and legally, in Pennsylvania?

Autopsy proves Turkish military student’s throat slit during coup attempt, sister says

Despite a relentless crackdown against any questioning of the government’s narrative regarding what really happened during a failed coup on July 15, second-year air force student Murat Tekin’s throat was slit by an angry mob, his sister has claimed, backing up her allegation with an autopsy report.

Gov’t effort to bring down bank would have international repercussions

Directing his criticism at the government, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy and parliamentary Justice Commission member Murat Başesgioğlu voiced out “If you attempt to bring down the bank, you will have negative repercussions in the international arena,” adding “No one will take you [government] serious in the international arena, if you attempt to bring down a bank.”

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Journalists and Writers Foundation’s statement [on arrest warrant issued for Mr. Gulen]

Kimse Yok Mu extends helping hand to Haitian orphans

Woman says husband abducted after losing job in post-coup crackdown

Students from 140 countries to participate in Turkish Olympiads this year

Terrorist organization, you say

2,500 schools confiscated, 30,000 teachers dismissed over Gülen links

Germany investigates possible anti-Gulen spies

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News