Critical journalist Ilıcak fired from pro-government daily Sabah


Date posted: December 19, 2013

Veteran Turkish journalist Nazlı Ilıcak was fired on Wednesday from her long-time post at the Sabah daily over a “disagreement on issues,” according to the pro-government newspaper.

Ilıcak, who has been critical of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government for quite some time, took an equally critical stance regarding a recent investigation into alleged bribery linked to public tenders.

She said on her Twitter account on Wednesday that she had lost her job instead of her integrity. “I thank God that I did not follow the wrong path,” she added.

The veteran journalist said the Turkish prime minister should have adopted an assertive stance with regard to the graft probe, which has cast doubts over the government’s legitimacy. She held that the ministers whose sons are suspected of being involved with the graft should have resigned.

During the prep school row between the government and the Hizmet movement, Ilıcak argued that Erdoğan had fallen into a trap and had been misled by his advisors, leading to the formation of a plan to close the prep schools and prejudices and suspicions about the Hizmet movement.

Sabah said it had parted ways with Ilıcak due to a disagreement over a number of issues, but declined to elaborate further on a possible link between Ilıcak’s dismissal and her stance regarding accusations of government involvement in the corruption case.

In a recent interview on Bugün TV, Ilıcak said it would go against her conscience to say that there is no political pressure on the media. “I am convinced that pressure has been used as a method against political criticism. This is how the climate feels,” she said.

This came against a backdrop of a series of firings of journalists over the past year due to government pressure on media.

On March 18, experienced journalist Hasan Cemal parted ways with the Milliyet daily, for which he had been working since 1998, following a controversy over the paper’s publishing of secret minutes of a meeting between the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader and Kurdish deputies earlier in March.

Cemal decided to quit his job at the daily when an article he sent to the daily to be published in the same week was rejected by editor-in-chief.

Additionally, the Milliyet daily, which had fired a number of columnists who were critical of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), has suspended the column of Derya Sazak, an opinion writer for the paper who was also its editor-in-chief until a recent crisis.

Sazak’s last column was published in Milliyet on July 29, 2013. He was told after returning from vacation on which he had been since that date that his column would no longer be needed, according to a report by Internet magazine T24.

Veteran Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar was also fired from Sabah on July 23, after its editorial board censored two of his columns related to the Gezi Park protests and media-government relations.

Ilıcak’s case constitutes the latest incidents in a series of firings of journalists in the Turkish media which have brought press and government relations into the spotlight and cast further doubts on the democratic credentials of the EU candidate.

Ilıcak said the daily called her earlier in the morning to inform her on the parting of ways. Ilıcak said she didn’t expect the daily’s decision, which came at a critical moment. She rejects that her columns were mainly anti-government, adding that firings in the Turkish media have become a regular occurrence.

Ilıcak, who also faced tremendous pressure from the military during the Feb. 28 coup period after her revelations of the some generals’ involvement in editorial decisions of some Turkish media outlets in producing manipulative news targeting critical journalists, said she experienced harder days following the coup, which forced a democratically elected civilian government to resign.

Baransu’s website blocked

Meanwhile, access to a news portal that was recently built by journalist Mehmet Baransu was temporarily blocked after he uploaded documents on the corruption probe and accusations against the ministers involved.

On Thursday, Emre Uslu, a columnist for Taraf, posted a photo of the blocked website, announcing that Baransu’s domain, yenidonem.com, was blocked although there were no legal problems with it.

Baransu has been harshly criticized by members of the government and has been called a traitor for publishing secret National Security Council (MGK) documents a few weeks back.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 19, 2013


Related News

Gülen’s lawyer condemns Erdoğan’s accusations, TÜSİAD calls for sanity in country

Prominent Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s lawyer, Nurullah Albayrak, condemned Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest comments about Gülen.

Turkey’s post-coup crackdown hits ‘Gulen schools’ worldwide

“I think it’s really sad and wrong they think we’re terrorists, because we’re not,” says Chilla, a bright and articulate sixth-former at the elite Kharisma Bangsa high school near Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.

Gradual transformation of Turkey into an authoritarian entity under Erdogan’s leadership

As Erdogan moved on the Islamic path of authoritarianism with political ambition of becoming of leader of Muslim world, it has adversely impacted the stability of Turkey — both internally and externally. By crushing the Gulen movement it undermined the Islamic ideational resources needed most to fight Islamic terrorism.

‘Erdoğan has replaced 1980 coup generals’

Dr. Selim Kaptanoğlu, former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) politician and former doctor of late iconic MHP leader Alparslan Türkeş, said on Tuesday that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has replaced the National Security Council (MGK) of the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup by amassing power.

Barton: Erdoğan intoxicated by power, imperiling democracy in Turkey

Professor Greg Barton, acting director of the Centre for Islam and the Modern World at the Melbourne-based Monash University has expressed his concerns about the course of events in Turkey in terms of basic rights and democracy.

Former AK Party minister praises Turkish Olympiads

Former interior minister and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) İstanbul deputy Abdulkadir Aksu said on Thursday that Turkish schools abroad serve as islands of peace, adding that he is looking forward to this year’s Turkish Language Olympiads.

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

Human Rights Watch: Emergency Decrees Facilitate Torture in Turkey

Kimse Yok Mu, the prominent outlet for international aid

Kimse Yok Mu carries on aid for Gaza

The International Festival of Language and Culture visits UN, Ban Ki Moon sends a message

Champion of YGS university exam from Hizmet-affiliated FEM prep courses

German translation of Gulen’s book at Frankfurt Book Fair

Kimse Yok Mu offers vocational training for Kyrgyz orphans

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News