by AP and Israel Hayom Staff
Turkish government seizes Zaman newspaper, linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top rival • Critics accuse European Union of overlooking Turkey's violation of rights, because it needs Ankara's help dealing with Syria and migration crisis.
People run as riot police
use tear gas and water cannons to disperse people gathered in support
outside the headquarters of Zaman newspaper in Istanbul
|
Photo credit: Reuters  |
The European Union is facing increasing
pressure to speak out against the erosion of media freedom in Turkey
following the takeover of the country's largest-circulation newspaper,
but few expect it to take a bold stance toward Ankara while trying to
assure its help in dealing with the migration crisis.
Police used tear gas and water cannons for a
second day running on Saturday to disperse hundreds of protesters who
gathered outside the headquarters of Zaman newspaper -- now surrounded
by police fences. Law enforcement officers stormed the building on
Friday to enforce the court-ordered seizure of the publication, which is
linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top foe, U.S.-based
opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.
The protesters chanted "free press cannot be
silenced" and "Zaman cannot be silenced" as riot police used shields and
fired tear gas to push back the crowd, sending demonstrators running
into side streets for protection.
Some were seen rubbing their faces with pieces
of lemon to mitigate the effects of the tear gas, the private Dogan
news agency reported. A number of protesters were injured.
The Istanbul court's appointment of trustees
to manage Zaman and its sister outlets further reduced the number of
opposition media organizations in Turkey, which is dominated by
pro-government news outlets. It raised alarm bells over the
deterioration of rights conditions in the NATO member nation, which also
aspires for EU membership, just days before a March 7 meeting, in which
EU leaders will try to convince Turkey to do more to curtail the flow
of migrants traveling to Europe.
"The EU countries are preoccupied with their
migration crisis, they are no longer concerned by rights violations in
Turkey," said Semih Idiz, columnist for the opposition Cumhuriyet and
independent Daily Hurriyet newspapers. "They'll say a few things as a
matter of form, but they know they are dependent on Turkey."
The Saturday edition of the English-language
Today's Zaman, published before the forced takeover, printed its entire
front page in black with the headline: "Shameful day for free press in
Turkey."
Zaman's seizure was part of an intensified
crackdown on Gulen's movement, which the government claims is attempting
to topple it. Authorities accuse the movement's followers of
infiltrating police and the judiciary and of orchestrating corruption
allegations in 2013 that implicated Erdogan's inner circle, as part of
their alleged bid to bring down the government.
Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in
the United States since 1999, was once Erdogan's ally. Over the past
years, however, the government has purged thousands of civil servants
allegedly linked to the movement and seized businesses affiliated to it.
The movement has also been branded a terror organization although it is
not known to have carried out any acts of violence.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, speaking to
Turkish reporters during a visit to Iran, insisted that the appointment
of trustee managers was a legal decision, not a political one and denied
any government involvement in the move.
"We did not interfere ... nor would be
interfere," Davutoglu said, adding that he was concerned that the issue
would infringe on the "positive agenda" of Monday's Turkey-EU summit.
Rights groups accuse EU nations of keeping
mute about deteriorating freedoms and human rights abuses in Turkey --
including the large civilian death toll during military operations
against Kurdish militants -- because of the country's crucial role in
curtailing the flow of migrants to Europe.
"The European Union and the United States, as
Turkey's partners and allies, should not trade Turkey's support on
migration and Syria for silence over the dismantling of democratic
institutions," said Daniel Calingaert, executive vice president of the
U.S.-based watchdog, Freedom House, following Zaman's takeover.
The European Federation of Journalists said:
"The European Union cannot remain silent to the political seizure of
Zaman newspaper, Today's Zaman daily and Cihan news agency."
But the EU commissioner for enlargement, Johannes Hahn, said on Twitter that he was "extremely worried" by the development.
"Turkey, as a candidate country, needs to respect freedom of the media," Hahn said.
European Parliament President Martin Schultz said he intends to raise the issue with Davutoglu in Brussels.
AP and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=32227
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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