Fraud no hurdle to get a press card
Güncelleme Tarihi:
ANKARA - A journalist, who was was found guilty of misappropriating charity money and sentenced to a prison term, receives a permanent press card. The commission's decision is not final and requires approval, officials argue
Just days after seven reporters' accreditations to follow the prime minister were cancelled, it has been revealed that Mehmet Gürhan, convicted of being part of the Lighthouse e.V. fraud scheme, was issued a permanent press card by the prime ministry's press office.
Gürhan, a former director of Lighthouse e.V., was found guilty of misappropriating charity money and sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison by a German court as part of the Lighthouse e.V. case. It was Ali Ekber Ertürk, one of the banned reporters from Daily Akşam, who discovered the scandal. The Press Card Commission of the Prime Ministry's press and information office decided in its meeting Thursday that Gürhan could have a permanent press card.
Despite the commission consisting of representatives of media institutions, the files regarding candidates are submitted to the committee only after the approval of officials and the card is given to individuals in accordance with the approval of the Prime Ministry's press and information office. The record of previous convictions of a candidate should be clear at the time of obtaining a press card. The commission decided 164 journalists out of 170, could have permanent press cards, enabling them to practice their profession throughout their lives without belonging to any media institution. Gürhan was among the list.
Decision not final
The Prime Ministry's press and information office said yesterday, the commission's decision was not final as it required the approval of the office.
"The commission decides on whether an applicant is eligible for a permanent press card. The commission's decisions are subject to the approval of the press and information office and the applicant is informed of the decision after the office's consideration. So there is no final decision on Gürhan yet," it said.
Meanwhile, the press was banned from recording the planning and budgeting commission meeting at Parliament on Friday. Attempts of the press to ask questions of Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy Abdülkadir Akgül who declared he would still enjoy shooting those who committed a crime against the state and nation, resulted in a temporary prohibition of the press from recording tthe commission meeting.
IPI Turkey criticizes gov't
The Turkish branch of the International Press Institute, or IPI, has called on the Prime Ministry not to refuse to renew press accreditations for journalists assigned by their media companies to cover the prime minister.
This comes after journalists from Milliyet, Hürriyet, Vatan, Star TV, Akşam and Evrensel newspapers were all denied. IPI Turkey has characterized this action by the Prime Ministry's press center as censorship.
According to IPI Turkey, the Prime Ministry's initiative to limit the journalists who report on the prime minister, also limits the freedom of people to get news, as the prime minister's office is now steering the news. This practice is an open sign that warnings about press accreditation in the European Union Progress Report have not been taken seriously.
IPI believes serious pressure is being placed on press freedom by rejecting the permission of these journalists to follow the prime Minister. The organization reminded readers this practice was diametrically opposed to the government's claims of implementing democratic reforms.