A protest march entitled “We are marching. Because we are not afraid! ” organized by the press union of workers in the press (Basın Sen) and the union of Turkish journalists (KTGB) the day after tomorrow, Monday at 5.30 pm in occupied Nicosia, on the occasion of the latest attacks on press officers by a politician and a group employer Media.
In the post for the march, the two organizations of press officials state that they are marching against fascism, for freedom of the press and expression, against threats, pressures and insults. “We walk to shout against the silence! For work. For hope. We walk for the future! So that we journalists can be able to ask questions freely, to be able to report freely, to be able to express ourselves freely. “Our profession is our honor and our strength is our pen!”
The announcement of the protest march of the press officials was preceded by an announcement of the Turkish journalists' association that condemned the latest episode of attack on a journalist, when the “Deputy Prime Minister” and “Minister of Economy and Energy”, Erhan Arikli, attacked a TV presenter at Genç tv channel.
Speaking by telephone on the show, Mr. Arikli remarked to Muazez Gazihan why he did not ask questions that he thought he should ask the president of the “electricity authority” union, Kublai Ozkirac, who had spoken by telephone on the same show before and referred to entanglement in fuel supply bids from the “authority”.
“Since when will politicians decide which questions and to whom will journalists address?” asked the Turkish Cypriot journalists' association, noting that their patience has been exhausted with the tension that has been caused in recent days, having as a source the Cyprus media group.
Phrases such as “you do not ask, you did not tell him”, “but this is the attitude of your channel” are unacceptable, says the association of Turkish journalists who condemns the attempt to find the presenter guilty and the channel in which she works . He notes that Erhan Arikli connected by phone to give his answer on the same show.
This episode provoked strong reactions in the MKD but also from politicians in the occupied territories against Erhan Arikli, who apologized both to the journalist-presenter of the show and to the management and administration of Genç tv by posting on his personal account in the MKD.
“Believe me, I am very sorry that I used words that do not suit me, and they hurt you, while I answered him by descending to the level of this person, who is known to everyone,” said Mr. Arikli, meaning the president of the union. “I apologize to you and everyone on Genç tv,” he added.
In recent days, the co-chair of the Cyprus media group and wife of the founder and owner, Nur Nadir, had also attacked a female journalist working in the press office of the “Ministry of Health” and other journalists and owners of other media, who criticize the “government”. That they are members of Fethullah Gulen's organization.
Also, in a video he posted on MKD, he referred to specific journalists, presenters or columnists, who have the opposite view of the current T / C leader or criticize the “government”'s handling during the pandemic, paraphrasing their names. . In the video that went viral, Ms. Nadir allegedly complained to these people that they had a coronavirus and transmitted it and asked them to “collect” them. The man who pretended to talk to her said they would be put in a zoo and then Ms. Nadir asked to stay there forever.
The “ethics committee” in the occupied territories condemned in a statement the targeting by Nur Nadir of various journalists and media and noted that its comments, which contain insults, are against the principles of the journalistic profession.
The “ethics committee” notes that in Ms. Nadir's February 23 telephone interview on a channel belonging to her own group, she violated Rule 21, which states that “journalists should not use offensive reporting, other than the limits of criticism, which affect individuals and organizations “.
Her nominal reference to a journalist on the same show violated the principle of privacy and privacy, without the approval of the person in question.
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