(IPI/IFEX) – In a 16 November 2000 open letter to Zafer Mutlu, chairman of the board for daily newspaper “Sabah”, Dinç Bilgin, the newspaper’s publisher, and Editor-in-Chief Tayfun Devecioglu, IPI expressed its concern at the decision by the management of “Sabah” to discontinue the weekly column of one of the newspaper’s journalists. According to IPI’s […]
(IPI/IFEX) – In a 16 November 2000 open letter to Zafer Mutlu, chairman of the board for daily newspaper “Sabah”, Dinç Bilgin, the newspaper’s publisher, and Editor-in-Chief Tayfun Devecioglu, IPI expressed its concern at the decision by the management of “Sabah” to discontinue the weekly column of one of the newspaper’s journalists.
According to IPI’s sources, a decision by the management prevented journalist Cengiz Candar’s column of 4 November from appearing in the newspaper. Instead, “Sabah” issued a statement under the journalist’s by-line, “explaining” that the column had been withdrawn because it “broke the law by insulting the military”. In addition, Candar was told that his weekly column would no longer be included in the newspaper. As a result, the journalist decided to take a leave of absence.
Candar’s column, which was subsequently published in other media outlets, had called for military officers involved in a smear campaign to be “punished”. The reported smear campaign, named the “Special Action Plan”, was first disclosed by Nazli Ilicak, a columnist for the newspaper “Yeni Safak” and a member of parliament, on 21 October. The aim of the campaign was to discredit a number of prominent journalists and intellectuals, including Candar, by linking them to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party. The military has confirmed the existence of a document, dated April 1998, which outlines this plan, but claims that it was only a “memo” containing suggestions.
The decision to discontinue Candar’s column is deeply troubling and raises serious concerns with regard to editorial independence. In view of the fact that Candar was merely providing further comments on an issue already in the public realm, it would appear self-censorship has played a role in the outcome of an editorial decision, thus compromising the accountability that the media is supposed to ensure and provide in a democracy. In addition, a column is widely recognised as a commentary rather than an article and, in this case, it appears Candar has been punished for expressing an opinion.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the chairman of the board, publisher and editor-in-chief of “Sabah” newspaper:
– urging them to ensure that Candar is allowed to continue writing his weekly column in “Sabah”
– further urging them to ensure that the journalist is able to carry out his profession without hindrance, thus guaranteeing that editorial independence at “Sabah” is upheld
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Zafer Mutlu, Chairman of the Board
Dinç Bilgin, Publisher
Tayfun Devecioglu, Editor-in-Chief
SABAH newspaper
Istanbul, Turkey
Fax: +90 212 315 86 83
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
