Keep Out! Journalists not Allowed into Court Room

Journalists in Zonguldak (Black Sea coast) were stopped from attending the first hearing of the case against Seçkin Özdemir, mayor of the Kilimli Municipality of Zonguldak. Özdemir stands accused of illegally selling 114 tonnes of scrap iron and embezzling TL 50,000 (€ 25,000) obtained in the sale.

The first hearing of the case was held on 16 July. Representatives of the Zonguldak mainstream media were not allowed into the court room. When they insisted on entering, they were made to leave by rough means of physical force.

The business of the police, but...

Some of the journalists called 155 for help from the police but no team was sent to the court. The press people claimed that the police staff in the court room remained as audience, too. However, the prosecutor commented, "This is not my business, the police should take care of it".

The following day (17 July), the local Halkın Sesi (The People's Voice) newspaper titled on the front page "The embezzlement trial against Kilimli Mayor Seçkin Özdemir started yesterday but..." The subheading read "This news has been censored".

Upon the publication of the news, the Zonguldak Branch of the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD) and the Karaelmas Journalists Association made critical statements in which they called the authorities on duty.

ÇGD Zonguldak: Governorship must take action

The statement of the ÇGD Zonguldak Branch was issued by Branch President Ali Ayaroğlu. He stated that previous concerns about the trial against Özdemir had been verified. He indicated that a different dimension was added to the case when physical violence was imposed on the journalists who tried to enter the court house and when the police did not come in such a situation.

"The freedom of the press to obtain information is sacred. The Governorship of Zonguldak has to fulfil its responsibility in this aspect. They must not give way to any forces that restrict the freedom of the press to obtain information".

Karaelmas Association: Authorities may not remain silent

The Board of Directors of the Karaelmas Journalists Association announced that the entire community of journalists criticized the incident and felt sorry about it. The association stated that the Governor of Zonguldak, Erdal Ata, and related institutions must not remain silent and demanded not to allow similar incidents to happen.

The journalists were also supported the Zonguldak Democracy Platform, a union of non-governmental organizations in Zonguldak. Members of the platform paid visits to the Halkın Sesi newspaper and the Karaelmas Journalists Association and condemned the oppression of the press.

"It is extremely worrying when people are kept out of the court house of a city by a blockade that lasts for hours and the State Governor, the Chief Prosecutor and the Chief of Police are just watching. We will not allow Zonguldak to be transformed into an uncivilized place. We would like to remind the people concerned that we are living in a democratic state of law and not in a feudalist system". (EÖ/VK)