Days after a massive earthquake hit several parts of Turkey and Syria killing around 50,000 victims, Turkish journalists are being harassed and are being investigated for reporting and commenting on the disastrous earthquake. The Turkey authorities claim that the journalists misreported the incident and are investigating them on suspicion of spreading fake news.
According to the reports, the Turkish authorities are investigating the reporters based on the new law which was adopted by the country in October last year. The law made punishable the public propagation of misinformation and granted the state considerably larger powers to regulate news sites and social media. The Venice Commission, a Council of Europe legal monitor stated that the measure would restrict free speech while the parties in opposition referred to it as a ‘censorship law’.
The report by BBC state that there are around 4 journalists who are being investigated in the matter. However, Press freedom groups state that there are around 12+ journalists who reported about the incident and are now being detained, harassed or prevented from reporting.
One of the journalists named Mir Ali Koçer, on February 6 was smoking on his balcony in Diyarbakir city when suddenly his two dogs started barking. He recalled that the dogs had similarly barked during the 2020 earthquake. “Within no time”, he said, “I felt I was shaking. I felt the house shaking, I felt the TV shaking.” He then took the dogs and hid under the dining table. Later he happened to rush outside.
He carried his camera and microphone and drove to Gaziantep city which was the epicentre of the attack. He was horrified to see sights of carnage and people suffering in subfreezing temperatures in villages close to the earthquake’s epicentre. In Gaziantep, the earthquake claimed the lives of at least 3,000 people. “When holding the microphone, behind the camera or in front of the camera, I could not hold back my tears,” Koçer said.
During reporting about the earthquake, the freelance journalist talked to a few victims and recorded their ordeal. He then posted videos on social media in which the victims stated that they had not received proper aid. The saga continued for days to come when the victims kept on saying that they had received no aid for days.
Koçer claims that while he was reporting from the region damaged by the earthquake, Diyarbakir police placed a note at his residence, asking him to come to the police station and submit a statement.
He was informed at the station that he was under investigation for violating a recently passed misinformation statute. He claimed that after questioning him about his reporting from the epicentre of the earthquake, the authorities charged him with disseminating false information.
Koçer says that he was diligent in his investigation and spoke with everyone involved, including survivors, police, gendarmes, and rescue personnel. He asserts, “I did not release anything without careful investigation and evaluation.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) meanwhile have urged the authorities to drop the ‘absurd’ investigation against journalists.
A support group called the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) claims that at least three further journalists are being prosecuted. Turkish journalist Murat Yildiz said that the government had threatened his job and his safety. He said, “They were continually following us and harassing us.” According to Yildiz, some of the harassment has also been perpetrated by non-governmental organisations.
Uncertainty surrounds how many other journalists are being investigated. Police are said to have detained 134 people on Tuesday due to “provocative posts” and to have arrested 25, although their identities have not been made public. According to the police, some of those who were arrested may have been spreading untruths, such as the idea that Afghan refugees were scavenging in abandoned neighbourhoods.
Reportedly, the arrests followed a warning from Turkey’s presidential communications director against endangering the rescue attempts with “lethal disinformation.” In order to encourage individuals to report posts that spread false information about the earthquake, the directorate officially released a smartphone app named “Disinformation Reporting Service.”
At present, reports state that there are around 4 journalist who are being investigated in the matter. However, Press freedom groups state that there are around 12+ journalists who reported about the incident and are now being detained, harassed or prevented from reporting.
