Global free press outcry is a defamation,' says Turkish prime minister

The foreign press has been contributing to a "defamation campaign" against Turkey with its inaccurate coverage of recent debate on press freedom, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.

"We notice that the debate started recently in Turkey about the freedom of the press has moved into international platforms, where it has been turned into a systematic defamation campaign against Turkey through unrealistic news and comments," Erdogan said in his opening speech at the Leaders of Change Summit being held in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday.

The prime minister called on the foreign press to properly analyze what is going on in Turkey and reflect these analysis in the international arena. "For we know there is no media supporting state coups in developed countries and democracies," he said.

Both Turkish and foreign media outlets have picked up the press-freedom story following the arrest earlier this month of reporters Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık after raids on their homes and those of other journalists as part of the ongoing probe into the alleged Ergenekon gang, which is accused of plotting to topple the government.

Characterizing operations made under the full oversight of the judiciary as moves to restrict press freedom is the greatest injustice that can be done to Turkey, Erdogan said. "The Turkish press has reached very advanced standards in the last eight years, through our reforms and our courageous steps, thus bringing to [the country’s] agenda what seemed to be unspeakable, undisputable, unprintable," he said.

According to Erdogan, the 27 journalists currently kept under arrest in prison are behind bars because they are suspected of serious crimes such as being members of terrorist organizations or having carried out joint activities with such groups.

In his speech, the prime minister also responded to the European Parliament’s adoption Wednesday of a report containing sharp criticism of Turkey on press-freedom issues.

"I believe it would be fair [to ask] institutions such as the European Parliament that conduct research and prepare reports on Turkey to be competent on the essence of the issues they give opinions on," Erdogan said.

Turkey takes into consideration any structural criticism addressed to it and tries sincerely to fulfill all its obligations regarding such criticism, the prime minister said, while adding: "But we also care that criticism is kept clear from evil-minded intentions and prejudices and being used by purposeful campaigns."


/Hurriyet Daily News/