Turkey’s press bodies slam government for ‘discrimination’

Both of Turkey’s most authoritative press bodies have condemned the government and Education Ministry over their “biased accreditation practice,” which was the basis used for invitations issued to a recent press conference on the controversial prep schools issue.

“We condemn the Ministry of Education because of the accreditation practice [that they have in place],” the Press Council (Basın Konseyi) said in a written statement issued yesterday.

The Press Council said only pro-government newspapers and broadcasters were invited to the press conference that was held on the prep schools row, which has been causing tension to run high between the Turkish government and the Hizmet (Service in Turkish) Movement led by the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

The Turkish Government announced that it will shut down private education courses in a bid to render the education system one that ensures equality for all.

The Gülen Movement, with an approximate 30 percent ownership of prep schools in Turkey, has since escalated its vehement opposition to the government concerning the issue.

“A democratically-elected government has overstepped the boundary with regards to freedom of press. We call on the government to cease measures hindering the public from receiving news,” the statement further read.

Similarly, Turkey’s Journalists’ Association (TGC) also issued a statement yesterday calling for an end to preferential treatment in government accreditation processes, which, they claimed, were biased against “media that is not pro-government.”

Only NTV, Kanal 24, A Haber, Sky Türk, Habertürk, Beyaz TV, Kanal 7, TRT and state-run Anadolu Agency were invited to the press conference in question while CNN Türk, Kanaltürk, Samanyolu TV, TGRT, Cihan News Agency, Doğan News Agency and İhlas News Agency were not invited, according to TGC.

Published on Hurriyet Daily News, 27 November 2013, Wednesday