Kılıçdaroğlu on the state of emergency: FETO turned into pretext for intimidation

Erdem Gül
 
CHP General Chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, used the examples of the Cumhuriyet and Sözcü newspapers to tell German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel about the state of the media in Turkey. Kılıçdaroğlu said, ‘Cumhuriyet and Sözcü, which have spent their publishing lives fighting against the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organisation (FETO), are now accused of FETO affiliation. Journalists are in jail and academics are thrown out of work on the pretext of FETO.’
One of the most important items in Gabriel’s meeting with Kılıçdaroğlu was the status of freedom of expression in Turkey and the situation of newspapers and journalists. From what has been gleaned, Kılıçdaroğlu commented to Gabriel while describing the 15 July coup attempt, ‘There is no doubt that the coup attempt was staged by FETO. Let you have none, either. But, the fight against FETO has been turned into a pretext for intimidating journalists and academics.’ Broaching the issue of the proclamation of the state of emergency after 15 July, Kılıçdaroğlu, critical of the method for fighting FETO, said the following:
Fight against journalists, not FETO: The method employed by the rulership after 15 July has nothing to do with the fight against FETO. An example is what has been visited on Cumhuriyet newspaper. And then what has just recently been visited on Sözcü newspaper. Columnists and managers of both papers are in detention and in jail. Both these papers have spent their publishing lives fighting against FETO. Everyone living in Turkey knows this. But, both papers’ staff are now being detained on the pretext of FETO and have been kept in prison for months.
Ahmet Şık jailed every time: Another prominent example showing that the aim served by the state of emergency is not to fight FETO is the situation of Cumhuriyet newspaper employee Ahmet Şık. Ahmet Şık is one of the prime victims of FETO. His is the name that comes to mind from among several journalists on mention of the fight against FETO. But, Ahmet Şık was also imprisoned when the AKP and FETO were partners. Now the talk is of the fight against FETO and Ahmet Şık finds himself detained once more.
Their release is blocked: There are still more than 150 journalists who have been kept in prison for months. And pressure is applied to the judiciary to deny permission for their release. Atilla Taş, Murat Aksoy and certain other journalists were released by courts at hearings they appeared at. But, certain other grounds and charges were found and they were denied permission to walk free from jail.
Sacked academics: They proclaimed the state of emergency on the pretext of fighting FETO. However, the state of emergency is being used, not to fight FETO, but to punish journalists and academics. They have cited FETO to expel many teaching staff members and academics from universities. Extensions are made to the duration of the state of emergency and the expulsions of academics continue.