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Turkey Arrests 3 Vice News Journalists on Terrorism Charges Turkey Arrests 3 Vice News Journalists on Terrorism Charges
(about 7 hours later)
ISTANBUL — Three journalists for Vice News have been formally arrested in southeast Turkey and charged with aiding a terrorist organization, four days after they were detained while covering the conflict between Kurdish separatists and the Turkish state. ISTANBUL — Terrorism charges in Turkey against three Vice News journalists were denounced Tuesday as baseless by media advocacy groups and a lawyer for the men.
News media rights groups denounced a ruling on Monday by a Turkish court, which said that Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, both British citizens, and their Iraqi news assistant had “knowingly and willingly helped an armed terrorist organization” without being a part of its “hierarchical structure,” the semiofficial Anadolu News Agency reported. “I don’t believe the group carried out any activity outside of journalism,” Tahir Elci, the head of the Diyarbakir Bar Association in southeast Turkey, who is representing the three, said Tuesday, calling the allegations “aimed at intimidating journalists covering the conflict in the region.”
Although the court did not name the terrorist organization, Tahir Elci, the head of the Diyarbakir Bar Association in southeast Turkey, who is representing the journalists, said that the three had been accused of having links to the Islamic State and the YDG-H, a group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. The Kurdish group, which is often referred to by its Turkish initials, P.K.K., is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. News media rights groups also denounced the Turkish court’s ruling Monday’s that the journalists — Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, both British citizens, and their Iraqi news assistant — had “knowingly and willingly helped an armed terrorist organization” without being a part of its “hierarchical structure,” the semiofficial Anadolu News Agency reported.
The journalists were formally arrested in southeast Turkey four days after being detained while covering the conflict between Kurdish separatists and the Turkish state.
Although the court did not identify the terrorist group, Mr. Elci said that the three had been accused of having links to the Islamic State and the YDG-H, a group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. The Kurdish group, which is often referred to by its Turkish initials, P.K.K., is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
“They were accused of meeting and siding with both the Islamic State and the P.K.K.-affiliated group,” Mr. Elci said in a telephone interview from Diyarbakir. “The accusations are based on video footage, documents and photographs seized from the journalists.”“They were accused of meeting and siding with both the Islamic State and the P.K.K.-affiliated group,” Mr. Elci said in a telephone interview from Diyarbakir. “The accusations are based on video footage, documents and photographs seized from the journalists.”
Turkey’s broad antiterror laws have created an increasingly difficult environment for journalists, according to news media advocates. For several years, Turkey had jailed more journalists than any other country, and this year, it ranked 149th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders news media freedom index. Turkey’s broad antiterrorism laws have created an increasingly difficult environment for journalists, according to news media advocates. For several years, Turkey had jailed more journalists than any other country, and this year, it ranked 149th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders news media freedom index.
Scores of Turkish writers have been harassed and dismissed for work that is deemed offensive to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his allies. This year, a Dutch journalist, Frederike Geerdink, was detained in the southeast on suspicion of spreading propaganda for the P.K.K. The case was eventually dismissed after widespread international criticism.Scores of Turkish writers have been harassed and dismissed for work that is deemed offensive to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his allies. This year, a Dutch journalist, Frederike Geerdink, was detained in the southeast on suspicion of spreading propaganda for the P.K.K. The case was eventually dismissed after widespread international criticism.
Mr. Elci said the arrest of the Vice News reporters and their assistant was the first time in two decades that foreign journalists had been arrested on terrorism charges.Mr. Elci said the arrest of the Vice News reporters and their assistant was the first time in two decades that foreign journalists had been arrested on terrorism charges.
“The allegations are baseless and aimed at intimidating journalists covering the conflict in the region,” he said. “I don’t believe the group carried out any activity outside of journalism.”
Kevin Sutcliffe, the head of news programming for Vice News in Europe, condemned the arrests on Monday, saying that they were aimed at censoring coverage. “Today, the Turkish government has leveled baseless and alarmingly false charges of ‘working on behalf of a terrorist organization’ against three Vice News reporters,” he said in a statement published on the company’s news site.Kevin Sutcliffe, the head of news programming for Vice News in Europe, condemned the arrests on Monday, saying that they were aimed at censoring coverage. “Today, the Turkish government has leveled baseless and alarmingly false charges of ‘working on behalf of a terrorist organization’ against three Vice News reporters,” he said in a statement published on the company’s news site.
News media freedom groups have demanded the journalists’ immediate release. “The renewed clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish separatists in the volatile southeast are of public interest to both domestic and international audiences,” said Nina Ognianova, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Authorities ought to protect, not gag, journalists on the job.”News media freedom groups have demanded the journalists’ immediate release. “The renewed clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish separatists in the volatile southeast are of public interest to both domestic and international audiences,” said Nina Ognianova, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Authorities ought to protect, not gag, journalists on the job.”
Amnesty International called the episode “outrageous and bizarre.” Amnesty International called the episode “unsubstantiated, outrageous and bizarre.”
The arrests took place against the backdrop of mounting violence in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast after a renewed uprising by Kurdish separatists and the resumption of Turkish military operations against their targets in Turkey and Northern Iraq.The arrests took place against the backdrop of mounting violence in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast after a renewed uprising by Kurdish separatists and the resumption of Turkish military operations against their targets in Turkey and Northern Iraq.
The new wave of violence has destabilized the country as it prepares for an early election scheduled for Nov. 1, in which the Justice and Development Party is hoping to regain the parliamentary majority it lost in the June 7 national election.The new wave of violence has destabilized the country as it prepares for an early election scheduled for Nov. 1, in which the Justice and Development Party is hoping to regain the parliamentary majority it lost in the June 7 national election.
The crackdown on the news media continued on Tuesday, with the police raiding the offices of a conglomerate, including its news media outlets, that has links to the movement of Fethullah Gulen, a self-exiled Muslim cleric and former ally of Mr. Erdogan who has been accused of trying to overthrow the government.The crackdown on the news media continued on Tuesday, with the police raiding the offices of a conglomerate, including its news media outlets, that has links to the movement of Fethullah Gulen, a self-exiled Muslim cleric and former ally of Mr. Erdogan who has been accused of trying to overthrow the government.
The conglomerate, the Koza Ipek group, which owns several newspapers and television stations, has been accused of extending financial support to the “Gulen Terrorist Group,” the Anadolu News Agency reported.The conglomerate, the Koza Ipek group, which owns several newspapers and television stations, has been accused of extending financial support to the “Gulen Terrorist Group,” the Anadolu News Agency reported.
The company’s chairman, Akin Ipek, who has reportedly left the country, issued a written statement on Tuesday, saying that his company was not guilty of any crimes or wrongdoing.The company’s chairman, Akin Ipek, who has reportedly left the country, issued a written statement on Tuesday, saying that his company was not guilty of any crimes or wrongdoing.
Opposition members of Turkey’s new interim cabinet denounced the latest crackdown.Opposition members of Turkey’s new interim cabinet denounced the latest crackdown.
“I am worried that operations targeting the media will create great concern across the world about whether Turkey is a democratic country,” said the country’s new European Union minister, Ali Haydar Konca, at a news conference on Tuesday.“I am worried that operations targeting the media will create great concern across the world about whether Turkey is a democratic country,” said the country’s new European Union minister, Ali Haydar Konca, at a news conference on Tuesday.