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The Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) has been denied permission to visit journalist and bianet’s former freedom of expression editor Elif Akgül, who was detained on Feb 18 in connection with an investigation into the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), an umbrella group of leftist and pro-Kurdish political organizations.
Akgül was among 30 people remanded in custody on Feb 21 on “terrorism” charges as part of the same investigation.
TGS filed requests on Mar 11 to both the Justice Ministry and the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeking permission to meet with Akgül. However, the prosecutor’s office rejected the request on Mar 25, offering no explanation.
The only response given was: “Your application has been reviewed, and the request for a visit has not been deemed appropriate by our prison prosecutor’s office.”
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Prosecutors also informed TGS lawyers verbally that the request was denied because Akgül was detained on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
The Justice Ministry has not responded to the Mar 11 application despite 28 days having passed. TGS, of which Akgül is a former board member, views the lack of a reply as an implicit rejection.
“They neither respond nor grant permission,” said Gökhan Durmuş, adding that journalists in pre-trial detention are “treated as if they are convicted terrorists.”
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Moreover, Durmuş said, the problem is not new and their appeals since 2019 have all gone unanswered. “They are detained, arrested and deprived of their freedom for months or even years. As union executives, we have visited countless colleagues in prisons throughout our history.
“However, since 2019, all applications made by our union have been rejected by the Justice Ministry. Journalists’ ties with their professional organizations are being severed.”
He further stated that 18 journalists are currently in prison and called on the ministry to allow visitation rights. “End this six-year-long obstruction. Do not prevent detained journalists from meeting with their unions,” he said. (HA/VK)