JournalismPakistan.com | Published October 07, 2017
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISTANBUL - Journalism in Turkey is at "death's door" but there is still hope it can emerge from a comatose state, one of the country's top journalists said after being released from jail.
Kadri Gursel, who has worked as a journalist and columnist for three decades, walked free from prison last month after 330 days behind bars.
Gursel was arrested last year as part of a hugely controversial case against the Cumhuriyet daily that saw a dozen staff arrested on charges of links to terror groups.
Supporters slammed the charges as an absurdity and proof of the narrowing freedom of expression in the country under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has dominated the country as premier and then head of state for one-and-a-half decades.
Gursel told AFP in an interview at his Istanbul house he believed journalism in Turkey was "at death's door" and in a "heartbreaking state" but not entirely finished.
"I have one single objection to those who say 'journalism is dead in Turkey' - it is in a coma. By saying that I mean that it could recover from the coma," he said.
"There are a lot of journalists in Turkey... It will again be the journalists who will help journalism recover and emerge from this coma.
"Freedoms continue to exist because of those who defend them against those who are out to destroy them."
Most Turkish newspapers are owned by big industrial holding companies with interests in sectors outside the media, including banking and energy.
This, critics say, makes them vulnerable to government influence and imposes a culture of daily self-censorship.
But Cumhuriyet is owned by a foundation to ensure its independence - if not financial security - and its reporting has repeatedly been a thorn in the side of Erdogan.
Supporters insist the trial is merely a punishment for Cumhuriyet's refusal to toe the government line even under the state of emergency imposed after the July 15, 2016, failed coup.
Gursel, who also worked for AFP between 1993 and 1997, started writing columns for Cumhuriyet last year after he parted ways with the Milliyet newspaper as it took a more cautious stance.
Even after his release, Gursel remains charged and the trial is ongoing with the next hearing set for October 31.
Four of his Cumhuriyet colleagues - the paper's chairman Akin Atalay, editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, investigative reporter Ahmet Sik and accountant Emre Iper -- remain under arrest.
Gursel vowed to continue writing for Cumhuriyet when he was ready.
"I don't know any other thing except for journalism. That's the only job I can do. I will, of course, keep defending my job," he said.
Gursel said he got through jail by controlling his physical and mental health, as well as avoiding thoughts of the pleasures of daily life. - AFP
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.