Deutsche Welle closes its offices

The German station interrupts its programming (and its service in the local language) because its permits were not renewed. Behind the clash, the battle prior to the May 14 elections. Government pressure intensified after the earthquake on February 6. Ankara ranks 148th in terms of press freedom, in a ranking of 180 countries. In the 2018 elections, Erdogan enjoyed 181 hours of coverage on state TV; his rival, less than 16.

Istanbul () – On the eve of the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, the attack on press freedom in Turkey grows. In recent days there has been a tightening of censorship, with the closure of the local branch of the German chain Deutsche Welle (DW). It is a game in which the current leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan – and the ruling party, the AKP – fight against a more united front than ever: to the call “Table of Six” (which brings together the most important movements) has added the tacit support of the main Kurdish party. This is the HDP, which has decided not to present a single candidate, and whose role could be decisive.

Faced with the prospect of defeat, or at least one game to play, Ankara’s first reaction was to tighten control over the press. And the price is paying Deutsche Welleone of the main foreign media operating in the territory, with its newscasts in the Turkish language. D.W. will close its offices next week as the Turkish government has refused to renew the station’s licences.

“It is a hard blow to the freedom of the press”, thus described the measure the director of the local office of D.W., Erkan Arikan, awakening the general solidarity of colleagues and media that condemn censorship. The newspaper could resort to Justice to appeal the measure, but Arikan clarified: “We suspect that the government is putting pressure on the authorities”, and this aims “to make our journalistic activities in Turkey even more difficult”.

One of the first to intervene was the Committee for the Protection of Journalists: in an appeal to Ankara, it requested the immediate renewal of DW’s activity license and the cessation of any form of censorship or pressure on the press. The local head of the committee, Ozgur Ogret, said that “denying the license to D.W. It only serves to disrupt the activities of the station and deny Turkish citizens access to critical and independent information as the elections approach.”

According to a Reporters Without Borders (RSF) report, close to 90% of Turkish national media is controlled by the government. For independent news, until now the public had to turn to international networks or foreign newspapers, such as D.W. in turkish language, Voice of America wave BBC. In general, the AKP (Justice and Development Party) tightens control over the media more visibly as elections approach. Ilhan Tasci is an opposition representative in the Turkish Telecommunications Authority and notes that in the 40 days leading up to the 2018 presidential election, Erdogan received 181 hours of media coverage from state broadcaster TRT. His direct electoral rival at that time had less than 16 – too much, taking into account that the so-called “par condicio” (equal conditions) is not to the liking of Ankara.

RSF ranks Turkey 149th in its ranking of 180 world nations for press freedom in 2022. To date, at least 33 journalists have been jailed for carrying out their work or for articles and reports that displeased the public. leaders in power, including cases of detention of reporters who reported on the areas devastated by the earthquake on February 6. Censorship does not even spare foreign media: last year, the government’s media watchdog (RTUK) imposed three international broadcasters – including D.W.– The obligation to obtain a license to be able to operate, under pain of blocking the emissions. The imposition received a resounding rejection from the German officials, alleging that prior authorization amounted to (preventive) censorship.