The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns Turkish authorities’ decision to summon Dilek Gappi, President of the İzmir Journalists’ Association (İGC), to testify over a public statement defending local journalists against political pressure and verbal attacks. We stand in solidarity with Gappi and the journalists targeted and call on Turkish authorities to ensure they can work without intimidation.
On August 25, Gappi was summoned by the Press Prosecutor’s Office on allegations of “defamation” and “publicly disseminating misleading information” shortly after AK Party Secretary General and İzmir MP Eyyüp Kadir İnan publicly criticised a statement the association had issued condemning two incidents involving journalists in İzmir who were reportedly subjected to pressure and attempts to interfere with their work.
The incidents behind the İGC statement
On August 20, AK Party Secretary General and İzmir MP Eyyüp Kadir İnan targeted a journalist over a report claiming that Bergama Mayor Tanju Çelik could join the AK Party. Referring to the report, İnan accused the journalist of publishing false information, saying “what you wrote is trash.”
On August 21, MHP İzmir Provincial Chair Veysel Şahin called Dijital Gaste reporter Gamze Eskiköy to object to a report she had written about a confrontation during an event in İzmir. He later spoke with Dijital Gaste’s editor-in-chief Ümit Özmen and reportedly demanded that the report be removed, telling him, “don’t cross my path” and “if you cross my path, we’ll see.”
On the same day, İGC issued a statement condemning the incidents involving the two İzmir journalists, stressing that “journalists are nobody’s errand boys” and that no one has the right to intimidate or threaten them.
On August 24, AK Party Secretary General and İzmir MP Eyyüp Kadir İnan responded to the İGC’s statement accusing the association’s leadership of overstepping its authority by issuing a statement against elected representatives. He added that if the association wanted to engage in politics, it should abandon its claim to impartiality. Later that day, Gappi was summoned by the Press Prosecutor’s Office and gave her statement to prosecutors.
IPI calls on Turkish authorities to drop the investigation against Gappi and to refrain from using criminal defamation and disinformation laws to intimidate or silence those defending press freedom. The use of such allegations against those who speak out in defence of journalists risks creating a chilling effect not only on press freedom organisations, but also on journalists themselves.
This statement was produced by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries, funded by the European Commission.
