Turkey’s lack of press freedom rages on as several foreign correspondents are denied accreditation to work in the country

THE LACK of media freedom in Turkey continues to be a bone of contention as Ankara’s officials are still disrespecting journalists and affording them space to do their work.

The latest weird decision is that of Turkish officials refusing to renew the credentials of foreign nationals who work in Turkey.

Critical media voices have been on the rise in Turkey with the latest stunt seeing three German journalists denied accreditation. Turkey is notorious for its media censorship stints and ranks among the worst in the World.

The issuing of credentials allows foreign journalists official permission to work in Turkey, right along with a precondition of residence permit. Issued by Turkish authorities once a year, journalists who don’t possess the accreditation are not allowed to participate at the press conferences and other official state events, thus rendering them useless to perform their jobs properly.

Frank Nordhausen, a foreign correspondent for Berliner Zeitung and Frankfurter Rundschau, is one of three German reporters whose credentials were denied. After the denial, he had to leave Turkey two years ago.

“There are other 17 German journalists still waiting for their of press card renewals,” he said.  “Apart from around thirty journalists from other nationalities,” he added in an interview with an online news portal covering mainly Turkey matters, Ahval News, on Sunday.

Covering Turkey-related affairs for almost a decade, Nordhausen showed the reason behind his denial as his critical reportings on human rights in Turkey. He claimed he was told this was the reason, told to his face by a Turkish official. Together with his two colleagues, they never received official notification on why their press cards were not renewed.

In a general meaning, the shift of the press office from the prime ministry to the Presidency (Erdogan’s palace) made the whole process reach new levels of of not being reasonable in terms of decision making, according to him.

Without a care in the world about the deteriorating press censorship, Ankara is still aiming to intimidate foreign media in Turkey and consequently making them not to write or report critically, according to Nordhausen.

He answered a question regarding the statement by Berat Albayrak, Finance Minister and son-in-law of President Erdogan, implying the latest move was nothing unusual as it happens everywhere, saying: “It sounds weird. It is in fact totally unusual to deny accreditation, as it is not a practice in other countries”. He defined the accreditation elsewhere as being normal procedure, only a registration.

International journalists quit world service of Turkey’s national broadcaster

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from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/03/05/turkeys-lack-of-press-freedom-rages-on-as-several-foreign-correspondents-are-denied-accreditation-to-work-in-the-country/