Statement by “Heritage”
"Heritage" Party condemns government officials' campaign against the media.
Being the supporter and defender of the freedom of speech, as well as disseminating and spreading information since its foundation and viewing the conversion of the media into political revenge, propaganda and defamation as inadmissible, "Heritage" Party condemns the actions against freedom of speech and the expression of opinions of the media. This attempt is being made through the courts.
Being a supporter of high responsibility for journalistic decency and accurate information, we also find that the protests and behavior of people who recently filed lawsuits in relation to the articles printed in "Hraparak" and "Yerkir" newspapers are groundless. One of the two plaintiffs has held a high post for ten years. During those ten years, he has not only caused a blow to freedom of speech by closing "A1+" and "Noyan Tapan" independent television stations and initiating persecutions against "GALA", but has also encouraged the defective working style of defaming and insulting his political opponents through his supporting print and electronic media. The other plaintiff has been his supporter and is currently part of the incumbent government.
Alongside this, those who have assaulted journalists remain unpunished. The current and former officials who have shut down media outlets and subjected journalists to persecutions for the past twenty years have been revealed, but remain unpunished as well.
We call on judges to not be under the influence, conduct a fair trial and defend pluralistic media outlets and not allow current and former officials responsible for the state of freedom of speech in the country to turn courts into an instrument for shutting down free media outlets.
