In today’s conditions, where a climate open to provocations has been created with the overt encouragement of the AKP-MHP coalition, we do not have the option of not taking seriously the provocative cyber lynching campaign made by malicious accounts and the naming of our editorial board members or passing them by silence. As a media outlet that has been exposed to numerous threats of attacks throughout its 23-year broadcasting life and has become an icon in the fight against internet censorship, Sendika.Org will not cower or remain silent in the face of these threats
The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked on January 7, 2015, following a propaganda campaign based on alleged insults to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and jihadist militants went to the magazine’s office in Paris, killing 12 people and wounding 11 others. In the aftermath of the massacre, the magazine came out with the headline “All is forgiven” and a cover depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad shedding tears and holding a sign that read, “I am Charlie.” This journal was translated into Turkish and published in many digital and printed media, including Sendika.Org. Then, access to the media was blocked one after another by court decisions in Turkey.
The media representatives appealed to the higher court to lift the access blockade by the government institutions. The blockade was lifted by the higher on February 20, 2024.
Prof. Dr. Yaman Akdeniz from the Freedom of Expression Association evaluated the process as follows:
“… the application of blocking access to the news of Sendika.Org, which is the subject of this decision, has been terminated. The Constitutional Court, albeit very late, decided on the violation and also annulled the provision of the law. Therefore, all decisions taken under Article 9 are, in fact, unlawful and censorship.”
One of the contents subject to the court decision was Sendika.Org’s news titled “The court blocked, but censorship is not forgiven: Here is Charlie Hebdo in Turkish!”. After the Freedom of Expression Association shared the relevant decision on the X (Twitter) account accompanied by the news image of Sendika.Org, the Twitter account Daily Islamist (@dailyislamist) targeted Sendika.Org with a provocative note saying, “The Constitutional Court considers insulting the Prophet as ‘freedom of expression’!”
While the post of this account, which often comes to the fore with provocative calls, became widespread with hundreds of replies and quoted comments, including offensive and threatening statements, Yeni Akit newspaper, a pro-government daily, also published news targeting the members of the editorial board and editorial advisory board of Sendika.Org with their full names.
In Turkey, it is customary for the pro-government papers to start a lynch campaign against all critics of the government. The campaign then is followed by personal threats and physical assaults on those on the list by “unknown” assailants.
The provocative publication usually leads government-appointed prosecutors to start piling trumped-up charges against those criticizing the government.
Update: After Sendika.org called attention to Yeni Akit’s provocation and its lynching campaign and published a rebuttal to the paper’s distortion of the news, the daily took out the list of names of Sendika.org’s editorial board and editorial advisory board members the next day.
In today’s conditions, where a climate open to provocations has been created with the open encouragement of the governing religious AKP-MHP coalition, we do not have the option of not taking this provocative cyber lynching campaign made by malicious accounts and the naming of our editorial board members seriously or passing it by silence.
We know that such targeting is part of a systematic intimidation operation aimed at suppressing all dissenting voices, not just certain individuals or media outlets, and that we are not alone in being targeted or resisting these threats.
As a media outlet that has been subjected to numerous threats of attacks, lawsuits, investigations, police raids, detentions, imprisonment and fines, and access barriers since its inception in 2001, and has become an icon in the fight against internet censorship, Sendika.Org will not cower or remain silent in the face of these threats.
We inform our readers, friends, and the public that we will initiate the necessary legal proceedings against those who publish provocative posts and news, that we will not give in to these reckless threats coming from the side of the Islamist-fascist government, and that we will stand against them with all legitimate means and methods to prevent the recurrence of similar acts.
MB, Sendika.Org News