According to media reports, Ankara public prosecutor Serdar Coşkun, who is responsible for the Bureau for Crimes against the Constitutional Order, sent a document to the Turkish Satellite Communications Company (TÜRKSAT) Directorate General on April 27, asking it to prevent a state-owned satellite connection being used by these media outlets.
The reason behind the controversial move, which has come shortly before June's general election, is allegedly the anti-government media outlets' "creating polarization in the society and terrorizing people." If the prosecutor's demand is carried out, opposition parties will be deprived of the means to conduct their campaigns and convey their messages to the nation for the June election because most of the media in Turkey, which is controlled by the AK Party government, give little or no coverage to the election campaigns of the opposition parties.
The Turkish media reported that the prosecutor's demand came as part of an investigation into claims about the “parallel structure,” and particularly targets the media outlets inspired by the Gülen movement. The demand reportedly includes “TV stations, radio stations, websites and printed publications.”
The “parallel structure” is a term invented by President Erdoğan after a massive corruption scandal to refer to members of the Gülen movement -- which is inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen -- who allegedly operate from within the police and the judiciary.
The government has failed to offer any evidence indicating such a structure exists in the government since December of 2013 when senior members of Erdoğan's government who was the prime minister at the time were implicated in a massive graft scandal. In addition, there is no court decision classifying the movement as "armed terrorist organization" as is claimed by pro-government circles.
The order targeting the media is believed to be an act of retribution by Erdoğan's administration for the corruption investigation that went public on Dec. 17, 2013.
Erdoğan claims that Hizmet initiated but was unable to complete a coup against him and the government. The corruption probe incriminated four former Cabinet ministers, businessmen with close ties to the government, senior bureaucrats and members of Erdoğan's family.
In the document, prosecutor Coşkun allegedly asked the ministry to prevent statements of Gülen, whom he referred to as the leader of a terrorist organization, from reaching the public through the media with the use of state means. He said Gülen delivers his messages and instructions to his followers through media outlets inspired by him, while recalling that there are ongoing investigations in many provinces against individuals from the “parallel structure.”
The prosecutor allegedly claimed that the “parallel state” has for years operated under the guise of a religious community despite being a terrorist organization, adding that it aims to topple the government by violating the constitutional order and establish its own dictatorship.
No evidence has been brought forward and no court ruling exists in Turkey that proves Hizmet is “an armed terrorist organization. ”
Gülen, who inspired the Gülen movement that promotes inter-religious dialogue and educational activities, has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999 and has not returned to the country since then. Before Erdoğan's relations with the movement soured after a corruption probe became public in 2013, he and many members of his government valued the movement's educational activities very highly. They visited the Gülen-inspired schools opened all across the world by Turkish entrepreneurs and praised their services and quality education.
Sources from the prosecutor's office have said they had not received any response, either negative or positive, from the ministry concerning the prosecutor's demand.
Neither the Constitution nor laws grant the authority to a public prosecutor to take such a step targeting certain media outlets; however, in Turkey's judiciary, which is criticized for being highly partisan, it has become an almost daily occurrence for judges and prosecutors to act as tools in the government's war against its opponents.
Over the past weeks, Turkey has seen disbarment from the profession and even the arrests of judges and prosecutors who took part in major investigations that angered the government -- for instance, two judges who ruled for the release of journalist Hidayet Karaca, top executive at Samanyolu Media Group, and dozens of police officers from jail, where they are being held pending trial. Karaca and the police officers were placed in jail following government-backed operations and despite the absence of evidence of wrongdoing.
Prosecutor's demand found unlawful, politically motivated
Representatives from opposition parties have lashed out at the alleged move from Ankara public prosecutor Coşkun to silence critical media outlets by denying them from benefiting from the state's communications infrastructure. They described the move as being unlawful and politically motivated in addition to aiming to influence the results of June's general election.
Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici, whose party established an election alliance with the Felicity Party (SP) for the upcoming election, told Today's Zaman on Sunday that the prosecutor's “political” demand is “null and void” because the prosecutor did not base its demand on judicial concerns but political concerns.
Destici said the prosecutor's move aims to silence not only the critical media but also the opposition parties.
“Silence the media, silence the opposition. This cannot happen in a democracy,” he said, while calling on the prosecutor to look at those polarizing the society in the pool media, a phrase used to refer to the pro-government media in Turkey.
Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Masum Türker recalled a recent statement from President Erdoğan, who hinted that critical media outlets in the country will be silenced, noting that the prosecutor's move which came after Erdoğan's statement shows that the government is exerting pressure on the media and the judiciary is helping the government with this.
He said the reason behind efforts to silence the critical media is to influence the elections. “If the prosecutor is really concerned about social polarization and division, he should first look at the prime minister and the president for their polarizing statements and policies,” Türker told Today's Zaman.
As part of their smear campaign targeting Hizmet, Erdoğan and AK Party officials have used various defamatory expressions such as the “parallel state,” “gang,” “virus,” “secret organization” and even “hashashin” to refer to the members of the movement. The hashashin were a shadowy group that carried out politically motivated assassinations during the time of the Seljuk Empire.
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Mahmut Tanal said the prosecutor's demand targeting critical media outlets aims to eliminate media outlets that are not pro-government and create a completely pro-government media.
“This is actually a violation of the Constitution caused by authoritarianism and prosecutors exceeding their authorities. This is exactly a coup,” he said.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli described prosecutor Coşkun's demand to silence critical media as an introduction to dictatorship. Speaking to reporters following an election rally in Mersin, Bahçeli said: “There is no need to comment on this issue. This is an introduction to dictatorship.”
MHP Deputy Chairman Ruhsar Demirel said among the duties of a public prosecutor, there is nothing like demanding the silencing of critical media outlets. She said what a public prosecutor actually needs to do is to ensure that different opinions are voiced freely and the right to communication, a fundamental human right, is enjoyed by all.
Another MHP deputy chairman, Ahmet Kenan Tanrıkulu, said the prosecutor's move is aimed at preventing the holding of free elections in Turkey because it makes it impossible for citizens to have access to information freely.
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Hasip Kaplan also said prosecutors do not have any authority to demand the silencing of some media outlets. He said if there is any suspected criminal activity, prosecutors are expected to launch an investigation into them.
According to Kaplan, who is also a lawyer, if media organs violate the law, only courts can issue decisions regarding the ceasing of their activities, hence prosecutor Coşkun's demand is unlawful.
Independent parliamentary candidate from İzmir İlhan İşbilen, who parted ways with the AK Party following the corruption scandal in 2013, said the prosecutor's move must be a first in the history of Turkish Republic and in the history of the press of democratic nations.
“The prosecutor ignored the Constitution, freedom of expression, freedom of press and opposition in Turkey with this move,” he said.
In the meantime, President Erdoğan, speaking at a public rally in the central province of Kayseri on Sunday, targeted the Doğan Media Group over the way the group's flagship newspaper Hürriyet covered the news about a death penalty handed to ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.
“A death penalty was handed to Morsi and his friends who came to power with 52 percent of the vote in Egypt. How did the Doğan Media Group cover this news in Turkey? ‘Shocking decision, death penalty with 52 percent.' Oh, Doğan Media Group, I would not speak too personally, but you should know this, pardon me, but you spend your life in fear. Just know this, we set out on this road with our shrouds ready. Our deaths would be honorable,” he said.
Erdoğan implied that with its headline, Hürriyet was giving a warning to him as he was also elected president by getting around 50 percent of the national vote.
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