Four journalists from Etkin Haber Ajansı (ETHA) have been placed in pre-trial detention, following a large-scale police operation across Türkiye. Investigators have reportedly questioned a routine International Press Card (IPC) payment made through the Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS), an affiliate of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The IFJ fully condemns this attempt to characterise a routine professional accreditation fee as suspicious and stands in solidarity with the detained journalists.
On 3 February, the country’s police carried out coordinated raids in 22 cities, as part of an investigation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) on allegations of “membership in an organisation” and “propaganda for an organisation”. Among those arrested were the Etkin News Agency (ETHA) journalists Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz, Elif Bayburt and Müslüm Koyun.
According to the independent online media outlet Bianet, the police investigation file contained information about a transfer of 350 TL (€6.70) made by Nadiye Gürbüz on 6 August 2021 to the TGS: this transfer was described as “Pınar Gayıp IFJ card fee”. Despite the explicit reference to the IFJ card application, the transaction was reportedly listed by police under a heading that refers to “money transfers to individuals facing charges of terrorism”. Gürbüz was questioned about why the payment had been made and on whose instruction.
Introduced in 1927, the International Press Card (IPC) is the world’s most recognised accreditation of journalists. The IFJ issues the press cards at the request of its affiliates, including TGS in Türkiye, for a fee that covers production and administrative costs. In turn, affiliates collect this fee from applicants. These modest payments allow the IPC system to function.
TGS President Gökhan Durmuş stated: “Due to the problems facing journalists in Türkiye in obtaining press cards, there is considerable demand for the IFJ cards. This card facilitates their work while covering news in Türkiye and enables journalists to do their jobs easily in many countries around the world, particularly in European countries. Anyone carrying an IFJ card is a journalist. Any attempt to fabricate a crime here is futile.”
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Criminalising a routine International Press Card fee is a dangerous distortion of reality. The IPC is a legitimate professional tool issued transparently through our affiliates. Attempts to frame ordinary union transactions as criminal acts are unacceptable. We call on the authorities to cease targeting journalists for their professional activities and to respect press freedom and due process.”
Source: IFJ
