Arrest Warrants Issued for 42 Journalists in Turkey

Following the actions of the Turkish government after the failed coup, it was reported on Monday, July 25, that authorities in the country have issued arrest warrants for 42 journalists. According to Agence France-Presse, "Nazli Ilijak," a well-known journalist who was fired from the Sabah newspaper in 2013 for criticizing ministers accused of financial scandals, is among those for whom an arrest warrant was issued on Monday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, declared his political rival, Fethullah Gülen, responsible for the aforementioned financial scandal in 2013. On the same day, it was reported that the Turkish government intends to dismiss several Turkish ambassadors in connection with the recent failed coup. This was announced by Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, in an interview with HaberTürk TV. Following the failed coup on July 15, Erdogan's government has carried out extensive "purges," dismissing or arresting over 60,000 soldiers, police officers, judges, teachers, and civil servants. The declaration of a state of emergency in the country, the dissolution of the presidential guard, and the travel ban on university professors are other recent actions taken by Erdogan's government in connection with the recent failed coup. On Monday, it was also reported that in a new action, Turkish police stormed a military academy in Istanbul and arrested about 40 people there. Amnesty International recently announced that it has "credible evidence" indicating that recent detainees in Turkey have been beaten and tortured; an accusation that Turkish officials vehemently deny. Turkish authorities are also indicating the possibility of reinstating the death penalty in the country, and in this regard, the President of the European Commission stated on Monday that if such an event occurs, negotiations for Turkey's accession to the European Union will be "immediately" halted. According to Reuters, Jean-Claude Juncker stated that "in my opinion, Turkey, in its current situation, is not in a position to become a member of the European Union in the near future, or even in the long term." In response to the news of the arrest warrants for journalists in Turkey, "Johann Buehr," head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia section of Reporters Without Borders, said in an interview with Radio Farda that "we have been concerned about the state of media freedom in Turkey for years." He added that "this country ranks 151st in the recent media freedom list among 180 countries, and what we have witnessed since the failed coup in Turkey indicates a more complicated situation and shows the extent of the crackdown on critical media." Mr. Buehr continued by saying that "no one questions the legitimacy of the authorities' actions to establish legal order and combat those who plotted against democracy, but we now see that officials are pursuing another goal, which is to suppress any dissent and criticism in the country." He concluded by stating that "the authoritarian and extensive nature of the attack against the media in the past week somewhat indicates the existence of a will for revenge and control of critical voices instead of restoring democracy."