Neutral and Independent Press

                  Media institutions shall aim to inform the society in the right and fair way in every single event and shall be professionally and  ethically responsible to the society itself again. In visual media, whether morning or night shows, and more importantly news programs and in written media whether national or local newspapers, or magazines have a sacred responsibility to the public, people and the society.

                     Well then, What is that responsibility about?

                     The biggest mission of the media, especially the written and visual media along with the social media recently to provide the information to the public, in the most true, accurate, clear and neutral way. In our world now, where the information changes place in a blink of an eye and spread, every move of the written, visual and social media may cause the perception of the public to change irreversibly or shape such perception. Therefore, the mission of the media requires, honesty, loyalty and high value of ethics, beliefs and dignity. 

                        Nevertheless, media institutions are carrying such mission mentioned above as sole commercial companies without any difference from ordinary companies. And as it is clear, the main aim of such company is always being profitable. Regrettably, the owner or director of these media institutions have a hard time feeling such responsibility to the public. Because, where ever you are in the world, the owners of these media institutions are usually are not journalists, reporter, newsperson but are business men or women. In the eyes of such people, the work done in a news channel or in a newspaper is ordinary commercial business. You have to make profit from it. And to do it, or in other words, not to make loss, your relationships shall be good in many occasions. You have to make friends, not enemies and you have to make gestures, please but not break hearts. 

                        Well then, to whom?

                         That would be the point where it gets complicated. You have to make such gestures, pleasings, or sometimes not breaking hearts by doing nothing, sometimes to another businessman to give you advertisements, or to make business with you or sometimes to a member of parliament just to be good with him. Otherwise, a person whose heart you will broke or somehow harm by just doing your job and fulling the mission of yours mentioned above, may harm you in a way later. In such situation then, your commercial company which is also a media institution may make loss or make less profit or personally you may lose money somehow. The moral of that story is that the managers or owners of the commercial companies which are also a media institutions prefer not to lose money instead of fulfilling of such mission. 

                  Well then, what is the result of such situations?

                     As a result, say the least of it, the public do not reach the accurate, true, neutral and independent information. Info pollution raise. The public is informed wrong and manipulated. And lots of things. You see, not so important things.....

                 
                    Except the things happen to public, the owners of such companies would put pressure on their own workers, journalists. They interfere in the content of writings, interfere in things to be talked in the broadcasts and even interfere in the questions to be asked in interviews. Some journalists or newsman who are not bound by their missions by the heart would bends their knees, some take advantage of this and throw their ethics and moral to garbage and some like Can Dundar and others get fired with a single phone call, even get their social media accounts closed and in the worst case they are declared terrorists, or pre-coup mindset and thrown into jail. You see, not so important things.....

                   With all that, in a country where all national newspapers and TV channels are owned by few people and where still the visual and written media are claimed as free and neutral:

                      the best thing is that knowing, there are still some few journalists are not afraid to say "no" or "enough", feeling the responsibility of being a journalist or a newsperson, facing the risk of losing many things....

                     

                 

                        

             

                 

Holdiay Calm Before The Storm

                It seems that the bomb of Ergenekon just three days before the national holiday, will occupy the agenda a little more. 

              

               Of course, it is absolutely normal, after such trial period continued for years, to stay in the agenda at least that more year. Moreover, it is meaningful that the ruling of the court was given just before the national holiday. Such holidays have always been the times that soften, slow down and relax the agenda. 

                 The ruling of the Ergenekon probably will be discussed until the holiday, and then we may sail to other seas together. Maybe some other trials, maybe shocking statements from the government or opposition or, maybe some developments and between those, if we put some Syria or Epypt or some other Arabian country which goes through or is a candidate to go through Arabian Spring, and some USA and Israel, we shall continue our way. 

                    After all, our national slogan is "No stopping, continue the way." 

                    Of course, before forgetting, a news that shall be added is the last status regarding the investigation of the death of Ali İsmail Korkmaz (who were beaten to death in Eskisehir during the Gezi Protests). We hope that Turkish Jurisdiction and Politics would get their hands on this issue as they did in the trials of "the ones who attempted to coup." However, it is comfortably said that it is true that the recordings of cameras of a workplace which is near the area of the incident are deleted, the deleting was not made by the police as it is reported in the news but it was deleted by the tradesman who was in the incident.

                    And where such thing has been understood from? From "statements", of course! Whose statements, what statements, who is the tradesman who was in the incident and deleted the recordings? That is not known. Let's not drag it up. But hope that such statements does not belong to a anonymous witness. Status of anonymous witness speaks for itself.

                    For the best, we forget Ergenekon, Gezi or Ali İsmail in this holiday. After all this is holiday, we would find something to talk about after it in any case...

                      Even the ones who were killed during Gezi Protests, the ones who were put on a trial, arrested, because they used their right of freedom of speech will not be with their families in this holiday and won't celebrate it;

                        Forget those my Turkey, happy holiday to you.

                  

Ergenek-on

             I am sure that the date of August 5, 2013 will be more and more important in the future. I am really curious how this day will take place in history books or be told in law faculties. However, no matter how it is told, it is clear that such date shall be criticised strictly in the law faculties.

             As some say, the Trial of Ergenekon has a significant importance in regard of Turkish Democracy. As it is my opinion, this trial clearly showed how you cannot be a democratic country or a state of law.

             Of course, it shall be applauded  and necessary to put the ones who try to stage a coup on trial and foresee a sentence for those, in respect of democratic process. In such topic, no lawyer may or shall say otherwise. However, if you are a true defender of democracy and believe in the principles of state of law, you shall say that even a person who is on trial for an attempt of a coup is entitled to a fair trial. But I guess even the ones who are close to political power cannot, faithfully or with an inner peace, say that the Trial of Ergenekon was all in the circle of principles of a fair trial.

             It is not possible to call it a fair trial if you sent somebody in prison saying that he/she attempted to stage a coup and put him on trial for years without a single legal evidence and with only the ridiculous depositions of persons who are so-called anonymous witness then sentence him to lifelong prison. Such trial may only demonstrate that the sentence was already given to those people and the trial was only a show. Of course, in this country some people believe that, some people not.
           
             If you say, without being ashamed, that such trial is a first-time in our country, these things may happen, such issue may be asked to lawyer, we still have court of appeals, when you talked like the sentences are great, they had this coming, look how democratic we are and then asked "how about the unlawful procedure?" by the reporter, this actually only shows how anti-democratic and insincere you are. Even you claim yourself as a democrat or walk around screaming "Hurray Democracy!", in this country some people believe that, some people not.
           
             And in my humble opinion, the last word that may be said at this point is the below sentence which comes in my mind several times recently and which was said back in the day by a person who can think:

            "There is no degenerated institution in a country where the law system has degenerated."