Release of Turkish journalists 'a clear defeat' for Erdogan

[webfact]

Release of Turkish journalists 'a clear defeat' for Erdogan
By Keith Walker | With REUTERS



"We have a president who is not accustomed to defeat. Rather than accepting the ruling, he is seeking to turn it into a state crisis."

ANKARA: -- The release of two Turkish journalists has been described by one of them as a “clear defeat” for the country’s president.

Can Dundar from opposition newspaper Cumhuriet was speaking to reporters with his freed colleague Erdem Gul.

Both were released after a ruling by Turkey’s top court that their rights had been violated.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he does not respect the court’s decision.

“We have a president who is not accustomed to defeat,” said Can Dundar, Cumhuriet’s editor-in-chief. “Rather than accepting the ruling, he is seeking to turn it into a state crisis. He said he would not recognise or obey the ruling. This is the first time in the history of the Turkish Republic that a president has said he will not obey a decision.”

The two journalists were detained after their newspaper published material it said shows intelligence officials trucking arms to Syria in 2014.

The two journalists, who still face trial and potential life sentences, were arrested in November and charged with intentionally aiding an armed terrorist organisation and publishing material in violation of state security.

Their detention has deepened concerns about media freedom in Turkey, which aspires to join the European Union. Erdogan says the case is not about press freedom but about espionage and says he does not respect the court ruling.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a close ally of Erdogan, echoed the president’s remarks on the case on Wednesday, saying the court ruling should not affect the journalists’ trial.

“It is wrong for the constitutional court to see itself as the primary court and intervene in the whole judicial process,” Davutoglu told a news conference, adding that the case was about revealing state secrets and espionage.

Advocates of free speech criticised the government’s stance.

“The words Mr Erdogan used … is setting up a climate of intimidation and even threats against journalists. What he does is really dangerous,” said Christophe Deloire, secretary general of Reporters Without Borders..

Dundar chided the EU for failing to press Turkey over basic rights, saying Brussels was too focused on securing Ankara’s cooperation in stemming the flow of migrants from the Middle East to Europe.

“While we were in prison, there was bargaining going on over money for refugees. We see this as dirty bargaining to keep refugees off European territory,” he said.

“It appears Europe is willing to concede its long-term principles for short-term gains.”


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-03

[ukrules]

Erdogan is a renegade, if there's a large scale war in the near future he will be right there in the middle of it calling all the shots.

[johna]

Erdogan's treatment of journalist's is pretty much the same as Cameron and Obama to Assange and Snowden.

[SheungWan]

Erdogan's treatment of journalist's is pretty much the same as Cameron and Obama to Assange and Snowden.

Pretty much a nonsensical comparison used to introduce an unrelated pet hobby horse.

Edited March 3, 2016 by SheungWan

[manarak]

Erdogan is an islamist plonker supporting terrorists.

The guys now better watch out for death squads coming their way.

[wabothai]

Nothing but trouble and deaths since dictator Erdogan came to power. Yes and you Turks voted him in.

Edited March 3, 2016 by wabothai

[prestburypark]

Glad to see them out, hope they stay free.

[Ulic]

So Erdogan ships arms to terrorist groups across the boarder and journalists are charged

with intentionally aiding a known terrorist group and face life in jail. This is the guy the EU

sends 3 billion Euros to, to stem the flow of refugees. Dumb and dumber as far as I am

concerned. Europe's deal with the devil. Give me Saddam, Gaddafi, and al Assad any day.

[Galactus]

So Erdogan ships arms to terrorist groups across the boarder and journalists are charged

with intentionally aiding a known terrorist group and face life in jail. This is the guy the EU

sends 3 billion Euros to, to stem the flow of refugees. Dumb and dumber as far as I am

concerned. Europe's deal with the devil. Give me Saddam, Gaddafi, and al Assad any day.

yeah with mars mostly made in USA and sent by USA:)

3 billion euros is making 100 euros per migrant as there at least 3 million there. so dont mention that cheap money. it shows the value of migrants for EU!

Underdog is worst bigot and tyrant is Turkish history.

and finally they are pushed him down! kudos for the court in Turkey allowing the journalists out!

[Morch]

Erdogan is a renegade, if there's a large scale war in the near future he will be right there in the middle of it calling all the shots.

He'd like to think that, and for others to think that.

In reality, barks more than bites.

[Morch]

Erdogan's treatment of journalist's is pretty much the same as Cameron and Obama to Assange and Snowden.

Snowden was a Journalist?