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HDP Ministers Refuse To Follow AK Party Media Ban

31.08.2015 19:06

Müslüm Doğan and Ali Haydar Konca, the two ministers representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the interim power-sharing government, held separate press conferences on Monday which representatives of all media outlets were allowed to attend, bringing an end to the controversial.

Müslüm Doğan and Ali Haydar Konca, the two ministers representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the interim power-sharing government, held separate press conferences on Monday which representatives of all media outlets were allowed to attend, bringing an end to the controversial ban on certain media outlets' attendance at government functions that was put in place by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

For the first time since the AK Party began to refuse to allow certain media institutions to attend government-sponsored events, Today's Zaman and other critical and independent media outlets such as the Zaman and Bugün dailies, the Cihan news agency and Samanyolu Haber and Kanaltürk TV stations went to press conferences held on Monday by Development Minister Müslüm Doğan and European Union Affairs Minister Ali Haydar Konca.

During the press conference at the Ministry of Development, Doğan was asked whether the change meant that all media institutions can now attend future events held by the Development Ministry. “That is definitely the case,” Doğan responded, showing that the AK Party's media ban is no longer in place at the Ministry of Development.

Konca also replied affirmatively to a similar question at the press conference he held at the Ministry of EU Affairs on the same day. He was then asked whether he had been the target of any pressure from his AK Party colleagues in the Cabinet. Konca said that he opposed discrimination on principle and that he believes a media ban should not be in force.

After a series of corruption investigations went public on Dec. 17, 2013, implicating senior government officials, the AK Party government began to stifle the activity of any institutions or media outlets that provided critical coverage of its policies. The new policy included a major reshuffle in the bureaucracy, increased control over the judiciary and pressure on the media.

The AK Party's infamous accreditation practices came after the fallout of Dec. 17, paving the way for bans on media outlets critical of the government from attending government functions. In addition to banning journalists from events such as ministry press conferences, the ban also restricted media coverage of important events such as a NATO meeting held in Turkey in May.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)



 
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