Kudos For Their Professional Dignity

Yesterday was a good day for Turkey's brave reporters.

Harassed and blocked by employers and other powers, often struggling to find ways and means to inform the public, they continue to defy all sorts of hardship and break immensely important stories. Yesterday, three of them received a very important award -- a first of its kind -- for what they accomplished in 2014.

The acknowledgement in question is titled the “EU Investigative Journalism Award,” which this year will be given in seven countries in this region -- Turkey plus those in the Western Balkans. The aim is to celebrate and promote outstanding achievements of investigative journalists.

The existence or absence of investigative journalism -- a core component of our profession -- has definitely become a criterion to assess the state of the media in any country. If the harassment of reporters and columnists through physical and judicial means, such as imprisonment, etc., has remained a measure by which to observe “freedom,” if and how the reporting is conducted that holds powers accountable is all about the state of media independence.

The murkier the sectoral structures of private media and its relations with organized crime, corrupt business and bureaucracy, the more difficult the conditions for journalists. Also, keep in mind that this is the age of “elected authoritarianism,” which only adds salt to the wounded state of the Fourth Estate.

Most of the examples of our “failed role” of informing the public and holding powers accountable for abuses can be observed vividly in Southeastern Europe -- the Balkans and Turkey -- where even minimal conduct for deep, scrutinizing reporting -- what they used to call “muckraking” -- doesn't go unretaliated for or unpunished.

Considering that the entire region is in the process of EU-integration, however slow it may be, a free media is crucial for its progress. Therefore, the regional scheme for the EU award for investigative journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey was established by the European Commission Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. It is based on the EU enlargement strategy, which recognizes a strong need to ensure freedom of expression in the media and support for investigative journalism to monitor the reform processes and to maintain the historical momentum toward EU accession.
The award fund for the seven beneficiary countries for three years is a total of 210,000 euros. The annual award fund for each country is 10,000 euros. Three journalists will receive an award in each country each year; a prize of 3,000-5,000 euros per individual.

So, finally, after a hard selection process (scanning through more than 25 entries) the Turkish jury yesterday delivered its verdict. At a well-attended ceremony, including the presence of EU representatives, the winners were announced by the Platform for Independent Journalism (P24).

The winning stories exposed the state of turmoil between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and the Turkish media.

The independent jury chose Fatih Yağmur's story titled “Tır Tutanağı” (Trailer truck reports), published in the Radikal daily on Jan. 3, 2014 as the Best Investigative Report of 2014.

The jury stated that the subject of Yağmur's story “is highly relevant,” and further noted: “It broke as an exclusive story when it first came out in 2014, and the subject matter –- trucks owned by the country's national intelligence agency laden with weapons en route to Syria -– continues to have repercussions. The story is the product of pure investigative journalism at the highest international standards.”

Yağmur was fired soon after the posting of the story. He stated that was why he lost his job.

Nurettin Kurt was awarded for his story on the expensive official car for Turkey's powerful president of the Religious Affairs Directorate -- for the Hürriyet daily -- and the third best story was written by Tahir Alperen, whose report exposed a very dark side of the assassination of two policemen in the eastern town of Bingöl.

My conclusion is simple: No matter what the pressures may be, no force will be able to break the resolve and dignity of Turkish journalists. Kudos to all those who believe in the power of a good story!

YAVUZ BAYDAR (Cihan/Today's Zaman)