07.08.2026 16:00
Journalist Hadi Özışık, speaking at the 13th Digital Media Workshop organized by TİGAD in Iğdır, recounted the years of arduous struggle they have waged for the Internet Media Law. Reacting to the exploitation of the labor of the Anatolian press, Özışık stated that urgent measures must be taken regarding copyright issues, saying, 'Journalists in Anatolia put in the effort, while the glass palaces in Istanbul reap the cream.'
The 13th Digital Media Workshop organized by the Turkey Internet Journalism Association (TİGAD) has started in Iğdır. The first speaker of the workshop, moderated by Ekrem Teymur, Chairman of the Board of Haberler.com, was journalist Hadi Özışık. In his speech, Özışık highlighted the difficult journey internet journalism has traversed from past to present, the struggle they waged during the legislative process, and the copyright issues faced by the Anatolian press.
"HOW MANY PRESIDENTS, HOW MANY MINISTERS WE CHANGED"
Hadi Özışık began his speech by greeting the participants, touching on the point reached by internet editing and journalism, and said, "Welcome everyone. Now, at the point reached regarding internet editing, when we look back at our time, our early days, the struggle we waged together with the friends on my right, how many Presidents did we change, how many Ministers did we change, we fought fist-to-fist with members of parliament in the Assembly to get this law passed. But afterwards, there was the Internet Journalists Association, where we were also in management. It still exists, but after we achieved our goal, we handed the job over to the Okans. And they manage it well; they are doing a successful job."
THE CRITICAL SUMMIT AT DOLMABAHÇE AND THE PROMISE GIVEN TO ERDOĞAN
Sharing a historical detail from the period when the first steps of the Internet Media Law were taken, Özışık spoke about the summit held at Dolmabahçe Palace, saying, "But let me say this; We attended the first meeting with the esteemed Prime Minister - I emphasize again - the esteemed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul; he invited us as Internet Journalists. And there, the Prime Minister said: 'We strongly expect your support during the peace process.' We then said: 'With the support you will give us regarding the Internet Media Law, we will support this peace law and the peace process to the end,' we said. It was at Dolmabahçe Palace. And Tayyip Erdoğan also gave his word; let us give him his due, let us remember him. Bülent Arınç also gave great support on this matter. Especially Binali Yıldırım gave great support, and Abdullah Gül gave support. But when it came to the Assembly, it got stuck, friends; this is a reality. In other words, the ruling side accepted everything we proposed regarding the internet media."
"THE LAW LAPSED THREE TIMES IN THE ASSEMBLY"
Journalist Özışık, drawing attention to the deadlocks and obstacles the law proposal faced in Assembly committees, noted the following regarding the struggle for press cards: "Then it comes to the Assembly, it is discussed in the Assembly committee. I begged the party members at that time, saying: 'Brother, there is nothing here, there is no censorship law. This is our internet media law. We have been doing journalism for years, we pay taxes to the state, and we don't have press cards. Even though it costs us a great deal, help us with the efforts to obtain press cards under Law No. 212.' But unfortunately, every time in the Assembly, those laws lapsed three times and died; they did not pass."
"PEOPLE IN ANATOLIA WORK HARD"
Also touching on his meeting with the Minister of Justice, Hadi Özışık concluded his speech with a harsh reaction to the unauthorized use of content produced by the Anatolian media and the copyright issue: "Look, today I had a meeting with the Minister. Especially on this copyright issue, the people in Anatolia - I am a person who comes from local journalism - the people in Anatolia work hard, and without receiving the reward for their labor, those who do this job in a glass palace in Istanbul eat the cream. Therefore, measures need to be taken as soon as possible for this. When you make an effort, things happen; when you struggle, you can reach a result. But if you abandon the struggle halfway and become complacent, you will get no results. Everyone will come and ride on top of you, and take the bread from your hands, friends. I also say again; I started journalism from the local level. I started by writing articles in a local newspaper in Kars, and I started this job by distributing newspapers. And today, here I am before you as the founder of a 26-year-old internet news outlet."