Nearly 4000 press cards cancelled in 5 years

Gazete Duvar

Vice President Fuat Oktay has stated that 3,804 press cards were cancelled over the past 5 years for various reasons. Oktay said, "Due to reasons such as employment leave, change of title, damaged or lost press cards as stated in article 29 of the related regulation, 863 cards in 2015, 927 in 2016, 590 in 2017, 709 in 2018 and as of September 715 press cards were cancelled."

12,735 INDIVIDUALS CARRY PRESS CARDS

Stating that 12,735 media employees currently have press cards, Presidential Assistant Fuat Oktay said, "the Presidency Directorate of Communication does not have a list of members of press or media organizations who will not get their cards approved", in response to a question from the parliament.

Republican People's Party MP Ömer Fethi Gürer described the press card as an identity card for people in the journalistic profession and said that regulations governing the yellow press card given to members of the press had changed 14 times since 1947. Gürer said, "In democracies, the press is independent and free to publish. Freedom of the press is defined as the ability to publish news, ideas and thoughts freely using duplicating tools. The basis of the press is to freely collect information and thoughts and comment or criticize. The latest regulation regarding the press card, which is an identity card for periodicals like newspapers or magazines and news agencies, is marred by the decisiveness of the government. There should be no obstruction for media organization employees that report within legal boundaries to have their place in the public."