The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey stated in a report that the Turkish government is trying to hide the crisis of the massive earthquakes that occurred in the region on February 6. Authorities also prevented aid deliveries in at least 20 cases, 17 people were tortured and 11 journalists were stopped by law enforcement officers.
The government declared a three-month state of emergency in the 10 provinces affected by the quakes as a blow to the citizens’ efforts to overcome the crisis by solidarity.
During the aid collection process, citizens, NGOs, political parties and municipalities that collected aid materials were hindered by authorities for at least 20 times. One person was injured in an armed attack targeting efforts to collect aid.
The authorities also seized 100 aid trucks sent by the Future Party and 1,500 tents, 10 trucks, 30 containers and 120 power generators sent by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Trying to cover the situation in the region where the earthquakes occurred, one journalist was injured and four were detained. One foreign journalist was not allowed to enter Turkey. At least 22 journalists working in the quake-hit region were objected.
Seventeen people in nine separate cases suffered from torture and ill-treatment. Law enforcement forces also intervened in prison riots and left three prisoners dead and nine others injured. Furthermore, Eighty-one children who were left without care after the quakes could not be identified.
Freedom of expression did not have a good record during the crisis; where 141 were detained and 27 were arrested over their social media posts about the quakes. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed fines on Halk TV, TELE1 and Fox Tv over earthquake coverage.
With all these losses, the Turkish government has denied to take the responsibility for the level of destruction and losses, painting it as a tragic destiny that no country or authority could have prepared for.
Turkey is ranked at the 149th place out of over 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index, which makes it an unsafe environment for journalists to report freely with no fears from the government.
OME is deeply saddened by the Turkish government and its actions in preventing aid deliverers, since the country and its citizens have been through bad conditions during the massive earthquakes and needed to be provided with help and assistance.
