HDP issued a written statement protesting the SETA report and said: “The SETA Foundation, with close ties to the government, issued a document titled The Turkey Extensions of the International Media Organisations and targeted several journalistic outlets and journalists who work at them.

The document lists names and background information on many journalists as well as their articles and social media posts, openly and with captions, Journalists have been clearly profiled by SETA.

The outcome and suggestions sections of the document are as dire as the rest of it. Phrasing in these sections constitutes an admission of profiling and acting as informants. Censorship against media institutions and expulsions of journalists were encouraged and citizens were urged to become informants.

The document resembles a prosecution indictment more than it resembles a report, and is no different from the media memorandums of military coups.

Journalists cited in the document are some of the most respectful in Turkey. These persons insist on doing their jobs despite all the pressure and threats against journalists, and allow the public to reach facts.

This is not a crime, but an act to be proud of. The true crime is to subdue the media, prevent the public’s right to information and profile and target journalists.
As the Peoples’ Democratic Party we defend once again the people’s right to information and the dignity of the journalistic profession. We express our solidarity with all journalists cited in SETA’s document.

These dark days are marked in history, but they will pass and what will remain will be the values created by dignified people.”