Ocalan Scoop Stirs Turkish Media
Namik Durukan's scoop in Milliyet about the meeting between the Kurdish deputies and imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has provoked a debate about journalistic ethics and practice, writes Tulin Daloglu.
It's long been said: “Don’t kill the messenger,” and since Namik Durukan of Milliyet daily reported what was discussed between imprisoned Kurdistan Worker’s Party leader Abdullah Ocalan and the three members of the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party during their visit to Imrali — part of the ruling party’s effort to finding a solution to Turkey’s Kurdish problem — he has created a storm of perceptions and reactions to his professionalism.
Although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged on Saturday, March 2, that he'll be criticized for verbally attacking yet another journalist, he could not stop himself. “If this is the way how you make your journalism, damn your journalism,” Erdogan said. “The media is going to say again, 'The prime minister attacked us.' I am saying the truth.”
Truth, however, has always been debatable. So, interestingly enough, Erdogan received support from some in the Turkish media accusing Durukan of trying to derail the peace process with the Kurds.
Huseyin Yayman of Hurriyet daily said on CNNTurk on Monday, March 4: “What Durukan did is no journalism. He aimed to sabotage the process.”
