bbc

Police intervenes injured child’s familys’ press statement

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31st July 2013 – 16 years old Berkin Elvan was hit by a gas bomb on his head in Istanbul on the 16th of June and he is still in the hospital suffering from a brain haemorrhage. Today, police intervened his parents’ press statement in Istanbul. BBC correspondent reports that prior to the family’s call for the press release, police first shut Istiklal Street and tried to push people to Sıraselviler and then to Taksim where reported rows started.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters and activists broke to alleys. BBC correspondent keeps reporting the use of water cannons in Istiklal Street.

For Turkish:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/haberler/2013/07/130731_elvan_mudahale.shtml

Photo from sendika.org

Photo from sendika.org

Photo from sendika.org

Related:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/31/world/europe/turkey-parents-police

http://www.sendika.org/2013/07/taksimde-halk-berkin-icin-toplandi-polis-vahsice-saldirdi-dakika-dakika/ (Turkish)

BBC’s and NUJ’s responses to the Mayor of Ankara

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The Mayor of Ankara has been targetting a Turkish journalist, Selin Girit, who works for BBC Turkish as a spy.

The following is the statement BBC issued this afternoon: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/statements/bbc-reporters-turkey.html

BBC Global News Director, Peter Horrocks, has issued the following statement.

The BBC is very concerned by the continued campaign of the Turkish authorities to discredit the BBC and intimidate its journalists.

A large number of threatening messages have been sent to one of our reporters, who was named and attacked on social media by the Mayor of Ankara for her coverage of the current protests.

The BBC and all its journalists are committed to providing impartial and independent journalism. It is unacceptable for our journalists to be directly targeted in this way. There are established procedures for making comments and complaints about BBC output and we call on the Turkish authorities to use these proper channels.

BBC Press Office

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National Union of Journalists (NUJ)(UK) also made a statement in support of Selin Girit

http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2966#.UchwQTWTF7I.twitter

BBC suspends its partnership with NTV

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BBC World Service Director, Peter Horrocks, has issued the following statement.

“The BBC is suspending its partnership with NTV in Turkey with immediate effect following NTV’s decision not to transmit the BBC programme Dunya Gundemi [World Agenda] today.

“Any interference in BBC broadcasting is totally unacceptable and at a time of considerable international concern about the situation in Turkey the BBC’s impartial service to audiences is vital.”

Further information

BBC Türkçe will continue to cover global events – including the events in Turkey – on all platforms, providing its audiences with independent, impartial and balanced reports and analysis.

Its TV programming will continue to be available for viewing via the website bbcturkce.com. BBC Türkçe will continue to engage with its audiences via social media, on Facebook and Twitter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/statements/bbc-ntv.html

 

There has been a petition to urge BBC to suspend its partnership with NTV. For links see: https://translatingtaksim.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/petition-to-bbc-to-drop-ntv/

Petition to BBC to drop NTV

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http://www.change.org/petitions/bbc-please-stop-your-partnership-with-biased-ntv-news-in-turkey#

We call on the BBC to protect its reputation for impartiality by suspending its partnership with NTV in Turkey and to refer the partnership to the BBC Trust to consider its permanent cancellation.

NOTES:

NTV has admitted that its lack of coverage of the outbreak of large scale and unprecedented protests in the centre of Turkey’s largest city was in direct response to political pressure.

And the BBC’s own coverage says NTV has “steered clear of covering the demonstrations” and is “loth to irritate the government because their owners’ business interests at times rely on government support.”

The BBC guidelines clearly state: “Any external relationship must not undermine the BBC’s core values of impartiality, editorial integrity, and independence.”