Solidaritätsbesuch des DJV-Bundesvorsitzenden

Die Rede von Frank Überall bei der Generalversammlung der türkischen Partnergewerkschaft TGS dokumentieren wir an dieser Stelle im Original.


Ladies and Gentlemen, dear colleagues,

thank you very much for your invitation, for the possibility to speak to you in the name of DJV – the German Federation of Journalists, Europe's largest union for professional journalists.

When I told my colleagues, my friends and my family, that I would go to Turkey today, some of them were afraid, some of them were even upset. For us in Germany is it difficult to understand which conditions you have to deal with at the moment. It`s not the first time that I am here in Istanbul this year. Two days before parts of the military forces tried to seize control of the country in a violent way – two days before that happened, I left Istanbul by plane and went back to Cologne in Germany.
 
Before that I had visited colleagues working for press and television, colleagues of associations and unions of journalists – I even had a meeting among friends with representatives of TGS. In my role as the chairman of the German Federation of Journalists I learned a lot about the situation of our colleagues here in Turkey.

Turkey for me is a country I really love – not only for going on holidays. It is a really lovely country with lovely people – and even with lovely food. But: Something is wrong in Turkey these days. Horribly wrong. And that did not start today, but has being going on for months now. Even before the unacceptable violence of the military forces started there was hardly anything like real freedom of the press. And that was, and that is really going all the wrong way!
As I have already mentioned, in my country – in Germany – people sometimes cannot imagine this specific situation. But my organisation, the German Federation of Journalists – we are talking about this situation: We are explaining, we are accusing – we address not only the people but also the politicians in Germany. We tell them that a journalist in Turkey must be afraid to get punished these days if he does nothing but his work. And, worse, that he can be taken to jail for that. That he can loose his job.

The number of journalists who are not allowed to do their job anymore is enormous. For me, being from Germany where we have a high degree of press freedom, this is difficult to understand. And, I phrase it loud and clear: For me, as an European, it is by no means acceptable! It seems that several weeks ago there was taken action to kill the rest of press freedom, the rest of critical voices. TV-stations, press houses, radio stations – they all got into trouble or were even closed. The reason was not that the people working there had done something criminal. In fact they only did what journalists have to do: They were reporting and investigating, they were telling the audience what their opinion was: An opinion, that might not be the one of President Erdogan, not the one of the Turkish Government, maybe not even the one of the majority of Turkish people. But freedom of the press is a human right.

Remember that there is this saying which is attributed to Voltaire: I do not share your opinion but I will defend to the death your right to say it!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I was in Turkey not only earlier this year, but also last year. As a professor of journalism and politics, I was a member of an expert group of the European Commission. In this function, I had the honor to visit the Ministry of Justice in Ankara for several days.

Back then we had made plans for a better, for a real professional relationship between justice and the media in Turkey. I admit: I did feel much of optimism back then! But only some months later I feel very sad when I think about Turkey:

I think about our Turkish colleagues who are punished, who are in jail, who are without work. When I think about Turkey I think about the Turkish people who can`t get any free, real democratic information anymore.

To reduce and kill the freedom of press is poison for society in general!

Therefore, German, European und Turkish governments have to find a way to put emphasis again on the fact that human rights need to come back again and that Turkey finds its way back to a real democratic society. It is necessary to stand together: You, as the journalists and the members and friends of TGS – we, as the German Federation of Journalists – and our partners, the European and International Federation of Journalists! And so I hope that this is not the last time I am allowed to come to Turkey. Let us stay in touch! Let us all discuss a rebirth of real press freedom for Turkey - in public, with politicians, with our governments! As I was told, some of you have an invitation this Monday to the very location where I was last year – at the government. I wish you very much luck. I hope that you will get the chance to find a way for a rebirth of press freedom in Turkey.

I am convinced: The Turkish government cannot and must not be interested in a further demolition of human rights. I don`t want to give up hope und optimism. And I ask you not to stop your engagement for peace and freedom. You, in Turkey, und we, in Germany, all of us together in Europe, we have to enlarge the pressure on President Erdogan and on the Turkish government! The political pressure to achieve freedom again: Because the freedom of the press as well as the freedom of sciences and justice is important for a modern und lovely society. For a lovely people in a lovely country – for Turkey in Europe!

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear colleagues:

Thank you very much!


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