I am not necessarily a lover of Turkey or it’s government. But in a way I can identify with how they feel when the press attempts to undermine them.
In particular this quoted from the article: “All the journalists said in their defense statements that they only performed their jobs as journalists and did nothing unlawful. They said the media organizations they were working for, which were later designated as being linked to a terrorist organization, were all respectable organizations that operated within the boundaries of the law.”
IMO, our MSM undermines our govt daily. And if by some oddball chance were called on it in court, their defense would be identical. The terrorist organization our MSM is clearly linked to is the dem party.
My disdain for journalists in general is such I wish the Turks would give out harsher sentences. A rope and a tree would not be too harsh IMO.
Did you read the evidence presented against those convicted? If you did not, you should.
Many convicted because they installed a specific free encryption application for their cell phone.
Others deemed to have supported Gulen’s organization, all said they did not.
And you must consider that in Turkey (like under Obama) there is no justice. Many thousands of judges were fired by Erdogan after the (faux) coup attempt. Those fired were those who were not Islamists.
The only law in Turkey today, is whatever Erdogan wants on that particular day. If a judge finds against his policy, he is fired. People are released from prison one day by action of a judge and the same day they are re-arrested by the action of another judge at the direction of Erdogan.
So, there is no rule of law in Turkey, there has never been freedom of the Press or Speech in the history of Turkey or the predecessor, the Ottoman Empire.