Journalist Kaya, who talked about the difficulties of working in a small town, being threatened over his reporting and the court cases against him said, “We bring up the rights violations experienced here and therefore we have to do our work sometimes under state pressure, and sometimes under pressure from political party leaders or their relatives” 

NİMET ÖLMEZ, HAKKARİ

Colemêrg Haber licensed publisher and journalist Mimar Serkan (Sufi) Kaya, with whom we covered the events in Hakkari following the detention of Hakkari Co-mayor and DEM Party member Mehmet Sıddık Akış on 3 June 2024 and his replacement by a public administrator, talked to Expression Interrupted about the difficulties of working in a small town and the cases filed against him. 

Death threats

Journalist Serkan Kaya recorded images of people who are allegedly relatives of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Hakkari Office President and who used arms against protestors in Hakkari demonstrating against the DEM Party Van Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan being denied his certificate of election following the local elections on 31 March 2024. Upon this, Kaya received death threats. Kaya had to seek refuge in a building from armed persons who chased him and threatened to kill him. People who called Kaya on his phone said, “Come outside, we are going to kill you.”

Kaya: There are four ongoing court cases against me

Kaya said that he had faced two court cases for “terrorism propaganda” due to his reporting during the attempted coup of 2016, that he had been acquitted in one case and the other case is with the appellate court. Kaya said, “Cases were filed over many news items I produced between 2018-2020. I have been ordered to pay fines and there are still four ongoing court cases against me.” Having received death threats several times and faced investigations and court cases, Kaya said he had been subjected to all this “just because of reporting the news.”

“They want to prevent journalists”

Kaya went on as follows: “When reporting about corruption or a rights violation, we face pressure from the institution or representative of the political party we are dealing with. In addition, I sometimes receive reactions or pressure from people who describe themselves as ‘opinion leaders.’ At present, we are covering the mass events over the appointment of a public administrator. We are severely obstructed by the security forces here. Primarily, they try to prevent journalists from obtaining images, who are sometimes detained. Many vacuous investigations are filed against us, most of which end with a decision not to prosecute.”

Kaya stated that he had been sentenced to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment in a case on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” in 2016, but that the verdict was overturned by the appellate court, and he was acquitted. He added:

“All we are trying to do is form public opinion here. We bring up the rights violations experienced here and therefore we have to do our work sometimes under state pressure and sometimes under pressure from clan or political party leaders or their relatives. There was another march planned for today and there are protests and demonstrations against the detention of Mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış, who was elected in the local elections on 31 March. These incidents began right after the decision to detain the mayor. Following the decision, we went outside the municipality building to obtain footage, but we were prevented, insulted and forced to leave the area. If we resist, we might face a case over ‘resisting the police.’ We also tried to obtain footage during today’s attempted march, and we were once more obstructed by the police. During the police intervention, our equipment fell on the ground. There is a lot of damage to equipment when this sort of thing happens. I have not been able to get back my video recorder, camera and personal phone which the police confiscated when detaining me in 2016. Despite filing several petitions, our equipment is kept at the courthouse. My equipment, which I find very expensive to procure, is often damaged by plastic bullets or water-cannon. I sometimes go for months reporting using my phone because I have no equipment. In this region, news is produced under such difficult circumstances.”

Kaya said that reporters in western and eastern provinces have to deal with different challenges and added “In western provinces, almost every reporter reports in their own field. Sports reporters report on sports and courthouse reporters report on the courthouse. But we reporters in eastern provinces try to keep up with everything, football games and political party statements; institutional events and murders. I try to be aware of everything happening in Hakkari by myself, to cover everything as much as I can. Unfortunately, as I work without social security and under constant pressure, I cannot apply myself fully to my reporting. I know I have to report the news despite all the difficulties. I taught myself journalism and I know this is the only way to convey the voice of this region and what is happening here.