Speaking Truth to Power in Turkey: An Interview with Ekrem Dumanli

Yohuru Williams

Last December, veteran Turkish journalist, newspaper executive and playwright Ekrem Dumanli made headlines after he was detained by Turkish authorities on charges of "forming, leading and being a member of an armed terrorist organization." Dumanli's supporters maintained that his only real crime was pressing for greater transparency and accountability from the government. Dumanli's appreciation for the importance of a free press has deep roots. Having worked for the Culture and Art Desk of the daily Zaman through most of the 1990s, he earned a Masters Degree from Emerson College in Boston, before returning to Turkey in 2001 to helm Zaman as its editor-in-chief. Through his vision and guidance, the newspaper's circulation grew, increasing from 150,000 to a million readers within a decade. Dumanli's influence has not been overlooked. In 2009, he earned a place on a list complied by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre and published by Georgetown University of the world's 500 Most Influential Muslims. Such prominence has come at a price. On December 14, 2014 he was among a number of journalists rounded up in government raids on media outlets. Despite the seriousness of the allegations against him and the dramatic way in which he and his colleagues were taken into custody, five days later he was released due to lack of evidence. I first became aware of the situation after Turkish protesters connected government repression in Turkey with the hash tag "We can't breathe". They were linking their efforts with the Black Lives Matter social media campaign related to the police killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown in the United States. After his release, I had the opportunity to interview Dumanli with the hopes of shedding further light on what's happening in Turkey with regards to the freedom of the press, state of democracy, and the Hizmet movement. His words reaffirm the need for us to remain vigilante concerning threats to democratic practice both at home and abroad.

Hidayet Karaca, banditry and Turkey’s eroding image

Bülent Keneş

Corrupt politicians who target innocent people for certain political reasons or in an effort to cover up their terrifying crimes will have to violate laws and commit more crimes and engage in unethical acts that amount to banditry.

Arrested journalist: I am on guard duty for democracy

Samanyolu TV Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca, who has been under arrest since a government-backed police operation against independent media outlets on Dec. 14, 2014, stated in a letter on Monday that his imprisonment for the last 66 days without legal justification is a result of his being on guard duty for democracy.

Turkish school in Uganda challenges discrimination against albinos

A Turkish school established in Uganda has challenged discrimination against albinos in the country by giving an albino student a full scholarship.

Gülen’s lawyer: Pro-government media ignores ruling of Supreme Court of Appeals

Nurullah Albayrak, the lawyer representing Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, said in a written statement on Monday that pro-government media outlets continue their false accusations about Gülen and members of the Gülen movement, pointing out that Gülen was acquitted in June 2008 of all allegations that had been leveled against him at that time.