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Gen. Başbuğ changed the accreditation criteria used by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) for the press. However, the criteria for accreditation remain unknown, though they obviously do not take into account the circulation or the effectiveness of media institutions. The TSK, which almost always uses its Web site as a bulletin board to announce its decisions, did not clarify its new accreditation criteria. Furthermore, the TSK was not available for comment.

The elusive accreditation criteria have led to the Star and Yeni Şafak dailies as well as the Kanal 24 TV station to be invited to a briefing by Gen. Başbuğ. The three media outlets had almost been banned from using the streets near the TSK facilities, the site of coup-plotting in the past.

Başbuğ, in a recent visit to Diyarbakır, met with civil society organizations, a move that was labeled an “important opening” by media organizations accredited by the TSK. No one knows what criteria were used to invite the civil society organizations that were present, but it is clear that nongovernmental organizations which frequently pointed out problems in the region were not invited to the meeting with Gen. Başbuğ.

Speaking about the TSK’s new discrimination policy, Human Rights Association (İHD) President Hüsnü Öndül said he does not know what the technical criteria for accreditation were, but finds that they are rather political. “However, I don’t find this situation strange because the TSK is acting in accordance with the Constitution, which is undemocratic anyway,” he said.

Ahmet Abakay, chairman of the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD), said the TSK’s accreditation practices lead to injustice. “Of course institutions have the right to decide who they want to invite to their meetings, but when the criteria are based on who loves me and who I love, this leads to injustice. If a newspaper has a high rate of circulation, or if it has the power to influence public opinion, then it should be invited. I am against this discrimination,” he said.

Abakay also urged the TSK to not be afraid of media organs and reminded it that journalists are trying to carry out their mission -- which is to inform the public. “Everyone will report on what they heard. If there is any discrepancy, methods are in place to address this. There is no reason for fear or military action,” Abakay said.

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, chairman of the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER), a human rights group, said that the attitude of the TSK runs contrary to freedom of the press because the TSK considers itself above everything. “The TSK is an organ under the executive power and responsible only for the security of the country. But it has the illusion of considering itself an independent power that is above everything. The TSK does not implement this ideological discrimination only when it comes to the press but also when civil society organizations are involved -- as was the case in Diyarbakır,” he underlined.

On a declaration issued by the Freedom Association (Özgür-Der), president of the society Hülye Tekerci said media organs that have been excluded from the list of unaccredited organs should not have displayed a sense of satisfaction. “This is a relative easing of the imposed accreditation, and accepting this is sordid and egotistical,” Tekerci said. Tekerci called on media organs to adopt a unified stance against this arbitrariness.

Diyarbakır Bar Association President Sezgin Tanrıkulu, whose organization is not accredited, said that the TSK’s attitude is the result of the dilemma Turkish democracy poses. “It is very inconvenient that the military is trying to place itself in a position higher than politics. There is no democracy in which the military interferes with anything relevant to politics except Turkey,” Tanrıkulu said and asked, “Do the readers of non-accredited media organizations have a different General Staff, or are they not considered citizens?”