Our Right to Know: P24 workshop on FOI
The workshop crystalized the deprived freedom of press here, but offered substantial methods to make the most of our circumstances
16.04.2015
It’s no secret that journalists in Turkey are being targeted by the ruling Justice and Development Party government on a day to day basis. State enforced censorship, baseless criminal court cases, and raids on homes are only some the problems that the press falls victim to in Turkey these days.
In an effort to find transparency and inspire investigative journalism with the political climate turning more authoritarian and access to information becoming increasingly difficult, the Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) hosted a two day workshop in collaboration with Access Info Europe and UNESCO, in Ankara on Friday and Saturday.
The workshop focused on data journalism and ways to take full advantage of the Right to Information Law (Law No: 4982), which was enacted in Turkey in October 2003. The event gave informative tools for journalists to know the extent of which we have the power to know.
P24 founding member, veteran journalist, and Turkey’s first newspaper ombudsman Yavuz Baydar was joined during the opening speeches segment by Hürriyet daily's ombudsman and columnist, Faruk Bildirici; the Cumhuriyet daily's top investigative reporter, Çiğdem Toker; and Taraf daily columnist Sezin Öney.
We, the reporters in the room, listened to the experienced columnists tell us about the mournful state of Turkish press. But we, as journalists from an array of companies such as Hürriyet, CNN Türk, Bugün, Zaman, Today’s Zaman, Birgün, Cumhuriyet, and Grihat, were all too familiar with this.
Saturday morning was kicked off with a presentation by legal researcher Vicky Anderica of Access info Europe, an organization that seeks to defend and promote the right of access to information in Europe based in Madrid.
She shared with us a toolkit tailored for Turkey and on how to access government information. “It is essential to look at information in order to hold governments accountable,” she stated, and presented advice on how we can do just that.
I would highly recommend journalists to check out the Legal Leaks tool kit, which can be found here: http://www.legalleaks.info/toolkit.html
Anderica guided us through the tool kit and shared great tips such as staying organized. And while that may seem obvious, Anderica suggested keeping a record of when the request for information was sent to public servants and setting an alarm for when they are supposed to have responded by. In Turkey’s ceaseless flow of chaotic current events, it is very easy to get carried away and not to follow up one’s own request.
“If they [the government] haven’t responded by the time your alarm goes off, call the ministry you sent your request to,” Anderica suggested. Even if the ministry refuses to provide the information, that is still a response that moves the process further, because that can allow you to do two more things: going public with the request and appealing. A ministry refusing to provide information is worth a news story in itself, not only to inform the public but also to pressure the public servants.
Anderica also warned to be prepared for rejection with a wide arrange of reasons — some of the most common excuses given by governments are that if the requested information is revealed then national security, public safety, and international relations could be threatened — and be prepared to find ways to defy this.
One example that I found particularly interesting was a tactic on how to detect corruption. Anderica suggested demanding a list from the government of major possessions, such as vehicles, homes, particularly expensive watches, etc. This method offers a net to catch extortion through legal means of accessing information. She admitted that the technique may seem invasive, but it is also in the public’s interest.
This is particularly reminiscent of the alleged corruption and bribery that was revealed in December of 2013, resulting in the biggest graft scandal in the history of the Turkish Republic. One element that resonates well with Anderica’s suggestion is when Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan accepting a valuable watch worth 300,000 Swiss francs (TL 700,000) from Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab. If we, as journalists, had demanded this of our public servants before, would we be in the state we are in? Yes, probably. In fact, I’m almost certain that we would never have received any answer, but during this presentation I realized that ministers, members of parliament, president, prime minister, et al. exist to serve us, the public, and not the other way around. It’s rather easy to forget this in Erdogan’s Turkey.
Gavin Sheridan
Irish data journalist and Freedom of Information (FOI) expert, Gavin Sheridan gave two seminars on Saturday: one on journalistic research strategies and the other, an introduction on data journalism. Sheridan pushed us to at least begin scratching the surface to learn the depths and powers of the Internet for journalists. As someone who still struggles in figuring out how to use Twitter, I am still in awe of Sheridan’s presentation.
Sheridan has devoted his life to taking advantage of FOI. Much like Anderica, Sheridan stressed the importance of patience and perseverance when working on attaining information from the government.
Dissimilar to traditional journalists, Sheridan is very much a modern day hero, who labors to acquire information from the government and reflexively shares it for free from his blog. He has become an expert in taking advantage of modern day technology with his investigative instincts to hold public servants accountable, most commonly in matters concerning government spending. Sheridan was a key figure in exposing former Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue extravagant spendings. In one incident, Sheridan shared how O’Donoghue hired a limousine to carry him between terminals at Heathrow Airport in London costing a total of €472 in 2009. But the Irish journalist did not expose the scandal all on his own. Though he was the one to gain access to the receipts of the Irish politician, it was only after he shared it on his blog that a follower stumbled on a particularly expensive bill when the politician was on a layover.
On his blog (http://thestory.ie/about-2/), he describes himself as someone who is, “dedicated to sharing documents, combing and combining data and promoting transparency in public life: An experiment in journalism and crowdsourcing hoping to shed light on the government. If you’re spending the Irish taxpayers’ money, you’re on the radar.”
While all these lessons were inspiring for a young journalist such as myself, the suggestions almost seemed inconsequential for Turkey. In fact, the workshop, to some extent, crystalized the deprived freedom of press here, but offered substantial methods to make the most of our circumstances.
The world that the speakers came from seemed like a far away dream or a fairy land made of cotton candy, but we Turkish journalists were living in the harsh, grey, concrete reality of Erdogan’s New Turkey, where critical journalism is a direct target.
There seemed to be a barrier between the Turkish journalists and the European experts: it would not be an exaggeration to say that nearly every attendee said at one point or another, “They don't understand the pressure we’re under; they don't get it.”
But, in fact, they do get it. The West is well aware, and their arms of empathy and support as far as their hand can reach. In January, the European Parliament openly condemned raids on the media that took place in December. Reporters Without Borders has also released a written statement harshly criticizing the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) and their ability to block access to websites without a court order with the recent amendments made to the Internet law. The Committee to Protect Journalists, too, has recognized the anti-press measures and its devastating impact.
While these are appreciated, they aren't going to solve this very real, very serious and swelling problem we face. What we need to realize is that this is our very Turkish problem, and our western neighbors can only do so much to aid us. No matter how much both sides want a life vest thrown to us across the Sea of Marmara, this desperate disputation is entirely a la turca. It is now in the hands of critical media outlets to recognize that binding together is far more important than pushing political agendas against one another in times like this.