Turkish newspaper interviewed right -line activist about medin
Today’s ETC journalist Joakim Medin was interrogated and imprisoned shortly after he landed in Istanbul on Thursday.
This weekend, several Turkish media reported that Medin, who was moved to a high security prison, is accused of « insulting President Erdogan » and having « contact with an armed terrorist organization ».
The Turkish daily Aydinlik interviewed on Saturday a Swedish person known in the right -wing radical movement, he states in the article that Medin « is not a journalist, but a figure related to a terrorist organization. »
The newspaper is tied To the party Vatan Partisi (Patriotic Party) who, before the last election in 2023, wanted to be part of a coalition with Erdogan’s AKP.
The movement is described as a left -wing nationalist with emphasis on « nationalist », says Paul Levin, director of the Institute of Turkey Studies at Stockholm University. The party emphasizes good relationships with Russia and an antipathy against the West, and supports Erdogan in what is considered to be anti -imperialist politics.
– The purpose of the article is probably to try to strengthen the charges against Medin and designate him as a terrorist supporter rather than a journalist – if you contact a Swedish right -wing radical player, you can get support for such a thesis.
Michael Sahlin, Turkey connoisseur and former Sweden’s ambassador to the country, does not say that he is « surprised » over the action.
– When the Turkish regime wanted a person extradited from Sweden a few years ago, Turkish journalists were here and ragged contacts and made pictures of his house. I see Turkish media belonging to mainstream as very aggressive when it comes to chasing up what is in line with what the regime feels.
The reasoning as the newspaper Too strongly reminiscent of the regime, he says.
– I recognize the demonization effort that most Turkish newspapers that are not directly oppositions have.
Turkey is located 158 out of 180 in reporters without borders press freedom index. The organization’s chairman Erik Larsson describes it as a hard media landscape.
– The Turkish authorities that issue broadcast permits to ether media announced on March 23 that those who report from demonstrations or criticize the regime will be fined or their broadcasting permit withdrawn, he says.
Aydinlik is no major Publication in Turkey, says Paul Levin. But if the narrative with Swedish sources is spread about Joakim Medin as an activist rather than a journalist, it can affect public opinion and make it easier for prosecutors to keep him imprisoned, he says.
Michael Sahlin also says it is about strengthening the regime’s case internally.
– Especially if they notice that the issue has become very well -known internationally, and it says Joakim in all possible newspapers around the world. This means a prestige crisis for Turkey, where there is a risk of locking if Sweden acts lame.
He thinks the case may not get stuck in long processes before a trial, which is common in Turkey and is usually called Pre-trial detection.
– In some cases you never reach them, but it still means several years in prison, so it is necessary that the Swedish government is on the bite – it is difficult to access cases when the Turkish legal system closes around such a thing.
At a press conference with Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) on Monday morning, DN asked whether she is worried that Turkey will try to create a pretext to keep Medin in custody by politicizing him in the media.
– I do not want to go into information that has occurred in Turkish media at this stage, says Malmer Stenergard.
Read more:
Martin Schibbye: That’s why I’m not worried about Joakim Medin
The Foreign Minister on the imprisoned journalist: « A lot of work lies ahead of us »
