Protest at the Turkish Embassy in Chisinau: Journalists Show Solidarity with Turkish Teacher Ayșe Çelik

The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) has joined the initiative of IFEX (International Freedom of Expression eXchange) and organized on Friday, September 23, a flashmob in front of the Turkish Embassy in Chisinau as a sign of solidarity with Ayșe Çelik, a teacher from Turkey, who found herself in the dock after appealing to journalists to pay more attention to killings and abuses against civilians in southeast Turkey.
Ayșe Çelik’s appeal was launched by a Turkish television and signed by 30 persons. Later, Turkish authorities declared the signers “traitors” and allies of “terrorist organizations” and initiated criminal investigation against the teacher and the supporters of the appeal.

“By today’s civic action we express solidarity with Ayșe Çelik and her 30 supporters and we plead for respect of the right to free expression, which is essential for any democratic society. We hope that Turkey’s authorities will hear the voices of hundreds of people that will peacefully protest today in front of Turkish embassies in different countries and will stop criminal investigation against Ayșe and her supporters,” Nadine Gogu, Executive Director of the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), told Media Azi.

Other journalists joined their IJC colleagues to show solidarity with the Turkish teacher. “As a representative of the media and the civil society, I believe that it is a very relevant topic,” said Ana Chiriac, The Epoch Times journalist, Romania. “It is important to show Turkish authorities that the civil society of Moldova supports the civil society of Turkey. It is true that in Moldova we are somewhat intimidated by authorities, too, but we cannot compare our situations,” she underlined.

According to another flashmob participant, Diana Lungu, communication coordinator at the Association of Independent Press, although in Moldova freedom of expression is not restricted so much as to have criminal investigations, we can’t say that authorities don’t try restricting this right. “I mean two situations here. First, when reporters are not let to do their job as they should, when they are censored. And second, when different people, not necessarily reporters, are intimidated for wishing to express their position and cannot do it because it disfavors someone,” she said.

On Friday, September 23, the first court hearing of teacher Ayşe Çelik and the 30 accused signers took place. To protest against restriction of freedom of expression, actions of solidarity with the victims of this abuse were organized at Turkish embassies around the world, at the initiative of IFEX.

IFEX is a global network of over 100 independent non-governmental organizations, which works at local, national, regional and international level to protect and promote freedom of expression as a fundamental human right.