Journalism in Newroz: How are the opponent media and pro-government media on the same page?

2022-03-22 11:40:25


	 

	NEWS CENTER - The way this year's Newroz was handled in the media made the unspoken alliance visible between opponent media and pro-government media visible. This alliance was formed on the basis of the influence of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan who is steering the Kurdish ideology on the masses and on the fact that the decisive power of the peoples who had taken to streets for days to celebrate Newroz, was not seen in the political arena.

	 

	Scores of people took to the streets to celebrate Newroz in many cities of Turkey, especially in Diyarbakır, Van and İstanbul. The participation to 2022 Newroz exceeded millions despite the pressures on the HDP and Kurdish political institutions.

	 

	All of the messages given by the society during the Newroz celebrations held between 19-21 March were of a political nature. A peaceful solution to the Kurdish question should be urgently achieved, the isolation on Öcalan should be removed, the democratisation of Turkey, the need for a common life and the release of political prisoners was among the demands voiced in the Newroz celebrations. The Newroz celebrations attended especially by the younger generations and held in more than 70 cities and districts, people shouted the slogan 'Biji Serok Apo', which proved that the influence of Öcalan on masses is very widespread and that he is in a decisive position in the solution of the Kurdish question. 

	 

	All these facts were not seen by the media which consider themselves 'opponents' and the pro-government media. The media that reports on a variety of subjects in a global level, turned a blind eye on the demands voiced by millions of people living under the same sky with them and the injustice they suffer. The banners used in the Newroz celebrations, the slogans and the things people said on stages did not find themselves a place in these media outlets.

	 

	HOW WAS THE NEWROZ CELEBRATIONS SEEN BY WHOM?

	 

	Pro-government media that went on an on about the letter sent by Öcalan to be read in the Newroz celebrations in 2013 to 2015, took photos of the empty celebrations areas early in the morning and published the reports saying that the participation to the celebrations was so low after 2015. This method had a purpose. It was meant to 'prove' that the plan to annihilate the HDP, the Kurdish people and the democracy forces of Turkey worked. It meant to prove that the fact that the Kurdish cities levelled by the Turkish Armed Forces was legitimate and it worked and they were right to detain and arrest millions of people. However the manipulation of the pro-government media cpould not escape from being the subject of ridicule while their lies were exposed every time they tried to manipulate the people. The pro-government media changed tactics in 2022 Newroz and withheld any reports about Newroz from being published. They only wrote about the 'Nevruz' celebrated in hotel rooms by the privilaged.

	 

	In addition to the pro-government media, which did not see Newroz with central memoranda, some "opposition" media outlets, which could not get rid of statist codes and chauvinist policies, used the same language and managed to not see the Newroz celebrations with similar tactics.

	 

	Some of these 'opposition media' outlets, newspapers and TVs, did not see the Amed Newroz whole day. Some only reported the police intervention while they reported about how Azerbaijan President Aliyev lit the 'Nevruz' fire as a headline. They reported on World Down Syndrome Awareness Day on March 21 as they should, but avoided the Newroz celebrations of the Kurds they live with. So much so that, they preferred to use the word 'Nevruz' even when they were reporting on the speeches of the Kurdish politicians.

	 

	Another group was much more prepared. They published articles about the history of 'Nevruz', not writing a single word about the Kurds. There was a great effort to prove whom Newroz belonged to. While they were writing about the history of Newroz, they dissed the letters written by Öcalan, embraced by millions of people. However, flags of Öcalan was flapping in Diyarbakır Newroz at the time and almost a million people were chanting, 'Biji Serok Apo'.

	 

	The torture against the members of Adana Furkan Foundation hit the headlines by the same media outlets, while ignoring thousands of people flocking to the Newroz celebration areas despite the torture, mass murders and police burtality they have been suffering for years. While the Newroz celebrations continued in Diyarbakır, these media outlets were writing sob stories about 'Peace in Ukraine', not seeing the demand for peace voiced by the people of Diyarbakır.

	 

	The power of millions to gather in the Newroz celebrations in more than 70 cities and districts despite the arrests and dozens of massacres they were subjected to, the fact that they voiced the political demands that concerns the Turkish society closely, the fact that they were giving messages to the opposition and even to their own partyt HDP, the fact that they organised rallies in city centers, the fact that Noam Chomsky, one of the most important philosophers of our time sent a message to Van Newroz.. All of these things were newsworthy ue to the basic professional, ethical, moral and social principles and responsibilities of journalism. There was nothing to hide, cover up or conceal.

	 

	The media outlets I melt in the same pot instead of naming them one by one, did not even see the Diyarbakır Newroz, which is the day of resistance for the Kurds, as an ordinary event. Those who made this choice now have an indelible place in the memories of the millions gathered in the Newroz celebration areas.

	 

	WHO CAME TO TERMS WITH THE GOVERNMENT?

	 

	It is necessary to examine the reasons for the attitude of the "opposition media" between March 19-21 and the political consequences it revealed. That is to say;

	 

	* The afformentioned media, which ignore the principle of 'those who fight make peace' which is indisputable in conflict resolutions all over the world held themselves back from reporting seeing that the crowd in the Newroz celebrations pointed to Öcalan for a solution just like the political parties they represented. The position of Öcalan was not reflected in the news ignoring the necessity of establishing peace in Turkey and its social benefit.

	 

	* While the pro-government media and the media that considers itself to be 'opponent' chose not to see Newroz indicated that they approached the HDP as a tactic for the elections, the insistance of a democratic solution voiced by millions at the Newroz celebrations showed that the preferences of these groups will not serve to the democratisation of Turkey. Likewise, the picture in the Newroz celebrations showed that a new Turkey can not be created without HDP and every step to be taken without the HDP will make Turkey lose.

	 

	* The media outlets, which did not see Newroz, did not refrain from presenting survey results on the criticality of HDP's vote rate, its influence and why everyone needed to vote for the Nation Alliance candidate on the same day. The best response to this inconsistent approach was the people gathered at the Newroz celebrations: "Those who see us, those who see our political- social demands will win, those who refuse to see- no matter they are with the opposition or the government- will lose.

	 

	* 2022 Newroz served as a litmus paper in the context of the opposition media about sincerity towards a democratic solution. Of course, there were journalists that did not hide, cover up or conceal what actually happened at the Newroz celebrations.

	 

	* The fact that the pro-government media and the opposition media use the same language when it comes to the Kurdish question, and the fact that they hold over the fact that the Kurds have a power of solution in the political arena and that Öcalan has a role in that solution showed that there is an unspoken alliance between these two.

	 

	*  In response to the long-standing discourse of "Kurds will come to an agreement with the AKP", represented by the "opposition", which is distant from a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem, tries to establish tactical relations with the Kurds and still looks at the Kurds with statist-chauvinist codes, it has become obligatory to ask the following question. : Who came to terms with the government on March 21?

	 

	MA / Deniz Nazlım