Turkey's state-run TRT caught off guard by 'silent protesters'

One of Turkey’s most symbolic and significant trials was started at İstanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse on Monday (July 24).

The executives and journalists from the Republic’s oldest newspaper Cumhuriyet, who have been held in custody for 9 months, are being accused of ‘terror propaganda’.

The first trial of the case held 3 months after the completion of the indictment was attended by family and friends of the detainees, as well as many members of national and international civil society groups.

As Turkey’s state institution TRT (Radio and Television Corporation of Turkey) also tried to broadcast live in front of the courthouse, a small group of civilians who had come to the court house to attend the trial and stand in solidarity with jailed journalists and other victims of emergency decrees took advantage of the presence of TRT cameras and made themselves visible while the anchorman spoke.

Holding a placard reading ‘Freedom to Cumhuriyet; justice’ and wearing t-shirts with pictures of jailed and hunger-striking dismissed educators Nuriye and Semih, the small group stood silently behind the anchorman.

Not being able to cut off streaming, TRT had continued its broadcast.

TRT has been criticized, for more than a few years, by the opposition for leading a biased and unfair broadcasting policy which has almost completely ignored the voices of any opposition parties or groups.

TRT and other state-run media institutions, as well as, pro-government outlets have intensified their sided approach further since the failed coup of last summer.

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/trt-adliye-onunden-canli-yayin-yaptigina-pisman-oldu-171325.html