The Constitutional Court decided on the side of Sendika.org against censorship and for the freedom of speech and the press. The case was brought to justice against the ban on publishing any material against religion in Turkey. On this legal decision from the top court, Sendika.Org celebrated the acknowledged freedoms from the highest court against censorship imposed by government officials on media by the article, “The court obstructed, censorship was not forgiven: Here is Charlie Hebdo in Turkish!”

After the access block was lifted on the grounds of “violation of freedom of expression,” Sendika.Org was first targeted by provocative social media accounts, then by Yeni Akit newspaper, and then by HÜDA-Par in the Parliament.

Yeni Akit is a pro-government daily known for its provocatively urging attacks on any opposition to the government.

HÜDA-PAR, on the other hand, is a fundamentalist religious party linked by many to Hezbollah terrorists that operate illegally in the country.

Yeni Akit even published the names of the editorial board at Sendika.org, making them the target of lynching by the “collaborative media,” as the pro-government lackey media is called, as well as street mobs organized by the Hezbollah-type terrorists, in the protection of the government.
Following the targeting, a press conference was held today (March 6) at 11.00 at DİSK Basın-İş Headquarters with the call of Sendika.Org, announcing, “Sendika.Org will not be silenced”.

Basın İş, the press workers union, belongs to the Confederation of Progressive Labor Unions, DISK, both of which are also under attack from the government and government-protected illegal forces.

The press text was read by Sendika.Org editor Derya Saadet at the press conference. The complete statement reads:

We will not remain silent in the face of reactionary threats!

Again, we are facing a wave of targeting. First, from the provocative Islamist social media accounts, then Yeni Akit, and then HÜDA-Par. The reason is that the Constitutional Court annulled the decision to block access to our news article 9 years ago.

A lynching campaign was launched against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for allegedly insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and 12 people were killed in an attack at its offices in Paris on January 7, 2015. The issue immediately after the massacre came out with a cover depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad shedding tears and holding a sign that read, “I am Charlie.” The caption read, “All is forgiven.” This issue, which resonated all over the world, was translated into Turkish and published in many media.

Gölbaşı Criminal Court of Peace blocked access to the news published on February 27, 2015. The blocked publications appealed the decision to the Constitutional Court. When the Constitutional Court ruled on “freedom of expression,” the local court lifted the decision to block access.
That’s when the targeting frenzy began.

The Daily Islamist account at X started the frenzy by targeting Sendika.Org with a provocative note that “The Constitutional Court considered insulting the Prophet Muhammad as ‘freedom of expression’!” The posts of this account, whose name is already known for provocative calls made against Pride parades, spring festivals at universities, and agendas targeted by Islamists, have become widespread with hundreds of replies and quoted comments.

It was followed by the daily Yeni Akit ( The New Testament). Yeni Akit newspaper also published, with a misleading content, the names of the members of the Editorial Board and the Editorial Advisory Board registered in the imprint of Sendika.Org. Yeni Akit’s published news, “Great Dishonesty from Sendika.Org! They republished the insult to the Prophet ‘with pride,'” is based on the lie that the unblocked content insults the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. However, the subject in question includes the Turkish version of the new copy of the magazine published after the massacre of Charlie Hebdo.

Yeni Akit was not satisfied with this. The paper’s columnist Taha Emre Özdemir continued to target Sendika.Org with his article titled “Who will stop Sendika.org’s disrespect for religion?” while DİSK Basın-İş was also targeted for sharing support for Sendika.Org.
After Yeni Akit, it was Hezbollah’s turn, and this was done under the roof of the Parliament. In a press statement at the Parliament, HÜDA-Par Secretary General Şehzade Demir said, “Our moral values are still unprotected” and cited the lifting of the access block to the Sendika.Org news as an example. Claiming that it insulted beliefs and spiritual values, Demir called on the parties in the parliament to “take the initiative.”
In today’s conditions, where a climate open to provocations has been created with the open encouragement of the AKP-MHP coalition, we do not have the option of not taking this provocative cyber lynching campaign made by malicious accounts and the naming of our editorial board members seriously, or to pass it by silence by saying, “Well, that is just the Akit we know.” We are living in a period in which targeted journalists are beaten, and lynching campaigns on social media result in arrests. Moreover, no one can say that the scale of these attacks will not increase.
Let’s also add that these targetings are not only directed at ourselves. There is a threat not only to specific individuals or media outlets but also to all dissidents, those who defend secularism, and those who defend freedom of expression.

Although we state that we will initiate all necessary legal processes, we know that solidarity can eliminate these threats and attacks and overcome the obstacles. We know we are not alone in being targeted and resisting these threats.

Sendika.Org will not cower or remain silent in the face of these threats.

“We protect both Sendika.Org and journalists”

After the reading of the press text, DİSK Basın-İş Board Member İzel Sezer took the floor and said:

We are here after a newspaper and journalists were targeted following the Constitutional Court’s decision on “violation of freedom of expression.” Unfortunately, in our country, the Constitutional Court’s decisions have become a phenomenon that can be violated directly by the political power. HÜDA-Par, which both targets and turns it into a weapon of the government, draws its power directly from the political power.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time journalists have been targeted in this country. Unfortunately, we have also experienced situations that have created bad results many times. Our union was also targeted because of its statement of support. I want to emphasize that these targetings are not a simple thing.
In summary, it is worth repeating: We protect our members, Sendika.Org, and journalists and will continue to do so. We will continue to stand firm against all kinds of actions that threaten freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Let me conclude by once again calling for organizing in our union.

We stand together against the targeting of https://t.co/hTNXq26NI9 after the Constitutional Court’s decision on the “violation of freedom of expression.”
📌 Our Board Member İzel Sezer: We stand with https://t.co/hTNXq26NI9
and all journalists who are targeted pic.twitter.com/2A2Q7C8zn3
— DİSK Press-İş (@diskbasinis) March 6, 2024
The https://t.co/0EfwyTg2Ix targeted by Yeni Akit and HÜDA PAR called for solidarity by saying, “The threat is not only to us https://t.co/GaJdL0vGur
— Evrensel Newspaper (@evrenselgzt) March 6, 2024
Syndicate Org: We Will Not Be Silent
Sendika Org was targeted by provocation accounts on social media by publishing the names of its editorial and advisory board members after its article titled “The Court prevented it, censorship was not forgiven: Here is Charlie Hebdo in Turkish!” published on its website. pic.twitter.com/OsiKbi7l4Y
— nine8news (@dokuz8haber) March 6, 2024
📌At the press conference at DİSK Press-İş Headquarters, DİSK Press-İş Central Executive Committee member İzel Sezer said at a press conference against the targeting of https://t.co/B5n3XJFr0C by provocative calculations and from the floor of the Parliament: “We will not remain silent in the face of reactionary threats!”#SendikaOrgSusturulamaz@diskbasinis pic.twitter.com/I0QwFKHUYI
— Alınteri (@GazeteAlinteri) March 6, 2024
Targeted SendikaOrg: We will not remain silent in the face of reactionary threatshttps://t.co/QFj6fB6P1V pic.twitter.com/SgxaJqoIR4
— Newspaper Patika (@GazetePatika) March 6, 2024