Furkan

T24 Correspondent Demishevich Pointed to as a Target

T24’s correspondent Michelle Demishevich was pointed to as a target by a magazine called “Furkan News.”

Source: Elif Akgül, “T24 Muhabiri Hedef Gösteriliyor” (“T24 Correspondent Pointed to as a Target”), Bianet, 3 June 2015, http://bianet.org/kadin/medya/165011-t24-muhabiri-hedef-gosteriliyor

In the news article titled “Sümeyye Erdoğan provoked by German descendent Transsexual,” Demishevich’s following of a press release as a journalist has been presented with the words “During the press statement following Erdoğan’s meeting, plainclothes police officers apprehended Michelle Demishevich, a transsexual of German descent, who was following her.”

The news article, which did not provide an account of the police violence [during the incident], presented Demishevich’s journalism activities as crime and pointed out her previous workplace IMC TV and her current employer T24 as targets.

Demishevich told Bianet that she will be filing a criminal complaint.

What happened?

Demishevich was subjected to violence by plainclothes police officers while she was following the press release by President Tayyip Erdoğan’s daughter Sümeyye Erdoğan in front of the Belgian Consulate. While Demishevich was dragged away by her hair, other journalists and correspondents who were present during the incident ridiculed her.

Hate Speech by Furkan Magazine: “HDP-PKK’s faggot correspondent of German descent was caught in attempted provocation”

Transsexual correspondent, who is working for the PKK’s media branch also known as IMC TV and for the sore Kemalists’ website T24, was apprehended by police while following Sümeyye Erdoğan.

Source: Furkan Magazine, “Sümeyye Erdoğan’a Alman Asıllı Transeksüel Provokasyonu” (“Sümeyye Erdoğan provoked by Transsexual of German Descent”), 1 June 2015, http://www.furkanhaber.com/sumeyye-erdogana-provokasyon/

AK Party[1]’s Women’s Branch issued a press release in front of the Belgian Consulate to support Mahinur Özdemir, who was expelled from her party for not supporting the claims about the Armenian genocide. After the statement, Sümeyye Erdoğan met with the Belgian Consul-General. During the press statement following Erdoğan’s meeting, plainclothes police officers apprehended Michelle Demishevich, a transsexual of German descent, who was following her. Police officers forcefully removed the German descendent person called Michelle while she resisted the police.

It was uncovered that the suspect was a German citizen who was living in Turkey and claiming to be a speaker at HDP-PKK’s [2] media branch IMC TV and T24, a website frequented by ex-government coup supporters of February 28th.

[1] “AK Parti,” lit. WHITE or CLEAN Party, is often used as the abbreviation for “AKP,” Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party, by Party officials and followers.

[2] HDP is the Peoples’ Democratic Party which takes its roots and support from Turkey’s Kurds. The party’s strong social democratic message also includes the LGBTI. PKK is the Kurdistan Workers’ Party which has led an armed struggle against the Turkish state between 1984-2013 under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned on an island-prison in Turkey since 1999. The war has claimed more than 30,000 lives and PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and NATO.  Critics of the HDP often claim the HDP to be an extension of the PKK.

Translator’s note: The above example of hate speech has been translated for educational and advocacy purposes.