Criticism from Tybb Headquarters and Edirne Branch to Keşan Municipality

Karayün and Demir stated in the booklet that the award ceremony in question was held with the proposal of the Turkish Local Press Association Edirne Branch and with the cooperation of Keşan Municipality and said, “The Keşan Journalism Vefa Award ceremony will be held on January 23, 2023 at the Keşan Municipality Selim Sesler Theater and Conference Hall. Cooperation between the Edirne Branch of the Union and Keşan Municipality was carried out. We observed with regret that the Turkish Local Press Association and Edirne Branch were not mentioned in the news titled "Press Loyalty Awards Found Their Owners" in the book containing the 5-year activities of Keşan Municipality, which was recently prepared by Keşan Mayor Mustafa Helvacıoğlu and continues to be distributed. We consider the fact that TYBB Edirne Branch is not mentioned here and that this event is tried to be presented as if it was a Keşan Municipality event, as disrespect and disregard for the Turkish Local Press Association and Edirne Branch. We think that Keşan Mayor Mustafa Helvacıoğlu owes an apology to our association in this regard.”

In the statement, it was also reminded that the decision to rename the streets and streets after the journalists who died in Keşan 2 years ago was passed by the municipal council, and it was stated that the street signs with the names of Tevfik Işık, Ümmü Aktan, Cumhur Birsel and Ferhat Ezerçe, whose names were mentioned in this decision, have not been hung yet. It was also announced that these signs are expected to be hung in their place as soon as possible and that an application will be made to Keşan Municipality after the local elections to name a street after the recently deceased journalist İrfan Tongo.

"We leave it to the public to decide whether Keşan Mayor Mustafa Helvacıoğlu's shaking of a local newspaper in the past months and pointing this newspaper as a target suits a mayor who says "We are always with our press workers."

In the statement, press links regarding the Keşan Gazetecelik Loyalty Awards were also shared.