Burcu Özkaya Günaydin
News Report: June 10, 2024 - Despite facing numerous lawsuits, journalist Ahmet Kanbal has persevered in his journalistic efforts and recently managed to enter Mardin Municipality for the first time in four years. Reflecting on his past struggles, Kanbal noted that four years ago, he warned, “The municipality that refuses entry to a journalist today may refuse entry to the mayor tomorrow,” which indeed happened when a government-appointed trustee took over, blocking access for everyone.
Ahmet Kanbal's persistence in journalism
Ahmet Kanbal, a reporter for Mezopotamya Agency (MA), has covered news across Hatay, Mersin, and Mardin. Since 2018, he has faced 37 investigations and 8 lawsuits for his reporting, along with multiple house raids and detentions. He was banned from entering Mardin Metropolitan Municipality and barred from Nusaybin district, yet he continued his work. After the Democratic Party (DEM Party) won control of the Mardin Municipality in the March 31 elections, Kanbal was able to enter the building again, albeit temporarily, until the next potential ban.
Challenges faced during the trustee period
Kanbal’s exclusion from the municipality did not start with the trustee administration. Under the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) administration, police stationed at the municipality gates prevented his entry. Kanbal recalls, “One morning, I was blocked from entering the building by police who said, ‘You are not allowed to enter.’ Despite the HDP still being in charge, there was insufficient reaction to this. I said then, ‘If they don’t let journalists in today, they won’t let the mayor in tomorrow.’ Later, the trustee was appointed, and even the mayor couldn’t enter. My ban continued throughout the trustee period. Despite exposing corruption during the trustee administration, I faced arrests, threats, and legal proceedings.”
Kanbal was never formally informed of the reasons for his ban. His lawyer later discovered that the Mardin Governorate issued the ban due to alleged “connections with a terrorist organization.”
Temporary entry with the new administration
Following the election, Kanbal entered the municipality during the DEM Party’s certificate ceremony. Despite several attempts over the past four years, he had been unsuccessful in gaining entry, even being denied entry to pay his water bill. Kanbal explains, “The building is just a place to me. I quickly did what I needed to do because who knows, tomorrow I might be banned again. It’s a surreal and comedic situation.”
The respect and isolation of local journalism
While discussing the difficulties of local journalism, Kanbal emphasizes the respect he receives, which motivates him. He describes his work in Mardin as journalism in “the back of beyond.” Protecting his sources is paramount, as his phone has been meticulously searched during detentions, yet no source was compromised. “People of different opinions respect my work. They say, ‘If Ahmet wrote it, it must be true.’ I always worked with documents. They arrest me, file lawsuits, but the cases don’t progress because I have evidence. They don’t want these issues to go to court because it would make them official and bigger.”
Challenges and recognition in local journalism
Kanbal explains the challenges of being a local journalist in three dimensions: quick enforcement of sanctions due to lack of central media presence like in Istanbul or Ankara; immense respect and trust from the local community, which is crucial for journalism; and recognition in local areas being inversely proportional to recognition in central media. This lack of recognition extends to solidarity as well, with Kanbal noting that his stories are often used by mainstream media without credit. He interprets this as central media’s disregard for local journalists. “I fight against this erasure and misuse of my work. There’s labor involved. Even taking a photo in front of the municipality yesterday became an issue. Security tried to stop me. I face problems doing journalism today just as I did before. I endure pressure, erasure, detention, threats, and personal intrusions, like being unable to pay my water bill. But one truth remains: I will stubbornly continue pursuing the truth.”
