2025 Candidate for SC Member: Banu Tuna
Who I am
I’m an Istanbul-based journalist for more than 25 years, holding a master’s degree in human rights law. A member of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey since 2006. I was elected as the Istanbul chair of the union in 2019. After serving for a term, I was elected as the General Secretary in 2023. Also teaching reporting and news writing at the university.
Despite being a member of TGS for many years, my dismissal from daily Hürriyet Newspaper, where I had been working for 23 years, marked the beginning of my journey in TGS. The reason I was sacked along with 45 colleagues was that I was actively working to organise the union in the newspaper. However, human rights have been a long-standing focus of mine, both as an activist and as a journalist.
Due to the disappearance of information/experience exchange between mainstream media and, consequently, experienced journalists and young journalists in Turkey, I have also been involved in training young journalists for the past five years.
Why I am standing
My reasons for running for the Steering Committee and my priorities if elected are directly related. Attacks on press freedom, journalism and journalists have become a cross-border epidemic. The European values that have guided us since 1945 are at great risk, and no one is immune to this threat.
My priorities for the EFJ
Turkey, on the threshold of Europe, is one of the few places where this pandemic has emerged. With a history spanning 73 years, TGS has struggled with pressure and attacks on the press throughout its history. However, today we must fight together. Since the attacks are transnational, solidarity must also be transnational. We should share our experiences, problems and solutions.
The issue of ‘journalists becoming refugees,’ one of the consequences of these attacks and pressures, is also among my priorities.
