ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked newspapers for new reporters following the cancellation of other reporters' accreditations.
Erdogan said the previous Prime Ministry reporters were reprimanded for offering "false reports" and called on newspapers to offer up new reporters who would avoid questionable journalistic pursuits, Bianet reported Friday.
"If journalists write false reports, their accreditations may be canceled," the prime minister said. "That particular media institution or group should send another reporter. We will not go on with those who publish false reports. This is our criteria. He or she will not write false reports."
The Press Center of the Prime Ministry has maintained the new journalism criteria under which the reporters lost their accreditations was officially accepted on July 21, Bianet reported.
Members of the press have opposed the accreditation actions by the government, saying media groups, not the Prime Ministry, should set standards.
