Freedom of expression, Kurdish media

Set journalists free in Turkey: EFJ campaign update

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) pursues its international campaign to Set Free Journalists in Turkey.

Please find below the latest  news on the matter; including in-depth eye-witness accounts of last Thursday’s (21 March) Odatv hearing in Istanbul.

26 March 2013 – After 743 in prison still no freedom for Yalçin Küçük, EFJ website

19 March 2013 – New OdaTV trial hearing on Thursday 21 March, EFJ website

18 March 2013 – Magazine staff arrested in Turkey, Elif Akgül, Bianet

13 March 2013 – Journalist prosecuted twice under Article 301 for comment on Armenia, Bianet

Continue reading “Set journalists free in Turkey: EFJ campaign update” →

Freedom of expression, Kurdish media, Political prisoners

Statement by columnist for ODA TV

To Turkish people and to the international community

The pressure and limitations on freedom of press in Turkey is not a new or recent phenomenon. However, it has reached to its peak level during the reign of the Islamist-rooted AKP government, due to its new regime perspective and hate towards the traditional pro-secular segments of the society. Today in Turkey almost 100 journalists are in prison for unjust accusations.

One of the most apparent cases, through which the freedom of press is under serious attack, is the Oda TV case in Turkey, in which fourteen journalists and writers have been taken under police surveillance and in which eleven of these journalists and writers have been arrested and put in prison.

The case is of the same sequence along with the other political cases, which are widely known as “the Ergenekon” and “the Balyoz” cases. In all of these cases there are serious illegal exercises of the police officers and of the prosecutors, besides the existence of the so-called “proofs”, which were later understood to be fabricated by many expertise reports. Continue reading “Statement by columnist for ODA TV” →