Attacks on the Press in 2011: Turkey’s Legal Problem Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, buoyed by a landslide election victory, has led an attack on press freedom. (AP/Boris Grdanoski) With the aid of anachronistic legislation and a rigid judiciary, Turkish officials and politicians have curbed free expression by subjecting journalists to endless court … Read more
Mizgin Mujde Arslan and Ozay Sahin have been detained on Monday, February 13th Dear Friends, We regret to inform that our friends and colleagues Mizgin Mujde Arslan and Ozay Sahin have been detained on Monday, February 13th. Arslan is a director, author and scholar. Sahin is also a director, cinematographer and actor. The authorities allege … Read more
Ragip Zarakolu, human rights symbol in modern Turkey, Bulent Gokay from open Democracy News Analysis – by Bulent Gokay Turkey will become a real global power only when the high level of its economic progress is matched by a strong, stable and functioning democratic system. Ragıp Zarakolu, arrested journalist, publisher, writer and human rights advocate, … Read more
Academic Ersanlı and Writer Zarakolu – 100 Days in Jail from Bianet :: English “We want Justice and Freedom on the 100th day of arrest” demanded the Eğitim-Sen Istanbul Universities Branch on 8 February. The protestors marked the 100th day in detention for academic Ersanlı and writer Zarakolu with a demonstration in front of the … Read more
No arrest for Armenian soldier?s killer from Hurriyet Daily News A military court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır ruled Jan. 30 to continue without arrest the trial of suspect Kıvanç Ağaoğlu in the case of Sevag Şahin Balıkçı, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin killed under dubious circumstances while performing his military service in … Read more
TURKEY?S JAILS FILLING UP WITH JOURNALISTS Kurdish reporter?s arrest over weekend is the latest in wave of detentions Aziz Tekin, a correspondent for the Kurdish-language newspaper Azadiya Welat, had the misfortune of becoming a news item himself over the weekend when he became the 105th journalist in Turkey to be put behind bars………. ………Erkan Saka, … Read more
Turkey Loses Ground again in World Press Freedom Index Turkey fell back ten places to number 148 in the 2011-2012 World Press Freedom Index. According to the report of Reporters Without Borders, press freedom is in an even worse state in only 31 countries. Press freedom index: big falls for Arab trio in year of … Read more
Agos daily website, Armenian community’s paper in Turkey, was deemed not good for kids and was filtered by the request of Turkish Ministry of Education. This has been undone today… In the mean time, books of Musa Anter, assassinated Kurdish intellectual, are also investigated…. Turkey: Credibility Depends on Rights at Home | Human Rights Watch … Read more
Trying to get at the truth of Turkey’s jailed journalists from World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Roy Greenslade Turkey is regarded as having a dire press freedom record. But the facts – even the numbers – are disputed. First, the numbers. According to the Turkish Journalists’ Union and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), … Read more
[View the story “Çalışan Gazeteciler Günü….ve Tutuklu Gazete’nin yeni sayısı…” on Storify]
Turkey?s Glow Dims as Government Limits Free Speech from NYT > Turkey by By DAN BILEFSKY and SEBNEM ARSU While Washington and Europe praise Turkey as the model of Muslim democracy for the Arab world, human rights advocates say the government is curbing press freedom. Turkey’s former Chief of Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug, center left, … Read more
[View the story “Journalists on trial in Turkey / Gazeteciler yargılanıyor…” on Storify]
?Collateral damage? in Uludere, Şırnak…. Turkey to compensate air strike victims from World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk Families of 35 civilians killed in strike meant for Kurdish rebels will receive payments within days, says deputy prime minister Turkey will compensate the families of 35 civilians mistakenly killed in an air strike meant for Kurdish rebels, … Read more
Two Students Under Custody Since 2009, Despite Lack of Evidence Two university students, who were arrested during a demonstration will remain in prison as the the prosecution fail to show any evidence for allegations against them. Another student, who had been a symbol of freedom of expression violations against the youth, is condemned to 20 … Read more
Deputy PM vows more rights for Turkey?s Kurds from Hurriyet Daily News Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç promises more rights to the country?s citizens of Kurdish origin in a speech… Journalists detained in KCK raids Police detained 35 people in raids in seven different provinces in a probe into the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) … Read more