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Freedom for Journalists Campaign Underway in Turkey
hetq
[ 2011/03/21 | 10:40 ]
region
Sign Petition Addressed to Turkish Prime Minister
On March 19, about 2,000 people, led by the Freedom for Journalists
(GOP) Platform which is an umbrella for over 90 Turkish national and
local journalists associations, marched in Ankara to protest the
imprisonment of journalists.
The march was the second biggest journalists' actions of the last
weeks. Two weeks ago similar demonstrations were organized in
Istanbul.
Journalists of Turkey feel themselves increasingly under the threat of
trials, detentions, fines and imprisonments for their journalistic
activities. Today, despite PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements that
there is no one in jail for their journalistic activities, the GOP has
a list of 68 journalists in jail, of which 7 have been convicted. The
others are awaiting trial.
Since 2009, 30 journalists have been discharged by the court pending
their trials. If all these figures considered together, around 90
journalists have visited jails only within the last 2 years.
Furthermore, there are 45 journalists who have been sentenced to fine
or to imprisonment. But the executions of sentences have been delayed
for 5 years. It means a strong self-censorship not only for these
journalists but also for journalists in general who had to think about
the consequences of their work. These 45 journalists will be in jail
if and when they repeated the same `crime'.
Besides these, there are more than 2000 ongoing trials and more than
4000 inquiries opened against journalists. Finally, all this leads to
self-censorship.
The latest detentions have increased the worries about the future of
free journalism. Everybody is sure that their phones are wiretapped.
Illegally taped conversations are put in front of journalists as
evidences of their `criminal' activities or `organizational
membership'.
Most journalists now jailed are accused of being a member of or
conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization (Ergenekon, PKK,
Revolutionary Headquarter, Marxist-Leninist Communist Party...)
But all the so-called evidence for these accusations is based on their
journalists activities: phone calls with their news sources, documents
to be published, their stories, their notes, interviews with the
leaders of illegal organizations, even their published or unpublished
books (The draft book prepared by Ahmet Sik is not yet published, but
it is one of evidences to accuse him being a member of Ergenekon
organization.)
The situation is not only due to the misapplication of laws by
judiciary, journalist organizations underlined since years that there
were about 27 article of the penal code which restricts freedom of
expression. Anti-Terror Law is another obstacle for free expression.
In August 2010, 22 journalists organization has established the
Freedom for Journalists Platform. Then the platform has widened
rapidly and now it consists of 26 national, 66 local professional
journalists' organizations. The establishment of Platform is due to a
need in the climate of increasing fear and worries among journalists.
The GOP wrote a letter and opened it to the signatures of journalists
. The letter demands immediate release of jailed journalists and
amendment of laws that restrict freedom of expression. The letter was
sent to the Prime Ministry in last September. At the international
level, there is also an ongoing campaign to send e-card to the Turkish
Prime Minister.
Currently, there is an international letter writing campaign to send
an e-card calling for the immediate release of the jailed journalists,
to the Turkish Prime Minister.
Use the following link to add your signature to this call for freedom
and justice: http://europe.ifj.org/en/articles/efj-urges-turkey-free-jailed-journalists-now
From: A. Papazian
hetq
[ 2011/03/21 | 10:40 ]
region
Sign Petition Addressed to Turkish Prime Minister
On March 19, about 2,000 people, led by the Freedom for Journalists
(GOP) Platform which is an umbrella for over 90 Turkish national and
local journalists associations, marched in Ankara to protest the
imprisonment of journalists.
The march was the second biggest journalists' actions of the last
weeks. Two weeks ago similar demonstrations were organized in
Istanbul.
Journalists of Turkey feel themselves increasingly under the threat of
trials, detentions, fines and imprisonments for their journalistic
activities. Today, despite PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements that
there is no one in jail for their journalistic activities, the GOP has
a list of 68 journalists in jail, of which 7 have been convicted. The
others are awaiting trial.
Since 2009, 30 journalists have been discharged by the court pending
their trials. If all these figures considered together, around 90
journalists have visited jails only within the last 2 years.
Furthermore, there are 45 journalists who have been sentenced to fine
or to imprisonment. But the executions of sentences have been delayed
for 5 years. It means a strong self-censorship not only for these
journalists but also for journalists in general who had to think about
the consequences of their work. These 45 journalists will be in jail
if and when they repeated the same `crime'.
Besides these, there are more than 2000 ongoing trials and more than
4000 inquiries opened against journalists. Finally, all this leads to
self-censorship.
The latest detentions have increased the worries about the future of
free journalism. Everybody is sure that their phones are wiretapped.
Illegally taped conversations are put in front of journalists as
evidences of their `criminal' activities or `organizational
membership'.
Most journalists now jailed are accused of being a member of or
conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization (Ergenekon, PKK,
Revolutionary Headquarter, Marxist-Leninist Communist Party...)
But all the so-called evidence for these accusations is based on their
journalists activities: phone calls with their news sources, documents
to be published, their stories, their notes, interviews with the
leaders of illegal organizations, even their published or unpublished
books (The draft book prepared by Ahmet Sik is not yet published, but
it is one of evidences to accuse him being a member of Ergenekon
organization.)
The situation is not only due to the misapplication of laws by
judiciary, journalist organizations underlined since years that there
were about 27 article of the penal code which restricts freedom of
expression. Anti-Terror Law is another obstacle for free expression.
In August 2010, 22 journalists organization has established the
Freedom for Journalists Platform. Then the platform has widened
rapidly and now it consists of 26 national, 66 local professional
journalists' organizations. The establishment of Platform is due to a
need in the climate of increasing fear and worries among journalists.
The GOP wrote a letter and opened it to the signatures of journalists
. The letter demands immediate release of jailed journalists and
amendment of laws that restrict freedom of expression. The letter was
sent to the Prime Ministry in last September. At the international
level, there is also an ongoing campaign to send e-card to the Turkish
Prime Minister.
Currently, there is an international letter writing campaign to send
an e-card calling for the immediate release of the jailed journalists,
to the Turkish Prime Minister.
Use the following link to add your signature to this call for freedom
and justice: http://europe.ifj.org/en/articles/efj-urges-turkey-free-jailed-journalists-now
From: A. Papazian