Committee to Protect Journalists - Turkey

Turkish editor convicted of insulting the president

2013-04-25T17:53:37Z

Istanbul, April 25, 2013--An Istanbul court convicted a Turkish editor of "publicly insulting the president" and sentenced him to a conditional term of 14 months in prison, according to news reports. Ali Örnek would be jailed if he repeats the perceived offense sometime in the next five years under amendments to Turkey's criminal code introduced in 2012.

Pro-Kurdish reporter sentenced to jail in Turkey

2013-03-13T21:05:46Z

New York, March 13, 2013--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the jail sentence handed to a journalist in Turkey and calls on authorities to overturn the ruling on appeal.

In Turkey, journalist freed from prison pending trial

2013-03-12T15:17:52Z

A court in the city of Adana released Özlem Ağuş, reporter for the pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency (DİHA), from prison on February 25, 2013, pending a trial, DIHA reported. The journalist was imprisoned on March 6, 2012, on charges that included membership in the banned Union of Communities in Kurdistan, or KCK, which the government designated a terrorist group.

Attacks on the Press in 2012: CPJ Risk List Video

2013-02-14T05:05:57Z

CPJ's Robert Mahoney identifies the 10 countries where press freedom suffered the most in 2012. They include Syria, the world's deadliest country for the press; Russia, where repressive laws took effect; Brazil, where journalist murders soared; and Ethiopia, where terror laws are used to silence the press. (3:26)

Attacks on the Press: Enjoying Spotlight, Shirking Accountability

2013-02-14T05:05:46Z

Countries hosting the Olympics assume global obligations. What if they renege? By Nina Ognianova and Kristin Jones

Attacks on the Press: Beyond Article 19

2013-02-14T05:05:45Z

The right to news and opinion is enshrined in international law. It's not enough. By Joel Simon

Attacks on the Press: Misusing Terror Laws

2013-02-14T05:05:44Z

Governments exploit national security laws to punish critical journalists. By Monica Campbell

Attacks on the Press in 2012: Turkey

2013-02-14T05:05:24Z

With 49 journalists imprisoned for their work as of December 1, Turkey emerged as the world’s worst jailer of the press. Kurdish journalists, charged with supporting terrorism by covering the activities of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, made up the majority of the imprisoned journalists. They are charged under a vague anti-terror law that allows the authorities to equate coverage of banned groups with terrorism itself. A CPJ special report issued in October found highly repressive aspects of the penal code and anti-terror law, a criminal procedure code that favors the state, and a harsh anti-press tone set at the top levels of government. Intense government pressure caused media owners to dismiss critical journalists and generated pervasive self-censorship throughout the profession. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has filed several defamation lawsuits in recent years, publicly denigrated numerous critical journalists. CPJ conducted three fact-finding and advocacy missions to Turkey in 2012, meeting with journalists, lawyers, diplomats, and Turkey’s justice minister, Sadullah Ergin. CPJ urged Ergin to undertake a case-by-case review of all detained journalists.

Attacks on the Press: Prison Census 2012: A Worldwide Roundup

2013-02-14T05:04:36Z

Worldwide tally reaches highest point since CPJ began surveys in 1990. Governments use charges of terrorism, other anti-state offenses to silence critical voices. Turkey is the world's worst jailer. A CPJ special report

Attacks on the Press: Divided, Journalists Are at Risk

2013-02-14T05:04:32Z

No amount of security training can make up for a lack of professional solidarity. By Frank Smyth

Attacks on the Press: CPJ Risk List

2013-02-14T05:04:30Z

From conflict-ridden Syria to aspiring world leader Brazil, 10 nations on a downslope. By Karen Phillips

Kurdish journalists, media workers released in Turkey

2013-02-11T21:22:31Z

Istanbul, February 11, 2013--The release of at least seven journalists and media workers from pretrial detention is a positive step toward restoring the press freedom climate in Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Several journalists jailed in new Turkish crackdown

2013-01-22T22:14:41Z

January 22, 2013, Istanbul, Turkey--Turkish authorities should halt their practice of jailing journalists on vague anti-terror charges and allow the local press to report freely without fear of imprisonment or harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

In Turkey, Odatv publisher conditionally released

2012-12-28T21:14:47Z

Istanbul, December 28, 2012--Turkish authorities on Thursday released Soner Yalçın, owner and publisher of the ultranationalist-leftist news website Odatv, from prison for the duration of his trial, according to news reports. Yalçın, who has been jailed since February 2011 on anti-state charges, could be re-arrested and jailed if he is convicted.

Turkish journalist attacked amid smear campaign on press

2012-12-26T20:29:44Z

Istanbul, December 26, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack on December 16 on Rohat Emekçi, a news anchor and producer with the pro-Kurdish Gün Radio station in Diyarbakir province, in southeast Turkey.