FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Latest News

• Wikipedia takes Turkey’s ban to the ECHR 

  Wikipedia appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Turkey banning access to the online encyclopedia two years ago.
• Week of trials against free press 

  This week several trials against journalists and papers will resume at courts. 
• Many journalists among prisoners on hunger strike 

  Journalists in prison have joined the hunger strike resistance.
• New case was opened against journalist Idris Yilmaz 

  A new case was opened against journalist Idris Yilmaz.
• Journalist Seda Taşkın receives prison sentence 

  The Turkish regime continues its repression and attacks against the Kurdish press.
• Morning Star in solidarity with Kurdish journalist Kibriye Evren 

  The British newspaper Morning Star has launched a solidarity campaign for journalist Kibriye Evren, imprisoned in Turkey.
• Journalist Evren is on the 142nd day of hunger strike 

  Journalist Kibriye Evren will appear in court tomorrow, for the 5th hearing of her case. She is being held in Diyarbakır Prison and has been on hunger strike for 142 days.
• Journalists for Democracy in Turkey and Kurdistan launched in UK 

  Journalists, campaigners and Turkish and Kurdish organisations based in Britain came together in a new solidarity initiative announced on World Press Freedom Day.
• World Press Freedom Day: Turkey the biggest jailer of journalist 

  Today is World Press Freedom Day. For the third year running, Turkey is the biggest jailer of journalists and other media workers.
• “Journalists in northern Syria face intimidation and insecurity” 

  Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a former Al Qaeda-affiliated group, and Turkish backed rebel groups attempt to control the flow of news out of the regions by limiting access to certain areas, making threats or, in some cases, kidnapping journalists.
• Kurdish press in Rojava 

  The 1930s and 1940s were recorded as important years for the Kurdish press after the borders were drawn. 
• Journalist Nedim Türfent on hunger strike 

  Imprisoned journalist Nedim Türfent joined the prison resistance against isolation on 1 March. In a letter he writes that he is in high morale, but worried about the prisoners on hunger strike or four months.
• HDP celebrates 121st anniversary of the Kurdish press 

  121 years have passed since Mîqdad Mîdhed Bedirxan started the publication of Kurdistan Newspaper, the first Kurdish newspaper in Cairo on 22 April 1898.
• RSF: Turkey the most prolific jailer of professional journalists 

  Reporters Without Borders published its annual report. Turkey fell to the 157th place.
• Turkey banned Nuce Ciwan News Agency for 27th time  

  Nuce Ciwan News Agency has been banned for the 27th time in Turkey as part of the censorship attacks by the Turkish state. 
• Ozgur Gundem publisher Sancili arrested again 

  Publiser Kemal Sancili, on trial in the case against the newspaper Ozgur Gundem, was first released and then arrested again and sent back to prison.
• Kurdish journalist detained in Van once again 

  The Turkish regime’s repression against Kurdish media workers continues.
• Journalists receive prison sentences in Özgür Gündem case 

  The court issued prison sentences to journalists who showed solidarity with the Özgür Gündem newspaper. The sentences issued to Huseyin Aykol and Dilsah Kocakaya were not postponed.
• Nûçe Ciwan Agency closed for the 26th time 

  Court in Ankara ordered closure of Youth News Agency.
• Morning Star editor tells of his Turkish detention ordeal 

  Steve Sweeney, the editor of the English newspaper The Morning Star, has written an article about his Turkish detention ordeal.
• Three journalists taken into custody in Mardin 

  Repression against the Kurdish media continues in Turkey.
• Nûçe Ciwan Agency banned for the 24th time in Turkey 

  The Nûçe Ciwan Agency has been censored by the Turkish state for the 24th time.
• Another journalist taken into custody 

  Mesopotamia Agency correspondent Semra Turan has been taken into custody.
• 163 journalists in prison in February 

  "We see that the government’s use of systematic pressures continues to increase. Every day journalists are being tried and many of them are sentenced."
• Prison sentence sought for solidarity with Özgür Gündem 

  Hearing of the Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign, created with the purpose of solidarity with the Özgür Gündem, was postponed to April.