Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Turkish government is abusing its anti-terrorism law to censor and punish journalists who raise the issue of its Kurdish minority or quote certain Kurdish leaders.

In Turkish penal code propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization is punishable by imprisonment. As neither propaganda nor terrorist organization is defined, the article can easily be interpreted in the broadest possible way to target almost any journalist or media.

RSF released a statement and reiterated its condemnation of the law, which has ushered in a regime of censorship and suppression of free speech.

RSF statement gave some examples of the recent trials against press institutions and journalists including Nese Duzel, Adnan Demir from Taraf newspaper; Ismail Besikci and Zeycan Balci Simsek from Cagimizda Hukuk ve Toplum magazine, Irfan Aktan and Merve Erol from Express magazine and Devrimci Demokrasi magazine which was shut by the Turkish authorities last month.

All are facing prison sentences for alleged propaganda for a terrorist organization.

RSF called for the acquittal of Düzel, Demir, Besikçi and Simsek and urges the appeal court to quash the convictions of Aktan and Erol.

The Turkish government is currently preparing to amend criminal code provisions concerning media freedom and has begun talks with journalists rrepresentatives. They fear the government will just modify a few problematic articles without addressing all of the other elements of the legal arsenal that limit media freedom and free speech the statement read.

Reporters Without Borders urges the Turkish authorities to carry out democratically-inspired legislative reforms that will provide real protection for freedom of expression.