As antigovernment protests in Turkey go into their second week, Freedom House is alarmed that the government has continued to escalate the crisis through inflammatory rhetoric and use of riot police against protesters, and urges the government of Turkey to deescalate a dangerous situation by respecting freedom of assembly, refraining from the use of force, and engaging with protesters in Istanbul, Ankara, and other cities across the country.
Freedom House condemns the violent dispersal of a peaceful protest in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in Taksim Square, and calls on the Turkish government to respect its citizens’ right to freedom of assembly.
The decision today by a Turkish Court to sentence acclaimed pianist Fazil Say to a ten-month suspended jail sentence for ‘insulting religion’ is further evidence of the hostile climate for those attempting to speak out on politically sensitive topics. Freedom House calls on authorities to drop all charges against Say and to cease its efforts to censor citizens.
In Turkey, we help civil society and government leaders address challenges to citizen participation in the legislative process through hands-on fellowship experiences.
