In the following letter, Freedom House and other prominent rights groups call on President Barack Obama to express public concern regarding Turkey's increasingly hostile environment for free speech and expression.
The number of journalists imprisoned in Turkey has nearly doubled, according to a new study published by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which noted that 95 journalists are in Turkish prisons today, up from 57 in 2011. Freedom House welcomes the report and joins the OSCE in calling on Turkey to reform its media laws, which include vague anti-terrorism provisions that have been used for years to imprison journalists for allegedly disseminating statements and propaganda from terrorist organizations.
Press freedom in Turkey continued to downslide this week with the decision of an Istanbul court to ban Turkish newspaper, Özgür Gündem, from publication for allegedly spreading “terrorist propaganda.” The paper’s Istanbul offices were raided on March 24 and authorities subsequently seized the Sunday edition of the paper and barred the newspaper from publication for one month.
Freedom House welcomes the release of four Turkish journalists on March 12, but cautions that Turkey must do more to address ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression. Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener, Şait Çakır and Coşkun Musluk spent over a year in prison for their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the Turkish government – known as “Ergenekon.”
In Turkey, we help civil society and government leaders address challenges to citizen participation in the legislative process through hands-on fellowship experiences.
