The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 19 other journalists organizations and press freedom, human rights, and freedom of expression groups in a joint statement on June 28, 2023, urging the European Union to prioritize media freedom and human rights in dealings with Turkey, following May elections in which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party-led alliance remained in power.
The signatories expressed concern about government harassment of media groups, the arrests of journalists, censorship, the so-called disinformation law, and other actions that restrict the free press in Turkey. The groups asked the EU not to turn a blind eye to these problems while dealing with Erdoğan’s newly formed government.
The statement urged “European governments and policy makers to ensure that the improvement of media freedoms and fundamental rights are placed at the heart of future relations with Turkey.”
The full statement can be read here.