It has been more than seven weeks since Iraqi journalist Mohammed Ismael Rasool was arrested in Turkey alongside Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, two British journalists from VICE News. But whereas Hanrahan and Pendlebury were released a week later, Rasool is still behind bars.
New York, October 14, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release from prison of Bülent Keneş, editor-in-chief of the English-language daily Today’s Zaman, who was arrested on Friday on charges of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Twitter. The daily reported today that the İstanbul 7th Penal Court of Peace ordered Keneş to…
New York, October 9, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces today’s arrest in Istanbul of Bülent Keneş, the editor-in-chief of the English-language daily newspaper Today’s Zaman. Keneş was taken from his office by police after İstanbul 5th Penal Judge of Peace Cevdet Özcan issued the warrant for his arrest on charges of insulting Turkish President…
Istanbul, October 1, 2015–A critical Turkish journalist, Ahmet Hakan, was assaulted by four men on Wednesday night in Istanbul, according to news reports. The assault followed two attacks on the independent daily Hürriyet, one of the outlets Hakan works for, and threats the journalist received in recent weeks.
Summary The European Union describes itself as a model for press freedom and an exemplary global power. Although many of its 28 member states feature at the top of international press freedom rankings, there are significant challenges that undermine press freedom and new threats are emerging.
Press freedom in member states Press freedom is protected as a fundamental value by EU legislation, but journalists in the region face the threat of legal action from many member states that still have speech-chilling laws, and the threat of violence or intimidation from criminal and extremist organizations, as well as police and politicians.
Adding forces or shirking responsibilities? The EU and intergovernmental bodies When it comes to defending press freedom, the EU should be able to count on the support of other European institutions that share its values. The collaboration and interaction between the EU and these bodies should offer greater protection to journalists, but complex working arrangements…
Joining the club: accession and press freedom Accession to the EU is often described as one of the most effective democracy promotion projects in the world. Countries vying for membership must prove themselves on a range of political and legal criteria that include provisions on standards for human rights, freedom of expression, and press freedom.…
How Turkey backtracked on accession responsibilities Press freedom was not a prominent issue during discussions on Turkey becoming a candidate country in 2005. In part, this was because reform was in the air in Ankara: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) adopted a number of reforms that appeared to demonstrate its commitment…
Istanbul, September 23, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest and subversion charges filed against Gültekin Avcı, a columnist for the independent daily Bugün, and calls on Turkish authorities to drop the charges and release him immediately.