European Parliament (EP) organized a special session together with the European Commission for the World Press Freedom Day to debate “The situation of media and freedom of expression in Turkey.” The information bulletin prepared for the session involved sanctions and applications with numbers; including the increasing rates of detainment, arrests, shutdowns and press card cancellations. It was indicated that pressure on the Turkish media and freedom of expression is vastly increasing after the July 15 coup attempt.
Journalists, professional organizations and NGO representatives from Turkey were guests in the session. European Parliament Chairman Antonio Tajani stated that the things experienced in Turkey in terms of press freedom are “clear signs that Turkey is turning its back to the basic values of the European Union.” Emphasizing that Turkey has regressed 55 rankings in the Press Freedom Index within the last ten years, Tajani said, “Turkey is now one of the worst countries of the world in this area. 73 journalists were arrested in this country only in 2017.” OSCE Freedom of Expression and Press Freedom Director Frane Maroeviç has also stated that Turkey has become “the largest journalist prison” in the region.
04.05.2018
bianet.org / cumhuriyet.com.tr