The 10th Istanbul Gathering for Freedom of Expression, organized biennially by the Initiative for Freedom of Expression has been held on 9-10 April 2016 at Intercontinental Istanbul, Bosphorus Room in collaboration with Bianet, Transparency International and Truth, Justice and Memory Center.
On the first day of the Gathering, with the participation of various NGOs both from Turkey and abroad, NGO representatives from Turkey have debated the situation inside Turkey. On the second day, representatives of foreign organizations have debated the issues around the world.
In the meeting, panels and witness speeches also have taken place focused on impunity, press freedom, freedom of expression, lawsuits of insult, censorship and the intervention of government to judicature. In the section when pressure and censorship applications on the press have being debated, Erdem Gül has made a witness speech about his proceeding with Can Dündar because of the news they published on the trucks belonging to the Turkish National Intelligence. Afterwards, the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange has participated to the meeting with a video call, presenting his opinion on the situation both in Turkey and in the world.
On the second day of the Gathering, the situation of the world in terms of freedom of expression has been debated. Malaysian caricature artist Zulkiflee Anwar ‘Zunar’ Ulhaque, who had stood trial in his own country because of the criticizing tweets he has posted, and the caricature artist of the Museum of Crimes of Thought, Sadık Pala have simultaneously created caricatures on the theme of freedom of expression. The main focus of the panels and witness speeches of the second day has been the situation of refugees in the world, wars and the reflections of the refugee crisis on freedom of expression.
Program
Situation in Turkey April 9, 2016 Saturday, (10:30 – 17:00) Opening Speeches Initiative for Freedom of Expression, Berna Akkizal Istanbul Bilgi University, Prof. Dr. Turgut…
Situation in Turkey
April 9, 2016 Saturday, (10:30 – 17:00)
Opening Speeches
Initiative for Freedom of Expression, Berna Akkizal
Istanbul Bilgi University, Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı
Transparency International –TR, Oya Özarslan
Bianet (IPS) – Nadire Mater
Truth Justice Memory Center, Murat Çelikkan
VIDEO: History of the Gatherings (Video)
PANEL: Human Rights Organizations
Moderator: Hüsnü Öndül (İHOP Human Rights Joint Platform)
Human Rights Association (Öztürk Türkdoğan – President)
Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (Prof. Dr. Şenem Korur Fincancı – President)
Human Rights Agenda Association (Ass. Prof. Günal Kurşun – President)
TESTIMONIES: (Diverse)
Universities, students, academics (Dr. Nil Mutluer)
Who murdered Tahir Elçi (Lawyer Kutbettin Odabaşı – Diyarbakır Bar)
How did Turkey come to this point? Zeynep Tanbay & Hamit Zengin
Impunity Problem (video)
FORUM: Impunity, Facts and Perception Management
Moderator: Murat Çelikkan
VIDEO: Cases of Insult (Articles 125, 299, 301, etc.)
TESTIMONIES:
Dr. Bilgin Çiftçi
Lawyer Eren Keskin
VIDEO: Interventions in Judicial System and Law
TESTIMONIES:
Constitutional Law Research Association (Lawyer Arzu Becerik)
Lawyer Ömer Kavili
Freedom of Expression Network (Istanbul-Ankara-Izmir)
VIDEO: Repression on Media
TESTIMONIES:
Transmission CUT at IMC TV, Banu Güven (Journalist)
Censorship on the Internet Prof. Dr. Yaman Akdeniz
Trustee for Daily ZAMAN M. Edip Yılmaz (editor)
Media Terror Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu
PANEL: Press, Publishing, Censorship and self-censorship
Moderator: Erol Önderoğlu (Journalist)
Turkish Journalists Association (Turgay Olcayto – President)
PEN Turkey (Zeynep Oral – President))
Turkish Publishers Association (Yonca Cingöz)
VIDEO: Lifelong imprisonment for journalists?
TESTIMONIES:
Can Dündar, Erdem Gül
Situation in the World
April 10, 2016 Sunday, (10:30 – 17:00)
VIDEO: History of the Gatherings (Video)
Opening Speeches – Guests
IFEX (Heather Orrange)
a.i. (Begüm Başdaş)
HRW (Emma Sinclair Webb)
International PEN (Eugene Schoulgin)
Freedom House (Sheryl Mendez)
Fritt Ord (Frank Rossavik)
Freemuse (Ole Reitov Video)
VIDEO: Special message from:
Prof. Noam Chomsky (Video)
TESTIMONIES
Russia Oleg Panfilov – Journalist in exile
Israel Samah Bsoul – Street Theater
Ghana Vivian Affoah – HR activist
Romania Ioana Avadani – Independent Journalism Center – Director
Malaysia Zunar – Cartoonist
FORUM: Freedom of Expression, Beliefs, Hate Speech and Insult,
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı
VIDEO: Refugees
TESTIMONIES:
Turkey Emel Kurma – Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Norway William Nygaard – President of Norwegian PEN
Macedonia Bardhyl Jasari – Metamorphosis Foundation – HR Activist
Gulf center Khalid İbrahim HR activist
FORUM: Wars, Refugees and their reflections to freedom of expression
Moderator: Eugene Schoulgin
Website: https://www.dusun-think.net/istanbul-bulusmasi/?
