The 12th Gathering in Istanbul for Freedom of Expression -the international biennial meeting since 1997- will be held on the Internet, due to the Pandemic. The Gathering, which brings totally 43 participants -representatives of national and international institutions, NGOs and prominent individuals- will be transmitted as four sessions, between December 10 and 13, 2020
in the first session
* A short story of the gatherings since 1997,
* Statements from the representatives of International PEN, IPA (International Publishers Association), CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists),
* … from dear friends who are no longer among us; Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter, Peter Benenson, Mehmed Uzun, Hrant Dink, Tahir Elçi,
* … and Joan Baez singing “Oh Freedom”.
On the second session of the 12th Gathering in İstanbul for Freedom of Expression the title was “Turkey”
1- Rights Based NGOs:
* İHD / Human Rights Association (Öztürk Türkdoğan – President)
* TİHV / Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (Coşkun Üsterci – General Secretary)
* Mazlumder / Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed (Ramazan Beyhan – President)
* İHOP / Human Rights Joint Platform (Feray Salman)
* Memory Center (Murat Çelikkan – Co-Director)
* Ankara Freedom of Expression Platform (Sait Çetinoğlu)
* TTB / Turkish Medical Association (Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı – President)
2- Media:
* TGS / Journalists Union of Turkey (Mustafa Kuleli – General Secretary)
* Media Ombudsman (Faruk Bildirici)
* Açık Radyo / Açık Radio (Ömer Madra – Founder, Director)
* bianet / Independent Communication Network (Nadire Mater – Founder, Director)
3- Organizations of Writers, Publishers and Law:
* PEN Turkey Center (Zeynep Oral – President)
* Turkish Publishers Association (Kenan Kocatürk – President)
* Diyarbakır Bar Association (Av. Cihan Aydın – President)
On the 3rd Session title is again “Turkey”…
* Rıza Türmen (Former Judge of ECHR)
* İhsan Eliaçık (Anticapitalist Muslims)
* Gürhan Ertür (Initiative We Are Together, Side by Side)
* Nesrin Nas (Former President of ANAP/ Motherland Party)
* Prof. Dr. Gençay Gürsoy (Neurologist. activist)
* Esra Mungan (Psychologist, Ass. Prof. at Bosphorus University)
* Mahmut Konuk (Health worker, fired with Stautory Decree)
* Gülseren Onanç (SES Women Platform)
* Eren Keskin (Lawyer, Vice President of Human Rights Association)
* Ezgi Koman (Children Rights Activist)
* Yıldız Tar (KAOS-GL, LGBTİ+ Rights)
Participants of the 4th Date:
* Doğan Özgüden (Journalist, INFO-TÜRK -Exile)
* Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kaboğlu (Constitutional Law, CHP MP)
* Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu (HDP MP)
* Mahmut Alınak (Lawyer, former MP)
* İsmail Beşikçi (Sociologist, Writer)
* Prof. Dr. Yaman Akdeniz (Freedom of Expression Association)
* Ragıp Zarakolu (Journalist, Publisher -Exile)
* Engin Erkiner (Journalist -Exile)
* Oya Baydar (Sociologist, Writer)
* Aydın Engin (Journalist)
* Abdullah Kaya (Free Journalist, Diyadin-Ağrı)
* Ferhat Tunç (Singer -Exile)
* Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran (Political Sciences, Journalist, Writer)