(NFFE/IFEX) – The following is an NFFE press release: Oslo, 2 August 2000 NFFE disturbed by accusation against the Kurdish journalist Roni Alasor Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE) is greatly disturbed by the content of the article “Kürtcülerin Kibris ihaneti”, written by the columnist Emin Cölasan in the Turkish daily Hürriyet, on 21 […]
(NFFE/IFEX) – The following is an NFFE press release:
Oslo, 2 August 2000
NFFE disturbed by accusation against the Kurdish journalist Roni Alasor
Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE) is greatly disturbed by the content of the article “Kürtcülerin Kibris ihaneti”, written by the columnist Emin Cölasan in the Turkish daily Hürriyet, on 21 July. In the article, Mr. Cölasan attacks journalist Roni Alasor and accuses of him being “a traitor and an enemy of the Turkish people.” Mr. Alasor, who holds Norwegian citizenship, has recently published a book about the conflict on Cyprus and the Turkish army’s violations during the occupation in 1974.
The columnist Emin Cölasan is known to have close connections to some of the most influential Turkish generals, and frequently attacks opposition figures and intellectuals arguing for a more democratic development in Turkey. A number of persons have been named and accused for their points of view by Mr. Cölasan in his column, and have later faced trials, imprisonment and even torture. Among these are the known writer Musa Anter, who was accused several times by Mr. Cölasan in his articles and killed in 1992, and the former president of The Human Rights Association, Mr. Akin Birdal, who was accused for being “an enemy of Turkey” by Mr. Cölasan in his column in Hürriyet. He was attacked in his office by right extremists and shot with ten bullets in May 1998. He was lucky to survive.
NFFE finds it outrageous that the journalist Emin Cölasan, in the name of freedom of expression, accuses persons with critical views for “being enemies of Turkey”, thereby stigmatizing and exposing them to the danger of reprisals and of being killed.
