(IPI/IFEX) – In an 11 July 2000 letter to the prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dervis Eroglu, IPI expressed its deep concern over the arrest of four Turkish Cypriot journalists. According to IPI’s sources, Sener Levent, owner and editor-in-chief of the “Avrupa” newspaper, and editorial writers Harun Denizkan and Ali Osman […]
(IPI/IFEX) – In an 11 July 2000 letter to the prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dervis Eroglu, IPI expressed its deep concern over the arrest of four Turkish Cypriot journalists.
According to IPI’s sources, Sener Levent, owner and editor-in-chief of the “Avrupa” newspaper, and editorial writers Harun Denizkan and Ali Osman Tabak were arrested on 8 July, along with a non-commissioned officer and his wife, for “espionage activities” and “attempts to infiltrate military circles”. On 10 July, “Avrupa” photographer Mehmet Inanci was arrested on the same charges. In a press statement, the press office of the security forces referred to the incident as the
“dismantling” of “a network involved in spying activities under the cover of a newspaper”.
Furthermore, the statement claimed that “proof has been seized of its actions for the benefit of circles inside and outside the country”. The four were also accused of sending military information to the Greek Cypriots by Turkish Cypriot police official Abdullah Coskun. After being remanded in custody, the four have allegedly been charged with passing photographs of prohibited military zones and highly secret military documents to the Greek Cypriot sector.
IPI believes that the arrest of the four journalists is deeply troubling against the backdrop of the recent history of authority actions against “Avrupa”. On 18 May, IPI wrote a protest to the prime minister listing several charges brought against “Avrupa”, including numerous judicial attempts to close down the paper. Office equipment has been seized and several defamation suits have been brought against the paper. A court in northern Cyprus fined “Avrupa” US$260,000 last December for allegedly libelling the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Rauf Denktash.
More recently, “Avrupa” has been involved in a fierce debate with the commander of the security forces, a brigadier general of the Turkish army. The paper has called for the police and security units to be attached to the Turkish Cypriot government. Levent has also received attention for his criticisms of President Denktash, accusing the leader, among other things, of “intransigence” for his policy on the division of Cyprus.
It is IPI’s belief that the arrest of the journalists and the continuing acts of harassment against “Avrupa” are directly related to the newspaper’s critical reporting. Thus, the action taken against the journalists is in violation of everyone’s right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition, The Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ) has raised questions regarding the safety of the detained journalists.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the prime minister:
-urging His Excellency to take all necessary action to ensure the safety of the journalists, as well as their immediate release
– urging him to do everything in his power to ensure that all journalists are allowed to report freely on developments in Cyprus
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Dr. Dervis Eroglu
Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Office of the Prime Minister
Lefkosa, Cyprus
Fax: +90 392 228 7280
E-mail: www@cm.gov.nc.tr
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
