(RSF/IFEX) – On the evening of 4 November 1997, an anti-terrorist police brigade arrested Mehmetcan Toprak, director of programming at Radyo Karacadag, and Vedat Bakir, another manager at the station, following their coverage of the arrest of several individuals at the Sin a Sanliurfa bookstore. At around 12:30 am, police entered the offices of the […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On the evening of 4 November 1997, an anti-terrorist
police brigade arrested Mehmetcan Toprak, director of programming
at Radyo Karacadag, and Vedat Bakir, another manager at the
station, following their coverage of the arrest of several
individuals at the Sin a Sanliurfa bookstore. At around 12:30 am,
police entered the offices of the station and confiscated 156
cassette recordings of programs and of Kurdish music, as well as
26 books and a hundred or so other publications. Following
searches at the homes of the two journalists, police took away
several publications and cassettes. Both Toprak and Bakir were
released on the afternoon of 5 November.
On 22 October 1996, Radyo Karacadag had been ordered to suspend
its broadcasts for two days. Toprak and three other employees
were arrested at that time. They were released two days later.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Karacadag and the seizure of cassettes and publications by police
and its employees
Appeals To
His Excellency Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476 or +90 312 230 8896Mr Murat Baseskioglu
Minister of the Interior
Icisleri Bakanligi
06644 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 418 1066 / 418 1795 / 417 2390Mr Oltan Sungurlu
Minister of Justice
Adalet Bakanligi
06659 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 3954 / 418 5667Mr Hikmet Sami Turk
State Minister with responsibility for Human Rights
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.