(WiPC/IFEX) – On 2 September 1999, President Suleyman Demirel signed a new law approved earlier by the Turkish Parliament ordering the release and/or pardon of dozens of journalists and writers. **For background on cases of imprisoned journalists and writers see IFEX alerts of 10 August, 23 July, 8 July, 6 July, 11 June, 20 May, […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – On 2 September 1999, President Suleyman Demirel signed a new
law approved
earlier by the Turkish Parliament ordering the release and/or pardon of
dozens of journalists and writers.
**For background on cases of imprisoned journalists and writers see IFEX
alerts of 10 August, 23 July, 8 July, 6 July, 11 June, 20 May, 18 March 1999
and others**
The Turkish Press Council said sixty journalists and writers would benefit
and the government said thirty-two convicted journalists would be freed in
the course of the following month. People such as Esber Yagmurdereli (the
blind lawyer and short story writer) who were convicted not for their
writing but for speeches that they made, have so far been excluded, a fact
which has been severely criticised within Turkey and beyond. However,
writers such as Oral Calislar and Yilmaz Odabasi can expect to be released
soon. It is also believed that Ismail Besikci might be freed.
As Turkish human rights activists point out, all those amnestied will still
be regarded as being “on parole” and could be returned to prison to serve
the rest of their sentence if they commit the same “offence” in the next
three years. Thus, while the amnesty is welcome, it does not amount to
fundamental change – for this to occur Turkey’s many repressive laws
restricting freedom of expression, including its Anti-Terror legislation,
would have to be repealed.
PEN will continue to monitor the amnesty and report if and when releases of
writers have been confirmed.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
convicted on the basis of their speeches
Appeals To
His Excellency Suleyman Demirel
Office of the President
Cumhurbaskanligi Kosku
06100 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 468 5026
E-mail: cankaya@tccb.gov.tr
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
