(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Hikmet Sami Türk, RSF protested the restrictions imposed on media surrounding the serious situation in Turkish prisons. RSF asked the minister to ensure that the relevant authorities cancel these measures and enable Turkish journalists to work freely. “The current situation in Turkish prisons is extremely worrying. […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Hikmet Sami Türk, RSF protested the restrictions imposed on media surrounding the serious situation in Turkish prisons. RSF asked the minister to ensure that the relevant authorities cancel these measures and enable Turkish journalists to work freely. “The current situation in Turkish prisons is extremely worrying. The Turkish public has the right to be informed of the serious events taking place. It is therefore absolutely essential that the media be free to quote all reports relating to these events,” added Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general. The organisation recalled that four journalists are currently imprisoned in Turkey, including Yalçin Küçük, from the left-wing weekly “Hepileri”, Hasan Özgün, from the far-left daily “Özgür Gündem”, Asiye Zeybek Güzel, from the far-left weekly “Atilim” and Nureddin Sirin, from the Islamist “Selam”. Sixty-five others are also imprisoned, although it is not possible to determine whether this was related to their journalistic work or because of their personal opinions.
According to information obtained by RSF, the RTÜK (Supreme Board of Radio and Television,
the official body that controls broadcasting media) imposed restrictions on broadcasting media, and the Fourth Istanbul State Security Court imposed restrictions on print media on 13 and 14 December 2000, respectively, concerning the latest incidents in Turkish prisons. The Fourth Istanbul State Security Court announced that all media “publishing or broadcasting statements from illegal organisations or information liable to incite hatred, hostility or crimes” and which present the state “in a state of weakness” would be banned. This statement forces the Turkish media to only disseminate information from official sources when they are covering the situation in the jails. By virtue of this decision, the prosecutor of the Istanbul State Security Court filed a complaint on 20 December against the liberal daily “Star” and opened an investigation into the 20 December issues of the liberal dailies “Radikal” and “Sabah”. Moreover, in the past few days, several photojournalists have been forced to stay at a distance of between one and three kilometres from the prisons where clashes have occured.
At least fifteen prisoners and two policemen were killed on 19 December, when police forces launched attacks on twenty prisons. The authorities were attempting to end a hunger strike launched by political prisoners who were condemning a recent reform of the prison system.
