(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 2 February 2000 IFJ letter to Turkish State Minister Ali Yrtemcelik demanding an investigation into a recent bomb attack against a journalists’ association and protesting charges brought against a number of newspapers: State Minister Ali Yrtemcelik Turkey Brussels, 2 February 2000 Dear Mr. Yrtemcelik, The International Federation of Journalists, […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 2 February 2000 IFJ letter to Turkish State Minister Ali Yrtemcelik demanding an investigation into a recent bomb attack against a journalists’ association and protesting charges brought against a number of newspapers:
State Minister Ali Yrtemcelik
Turkey
Brussels, 2 February 2000
Dear Mr. Yrtemcelik,
The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ organisation representing over 420,000 journalists worldwide, condemns the recent bomb attack against our Member Union, the Progressive Journalists Association (PJA).
We have been informed by the PJA, that their branch in central Anatolia was bombed early in the morning of 28 January 2000. No one was killed or wounded. We demand an investigation into this attack.
In addition, the IFJ strongly protests the charges brought against the following newspapers, Hurriyet, Sabah, Altayli, Takvim, and Oncu, for defaming the character of Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk. We believe these charges are designed to prevent legitimate journalistic inquiry and comment on the work of the authorities. As such they constituted a severe breach of the right to freedom of expression. We call on the Turkish government to lift the current legal action against these newspapers.
Lastly, the IFJ objects to the decision by the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) in December 1999, to halt broadcasts by the privately owned Antalya FM radio station for a year. RTUK stated in its decision that Antalya FM had incited people to terrorism and ethnic hatred in its broadcasts. We are concerned that this amounts to censorship by the Turkish government.
We believe the principles and issues raised by this case get to the heart of European values of democracy and press freedom and we are raising our concerns also with the institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Yours sincerely
AIDAN WHITE
General Secretary
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be sent to:Prime Minister of Turkey, Bulent Ecevit
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara
Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 04 76State Minister, Ali Yrtemcelik
Fax: +90 312 419 63 41Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
