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Link to: ARTICLE 19 condemns British government’s involvement in construction of Turkish dam

ARTICLE 19 condemns British government’s involvement in construction of Turkish dam

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release: RIGHTS GROUP CONDEMNS BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S INVOLVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION OF TURKISH DAM In a letter to Tony Blair, ARTICLE 19, the Global Campaign for Free Expression, has expressed serious concerns over the UK government’s plans to provide $200 million towards the building of the Ilisu […]

Link to: Radio station receives one-year suspension from RTÜK

Radio station receives one-year suspension from RTÜK

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Communications Enis Öksuz, RSF protested the “one-year suspension of radio station Özgür Radyo by the RTÜK (the authority responsible for regulating audio-visual media)”. RSF also asked the minister to “do everything possible to ensure that this authority ends its arbitrary attacks on the audio-visual media. The RTÜK […]

Link to: Journalist?s prosecution continues to raise concern

Journalist?s prosecution continues to raise concern

(Index on Censorship/IFEX) – Turkish journalist Nadire Mater’s court battle over her groundbreaking book of interviews with veterans of the country’s southeastern war took a turn for the worse in July. Prosecutors called for Mater to be jailed for up to twelve years for “insulting and belittling” the military, arguing that the book lacked “objectivity” […]

Link to: Author Nadire Mater and publisher Semih Sokmen face up to twelve years in prison; editor indicted for quotes from Mater’s Book

Author Nadire Mater and publisher Semih Sokmen face up to twelve years in prison; editor indicted for quotes from Mater’s Book

(WiPC/IFEX) – On 7 July 2000, at the sixth hearing against Nadire Mater, author of “Mehmed’s Book”, and its publisher, Semih Sokmen, the public prosecutor demanded that the writer be given two to twelve years in prison. The final hearing of the case is due on 24 August. Meanwhile, on 24 June, the editor-in-chief of […]

Link to: Review of press freedom violations in June 2000

Review of press freedom violations in June 2000

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF report: VIOLATIONS OF PRESS FREEDOM IN TURKEY June 2000 Six journalists attacked On 1 June 2000, in Antalya, in southern Turkey, Hakki Sargin, reporter for the daily Aksam, and Volkan Gürak, from the news agency Dogan, were attacked by two men, one of whom, Sebgatullah Seydaoglu, is a […]

Link to: Report on press freedom violations in May 2000

Report on press freedom violations in May 2000

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF report reviewing recent press freedom violations in Turkey: Press Freedom Violations in Turkey May 2000 Newspapers, a majority of which are pro-Kurdish, banned in the south-east Anatolian region On 18 May, the Kurdish-language satirical bi-monthly Zirpine was banned in five provinces by Diyarbakir’s chief of police (who administers […]

Link to: Norwegian authorities take weak attitude towards human rights in Turkey

Norwegian authorities take weak attitude towards human rights in Turkey

(NFFE/IFEX) – The following is an 8 June 2000 NFFE press release: Norwegian authorities take weak attitude towards human rights in Turkey The Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE), The Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Norwegian Council of Religious and Humanist Communities regret the fact that the Norwegian government and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg did […]

Link to: Thirteen publications banned in south-east Anatolian region

Thirteen publications banned in south-east Anatolian region

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, RSF protested “the distribution ban on thirteen publications, most of which are pro-Kurdish, in south-eastern Turkey (a region under emergency rule since 1987)”. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the prime minister to “do everything possible to put an end to these completely arbitrary bans.” […]

Link to: Several magazines banned

Several magazines banned

(WAN/IFEX) – In a 10 May 2000 letter to Prime Minister Sayin Bülent Ecevit, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed serious concern at the banning of several magazines. According to reports, on 24 April the government sent a notice to the regional headquarters of the political and cultural magazines “Ozgur Halk”, “Yasamda Genclik”, “Ozgur […]

Link to: Author Nadire Mater’s trial adjourned

Author Nadire Mater’s trial adjourned

(WiPC/IFEX) – The trial against Nadire Mater, a writer accused of “insulting the military” for a book of interviews with Turkish soldiers who had served in the south-east of the country, has been prolonged still further. On 6 May 2000, the court opened briefly to hear that a specialist who is to provide evidence for […]

Link to: New president urged to act on freedom of expression

New president urged to act on freedom of expression

(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release: New Turkish President Sezer Urged to Act on Freedom of Expression (New York, May 5, 2000) –The new president of Turkey is well-positioned to make progress on human rights and should take immediate steps to expand freedom of expression in Turkey, Human Rights Watch […]

Link to: Poet Yilmaz Odabasi returned to prison to serve seven-month term

Poet Yilmaz Odabasi returned to prison to serve seven-month term

(WiPC/IFEX) – On 8 March 2000, poet Yilmaz Odabasi entered Saray Prison to serve a seven-month sentence for “insulting the court”. International PEN considers him to be detained in direct denial of his right to freedom of expression and is calling for his release. Background Information On 8 March 1997, Odabasi, age 39, was sentenced […]

Link to: New law dealing with artistic and intellectual works proposed

New law dealing with artistic and intellectual works proposed

In a 6 April 2000 letter to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, ARTICLE 19 referred to the legislation dealing with artistic and intellectual works which is currently being discussed in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. ARTICLE 19 was informed that the new law, which replaces the previous law No. 5846 of 5 December 1951, was recently […]

Link to: Kurdish writer Mehmed Uzun’s books confiscated by police

Kurdish writer Mehmed Uzun’s books confiscated by police

Through the Norwegian P.E.N. Centre, the Norwegian branch of International P.E.N., NFFE, Oslo, has received information that, on Thursday 30 March 2000, Turkish police patrols confiscated the books of internationally known and highly respected novelist and essayist Mehmed Uzun from bookstores in Ankara, Diyarbakir and other Turkish cities. Neither Uzun himself, nor his lawyer or […]

Link to: Government sends human rights leader back to prison

Government sends human rights leader back to prison

The following is a 28 March 2000 Human Rights Watch press release: Turkey: Government Sends Human Rights Leader Back to Prison (New York, March 28, 2000) — Human Rights Watch today called for the immediate release of Akin Birdal, the former president of the Turkish Human Rights Association, who is once again behind bars. Birdal’s […]

Link to: Writer?s trial postponed again

Writer?s trial postponed again

**Updates IFEX alerts of 30, 28, 24, 21, 20 and 10 September 1999** (WiPC/IFEX) – The trial of Nadire Mater, which was scheduled to continue on 8 March 2000, has been postponed. In a hearing that lasted only a few minutes, Mater was told that because an expert witness who was supposed to report to […]