IPS Communication Foundation – Bianet

World Press Freedom Day passed with 95 journalists behind bars.

In 2009, Vedat Kursun was sentenced to 166 years in prison for publishing several Kurdish newspapers; the sentence was later reduced to 10 years.

The five journalists have spent 18 months behind bars on terrorism-related charges.

Ferhat Tunc was convicted of terrorism charges because he mentioned the names of deceased Turkish leftists in a speech.

Journalists Protest Police Raid into Their Offices Employees of the Atilim Newspaper and the Etkin news agency (ETHA) staged a protest in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Tuesday by selling newspapers on the street in response to a police raid into their offices the same day. Law enforcement officials Tuesday raided the offices of the Etkin […]

Mehmet Tahir Ilhan was sentened to eight years and four months in prison for spreading propaganda on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, following his participation in a demonstration in the southern province of Mersin.

Two More Journalists Under Custody Law enforcement officials detained journalists Ibrahim Cicek and Ziya Ulusoy, as well as Ali Hidir Polat, an advisor to the head of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP,) on terrorism related charges Sunday. Law enforcement officials Sunday detained journalist Ibrahim Cicek in Istanbul, journalist Ziya Ulusoy in the Black […]

*Court Exonerates Columnist for Allegedly Anti-military Article* * * *The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office vindicated daily Cumhuriyet columnist Bekir Coskun of charges leveled against him by Turkey’s General Staff for an article he penned, while CHP deputy Sezgin Tanrikulu also proposed an amendment to nullify a law that prescribes prison terms for insulting the president.* […]