Articles by IPS Communication Foundation – Bianet
Journalists, politicians in court for referring to army’s alleged use of chemical weapons against PKK
(BIANET/IFEX) – Trials of journalists and politicians for violations of the Turkish criminal code’s controversial Article 301 are continuing, despite government assurances to the European Union (EU) that the article will be significantly modified or abolished. Dutch member of the European Parliament Joost Lagendijk, chair of the EU Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey, recently stated […]
Investigation into murders of publishing house employees overly focused on victims’ “missionary activities”
(BIANET/IFEX) – The trial concerning the murder of three men working for Zirve Publications starts on 23 November 2007. Of the 32 investigation files, only eight are about the murders, while the rest relate to “missionary activities”. On 18 April, Tilman Ekkhart Geske, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yüksel were murdered in their office in Malatya. […]
Activist-lawyer receives criminal conviction over references to “Kurdistan”
(BIANET/IFEX) – On 16 October 2007, the Penal Court in Viransehir, in the province of Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey, convicted human rights activist and lawyer Eren Keskin to one year in prison for saying: “If we look at the state statistics on perpetrators of sexual violence in Turkey and Kurdistan, then soldiers are in the […]
Journalist faces possible imprisonment in “confidentiality of sources” case
(BIANET/IFEX) – The prosecution in Beytüþþebap, in Sirnak province of southeastern Turkey, has charged Emin Bal for not informing legal authorities when people shouted “criminal” slogans at the funeral of a Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighter he was filming. The charge has been justified citing Article 278 of the Penal Code, which says that “a […]
Mother, supporters of killed student leader acquitted of “praising crime” through battle cry at graveside memorial
(BIANET/IFEX) – Thirty years ago, Ertugrul Karakaya, a leader of the Student Representative Council at the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) in Ankara, was shot dead by gendarmerie on the university campus. Last year, his 73-year-old mother, Ayse Karakya, and 19 other people attending a memorial at his graveside in Salihli were charged with “praising […]
Prosecutor drops criminal charges against journalist who wrote about soldiers’ dissatisfaction
(BIANET/IFEX) – Following a complaint of the General Staff, “Sabah” journalist Umur Talu was investigated for an article in which he had reported on the dissatisfaction of sergeants within the army. Now Istanbul Press Prosecutor Nurten Altinok has decided to drop proceedings against the journalist. In his decision, he said: “(The author) had stated that, […]
Military bans print, broadcast coverage of trial of soldiers previously taken hostage by separatist group
(BIANET/IFEX) – The Gendarmerie Public Order Corps Command Military Court in Van, in southeast Turkey, has put in place a broadcast and print ban concerning the investigation of the eight soldiers taken hostage by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on 21 October 2007 and released two weeks later. The decision was also announced on the […]
Diyarbakir broadcaster harassed over Kurdish-language programming; radio station on trial over song
(BIANET/IFEX) – Gün TV, a local station in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, is the only channel to have broadcast Kurdish programmes for the past year and a half. However, the channel, which is legally allowed to broadcast four hours a week in Kurdish, has faced many difficulties, both over its news and music programmes. Gün Radio-TV […]