IPS Communication Foundation – Bianet

Eren Keskin received a 10-month prison sentence for comments she made about the death of a child in the Turkish province of Mardin. Keskin said that the sentence was issued in revenge for speaking out.

Nine media outlets released a joint statement to protest a ban on reading and accessing certain publications in Turkey’s prisons. The ban includes all periodicals received by inmates via mail or through visitors.

Violence at Gezi Park anniversary protests in Turkey points to the fact that freedom of expression is still under threat one year after anti-government protest swept through the country.

At least 12 journalists were attacked and one was detained while trying to cover May Day events in Istanbul’s Taksim Square.

The Twitter shutdown came six weeks after the Turkish Parliament passed a series of amendments to existing Internet legislation, known as Law 5651, that impose alarming restrictions on digital liberties and freedom of expression.

One of the most popular video-sharing networks, Vimeo, has been banned in Turkey since 8 January under the order of Istanbul 10th Peace Crime Court. Turkish authorities have previously blocked video-sharing websites like Youtube and DailyMotion.

A new draft bill on Internet services could lead to censorship of citizen journalism, scientific research and social media in Turkey, according to telecommunications lawyer Serhat Koç.

The Media Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into “Başlangıç”, a documentary about the Gezi Resistance produced by 49/51 Film and directed by Serkan Koç, for “insulting public workers” and “igniting [the] public towards vengeance and hostility.”