(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 […]
(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 the region, which has been under emergency rule since 1987). This measure is taken in accordance with Article 11 of Emergency Law 2935, which authorises the governor of the region to “ban the printing, distribution and entry of publications in the zone”. Since 1 January 2000, twelve periodicals, a majority of which are pro-Kurdish, have been banned in the zone.
Television station owners attacked
On 12 May, a young man shot at the car of brothers Tahir and Gültekin Özer, owners of CRT, the local station of the Ceyhan region. The two men were not injured. The attacker surrendered but the reason for the attack remains unknown.
Two pro-Kurdish publications seized
On 5 May, an issue of the pro-Kurdish weekly Roja Teze was seized by the Istanbul State Security Court’s public prosecutor, because of the publication of an advertisement which included a map of “Kurdistan”. The authorities explained that this advertisement constituted “propaganda against State unity”.
On the 20th, the public prosecutor of Istanbul’s State Security Court No. 2 seized another issue of Roja Teze, because of an article which was deemed to include “separatist propaganda”. On the 29th, the Gaziantep Correctional Court No. 2 suspended the pro-Kurdish weekly Firatta Yasam. The newspaper was notably criticised for having used the words “Birê min”, which means “my brother” in Kurdish. According to the newspaper’s managing editor, twenty-one issues of the newspaper have been seized by the authorities since it began publishing in January 1999.
Two journalists sentenced
On 26 May, Veddat Mavlay, owner of the pro-Kurdish weekly “Roja Teze”, was sentenced to pay a fine of one billion Turkish pounds (US$1,630, 1,700 euros), because of the distribution of “separatist statements”. Salih Sevinç, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, received a one-year and ten-day prison sentence and was ordered to pay a fine of 800 million Turkish pounds (US$1,300, 1,300 euros), based on the same charges.
Journalist sued for writing about “Mehmet’s Book”
Güler Yildiz, editor-in-chief of the weekly Cinar, will appear before Court of Appeal No. 1 in Mersin on 26 June. The State prosecutor is asking that the young woman be tried, in accordance with Article 159 of the Penal Code, for “ridiculing and insulting the army and the State”. She is accused of having discussed the work of Nadire Mater – “Mehmet’s Book” – in her newspaper’s columns. Mater’s book has been banned since June 1999.
Furthermore, Reporters sans frontières continues to seek the immediate and unconditional release of journalists Yalçin Küçük of the leftist weekly Hepileri, arrested on 29 October 1998, and Hasan Özgün of the far-left daily Özgür Gündem, arrested on 10 December 1993.
The organisation is calling for a fair and impartial trial for journalists Asiye Zeybek Güzel of the far-left weeklies Isçinin Yolu and Atilim, arrested on 22 February 1997, and Nureddin Sirin of the Islamist weekly Selam, arrested on 6 February 1997.
