“Turkey Crackdown Chronicle” to increase documentation of press freedom violations
New York, March 21, 2016–In response to the recent spike in media freedom violations in Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists has launched the “Turkey Crackdown Chronicle,” a real-time diary of attacks on journalists and other press freedom abuses.
“The drastic deterioration of media freedom in Turkey in recent weeks necessitates rapid response and thorough documentation,” CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. “Journalists are being jailed, harassed, and expelled, news outlets are being shut down or taken over by the government, and coverage is impeded or censored. Turkey must reverse this offensive and uphold its international commitments to freedom of the press.”
The “Crackdown Chronicle” is updated daily, with events grouped by week. It features an interactive timeline giving an overview of developments in Turkey’s press freedom climate over the past two years.
Fourteen journalists were jailed in Turkey as of December 1, 2015, according to CPJ’s most recent annual prison census.
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CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
Media contacts:
Samantha Libby
Advocacy Officer
212-300-9007
Ashley Parent
Communications Associate
212-300-9032