The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 17 press freedom and human rights organizations in a Wednesday, July 10 statement asking Turkey’s official media watchdog RTÜK to revoke its cancellation of independent Açık Radyo’s (The Open Radio) broadcast license.
In May, RTÜK fined and issued a gag order after the outlet mentioned the mass killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule in 1915, which Turkey refuses to recognize as genocide as the successor of the Ottoman Empire. RTÜK canceled the outlet’s license earlier this month when the outlet continued to broadcast its programs.
“In the case of Açık Radyo, the remarks in question are clearly covered by the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by international human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights. We urgently call on RTÜK to swiftly reinstate Açık Radyo’s license,” the statement said.
Read the full statement here.