Turkey

2016

  
Supporters of Cumhuriyet newspaper protest police's October 31, 2016, raid of the newspaper's office in Istanbul. (Reuters/Murad Sezer)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of November 6

Opposition newspaper CEO detained Police at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport detained Akın Atalay, CEO of the embattled opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, as he disembarked from his flight from Berlin today, Turkey’s official Anadolu News Agency reported. The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office for Press Crimes had issued a warrant for his arrest in the scope of authorities’ investigation…

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Supporters of Cumhuriyet newspaper protest a police raid of the daily's Istanbul's office, October 31, 2016. The signs read, "Free media cannot be silenced" (center), and "Don't bow down" (rear). (Reuters/Murad Sezer)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 30

Social media websites, WhatsApp blocked as police detain opposition leaders Turkey last night blocked access to social media websites and the text-messaging application WhatsApp as police arrested members of parliament for the opposition HDP party, including the party’s co-chairs, Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yuksekdag, according to press reports.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addresses supporters in Istanbul, August 7, 2016. (AFP/Ozan Kose)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 23

EU Parliament urges Turkey to release journalists The European Parliament urged Turkey to release all journalists jailed without proof of their alleged involvement in the failed July 15 military coup, Hürriyet Daily News reported, based on the text of the resolution.

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Members of police special forces keep watch from an armored vehicle in front of a courthouse in Ankara, Turkey, on July 18, 2016. (Reuters/Baz Ratner)

CPJ, 25 other organizations call on Turkey to revoke state of emergency

A coalition of 26 international media freedom and human rights advocacy groups, including CPJ, today called on Turkey to lift emergency measures that have resulted in the stifling of criticism and dissent; the detention of large numbers of individuals, including more than 100 journalists; and the removal of fair trial protections and safeguards against torture.…

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A demonstrator carrying a carnation to commemorate last year's bombing of a train station in Ankara meets a policeman in riot gear, October 10, 2016. (Reuters/Umit Bektas)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 16

Man accused of shooting at award-winning editor freed pending trial A court in Istanbul today ordered Murat Şahin–the man accused of attempting to shoot former Cumhuriyet newspaper editor Can Dündar during a break in Dündar’s trial on May 6–released pending the conclusion of his trial, Hürriyet Daily News reported.

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Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 10

Two columnists freed from jail on appeal Lale Kemal, a columnist who wrote for the dailies Taraf and Zaman, and Nuriye Akman, a columnist for Zaman, were released from prison yesterday on appeal, the English-language news blog Turkish Minute reported.

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News anchor Banu Guven (L) gets ready for a news broadcast at a studio of IMC TV, a news broadcaster slated for closure, in Istanbul, Turkey, September 30, 2016. (Reuters/Huseyin Aldemir)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of October 2

Reporter arraigned on terrorism charges for Facebook posts The Mersin Court of Penal Peace last night arraigned Cemil Uğur, a reporter for the left-wing Evrensel newspaper, on charges of “being member of a [terrorist] organization,” and “propagandizing for a [terrorist] organization,” his employer reported. Police held Uğur for 16 days in August, before a court…

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In this July 21, 2016, file photo, a merchant reads the newspaper in Istanbul. (AP/Petros Giannakouris)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of September 25

Reporter arraigned on terrorism charges for having app on phone A court in the southern Turkish city of Isparta on September 24 arraigned Ramazan Alkan, a reporter for the pro-government, Islamist daily Yeni Akit on terrorism charges for having an app on his phone authorities believe followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen use to communicate…

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at the G20 summit in Gangzhou, China, September 5, 2016. (Reuters/Damir Salgoj)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of September 18

Taraf chief editor detained hours after release Hours after his release from prison, the writer and journalist Ahmet Altan was detained again. Altan turned himself in late last night and was arrested after hearing that he was wanted by authorities, according to reports. According to a report in the daily, Hürriyet, the prosecution objected to…

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Turkish journalist Can Dündar and his wife, Dilek, who had her passport confiscated in September. (Reuters/Osman Orsal)

CPJ testifies on Turkey’s press freedom record after failed coup attempt

CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova today testified before the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, at the hearing, “Turkey after the July Coup Attempt.”

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2016