Turkish prime minister sues journalist for insult on Twitter
The state-run Anadolu news agency reported on July 10, 2014, that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office to launch a criminal investigation against Bülent Keneş, editor-in-chief of the English-language daily newspaper Today’s Zaman, on charges of “insulting a public official.”
Turkish journalist on trial for insulting prime minister
Erol Özkoray, Turkish journalist and author, appeared in court for the third time on June 18, 2014, on charges of insulting the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his book, The Gezi Phenomenon, according to news reports. The book covered the popular anti-government protests that erupted in Turkey in 2013 after the government announced its…
Turkey imposes ban on media coverage of Iraq hostage crisis
Istanbul, June 18, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a Turkish court’s decision on Monday to censor media coverage of a hostage crisis in the Iraqi city of Mosul. Last week, insurgents led by the Al-Qaeda splinter group Islamic State in Iraq and Sham abducted at least 80 Turkish citizens, including 49 consulate…
Reporter disparaged in Turkish parliament, journalists harassed
New York, June 3, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by today’s reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Parliament called CNN journalist Ivan Watson a “flunky” and said the foreign press was “literally executing their duties as agents” in connection with the coverage of protests in Istanbul. The move follows the…
CPJ calls on Turkey to address press freedom challenges
New York, April 30, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is disturbed by reports in Turkey’s pro-government media that made false claims about CPJ. The reports said CPJ made a statement on April 18 saying Turkey holds only 15 journalists behind bars. CPJ did not issue a statement.
UNESCO awards Ahmet Şık annual press freedom prize
New York, April 11, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists congratulates Turkish investigative journalist and book author Ahmet Şık on being awarded UNESCO’s prestigious Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The annual prize, named after slain Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza, honors a journalist or organization that “has made an outstanding contribution to the defense of…
When the rule of law isn’t: Turkey at the crossroads
In less than a week, Turkish voters will cast their ballots in local elections widely seen as a test of support for embattled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has faced growing questions about official corruption since a high-level probe first became public in December. Although many observers believe Erdoğan will survive the current political…
CPJ condemns Twitter ban in Turkey
New York, March 21, 2014–Turkey banned access to the social media platform Twitter on Friday, hours after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened in a public speech to shut it down, according to news reports. The move comes just ahead of March 30 elections and follows Erdoğan’s threats to ban Facebook and YouTube.
Turkish prime minister threatens to shut down Twitter
New York, March 20, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s threats today to close down Twitter. The threats come only days after he vowed to shut down Facebook and YouTube in Turkey.