Turkish crackdown on Kurdish journalists
As over 40 people, many of them journalists, are detained on terrorism charges across Turkey, Kaya Genç examines the latest attempt to silence the Kurdish press
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Turkey: 40 journalists arrested in alleged terror plot
Forty Turkish journalists were arrested in raids which targeted suspected members of the “press and propaganda wing” of a banned Kurdish separatist group. The arrests in Istanbul yesterday morning came during continuing investigation into the outlawed Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK). At around 7am yesterday, anti-terrorist police raided the offices of several media organisations, the majority of which were pro-Kurdish media. Hours after the arrests, hundreds of Turkish journalists participated in a hastily organised protest march.
Turkey: Publisher and activist Ragıp Zarakolu detained
Turkish publisher Ragıp Zarakolu , recipient of the 2008 International Publishers Association (IPA) Freedom to Publish Prize, was arrested on 28 October in Istanbul. Viewed by many as Turkey’s most prominent free expression and minority rights activist, Zarakolu has been accused of being a member of an illegal organisation under the anti-terror legislation, a press release from IPA said today. University professor Büşra Ersanlı was also arrested and over 40 other individuals were taken into custody on the same day as part of a recent crackdown on the KCK (Union of Kurdistan Communities). Zarakolu’s son, Deniz, was also arrested last month after giving a lecture at the Political Science Academy of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy (BDP) opposition party.
Turkish man could face two-year prison sentence for Facebook comments
A Turkish man could face two years in prison for comments made about Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan on his Facebook page. A public prosecutor in Ankara is calling for the man’s imprisonment based on insulting Erdogan, along with some of his cabinet members and ministers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The man is being charge under Article 301 of Turkey’s Criminal Code.