Turkey’s free speech problems
Censorship in Turkey is largely motivated by deep-rooted nationalism. Jennifer Amur explains the issues
(more…)
Turkey’s media still pressing for freedom
On the anniversary of the death of Hrant Dink, David Judson reflects on the difficulties facing Turkey’s journalists
Turkey: Editor of Kurdish women’s magazine arrested
Berivan Eker, former editor of the women’s magazine Renge Heviya Jine, has been arrested on charges of “spreading propaganda for an illegal organisation”. She faces 21 years in prison. Eker referred to PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan as the “leader of the Kurdish people” and praised alleged PKK members. Several of the magazine’s senior editors — Sultan Sonsuz, Ruken Aktaş and Gurbet Çakar — face similar charges. Renge Heviya Jine (The Colour of Women’s Hope) is the only magazine in Turkey published in both Turkish and Kurdish.
Turkey: Nervin Berktaş tried in connection with controversial book
Writer Nevin Berktaş, author of the book “Difficult places that challenge the faith: Prison Cells” (published by Yediveren Yayınları in 2010), is being tried on charges of “spreading propaganda for an illegal organisation”. The case about Berktaş’s book has been pending for ten years.
The book is related to the 22 years the writer spent in prison after the 1980 military coup and describes the process of resistance in prison cells. The health conditions of the writer are reportedly very bad, as a result of the hunger strikes she carried out in 1984 and 1996.