Turkey is now the leading jailer of journalists worldwide
Posted on 11/03/2012 4:58:06 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A record number of journalists are behind bars in Turkey as the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wields draconian laws critics say are creating a climate of fear to silence dissenting voices and promote "pro-state" journalism.
Erdogan's Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP) is marking a decade in power boasting of political and economic reforms that have changed the face of the predominantly Muslim but staunchly secular nation.
But it is under fire from rights groups about its escalating crackdown on the media, particularly Kurdish journalists.
"The authorities are waging one of the world's biggest anti-press campaigns in recent history. Dozens of writers and editors are in prison, nearly all on terrorism or other anti-state charges. The evidence against them? Their journalism," charged the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
Turkey is now the leading jailer of journalists worldwide, according to an October report by the CPJ, imprisoning even more than Iran, Eritrea or China and setting alarm bells ringing about press freedom and free speech in a country aspiring to join the European Union.
"Ankara sees itself as a regional model for democracy and freedom, but its aspirations are deeply compromised by its anti-press practices. Turkey's leaders must demonstrate the political will to dismantle the country's complex system of media repression," the committee said.
It identified 76 journalists imprisoned in Turkey as of August 1, including 61 who were put behind bars purely because of their journalism.
(Excerpt) Read more at middle-east-online.com ...
Turkey is now the leading jailer of journalists worldwide
Turkish Leader Says He Plans a Trip to Gaza Soon
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/world/middleeast/erdogan-says-talks-are-under-way-for-trip-to-gaza.html
Time to re-think Turkey’s ststus in NATO.
Thank you for posting, SC!
My pleasure.
I screwed up, the actual title of this is "Erdogan's Turkey greets journalists with crackdown". Hmm, it happened again when I previewed.
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