December 15, 2014

US urges Turkey to protect democratic values after media raid

The United States State Department called on Turkish authorities to protect media freedom and other democratic values in response to media raids and detentions in operations across Turkey on Sunday.

EU condemns Turkish raids against media as ’unacceptable’

The European Union has said a media assault on Zaman daily and other media outlets is an "unacceptable attack" against freedom of media, urging Turkish authorities to respect rights of defendants.

Zaman Editorial Board: Free media cannot be silenced

The Zaman media group, whose editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanlı was among those detained on Sunday during an ongoing government crackdown on critical media, has released a press statement in seven languages stressing that it will not stop producing independent journalism or bow to government pressure.

Journalists and Writers Foundation's statement [on recent detentions]

The process of gradually undermining democracy in Turkey has come to a new and accelerated phase. Universal criteria for the press freedom are recklessly breached as pressures mount on the journalists who try to perform their duties to make sure people can have access to information within constitutional boundaries. Although they went to the courthouse and asked inquired prosecutors if there was any investigation concerning them and they were told that there was no legal action concerning them two days ago, the executives of certain media outlets were taken to custody with the intention of intimidating and silencing them and creating the perception that they might flee away. Such a practice is an act of tyranny that would never occur to officials of a truly democratic country.

Alliance for Shared Values Statement on Journalists Arrests

The raids on Turkey’s top selling newspaper Zaman and prominent TV organization STV are profoundly disturbing to all of us who value democracy, tolerance and the role of a free press in safeguarding both. Journalists who report about the suppression of human rights are not enemies of the state; rather they are documenting the actions of those who undermine the safeguards of a democratic Turkey.

National Press Club Dismayed Over Reported Arrests of Turkish Journalists

Washington -- The National Press Club president expressed concern over reports that Turkish authorities have arrested a couple of dozen people in what appears to be a crackdown on media outlets that are critical of the Turkish government.

HRW calls recent detentions of journalists repression of critical media

Emma Sinclair-Webb, the representative of Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Turkey, has stated that the detention of journalists and editors in the context of this latest, wider operation looks like another attempt to crack down on critical media.

The crackdown on speech in Turkey must end: Freedom House

Freedom House joins the list of prominent international rights groups condemning the detainments of journalists on Sunday.

CPJ: Turkish authorities target media in nationwide crackdown

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today's raids on media outlets in which police detained journalists and media workers on politicized anti-state charges. Among those detained today were Ekrem Dumanlı, editor-in-chief of Turkey's largest daily Zaman, and Hidayet Karaca, chairman of the Samanyolu Broadcast Group, reports said.

Gov’t trying to subdue dissent, expresses GYV

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) strongly criticized the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for media crack down, amidst wave of journalists detainments on Sunday.

Scandal!

Erhan Başyurt

Turkish democracy and media freedom had a dark day yesterday. Ekrem Dumanlı, The Editor-in-chief of the Zaman daily, the largest-circulating newspaper of Turkey which has been published for a quarter century, and Hidayet Karaca, the President of Samanyolu Broadcasting Group, which comprises five TV stations, were detained.

Journalism associations issue mass condemnations over detainments

Leading Turkish journalist unions and associations slam the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for media crack down, amidst wave of detainments on Sunday.

Local media condemns police raid on media, detention of journalists

Speaking with a single voice, many press organizations in Turkey condemned the police raids of the Zaman daily and Samanyolu TV and the detention of at least 23 people, including journalists, on Sunday.

‘Crackdown on journalists revenge for Dec. 17 and 25 operations’

The detention of journalists who are critical of the government and had covered the Dec. 17 and 25 graft operations, which implicated several ministers and pro-government businessman, is a “revenge operation,” main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Konya deputy Atilla Kart has said.

Opposition parties describe detentions as ‘civilian coup’

Opposition parties have sharply criticized the government for a police operation in which journalists and television producers were detained early on Sunday, describing the operation as a “civilian coup.”

Shameful operation on media

Günal Kurşun

A group of police officials from the İstanbul police anti-terrorism unit arrived at the Zaman daily building on Sunday morning. They tried to enter the building while Zaman supporters protested, chanting slogans like "Free media cannot be silenced." The Zaman daily broadcast the entire drama live, while much of the rest of the Turkish media preferred to ignore the police operation.

Journalists show solidarity in wake of gov’t crackdown

The detention of Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı following a police raid on the newspaper's headquarters on Sunday has prompted some veteran journalists to speak out against the government crackdown on the daily and indicate their solidarity with the paper.

Detentions extend to 9 staff members of TV series

Nine individuals, including the producer, director and assistant scriptwriters -- one with a young child -- of Samanyolu TV's once very popular TV series “Tek Türkiye” (One Turkey) were among those detained during Sunday's police operations conducted against critical media outlets across the country.