freedom of expression

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Perihan Mağden, Tunca Öğreten Sentenced to Pay Judicial Fines for ‘Insulting President’

Perihan Mağden, Tunca Öğreten Sentenced to Pay Judicial Fines for ‘Insulting President’

Journalist Tunca Öğreten and writer Perihan Mağden have been each sentenced to pay a judicial fine of 7 thousand Turkish Lira for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

10 January 2019 Tansu Pişkin

Erdoğan’s Statement ‘Press is More Liberal’ Not Confirmed by bianet Reports

Erdoğan’s Statement ‘Press is More Liberal’ Not Confirmed by bianet Reports

Releasing a statement on the occasion of January 10 Working Journalists’ Day, President Erdoğan has claimed, “Press has become more democratic and liberal in 16 years.” The reports of bianet on freedom of expression have been refuting these claims.

9 January 2019 Haluk Kalafat

Former CHP MP Eren Erdem Released

Former CHP MP Eren Erdem Released

The Prosecutor's Office demanded prison sentence of up to 19 years for CHP’s Party Assembly member and former MP Erdem in today’s hearing. The court has ruled that Erdem shall be released.

18 Thousand Liras of Compensation for Eren Erdem for Insulting Berat Albayrak

18 Thousand Liras of Compensation for Eren Erdem for Insulting Berat Albayrak

The compensation penalty given to arrested politician Eren Erdem for insulting Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak has been upheld by the court of appeal.

Constitutional Court Rejects Prisoner’s Appeal on 'Freedom of Communication'

Constitutional Court Rejects Prisoner’s Appeal on 'Freedom of Communication'

A prisoner's appeal regarding his banned letters and faxes has been deemed inadmissible by the the Constitutional Court.

4 January 2019 Ayça Söylemez

Prison Sentence of Selahattin Demirtaş Taken to Constitutional Court

Prison Sentence of Selahattin Demirtaş Taken to Constitutional Court

After the court of appeal upheld the prison sentence of 4 years, 8 months given to HDP former Co-Chair Demirtaş, his attorneys have appealed to the Constitutional Court, stating that his right to a free election and freedom of expression have been violated.

Legal Action Taken Against 18,376 People Due to ‘Social Media’ This Year

Legal Action Taken Against 18,376 People Due to ‘Social Media’ This Year

The Ministry of Interior has stated that 42,406 social media accounts were investigated and legal action was taken against 18,376 persons in 2018.

31 December 2018

Press Council: 2018 a 'Pitch Black' Year for Media

Press Council: 2018 a 'Pitch Black' Year for Media

Press Council Chair Pınar Türenç has announced the 2018 report of the council, which evaluates the year in terms of press and expression freedom.

28 December 2018 Hikmet Adal

Radio and Television Supreme Council Fines FOX TV, Halk TV

Radio and Television Supreme Council Fines FOX TV, Halk TV

Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has fined FOX TV and Halk TV for “inciting the public to enmity and hatred.” Accordingly, FOX Prime News Bulletin cannot be broadcast for three days and the “Halk Arenası” program on Halk TV for eight times.

27 December 2018

Opinion as to Accusations Announced in ‘Social Media’ Case of Journalist Kobulan

Opinion as to Accusations Announced in ‘Social Media’ Case of Journalist Kobulan

Journalist Yasin Kobulan, against whom a lawsuit was filed for “repeatedly propagandizing for a terrorist organization” on his social media account, has had his first hearing. His next hearing will be held on March 8, 2019.

26 December 2018

Employee of Yeni Yaşam Newspaper Tuğba Bulut Arrested

Employee of Yeni Yaşam Newspaper Tuğba Bulut Arrested

Tuğba Bulut, an employee of the Yeni Yaşam newspaper, has been arrested. One of the reasons for Bulut's arrest is her social media posts.

26 December 2018

PACE on Conviction of Honorary Member Kürkçü: ‘Turkey Should Reconsider Ruling’

INTERNATIONAL REACTION TO CONVICTION OF KÜRKÇÜ

PACE on Conviction of Honorary Member Kürkçü: ‘Turkey Should Reconsider Ruling’

PACE Monitoring Committee Turkey co-reporters have condemned the prison sentence given to PACE Honorary Member Kürkçü: “We urge the Turkish authorities to abide by their Council of Europe obligations and to reconsider this judgment.”

21 December 2018

Journalist Hakan Gülseven Arrested

Journalist Hakan Gülseven Arrested

Journalist Hakan Gülseven will serve 350 days in prison, in exchange for a 7,000 Turkish Lira (~1330 USD) compensation penalty that he did not pay.

20 December 2018

Journalism Organizations Comment on Erdoğan’s Threat to TV Anchor Fatih Portakal

Journalism Organizations Comment on Erdoğan’s Threat to TV Anchor Fatih Portakal

Representatives from journalism organizations have commented on the threatening statements of President Erdoğan, who addressed TV anchor Fatih Portakal by saying, “If you don’t know your place, this nation will hit you in the back of your head.”

18 December 2018 Hikmet Adal,Tansu Pişkin,Pınar Tarcan

'We Will Continue to Discomfort Them With Our Stories'

JOURNALISM STUDENT BİLA RELEASED

'We Will Continue to Discomfort Them With Our Stories'

Berivan Bila, the student who has been released after getting arrested for an article that she wrote entitled “Journalism is not a Crime”, has told that she will not give up journalism.

17 December 2018 Evrim Kepenek

Writer Hamide Yiğit Sentenced to Prison

Writer Hamide Yiğit Sentenced to Prison

Writer Hamide Yiğit has been sentenced to 7 months and 15 days in prison on charge of “openly denigrating the state and government of the Republic of Turkey.”

17 December 2018

310 Social Media Accounts Investigated in 1 Week, 110 Thousand in 2018

310 Social Media Accounts Investigated in 1 Week, 110 Thousand in 2018

Ministry of Interior has announced that 310 social media accounts have been investigated in a week. Minister Soylu said, “110 thousand accounts have been investigated and 7 thousand social media users have been sent to judicial authorities in 2018."

14 December 2018

Inmates Tell ‘Why They Cannot Send Letters’

Inmates Tell ‘Why They Cannot Send Letters’

Judgeship of Execution in Van has overruled its own verdict that allows inmates to send and receive letters. The verdict has been issued to inmates one year later. A letter sent to bianet has not reached us though the court ruled that it is “not objectionable.”

14 December 2018 Ayça Söylemez

Statement for Arrested Student of Journalism

Statement for Arrested Student of Journalism

Democratic mass organizations in Trabzon have made a statement on Berivan Bila, a student of journalism arrested for ‘insulting the President’, and said, “She was arrested because she said ‘Journalism is not a crime, she should be immediately released’.”

10 December 2018

'Life in Turkey Becomes Impossible for Some People'

COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

'Life in Turkey Becomes Impossible for Some People'

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic has stated that some laws adopted in Turkey for struggle against terrorism have made life impossible for some people in the country.

6 December 2018

Officers Can Criticize Their Seniors on Social Media, Constitutional Court Rules

Officers Can Criticize Their Seniors on Social Media, Constitutional Court Rules

Constitutional Court has announced its verdict on police officer H.Ö., who was given a reprimand due to his social media post about his seniors, and ruled that his freedom of expression has been violated.

5 December 2018 Ayça Söylemez

Journalists Gayıp and Şahin Not Released

Journalists Gayıp and Şahin Not Released

Arrested journalists Pınar Gayıp and Semiha Şahin from the Etkin News Agency have had their second hearings. The court board has ruled that their detention shall continue.

5 December 2018 Evrim Kepenek

Constitutional Court: Press Freedom of bianet Violated

Constitutional Court: Press Freedom of bianet Violated

Announcing its verdict regarding a ruling which blocked access to a bianet news dated 2006, the Constitutional Court has ruled that the removal of the related news report from the website “has violated the freedoms of expression and press.”

4 December 2018

324 Social Media Accounts Investigated in 1 Week

324 Social Media Accounts Investigated in 1 Week

Ministry of Interior has announced that 324 social media accounts have been investigated and legal action has been taken against 280 social media users in one week.

22 November 2018

Legal Action Against 182 People Due to ‘Social Media’

Legal Action Against 182 People Due to ‘Social Media’

The Ministry of Interior has announced that 277 social media accounts have been investigated and a legal action has been taken against 182 people from November 5 to 12. In October 2018, 11 people in total were arrested due to their social media posts.

12 November 2018

PEN Turkey: Imprisonment of Journalists Cannot Be Accepted

PEN Turkey: Imprisonment of Journalists Cannot Be Accepted

On the occasion of November 15 International Day of the Imprisoned Writers, the worldwide association of writers PEN International has drawn attention to the imprisonment of journalists Shahidul Alam, Dawit Isaa, Wael Abbas and Oleg Sentsov.

12 November 2018

Lawsuit Against Ferhat Tunç on Allegation of Insulting President

Lawsuit Against Ferhat Tunç on Allegation of Insulting President

A lawsuit has been filed against musician Ferhat Tunç on the allegation that he has insulted President Erdoğan with 10 tweets that he posted in 2016.

9 November 2018

‘Social Media Investigation’ Against 142 People

‘Social Media Investigation’ Against 142 People

The Ministry of Interior has announced that 171 social media accounts have been investigated and a legal action has been taken against 142 people in one week.

7 November 2018

Free Journalists Initiative Releases Its October Report

Free Journalists Initiative Releases Its October Report

In its report on rights violations committed against journalists in October, Free Journalists Initiative has emphasized that the murder of Bağdu, who was working for Azadiya Welat newspaper and died in an armed attack four years ago, has not yet been brought to light.

5 November 2018

ETHA Reporter Ali Sönmez Kayar Released

ETHA Reporter Ali Sönmez Kayar Released

Five people, including reporter Ali Sönmez Kayar from the Etkin News Agency, who have been arrested on charge of “being members of a terrorist organization”, have been released at their second hearing.

31 October 2018 Tansu Pişkin

Journalist Adil Yiğit Not to Be Deported from Germany

Journalist Adil Yiğit Not to Be Deported from Germany

Hamburg Central Foreigners’ Registration Office has announced that journalist Adil Yiğit, whose residence permit has not been extended and who has been demanded to leave Germany on January 20, 2019 the latest, will not be deported from Germany.

30 October 2018

Zehra Doğan Receives "Courage in Journalism Award" in a Representational Ceremony

Zehra Doğan Receives "Courage in Journalism Award" in a Representational Ceremony

Kurdish journalist-artist Zehra Doğan is presented her "IWMF 2018 Courage in Journalism Award" in a representational ceremony in New York where she reaches the audience by a voice recording taped during a phone call from prison.

29 October 2018