Turkey: International groups demand release of Kurdish journalists, lawyers, political party officials detained in pre-election crackdown - Article

OBCT joins media freedom and human rights organisations calling for Turkish authorities to stop systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, the lawyers that defend them, and Kurdish political party officials

Turkey, earthquake fall out takes political turn - Article

The devastating earthquakes that shook Turkey on February 6 have uncovered a divided country, where many denounce the earthquakes as an announced tragedy. The government responds to the protests by tightening censorship

By Kenan Behzat Sharpe

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Turkey: Twenty journalists including TGS leadership blacklisted by police - Article

The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) expressed solidarity with the twenty journalists blacklisted by the Turkish General Directorate of Security (EGM) for their writing and joined the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) in denouncing an apparent attempt to intimidate independent journalists and trade unionists

Turkey: Concern over proposals to introduce new regulation of “fake” and “foreign-funded” news - Article

OBCT co-signed a statement condemning the proposal to introduce a new regulation of "fake" and "foreign-funded" news in Turkey. If approved, these measures will further undermine media freedom and pluralism in the country

Turkey: SLAPP lawsuit filed against academic over Paradise Papers tweet - Article

NGOs and journalists’ organisations call for the dropping of a lawsuit launched against the academic Prof Yaman Akdeniz by Serhat Albayrak, seeking 100,000 Turkish lira (€9,600) in damages for his tweets about the censorship of reports into the criminal investigations and civil lawsuits against journalists who reported on the Paradise Papers

International coalition starts Turkey press freedom mission - Article

Representatives of 11 organisations, led by the International Press Institute, will meet key stakeholders in Istanbul and Ankara from 6 to 9 October

MFRR condemns the escalating judicial harassment of Can Dündar by Turkey - Article

The journalist Can Dündar, who lives in exile in Germany, is the victim of a judicial harassment that has to be stopped. The latest threat concerns all his properties if he doesn't go back to Turkey

Turkey: Alarming plans to further crackdown on social media - Article

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners are alarmed by the Turkish President’s threats to further restrict or shut down social media. We call on Turkey to comply with its international obligations and refrain from measures that will further prevent and disrupt exercising the right to freedom of expression and information online

Turkey must end the harassment of journalist Can Dündar and lift the block of his online radio - Article

We join PEN International and other 37 civil society organisations in deploring the decision to block Özgürüz, the online radio station headed by Can Dündar, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Germany, whom OBCT interviewed during a festival in Italy. Here the text of the call

Turkey: the Public Advertising Agency and bans implemented on newspapers - Article

20 international and local press freedom organisations and signatories are writing to the Public Advertising Agency (BIK) in Turkey in order to repeat the concerns about BIK’s criteria regarding the distribution of public advertisement and bans implemented on newspapers