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Turkey: Government urged to conform to
European Court’s rulings on freedom of expression
27.7.2006
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As Turkey often violates
freedom of expression, Reporters Without Borders
today hailed yesterday’s ruling by the European
Court of Human Rights that it breached article 10 of
the European Convention on Human Rights, concerning
free expression, by prosecuting the editor and owner
of a pro-Kurdish daily.
The court ruled that Turkey should not have
convicted the journalists for an article in 2000
about the trial of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK-Kongral Gel),
or for publishing a letter he wrote, as they “did
not exhort the use of violence or incite armed
resistance or rebellion,”
Reporters Without Borders said: “The court’s
decision highlights the difficulties journalists
face in Turkey. They cannot discuss the Kurdish
issue freely without being accused of collaborating
with the PKK-Kongral Gel armed separatists. The
Turkish government does not tolerate criticism and
has just adopted a new anti-terrorism law that will
considerably broaden the sanctions against the
press.”
The organisation added: “Turkey must find a
compromise between its security concerns and the
need to respect press freedom by referring to
European Court of Human Rights case law.”
The two journalists are Cihan Capan, the editor of
the pro-Kurdish daily Ozgur Bakis, and Halis Dogan,
its owner. Both were fined in 2000. Capan also
received a 13-month prison sentenced which he has
never served. Several issues of the newspaper were
seized in the course of 2000 and the newspaper was
also ordered to pay heavy fines under different laws
including the anti-terrorism law.
The European Court of Human Rights yesterday ordered
Turkey to pay Capan and Dogan 5,000 and 7,000 euros
respectively in compensation.
rsf org
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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