TDN: Turkey still a world leader in persecution of journalists

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

Subject: TDN: Turkey still a world leader in persecution of journalists
From: Press Agency Ozgurluk <ozgurluk at xs4all.nl>



Turkey still a world leader in persecution of journalists

More journalists are imprisoned in Turkey than in any other democratic country 

Turkish Daily News April 15 1997

Ankara- Last month 45 journalists were taken into custody and a
further eight were attacked according to the Journalists' Union of
Turkey (TGS), the Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.

The Ankara branch of the TGS Press Rights Follow-up Commission issued
a statement concerning the attacks on the press stating that between
March 1-31, "The number of journalists taken into custody was 45,
those attacked and beaten numbered eight, 114 journalists, writers and
publishers are in prison, there have been three instances of the
Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) shutting down radio and
television channels, 17 warning penalties were handed out by RTUK to
radio stations and television channels, and four books were banned."

According to the commission three foreign journalists were among those
taken into custody, including New York Times reporter Stephen Kinzer,
as well as two journalists from Finland.  The 1996 report of the
U.S. Journalists' Protection Committee declared Turkey to be the
"country that imprisons the most journalists."

A statement published following the International Press Institute's
(IPI) 56th General Board Meeting said that Turkey was on a par with
Zambia and Colombia regarding freedom of the press, with more
journalists imprisoned in Turkey than in any other democratic country.

A recent scandal concerning promotions offered as incentives to buy
newspapers has now been solved by separating coupon prices from the
price of the newspapers. Meanwhile, a customer who failed to collect
his promised jeep has filed a lawsuit against the newspaper concerned.

-- 
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