- Title: Release jailed journalists immediately - U.N.Rapporteur
- Date: 18th November 2016
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 18, 2016) (REUTERS) U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR DAVID KAYE ADDRESSING THE NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID KAYE, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR, SAYING: "In response to the failed coup the breadth and scope of the crackdown on the media freedom have intensified dramatically with measures of unprecedented scale being justified on grounds of insuring stability." JOURNALIST ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID KAYE, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR, SAYING: "I think we came to a few conclusions and the conclusions I'd say are fairly grim and reflect what I think is deep sense of restriction on freedom of opinion and expression". JOURNALIST IN AT CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID KAYE, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR, SAYING: "The counter-terrorism law, the inner terrorism law, and the decrees under the state of emergency are being used to restrict journalism and detain journalists. And the problem for the journalists is that they don't know exactly what puts the on the side of the line of lawfulness and unlawfulness." JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID KAYE, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR, SAYING: "So one of the first few recommendations that we make is really a call on the government to release all of the journalists who were detained in Turkey today. And we urge them to do that immediately." JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID KAYE, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR, SAYING: "We are seeing the shutdown of media, the shutdown of networks in vast expenses of territory across Turkey in particular in the southeast. The combination of both the shutting down of media outlets and the shutting down of internet access has resulted in a way in a decimation of access to information in the southeast with particular impact on Kurdish media." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2016 16:03
- Keywords: Turkey UN human rights journalists media freedom of speech
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158Z3EPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:U.N. Special Rapporteur on the freedom of expression, David Kaye, said on Friday (November 18) that the measures taken by the government restricting freedom of speech in response to the failed coup of July 15 are "draconian" and "unjustified".
Kaye, gave a news conference in Ankara on his fact-finding mission on human rights situation in Turkey.
"In response to the failed coup the breadth and scope of the crackdown on the media freedom have intensified dramatically with measures of unprecedented scale being justified on grounds of insuring stability," Kaye told journalists.
He acknowledged the national security concerns faced by the government, but said the counter-terrorism law and decrees under the state of emergency were being used to restrict freedoms resulting in detention of dozens of journalists, writers and academics.
"One of the first few recommendations that we make is really a call on the government to release all of the journalists who were detained in Turkey today. And we urge them to do that immediately," Kaye said.
Some 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended in the civil service, army, judiciary and other institutions and 36,000 people jailed pending trial in the investigation of the abortive July 15 putsch, in which more than 240 people were killed.
Western allies, in particular in Europe, have voiced concern at the breadth of the purges under President Tayyip Erdogan. Some European politicians have called for a freezing of Turkey's EU membership talks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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