FREEDOM HOUSE: FREEDOM OF PRESS IS ALARMING IN TURKEY

Freedom of Press published Press Freedom Report on 27 April 2016. According to report, media freedom is getting worst in Turkey.

 

Every year, Freedom House publishes Press Freedom Report by countries. This year report says that ‘’In Turkey, media freedom deteriorated at alarming rate in 2015.’’

The report emphasizes that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his party-Justice and Development Party(AKP) tries to control media freedom as much as they can. For this reason, they are using penal codes as their wishes.

According to the report, Turkey placed in no press freedom countries. Between 199 countries Turkey located in 156 ranked. On the other hand, in the same category, there is other countries which are Bangladesh, Burundi, France, Serbia, Egypt, Yemen, Macedonia, and Zimbabwe.

The report, especially, emphasizes for key development in Turkey like this;

 

1. ‘’Authorities prosecuted a number of prominet journalists on terrorism-related charge including the editor in chief and the Ankara bureau chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, who were arrested in connection with the paper’s coverage of alleged weapons shipments to Syria by Turkish intelligience services.
2. Changes to regulations for journalistic accreditation brought the process under increased government control, allowing further room for arbitary and discriminatory desicions.
3. There were several instances of acute violence toward media: Crowds attacked the offices of the Hürriyet newspaper twice in September, and three journalists were killed during the year in connection with their work.
4. The placement of outlets owned by Koza İpek Holding under government trusteeship resulted in dozens of dismissals and changes in the outlets’ editorial lines, effectively making them more friendly toward the government. ‘’ (Freedom House, 2016)

 

 

The report also examines separately legal environment, political environment, and economic environment. Through its analysis, it can be conclude that these aspects of Turkish society are getting worst. Turkey is losing points day by day.

 

Sources:

Freedom House

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2016/turkey