European Federation of Journalists

Turkish journalist Füsun Erdogan visits the EFJ/IFJ offices


Turkish journalist Füsun Erdoğan visited the IFJ/EFJ offices today to share the latest developments of her trial to be set in Ankara, Tukey’s capital on 23 March.
On 2 November 2013, Füsun Erdogan was given a life sentence and charged with being a member of an alleged terrorist organisation. Her trial in the appeal court will take place on 23 March. The IFJ and the EFJ will ask the Turkish government to ensure a fair trial and set the journalist free.

Founder of the radio station Özgür Radyo (Radio Free), Erdogan has often defended political, religious and ethnic minorities. On 12 september 2006 she got arrested by police troops and spent 8 years in Gebze prison near Istanbul. She is accused of 296 “activities” carried out being “a MLKP (Marxist Leninist Communist party) illegal organisation member”.

Füsun was released while pending trial in 2013 and exiled in the Netherlands. At the time, the EFJ and its affiliate in the Netherlands, the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ), had campaigned for her immediate release. She hopes the appeal decision will set her free. She told the IFJ and EFJ her hopes of getting a fair trial and the frustration of being convicted under fabricated charges.

The Federations decided to submit her case to the Council of Europe’s Platform for journalism and the safety of journalists. Additional support is being built to ensure the Turkish journalist gets the highest support during her upcoming trial in March.

(Picture credit: Esti Ortiz)