Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), together with ITUC and DISK trade union leaders, went to Istanbul prison to show solidarity with Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, two journalists and trade unionists who are in jail accused of being spies and enemies of the state for having published articles about weapon trafficking to Syria by the Turkish secret services. European and International trade unions demand the immediate release of the journalists. “We are here to show solidarity with Turkish journalists. The Turkish authorities and President are neglecting fundamental rights and freedoms, such as right of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have today condemned the attacks on February 11, 2016 with bombs and guns against pro-governmental Turkish daily newspapers Yeni Safak and Yeni Akit. According to media reports, a group of unidentified 3 or 4 masked persons have carried out an attack with Molotov cocktails and guns at 5:00 am against the headquarters of Yeni Safak daily newspaper in Istanbul. At around 5:30 am, the building of Yeni Akit newspaper in Istanbul have experienced the same type of attack with molotov cocktails thrown at the parking area. No…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have been shocked by the indictment of a Turkish prosecutor demanding on 27/01/2016 during a court hearing in Istanbul “aggravated life imprisonment and imprisonment up to 30 years” for Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, two prominent journalists working for the daily Cumhuriyet in Turkey. According to Turkish media reports, the 473-page indicment against journalists read by the prosecutor İrfan Fidan was solely based on opinions and articles published by the newspaper. Can Dündar, editor in chief of Cumhuriyet and Erdem Gül, the newspaper’s bureau chief in Ankara have…

The Italian National Press Federation (FNSI, EFJ-IFJ affiliate) together with USIGRai, Articolo 21, RSF Italy, Amnesty Italy and other press freedom groups organised a demonstration today (21/01/2016) in front of the Turkish embassy in Rome  to protest against grave attacks on press freedom in Turkey. This includes the ongoing prosecution of journalists Ceyda Karan and Hikmet Cetinkaya in Turkey for publishing the cover of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The two journalists working for the daily Cumhuriyet are accused by 11 plaintiffs (including family members of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) of “deliberately willing to humiliate the religious values of the big part…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemn physical attacks today (20/01/2016) against IMC TV reporter and cameraman Refik Tekin and other press correspondents who were reporting from Cizre (Southeast of Turkey) about the ongoing state of emergency. According to local reports, 10 persons including IMC TV reporter and cameraman Refik Tekin have been gunned by unidentified special operations police forces and members of gendarmerie special operations active in Cizre. Tekin, who was reporting along with other colleagues the situation from the ground for the last 38 days, is now suffering from bullet in his left leg. The EFJ-IFJ wish quick recovery for affected journalists and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) warmly welcomes the release of Mohammed Rasool, fixer and reporter working for Vice News, today (05/01/2016) following 131 days of detention in Turkish jail as “protective measure”. The information has been confirmed in a statement published by Vice News adding that Mohammed Rasool “is not free to leave the country and must also report twice a week to a police station” and the media worker “is now looking forward to being reunited with his family, friends and colleagues, who ask for his privacy to be respected during this time.”  “The release of Mohammed Rasool is a…