Joachim Legatis, member of the national board of the German journalists union dju in Verdi and EFJ-IFJ expert travelled to Van (South East Turkey) as observer to monitor the November 1, 2015 national elections. He is sharing his mission report with us :  “We are in times of war. I can tell you it’s no fun to be a political opponent to the Turkish government, especially when you are working as a journalist”, says Ferhat Celik, head of Van office for the Kurdish news agency DIHA. Van (called Wan in Kurdish) is a city with 500.000 inhabitants not far from the border with Iran in…

This speech is given by the EFJ President, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, at the Speak up 3 Conference: Freedom of expression in the Western Balkans and Turkey, held in Brussels on 4 November 2015.   Media, journalists and their organisations in Western Balkans and Turkey are operating in an environment where a lack of respect for the fundamental rights of journalists poses threat to the safety of journalists and media freedom. An important message that has been echoed from conference to conference like this – it is impossible to have quality, independent journalism without decent working conditions. Labour rights are a prerequisite…

The EFJ and seven other international press freedom organisations express solidarity with journalists in Turkey Following the conclusion of an Oct. 19 to 21, 2015 joint international emergency press freedom mission to Turkey, representatives of participating international, regional and local groups dedicated to press freedom and free expression find that pressure on journalists operating in Turkey has severely escalated in the period between parliamentary elections held June 7 and the upcoming elections. The representatives also determine that this pressure has significantly impacted journalists’ ability to report on matters of public interest freely and independently, and that this pressure, if allowed…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are this week taking part in an emergency mission in Turkey in solidarity with journalists, media workers and the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) facing more repression than ever due to the forthcoming elections of November 1. “More than ever after the horrifying bombing on October 10 in Ankara killing more than 100 people and on the eve of the new elections, the international community needs to show strong and effective support to journalists and unionists fighting to defend freedom of expression against brutal censorship, violences, insults, repression, threats of…

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was greeted with honour at the Brussels Royal Palace this Monday morning. After the warm welcome of the Belgian King and Queen and the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, Mr Erdoğan was pleased to receive accolades from the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the European Council President, Donald Tusk. All of those who welcomed him to Brussels should know that they gratify one of the worst censor of press freedom in Europe. In only two days, the International and the European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) submitted five serious violations of press freedom…

The European Trade Union Congress (ETUC) in its 13th Congress in Paris on 29 September – 2 October, with the presence of over 700 trade union delegates, have unaminously voted a motion tabled by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on Solidarity with Turkish and Kurdish journalists suffering repression. The EFJ welcomes the adoption of the motion and thanks for the support and solidarity expressed by the trade union delegates at the ETUC Congress. The motion reads: For freedom of speech. In recent years journalists, trade unionists and press collaborators in Turkey – a European Union candidate country – have…