The Dutch freelance journalist Mehmet Ülger has been acquitted today by the Turkish court. Ülger was detained at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport on January 7 while trying to leave Turkey. He was later released. Ülger was told that he had been held in connection to his presence at the September 2013 trial of then imprisoned Turkish-Dutch journalist Füsun Erdoğan. Ülger had his cell phone with him in the court room at Erdoğan’s trial and reportedly took photos on his phone. Ülger attended the trial as an observer for the NVJ. Mehmet Ülger could have been sentenced to six months in prison. “I hope…

In solidarity with the victims of Charlie Hebdo, the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet (“Republic”, kemalist and secular newspaper) published on January 14, selected excerpts from the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo, avoiding its cover image on Prophet Mohammed. The eve before the publication, the police stopped and seized the truck delivering the newspaper. Having realised that Cumhuriyet did not publish the cover image on Prophet Mohammed, they handed over the truck to the newspaper after one hour. Following the incident, the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), strongly condemns the attempt to hinder the work…

One day after the anti-terror police interrogation imposed to journalist Fréderike Geerdink for some messages sent on Twitter, another Dutch journalist has been arrested today (07/01/2015) and will have to answer question for a picture taken in 2013 with a smartphone during a press trial. The Dutch-Turkish journalist Mehmet Ülgur has been arrested today at the airport in Istanbul (Turkey). The NVJ (Dutch Association of Journalists) has immediately reacted and informed the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this new case. “Mr Koenders (Dutch minister of Foreign Affairs) is still in Turkey. Maybe that can make a difference”, hopes the…

The Dutch journalist Fréderike Geerdink, permanent female media correspondent in Turkey for several media outlets (The Independent & Al Monitor), has been arrested today (06/01/2015) by a group of Turkish police anti-terrorism unit. “Terrorism police just searched my house, team of 8 guys. They take me to the station now, charge [sic]: ‘propaganda for terrorist organization”, wrote Geerdink on Twitter reporting about her own arrest. Fréderike Geerdink is specialised in the Kurdish issue (www.kurdishmatters.com), she wrote a new book about the Roboski massacre, she lives and works in the city of Diyarbakir. During the past few days, she was receiving…

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), an EFJ affiliate in the United Kingdom, has staged a protest today outside the Downing Street in London calling for press freedom in Turkey. Barry White, NUJ representative to the European Federation of Journalists  said “The government  must not remain silent to these abuses. Last year saw a drop in the number of journalists in prison, a welcome move, but this latest attack by the authorities shows that they have come back for more. We will continue to campaign for freedom of expression and the right to report by standing in solidarity with our…

Police forces in Turkey have today (14/12/2014) raided media outlets (Zaman newspaper and Samanyolu Television) known to be close to a US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen. At least 23 people, including journalists and television producers, have been detained so far in Istanbul and elsewhere in the country and are apparently being accused of forming a criminal organization. Commenting this new operation, the Secretary General of the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS, an EFJ affiliate) Mustafa Kuleli reminded that “this operation is performed just a few days before the first anniversary of the bribery and corruption scandal (known as “17 December”…