The Turkey-Japan Media Forum, which is organized by the Medialog Platform — an industry advocacy group connected to the İstanbul-based Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) — kicked off in İstanbul on Thursday.
Many journalists from Turkish and Japanese media outlets will participate in the forum, during which the attendees will discuss the role of media in terms of multiculturalism and coexistence, the perception of Turkey in the Japanese media and the perception of Japan in the Turkish media, the relationship between media and democracy and new media tendencies in the digital era.
The opening speech of the forum was delivered by GYV Chairman Mustafa Yeşil, who drew attention to the importance of different cultures sharing their experiences.
“I find it extremely positive that these two communities are sharing their rich experiences in the area of democracy with each other, both on the occasion of this meeting and in other events,” Yeşil said.
Gülen-linked journalist association warns that movement’s support for gov’t can end
Erdoğan and his supporters have cast the corruption probe as a smear campaign devised by Gülen, who exercises broad, if covert, influence in the media and judiciary through his followers. In response, the government has staged an unprecedented purge of the police forces and has moved to increase its control over the judiciary. Yeşil said that all these allegations were unfounded.
Another woman faces detention just after giving birth as police await at hospital
Turkish police are waiting at Adana Avrupa Hospital to detain Elif Açıkgöz, who just gave birth by cesarean section, over alleged links to the Gülen movement, Samanyolu haber reported on Monday. After they were told that Açıkgöz could not be discharged from the hospital, police started a vigil in front of her room.
EU calls on Turkey to Investigate abduction cases targeting Gülen Movement
The European Union (EU) on Thursday said it was closely following developments in Turkey including the abductions of people from the Gülen movement, reminding Ankara of its responsibility to investigate these reported cases.
Persecution of the Gülen Movement in Turkey
The Gülen (a.k.a Hizmet) movement, a faith-based community, has been subject to political persecution for more than two years by the Turkish government since they stood up against corruption and injustice under the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan has publicly called for a “witch hunt,” and arrests, threats, and harassments have now become a routine for participants and sympathizers of the movement.
Unproven speculations and legitimate questions
Joost Lagendijk* Last week I was able to witness through first-hand experience how difficult it is to explain the Gulen movement outside of Turkey and how easy it is to manipulate public opinion on this issue. It seems the launch of Zaman Vandaag (Today’s Zaman) in the Netherlands last Tuesday triggered several critics to present […]
Turkey could find itself facing hefty legal bill for mass purges
In 2006, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Turkish citizen Osman Murat Ulke, who refused to perform compulsory military service as an act of civil disobedience, had been subjected to “civil death” due to the numerous prosecutions he faced after his original jail sentence. Ulke’s expulsion from his profession and the prospect of an interminable series of convictions, which forced him into hiding, constituted a “disproportionate” punishment, the court said.
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