Keyword: Freedoms
Finally, an awakening… press freedom in Turkey
Yavuz Baydar “…notes with concern that most media are owned by and concentrated in large conglomerates with a wide range of business interests ; reiterates its call for the adoption of a new media law addressing, inter alia, the issues of independence, ownership and administrative control…” The excerpt is from the European Parliament Resolution on […]
Why is the Gulen movement’s statement on press freedom significant?
BÜLENT KENEŞ As Turkey slows down its democratization and liberalization reforms, and occasionally backpedals on certain reforms, it runs into more serious problems. In particular, the slowdown in the democratization reforms Turkey is supposed to implement within the context of its European Union membership bid results in the deterioration of existing rights and freedoms. The […]
GYV urges government to accelerate reforms in favor of media freedoms
The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) has called on the Turkish government to speed up pro-freedom reforms and to bring its laws in line with European Union standards in order to do away with problems caused by limits on freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The foundation released a statement on Wednesday regarding […]
Kurdish singer Perwer says freedoms should be gained via peaceful means
HAŞİM SÖYLEMEZ, ARBIL Renowned Kurdish singer Şivan Perwer has voiced his support to the ongoing peace talks between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to resolve Turkey’s long-standing Kurdish problem and urged that freedom should be taken through peaceful means. In an exclusive with Sunday’s Zaman […]
Gülen says he supports broader press freedoms
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has said he advocates broader rights specifically in the arenas of freedom of expression and freedom of the press for journalists, including those who “unjustly” accuse him of conspiring against them. The allegations were recently voiced following the recent release of four journalists released pending trial in the OdaTV case, […]
Abant Platform Proposes Mother Tongue Education
The Journal of Turkish Weekly Thursday, 15 March 2012 The 26th Abant Platform, which brings together high-profile intellectuals, journalists, legal experts and politicians, concluded on Sunday (March 11th) with a recommendation that Turkey’s Constitution recognise the right to education in languages other than Turkish. “Education in one’s mother tongue is an essential human right. The […]
New Constitution should have no barriers to mother tongue education
11 March 2012 / BÜŞRA ERDAL, ABANT The 26th meeting of the Abant Platform, which discussed problematic areas of the constitutional drafting process, suggested in its final declaration on Sunday regarding education being given in languages other than Turkish — one of the most contentious issues that needs to be addressed in the new constitution […]
