Erdogan’s regime the world’s worst jailer of journalists

The severe criticism directed against head of the Turkish regime’s internal and external policies, the corruption charges against Erdogan and his son pushed Erdogan and his ilk to launch an unprecedented large scale arrest campaign against journalists and writers making Turkey the world’s worst jailer of journalists. Over the past three years, Turkish authorities have shut down or taken over scores of independent news outlets, because they opposed Turkish regime’s policies, especially its policy towards the crisis in Syria and the Turkish aggression on the Syrian territories.

A group of Turkish journalists have demanded from Erdogan’s regime to immediately release their colleagues and the writers who were imprisoned because of their opposition  to Erdogan’s internal and external policies, especially the Turkish offensive against Syria.

 In a statement released during the recent session of the Frankfurt  international book  fair, the journalists affirmed that they would never forget their colleagues, the victims of Erdogan’s oppressive policies who are  similar to Hitler’s.

Two months ago, Erdogan held a rare press briefing for journalists in the country’s media capital, Istanbul. In his remarks, Erdogan claimed that freedom of press was of “vital importance” to him. But, in fact, Turkey has imprisoned more journalists than any other country has.

Can Dundar was one of the most prominent newspaper editors in Turkey. He ran Cumhuriyet – a center-left, secular paper that routinely investigated into the policies of the ruling government. For the last three years, he has been living in Berlin. He came to Berlin after spending time in a Turkish prison for publishing a story exposing illegal arms support – weapons the Turkish intelligence services were providing to  terrorist groups operating in Syria. Dundar was sentenced to six years behind bars under the pretext of  revealing state secrets. He chose exile over remaining in Turkey to fight his appeal, because he lost trust in the Turkish judiciary as Erdogan sacked and imprisoned all the judges who oppose his reckless and irresponsible policies.

Newspaper Zaman was among the more than 100 media outlets shut down during the government’s purging of civil society following the attempted coup of 2016.

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Istanbul published a statement banning news reports and comments on Turkey’s military assault on northern Syria. Turkish authorities have arrested Journalist and Digital Services Manager of Daily Birgun website Hakan Demir within the framework of the oppression campaign targeting all those who reject the aggression launched by the Turkish regime against the Syrian territories. Demir was detained because he expressed his rejection of the Turkish aggression on the Syrian lands.

 K.Q.